I really enjoyed the plot of this romance/family drama. Jasper Liddle, Christa's famous naturalist father, disappeared when she was a child and the world is still fascinated with his legacy. Christa's occupation as a research scientist is fascinating and I loved learning more about snails and the fictional island of Violetta. The romance between Christa and Nate was witty, fun, and hot. The chemistry between them just worked. I listened to the audiobook and Jesse Vilinsky and Jonathan Todd Ross are amazing as the narrators and really brought this story to life.

Christa has been hiding out for years on a remote island studying sea snails - escaping a trauma from 10 years earlier, as well as the notoriety of her father's disappearance and supposed death 25 years earlier. Now, her father has reappeared. As the true story of his disappearance comes out, Christa rekindles an old friendship with a childhood friend, Nate.
This is a romance, but also a story of healing, and coming to terms with trauma - reclaiming your own story.
I thought it was OK. I did enjoy the relationship between Christa and Nate.

This was my first Abbi Waxman book so I really had no idea what to expect. What I discovered was a well-written story with well-developed characters, a fair amount of humor, dysfunctional family dynamics, emotional depth, a nerdy heroine, and an unexpected romance with her teenage crush, the one who had seen her at her rock-bottom worst.

In a way, this was a healing, coming of age story for Christa, a woman with a tumultuous childhood in the spotlight which transitioned into wild teen years, also in the spotlight. She has finally found peace, on a remote island, with the snails she’s studying and locals who couldn’t care less about her past or her famous father. Of course that’s all thrown into chaos when her father (believed dead the past 25 years) suddenly staggers out of the Alaskan wilderness, throwing Christa back into the path of intrusive media, a complicated relationship with her mother, an estranged relationship with her sisters, a father she doesn’t remember, and a second chance romance with the focus of her teenage dreams. Complications aplenty!

The book started off a bit slow but quickly picked up speed, holding my interest through a series of twists and turns to the end. I enjoyed how the author explored the different relationships in Christa’s life, both familial and romantic, as well as her fraught relationship with the media, not to mention hordes of fans who still viewed her as a fatherless two-year-old thrust into the spotlight along with her mother. I find mother-daughter relationships fascinating and appreciated the time taken by this author to portray the evolution of the fractured one between an adult Christa and her mom.

Overall, Christa Comes Out of Her Shell was an enjoyable journey with a good blend of women’s fiction/romance vibes, a protagonist I could root for, a genuinely good romantic interest who won my heart (as well as hers), and an array of characters (nice and not so nice) who kept things moving along and oh, so interesting. It was a fun read with surprising depth, a somewhat cynical (but well deserved) look behind the Hollywood curtain of high-powered agents and stars, a second chance at romance, and a fractured family that…well, you’ll just have to read the book to discover what happens there.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley. Fair and unbiased review.

I read the summary for Christa Comes Out of Her Shell and knew that I had to read it. I’ve previously read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman and loved it. While I didn’t enjoy this one as much, I still had a lot of fun with Christa and her family.

Christa studies snails on a small island and leads a relatively quiet life. She’s rather normal, except for the fact that her famous father (a naturalist in the vein of Steve Irwin) disappeared en route to a filming location and hasn’t been seen in 20ish years. Only he isn’t dead - one day he stumbles from the Alaskan wilderness and suddenly the whole world is looking at the Liddle family, the littlest Liddle in particular.

My favorite part of this novel was the family dynamic. Christa has a bit of a complicated relationship with the other members of her family, especially her sisters, and I loved seeing them reconnect during the madness that is Jasper “coming back from the dead.” The relationships may have been tested by age differences, Christa’s wild streak, and general family dynamic, but you could really feel the love between the sisters and their mother. This whole book was rather chaotic, but fun. I thought the romance between Christa and Nate was sweet, but at times took away from the story (also I was low key rooting for the other guy, to be honest. What can I say other than I love chaos?).

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a review copy.

First of all, I love Abbi Waxman and will read everything she writes until the end of time.

