I have really enjoyed reading Say it out loud by Ashley Schumacher, I highly recommend reading this book when released. Say it out loud is gripping from the beginning and the character detail is excellent, I fell in love with juniper and James. I can’t wait to see what else Ashley Schumacher produces.

Love Ashley's prose and I really loved how this book interacted with fandom. It's an emotionally charged story, as Ashley's books usually are, and really investigates the mental health of each love interest, which deepens their impact as memorable characters.

Would recommend for fans of fandom books, or those who are late bloomers.

sooo this had a lot going on- enemies to lovers, twilight spoof, audiobook narrators, family grief. it was a lot to keep track of throughout the story.

i also felt like the chemistry between the FMC & MMC just wasn’t fully there. the FMC’s internal dialogue was distracted and often interrupted the moments between the two characters.

if you enjoyed twilight, i’d check it out!

* thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion*

A book that mentions Shrek AND agrees that the second one is the superior movie?! Sign me up! All jokes aside, Say It Out Loud was such a joy to read and earns a place on my five star list. This is the first book that I have read by Ashley Schumacher and it will definitely not be my last.

Our main characters Juniper and James find their paths crossed once more, a decade after their first encounter. They're both cast to narrate the audiobook version of a popular Vampire romance series. Though they come from different backgrounds, they are both struggling with their futures and respective losses. Say It Out Loud is from Juniper's point of view but the author does such an amazing job capturing James' emotions through his actions and words that it's easy to forget that you aren't getting his full side of the story. I thoroughly loved the amount of emotion within the pages and how much I could relate to the characters on a personal level, I often gauge a good chunk of my reviews for books on how many feelings/emotions the book can bring out of me and I'm happy to say SIOL did not disappoint. I laughed, cried, swooned and inwardly cringed at so many parts.

Thank you to Ashley Schumacher, Netgalley, and Del Ray for the ARC read! This book is a for sure recommend!

OMG I loved this book! It was so cute, and had so much depth. It was the perfect blend of nostalgia of reading that first vampire series I grew up with and how that series can hold a special place in your heart as an adult.

The character development was great. They were complex without being overdone, and the banter and dialogue in the book kept me entertained. I would recommend this to anyone who has a soft spot for Twilight in their heart.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐
🌶️
🩷🩷🩷🩷

This was just so cute and silly - I really enjoyed it. As a Twilight fan, the references in this book are so spot on, and I caught myself smiling to myself more than a few times. Second-chance romances can be hit or miss for me, but this one was stinking cute. I will say, the 10-year grudge holding is pretty impressive on the FMC's part, but I did find the reason to be a bit of stretch. I also was really expecting some more magical realism in this one. The "magic" in the story is more of "good luck" kind, or even in the same vein as "everything happens for a reason". I was expecting more of a magical element, but I still enjoyed the story overall. I also just really liked the writing style. The FMC's inner monologue was so personal and relatable that it made me feel like were friends yapping about a boy.

Thank you to Netgalley, Del Ray, and Ashley Schumacher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

⭐⭐ 2/5 stars.
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this book, and thank you to the author.
✧ Grumpy x sunshine
✧ Fake dating trope
⁠✧ Book within a book
If you're in for a slow-ish romantic comedy you should definitely read this. This book follows Juniper Green an avid reader, who feels burnt out and confused about her career and life choices. She moves to Tatum to stay with her dad as she can't afford an apartment of her own and luckily lands a role as an audiobook narrator to her favorite vampire book series: The Meadow. As it turns out, the narrator of Meadow's MMC is a guy from Juniper's past: James Neely. A guy who she believes used her and cut short an opportunity she had at success, and yet... she can't fully rein in her feelings for him. Eventually, for work reasons they decide to fake-date. Now, I absolutely loved Juniper's originality—she is quirky and a klutz, I related to her a lot. The setting is also perfect and the writing style is easy. I even began to admire Meadows (the FMC's favorite vampire book). My reservation with this book is that it felt anticlimactic? It felt fast paced at first and then it just wasn't later on. I loved the beginning but I didn't appreciate the middle or the end as much. I felt like Juniper and James had little connection. It was just James showing up and helping Juniper through her emotional struggles a couple of times. The fake-dating—which didn't seem necessary or exciting— seemed to be a compensation for the lack of chemistry. Overall, while I enjoyed the beginning, I struggled a little to keep my attention as it felt like nothing was in fact happening for a good measure of the book.

I did not enjoy this book at all. It was partly my fault for not realizing that the blurb referenced Twilight, which is a series I cannot stand. I had no connection to any character and the writing was just plain boring. I was not the target audience for this book at all so my review has nothing to do with this being a good book or not, it is just my personal preference.

Time of DNF: 72%

I really really wanted to like this book and there were some lovely gems about fandom (& Twilight) but ultimately the story grew a little boring and the pacing was too slow for my liking which made it feel like even when I was 70% in, i still wasn’t seeing much chemistry between the characters and especially the MMC felt kind of distant from the narrative in a weird way that didn’t make sense (If it was meant to parallel Edward, it didnt really give that…he was just hella gone from the narrative at times)

My biggest mini issue with the book that would’ve made me DNF sooner was just how many times Juniper says the phrase “James Freakin Neely” which was simply far too much by the time I even noticed it and then it literally got so so grating to see his name and know it would be followed by “Freakin Neely” like please, there had to be another way to emphasize that he was a big deal ???

I did enjoy the exploration of Juniper’s grief and that kept me reading for a lot of it but I wish it was explored a lot more seamlessly between both James and Juniper

I also loved Juniper’s name even though the scene of her explaining it reminded me of Colleen Hoover’s character explaining their name being Lily Bloom and that made me sigh


thank you so much to netgalley and random house (del rey) publishing for this arc to review!

From chapter one, I knew this book and I were going to be the bestest of friends.

Let’s start with the fact that the MCs first met during a one-night-only college stage production— but not in a meet-cute way. Tenish years later, they’re hired to narrate a new dramatized version of a hugely popular YA vampire romance series. So, basically… Twilight..

Three things I loved about this book:

⋆ The writing. It absolutely swept me off my feet—I’m still floating somewhere.
⋆ James Freakin' Neely. To put it simply: I want this man.
⋆ Juniper Green—her brain and how much I could relate to it.

I wish I could just drop all the quotes I highlighted here, but instead, I need you to promise me you’ll read this book when it comes out this fall. Deal?

A huge Thank You to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC—you made my month with this one!

ARC provided by NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.

Spoilerfree review

First of all, I haven't had much luck with podcast/audiobook type of books (first time caller and the ex talk didnt really live up to my expectation) despite books and podcasts being two of my main forms of entertainment. Luckily, this book rose far above my general expectation of books about audiobooks.

Say It Out Loud is about Juniper and James, two college drama club faint acquaintances. After a less than ideal goodbye and many years later, the two meet again. This time, cast as audiobook narrators of The Meadow, a book Juniper is a big fan of. It's more than just a job for her, as she has been struggling with finding direction after her moms passing. James, of course, has issues of his own. For the indie actor this audiobook is a quick break before having to take on a big mainstream role.

I enjoyed both characters and the setting of their childhood town, filled with memories of both their childhoods. Despite their issues in the past, Juniper and James warm to each other quickly. Some up and downs, but generally I really enjoyed the trajectory of their relationship. The character development of both Juniper and James, which can both be summarized as realizing what *they* want in their life instead of others, was good too.

Overall a great read, very fun and the background of the small town was very enjoyable.
4 stars!

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7417418632

Storygraph review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/1631a102-8896-42a6-ba15-12d592cc1ad3

Juniper and James met back in college one night working on a play together. James was kind and comforting to her as a relative stranger when she was going through a hard time.

Ten years later working on the same audiobook they reunite as leads in a retelling of star crossed lovers. Their moments recording made me swoon and I started to really love their dynamic. However, to build interest in the project they end up fake dating. I thought there was potential there at first but in reality it ended up feeling tossed in there late in the story and they didn’t stick with it for long.

I love a good fake dating trope, but in this case it just didn’t do anything fake dating is supposed to do like cause flirty touches, lingering looks, or sarcastic banter. It just made it harder as a reader to be sure James was experiencing genuine feelings when his choices didn’t reflect that. I was here for the slowly falling in love and working to admitting their feelings that was building. All in all, a cute read but I thought the plot had a lot more potential!

Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC :)

Honestly, I was surprised that this book was allowed to include so many direct references to Twilight! I felt like the best parts of the book were when I forgot that The Meadow was involved and we just hung out with James and Juniper.

But I loved that this book was all my middle school and high school interests scrapped together into one story. and looked at through today's lense. I wish Juniper and James a wonderful life full of magic. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

1.5 stars
I was really hoping I’d enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t for me. I was expecting it to get better as it went along, but sadly it didn’t. I personally found it a bit boring and felt as if it was rushed and that the two main characters didn’t have much of a connection, and it seemed kind of forced. I can see how people would enjoy this book. But sadly it just wasn’t for me.
Thank you so much, Ashley Schumacher, for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of Say It Out Loud. I really appreciate it. :)

This was a cute fake dating romance 📖 First read by this author. Very enjoyable book with a little bit of grumpy sunshine in there which added to the story. At times I felt the characters connection fell a little flat for me however the overall storyline was unique. Overall 3 🌟 I would like to ready more from this author to get another sense for her writing.

This book is beautiful ! I love the writing I love the story line I like how the book they are recording is a twilight ish series ! 10/10 recommend

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

This was such a fun and sweet romance, with a unique premise centered around two characters who bond over their job narrating a Twilight-inspired book and their shared experience of losing their mothers. Juniper and James first meet in college, right after Juniper's mother passes away. Their connection is instant, but a conversation Juniper overhears between James and his father leads her to misinterpret his feelings, setting the stage for an emotional journey between them.

While the book has a lighthearted and fun premise, it also thoughtfully explores the impact of grief and loss, adding emotional depth to Juniper and James’s story. However, I think I would have enjoyed it more without the added fake dating trope. It felt like the story would have been stronger if the characters had admitted their feelings sooner, allowing us to see more of them together. That said, the chemistry between them was undeniable, and the writing kept me engaged throughout. Overall, this was an enjoyable and heartfelt read!

Rating: 4.5

I’m a fan. From the very first conversation between Juniper and James, I was hooked. Their shared history unfolds in pieces, making us wonder—what really happened during Romeo and Juliet? And let’s not forget the Twilight dedication, which probably hit right at the heart of the target audience, who no doubt devoured it as teenagers.

By chapter four, we finally learn what James did. It’s the perfect balance—just enough mystery to keep us intrigued, but not so long that we get frustrated waiting for answers. That same chapter also introduces us, rather suddenly, to a best friend we hadn’t heard of before. A small snippet about her earlier on would have been nice, but it’s not a dealbreaker. It subtly signals that the author is LGBTQ-friendly.m

What surprised me most was that, despite Juniper being in her thirties, the story almost felt like a coming-of-age novel. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but after some thought, I realized it was an honest portrayal of something many people experience—figuring things out later in life, and that’s perfectly okay.

The tropes? Slow burn, second-chance romance, forced proximity, and a touch of enemies-to-lovers. If that’s your thing, you’ll enjoy this one.

Juniper Green never expected life to lead her back to the boy who broke her heart, but when she’s cast in the audio drama adaptation of her favorite vampire series, she finds herself face-to-face with James Neely—the co-star who vanished after one unforgettable college performance. As they step into their roles, past wounds resurface, but so does undeniable chemistry, blurring the lines between fiction and reality.

This novel is an absolute treat for fans of slow-burn romance, rich character development, and second chances. Juniper’s struggles—grappling with lost dreams, grief, and self-doubt—make her an incredibly relatable protagonist. James, on the other hand, is a beautifully layered character whose quiet strength and emotional depth steal the show. Their dynamic crackles with tension, witty banter, and heartfelt moments, making their journey just as compelling as the paranormal love story they’re narrating.

Beyond the romance, the book also shines in its exploration of self-discovery and healing. The audiobook production setting adds a fresh, immersive element, while the subtle nods to classic vampire lore will delight readers who once devoured Twilight-esque stories.

With charming side characters, a perfect balance of humor and emotion, and an ending that leaves you with a warm, satisfied feeling, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves love stories that feel both real and magical.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for sharing this heartfelt romance’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Say it out loud, by Ashley Schumacher

5/5✨
Romance

Struggling with lost dreams and a stolen podcast, Juniper Green gets a second chance at magic when she auditions for the audio drama of her favorite vampire romance. The catch? Her co-star is James Neely, the boy who played the Romeo to her Juliet in a one-night-only college show before disappearing and breaking her heart. As their chemistry reignites on and off the mic, Juniper wonders if love, like magic, can be found again.

💖Slow Burn
💖Grief and healing
💖Twilight inspired
💖Audiobook narrators

I absolutely devoured this book, so much so that I wish I could read it again right now!It starts off strong with a beautiful prologue that sets the mood for the entire story, offering insight into the characters and leaving you wondering how things might have turned out if that one night had ended differently. I think what really sold this book for me was James. It's been a while since I read such a well written and loveable male character. I also adore well-spoken characters, so of course I adored James Freakin' Neely, the guy you'd probably call during "Who wants to be a millionaire?". The Twilight lore was just an added bonus that made me love the book even more because, even though now I will argue that it was a cringey story, I'll always love it. The slow burn wasn't the slowest ever, because the characters were fairly vocal about their feelings, which I love love love! I mean, the book is called Say it out loud, so I hoped there weren't going to be any miscommunication (which I hate, even though is probably the most realistic trope). I felt really connected to Juniper struggles to find her way in life. I’m not sure if feeling lost is just a 20-something thing, but I loved how the author portrayed it realistically: Juniper has no job, dreams of more, but still has to settle at times because life is tough. Bottom line is: I loved this book, everything was perfect and the writing was impeccable!