You Say It First audiobook

“It was the thesis statement of their friendship—that comforting sameness, the knowledge that by the time a thought occurred to her, Emily was already thinking it, too. Sometimes Meg wondered if maybe they were actually the same person, split into two different bodies by some cosmic mistake.” I loved this book *so* much and I will not accept any bad reviews of it!!! (Kidding, you can obviously have your own opinions. Even if they're wrong!) You Say It First was my first Katie Cotugno book and definitely not my last one. I don't know what I was expecting from this but it certainly wasn't that. I thought it would be more like a "Yes No Maybe So" kinda vibe but it was sooo much better.The writing style was the perfect ya contemporary style for me personally and I flew through it, reading 200 pages at once without even realizing it. And I loved the story even more than the writing! Meg, our female protagonist, might be my favorite character ever. She reminded me SO much of myself in her political activism and her fierceness about what she thought was right but also how that made her snobby sometimes. And the way her romance with Colby, someone completely different to her was written?? Groundbreaking. Spectacular. Magnificent. Colby was challenging her, in that he had a different background and therefore different views (which is so realistic and important!) without ever being too republican or ignorant for her (or the reader) to forgive him. What I loved most about their love story was the from texting to a long distance relationship element. Why do such few authors write about this?? It's 2020 and like the most realistic form of young adults getting together if we're being honest. And it didn't take ANYTHING away from the story either. I loved loved loved this book, i love how it was cute and sometimes painfully relatable (that parent storyline from Meg hit a liiiittle too close to home) and challenging and just overall an amazing time! I will never shut up about it. Honestly if only one person reads this now because of me, this rambling review was absolutely worth it.

This was such a nice, heartwarming story and the characters really drive the whole story for you. I loved the character development in this book. The story between Meg and Colby was lovely and so comfortable ❤️I loved it!

