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Weight of Her World
Bullies come in all shapes, sizes, and ages.
Brynlee McAdams tries fervently to be the best daughter and sister she can be. She is used to the verbal criticism from her mother, but when her youngest brother Brayden gets bullied in school, she must make some decisions in his best interest; even if it sets her on a collision course with the most stubborn person she knows-her mother. When Brayden's kind and beautiful third grade teacher Sara Cain gets involved, feelings are found, and tempers are lost.
Will the path to discovery lead Brynlee to a better future? Can she overcome heartbreak to find happiness?
Brynlee McAdams tries fervently to be the best daughter and sister she can be. She is used to the verbal criticism from her mother, but when her youngest brother Brayden gets bullied in school, she must make some decisions in his best interest; even if it sets her on a collision course with the most stubborn person she knows-her mother. When Brayden's kind and beautiful third grade teacher Sara Cain gets involved, feelings are found, and tempers are lost.
Will the path to discovery lead Brynlee to a better future? Can she overcome heartbreak to find happiness?
- GenresFemme FemmeLGBT
Unknown Binding
Published June 21, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 10, 2022
3.25 Stars. I thought this was a decent debut book, but it wasn’t really a fit for me. I would call this a family drama with a hint of romance. The dramatic family issues outweighed the romance and I think I would have enjoyed this more had the book been a little more 50/50. The bullying, verbal and physical abuse were an obvious downer to read about so I wished that there was more of a lovely intimate, or super sweet, or big sweeping epic romance, to balance those unhappy parts out.
I found the book to very readable, and I was hooked into the drama of the main storyline to keep turning the pages. I also liked the main character and her two adorable younger brothers. Unfortunately, besides those three characters, and the “villain” of the tale, I don’t think the other characters worked very well. The main character’s love interest, and the main’s two friends all felt very 2D to me and I don’t think they gave the main character enough to work off of. I found myself to be interested in the family dramatic parts, but unfortunately not much else.
As you may imagine, because of my issues above I did struggle with the romance. It was fine. It was perfectly nice, but that’s not the type this book really needed. The love interest was basically a nice and hot teacher. I kept waiting to uncover more about her but all I found out was that she had her heartbroken once and even that wasn’t detailed. As a character driven reader that just isn’t enough for me. There was only one small relationship angst moment, which ended up seeming really forced and didn’t make sense to me, otherwise all the conflict comes from the family moments.
In the end this was a perfectly find story and a decent debut, but with so many great books out there I’m looking for more. I did think that Owens did well writing about the family drama and she also wrote two adorable kid characters, but everything else was pretty average for me. I would give Owens another try in the future since there is some good stuff here, but I hope she can work on building her secondary adult characters as well as she does her main character.
An ARC was given to me for an honest review.
I found the book to very readable, and I was hooked into the drama of the main storyline to keep turning the pages. I also liked the main character and her two adorable younger brothers. Unfortunately, besides those three characters, and the “villain” of the tale, I don’t think the other characters worked very well. The main character’s love interest, and the main’s two friends all felt very 2D to me and I don’t think they gave the main character enough to work off of. I found myself to be interested in the family dramatic parts, but unfortunately not much else.
As you may imagine, because of my issues above I did struggle with the romance. It was fine. It was perfectly nice, but that’s not the type this book really needed. The love interest was basically a nice and hot teacher. I kept waiting to uncover more about her but all I found out was that she had her heartbroken once and even that wasn’t detailed. As a character driven reader that just isn’t enough for me. There was only one small relationship angst moment, which ended up seeming really forced and didn’t make sense to me, otherwise all the conflict comes from the family moments.
In the end this was a perfectly find story and a decent debut, but with so many great books out there I’m looking for more. I did think that Owens did well writing about the family drama and she also wrote two adorable kid characters, but everything else was pretty average for me. I would give Owens another try in the future since there is some good stuff here, but I hope she can work on building her secondary adult characters as well as she does her main character.
An ARC was given to me for an honest review.
