There's a tragically low number of books about women in STEM, which is what drew me toward this book in the first place. I love seeing this kind of representation, and especially the added intrigue of Seraphina's brain injury and how that contributes to her ability to work. She deals with aphasia and struggles with her speech, which makes her life more difficult than others. Seraphina is a really sweet main character who finds joy in her accomplishments and is very talented.

I loved how Milo gave her the opportunity to work in his lab and gave her a chance. Despite being rude and difficult to literally everyone else, he was so soft for his fallen angel, and that made my heart happier than I could ever explain. I absolutely love it when the guy is soft on her and her only, and Milo is a perfect example of that.

Personally, I thought the first part of the book dragged a little bit, but once the main characters met (in Chapter 7), I found it a lot more enjoyable. There's also a time jump where she ends up working for him for a couple months in Chapter 8, which kind of took me by surprise because I like to see relationships build and grow. As their friendship and connection grow, it's really tangible. From their slow growth to some fire, all the way to the genuine bond that forms between the two. It's very sweet and satisfying to see.

I requested this ARC from NetGalley because the description hooked me from the start. Female mathematician, disability rep, romance… it had all the makings of being a story that I couldn’t put down. Unfortunately, that was far from how this book turned out for me.

There are so many things that I want to point out about this book, but I’m going to hit some of the major points. I’d recommend seeking out some of the Own Voices reviews that are posted on Goodreads for this one.

The whole story/plot ended up being more cringey to me than sweet. Seraphina, our main character with a brain disability from an accident, accepts a job at a new company. In a relatively short time, she’s moved to a different position to work directly for the CEO of the company in his lab. That’s great, except for the CEO happens to be the love interest in this book. I think the intention was for him to come off as moody and gruff and haunted, but I didn’t feel that about him. The author tries to explain that it isn’t the case, but I felt there were so many times when it seemed like he was taking advantage of Seraphina in their relationship tying back to the positions that they have at the company. Keeping their relationship a secret for a large section of the book didn’t help the cringe factor.

I’m not going to go too much into the disability rep, since I think other reviews covered it well. I will say that I was disappointed in the execution, much like other reviewers have mentioned. The writing was very monologue-style to me, and I had trouble connecting to the characters because of it.

Warning: This book discusses some sensitive topics that may be triggering for some readers including death of a loved one, traumatic injury, disability, and ableist language.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

From the description of this book on NetGalley I knew I was going to be in for a treat and I was completely right! Safety In Numbers was a great read and one that I will definitely be purchasing properly once it is is published!

Straight away I loved the layout of this story, the chapters were split between Milo and Seraphina (our two leading characters) which allowed the author to bounce backwards and forwards between the two and give us an insight into their thoughts and feelings.

My only minor disappointment with the two leading characters is that it took a while for us to learn things about them, they weren't really developed until later in the book which meant that some things mentioned early in the story didn't make sense until much later.

That being said, I LOVED reading these two characters, they really were interesting and brought the whole story to life!

The whole book itself was incredibly entertaining too, everything from the plot to the atmosphere just made Safety In Numbers into what it was.

The plot wasn't too much different to other romance novels I have read, but the way the author incorporated women in science (BIG SHOUT OUT TO WOMEN IN SCIENCE!!!) and took the time to craft the science setting, it really gave this story a modern feel. It just had that something a little bit different.

I also couldn't fault the writing, the author has worked and created this story that was so easy to read and get drawn into, it left me feeling warm and fuzzy inside, with a few happy tears streaming down my face at the ending! It was so perfectly done.

And, the way the author included details of Seraphina's memory loss and her the subsequent difficulties she faces in life and how she overcomes them was done wonderfully. It was handled with real care and sensitivity.

I don't think I could have enjoyed this book anymore than I did, Safety In Numbers was truly worth the read!

Safety in Numbers by Sophie Penhaligan

I picked this book up after I read Christmas with Hamish which I really enjoyed, and I was rewarded with another great romance book..

Seraphina Ellis is still recovering from an accident that has taken her mother, her confidence and her speech, although she can speak now, words can sometimes be difficult and her speech tone is now very monotone, but she needs a job and she still has her sharp mathematical mind, so she applies for a job at Milo Grants company (he a dreamy self-made billionaire) but Seraphinas first impression of him is a rude and bullish man but when she is promoted to work directly under him then sparks fly.. but with Seraphinas confidence in herself incredible low and others whispering in her ear that Grant deserves perfection this brings conflict in the relationship that by the end of the book is worked out.


