Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy!

Soooo I’m not exactly sure where to start because I have a whole list of opinions. I’m not sure if I have way too high expectations or the book is just not good. Because when I saw the positive reviews for this book I got really excited. From what I read on the blurb, it felt like it was going to be a cute Hollywood-y romance, something between romance and women’s fiction, kind of like Emily Henry’s books. From the get go that was too much pressure on my side because honestly nothing compares to Emily Henry’s books for me. Of course, I was fairly disappointed.

To start off, I truly did not care one bit about the main character Callie. I found her too annoying and everything she did kept annoying me. I thought her relationships with her mom and sister Nina were very weird. It felt like the author couldn’t decide whether they were going to get along or not. She complained about her sister so much and it felt like she actually hated her. I get that you sometimes do hate your sibling but they never had a proper talk to end their conflict and just magically became best friends at the end. That was another thing, the story progressed so slowly in the beginning and in the end Callie just magically had a lot of character development and solved all her problems. There was no steady progress on her side. Also, I hated the reading why she broke up with her college boyfriend because I can’t stand that particular trope..

Another thing that disappointed me was this book was marketed as a romance when there was truly none of that???? The blurb mentioned a college ex and an architect, her romantic connection with the architect only happened during the last 20% and the college ex came into the picture only in the last %10. If this was a random recommendation I got from somebody I wouldn’t be this disappointed but when I’m choosing ARCs I involuntarily have to go into it blindly and the blurb becomes very important. So when you market your book as a romance and mention 2 possible love interests in the blurb, I rightfully expect to see at least SOME romance. The book may not be a rom-com, that’s totally fine I love fiction but this felt like false advertising, I don’t know.

Lastly, there are two things I want to mention. Firstly, I love books with before/after chapters but I hated the change of POVs between the chapters and the writing style overall threw me off a bit. There were so many unnecessary details, at one point she described a “herringbone scarf”, I’m not even sure I know what that is. Secondly. The book was so painfully millennial it was hard to read at times, she mentioned a infinity scarf like 2 times. TWO TIMES!!!! IN 2022?????

So overall, I didn’t care about any of the characters of this book and tried so so hard not to DNF it at 54% but I pushed through, only skimmed the last 20% and made it.

A+ For Typecast! What a novel! I could not put it down and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. How would you handle your ex taking the reign's? I know I wouldn't have handled it anything like the plot of this book. The characters were very detailed and I loved that it felt like I knew them. That always helps move the story forward and not letting it stall. Storyline was very well written and I am looking forward to what comes next from this wonderful author.

I had a hard time getting into this one and was skimming quite a bit. I thought the premise was great, it just lacked execution.

Callie dated Ethan all through college and before she was supposed to move across the country with him post-college, she broke up with him. Fast forward 10 years later, she finds out that he wrote a movie about the breakup and about to be released. Callie starts to wonder if she’s moved on from Ethan while also getting interested in someone new.

This was a cute novel about making choices and wondering if the right choices are the ones made right after college or when you’ve grown up more. I’m glad we got the ending we got and thought the book wrapped up nicely.

Thanks to NetGalley and Girl Friday Books for this eARC. Typecast comes out Sept 13, 2022.

✨Book Review✨

Thanks to @books.turning.brains_ajstein , @netgalley and @girlfridayproductions for the eARC!

Imagine breaking up with your college boyfriend right after graduation, whom you’ve dated for the past four years. Then, fast forward 10 years and you find out that he’s written a screenplay about your break-up…that was optioned…and is now a highly anticipated new release with a young heartthrob cast as your ex. 😳

This is 32-year-old’s Callie’s reality in this book. Unmarried, living in her childhood home and teaching preschool, Callie thought her life was just fine. But, is it? Did she make a mistake breaking up with Ethan all those years ago? Has it prevented her from moving on?

I loved this book!! I loved Callie. I loved her quirky outfits, her friends, and how she handled everything life threw at her in this novel. This was such a comfort read involving Callie finding herself and I loved how it ended! Be sure and pick this one up and go follow my bookstagrammer friend, the author; she’s awesome!