July 9, 2022
Only 3 books have ever made me cry, and this is one of them. So have a box of tissues ready.
Weight of her world is beautifully written, and written with sensitivity. It's a family drama, it's full of emotion, angst, and tragedy but also you have a sense of love too.
This is Amanda Owens's debut novel, and I'm looking forward to future realises. I've given weight of her world a 4/5.
Weight of her world is beautifully written, and written with sensitivity. It's a family drama, it's full of emotion, angst, and tragedy but also you have a sense of love too.
This is Amanda Owens's debut novel, and I'm looking forward to future realises. I've given weight of her world a 4/5.
July 23, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
June 14, 2022
3.5 rounded up.
From a debut author I found this to be an easy read that kept me turning pages to see how the story panned out. It’s a family drama with Brynlee as a young 20 year old working at a warehouse distribution company and going to college at night. Brynlee has two sweet younger brothers and a very nasty mom. The story is about bullying and how the family overcomes it. Along the way Brynlee meets Sarah who is a teacher and they have instant chemistry together. Sarah is a very kind and loving person and helps Brynlee overcome her difficult situation.
I liked the feels between the MCs and the two brothers. This book kept me entertained.
ARC received for a voluntary and honest review via Bella Books through NetGalley
From a debut author I found this to be an easy read that kept me turning pages to see how the story panned out. It’s a family drama with Brynlee as a young 20 year old working at a warehouse distribution company and going to college at night. Brynlee has two sweet younger brothers and a very nasty mom. The story is about bullying and how the family overcomes it. Along the way Brynlee meets Sarah who is a teacher and they have instant chemistry together. Sarah is a very kind and loving person and helps Brynlee overcome her difficult situation.
I liked the feels between the MCs and the two brothers. This book kept me entertained.
ARC received for a voluntary and honest review via Bella Books through NetGalley
April 26, 2024
I liked this family drama, sapphic romance. Brynlee McAdams is 22, works hard at her job and is finishing her college degree. She also is the main support for her two younger brothers. No matter how hard she tries her mother can say nothing positive to her or acknowledge the help she is to the household. When her youngest brother is being bullied at school she meets Sarah Cain (29) his third grade teacher. Mom wants the gentle boy to fight and stand up for himself. Brynlee and Sarah try and give him other tools to cope forging a friendship as they do.
I like the gentle, unsure way the romance blossoms between the two main characters. One of my pet peeves in books is characters that are mean to be mean and I love that there is an explanation to the hateful way Sarah’s mom treats her. It doesn’t make it right but it explains some of the bullying she engages in with Brynlee. Sarah is a gem at smitten, supportive romantic partner even as things happen too fast for good communication. I usually prefer lighter romances but I will read a story like this any day. Thank you to NetGalley and Bella Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I like the gentle, unsure way the romance blossoms between the two main characters. One of my pet peeves in books is characters that are mean to be mean and I love that there is an explanation to the hateful way Sarah’s mom treats her. It doesn’t make it right but it explains some of the bullying she engages in with Brynlee. Sarah is a gem at smitten, supportive romantic partner even as things happen too fast for good communication. I usually prefer lighter romances but I will read a story like this any day. Thank you to NetGalley and Bella Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 15, 2022
Brynlee meets Sarah when she is called to her brother's school to talk to his teacher. Sarah is concerned when his sister comes instead of his mother but she can tell Brynlee wants to help. They both feel a mutual attraction from the beginning but Brynlee has a complicated life with lots of responsibilities due to her mother's behavior.
This was a good book but had some heavy subjects. The mother is abusive when she's around but also absent a lot. I look liked both MCs and felt like they had good chemistry. Brynlee's brother's were cute too and her best friend Andrea seemed very supportive. There were a few things in the plot that seemed a bit illogical to me but they didn't ruin the story for me. I think the writing was well done and plot was engaging. Overall it was a great first book from a new author and I'm looking forward to the next one.