This book has drawn praise for tackling disablism and women in STEM so it is a completely modern book. I really enjoyed it.. Christmas with Hamish is a better book and I will recommend that to everyone I still thought this was a good romance book

A really good romance novel with a HEA

I am now putting this author on immediate buy.. I loved the books that I have already read and I think I will love her other books..

#Romance #Contempary #Canada #SafetyInNumbers #NetGalley

🌟🌟𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑲 𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑬𝑾🌟🌟

“You’re like a beautiful, intricate puzzle, Seraphina. Just when I think I’ve figured you out, I uncover another side to you.”

𝑺𝒀𝑵𝑶𝑷𝑺𝑰𝑺

Safety number follows a woman name Seraphina, who have a disability/ brain injury called Aphasia - ability to communicate or use words after she involved in a tragic accident. She have a difficulty to remember words but she did not lose her ability of her passion (Math, It, Etc). To sum up, she is a genius. As she being accepted to work in a big Company, she decided to hide her disability. One day, she catch the attention the CEO of the company Milo.

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺

Seraphina, I understand her circumstances where she doesn't want others person pity but the result is she being judged by others. I expected she to embrace her insecurities and disabilities from the very beginning but NAHH, it takes a while to get there, so be patient. 😢😅

Milo, *SIGH* I love him for who he is becouse he is so nice and understanding but his name *SIGH* I keep remembering MILO the drink. I even make a Milo reading this. I feel bad though 😭.Still, I adore how he never judged Seraphina and he calls her A FIERY ANGEL😇💕. Its very sweet of him

The development between is too fast. One thing for sure this  book is an INSTA LOVE  ( which I kinda hate it) but still its tolerable for me but still weird though. Yeah just me not a fond of that trope😂

𝑷𝑳𝑶𝑻

It more into for Seraphina Journey to accept and embrace herself. There was nothing memorable and honest to be say, its quite bland actually. Nothing happens. I expected more angst though but get too much cringy scene. Its too embarrassing for me!! 😔😅

𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑨𝑳𝑳

I'm okay with it but I don't think its a great book for disabilities representation. I am enjoying it but i dont like it that much. It fantastic for light, easy and a cute read. 😍BTW, i feel dumb reading this book becouse both MC is a genius 🤣😭

𝑻𝑹𝑶𝑷𝑬𝑺

- minor grumpy × sunshine
- minor I hate everyone but you
- insta love

Safety in Numbers is a sweet, slow burn contemporary romance that shows love can happen to us all even in our darkest of moments. If you enjoy reading office workplace romances with two nerdy individuals who find healing and love with each other, then this book will be for you.

In Safety in Numbers, the female main character, Seraphina, has aphasia (loss of ability to understand or express speech) from a traumatic brain injury she sustained after she was involved in a car accident. Even though her disability hinders her at times, Seraphina has a brilliant mind. To become more independent after her injury, she initially applies for a position at Grant Technologies working alongside CEO Milo Grant. Seraphine winds up stuck in a cubicle though on another floor entirely hiding her disability from her coworkers and becoming more depressed as the days go on. Seraphina does end up working side by side with Milo after he discovers just how brilliant she is for himself and their mutual attraction for each other blossoms into love over time as the story progresses.

Even though this book was an enjoyable read, it felt lacking. I feel like Seraphina never really accepted herself and her disability. She spent the majority of the book thinking nobody could possibly want to date her, much less love her because of her disability, even when Milo was showing and telling her the opposite. Milo also has own past to deal with as well throughout this book, and some of his thought processes/decisions had me
upset as well.

This is a nice book, I wasn't crazy about the style of writing but the topics it deals with are important and are dealt with well. It's quite hopeful at times and an interesting story in how the 2 characters come together and the influence they have on each other. an interesting read.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy!

This story is about Seraphina who was in a devastating car accident, which killed her mom and left her with a traumatic brain injury, Due to the extent of her injury, she struggles to speak to people, and is humiliated by this. Seraphina meets and becomes an assistant to Milo, your typical hot billionaire boss., In the end, she learns to overcome her fears and break boundaries she placed oh nerself.

