Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling audiobook

Supercute!!!!!!! What do you get when two Black teens, one a DD Dunheon Master and the second, a lead singer in a punk rock band, fall in love? You get Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling!I love it when my young adults leave me with the fluttery, butterfly, swooning feeling, and this fid just that! It took a while to get there but when Reggie and Delilah learned to accept themselves for who they are, so that they can be their authentic selves with each other and the people in their lives, it was so worth it! This wasn't just a typical YA meet cute though. This book tackles some realistic issues facing Black folks in predominantly white spaces. Learning how to manage and stand up to microaggressions, racism, insecurities, and leaning into doing what you love without feeling like you don't deserve it. This is what Reggie and Delilah showed us while making their way to each other. So adorable, heartwarming and inspiring. You will enjoy this!

4.5 starsThis was sooooooooo cute! Reggie and Delilah are both Black kids in a majority white space - Reggie plays D&D and Delilah is the lead singer in a punk band (apparently this is based on the author's time doing the same thing hehe so cute) They meet on New Years' Eve at Delilah's first gig, nothing crazy, they just speak to each other a bit, and then they go their separate ways.. until they coincidentally run into each other again on Valentine's Day. Their accidental meetings line up with holidays, and eventually become less accidental. What I really liked about this book was that it honestly took quite a bit to get to the point where they were spending time together on purpose. We got to know a good amount about both characters and their friend groups and kind of the way they each were dealing with finding their place with their hobbies. Both making space in their hobbies for being Black proudly, and in their personal lives for maybe not being seen as "Black enough." Reggie was called "oreo" by his brother and his brother's friends, Delilah was tokenized by her band members and by fans - but Reggie was a pretty popular blogger who called out colonialism and racism in the D&D lore/fandom, and Delilah was a role model for other Black girls in the punk scene who might not have had that representation otherwise. I think the conversations to be had were really important, but at the same time, they weren't incredibly heavy-handed or awkward in the way they fit into the story. It felt very natural and realistic and I really appreciated it.Then the love story was just seriously so cute. I thought the timeline was really appropriate, the romance itself was sweet, and the major conflict wasn't due to a weird miscommunication. It WAS due to a miscommunication, but it was a purposeful one, and you'll see when you read it what I mean. I say WHEN you read it, not IF, because this is seriously cute and well-crafted and I think there are only benefits for reading it and literally no drawbacks so you should!!!!

This book was the sweetest. Being able to see Delilah and Reggie fall in love throughout an entire year was such a god premise. With them literally meeting on New Year’s Eve it reminded me of the first High School Musical movie. I love the coincidences of them always running into each other on holidays and how both Delilah and Reggie noticed it and made it their thing. I’m not going to lie with the whole Delilah having a crush on Charlie in the beginning I thought Elise Bryant was going to make the same mistake she did in her debut. I thought most of the story was going to be Delilah realizing Charlie wasn’t right for her, but thank God it wasn’t. As the title describes the magic of this book is Delilah and Reggie. I loved seeing them grow more confident in themselves through meeting each other. I love seeing nerdy Black boys in YA and shy Black girls in YA. I love the representation for dyslexia and chronic migraines in the story too. Delilah and Reggie together were just the absolute cutest. I love seeing Elise Bryant grow. With each one of her novels she gets better.

I absolutely adored this latest YA book from Elise Bryant!! A Dungeons and Dragons loving geeky teen boy falls hard for an aspiring singer in this beautiful love story. The disability rep in this book was so well done! Reggie is dyslexic and Delilah has chronic migraines. I really loved everything about this story, especially the message of finding the courage to be your true authentic self, despite internal fears or outside pressures. Great on audio too! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this cover so much that I read it so I could justify buying it later and I’m so glad I did! I haven’t read a YA contemporary in years and this book was like a perfect glimpse into my past and what drew me to this genre as teenager. Delilah and Reggie’s relationship was so adorable and I really enjoyed reading about the time they spent together. I found the humor to be spot on and their own personal journeys related to music and gaming to be very charming. Beyond that, the pacing of their relationship felt realistic and though the conflict could be frustrating at times, it was done in a way that felt authentic to the narrative and the characters’ ages. You could tell that a lot of love was put into the construction of these characters, as they both had a lot of depth to them. I particularly enjoyed each character’s introspection related to their blackness and the way in which it was dynamic in that these experiences overlapped in some ways which brought them closer, but were also unique in a way that required the characters to work to understand one another. this is definitely one that I would add to my shelf for my future child to read at some point.

I spent the week rereading the first two books in this (loosely interconnected) series, and then finally reading this one, and I had such a good time. All of these books share the same charm, with a cute romance, a heartfelt story, and coming-of-age themes that add a good amount of depth to the story. I'll definitely be picking up whatever Elise Bryant writes next.

*I want to post an actual review of this, but I also want to stand with the Harper Collins union as well* I am grateful to have received this book as an ARC though, before the strike occurred. Pay your workers living wages.

