3.75 stars 🌟.

Heroine was the best!!! Omg the trauma she went through. And I can’t tell you how brave and courageous she was. Like wise hero was such a brilliant but grumpy guy to everyone other than heroine. From beginning itself he treated her preciously. He was her pillar of strength.
I would say the angst and drama was low level but the book had depth and meaning.
My heart went put for heroine’s friend Billy.
Epilogue was so satisfying.

Safe, hot and recommended.

The story starts by beating the audience over the head with the fact that Seraphina has a disability while delaying telling us any details of the disability. When her disability is explained it is told in the light of how ashamed she is and how she does everything possible to prevent people from finding out. Where this comes into the plot is that Seraphina actively sabotages her own career (a career all involved including her known she's the best candidate for) rather than giving others an opportunity to understand her situation.

Later she is saved and given a chance at the job for which she originally applied (again I repeat she is the best candidate) thanks to the romantic interest Milo, who is the CEO of the company. This is pure insta love with no logic: he see's her in the elevator and there is just "something" about her.
Seraphina literally needs a man to "save" her and give her the job that she is extremely qualified for all to avoid explaining her condition. The romance then largely revolves around Seraphina not thinking herself worthy of love and Milo telling her she is.

The story itself didn't work and I am largely rating this book on the plot but I am concerned that where it tried to show representation for a community it negatively portrayed that community instead.

Okay. This is one of the cutest books I have read this year hands down. If you are interested in a book that will keep you smiling throughout the whole thing this is the book for you. I love mature characters and this had just that. SO SO GOOD. Thank you so much for the copy. Will definitely be rereading super soon

If you enjoyed "The kiss quotient" then you'll adore this book.
Safety in numbers is a cute, sweet, and fast read about Seraphina Ellis, a mathematician, and computer science, suffering from a traumatic brain injury that left her with a mental disability that damaged her speech. And her boss, Dr. Milo Grant, is a hot, sexy, and intelligent scientist, CEO of Grant Industries, where Seffy works as a research assistant.
I personally loved the fact that mc has a disability, I felt closer to her, knowing that she is a powerful, strong, and independent woman. Milo accepts her like she is, and he even protects and helps her.
Since the beginning of their love story, I smiled and felt happy.
"At that moment, I knew I had to have her. I didn’t care about her challenges or her past; I needed her to be mine."

I looking forward to Sophie Penhaligon's future books.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange fr an honest review

I was really looking forward to reading this book.

It follows our mc mathematician Seraphina who survives a car crash that results in a traumatic brain injury.

Enter a chance meeting with grumpy billionaire scientist and CEO Milo Grant, who provides her with the job of her dreams, and the chance of escape from cubicle land.

Their love story is sweet - but I found it rushed, and lacking depth. Their characters lacked growth for me and I found the internal monologues in both POVs to last longer than they needed to.

Overall, this book was good - but not great.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Safety in Numbers is a fairly predictable romance, and while I found the situation Seraphina was in interesting, I did feel that the portrayal of her disability was more negative than it could have been.
When we first meet Seraphina she’s going for a job as a personal research assistant. We don’t know the circumstances, but she tells us she has health issues caused by an accident. Her brain injury means she often forgets words and her speech difficulties mean she finds interviews hard. She isn’t given the job, but is asked to help in a different area.
This first job after her accident is a huge step, but I don’t know why she’s so determined not to tell people about her condition. Conscientious and determined to succeed, she does well. Then the boss, Milo, discovers she has the perfect qualifications to help with his research and she’s invited to move jobs.
As she works alongside Milo we watch their crush develop into romance. Both have their issues. We never really see him developed, and her stubbornness to not involve others was infuriating. Of course we know they’ll be great together, once they deal with the blips.
While I feel having some attempt to represent disability is a good thing, it did seem a little forced and quite negative. I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this before publication.

I am all for books with heroines in STEM and the concept of this book really seemed interesting to me. While I did enjoy some aspects of the story there were also some that fell a bit flat for me. Every few chapters we would have a time jump and I think it really affected the natural progression of Seraphina’s and Milo’s relationship. Being told about their relationship instead of seeing it develop made it a bit too “insta-lovey” for me. Sometimes the dialogue between them was a bit childish and cringey. I also felt like Milo could have had more to his own character arc. I will say that I learned a lot about TBI and aphasia, and loved seeing this representation in books.

I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

TW: Brain disability and trauma

This book is probably one of the sweetest books I have read in a while. I gave it 4/5 stars because I loved lots of the tropes in this book. Workplace romance, billionaire boyfriend, I hate everyone in the world but you, and etc... I love Seraphina and the meaning behind her name and how it constantly is being recurred. Also, the little bit of spice is a nice touch. I only wish there was a bit more and not so rushed at the end but all in all I think this was a great book.