I think Christa comes out of her shell made me think that the main character, Christa was going to be this shy woman who finds her way. While she does find her way I feel as though Christa is not shy at all. Her coming out of her shell is a play on her job researching sea snails and learning to speak up when her family hurts her feelings. Christa's loud exterior though is just a show, inside she is quite vulnerable from having to carry her family (as a child) through the loss of her father. But uh oh! Dad isn't actually dead, he's just been lost in the Alaskan wilderness the past 25 years, or so we are led to believe.

I love that this book showed the growth of all of the women in Christa's family. Despite previous tension between mom and daughters, and the sisters themselves, they had each other and that was enough.

If you love a family story about heartbreak, love, growth and a side of romance, this book is for you!

It breaks my heart to stay this but I was not a fan of this book. I loved all the other books I’ve read by this author but not this one.

The one thing I did enjoy was Christa. I loved that she studied snails in the Indian Ocean and she was prickly. Unfortunately that’s all I enjoyed. I found there was too much going on throughout the book with the return of her father and also a romance. I wasn’t sure if I was reading a romance or a women’s fictional book. One thing I typically love about Waxman’s books are the charming side characters, which this one lacked. There were a lot of characters but honestly I wasn’t fond of any of them. Overall I felt this one fell flat. It just wasn’t for me, BUT I highly recommend all the other books by this author!

Quirky, fun and completely entertaining

I love, love, LOVED this quirky, fun and completely entertaining romance!!

Christa is hiding away on her almost deserted island, studying sea snails. That is until her famous father, missing for the past twenty years suddenly shows up alive and well.

While trying to navigate the new reality and process every new revelation, Christa discovers so much about her family, past events and especially herself.

“My sisters came by broom, presumably?”
He mock-frowned at me. “Be nice.” Then he smiled. “Although now you mention it, they did just kind of show up.”

Funny and engaging but also sweet and emotional, I didn’t want to put this book down from the moment I picked it up!
-5 Stars-

Christa Comes Out of Her Shell was such a great surprise. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did!

The story is unique and Christa was a really interesting character to follow. Her life has never been just hers as she was born to parents who were famous - especially her father who was presumed dead after his plane was found crashed in the Alaskan wilderness. I was curious how she would deal with being thrust back into the spotlight and how her relationships with her family and potential love interest, Nate, would change and grow.

I really enjoyed this read and want to check out more of Abbi Waxman's books.

2.5 stars rounded up for old times sake.

Since reading the delightful The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, I have read and deeply enjoyed most of the author’s previous novels, however this one just didn’t work for me and I think it’s her not me.

It’s a very solid set up: 25 years ago, TV naturalist Jasper Liddle disappeared, presumed dead, after his plane crashed in Alaska, leaving behind his wife and three daughters. Now he has reappeared and his story keeps changing.

Our protagonist is Christa, the youngest child who was just a toddler when Jasper left. She is now a marine scientist working on a sea snail project on the fictional Indian Ocean island of Violetta*, but is summoned back to LA to meet her father. On her arrival, she’s met by Nate, the son of her father’s old friend and business colleague and the romance is off to the races.

In my review of Nina Hill, I noted that the romance was the least interesting part of the story, and this is pretty much true of the author’s other novels. So maybe that’s my problem, that the romance is very much front and center here and I just wasn’t that interested in it - particularly the multi page sex scenes which are also a new addition and which, call me an old prude if you want, I just don’t care for in my romcoms. Maybe the author has been inspired by the success of Ali Hazelwood?

Putting the yawny romance to one side, the family drama is gratifying as Christa and her sisters work through their years of mutual resentment and their wonderful mother brings a welcome abrasion to the party. Add in Marcel the miniature dachshund and the often slyly witty illustrations at the start of each chapter and there’s plenty to like. In this novel though, it felt like these were the sides and, delicious as they are, they don’t make up for a rather lumpy and unappealing main course.

Maybe this just caught me on an off day and I’ll revisit it and enjoy it more, or maybe I’ll just mark it down as disappointing and reread some of the former glories.

Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

*A footnote, in the spirit of the novel, on Violetta. It made me cringe a little that this fictional uncolonized island had someone called Agnes Bottlebrush as an important historical figure and that the native people all had apparently Anglo names. Too cutesy and inappropriate by half.

