Sorry I just didn't like this. Could not finish it. I didn't find it interesting. There were also some missed words which stopped it running well.

This book got me so hyped for holidays, reading it made me feel like I was right there on the beach in Ibiza. This book has the most amazing levels of representation, the main character is deaf as well as side characters being of all different races, ethnicities and sexual orientations. This representation is written in a very casual manner which I felt makes it feel more real, these characters just exist the way they are. In saying that this book taught me a great deal about what it is like for the deaf community when it comes to just existing. The character arc of the main characters was amazing to see and so beautiful written, it truly brought a tear to my eye. The characters friendships are so wholesome and realistic, they would do anything for each other and that’s probably the thing I loved most about this story.

Overall this book isn't particularly memorable for me, but I did enjoy my time with it and am glad I decided to give it a go. I'd recommend picking it up if it sounds interesting!

Overall this was a great read. I really enjoyed this book. I particularly loved the depiction of someone who was born deaf and uses a cochlear implant. It's something that I am hopeful was done well, especially as one of the authors is deaf herself.

There were however a couple things I didn't love. There were some things that should have been better researched (the time difference between Ibiza and London isn't two hours, for example), I feel this book is mis=marketed as a romance when it's moreso women's fiction.

A great summer read, one to read when you're sunning yourself at the beach.

This book is an about gaining confidence in your self and your differences. Cassie is dead and wears a cochlear implant her best friend pen signs her up to be a dancer on a pop stars tour. The books shows the importance of people around you that support you. It was nice to read a book after the positives and the unspoken things about having a disability.
I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I loved reading this book! I loved having a protagonist whose disability was, for the most part, accepted very well, and I thought it was really interesting to read about backup dancers for a famous musician. The book was very well-written and I loved all of the main characters and how beautifully diverse the story was. A fantastic and gripping piece of literature!

Cassie is an aspiring dancer who’s never had the courage to pursue her dreams. She is stuck in a situationship and dead end job. Until Cassie gets the chance to become a backup dancer for an iconic pop star.
I loved the representation in this book. Although it is a romance, friendships take a major priority in the book and I love to see it. I loved following Cassie’s journey towards building her confidence and realizing her worth and talent. The setting and description really set the vibes and I fell easily into the story. I devoured it in a couple of days.
It is a wholesome and heart warming book, perfect for the summer!

Firstly thanks so much @netgalley @littlehux @tashaghouri for the arc! I ate this up!! I loved all of the representation in this book, it was soo refreshing! I loved Cassie as our FMC and how her disability was shown throughout- I learnt so much. Her character growth too as she chased her dream 🥹🙌🏻 I loved her friendship gang and their dynamic, the banter 🫶🏻 I defo want in!! Levi - what a man 🥵
The whole storyline has me captivated. Was such an easy, fun filled summer read 🥰 I would highly recommend reading this beauty! Defo a summer/holiday must have! It won't disappoint 🫶🏻💖

A gorgeous feel-good summer read.
This is just the book I needed.
It was fun, easy and full of amazing characters.

I adored Pen. They are hilarious & supportive, the kind of friend we all want in our lives.
I also loved the girls & guys she meets when pursuing her dream. The girls she lives with are fab. All very unique, quirky but still so supportive of each other.

What I loved the most was Cassie. From this sweet, timid girl she goes on a beautiful journey of self discovery where she grows into a confident woman who learns to love herself completely and that includes her Cochlear Implant. Really endearing story.
And of course I adored Levi. I want a Levi please! 🙏🏻😂

I also loved that I learnt about Cochlear Implants. I watched Tasha in Love Island, (love the little LI references too), and got to understand a little about CI but this story really helped me to understand, (a little more), what it’s like having one and how it affects you etc ..

Gorgeous chicklit with amazing representation. Perfect for Pride month, summer and all year long.

Official rating ~ 4.5 ⭐️

Thank you, NetGalley & Hot Key Books, for this awesome arc.

3.5🌟
I enjoyed this book, and the aspect of disability awareness was prominent throughout, which was really important, and honestly, it taught me some new things as well. The only downfall I'd say it had is it had a kind of slow burn type going on but it didn't really peak as it was drawn out a long time then suddenly rushed and after that it felt like it was automatically happily ever after.

The friendships, as well as all the brilliant representation, in this book however are so wholesome and do bring the novel to life. It's worth a read though yes, it is predictable and the romance part is sweet but not huge!

Thank you for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Refreshing, fun,. Hits Different by Tasha Ghouri and Lizzie Huxley-Jones is a brilliant summer read. I loved the characters, the representation, the hilarious lines and much needed realisation about MC Cassie’s terrible ex. The romance between Cassie and Levi was lovely and I appreciated, that it was well paced and realistic given Cassie)s emotions around Mason.