Typecast releases tomorrow! 👏🙌

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
(Rounded up to 5 for Goodreads)

This sweet contemporary romance captures the way it feels when life takes an unexpected turn and you find yourself somewhere totally different to where you thought you’d be.

It’s a story of self-discovery, healing, forgiveness and the support networks that see us through hard times. It’s also the story of Callie, whose ex-boyfriend is releasing a movie based on their failed relationship.

I love Callie’s grim determination in the face of all life throws at her, and the fact that, as she is forced to confront the implications of the movie, she grows into a much kinder and more conscientious person than she was in the years she so often looks back on. She makes a lot of mistakes, but despite it all is a great example of building yourself back up from your lowest point, making brave decisions and learning to be happy in your own space, in your own time.

The side characters are a great mix of loving, infuriating and overbearing, the friendships are brilliant and the romance plot is adorable. All in all, this is a great, quick read for fans of realistic redemption arcs and relatable, vulnerable romance.

I requested this book because the plot made me think along the lines of Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman which I enjoyed. But I found the whole movie plot device to be almost unnecessary to the story? Really liked the main character of Callie, such a real/great character and the family dynamics were just so realistic. Enjoyed the book but it wasn't quite the story I expected.

This story is set in two different timelines. “Before” is about Callie's and Ethan's college years. And “After” is about Callie's current life, who is 32 years old now. One day she learns that her ex-boyfriend, Ethan, has a film coming out, and the screenplay is based on their real-life breakup. In addition to that, Callie lives in her parent's house, so her pregnant sister Nina moves in as well with her husband and their four-year-old daughter.

To be honest, I didn't like this book because it was not what I expected. I thought that it was going to be a rom-com about Callie and Nina's architect. Maybe even a small love triangle between that architect, Nina, and Ethan. Unfortunately for me, this was more of a coming-of-age story. And that's not necessarily the bad thing. But I expected a rom-com, so I was bored most of the book, and the characters didn't help me either. Most of them are flawed people, and it was hard for me to like any of them.

I'd still recommend this book to anyone, who likes coming-of-age stories about first love, college breakups, and fixing mistakes of the past.

4 1/2 stars

This book grabbed my attention and I read it whenever I could until I finished it.

Personally, I loved the premise - - your ex writes a movie that appears to be somewhat based on your break up. That movie is being released with major star power so people will go to it and your story will be seen. I know it would throw me for a loop if this happened to me. And it definitely threw Callie off when it happened to her.

Callie thought she was doing okay until she heard the news that her college boyfriend, Ethan had written a screenplay. When she realized it seemed to mirror their breakup, she wasn't sure what to think. It made her second guess her decision made all those years ago.

The book doesn't just deal with this though. It's truly only a piece of what Callie is dealing with. She has family issues involving her parents and sister and her family. She also can't seem to make a relationship work and all of her dates seem to be boring. She still lives in the family home and hasn't really made it hers at all. It's as if she's in a holding pattern. It doesn't help that her sister criticizes her for still living in the family home and questions her job choice. Then there's the pressure from her sister and friends about dating. Everyone has an opinion, but Callie needs to ignore everyone else and decide what's important to her.

The process Callie goes through to "find herself" takes a bit but it's worth it. She's simply a person who carries guilt that paralyzes her. It makes it difficult to move forward. She has many things she needs to figure out before she can truly decide what she wants. After everything is said and done, Callie will eventually figure out where her place is in the world.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Type Cast surprised me in so many ways. What I thought was going to be a cute RomCom, and that was definitely an element, but it was also a story of finding oneself. Callie Dressler left college with a boyfriend and plans to move across the country to start her life. By the end of that summer, she was once again single and living in the house where she grew up. Fast forward many years and Callie finds herself struggling to figure out if she is really where she is meant to be in her life. She is still living in the same house, but now her very pregnant sister and her family are living with her once again. In addition to living in a now very crowded house, she also discovers that her ex boyfriend has written a screenplay about the road trip he took with friends right after their breakup.