“I don’t actually think it always has to be your sole responsibility to make sure everything goes perfectly all the time” OMG, this book is the sweetest thing, I loved it so much, definitely one of those cases when the story far exceeds my expectations. I feel that this plot touched my heart in many ways, the characters seemed very realistic and the topics it covers are very shocking, but they're well discussed and very well executed in my point of view. Politics isn't usually my jam, but I was still able to enjoy this contemporary romance very much, and that makes me very happy.4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫You can find more of my reviews & fun content on my blog A Book. A Thought. In this book, we follow two characters whose we'll have their respective POVs, Meg & Colby. Meg, on the one hand, has her life planned out perfectly, with her amazing boyfriend, and plans to go to college with her best friend, Emily. In her spare time, she works as a phone banker at a voter registration call center in a Philadelphia suburb, but everything will change for her after a simple phone conversation that will make her realize that life can take unexpected turns. Colby, on the other hand, lives trying to get over his father's tragic suicide, going to work every day uncertain about what his future holds for him or if he even cares. The last thing he has time for is some privileged rich girl preaching the sanctity of the political process. But these calls will soon become a regular occurrence for them and as they begin to connect, doubts begin to creep in. Are they just too different to make it work? I think the plot is perhaps a bit simple in its main idea, as it's about two young people who after an unexpected phone call, and almost by mistake, get to know each other and connect despite being from very different worlds, but in fact, it becomes much more than just that once we explore about their lives, and we know more about their insecurities, their fears, and their true desires and goals. There's something very real and human in this story that also comes with a huge emotional charge that made me love it deeply. It's the exploration of personalities, and family conflicts that make this story stand out in my opinion. The plot focuses a lot on both characters equally and as we follow them in their daily lives, and get to know their friends, their families, and themselves, we recognize where many of their attitudes and outlooks on life come from that are in turn completely different. I'll talk more about the characters later as such, but without a doubt, we explore very polarized lives. On the one hand, we have a rich girl with privileges and therefore her position is very different from the boy who comes from a humble working-class background and for whom things have been perhaps more difficult, you know? Very interesting to read in my opinion, it's also elaborated in a very realistic way. I really liked the writing style, I've been wanting to give the author a full chance for a long time, I've read some short stories by her, but nothing like a full book, so I'm super happy I did it and enjoyed it so much. The dialogues are wonderful, and I love that it has so many of them, in this kind of stories it's just necessary to even have a good quality in the conversations of the characters, which obviously can be a bit cheesy at times, but always made me smile at the end, sometimes making me sad too I admit, I feel a lot of things for this story. On the other hand, I want to point out that choosing to tell this story in double POV is just perfect because we get to know the characters in more depth and we can understand what's going on in their minds, and their personal conflicts, it's also super interesting to see how their attitudes change once they meet and I love to see how they're empowered in the best ways, there are also conflicts of course, but it's obviously the journey in which the story takes you and also every moment even the bad ones help the characters to grow and evolve, and I LOVE to say that there's a lot of growth in that aspect. I'll talk or at least try to tell you a little bit about the main characters. On one side, we have Meg and you can see from the first moment that she's a person who wants to have an impact on the world and wants to do something to change people's lives for the better, that's why she has decided to get involved in politics which I believe from what I've read, she's passionate about. She can be innocent at times, obviously, her outlook on life has a lot to do with her parents and upbringing which was obviously full of privilege given the good social class she comes from, yet her intentions are very honest and real and I love that about her.I also like how she's very true to her ideals and has a very empathetic side as well. On the other hand, I really connected with this character since it's very complicated for Meg to express openly when she has some kind of disagreement with someone she loves. She's always trying to be a mediator and runs away from conflicts since she doesn't want to generate them or be part of them, but because of this she ends up shutting up many things, and then, of course, she always ends up doing what makes others happy instead, and I can really relate to that, and the attitude of always putting others first, it's something I work on a lot myself so I was happy to see it portrayed in Meg's life , who in her case has developed this aspect of her personality because of her parents and their intense fights when they were still together. We also explore quite a bit her relationship with her parents, on the one hand, her mother, who has problems with alcohol, and on the other hand, her father, who's about to remarry. I really like how getting to know Colby has made her grow a lot in the communicative aspect and how she has been able to finally express things that she has kept quiet for a long time out of fear, I'm super proud of her and I love this character because I think she becomes a very independent person.On the other hand, we have Colby who also struggles with his own demons in his case is very deep toom, as we talk about the loss of a father and how he even feels guilty because of it and there are a lot of insecurities that have grown in him that have prevented him from moving forward in his life and going for his dreams 100%. I felt so bad for him, we can see how he feels like it's not worth taking risks because he'll always screw it up anyway, and those kinds of thoughts end up being self-destructive. Also in this case .I love how meeting Meg changes many ways of looking at some situations and ends up even pushing him to be more ambitious about his life and understand that no matter the circumstances you can achieve things and change someThe evolution of both characters is wonderful, and above all, I love that despite being a romantic story in many aspects it's also one about self-improvement and maturity, also about learning. But without a doubt the romance itself is also very solid, there are some great scenes that made me smile a lot and even blush, I love how innovative it's that in this case the girl is more experienced in relationships than the guy, it's something refreshing and different to read. I love how even though there are a lot of things they do for each other and there's a lot of focus on their relationship, the plot also leans into their personal lives and their individual stories, you know? they both have a lot of moments of overcoming as separate individuals that really make me feel proud. Both characters decide to feel fulfilled as human beings and the romance almost takes a back seat at times even though they never stop thinking about each other, and OMG, it's so beautiful. Another small but great thing I want to mention is THE ENDING! because, in my opinion, it's one of my favorite endings: simple, realistic but different, and open, 100% what I needed from this story. I love how it's not what romances usually do, and I absolutely love how one little scene can mean SO MUCH, guys, it's just perfect in my eyes and it made me feel SO NOSTALGIA!!! I need like a thousand more pages of these characters just chatting forever lol, they're precious. So to end this more than sentimental review (sorry about that, lol) I want to say that I'm happy to have read this book, truthfully this genre is always a hit or miss for me, so the fact that I loved it is amazing, it definitely makes me more excited to pick up another contemporary romance very soon. I highly recommend this book if you like adorable romances, but also stories of self-improvement and growth, it's very focused on the characters' fears and insecurities, but there's so much growth that it becomes an inspiring story even. The characters are wonderful, they're very well thought out, the family discussions are very realistic and intense too, but in the best way, and the ending is so satisfying, you have no idea. So, I sincerely hope you give it a chance, I know you won't regret it. First Thoughts 08/13/21OMG, guys!!! This book ended so soon, I need about 500 more pages of this romance and these characters! Honestly, the story touched my heart and settled in there to stay, I LOVED it, I think it touches on such important points to discuss but also it felt so real. It's been a long time since I've read a contemporary romance that I actually enjoyed this much and this one makes me more than excited to read more!