There were some cringey moments between Milo and Seraphina, but I am able to look passed them. Overall,
It's a pretty good, It's predictable and fun book to read. I wish for more character development

I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately it ended up being a disappointment for me. I was glad to see that Milo and everyone else she disclosed it to took Seraphina's disability seriously and for the most part didn't belittle her, treating her with respect rather than pity. However, I felt that the build-up from work colleagues to romantic interests was way too quick, especially considering Seraphina's reservations literally in the chapter before. It also felt as though the power dynamics between the two protagonists weren't equal, with Milo being almost manipulative and using Seraphina's condition against her because she didn't know any better and would agree with him without question. It seemed quite false at times that Seraphina could open herself up to new challenges and a whole new way of living so suddenly because of the introduction of a love interest in her life. I enjoyed the writing style, so I may very well give another of Penhaligon's books a go, but hopefully with a less frustrating plot.
2.5 stars

*Thank you to the publisher, Sophie Penhaligon, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Safety in Numbers by Sophie Penhaligon has an interesting premise. Seraphina has a brain injury from a car accident she was in previously where her mother died. Her speech is low, and flat, and she cannot remember words when asked a specific question. The book intrigued me because I enjoy reading about people overcoming obstacles to succeed. Seraphina's life is about routine. She has created this routine because she struggles to remember certain things but when she starts a job, nearly a year after the accident, this routine becomes a lifesaver. Though, I found her description of her work environment a little unrealistic. That being said, I also found her relationship with Milo delightful, though like him, I didn't really understand the attraction. I also found her extremely daring in some scenarios, and extremely introverted and anxious in most other ones. In those scenes, it was almost like Penhaligon was talking about a different character. Seraphina was sexually bold, but regarding most other things, she was painfully introverted. She is adamant about not telling anyone about her disability, including the woman in HR, but tells Milo on their first meeting.

With all of this being said, Safety in Numbers is an enjoyable read and I could read it in one sitting. The author is new to me and I look forward to reading her other books.

I enjoyed this book, but it was different. I can’t really describe how I felt about it. I just expected something different. I think I would still recommend this book.

I truly love it!
The novel has an intriguing plot and lovely characters. Very fun chicklit novel!
Seraphina and Milo are just lovely...

4.5/5! What an amazingly sweet (with some sexy content worked in) storyline! Focusing on a woman who both works in STEM, and is battling life with a TBI, this was so fun to read! The relationship between Milo and Seraphina was so swoon-worthy and unproblematic! I just think certain story points were cut off a rump toy and could have been more. Also, not particularly a fan of the pattern of neurodiverse characters hiring sex workers because “getting laid in real life would be easier.” Definitely a book I would recommend for a contemporary romance fan!

Plot: Seraphina is still learning to live life after an accident that gave her lasting brain functionality problems. But when she gets the opportunity to work for the CEO, Dr. Milo Grant, she can’t say no. Little does she know that Milo is understanding of her disability, thinks she’s smoking, and her brain is inspirational. So really, it’s all left on Seraphina to decide if she goes against the established order of her life and give a romance with Milo a chance.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

As a woman in STEM, I decided to read this romance despite initial hesitations. It was a quick and easy love story to consume. However, as with many other reviewers, I was not keen on the disability narrative. As a healthcare worker, I have worked closely with patients who have aphasias, I don't believe this story fully did its homework on TBIs, aphasias, and invisible disabilities. I think we owe it to the book community and society as a whole to stop producing and subscribing to stories portraying disabled people as "broken" with no further complexities to accompany their struggles.

3.5 stars

Seraphina Ellis’ life is never going to be the same again. After being part of a tragic accident, she now suffers from a brain injury, which affects her speech. She begins a new job at Grant Technologies, a job which she is insanely overqualified for, but because she doesn’t want to tell anyone about her disability, her interviewer didn’t give him the role she originally applied for because she didn’t ‘interview well’. A few months later, Dr Grant is looking for a new research assistant as his last one was not great at his job. He decides to search in-company and Seraphina is the only one with the perfect credentials. What follows is a pretty much insta-love whirlwind romance.

‘I can’t say I understand it myself. But what I do understand is that you make me feel what I haven’t felt in a very long time.’

Over the course of this book, Seraphina goes through a journey of learning to accept herself and understanding that people knowing about her brain injury is not a bad thing. It actually helps her to feel more comfortable around others, causing her speech to improve. At times her brain injury gets lost in the story as the romance plot takes prime spot. I feel like a bit more could have been done with Seraphina showing how she accepts herself, rather than feeling like she needs to hide her disability to be accepted in society. This is kind of done near the end, but feels slightly rushed.