Huge thanks to the publisher, for the chance to read this ARC, via NetGalley,in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I would like to say a big thank you to Bonnier Books UK (Hot Key Books), and NetGalley for the ARC.

First of all, the disability representation and diversity in this book is wonderful. Whilst this book is a perfect, sizzling hot summer read, it’s also very informative about the experience of someone who has a cochlear implant. I, personally, definitely have a much greater understanding of how deaf people experience the world, which is why I think this book is an absolute must read for the summer.

I have so much respect for Cassie – this book follows her journey of self love, and finding her confidence. She went from wanting to hide her cochlear implant, to no longer being ashamed of it, and I think this a massive credit to finally letting go of her toxic ‘ex-boyfriend’ and letting herself be embraced in the love and positivity of her newfound friend group, and best friend, Pen, and of course, Levi, who showed her exactly what she deserved in a relationship.

I love Levi and Cassie together. He truly sees her, and encourages her in every step of her journey, both her professional and personal one. Their chemistry is off the charts, and they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. Levi wants to understand her disability, and the struggles she faces. And the fact he started to carry batteries for her cochlear implant in his bag melted my heart.

I so wish we got to have an epilogue - I’d have loved to see a little sneak peak into Cassie’s future and where her dance career took her. But ultimately, this is a must read this summer and a perfect book to pop into your beach bag. A really wonderful feel good romance.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
I have enjoyed the book for several reasons. It has been very informative because I had no idea that deaf people could get an implant to hear and understand what others are saying. Also, because it describes the island of Ibiza in a different way than is commonly thought, not just as a place to party. I liked that the story took place in Ibiza before moving to France. The love story with her boyfriend borders on abuse and belittlement. It is good to see how she moves forward with the group of friends she makes when she decides to pursue her vocation, dancing. In the story, it shows that with good support from family and friends, one can move forward even if things don't look good at first.

It is a novel that you can read very quickly and very informative. I recommend it to anyone who likes romance and wants to learn something about deafness and ways to mitigate it.

Hits Different was summer bottled into a book. It was a pure ray of sunshine.

Occasionally, I crave a good romance and this certainly hit the spot for me. That initial meet cute was funny and charming, with great chemistry and dialogue that just crackled. They’re two lovable goofballs in many ways and that shared awkwardness felt so true to life. From there, it builds beautifully with plenty of scenes that just are perfect and a dynamic that feels believable. It is just wonderful and so easy to lose yourself into. Cassie herself was a fantastic protagonist, funny, relatable and driven to pursue her dreams (even if she needs a little nudge getting there). She is talented and that shines through in her passion and love for her artform, friends and romantic connections. I also have to give a massive shout out to Cassie’s best friend Pen, who absolutely stole the show for me with every scene they were in. I’d read the Pen spin off.

I liked how this is ultimately a story of Cassie’s self-love and acceptance, matched by a partner that loves and accepts every part of her. On that last part, it is great to see disability representation like this on page. It is still something that is rare to see across forms of media and I commend the authors for championing it so strongly here. Cassie’s deafness is an important aspect of her identity and any good partner should work to fully support and accomodate her so she can shine.

While the romance was excellent, I loved how the primary focus was always on Cassie’s journey of self-love and acceptance, supported by a wonderful group of friends. Her dancing was described so vividly and captures that joy and escapism I always found in the medium. It is a way of saying so much through your body and becoming one with the music. Also, it delves into the hard work behind the seemingly effortless work of background dancers supporting music artists. The setting and this add a touch of glamour to proceedings, which adds to that summery escapism glow I found myself drawn to with this book.

Hits Different lives up to its title and it just hits that summery vibe with an excellent self-love arc, great representation and a heart-warming romance to boot.

This was such a cute book, I read it in a day! Cassie has always dreamed of being a dancer, and when the opportunity comes up, her best friend Pen, fills out an application for her to be an understudy for one of her favourite singers (without Cassie knowing!). The book follows Cassie, who is deaf, and her friendships, her love life and the reality of being a deaf person trying to live out their dreams. I thought the visibilty of different disabilites was written beuatifully and really enjoyed the story with the bonus of learning more about coclear implants and some of the struggles that come along with having one. Really enjoyed it.

Hits Different is described as being a 'sizzling summer romance' and I think that's the book's main issue. It isn't a romance book, it's more like women's fiction with a light sprinkle of romance towards the end.