This story was a DELIGHT. I so appreciated how Meg and Colby’s perspectives are shown in a way that doesn’t idealize one over the other. It’s interesting because politics are mentioned but not in a direct this side vs this side. It was more that Meg really cared about progressive movements and Colby was just indifferent. This was a smart choice, I think, that allowed for more debate and productive ideological battles. Everything was handled so thoughtfully. As someone who struggles to always voice their opinions openly, I loved seeing Meg’s journey. Deep conversations are my JAM, and this romance was so much fun to follow. A stellar opposites attract contemporary!

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight 4.5* I both love and hate when a book makes me feel stuff. Especially when it was stuff I wasn't trying to feel! But regardless of whether I like feelings, it does mean it was clearly a damn good book. So let's talk about why I enjoyed it so much!  ►The relationship just felt so honest. Meg and Colby are so wonderfully flawed, so messy as individuals, and that is just plain relatable. Then, they bring their messy selves into this relationship, and they actually have to like, choose whether they want to make it work. Obviously they have great chemistry and such, but in a relationship like this, where they live hundreds of miles apart, and have no prior connection, it would be easy to give up. Sometimes, each of them wants to because it gets hard sometimes to be open and work at something. And that is just real as anything. ►Both characters grow a lot during the book. One of the elements of this book that I loved the most is that both characters had to work through their own crap. It wasn't like "oh look they found each other and everything is perfect", no. It was more that they needed to grow as individuals before there would even be a chance for them to work as a couple. ►Voting! Meg volunteers for an organization that registers people from all over the country to vote over the phone. This of course is how Meg meets Colby, which the synopsis tells you. But more than that, there is a ton of great discussion on why it is so important to vote! ►The characters each have their own strong relationships outside the romance. Family and friendships play a huge role in both of their stories, which is as it should be. They had to navigate growing and changing friendships, and how family dynamics change over time. It was great to love each character in their own "home world" as well as when their worlds collide. ►There were feels. Which I said, and sometimes it is rude when books make you think about stuff that you don't want to think about, and hit you right the heck in the feels. Which this one did. But how can I be mad when it felt so honest? Alas, I cannot. Bottom Line:  It's a feel-good story that still somehow feels incredibly realistic and relatable. Basically, a huge win.

Makes me want to call my friends despite having phone anxiety so I guess it must have been good xD

Trigger warnings: (view spoiler)[mention of past suicide, alcoholism. (hide spoiler)]I loved this so much. I loved the long-distance strangers to friends to more, I loved the characters and their growth, the friendship, the family relationships. I just really liked this book okay.Full review coming soon!My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bookstagram - Bloglovin'

3.5

so we have this *gorgeous* cover,and then we have that *beautiful* story-it’s a win win💫