The best part about this book was our lovely main character, Callie. She was both interesting and relatable. While my own circumstances are very different, I was able to relate to the time she spent thinking about how her past decisions have affected the decisions she made going forward in her life. That relatability created an immediate connection for me because I could easily put myself in her place.

The more I learned about her, the more I understood her decisions and appreciated her emotional state. The parts of her personality that started off as a bit annoying became traits that added to her strengths. These aspects of her personality felt relevant to my own life and my own experiences as a millennial woman of a similar age. Watching her growth reminded me of my own journey and how much I have grown since leaving college.

This book quickly became less of what I wanted, and more of what I needed. It was a reminder to make amends with the past when needed, and to let go when it’s not. Callie’s inner dialog and the way that it was written added to the personal aspects of the story because I could always tell how everything that was said to her was actually affecting her, instead of having to guess. This was especially evident in the fact that there were so many elements of her life that I was able to peek at. Her story includes her family, friends, job and relationships in a brilliantly balanced story. Every aspect of her life got the attention it deserved.


The only part of the story that I struggled with was her flashbacks. Some of them felt irrelevant to the story and the tone shift was jarring at times. This lack of fluidity in the past was made even more jarring because the rest of the work flowed so wonderfully. I found that I was more likely to take breaks from reading during the flashbacks.

Make sure to check trigger warnings, as this book does deal with some heavy topics.

Thank you to Netgalley and Girl Friday Productions for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A highly enjoyable book about a college romance than ended in a bad note. Callie finds out her college sweetheart wrote a screenplay with a plot that highly resembles their breakup. This is the background plot that is present throughout the book. Callie is currently living in her parents house while her parents live in Florida. Her sister’s family moves in for a few months while their house is being renovated. What could go wrong with that????

I loved all the mini plots in this book. It is told in third person and mainly in the present with flashbacks to Callie’s time in college. The title had multiple meanings. I loved this book.

The premise to this novel sounded great, but I didn't particularly like the characters and the writing was too slow for me.

Callie Dressler is a 31 year old preschool teacher who thought she put her past behind her. When she discovers that her ex-boyfriend from college is making a screenplay based on their relationship and break up, it brings up history that Callie is forced to revisit.

After reading the premise of this book, I was really intrigued! I did find the first half of the book to be slower for me as it took me longer than expected to get into it. However, I'm glad I didn't give up because the second half really held my attention and I loved it. This book is written with alternating timelines, one in the past during college (first person) and the other in the present (third person). While I was interested in learning about what happened in the past, I found myself much more invested in the "now" timeline.

I liked the main character, Callie, and felt that she was relatable in how she was feeling stuck and trying to figure things out (also, we share the same birthday!). I liked following along as she navigated various challenges in her life and her relationships while revisiting the past. The characters felt well developed and realistic with their flaws. I enjoyed how things ended for Callie, but did not expect a few things along the way (i'll include content warnings below, in case you want to check them out). I would have loved a little more romance in this one though!

Overall, I liked this one even though I personally found the first half to be a little slower. If you are looking for a women's fiction read with a little romance, a little family drama that also touches on finding yourself, learning to be okay with past choices and moving forward, check out Typecast (out September 13, 2022)!

Thank you to NetGalley, Girl Friday Books and Andrea J Stein for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars.





Content/Trigger Warnings:
miscarriage, cheating

This one was pretty good but felt a little slow paced for me. I enjoyed the author’s writing but just wish it was either a shorter book or had a little more action.

Callie broke up with her longtime college boyfriend, Ethan, the summer after he graduated, He was waiting for her to join him in California to live their best lives and she was no longer feeling it. Ten years later, Callie is rattled by the news that Ethan has made a potentially blockbuster film based on their past relationship and breakup. She begins wondering if she did the right thing and where she would be now if she had moved to California with Ethan instead of moving into her parents' home and teaching at the local preschool.

