This was an adorable, sweet, coming of age YA audiobook. I loved the characters and the relationships between them. I also loved the gentle but impactful way the author addressed important issues people face in young adulthood, particularly around identity and feeling the need to try to fit in. Definitely recommend this!

Audiobook ARC provided by NetGalley. I had such a hard time finishing this audiobook, I just could not get into the story. The narrator was new to me and she didn't keep my interest with her narration.

If you love a good geeky story with a splash of romance then I welcome you to NerdCrush. This book was a good mix of fandom, coming pf age and learning to love yourself within the pages of this book.

Ramona Lambert is a typical shy, artistic sixteen-year-old. She has a best friend whom she’s known since they were in diapers; parents who love her; a love for cosplay; and a crush on the cute boy in her class.

The only problem? Her best friend moved away; her parents don't quite understand her love of cosplay; and she is pretty sure her crush has no idea she exists.

To escape her troubles, Ramona turns to cosplay and her original character, Rel, who gives her the confidence and freedom that she lacks in real life. Embracing this confidence, she decides to strike up an email conversation with her crush, Caleb Wolfe, from her cosplay account in the hopes getting to know him . . . and maybe win his heart. Then as Caleb and Ramona are swept up in their emails back and forth to each other, and Ramona falls even harder as he opens up about his hopes, insecurities, and his own geeky loves. However, as Caleb starts to grow closer and closer to Rel, he also strikes up a friendship with Ramona, who knows she can't keep the truth about Rel from Caleb but isn't sure she is ready to risk losing him. With an important cosplay convention coming up and the anxiety of her double-life weighing on her, Ramona has to decide if she’ll hide behind her cosplay character forever or take the chance and let Caleb see the real her--because he might actually like her for who she is.

CW: racism, death of a grandparent (recounted)

I would like to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a free e-ARC of this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Cosplayer Ramona Lambert decides to take a chance with her secret crush, Caleb Wolfe, by leaving a portrait of her alter ego, Rel, and starting a regular correspondence with him. At the same time, in real life, Caleb ends up working the same after school job as Ramona at the local diner and later develops a close friendship. While balancing the two personas, Ramona wonders how she can let the real her show through to Caleb and those around her.

NerdCrush takes a nerdy twist on the classic high school love story. Emrich does a great job with telling Ramona’s story and makes it so engaging with wanting to stay on till the very end. I loved seeing Ramona and Caleb’s interactions throughout the book and the fact that they can be so nerdy together was actually adorable to see. While it is slightly more ideal for younger YA readers, it isn’t too childish that older YA readers would not get something out of it.

For the audiobook perspective, I think that you have a better experience with NerdCrush on audio and listening at 1.25x gives a more natural pace with Vundla’s narration. I think that Vundla was the right narrator for this title and I think she did a great job with portraying Ramona’s quirky personality as well as giving distinct characteristics of the other characters in the story.

Perfect for fans of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda or YA readers that are obsessed with nerdy rom-coms, NerdCrush will sweep you away with engaging dialogue and captivating characters.

This was a cute debut. NerdCrush follows Ramona, a self-proclaimed nerdy, awkward Black girl in high school who uses her cosplay character to gain confidence and talk to her crush, Caleb. The story reads as younger YA (I think a middle schooler could read it too. There's one party scene where kids drink but it's not the MC and it's brushed over), and because of that the story didn't go quite as deep into Ramona and Caleb's relationship or Ramona's relationship with her parents as a book for older readers would. But it's still makes for a quick and easy read with a lovable protagonist.

Thanks to Running Press Kids and Net Galley for the audiobook.

3.5/5
This was an absolute delight. Emrich does such a phenomenal job in channelling an authentic teenage voice for her protagonist that you cannot help but believe this girl and root for her even when you may not agree with her actions, simply because you can't help but believe and understand where they are coming from. It was all the more satisying to see our heroine grow into herself and gain confidence throughout this book after witnessing the place of fear and loneliness we first find her in. The romance was very sweet and wholesome, which made for such a lovely reading experience. I particularly enjoyed the conversations surrounding the specific experience of Black girls existing in fandom spaces and the way they are perceived in their communities outside of this intersection (i.e.: the exclusion of Black people from fandom spaces & the rejection of her fangirl identity among her Black cousins).
This was a quick read full of heart and the audio narration really helped it come to life.

NerdCrush
By: Alisha Emrich
Narrator: Zoleka Vundla
Pub:2/7/2023
Duration: 6hrs 10mins
Audiobook

4.5 Stars!

I was in the mood to review an audiobook, and I was approved for NerdCrush through Netgalley. Looking at the description, it was an absolute yes. “Happily Ever Afters meets You've Got Mail in this geeky, Black Girl Magic-filled debut romance.”

Going in, I knew I had to refocus myself on a young adult mindset. It’s been a while since I have read a YA novel. The main character is Ramona Lambert, an introverted, artistic sixteen-year-old who loves cosplay, an original character that she created named Rel. As I listened to the book, I was brought back to that age. I was awkward, shy, and struggled to fit in, and the same is with Ramona. Unsure how to be herself around her crush Caleb, she slips a note into his locker with her email address and her character’s name on it. Soon, she is swept up in the emails between the two of them. She discovers that he loves a lot of the same things she does and falls for him. Meanwhile, back in RL (real life) Caleb starts working at the same restaurant as Ramona forcing her to interact with him in person while holding on to the secret of her cosplay identity.

Also in the book are issues that Ramona has with her family. Her parents down seem to understand that her love of art and creating is more than just a hobby; it’s what she wants to go to school for. Her mom is very vocal about it being a waste of time and money; it breaks my heart. She also has extended family that does not accept her for who she is because of ignorance on their part of not knowing anything about the cosplaying world. Telling Ramona that she is trying to act white or picking on her relentlessly about her clothes and the books she reads.