After growing up in the spotlight, Christa has chosen a quiet life as an adult studying sea snails in the Indian Ocean. Her world is turned upside-down when her father, a renowned naturalist and TV personality, appears to be alive and well 25 years after he was presumed dead in a plane crash. When Christa returns home to LA to see her long-lost father, she is thrust back into the public eye and grapples with her complicated relationships with her mother, sisters, and her messy past. To top it all off, she finds herself falling for their family friend, Nate.

As a nature lover who grew up watching The Crocodile Hunter, this book checked off all my boxes! There is a Steve Irwin-inspired character, family drama, animal facts in each chapter, heartwarming romance, and laugh-out-loud humor. I found Christa’s character fascinating and loved following her growth over the course of the story. Through the relationships with her mom and sisters, Waxman highlights the importance of therapy and communication to repair broken family dynamics. This was a really fun read with a unique plot and flawed, relatable characters. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and reviewing this an ARC copy of this book. Loved the chemistry between Nate and Christa, loved reading about Christa reunited with her family and showed how truly they cared for each other and stuck together in good times and bad times. Didn’t care for Jasper or Davis who only saw $$$ to make themselves look good. Overall I highly recommend this book to all book fanatics who are close with their mothers, daughters,sisters, etc and also recommend it to romance lovers as well.

I'm a wee bit late on this shout out, but finally was able to dig into the new @abbiwaxman novel, #christacomesoutofhershell and it was worth the wait. Smart, snappy writing grabs me every time. #sciencegirlsrock #abbiwaxman #penguinrandomhouse #berkley

This may be a lifestyle I never heard of before. Christa spends her life hiding out, quite literally, studying sea snails in the Indian Ocean. Her life gets thrown thru a loop when her dad who supposedly died in a plane crash reappears and she is taken out of her quiet life and thrown in the spotlight. this was a quirky, unique story!
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I Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished Christa Came out of her shell by Abbi Waxman and here are my musings.

Christa Barnet likes her solitary life. She has her research, she has her sea snails, she has her peace. Her peace gets blown apart when her father, a man who was declared dead 25 years ago after his plane crashed, suddenly makes a reappearance. That’s news enough but her father also happens to be a famous naturalist and the toy company still has his name… This is hot, hot news. The reason he comes back? The lady who finds him in the wreckage, the one he left his family for, dies. Wanting to make amends to his ex wife and their 3 daughters, Jasper makes the flawed mistakes of appearing on Oprah before seeing his family in person.

Not wanting to deal with the fallout of it all, Christa begrudgingly returns home and the highlight being she gets to see her childhood friend and the sparks are flying. The more the media digs into her story, the more cracks develop not just in his story but in the darkness from the past that Christa has buried. Christa wants nothing more than to hide back inside her shell but she is forced to face the realities of the life she has been avoiding.

The book had a rocky start for me. It felt unsure at first. Like it was trying to find its footing but I wonder if that's what the author was trying to do because Christa starts out so unsure. The writing style was different from what I usually read. Lots of descriptive language which was nice but detracted from what I really wanted to get to the crux of. I wanted more about the dad and the mystery of his missing 25 years. There was a solid story there and it felt a bit rushed. I did enjoy the relationship between Christa and Nate but sometimes it was a little cheesy and it didn’t suit the overall tone of the book.

I am a big fan of family dramas and this one had it in spades. The dynamic between the sisters and the mom…. So good! Watching Christa develop in the face of everything that was happening was really quite beautiful and that should have been the focus that would have made this book a 5 star read. It was a real shame that the book didn’t quite find the perfect balance but I was entertained and I might have gone down a sea snail rabbit hole.

4 stars. If you love chick lit with a little substance, this book will hit all the marks for you.

Thank you @berkleypublishing and @netgalley for my gifted copy

A quick and easy read. It did take me a little bit to get into the story but about midway I was really enjoying myself. Abby Waxman has a fun and quirky setting writing style that was refreshing to read. I would have liked to have seen a bit more build up to the romance part of the story. But overall a good book to get lost in.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review honestly an advanced digital copy.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my gifted copy of this ebook. All thoughts are my own.