This book is super cute. It is a bit heavier than I expected it to be but I loved it. I love that he was never hesitant because of her brain injury, he just accepted her as she is.

I received a copy through netgalley.

The first day I was going on the first day I wanna I had a little too long I wanna is a little too much bigger and then I gotta is a little too hard for you haha was the way joe and joe was so excited to get back in his

This book is special, yes it’s a romance and yes it has spice but it is so much more than that. I’m a speech pathologist and this book spoke to my heart. It follows an intelligent, independent woman recovering from a traumatic brain injury with aphasia. She struggles to find her way in social settings and deals with word finding deficits in every day tasks. She is brilliant and determined to find her passion through work again. With of the help of her medical team she gains employment and falls for her grumpy, micromanaging boss. However, we find that he has his own past and needs to work though issues himself. He does a fantastic job helping her gain confidence in love again. and she does the same for him in return. This is my kind of love story and I am so happy I had the opportunity to read it! Thank you NetGalley and Sophie Penhaligan for the ARC.

The main character feels like she is written entirely for the male gaze and that just doesn’t do it for me, personally. For example, Milo’s inner commentary on her appetite is only something men say about slender women. He wouldn’t have the same feelings if she were plus-sized. His first thought when he meets her is that she will be “fiery in the sheets.” When he picks her up to take her to the bath, she comments how she weighs nothing. The point is really driven home that she’s slim. Seraphina seems to be a very determined woman, but when it’s Milo’s POV, she crying over her keyboard and seems insecure and only his assurance that he still like her makes her feel better. I’m not sure these two things go hand in hand for me. Is she bold and fiery and determined or is she meek? I could go on with many more points, but this love story just doesn’t work for me because I feel like it wasn’t written for me, a woman. It feels like it was written for men.

The biggest drama was other women talking badly about Seraphina and her overhearing them. She then runs off and leaves only a note apologizing to Milo. It just wasn’t a convincing conflict to me.

I hate that I’m rating this so low because I really wanted to like it! I love the gruff love interest trope and multiple POVs, but this book just didn’t do it for me.

a wonderful quick read that explored all of the ways romance affects our life!!

I loved the focus on the character’s disability and gave a real true example of what it was like for people today. most of the things abled people take for granted and don’t even think twice about, but I’m definitely going to be thinking about it now.

the writing was a little young for me, despite the characters’ ages and the smutty scenes, but I really enjoyed this one.

thank you to netgalley and books go social for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a free eARC copy of Safety in Numbers in exchange for an honest review. I thought this book was lovely! A fun, super fast-paced read. I was attracted to this book because of its woman-in-STEM component, hot on the heels of my obsession with The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. This book definitely delivered on the same type of grumpy-sunshine dynamic, albeit less-well executed. I also loved that this book had disability representation! Main character Seraphina has a TBI that she sustained from a car accident that killed her mother. An important plot line throughout the book is Seraphina's coping mechanisms that she must utilize on a daily basis to function well in the wake of the accident. If I can offer a rather significant critique, I would say that the author could have used this book to include more psychoeducation on TBIs. If I had not had any previous knowledge of TBIs, I don't think this book would have explained TBIs well enough for me to understand their complexity and nuance of manifestation. I also take issue with how TBI stigma was left largely unaddressed, and how Seraphina's doctors at Morely House did not do much in the way of helping her to process her own internalized shame and guilt over the accident and her resulting condition. In fact, some of their methodologies may have served to perpetuate, if not worsen the emotional burden of Serphina's TBI.

I enjoyed the romance between Seraphina and her boss, Dr. Milo Grant, however, I would have appreciated a slower burn at the beginning of their relationship. Apart from the obvious physical attraction between the two, I had no reason to believe that they would both truly be interested in a romantic relationship. It felt as though the story relied too much on a forced proximity trope.

Our two main characters are very intellectual thinkers, so it stands to reason that they would have a lot of internal thoughts and dialogue, but at times it felt like these characters were too much in their heads. I would have appreciated more dialogue between these two characters to watch them to get to know each other more deeply and vicariously experience their falling in love.

TL;DR Overall, this was a fun and quick read. I enjoyed the spicy scenes, and I thought there was a good mix of explicit and fade-to-black. This book is not without its flaws, but it does bring awareness and representation to the population of those effected by TBIs and resulting disabilities.

