Statistically Speaking ended up on my radar at first because I loved the cover, then some of my trusted reader friends said that they really enjoyed it so I knew I had to read it.

This is definitely a character driven novel, which I usually shy away from, but I really enjoyed the characters and their backgrounds so it worked for me. I liked seeing how the main characters history impacted her future in such a real way.

I did find the plot of ‘she’s my daughter, she’s not my daughter’ to be a little bit too much, but I loved the growth the characters found from it.

History teacher Gemma Jones draws comfort from knowing things: Dates, facts and figures calm her. This may be due to her turbulent past, which still weighs heavily on her. As a very momentous day approaches, old doubts and fears resurface with renewed vigor. Will Gemma be able to come to terms with her past and finally allow herself to truly live in the present?

I found "Statistically Speaking" to be a very moving story and it was easy for me to empathize with the main character. It seems very authentic to me how much the decision to give her baby up for adoption still weighs on Gemma so many years later. Her self-doubt, desire for her child to have a better life and fear of having made a mistake feels very raw and honest, and it simultaneously breaks your heart and puts it back together again.
It seems like she's been punishing herself for a decision she made when she was only a kid herself, and I was rooting for Gemma to finally find some peace of mind and allow herself to enjoy her own life to the fullest.
I also really liked the female friendships in thisbook and appreciated how understanding,supportive and lovable Karim proved to be. The way the author explores differenttypes of relationships is really great.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this audiobook. The main themes in this book are women helping women, friendship, motherhood and facing our fears. There is a little taste of romance and I enjoyed it not being the primary focus on our characters journey.

This is a good balance of heart-rending and mushy and the narrator, Louise Williams does a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life.

There were a few things that made me roll my eyes, like some of the ways the characters let off steam, and a few moments that felt out of character for our history buff. Nevertheless, it was a very good exploration of the emotions someone might go through after giving up a baby for adoption and then waiting to see if their paths might cross. I would have wanted a little less quirks and fluff, but that is my personal preference and I know the cast of characters from Margie and her lovable hound to Katie and her feisty mum, will be heartwarming to most readers.

Although not my favourite genre, I would give this a 3.75 and totally recommend listening to it on audio for excellent storytelling.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this story!

Statistically Speaking was a lovely testament to friendship and the feeling of finding your people and your place in the world. I enjoyed the audio version, beginning to end. Recommended for purchase by the Scottsboro Public Library.

Did share my reviews earlier, sorry this email/message is late. :-)

Another “new style” of hardship-romance, trying to scare me the reader of, by starting in a really hard spot. Or maybe it’s the time we’re living in. Even when you expect to get a light-hearted romance you get real pain and anguish. These books could all be published with those modern warning labels now. I am not interested in the “content warning” idea of later years, maybe because I don’t have any reading issues, but also because they’re spoilers and often over-used. But anyway, this book could come with loads of them. On StoryGraph for example, it’s warnings are in three different categories. *Graphic*: Addiction, (Teen) Pregnancy and Chronic illness, *Moderate*: Mental illness, Drug abuse and Death and *Minor*: Cancer, Grief as well as Death of parent. That’s a lot, right?

And this novel starts out in a harsh reality setting that is heart-wrenching. A 16 year old girl, Gemma, is giving birth to a child. We get to experience not only her birthing pain and loneliness at the hospital, but the loss of her child as well, not by death but by adoption. The adoption grief is the theme of the book really. Yes, Gemma is mature enough to decide to give her daughter up for adoption, as she realizes that she can not give the child the security of a home right now. She is still in school and living in foster care herself, because her own mother is not stable enough to take care of her. And because the book starts with this, you can probably imagine how this episode and that decision keeps haunting poor Gemma through the years.

She writes her daughter a letters to let her know she loves her and why she did what she did. Gemma really wants her daughter but she also want to make sure she grows up in a good home, without having to worry about drugs or if there’d be any food to eat at home. Maybe there’s also the lack of any kind of mother figure role model that makes her think she couldn’t do it herself? If affects her self-image and her confidence in any case. Unfortunately then she keeps thinking or her little girl, wishing she could know her, so much so that it keeps her from enjoying her own life in the following years.

18 years later, when the book gets going and Gemma has a good job and a secure life, her mind still keeps wandering back to that child all the time. She can not let it go. And since it’s been 18 years since she gave birth, she knows an encounter could happen now. Her daugher is old enough to seek her information out, if she wants to. This gives Gemma an increased boost of anxiety, an anxiety she’s been living with since childhood. Her coping mechanism is to shut everyone out, to not trust anyone, to move to a new city when life gets too much in her face - and to count in her head.

But now she finds a few female friends that she actually starts trusting and the very sexy PE teacher guy at work, Karim, asks her out. Maybe life is about to change in all kinds of ways?

Karim is the kind of character I can’t help but fall in love with, to be honest. He is just so yummy. Pushy but not too pushy, kind and understanding and simply “there for her” when she needs him. I love their interactions, but also Gemma’s female friendships and how she’s trying to find courage to live her own life, not because of the hot guy but side by side with him.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a great romance but also so much more than that. I kind of feel like the romance is actually secondary to the plot, because Gemma does find her self without Karim. She finds that it’s time to let go of her dreams of what could’ve been and go into the future with what she has now. Maybe the message of the book is that it’s okay to have hopes and dreams, but you also have to be open to what your life actually consists of? I like that idea a lot.

Such an emotional read.
Debbie Johnson did a fantastic job at makin you feel connectet to Gemma (our main character) and making you understand her feelings and reactions throught the situations in the stoy. She created a complex well rounded character and it felt as if she was a real person. You could clearly see how her backround an memories affected her decisions and how her actions were not just creating conflict for the sake of the plot. You can also see her grow as the story progresses.
I tend to be very picky with the narrator of the audiobooks I listen to, since they have such a big influence on how you percive the characters, and I felt like Louise Williams did a fantastic job on this one.
Highly recommend this book if you, like me, are looking to broaden your reading scope and read about characters with realities different from yours, to learn more about the realitie of life of so many other people out there (wich for me is the whole point of reading).

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This was a sweet story about a young lady who gave up her baby for adoption as a 16 year old and her journey. It is all about letting in a new man and finding friends. It is also her journey to reconnecting with her own mom. The whole journey is inspiring and amazing. Very heartwarming

Look, I don’t usually get emotional about math. But somehow Debbie Johnson made me cry over statistics, socks, and a PE teacher named Karim. So… here we are.

Statistically Speaking follows Gemma Jones, a high school history teacher who finds comfort in fixed dates and historical facts, mostly because her own past feels more like a chaotic clearance bin of mismatched socks. When she’s anxious (which is often), she counts socks. Honestly? Same.

But this isn’t just a story about a woman with anxiety and a charming cottage by the sea. It’s about the ache of what-if, the kind that quietly loops in the background of your life no matter how good things look on paper. Gemma gave up a baby at sixteen, and now that Baby (yes, capital B) is turning eighteen, Gemma is spiraling into the kind of soft, devastating what-might-be that feels like hope dressed up as denial.

Enter Katie. New student. Red hair. Same build. Same birthday. Same vibe. Is she the Baby? Or is this just anxiety’s version of bingo? What unfolds from there is one part emotional minefield, one part accidental sleuthing, and a full-on exploration of identity, motherhood, and whether we ever really make peace with our past.

Debbie Johnson writes with tenderness and wit, giving Gemma a voice that’s both deeply relatable and quietly hilarious. Like, “I cried, but I also snorted” kind of hilarious. The audiobook adds another layer—Gemma’s inner monologue sings when you hear it aloud, and the narration hits just the right balance between vulnerable and dryly funny.

If you like your fiction with emotional depth, clever narration, and at least one scene where you gasp and mutter “oh no no no” to yourself… this one’s for you.

Also, if you’re wondering whether you’ll ever look at your sock drawer the same way again, the answer is no. Not even close.

Gemma life was not perfect when she was 16 and expecting a baby. Deciding to give the baby up for adaption was one she thinks about every day. Since then she has not let herself connect with others instead finds comfort with numbers and order. When she relives she starting to lay down roots in her latest town she finds her fears of connecting with people might not be as painful as she thinks. A great adoption story bringing light to the struggles a mother who gives up a child face after the choice is made.

This was a quick read for me
I was hoping to love it but it was just ok for me.
The beginning had a lot of promise but after that is kinda lacked.

Very British so some word terms didn’t translate for me, I had to google them. LOL.

But otherwise an ok book and story.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.25⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary fiction/ romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
As a statistician, I was hoping for bigger statistic aspect. The story was heartwarming and sweet but I wish there had been a little more romance and a more wrapped up ending. But overall a fun and quick read.

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Character-driven stories
Quirky FMCs
Themes of adoption and foster care
Found family
Emotional and heartwarming reads
Stories of trauma and healing
Self-discovery journeys
Side of romance

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Mental health rep
The FMCs unique personality
Exploration of complex family dynamics
Heartfelt portrayal of personal growth and healing
The dog named Bill

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
The statistical theme wasn’t as prominent as anticipated
The romance subplot lacked depth and development
The ending felt abrupt, leaving some threads unresolved

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ “The world feels brighter. And warmer. And safer. And I make a mental note: on this day in history Gemma Jones finally loved someone and felt loved in return.”

Book Review: Statistically Speaking by Debbie Johnson

Statistically Speaking by Debbie Johnson is a fun and thought-provoking book. It weaves together themes of love, relationships, and personal growth with a unique mathematical twist. The story revolves around Charlotte, a woman who has a love of numbers and statistics. Charlotte is always thinking with a methodical mindset, but when it comes to matters of the heart, her logic and numbers is put to the test.

The book takes a deep dive into how Charlotte’s mathematical approach to life influences her relationships and decision-making. The author does a nice job of blending Charlotte's personal growth with her professional expertise. The characters are well-developed, and Charlotte’s journey could be relatable to many. The story was funny and engaging.

Statistically Speaking is a sweet story that blends romance and numbers. The characters were likable and engaging throughout the story and the narrator did a great job of bringing that to life. .