Cassie, the main character, has a sort of boyfriend/situationship throughout most of the book and that causes some serious issues with the pacing of the romance. At the 50% mark, she's still with her 'boyfriend' and has only met the future love interest in passing a couple of times. She finally splits from her 'boyfriend' at 68% and then gets together with her love interest at 80%.

The majority of the story is about Cassie attending a dance camp to try and become a dancer on a singer's world tour, the parallels to Taylor Swift and The Eras Tour were a bit annoying. I absolutely love Taylor Swift but I would've preferred it if the pop star in the story was a fresh person, it just felt like a copy - there's even a reference to 'the chair routine'.

All of that being said, I think the disability representation was done very well and I'm sure this is the sort of book that will resonate with lots of people, I love all the different disability representation we're starting to see in fiction books lately. It was really informative and I think I've learnt a lot about life with a cochlear implant.

As far as debut books go this is pretty decent, I just really think the advertising is misleading.

Thank you Hot Keys + Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for a review!

This was such a quick and easy summer read - I read this in one sitting (I do think if I wasn't partaking in a readathon, that I wouldn't have flew through this so quickly though) and found the whole story just enjoyable.

There wasn't any specific 'OMG I'm obsessed' moments, but that is ok!

What I did like, was the diversity this book carried - and the disability awareness. It was done SO well and I came out of this book feeling a little more educated on certain things than I did beforehand. Props to Tasha &Lizzie!

When we first meet 20 year old Cassie Clyne, she’s dancing. Cassie a born dancer, but keeps her dreams of making it professionally to herself. But then an opportunity to dance for superstar Rosa Cordova presents itself, and Cassie decides to risk it all. Together with her best friend Pen, Cassie jets off to Ibiza for dance boot camp. And so begins the most exciting summer of her life, and a truly delicious contemporary fiction novel.

Hits Different is a collaborative effort from two disabled authors – Tasha Ghouri, who, like Cassie, is Deaf – and @littlehux, writer of banging middle-grade fiction and lesbian rom-coms. It’s a match made in heaven; Hits Different is a gloriously frothy and fun confection with its heart on its sleeve, a beautiful message at its heart about self-love, and a refusal to shy away from tough topics around disability representation.
It’s a very character driven novel; not only does the reader experience Cassie’s emotional growth alongside her, but we also learn a lot about her life as someone who uses a cochlear implant. I learned so much from the book about how the world is for deaf people; for example, Cassie has to carry backup batteries for her cochlear implant everywhere she goes, and can often get overstimulated from having to process too much noise. These small but vitally important depictions of life as a person with a disability really elevated this novel for me.

The novel’s two love interests have gorgeous chemistry and the slow-burn romance is very enjoyable. I probably could have done without Cassie’s shitty boyfriend, Mason, though I must say Ghouri & Huxley-Jones did a great job of creating an absolute MELT of a human being in him. Aside from him, the authors have created a wonderful cast of characters; diverse and hilarious, they jump off the page, filling every chapter with joy and colour. Hits Different feels, in so many ways, like a celebration: of friendship, of disability, of the power of music and movement to change lives. A gorgeous summer read.

I really enjoyed this book it was informative and entertaining yet lighthearted and easy to read. I will say that this is very much women’s fiction with a dash of romance so if you’re going into it solely for romance i’m not sure if this will be the book for you regardless it’s an enjoyable read.

one of my best friends has a son who is deaf and he has cochlear implants and it was interesting picking up everything i did know about them but also things i might not have known.

this is a very character driven book which is definitely my favourite type of book to read and it was great seeing cassie grow her confidence and overcome some of her fears and stand up for herself and reflect on what she really wants in life. The friendships in this book are so special too which i think is actually more important than the romance aspect and the fact cassie has such a great support unit surrounding her was just amazing to read.

i think sometimes there’s a lot more description for things that we don’t really need, typically when it comes to describing the outfits both cassie and her friends wear. it kind of slows everything down for me and doesn’t really add to the plot or character growth.

Thank you to Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for the arc!

This is the perfect summer book, and would make an amazing rom com (I am waiting for the movie release.) I have been a fan of Tasha since love island and when I heard she was releasing a book I was over the moon.
This book deals with so many issues including the discrimination (and stereotyping) disabled people face. It is also impeccably diverse with different races and sexualities woven throughout the book. Furthermore, the book was very easy to follow and was so fun (it is so easy to binge it in a day.)
On the actual plot of the book, I loved Cassie so much, the way her insecurities are explored by her inner thoughts and her progress for self love is so inspirational. Secondly, LEVI!! I was so obsessed with the way he treats and loves Cassie.
Overall, I definitely recommend this book (perfect summer/holiday book)