Delilah has recently joined a punk rock band with a few of her friends. Though her sister, Georgia, is typically the star of the family with a huge talent for singing and acting. Delilah has never sang for real before and isn’t quite sure she’s any good. But after the band’s first gig featuring Delilah singing, they gain notoriety overnight. They begin to get more and more opportunities and gigs. While Delilah is growing to love performing, she still isn’t sure that she truly belongs in the band. She questions her talent and identity as a Black girl in the genre. Until one day she meets Reggie. He exudes confidence and doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him. He seems too good to be true. Reggie would prefer to play Dungeons and Dragons over going to see a band play on New Year’s Eve. But after one too many taunts and jokes from his older brother, he decides to use it as an excuse to escape. When he arrives at the venue, he sees Delilah commanding the stage and its love at first sight. He runs into her after her performance and decides he has to play it cool. He presents the Reggie that he wishes he was. They continue to have chance encounters on holidays and their relationship slowly builds over the course of the next year. But Reggie gets in over his head with pretending to be someone he’s not. While the title is literally “Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling,” I still didn’t really have too much of an idea of how it would play out. But let me tell you, it was SO cute and precious. This was such a unique story line that kept me smiling. There was so much of this story that I could relate to, and I appreciated it so much. I really could have used a book like this growing up. It took me well into my adult years to truly be comfortable with just being myself. I’m a little awkward and nerdy and enjoy “nerdy” things, and that’s totally okay. Life is too short to live it trying to be someone you aren’t. This was an awesome read, and I have no complaints. It tackles some current social issues extremely well, and the overall message surrounding embracing what makes us who we are was *chef’s kiss.*

This was a really sweet, hopeful, heartwarming story about two Black teenagers trying to find themselves and falling in love for the first time.Reggie spends every Saturday night playing Dungeons and Dragons with his best friends. They have a lot of fun but Reggie stresses about other people seeing him as nerdy because of it. He knows his older brother thinks it’s stupid and he feels like his parents don’t understand it either. The last thing he wants is for everybody to see this side of him and possibly use it against him. After all, his own brother says Reggie isn’t really Black if he likes D&D. When Reggie meets Delilah on NYE it is love at first sight for him. But he’s wearing one of his D&D shirts and he’s very worried that Delilah won’t think he’s cool enough for her. After all, she’s actually the front woman in the band playing at the concert. She’s very cool.So Reggie decided to just own it. He admits to all his favorite things and pretty much tells Delilah who he is but with one big exception: he lets her believe that he totally owns who he is. That he doesn’t let anyone else’s opinion get him down.And Delilah needs to hear about not letting everyone else get you down. She’s been picked on for being half Black while also feeling that her band might be using her. Singing is new to Delilah but she’s amazing at it. She feels like she could use some of Reggie’s confidence.The two adorably keep running into each other on holidays. They meet on NYE, they run into each other again on Valentine’s Day, and eventually the two see it as a sign to stay in touch.This book covers a year of holidays while Reggie and Delilah get to know each other and fall in love. They also learn a lot about accepting themselves and each other just as they are.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!This was Elise Bryant's best yet. Reggie and Delilah have meet cute after meet cute, and while the romance aspect of this book was truly sweet and lovely, the best parts lie in seeing both of them grow and discover who they are.Reggie is struggling to reconcile his love of D&D with how others might view it and him. Delilah is sometimes unsure of her value to the band she sings in. Both Reggie and Delilah grapple with issues of perception and worry about how they are seen. The way this is handled in both cases is realistic and gratifying. Reggie and Delilah's journey to unapologetically love who they are and what they do combined with their path to loving each other was incredibly enjoyable to read and honestly just made me happy. 5/5.

1. Why have I not read a book by this author sooner?2. I now need all the author’s books.3. This was so sweet and swoony and beautiful.4-12: HARPERCOLLINS HAS BEEN ON STRIKE FOR 50+ DAYS AND I REALLY NEED YALL TO FIX YOUR SHIT

Reggie & Delilah's Year of Falling has been at the very top of my highly anticipated reads of this year, and I'm pleased to say that my anticipation was worthwhile! (But, come on, who expected that it wouldn't be? Certainly not me.) There was something so deeply meaningful about the feeling you have after you finish reading. It's almost like being given a warm hug and told that everything's going to be okay. Watching Reggie and Delilah, as individuals and as a couple, come to life and begin to grow was a wholesome experience. They sowed their seeds, and watched each other grow - blooming into flowers alongside one another. My favourite part of this novel, however, wasn't the coupling itself, but the characterisations of them on their own, too. The hard but somehow easily understood explanation on mental health and developmental disorders was perfect and so, so raw, so believable. Delilah's character was one that I related to far more than I expected, honestly. Constantly hiding behind a mask, a facade, just to pretend that she can keep going without breaking down is something I am not unfamiliar with. Her character growth was by far my favourite. Reggie was a character that I knew I'd love the second he was introduced into the story. He seemed so suave, so sure of himself, while he was really struggling with battles only he could fight, and he alone.All of the other dynamics within the story were so beautifully and realistically written that, at times, it felt more like I was taking a peek at someone's diary and not a fictional book. So, is Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling worth reading? One hundred percent, yes. It's been a long time since I have found myself so encapsulated by a story and I so can't wait to see what the ever so talented mastermind of Elise Bryant does next. (Seriously, I think she's going to be placed on my 'must buy every thing she has and will ever publish' list. I need you all to pray for my bank balance during this heavy time.) An easy, yet far too low a rating, of 5/5 stars for this piece of art! 🌟I won't be getting this stunning work out of my brain for a long time, I can already tell you that much.

Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling was such a sweet read with so much to love. Repeated holiday meet cutes? Yes please. I loved the randomness of their meetups and the holiday fun! I loved, too, that by the end, it really did feel like a year had passed in the novel. I loved both Reggie and Delilah as characters, and I loved their dynamic. Reggie is a self-proclaimed D&D nerd, and Delilah is the new lead singer of a punk rock band. I loved the diverse hobbies—I don’t think I’ve read a book with characters having either hobby before and it was just a refreshing change. And just the mix of these two totally different characters coming together was just perfect. I also loved the focus on identity and family issues. Both Reggie and Delilah struggle with how others view them and their hobbies, and are challenged by others as not fitting the mold of Black teens. For Reggie, it comes from his brother’s constant teasing about Dungeons and Dragons preventing him from feeling comfortable in his own skin. For Delilah, it’s the struggle of being enough for not just her fans or even her band, but also herself. And I have to mention that I enjoyed the dyslexia rep in the book. Reggie is dyslexic and I liked how it was portrayed in a real and honest way—not as this earth-shattering challenge, but it didn’t brush it off either. As much as I loved this book, one thing keeps me from giving me Reggie and Delilah five stars, and that’s Reggie’s lie. I understood it at first, but then I didn’t understand why he kept it up. Delilah’s reaction when she found out just made it worse, but also I wasn’t sure how I would have wanted her to react either? That part of the plot was just awkward to me. In the end, Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling is a sweet, funny, refreshing read, and I felt that it really brought something new.

3.75 -this was a great slow burn, but i think it struggled with too much happening in the last 15%. nearly all the main conflict happened in that small chunk and it just felt like too much all at once-i loved delilah and her POV a lot more, but still enjoyed reggie’s as well-HOWEVER, i really feel like reggie did a totally 180 during the conflict and acted way out of character, to the point where i almost didn’t want them to get back together-i know they are still young, 16 and 17, but reggie behaved very much one way the whole book, a completely different way during the conflict, and then went back to his regular behavior afterwards. it was a bit confusing-as someone with migraines, i wish delilah’s had been mentioned more than just the couple times necessary as a plot device.-i loved the relationship delilah and georgia had, it was so lovely and of course i was a huge fan of their love for taylor swift!-the conflict and especially reggie’s behavior threw me a bit, but it didn’t dampen my overall liking of the book too much, mostly because delilah’s journey of finding herself and her voice was so powerfulthank you to netgalley and balzer & bray for the e-ARC!cw: racism, bullying, chronic illness (migraines), gaslighting, panic attacks

Oh my word, I loved this little love story. Reggie and Delilah are two black kids, an D&D player and a punk lead singer who fall in love over the course of holidays during the year. It’s a heartfelt story about taking up space, young love, and being your authentic self. Things I love:🎸 Dual POV. Love it! These are two very different teens going through a lot, and I loved seeing both perspectives. It made it less about their relationship necessarily, as it was about them finding their own space in the world. 🐉 Their friends and families. I loved that they had such cool friends, who called them out or loved them well. They genuinely wanted the best of them. It was good to have side characters who weren’t just there to drive the plot, but enhanced the story. 🎸 the concert scene. As a former concert goer, it felt so fun and familiar to see this as part of the “stage” for the story. Love it. 🐉 their meet cute. It was adorable. 🤷🏻‍♀️🎸 the holidays. I love that this revolves around a year or holidays, and that they reference it. And how it all comes full circle. Definitely pick up this adorable teen romance. 🥰 You’ll love it!

This book was so good, and looking at my total scores for the year, this book is my highest-rated book with 25 books read!!! Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling is a love letter to music, D&D, and loving who you are. Being a fan of music and D&D, I knew I would love this, but I wasn't sure how much I would devour this book. Reggie and Delilah are fabulous main characters, and I loved their POVs in this story. Going in, you know this is a love story. It's in the title, but this story is so cute. There is also the journey of finding yourself, loving who you are, and finding your voice, which I loved. Elise Bryant is a new to me author who I've heard great reviews about, and I can confirm that her stories are amazing, and I'll definitely be reading her backlog. Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling is filled with sweet romance about adolescent love, and I just loved it. Delilah and Reggie were a perfectly matched couple, and they were fantastic to read about. I recommend this book to fans of YA Contemporary, especially if you also love music and D&D. As a side note: I wish that Roll with It was an actual podcast, or a stream because I would tune in every week.