This was a good book but had some heavy subjects. The mother is abusive when she's around but also absent a lot. I look liked both MCs and felt like they had good chemistry. Brynlee's brother's were cute too and her best friend Andrea seemed very supportive. There were a few things in the plot that seemed a bit illogical to me but they didn't ruin the story for me. I think the writing was well done and plot was engaging. Overall it was a great first book from a new author and I'm looking forward to the next one.
June 4, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars
Brynlee is only 22 but is responsible for care and safety of her two younger brothers. Her mother is a narcissistic, emotionally distant bully. Bryn works full time while attending night classes and is about to graduate from college. She wants a place of her own away from her domineering mother but doesn’t want to leave her brothers in the clutches of her mother. When she meets her youngest brother’s teacher, her world begins to change.
This book is not a romance in the truest sense of the word because the romance between Bryn and Sarah is not the focus of the book. The focus of the book is on the relationship between Bryn and her mother, which makes the book an emotionally exhausting read. The romance between Sarah and Bryn doesn’t begin until late in the book and, while sweet, is rather shallow and lacks real emotion. The intimate scenes seem to have been added as an afterthought and just figuring how the characters are positioned takes time and seem impossible to achieve.
The relationship between Bryn and her brothers is sweet, but with everything else being so dysfunctional, it’s hard to enjoy the sweet with all the sourness surrounding it. There are other things wrong with this book and a few more things right with the book, but to discuss them would be adding spoilers to this review.
For the most part the book is well written, and Bryn is well written. However, the other characters, including Bryn’s best friend and Sarah, remain amorphous and at the end of the book you may realize there was no emotional connection to them.
If you like books that grab you and take you on an emotional roller coaster of a ride even if it’s a negative ride, this book is for you. If you want to read a LesFic romance, this is not that kind of book.
My thanks to Bella Books and NetGalley for an eARC.
Brynlee is only 22 but is responsible for care and safety of her two younger brothers. Her mother is a narcissistic, emotionally distant bully. Bryn works full time while attending night classes and is about to graduate from college. She wants a place of her own away from her domineering mother but doesn’t want to leave her brothers in the clutches of her mother. When she meets her youngest brother’s teacher, her world begins to change.
This book is not a romance in the truest sense of the word because the romance between Bryn and Sarah is not the focus of the book. The focus of the book is on the relationship between Bryn and her mother, which makes the book an emotionally exhausting read. The romance between Sarah and Bryn doesn’t begin until late in the book and, while sweet, is rather shallow and lacks real emotion. The intimate scenes seem to have been added as an afterthought and just figuring how the characters are positioned takes time and seem impossible to achieve.
The relationship between Bryn and her brothers is sweet, but with everything else being so dysfunctional, it’s hard to enjoy the sweet with all the sourness surrounding it. There are other things wrong with this book and a few more things right with the book, but to discuss them would be adding spoilers to this review.
For the most part the book is well written, and Bryn is well written. However, the other characters, including Bryn’s best friend and Sarah, remain amorphous and at the end of the book you may realize there was no emotional connection to them.
If you like books that grab you and take you on an emotional roller coaster of a ride even if it’s a negative ride, this book is for you. If you want to read a LesFic romance, this is not that kind of book.
My thanks to Bella Books and NetGalley for an eARC.
September 20, 2022
I couldn't put this book down. The 2MCs are attracted to one another right from the beginning but this is a slow burn relationship for a reason. Brynlee's younger brothers are adorable, and I wish I had had a teacher like Sarah. The family conflict is heartbreaking, but it makes the relationship between Brynlee and her brothers stronger. This is a great debut novel. 5 stars!
May 15, 2024
I don’t know what it is with me and Bella Books. Lackluster writing, so much telling.
I did stay for the plot, I just wish it was better written.
I did stay for the plot, I just wish it was better written.
September 21, 2022
3.75 Stars. This was far more intense than what I thought. The family drama and interpersonal stuff far outweighs that of the eventual romance, but I'd say the romance is key to helping resolve a lot of the issues that our MC experiences.