Told in flashbacks of the "Before" when Callie and Ethan's relationship began to the "After" as Callie tries to sort her feelings, this book had a slow start for me. Almost immediately there was the big "why" of the sudden breakup, and it was enough to keep me reading even though I thought Callie was a little bit of a sad panda was getting ready to turn into the neighborhood spinster cat lady. As we got more into the background of the relationship, signs and symptoms of trouble in paradise began to appear. I liked that Ethan wasn't the "bad guy" and that Callie had a good reason to breakup with him, but at the same time wasn't perfect either. This was a good women's fiction novel that explores what happens when a relationship that seemed so right suddenly wasn't and the longer it lasted the harder it was to pull the plug.

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⋆ ⭒
First of all, we would just like to thank Andrea Stein for her generosity in offering us to read her book. We cannot imagine the chops it takes to write a novel and then put it out into the world, so thank you for letting us have this privilege.

Often when the term “coming-of-age tale” is thrown around, one’s mind goes to a character’s youthful upbringing, but this book offers the same story arc, but in a different, and more relatable, way. As someone who has now ventured into their mid-thirties, I am pleasantly comfortable in my own skin, something that was granted to me by the grace of aging. I know myself, my desires, my priorities, and my value, and it’s a good feeling. This book really captured the shift into that stage really well.

Split between three timelines, ‘Before’, ‘After’, and ‘Now’, even though the center of story revolves around Callie, the perspective shifted from first-person in ‘before’ to third-person in ‘after’ which I felt really spoke the disassociation Callie was feeling towards her sense of self. It can be hard to wrestle between who you were before and the person you are now, and through the one simple act of changing the style of narration, it captured this struggle perfectly.

This is a love story - about showing love to yourself and your family, and in turn, knowing who is worthy of your love.

~ 👩🏻‍🦰

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Type Cast by Andrea J. Stein is a good book, and I enjoyed it so much that I read it in one day. However, this is a case of don’t judge the book by the cover. I was expecting a rom-com, but I would describe it as more of a coming-of-age story. I am sure readers will remember their “first” love and also their first “romance,” but our heroine Cassie is 32 years old and can’t seem to move past her college boyfriend, Ethan, that she ditched. Sometimes when someone loves you too much, it becomes obsessive, controlling, and oppressive. Ethan, who has been inseparable from Cassie for over four years of college, won’t give Cassie a moment alone. For any woman who has had a boyfriend like this, it’s hard to describe how suffocating this kind of “love” can become. So, when Cassie goes home for the summer after graduating while Ethan heads to California, she breaks it off once she gets a rare moment of freedom. Everyone needs a chance to spread their wings and discover their true self. Fast forward over a decade later, and Cassie is still single, a school teacher, living in her parents’ home, looking for love online (unsuccessfully), and second-guessing her life choices when her college boyfriend successfully writes a movie about their romance. A series of events leads Cassie to consider a choice between Ethan and a new romance, Ben. What will she do? This story is more nuanced than my review. It’s terrific. Ignore the cover; read the book. #comingofage #life #love #regrets #lifechoices #family #future @netgalley @books.turning.brains_ajstein #girlfridaybooks #TypeCast
💋
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley, Girl Friday Publishing, and the author for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: September 2022.

#bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram #reader #booklove #bookreader

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this book. Callie and Ethan were together all throughout college. Just before they were about to move across the country and start their lives together, Callie ends the relationship. 10 years later, Ethan is producing a movie that goes back and forth between is past relationship and then the breakup. I liked that this book was character driven, even though I couldn't really relate to any of them overall.

Parts of this book fell a little flat for me. Like I mentioned above I couldn't really find a relatable character to latch onto while reading this book so it was definitely a slower read. Also, the chapters switch between first and third person so it was a little confusing.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thrilling read! I was able to connect with all of the characters and throughly enjoyed the story the author painted.

Short Review: A sweet romance with memorable characters.

Long Review: I came upon this book because I follow the author on Instagram. She is one of the nicest people and I am excited for the chance to do an early review her book.

I'm giving this one a slow burn warning because it takes awhile to unravel. Despite the slowness, the characters are endearing and the before and after flashbacks keep the plot flowing along nicely. If you like character building stories with lots of family dynamics thrown in this one is for you.