I have read several of the author’s books but they all fell into a certain genre style. They are women-centric, yet there is a difference I struggle to put into words. The series where people from a small geographical location or related to one another find romantic partners over a series of books also had some heart-felt moments and deep-rooted struggles, but both the previous book – Jenny James Is Not a Disaster, and this one feel more serious to begin with although they too end happily in their own time.

Gemma Jones has had a tough life. we see her as a teen and then jump ahead in time eighteen years. She has a semblance of a life now, but she is set to run this time as well. Gemma is not used to the idea of setting down roots but when a new girl joins her class her imagination gets ahead of her and opens her up to change. Unexpected things happened which helped make it an interesting read. It is very easy to want something nice to happen for Gemma.

I think the narrator did a great job in bringing the book to life. It was easy to picture the emotions and the flow of the story as and when things happened. I would highly recommend the book, the author and the narrator to fans of the genre.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own listening experience.

"Statistically Speaking" is a story of overcoming obstacles and finding family. The MC, Gemma, was raised in foster care after being taken away from her mentally unstable mother, and it's been hard for Gemma to rely on anyone since.

When she was 16, she gave up her baby for adoption. She later became an A-level teacher, and when the time comes that her students are the same age her daughter would be, she can't help but wonder what the girl would be like. Was she happy? Did she have good parents? Would they ever get to know one another?

As Gemma struggles with these questions, one-by-one, people in her new village slip past her protective walls, including the student that might actually be her baby.

I really enjoyed this story, despite some of the sadness of it. There was always a glimmer of hope, especially as Gemma started to be surrounded by people who knew her and liked her for who she was, struggles and all. The encouragement and support of her found family helped her identify the changes she wanted to make in her life and helped her secure a future she looked forward to.

Thank you to Debbie Johnson, the publisher and NetGalley for an advance review copy. I truly enjoyed it!

While reading Statistically Speaking, I found myself really enjoying it. The emotional depth, especially in Gemma’s letters to her unborn child, was beautifully written and genuinely moving. Those moments tugged at my heart and added real weight to the story.

That said, now that a few months have passed, I realize how much of the book has faded from my memory. It was enjoyable in the moment, but it didn’t quite leave a lasting impact. The premise—a high school history teacher grappling with her past while possibly meeting the child she gave up for adoption—had a lot of potential, and there were definitely touching moments. But overall, it feels like a book I liked while reading but didn’t carry with me afterward.

I listened to the audiobook, and it was well done. The narration added an extra layer of emotion, especially during the more heartfelt moments. If you're into audiobooks, this is a solid way to experience the story.

If you’re looking for an emotional yet easy read with heartfelt moments, this one might be worth picking up. Just don’t expect it to stick with you long after you turn the last page.

thank you so much netgalley for the advanced audio version of this book. i thoroughly enjoyed this book! i was hesitant at first but truly enjoyed it.

On the outside, Gemma’s a successful history teacher who has her life together. On the inside she’s reminded daily of the little girl she gave up for adoption when she was sixteen years old. Gemma didn’t name her, referring to her only as Baby. This year Baby will turn eighteen and Gemma hopes it might be the year she’s able to meet her face-to-face.

Katie is a new student who has physical characteristics that resemble Gemma’s and against all odds shares the same birthday as Baby. Gemma can’t help but wonder if this new student happens to be the baby she gave up so long ago. Gemma unknowingly (at first) befriends Katie’s mother and worries that their friendship will fall apart if she is indeed Katie’s biological mother.

Gemma’s not sure how the year will play out and whether she’ll see Baby. At the very least she hopes to find herself and find peace, whatever that may look like.

I enjoyed the narrator for this novel and would choose other books narrated by the same person.

I’ve read several of Debbie Johnson’s books over the past few years and have enjoyed them all.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for allowing me to listen to an ALC of this novel. #NetGalley #StatisticallySpeaking

What a great story. Kept me engaged and invested in all of the characters. The narration was great. What a heartwarming look at the choices we make for ourselves and our children and the need to have your village.
Loved!!

Statistically Speaking by Debbie Johnson is a heartwarming and introspective journey of self-discovery and healing. Gemma Jones, a high school history teacher with a love for numbers and certainty, has spent much of her adult life haunted by the baby she gave up for adoption when she was just 16. Despite her successful career, supportive neighbors, and a blossoming relationship with a charming PE teacher, Gemma struggles with the uncertainty of her past and the possibility of meeting her daughter, now turning 18.

When Gemma meets Katie, a new student who shares striking similarities with her long-lost daughter, the story takes an emotional turn. The odds seem too high to ignore: Katie shares Gemma's red hair, birthday, and physique. But with Gemma also becoming friends with Katie's mother, the question of whether or not this young woman is her daughter becomes more complicated.

Johnson’s novel masterfully explores the themes of anxiety, self-acceptance, and the tangled threads of fate. The writing is warm and relatable, filled with humor and touching moments. As Gemma grapples with the possibility of meeting her daughter while coming to terms with her past, the reader is taken on a journey that is both funny and deeply moving. Statistically Speaking is a poignant story of finding peace with one's past while embracing the uncertainties of the future.