I don't know if I'd call this multi-layered, but it certainly tries hard to make the family drama and the trauma that MC Brynlee feels as grounded. She feels like a real person who had to become a caretaker to an adult who resents their situation. Brynlee, who started taking care of her younger brother while in high school, is still dealing with a mother who is resentful and spiteful of her while she is going to college and working multiple jobs to try to get herself and her brother out of an un loving home. While she is an adult, the constant emotional and verbal abuse drives her to have anxiety and serious self esteem issues. And while I thought Brynlee's reason for being such a hateful person to her own daughter is a little far out there, I know it happens.
What brings it down for me just a tad is Brynlee's love interest, Sara Cain. Sara is Brynlee's brother's teacher and is quite possibly a living angel. Sara rarely gets ruffled by Brynlee and is thoughtful and kind almost to a fault. She feels unreal, which could be the point, given all the things that Brynlee has to experience on an almost daily bases and that the story is told from Brynlee's perspective. And I don't feel like Sara's kindness is overly unrealistic, it's that she doesn't really crack at all. She doesn't really become overwhelmed when stuff gets bad, and she mostly stays the course. Brynlee has a lot of emotional baggage and that Sara can handle all of it without seemingly being affected by that feels a little too perfect to me.
Ultimately it is more a story about overcoming an abusive relationship with your parent and the romance is not as front and center. If anything, it can show that having a support network, even a support network of one can make a world of difference for someone going through what Brynlee had to, and I appreciate that.
*I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I don't know if I'd call this multi-layered, but it certainly tries hard to make the family drama and the trauma that MC Brynlee feels as grounded. She feels like a real person who had to become a caretaker to an adult who resents their situation. Brynlee, who started taking care of her younger brother while in high school, is still dealing with a mother who is resentful and spiteful of her while she is going to college and working multiple jobs to try to get herself and her brother out of an un loving home. While she is an adult, the constant emotional and verbal abuse drives her to have anxiety and serious self esteem issues. And while I thought Brynlee's reason for being such a hateful person to her own daughter is a little far out there, I know it happens.
What brings it down for me just a tad is Brynlee's love interest, Sara Cain. Sara is Brynlee's brother's teacher and is quite possibly a living angel. Sara rarely gets ruffled by Brynlee and is thoughtful and kind almost to a fault. She feels unreal, which could be the point, given all the things that Brynlee has to experience on an almost daily bases and that the story is told from Brynlee's perspective. And I don't feel like Sara's kindness is overly unrealistic, it's that she doesn't really crack at all. She doesn't really become overwhelmed when stuff gets bad, and she mostly stays the course. Brynlee has a lot of emotional baggage and that Sara can handle all of it without seemingly being affected by that feels a little too perfect to me.
Ultimately it is more a story about overcoming an abusive relationship with your parent and the romance is not as front and center. If anything, it can show that having a support network, even a support network of one can make a world of difference for someone going through what Brynlee had to, and I appreciate that.
*I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 25, 2022
I want to say first off that I do think this book had potential. The set up was done pretty well, and though I wasn’t a huge fan of the second half I don’t think it was actually bad, except for one thing, and this is the reason it’s a one star. This next part is going to contain massive spoilers. So, after being physically attacked by her mother who had already proved to be neglectful of her and the boys as well as verbally abusive towards Brin, brin decided that she needed to leave the house. That more than makes sense. Her mother was abusive and it was a bad environment, but even after she left there was never any talk from any of the characters about Braden and Ben leaving. I could maybe understand it if it was just Brynn not thinking of it. As someone who grew up in that environment and still maybe had some blinders on when it came to her mother, she may be truly believe that the boys will be safe. But the book doesn’t present it like that. It doesn’t even present the option in any way shape or form. Not one character ever brings up the idea that maybe social services should be called. It’s like they’re saying, that just because the truth comes out about Brynn not being her mothers biological child that means that her mother is perfectly safe to be with the boys. What? It doesn’t matter if Brynn was her biological child or not, it doesn’t even matter if her mom wanted to adopt her. That’s not an excuse for being abusive. The mom even said that sometimes she just lost her temper, does that not raise any red flags? No we never saw her be abusive to the boys, but that shouldn’t make a difference. Maybe social services wouldn’t have removed them, I don’t know, but they should’ve been called. It should’ve been presented as an option, or if they were going to go darker it should’ve been presented that Brynn was under the false impression that she was the only one at risk. Which again, might make sense considering her character and how she was always treated. But the book should’ve made it clear that was bad, and that the boys staying with their mother without any kind of intervention was not right. But I honestly don’t think the idea of the boys being at risk was ever brought up, and it makes no sense. I do have other thoughts on the book, things I liked and things I didn’t like, but this huge oversight just ruins it all for me. The book just acts like Braden and Ben are perfectly safe living with their abusive and neglectful mother. Saying that she was nicer now is just not even remotely enough for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2022
With thanks to Bella Books and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
I chose this book because the additional element of family drama appealed to me over and above the romantic element. It’s about Brynlee, a 22 year old college student who has been looking after her angelic younger brothers their whole lives, as their mother is a neglectful alcoholic. When her youngest brother starts getting bullied at school, Brynlee is brought into contact with Sarah, his more or less perfect in every way teacher.