There was a scene in the book where her mom finally heard her, and I shed a few tears. It was very touching. I think it’s a beautiful book that gives a voice to those that may not fit in with everyone else. It’s a sweet and innocent look at your first love in high school.

Zoleka Vundla did a fantastic job breathing life into Ramona and smiled quite a bit, listening to her.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Alisha Emrich for a digital audiobook copy of NerdCrush in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

NerdCrush is a super cute YA romance between Ramona, a shy 16-year-old who loves art and cosplay, and her crush Caleb. I loved how sweet these characters were, and how supportive Caleb was to her interests even when her family wasn't. It was a fun, fast-paced read, and the family drama added enough depth to keep it interesting throughout.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

4.5 for a near perfect YA novel!!

I feel like it could have benefitted from a bit more personal growth from Ramona, especially with her friend and their falling out.

I wanted to hug Ramona the entire time. She was a sweet nerdy girl who needed support that she was NOT getting from her parents (ugh!!!). I loved her confidence while in character as Rel and how that slowly steeped into her everyday attitude.

Overall it was a great little cosplay romance!

I selected this book because I am always looking for books that feature strong BIPOC characters, and this one had the bonus of directly addressing the experience of being Black in a very white space (the cosplay community). I really appreciated a story about Black joy and self-discovery. That said, the hidden-identity romance plot felt drawn out and unrealistic. The lead character essentially catfishes a classmate for weeks, and she is able to make up for this breach of trust way too easily. It was disappointing that the flawed romance plot overshadows the great work the book is doing on race, community, and pursuing passions.

A fantastic book for young readers that finds it difficult to live their authentic selves!

Nerd Crush is a touching story that centers around Ramona - a young black girl that finds herself dealing with family issues, the emotions that come with her best friend moving away, and falling in love for the first time. In this story cosplay isn’t just an art, it’s a way to be a bit braver when you don’t feel like you can voice your truths.

This book was super cute!!! I loved the main character AND her crush!
Cosplay elements and Book Fandom elements were super fun!!!
And there was family drama sprinkled in as well to make this a really fun couple story, but also added depth in the side stories!

This book was sweet!

Middle/High Schoo years are rough!! One rejection can lead up to major fear and anxiety. For Ramona this happened her 8th grade year. After that she was over, well, everyone. She didn’t give anyone new a chance and hid behind her cosplay costume.

Until new kid Caleb moves to her town. Go on this journey while she learns to navigate giving people a chance and revealing her true feelings to her crush without her mask and computer screen hiding her true self.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this story.

This was a fun, quick read. I know a lot of people aren't fans of the miscommunication trop, but it really worked for me here. I liked seeing Ramona become more confident in herself, and thought the relationship between Ramona and Caleb was really cute! The narration was really well done.

This was a sweet YA novel and it was such a quick one to listen to! Shout out to the narrator because she made this book very engaging.

I love the theme of this book and the fact that Ramona found her confidence in the end. As an introverted myself, I can definitely understand self doubt, especially when some of the most important people around you do not reinforce or are not in agreement with things that you are passionate about. This is a good reminders for parents too that younger individuals need validation. Also, what is considered nerdy nowadays? To me, Ramona was just a normal kid with interests that may differ from most of us. I feel like the word nerd is used to "other" kids with different passions nowadays. If anything, being a nerd is cool. How boring would it be for everyone to like the exact same thing...

I definitely recommend this book. I am not really an audiobook type of girl, but this one was a delight.

*ARC review*

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute YA romance, a la You've Got Mail. The only difference was the MC girl knew the whole time she was catfishing the guy. That did irk me a bit throughout. Sometimes it tipped past cute into creepy/desperate. Also didn’t like her parents or sister. In addition to general unsupportive nonsense, the stuff with her cousins bugged me. It was giving boys will be boys. I didn’t have a lot of reason to like her parents after that!

I liked Ramona coming into herself more. She still has a lot of growth to go though. I ended the book thinking she needed a little more development.

What a cute YA nerd love romance. Ramona was really sweet and I loved how much feeling this had, especially with all the different dynamics with her family and bestie.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this book.

A cute YA romcom featuring a cosplay loving Black teen girl who falls for a guy online and IRL (unbeknownst to him). Full of teen drama and lots of nerdy joy. I really enjoyed this debut and thought it was well done on audio narrated by Zoleka Vundla. Recommended for fans of Walking in two worlds by Wab Kinew or the adult rom The love con by Seressia Glass. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed NerdCrush, although the main romantic trope is one that I have grown not to enjoy as much. I loved the fact that the couple was interracial and that it focused around someone that was not the most popular person. As someone who is shy, isolated, and not the center of attention, I could relate and found that the story did a good job of portraying the fears Ramona has. The trope that I didn't enjoy is the lack of communication. While it is understandable for a young woman to be afraid of not being liked, of putting herself out there to possibly be turned down. But as she got to know and befriended Caleb, I don't know why she felt so scared to tell him that she was the one that was emailing him. It makes the story longer, but I kept wanting her to tell him how she felt. Maybe that is what the author wants the reader to feel. If so, it worked. I've just found so many romances where lack of communication keeps the story going.

Overall, the story is very well written and the narration for the audiobook is great. There were a few times that she mispronounced a name, but this didn't take away from the enjoyment of the story. I would definitely recommend this to a younger audience looking for a sweet romance.

Audiobook Review - NerdCrush is a cute and fun story about a shy girl who finally catches the attention of her crush only to have everything go terribly wrong. The characters are fun and realistic. Add this to collections where contemporary teen romcoms are flying off the shelves.