The romance is sweet and Milo is almost the perfect love interest. He has a few parent issues of his own, but ha built a very successful business from the ground up. When he first meets Seraphina in the elevator, he can’t get her out of his mind. Then she conveniently turns up as his new assistant and he feels like he has won. It is very clear throughout that Milo cares deeply for Seraphina and their romance was quite endearing. This is probably more for people who like sweet romances, compared to angst!

Such a cute feel good romance. I loved the incorporation of a smart and strong female character. I felt like it accurately portrayed how someone with a brain injury might actually feel in the workplace. It was enlightening and a welcomed change in topic.

Seraphina Ellis is different. She speaks slowly and somewhat mechanically, and often forgets the words for simple things. The simple, yet sad, explanation for her impaired speech is aphasia as a result of a brain injury from a freak accident.
Despite her progress since the ordeal, she opts to conceal her disability with a system of coping mechanisms in place to support her in day to day life. She leads a lonely existence, without letting anyone in, but she remains a brilliant scientist.
Enter Milo Grant, a cantankerous asshole (his words) who happens to be a hot shot in the fields of technology and renewable energy. He's a self-made billionaire who has been wildly successful in his business.
He's been fully focused on running his empire, but wants to be hands on with his scientific research again and needs the perfect assistant. You guessed it: Seraphina Ellis. She has all the qualifications, drive, focus and ability.
Via a stint in another department, Seraphina finds herself headhunted by Milo for the position. When they get together in the lab, they find that they have great chemistry.
I had some issues with the way Milo sees Seraphina: shy, mousy, plain, vulnerable. I don't love the whole premise of a man wanting to save a vulnerable woman generally. On the other hand, Milo has his own issues and insecurities which definitely saves his character somewhat. Pet peeve, though, I do wish he didn't call her sweetheart all the time.
Seraphina is a very different protagonist. I appreciated that she isn't your run-of-the-mill hot girl. The book focuses on her intelligence, ambition and passion more than just looks.
I love that more focus is shifting towards brilliance in films and books, and not just beauty. Safety in Numbers is a fun, sweet and at times fiery story. I'd recommend it to fans of Christina Lauren or Sally Thorne.
Thanks very much to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I'll definitely check out more books by this author.

To say I adored the relationship between Seraphina and Milo would be an understatement. While I think the premise of Seraphina having a brain injury, I would've liked to see it less of a 'all in your head, you just need someone to love you' trope and more of a permanent feature of Seraphina. Overall, I loved the relationship and how Milo loves and accepts Seraphina. It was a delightful read!

I wasn't sure what to expect this one other than that I thought it might be heavy on the science. It wasn't and was actually a nice balance between the professional and personal of the main characters.

SAFETY IN NUMBERS sees Seraphina (has me thinking of Seraphina in the Barbie movies and throws me back to my older girls childhood, sorry) applying for a job as a research assistant at a large conglomerate whose research includes renewable energy. She's unsuccessful at the interview, stumbling over some of the questions. She's offered a position in another section as the company is desperate, and Seraphina is as well. She's reluctant to tell her new employer she has an acquired brain injury after a car accident that killed her mother, and is returning to the workforce after an extended period in hospital and rehabilitation. After some time at the company Seraphina is largely happy with her lot in life but resigned to the fact she will live without romantic attachment - feeling no-one will love her as she is now.

Until she crosses paths with Milo (the owner of the company). The research assistant didn't work out, and he searches within the masses of employees to find anyone who fulfils the criteria for the role.... Seraphina being the only one. Whilst Milos is a self-described asshole, Seraphina discloses her injury to Milo, and he encourages her to take the position. She subsequently takes to the role and owns it.

What follows is a love-match between two people who each bring their own trauma to the relationship, and all the feelings that come with it. Both have been betrayed in previous relationships, but yearn for the closeness with someone who understands them. It's a grump-sunshine, close proximity insta-love (ish) trope.

The portrayal of Seraphina's brain injury gets props from me - I appreciate characters in books who are neurodiverse and I love when the world around them is illustrated as accepting and adjusting to the character's realities, as opposed to the character having to "fit" in. One scene wasn't convincing (Seraphina has pictures and labels around her own home re cooking, ingredients and storage yet we see her cook at Milo's in an unfamiliar kitchen, without any of these prompts she is reliant on. It was a bit of an inconsistency). I loved the softening of Milo's character with Serpahina, however I couldn't help but feel his precise language made the dialogue seem a little more stilted than it needed to be, despite Seraphina's struggles to "find the words" on occasion. It fed into the "dumbing down" Seraphina described as being so obvious to her when engaging with others. She has difficulty with expressing the words, she's far from dumb and I would have preferred Milo to sound less like a teacher and more like a lover. Throw in a mean girl or two and a meltdown and it was a feel-good story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher the digital copy of this book to read and review.

Heat Factor: It’s a medium roast
Character Chemistry: They click pretty much instantly but I’m not sure it’s much of a chemical reaction for the reader.
Plot: Seraphina has a TBI and a lot of baggage. Milo is a CEO/Scientist man who is not very nice and evidently very lonely. They fall in love.
Overall: if you saw the gossip columns featuring Elon Musk and Grimes, and you were like, “that’s so hot”, you will probably like this book. Or if you love a really paternalistic hero.

…and I stand by that.

In a nutshell, when the book opens, we find Seraphina in a very fragile place, recovering from a tragic accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury. She interviews for a job she’s qualified for, but because of her disability she struggles answering questions and ends up getting a lower level position in development. Milo (CEO/whiz), desperate for a qualified research assistant who can tolerate him, has HR draft up a list of qualified internal hires and ends up with one candidate—Seraphina. The next phase is essentially them being in love, programming robots and doing whatever you do with algorithms, and Seraphina coming out of her shell. Then she has a breakdown at a company event. But it’s fine, she just needs to apologize for handling a stressful moment poorly and see how other people with TBIs have it a lot worse. (No sarcasm—that’s the gist.)

So, here’s what I liked about the book—it’s not often you see a character with a TBI! That was amazing. If you like a really truly paternalistic hero, you might really like it.

Here’s the thing though—from a personal preference standpoint, their relationship (especially in the beginning) weirded me out a bit. This is a very accomplished woman who has a disability and yet she’s infantilized AND sexualized at the same. She’s depicted as looking REALLY young and defenseless. He gets a boner when she’s dressed like an undergrad. The first time they have sex, she pads into his room in the middle of the night and it reads exactly how a child would come into their parent’s room. (Obviously she’s waxed bare.) When he draws a bath for her, he tells her he’ll get in with her because he doesn’t want her to drown. He thinks it’s cute when she struggles to find her words (because of her TBI) like she’s some kind of toddler. On the flip side, he does encourage her to take small risks and open up her world. He’s patient with her and values her keen mind. So, absolutely there are readers who will enjoy that dynamic—and if you just isolated a few small things it would be no big deal at all— but I didn’t love the way they interacted.

Here’s the other thing: I had a HUGE issue with how the mental health professionals she turned to when she broke down treated her. The therapist (who apparently deals with her patients with “tough love”) actually says:

“Yes, Milo. Poor guy. He’s already been on the phone with Robbie this morning. You’re a lucky girl. A lot of men would have just given up on you, pulling a stunt like that.”

You mean getting overwhelmed by the umpteenth new, intense experience since she met her new boyfriend, coming face to face with her fears, and having a breakdown? Yes, that kind of “stunt”.

The therapist is married to the clinician who cared for her after her injury, and my jaw dropped at this exchange:

“There’s my girl,” he said affectionately, stepping forward to kiss me on the cheek. “How are you feeling this morning, poppet?” Molly was bustling around at the stovetop. “Now don’t you go indulging her, Robbie. She and I have to have a serious talk today.”

Um…about how you’re worried about her and want to check in on how she’s dealing with everything? And there won’t be shame right? Right??

Nope. When Milo comes to see Seraphina. Her care team spills all her personal information because HIPAA doesn’t exist in this book, and then Robbie the clinician says,

“The fact that you knew about her brain injury and yet still fell for her was huge, and I think you can help her with the next steps, too.”

I love seeing characters with disabilities featured, but when they’re treated the way Seraphina was treated, it really reads like they’re fetishizing and infantilizing her instead of treating her like a whole human being who is adapting because her body doesn’t work the same way it used to.

By the end, Milo seems to have really stepped up as her partner and supporter, and while I could see there was a lot of effort put in to show how Seraphina evolved, it was hard to see that past all the other issues.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.