From this point on the two seem to meet literally everywhere and before long have embarked on a relationship, with both also trying to help Brynlee’s young brother with his bullying problem.
So far, so good.
The issues with the book are largely to do with the pacing in the second half. Everything goes much too fast. The bullying plotline is resolved almost instantly (the resolution ended up being “tell a teacher” which, let me tell you from my twelve years of experience of being bullied at school, does not work.) The romance goes from first kiss, to sleeping together, to living together in the space of less than 24 hours. Less than 24 hours after that, “I love you”s are being thrown around.
There are a couple of twists with the family drama and the mother, but by the time they were revealed I was more or less checked out of the plot due to how infeasible it all felt.
2/5
I chose this book because the additional element of family drama appealed to me over and above the romantic element. It’s about Brynlee, a 22 year old college student who has been looking after her angelic younger brothers their whole lives, as their mother is a neglectful alcoholic. When her youngest brother starts getting bullied at school, Brynlee is brought into contact with Sarah, his more or less perfect in every way teacher.
From this point on the two seem to meet literally everywhere and before long have embarked on a relationship, with both also trying to help Brynlee’s young brother with his bullying problem.
So far, so good.
The issues with the book are largely to do with the pacing in the second half. Everything goes much too fast. The bullying plotline is resolved almost instantly (the resolution ended up being “tell a teacher” which, let me tell you from my twelve years of experience of being bullied at school, does not work.) The romance goes from first kiss, to sleeping together, to living together in the space of less than 24 hours. Less than 24 hours after that, “I love you”s are being thrown around.
There are a couple of twists with the family drama and the mother, but by the time they were revealed I was more or less checked out of the plot due to how infeasible it all felt.
2/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2022
Oof, this is a tough review to write. I was excited to read this book because of the queer rep, and the family dynamics; however, this book reads like a lifetime movie. That will absolutely slap for some, and if you're a lifetime movie fan, this might be your jam. Unfortunately, it was just too basic for my liking, and due to the short length of the story, not much was really developed.
What I did like:
- I appreciated the MC's fierce love for her brothers and their relationship
- The MC was a strong woman despite everything she has been through
- Some decent sapphic spice
- It was a very quick and easy read
What struggled for me:
- This was full of very deep topics (emotional abuse, physical assault) but didn't dive deep enough to do these topics justice
- The romance developed too quickly without enough to feel like it was real
- The writing and story felt very novice.
- It's a story that feels done before and didn't add anything new
Overall this just wasn't for me, but it might be for you. I will caution that there are a number of triggers in regards to the emotional abuse the MC experiences from her mother as well as on-page physical assault from her mother. So if these are triggers, tread cautiously.
What I did like:
- I appreciated the MC's fierce love for her brothers and their relationship
- The MC was a strong woman despite everything she has been through
- Some decent sapphic spice
- It was a very quick and easy read
What struggled for me:
- This was full of very deep topics (emotional abuse, physical assault) but didn't dive deep enough to do these topics justice
- The romance developed too quickly without enough to feel like it was real
- The writing and story felt very novice.