Meg thought she had her life figured out. After high school, she and her best friend Emily are going to Cornell. She has a great boyfriend and she loves her job, where she calls people to help them register to vote.One night she makes a call to a rural town in Ohio and a guy her age picks up. Everything about Colby Moran is infuriating. He’s got an attitude and thinks voting is a waste of time. So when he hangs up on Meg, the two of them never expected to talk again. After all, she lives all the way in Philadelphia.Colby’s year sucked. After a family tragedy, Colby closed off from the rest of the world. He has a job he can’t stand and he really doesn’t want some “rich” girl calling him to lecture about the political process. Only, he feels bad for he treated her over the phone and for some reason, needs to reach out to her.That one call leads to a series of conversations between Meg and Colby, where the two can be completely honest with each other. It’s not always easy because the two can get heated over their different lifestyles and perspectives. But at the same time, Meg and Colby grow closer, wondering if this relationship only works at a distance or if it could be something more?You Say It First is a great read if you love to follow politics. This is probably our favorite book from Cotugno yet! We loved the dual POV, but enjoyed reading from Meg’s more. She’s super Type-A and is terrified of disappointing people to a point where she walks on eggshells. It was so great to see that she could be herself with Colby, even if the two gave each other a hard time.Colby’s POV was interesting because he really did want to care about things the way Meg did, he was just afraid that caring would lead to disappointment. He shows a lot of character growth, especially in the final 1/4 of the book.Cotugno’s latest is more character driven than plot driven. It shows how Meg and Colby figure out what they want in life, while dealing with a lot of obstacles. We felt bad for both of them in terms of their family situations. Just know beforehand that suicide and alcoholism are represented in this book.One problem we had was that the book ended too abruptly. We needed at least one more chapter explained what happened next and discussed Meg’s plan for the future. Even though it was a fairly happy ending, the open-endedness set up a possibility for a book 2.Overall, we loved the theme of the importance of voting and political participation. Cotugno took two opposite people in different socioeconomic areas and showed them that they had more in common than they ever expected. Meg and Colby’s late night phone calls were the perfect way to find themselves.Blog | Twitter | Instagram

Dit boek stond al een tijdje op mijn reading list in Storytel. Het andere boek van deze schrijfster, 99 days, staat al jaren op mijn verlanglijst in Bol.com. Toch is dit boek het eerste geworden dat ik van Katie Cotugno las. En ik ben er superblij mee! Dit was echt een leuk boek. Het verliep allemaal wat sneller dan ik had verwacht, dus na een paar hoofdstukken zat ik er al helemaal in. De personages waren leuk, hoewel ik ze soms ook wel toe kon schreeuwen dat ze niet zo lomp moesten doen. Maar, dat maakte het boek juist beter, want de personages zijn verre van perfect. Daarnaast vind ik het hele idee van elkaar "ontmoeten" over de telefoon gewoon leuk. Het einde vond ik dan weer wel wat minder, die voldeed niet helemaal aan mijn verwachtingen en dat maakte het verhaal een beetje on-af. Maar de schrijfstijl was superfijn en ik ga zeker 99 days ook nog lezen!

When I first started this book, there were some tiny (tiny!) things that bugged me and seemed slightly implausible (not OTT but a little forced in order to maintain a connection). So I set it down for a bit, and when I came back to it, I flew through it. These felt like realistic teens on the verge of adulthood having to deal with realistic stuff as their life is so rapidly changing. I was nervous of the political aspect, as in what differing view Colby would have. I have always been a respectfully disagree kind of person, but there is zero middle ground for me with any support for the current administration and where that party has been heading. However, Colby had a more cynical, all politicians here lie, view that I can understand. And I was even grateful for it being pointed out that there is this white, rich liberal lack of truly understanding, etc. But one of the themes that truly hit for me, for any age, was about discovering how to be authentic and vulnerable. Not just doing what society makes you believe you should do. And how much better life is when you are real and speak your truths. I would have loved a bit more at the end, and yet it also makes sense from a YA perspective.

While this book was enjoyable, it definitely wasn't the best I've read. I expected the relationship to form due to politics and focus more on that due to the quote on the back, so I was surprised. I did find that this book followed the normal cycle for romances, meet, date, argue and break up, realize they can't live without each other, and then get back together. Because of that, it was very predictable, and nothing surprising, but it was still enjoyable. At times, I did have to take a short break from the book. Our main character, Meg was completely insensitive and irritating at times. Every problem in the relationship was because of her, and she always tried to pin the blame on other people. She was also super judgemental. I was really hoping to see massive character development on her part, and although she did change, it wasn't as much as I hoped for. Colby was okay. He had quite a bit of baggage to work through, and like Meg, he wasn't very good at talking about problems. I did like them together though, and it was a cute way to bring about a relationship. While being a typical romance book, this did manage to keep me occupied and interested.