"For me there was safety in numbers; you could always rely on them"
"My life was automated to the extreme, but it was the only way I could make it through"
"So I'm in the presence of a fiery angel, am I? I feel like I should be on my knees"
Trigger warning for: child trauma, brain injury, recovery, disability
Saying that I loved this book would be wrong. I adored it!
This was exactly the balm I needed ,during an hard time, to make me remember that everyday we should have a reason to be thankful to be here and be loved!
For fans of "The Kiss Quotient" series, here comes a book that deals with brain injury, disability and survival while creating a sweet, romantic and spicy cloud, all around it, to soften the atmosphere and our hearts.
I loved every second of reading it ... I definitely couldn't put it down.
It was amazing to read: the plot, the romance, the struggle, the difficulties and how the characters face them... it was amazing to feel invited to it and share their story.
It was fascinating how Seraphina used math and logic, and any form of science for that matter, to deal with her trauma and try to rationalise everything she was going through. And it was amazing how strong she was by facing each struggle and each fall everyday and got even stronger after it.
I was in love for the romance ... how it developed, how it grew and how, despite everything, it endured!
I'm really glad I read this book and I can't wait for everyone else to get into it!
"At that moment I knew I had to have her. I didn't care about her challenges or her past; I needed her to be mine"
"Now that the beast had been released from the cage, there was no getting her back in"
"You're like a beautiful, intricate puzzle, Seraphina. Just when I think I've figured you out, I uncover another side of you"

wow, just wow. I've put off reading this for a little while, not for any particular reason, but just didn't feel like reading. Now I can't even think of a reason not to reread it. This book was extremely good! Loved the women in STEM rep. One thing I have to mention is Milo, I fell so in love with him, his ambition, his pure love and his understanding for Seraphina.

I really liked the focus on Seraphina's disability and how her situation is portrayed in a very realistic way. Overall is this book really well written, and Sophie Penhaligon should be really proud of this book.

While engaging at first, this book did not leave a long-lasting mark. Seraphina is suffering from a traumatic brain injury and that causes her to see herself as less than, and undeserving of love and she never overcomes this thought process. Book was longer than necessary.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The first thing I noticed and loved was the dual POV. I think it really helps to engage in the characters. The female main character is brilliant. She is extremely smart and has overcome a lot, which is something I always love to read about. The male main character did not do it for me in this book. I thought he was a little over jealous, which was off-putting. However, I do understand his history made him like that.

If you're looking for a cute romance with a good message and perfect about of spice, I'd say give this book a read!

Safety in numbers by Sophie Penhaligon

Rating: 2/5
⭐️⭐️

I absolutely hate writing bad reviews. It makes me feel so guilty but in order to provide a honest review here we are.

From the get-go I was super excited. I mean women in STEM, my very first disability rep book and dual-POV?! Literally sign me up. But while actually reading I realised the book was really rushed and at first I thought that was to get the story going, but the more I read the more rushed it felt.

The plot was slightly boring and I felt no real connection with the characters. I felt no chemistry and everything felt pretty straightforward. I never found a genuine reason as to why either character liked each other. It was just he notices her and she’s always noticed him. It felt very insta-love so maybe I’m biased considering I’m a more slow-burn kind of reader.

The dialogue between the characters was almost childish in a sense. It didn’t feel natural at all. One of the things that didn’t sit well with me was that the whole book revolves around a love story. I never once saw more to the characters than each other and seeing as though both characters are very interesting, I was disappointed to not see it develop more.

Regarding the disability rep, I learned quite a bit about anomic aphasia, which was really interesting. Through Seraphina, the author did teach me something and also the struggles of how people with disabilities struggle to find themselves and show their true selves to other people. through Milo, she did portray methods in helping people with this disability

Despite the fact it wasn’t for me, you may like it as I’ve seen many reviews commending the book. Read around and see!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this eARC!

This book starts off well, and has an appealling premise if - like me - you enjoy an easy romantic comedy, and dark and grumpy falls for sunshiney goodness trope. Milo's character starts off interesting, and Seraphima's situation has promise.

About half way through it starts to feel excessively cringe, with tropes I am not as much into or even okay with.

And then it just falls a part from there. I was looking forward to a strong female lead, but Seraphima's character has very little growth and is steeped in so much ableism (she persistently believes she does not deserve to be in a relationship because of her aphasia...) Milo is supposedly a grumpy asshole who starts off just soft for Seraphima but ends up just being a soft limp noodle in general with insane jealousy issues. Milo's backstory is barely touched on and a lot of things get blown into Big Deal Issues that really are not (swearing off relationships because of one superficial woman?)

There is no real heat or chemistry. No anticipation that I usually enjoy in a romance book. The ableism gets worse and worse. The setting is America but the characters often speak as though they - like the author - were born and raised in England. And as they come together as a couple about half way through the book, the second half of the book is almost nauseating with the lovey doveyness.

If you want a truly fluffy-bordering-on-cringe romance with very little substance, you may enjoy this. It certainly has some cute moments. But if you prefer your deisability rep to not be trite inspiration porn, please do yourself a favour and pass on this. Also not for you if you like to see actual character growth and not just characters consumed by over the top love.