- It's a story that feels done before and didn't add anything new
Overall this just wasn't for me, but it might be for you. I will caution that there are a number of triggers in regards to the emotional abuse the MC experiences from her mother as well as on-page physical assault from her mother. So if these are triggers, tread cautiously.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2022
Brynlee lives with her mom and 2 brothers. She goes to college and looks after her brothers. The plot of this book revolves around how Brynlee takes on responsibility for her brothers and deals with a mom who clearly does not like her. Brynlee meets Sarah at her brother's school when he gets bullied. Ther is drama and emotions. as Brynlee and Sarah become close. Trigger warning there is anger, violence and bullying. The characters are well written and make for a good story. My only criticism is the author spends a lot of time on small details. I recommend this book for romance and relationship readers.
August 28, 2023
After reading Owens’s other book, I came back to her debut and was not disappointed.
It has endearing characters that are easy to root for, especially the main character, Bryn.
Her life is filled with adversity, so it’s not always an easy read, but that makes it more rewarding.
If I had to offer one criticism, it would relate to the fact this should have been advertised more as a family drama than romance, but that should absolutely not take away from the author’s talent. Brynlee is a memorable, strong lead, and she possesses sweetness that will make you want her as your friend (or sister). I definitely recommend this book.
It has endearing characters that are easy to root for, especially the main character, Bryn.
Her life is filled with adversity, so it’s not always an easy read, but that makes it more rewarding.
If I had to offer one criticism, it would relate to the fact this should have been advertised more as a family drama than romance, but that should absolutely not take away from the author’s talent. Brynlee is a memorable, strong lead, and she possesses sweetness that will make you want her as your friend (or sister). I definitely recommend this book.
September 1, 2022
Very moving story, that hit home on so many levels.
I truly enjoyed reading it and finding what the main characters is going to accomplish next.
Her actions and bravery was impressive. I am happy it had happy ending.
I truly enjoyed reading it and finding what the main characters is going to accomplish next.
Her actions and bravery was impressive. I am happy it had happy ending.
June 28, 2022
Easy to get lost in the story and truly feel a part of the characters journey.
May 28, 2023
Love, love, love this book and author!!
May 3, 2023
3.5 but like on a higher-end so I round up since it does make a difference.
This book is kinda emotionally taxing to read, it deals with school and parental bullying. There’re warming sibling moments and spicy romance to balance the drama out. But gosh, I was high on emotions most of the book. I like the plot/setting, it’s an interesting route to start the sapphic bits. The family drama also keeps my attention.
The characters were mostly ok-developed, meaning that I think their characteristics could be more flavorful. There were moments when I couldn’t understand the character's behaviors. My fav characters from the book were Sara and Brayden because they're too good for this world. Although I love the relationship between Brynlee and Sara and how it develops, there were a few forced moments to move their relationship along that just didn’t make sense to me.
The writing style was ok for me. I didn't like how things were explicitly stated when they could've been shown. And there were a few repetitions that were overused, so instead of keeping the story consistent and cohesive, they seem unnecessary.
This book is kinda emotionally taxing to read, it deals with school and parental bullying. There’re warming sibling moments and spicy romance to balance the drama out. But gosh, I was high on emotions most of the book. I like the plot/setting, it’s an interesting route to start the sapphic bits. The family drama also keeps my attention.
The characters were mostly ok-developed, meaning that I think their characteristics could be more flavorful. There were moments when I couldn’t understand the character's behaviors. My fav characters from the book were Sara and Brayden because they're too good for this world. Although I love the relationship between Brynlee and Sara and how it develops, there were a few forced moments to move their relationship along that just didn’t make sense to me.
The writing style was ok for me. I didn't like how things were explicitly stated when they could've been shown. And there were a few repetitions that were overused, so instead of keeping the story consistent and cohesive, they seem unnecessary.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews