The introduction of the story begins 10 years earlier, while the main character Juniper is still in college, where she works as part of the crew to help put on plays. At one of the performances, she meets James, and that's where their story begins.

In the present, Juniper is 32 years old and has returned to live with her father because she lost her job. However, she soon receives an offer to record an audio book of her favorite series, but the only downside is that she has to work with James.

I love that Juniper never loses hope and always keeps going. The chemistry between the main characters is good.

I don't like that the whole book has Twilight puns, and too many of them. I was even bored in some parts.

The writing is good, the slowburn is good, but there are a few places where the plot seems to get stuck.

I give this book 4 stars and I have no content warnings.

3.5 rounded up! Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the advanced copy, Say it Out Loud is out September 23!

We follow Juniper, a millennial in between jobs after selling her podcast for a less than stellar deal, as she takes an audiobook narrating job for the popular vampire romance series, The Meadow (re: Twilight). Except her co-narrator is James Neely, the man who 10 years ago played Romeo alongside her in their college production of Romeo and Juliet. The man with who she had a moment with and then he disappeared. The man who is now a famous actor and who has also agreed to narrate the love interest in this audiobook.

This story is first POV but I wished it was dual! The writing was really funny at times and Juniper is a hot mess. I enjoyed James’s character more though and I found Juniper’s character immature at times. There’s even a line where she says that she doesn’t feel like an adult. I also found James and Juniper’s connection a bit weak at first. Would you really still be feral for a man you had a moment with 10 years ago? I would understand if they had dated and this man broke her heart but their first encounter seemed a bit inconsequential considering. 10 years is a long time! At any rate, I enjoyed their relationship towards the end of the book and I loved how they ended up figuring out life together.

I feel like many will relate to Juniper and this story was ultimately really sweet. He bakes her cinnamon rolls like ok perfect man! And as an absolute Twihard back in the day (Team Edward forever), it was fun reading about The Meadow/Twilight!

🧛‍♀️ Forced proximity
🏔️ Fake dating
🧛‍♀️ Book within a book
🏔️ Colorado setting
🧛‍♀️ Second chance
🏔️ Invisible string
🌶️.5 (Chapter 15)

NetGalley truly served me well with this ARC 🫡 I was sold from the get go with this book - I mean two people recording an audiobook that is essentially Twilight, be still my beating heart. But this is so beautiful, tender and makes you love so good it hurts. It deals with grief in such a careful way, knowing that no matter how long it’s been there’s some wounds that just need patching every once in a while, and the beauty that is found in the magic. And James! What a man, he grew on me so much throughout the book and truly went from James Freakin’ Neely to /James/. Made me want to curl up and reread all of Twilight just to feel that spark you feel when you’re 13 and so in love with a series that it carries with you all throughout your adulthood. Spark(l)y, fun and delicate all in one package.

‘Words like mine and Juniper, god, Juniper, and perfect perfection.
I laugh at the last one. “Perfect perfection?” I tease
“You are,” James says, no laughter in his voice. “You really are.”’ 🫶🏻

3.5 stars! First of all, I love the name Juniper so I was sold off of that!
I really like her writing style and I loved the tropes used in this.
Winning me over with involving twilight too!
I thought overall it was very cute, I would read this author again!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you for allowing me to read this in advance! It is a sweet story about new beginnings, the importance of literature, and what it means to follow your heart. I loved the way that the protagonists were finding themselves reflected in the characters whose story they were narrating, something similar to readers relating to their favourite characters.

4.5/5 - I knew the second I saw this book it would speak to me and it definitely delivered. Twilight, Shakespeare, and audiobook narrators? Yeah sounds amazing.

Juniper Green and James Neely meet in a one night only stage production of Romeo and Juliet in college, then don't speak for 10 years. Then they meet again when they're both cast to narrate a dramatized audiobook of The Meadow (* cough* Twilight). James is now a successful actor about to make it to famous, and Juniper has been trying to get into book publishing for years with no success and loses the one thing she really loved, her podcast, to a bad contract. They're both at a crossroads in their lives and find themselves relating to each other and finding comfort in each other.

I loved James as the mmc because he's not perfect. He says the wrong thing sometimes and doesn't always make the right decisions but it makes him feel more real. Juniper is a great perspective to hear from because the things she's going through - feeling lost, imposter syndrome, grief - are all things that make her very relatable, although she's kind of oblivious and melodramatic at times. Juniper and James's dynamic is adorable.The relationship between them felt like it developed naturally with lots of chemistry, banter, and tension but it's also clear that he's obsessed with her the whole time too which I love.

The Twilight references were very obvious and honestly so much fun. They called this book The Meadow, but we all know it's Twilight. They didn't even try to change anything but the name. And as a Twilight fan I appreciated the more subtle Twilight references outside of the fake audiobook (the deer scene). It had so much nostalgia and also showed how a book from your childhood can hold hold a special place in your heart as an adult.

(Its not stated but I feel like Juniper is kinda demi sexual, she's had very minimal dating experience and hasn't enjoyed any of it at 32 years old.)

- second chance romance (specifically where they only met one night a long time ago then they reconnect - is there a name for that trope?)
- grumpy x sunshine
- forced proximity
- snuck in a little fake dating too

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group (Del Rey) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Juniper is one of the most realistic characters I've ever read. From her clumsiness to not knowing what she wants from life. She makes me feel seen for being a 30+ female who is winging her life on a daily basis.
Both main characters felt "normal", even if James is a reluctant movie star.
One of my favourite reads of the year.
It was cute, funny and well written. Exactly what I want from a romance.

I really, really enjoyed this book. The first chapter drew me in with how the MCs met - during a one night only college stage production of Romeo and Juliet that left an impact on both of them. 10 years later James is a famous actor and Juniper is the former owner of a popular podcast. They have both been cast as the stars in a dramatized audio adaptation of their favourite YA vampire romance series.

The tension between the two MCs when they meet again is incredible. It's palpable through Ashley's writing - you can just feel how much the stage play impacted both of them and how they work so well together. James freaking Neely. What an MMC. He was so kind, thoughtful and emotional. You could tell how in awe of Juniper he was and their relationship was so banter filled and swoon worthy.

The ending was beautiful, incredibly satisfying and I'm so grateful to have been given an advanced copy to read.

Thank you Random House/Del Rey for the ARC.

Juniper Green, like many of us, is just trying to it figure out. Attempting to navigate the grief of losing her mother while in college, Juniper meets the brooding James Neely. She thought all the magic in her life died with her mother, until she somehow ends up standing in for the role of Juliet, with James as her Romeo, for one night only. The pair, not on the best terms, part ways after the play. But by some twist of fate, James and Juniper find themselves entangled in one another’s lives many years later.

This book on the whole, is very sweet. The plot, the relationship of the characters and the history they share all kept me reading and wanting more. I truly fell in love with charming, contemplative James from the moment we are introduced to him, and I found my heart aching for Juniper and the way she was trying to sort out her life and chase her dreams while juggling her grief and the all consuming ache of not knowing where you are headed - a feeling I am certain most can relate to! I was hooked on the premise of this book from the start and thoroughly enjoyed how the story was set up - I was intrigued, wanting to know how things would play out for the characters.

The book in all is a short one, there was no incessant waffling or needless detail making me want to skip ahead just to get to the point, and that made it all the more enjoyable.

Despite loving the storyline, the characters and the deeper plot points that tie it all together beautifully, I did feel that this book read like a YA novel. The “clumsy-socially-awkward-I-don’t-know-how-to-adult-millennial” trope is one that is overdone. Juniper did not read like a woman in her thirties and that made her quite difficult to relate to at times.

Most importantly, I had fun reading this book, it gave me toothache.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read an advance copy of Say It Out Loud.

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