I love a quirky character and unique story so I was definitely drawn in by the first chapter. However, as the story progressed I just couldn't stay focused on the story and wasn't invested in the characters. Sadly i didn't finish the book.

Despite this, I do think this author is popular enough with readers that it will be popular. Her stories are well thought out and creative and unique. This one just wasn't for me.

**Many thanks to Berkley and Abbi Waxman for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**

If you're looking for a fresh, fun spring cocktail recipe, take one part Jack Hanna, one part Where'd You Go Bernadette, and one part Jacque(line) Cousteau...and you'll end up with a "Christa" that will knock your socks off!

Christa Liddle has spent the last few years trying to put fame behind her...and for good reason. Growing up as the daughter of Jasper Liddle, a sort of Jack Hanna/Bear Grylls hybrid, she and her sisters were constantly thrust into the spotlight...and as youngest daughter, she was giving the hideous nickname by one too many a talk show host: "the littlest Liddle." Her father's rise to fame catapulted the entire family into the spotlight, and even was the impetus for a Beanie Baby-esque line of toys ("Liddle's Liddles") inspired by the Liddle empire. The creator of these toys just so happened to have a gorgeous teen son...who coincidentally was Christa's unattainable crush, and sometimes she can't help but wonder what would have happened IF she'd had the courage to step outside her comfort zone...but that's all in the past now, right?

So imagine Christa's surprise when her reclusive, snail studying ways that have kept her holed up on a private island (just the way she likes it!) are interrupted by unthinkable news: her long lost father (oh yeah, did I forget to mention he DISAPPEARED without a trace years ago?) has resurfaced...seemingly out of thin air! Christa is baffled, hurt, and curious...but she drops everything and returns to L.A. to reunite with her family and get to the bottom of this unexpected, life changing reappearance. But Jasper isn't the only unsolved mystery in Christa's life...and when she runs into Nate once again, the white-hot sparks she felt so many years ago come rushing back, full force. With a life now put on hold as she (and the nation) wait with bated breath to find out EXACTLY what Jasper's been up to....certain OTHER secrets Christa has been keeping also threaten to disturb her newfound peace...and also ANY potential for the friendship with Nate to blossom into something more.

But will Christa return to the island alone and as confused as she left it? Or is this reunion set to lead to consequences NOBODY saw coming...and an opportunity for Christa to use her (normally internal) voice to make the sort of statement she's been waiting an ENTIRE LIFETIME to make?

Ever since I absolutely fell in love with Nina in Waxman's The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, I made the quick decision that she was an auto-read author for me. There's nothing a bookish, somewhat quirky, introvert loves more than finding a kindred spirit (in between the pages, no less!) and between Waxman's warm and witty humor, the fabulous cast of characters, and the feel of her 'cozy prose', I have been eagerly anticipating getting through her backlist (and equally excited about each new release that pops up along the way!)

So it was somewhat of a departure picking up this book and realizing that my initial interpretation of the title and cover (which had something to do with mermaids; still have no idea where I got THAT idea from!) was a bit off...and this was a tale of tortured family dynamics and the push-pull between past and future, with some heavy discussion of SA and ALSO the romantic subplot, just to round out the trio of plotlines. A VERY different read than the 'straightforward' cozy prose of Nina...but one that always felt grounded, nonetheless.

