This book was so fun! I truly enjoyed how quickly I was immersed in this story. Ashley did a fantastic job at turning the not-Twilight-but-definitely-Twilight series into something that was so much more than vampires and werewolves for Juniper and James. I loved, loved, loved their banter, the second chance romance of it all, and the silent but glaringly obvious yearning James had for Juniper throughout the entire book. This book has all the fun tropes, while still making the plot unique. I give it 4 stars because there was a lot of repetition and I believe a good chunk of the pages could’ve been written off. Other than that, this is the perfect cozy read!

This book is magic.
The story, the characters, the writing.
I loved every moment of it.
I'm so glad I took a chance on this because i wasn't exactly sure what this book was going into it but it surprised me in the best way.

A few months after losing her mother, Juniper has a fleeting encounter with James that sparks a fragile hope that magic might still exist. But that hope is quickly crushed and a decade later, when she unexpectedly crosses paths with James again, she’s determined not to let herself believe in magic, luck, or love again. Through witty, heartfelt dialogue, you can’t help but fall in love with these characters as they fumble, stumble, and ultimately find their way through grief and back to themselves.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Say It Out Loud had a premise that immediately appealed - if you were a teenage girl obsessed with a particular set of vampire books and movies and are now a somewhat jaded adult, well guess what you're about to read a story that you can relate to HARD.

What I enjoyed:
- the premise of recording audiobooks for an iconic series that meant something to both the FMC and the MMC for different ways, but ultimately for the memory of their mothers, was such a great and unique concept
- junipers (the fmc) internal struggles with just wishing she knew what the heck was the right decision and path for her life to take was all too real
- the couple had some really cute moments
- junipers dad is an icon

However, I had some issues with a few areas. The second chance element to me was odd because it seemed more like the second chance was focused around career rather than the couple, even though it was framed that they it was a combination of both. James and Juniper didn't seem to have THAT much of a connection in the flashback to make it the foundation for a relationship in the future.

James being a pushover to his dad and his career really irked me a lot.

The tension in the romance wasn't believable or tense enough for me personally to feel the real reward when they got together,

All in all it was an enjoyable book, but with a few gaps that left it just okay for me.

I’ve read and loved every book Schumacher has written. Her characters are endearing, and the stories she creates for them are always a delight to read. Say It Out Loud marks her first foray into writing for an adult audience (her previous titles are YA), and she absolutely nailed it. Even as someone unfamiliar with the Twilight series, which heavily influences this book, I truly enjoyed the story! Fans of slow-burn romance, second-chance romance, and the Twilight franchise should keep this title on their radar when it publishes in September.

This ARC came at the perfect time because my book club is currently reading through the Twilight saga.

I loved this book! I find I am often drawn to stories about grief, and Say It Out Loud portrays loss and life after well, in my opinion. Juniper's struggle to understand what her purpose is in life after a series of mishaps and falling outs is one I relate to greatly, and her desire to keep her mother's dreams for her alive is understandable in a way that is deeply rooted within me, as well. Juniper and James' relationship was sweet, too, and while fake-dating isn't my favorite trope, I did love reading their love progress and unfold.

This is my first novel by Ashley Schumacher and I hope to read more of her soon!

“Say it out loud” was such a heartfelt, magical read. I loved how it explored the what ifs of life - the idea that fate sometimes gives you a second chance when you least expect it.

Juniper and James’s relationship was so sweet and full of thoughtful moments that made me fall for them even more. James especially was such a soft, caring character albeit a little bit grumpy, but you could feel how deeply he saw and understood Juniper.

I also adored the meadow audiobook plot - the recording scenes between them were full of such natural chemistry and unspoken emotion.

Ashley Schumacher beautifully captured the feeling of lost magic slowly being found again. A truly lovely story about healing, hope and love that feels like fate.

With thanks to the author, Del Rey Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this eARC ahead of publication.

Simply put, this reads as an homage to Twiglight and the nostalgia the generation who grew up with the franchise now must feel as they age up. The Easter Eggs and references will tickle the fancy of avid fans.

If you are coming into the book looking for magic a la Ashley Poston, be warned, magic is used as a metaphor not a literal storytelling technique.

The story plays out around Juniper, her grief for her mother, being brave and vulnerable all the while coming to a point in life where you can accept where you are and what got you there. Junipr struggles with a feeling of adriftness that punctuates change and reimagining your future.

I do wonder if it is a Millenial trademark, to hit 30 and be stuck in an early-20s mindset?

The story is well wrtitten and edited. I would love some POV from James. His backstory is squeezed in around Juniper’s self sabotage. I would love the author to trust the reader to understand her characters. Some of Juniper’s internal monologuing dragged on, while the repetition of her “get to the city” and using James’ full name became “oh this again” for me.

This is a workplace romance with a thin veil of “the one that got away but was never”. Although, tentative workplace friends, to fake dating (at 50% point) to friends to lovers is more like it; the small town sounds like Breckenridge or Boulder so was easy to visualise.

There are lovely supportive side characters and Dad’s puzzle metaphor was wonderful and a highlight.

Although I may not be the goal audience, I enjoyed Say It Out Loud and look forward to more from the author in the future.

Say It Out Loud tells a chapter in the story of Juniper and James, both individually and together, as they navigate life in their thirties and deal with their own expectations for themselves and other people's as well. There's also the inevitable pull between the two of them as the story progresses - even though I must admit that the chemistry was undeniable from that moment they share at very beginning, and that's something that I really liked.

Now, as for the characters: in Juniper's case —and I'll admit this is what made it a little hard for me to empathize with her at some points in the story, even if I found her super relatable in a bunch of different aspects— it felt as though she was constantly stuck in this "I must achieve this one thing or else I'm gonna keep on being a failure at life" mentality throughout the book, and as much as it can be actually relatable, truth is that for me it got old pretty fast. In addition to that, her animosity towards James when they first meet again after all those years was kind of annoying. It was much like... girl, you're 30, let it go.

And James... not gonna lie, my opinion about him might end up being 100% biased because —just like Juniper— I do have a tendency to idealize the male main characters of the books I read - I can't help it. Perhaps there wasn't particularly anything that made him stand out too much compared to other mmcs I've read before but, whatever, who doesn't fancy a sweet guy that knows what he wants, yet he is still a little tormented by his current circumstances? I thought he was an angel, period. (a really freaking hot one, while we're at it... but that's beside the point!)

Anyway, I don't want to go into too much detail as I want to keep this spoiler free, but it was a pretty nice, light and realistic read.

Again, big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

Ashley Schumacher makes a seamless and sparkling debut into adult romance with Say It Out Loud, a heartfelt and witty romcom that blends fake dating, second chances, and just the right dose of angst.
Juniper and James first met in college during a production of Romeo and Juliet. When magical fate throws them back together a decade later—now as leads in a buzzy book adaptation they agree to fake a relationship to boost their publicity. But their “pretend” feelings quickly start to feel a lot more real.
James is the perfect closed-off heartthrob turned cinnamon roll, and Juniper’s emotional tug-of-war is painfully relatable. From miscommunications and old wounds to a deliciously dramatic third-act breakup, this story delivers all the classic tropes with warmth and humor.
Say It Out Loud is charming, funny, and full of yearning—an impressive first step into adult romance for Schumacher that fans of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren will adore.

Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I really enjoyed this book, the character’s chemistry and all the real life issues amongst the make believe.

I loved this book! It was fun and quick. It dealt with grief in a way that felt complete and good. I don't love spice in books, this felt like it was a good ratio of smut to plot. This book was so sweet and fun. I definitely recommend! I will be wanting the paperback asap!!

This book had some depth to it, dealing with grief and a controlling parent but it was mostly pretty fluffy. It was a cute story, though strangely the MMC was an almost the exact same as the one in my last read. Maybe if I read this one first or there was more time between the two reads I would have found this one more original? I still enjoyed it though.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Say It Out Loud is a charming rom-com brimming with vampire novels, grief, and fresh starts. Juniper, 32 and down on her luck, lands a dream gig narrating The Meadow—the vampire series that defined her teenage years. But her excitement dims when she finds out her co-narrator is none other than James, an old college acquaintance she never expected to see again. As they’re forced to work side by side, sparks fly, tensions rise, and the question becomes: will magic bring them closer, or tear them apart?

I absolutely adored following Juniper’s journey as she figured out her life—it was such a heartwarming reminder that it’s never too late to discover your passion or change careers. The romance was equally delightful; James is the perfect grumpy cinnamon roll, stepping out of his comfort zone in the sweetest ways for Juniper. My only gripe was that early on, Juniper’s animosity toward James felt a bit immature. I understood her grief and where the hurt was coming from, but it was hard to justify her holding onto something from college, especially when James didn’t really owe her anything back then.

Overall, Ashley Schumacher perfectly captures the magic of a teenage obsession and how, even in our hardest moments, the things we once loved can help us find ourselves—and connect us to others in the most unexpected ways.

Pick this book up if you like:
❤️ fake dating
❤️ actor mmc x ex-podcaster fmc
❤️ twilight 🧛🐺 (not a paranormal romance)
❤️ HEA

A huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest and independent review.

This is my very first early copy/ARC I have ever got, all thanks to NetGalley, The Publisher, and The Author for this ARC!

Disclaimer: my review is not influenced by receiving this book early.

I was having such a good time reading this book. The story between Juniper and James was very enjoyable to read. Juniper was a little bit immature and denial of her feelings but she's adorable and James clearly so down bad for her and he's charmingly lovable. They're so cute together and i loved their interactions. The writing is light, smart, makes it more engaging and will make you having a little bit hard time to put this book down if you've reached the half of the book. Their story of falling in love, their journey of finding themselves and their purposes in life after a great loss and being lost in life itself for most of their lives is beautiful and heart-warming.

My only critique is there were a few minor spelling mistakes. Not enough to be distracting, just noticeable enough to mention. Also the fact that Juniper was still thinking about James constantly for a decade though they've only met just once with a shared small moment between them is all they've had, and they've never dated and the man never actually broke her heart but she blamed him for her mid-life crisis is kinda strange.

That said, i will definitely recommend this book to anyone who love to read a well-paced of heart-warming escape rom-com sprinkled with emotional touches, filled with witty banter, and endearing mishaps here and there.

This was so fun! Especially as someone who loves twilight and had monthly “tWINE-nights” with my college roommates, I loved hearing the rebuttal of the sexist things thrown at Twilight fans. Also as someone who lost their dad, I want Juniper’s dad and I relate so hard to her pain of losing her mom.

Junie and James Freakin Neely were so cute together, and I loved their interactions. He was so clearly down bad for her with offering those days together and she was in such bad denial. Girl I get it. I devoured this in almost one sitting on the beach and I’m in love.

"There's always a choice, always a chance to make things different and hopefully better for yourself."

4 Stars!

Juniper Green is lost. Her mother passed away, the career she thought she would strive for has always seemed out of reach, and then one thing she was actually good at (her podcast) was bought right out from under her.

When she gets the call from the couch at her father's house to audition for an audiobook of her absolute favorite Vampire romance, she can't say no. But then she discovers that her college crush (now famous actor) has been cast as the male lead, and she really wants to say no but needs the money too much to help jumpstart her planned publishing career.

What begins as enemies working together shifts to a fragile friendship but then in order to save the project, they have to fake date for social media. This blurs the lines for both of them, making it confusing as to where the pretending ends and the reality begins.

This was great!!! There are so many Twilight references that this Millennial absolutely loved. I laughed out loud so many times!!! Even the title which played toward both the audiobook theme and that famous forest scene - PERFECTION.

I will admit from the description I thought there would be a stronger element of magical realism, but upon reading it was clearer that the magic was within the characters and their interactions.

So this is a perfect, fun, rom com of a read - especially if you were a TWI-hard back in the day.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray Books for this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story is the perfect blend of nostalgia, romance, and personal growth. The book strikes a perfect balance between the playful magic of a romcom and the poignant exploration of second chances, both in love and life. I adored watching Juniper rediscover her passion and healing through her journey with James, and the way they grow both as individuals and as a couple is truly beautiful. If you’re into stories about rekindled love, self-discovery, and the magic of following your heart, this one will sweep you off your feet!

Unfortunately I had to DNF this one at 32% as I couldn’t get onboard with the internal monologues from our FMC. I enjoyed the premise of this book and would give it 3 stars for what I read, but I just found myself skipping over the 3+ pages at a time of no dialogue and that wasn’t quite working for me.

Thanks for the copy!

Really interesting plot but I think there was just a lot going on. it didn’t really work for me sadly!

Second Chance romance. 2 audiobook narrators fall in love whilst narrating a book which is based on Twighlight (although called The Meadows in this book!). Sweet, fluffy Romance. No spice. Good for YA audience or those who like no spice in their books which isn't me unfortunately.