It took a while for me to adjust to the style of this one, for starters...Christa loves footnotes, and there are plenty sprinkled throughout the book. They are always fun AND humorous rather than scientific, but there's something about flipping back and forth on a Kindle that really disrupts the flow of the read for me, and don't get me started on trying to get back to EXACTLY where you left off by clicking the tiny little links...but if you DO make it to the quips, each one is worth it. Christa is a charming narrator, once you get to know her...but just like in her 'real life,' it takes a minute for her to fully open up as she gets you the reader up to speed on the Jasper saga, so patience is key. Waxman also starts each chapter with ADORABLE illustrations of different creatures and their 'scientific names' (although this diverts into fun territory at times...one chapter's header is "Coca Cola Bottle" - Potum Cokum and "Ferris Wheel" - Rota Ferrissia) so that was another element that I think would be more enjoyable in print rather than digital form. There are also little news article titles from different outlets along the way to give you the media's take on the Jasper Liddle saga as it moves along too which was a fun touch. At times there's also a feel of breaking the fourth wall, as Christa acknowledges that she is narrating her life in a very meta-ish fashion...but as per usual, it's all in her charm and all of these elements became truly endearing after a while...and I think by the end I would have missed them if they'd stopped!

Despite its sort of 'stiff' beginning, once you get through Christa's backstory, the book 'dives' into some deeper territory, as it becomes more of a bildungsroman story and also an exploration of Christa's dysFUNctional family and the consequences of Jasper's narcissistic behavior. I appreciated that Waxman was able to cover so much ground, from how Christa's mom moved on (or did she?) from Jasper after his disappearance, the Black Sheep syndrome Christa experienced in her younger years in comparison to her sisters, and also the way her romantic relationship was not at the foreground of the book, but sort of played on the side in a 'will they won't they' fashion, allowing Waxman to really dive into the dynamics of their FRIENDSHIP, which was needed in a story that already had so much drama going on. As with so many bildungsroman stories, the specific outcome is dependent not only on how MUCH the MC grows, but in what direction...and also leaves YOU to determine where you think the road will finally lead.

Christa's coming out of her shell isn't just a perfect metaphor for her snail friends, but is a gentle nod to her own journey to find her voice and more importantly, to find out how to USE it while remaining true to herself. This book is not fluffy necessarily, nor does it suggest that a man can solve your problems...and I continue to LOVE that about Waxman's writing. Much like Emily Henry (probably my overall favorite romance author) Waxman deftly weaves in family struggles, romance, and self exploration that feels like the book I NEEDED when I was a 20 something...but this story still resonates beautifully now, and was a gentle reminder that when Waxman truly plays to her strengths, the result is touching and thoughtful, while still being both funny AND fun.

And although this book seems to have served to remind me that maybe I need to read more books with mermaids in them (although I think I'll be skipping Hans Christian Anderson's classic, if you know what I mean!) I DO have one suggestion for a final illustration to close out this book:

Satisfied Reader - Satiata Lectorus

4 stars

I love Abbi Waxman’s writing! It’s sharp and witty and just a good time.
Christa is an introverted nerd and socially awkward and highly intelligent and very quirky and I loved that about her. She also grew up in the spotlight as part of the famous Liddle family, with her dad being a media darling, and has been happily living her life as a scientist who studies snails while dealing with the celebrity that comes with her family and the father that went missing when she was just a little girl and is presumed to be dead after all these years. Christa doesn’t handle his death or the unwanted attention surrounding it well and when she’s old enough she runs to work on a tiny island in the Indian Ocean. But then one day, her dad turns up alive and Christa’s whole world turns upside down. Christa returns home for the first time in several years to find that her sisters have changed and the guy she has had a crush on all her life seems to have a crush on her now too.
This is pure chick lit romcom heaven and still managed to tackle family drama and loaded lots of science in and managed to be loads of fun. While I loved the Bookish Life of Nina Hill even more than this one, I can’t wait to see what Abbi writes next!
Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

This was my second book by this author, and I'm sad I didn't love it,whereas I absolutely loved her other one. I failed to connect with the characters and never felt the pull when I was away from reading.

I did like the mystery surrounding Christa's dad, but i felt it, along with everything else, was wrapped up a bit too tidy.

4.5 stars = I loved it! Would re-read.

I have been a Waxman fan since NINA HILL, and she did NOT disappoint here. Christa and her sisters and mother are outstanding characters. Each one is doing her work and pulling no punches in the emotional upheaval of the current situation. The romance is good, but it was this family that kept me turning pages. Christa's voice is excellent - she's sharp and funny and snarky. Everything I love in a protagonist. Tons to love here - don't miss it! (Language, sex)