I found this book to be like a bell curve. It was a bit slow and unsatisfying at the beginning, primary due to how the exchange student's host was trying to avoid the student. Things built in the middle of the book and were very exciting. I found the story to have that school girl/host kind of vibe to it, even though both main characters were around the same age. Then things started to drag a little at the end. I felt like the end part was predictable, but there was an attempt to build up tension and uncertainty. For me, it just extended the story longer than it needed to be. All of this said, it was a very enjoyable story, especially once the main characters start interacting and getting to know each other.

This book was a cute read. It took perhaps a bit top long for Grace and Lenks to admit they were into Rachel other but overall an enjoyable read.

Grace and Lanka were strangers when they first met; Grace, a host for international students, and Lanka, a college student. I found their story to be a touching romance. The characters were endearing, and their development throughout the narrative was engaging. I would recommend this book to all fans of romance.

Lenka meets this woman on a train and it works out perfectly. Said girlfriend was moving to New York to be an actress and Lenka wanted to further her education so she applied to become an exchange student. Now all she needed was her host family to be in NY but life has a way of giving you something she really didn’t need. Her host family wasn’t in NY but she will be staying in Portland, Oregon. And to top it off her ‘family’ consisted of one person but beggars can’t be chooser.
Grace has bought herself her first home looking forward to getting out of apartment living. When she made her plans she fully expected her BF Maci was going to become her roommate but Maci met and fell in love so instead of living with Grace she moved into an apartment with her boyfriend. Now she was in trouble. She counted on Maci to help pay her mortgage. This is when she decides to become a host family for an exchange student.
This is how the two women meet and now for the next year live in the same house. The question is how will that arrangement work out. Very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books

Such a a cute read. Lovely cast of characters all around and a nice supporting friend group. So great to read about supportive friends instead of backstabbing or jealousy. The writing flowed naturally and made for an easy read. My only complaint would be I wanted to read more about the setting at the end :)

A sweet, slow burn romance that is inconvenient but inescapable. Competence is soooo sexy!

I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Grace is at her wits end. She desperately needs a roommate now that her best friend is moving out to live with her boyfriend. After numerous disastrous interviews with potential housemates, Grace sees an ad about hosting an exchange student. Perfect solution! That is until said exchange student turns out not to be a teenager but a beautiful woman a few years her senior with mad language skills. Grace decides to dive into her work as an ED nurse in order to escape from this enticing and exotic European creature. Then Lenka turns up in the hospital with a broken arm and ignoring her is not an option any longer.

Lenka has a dream. As a Czech exchange student she wants to get a certificate to become a translator for the UN in New York. She speaks Czech, of course, but also fluent French and pretty good English. She plans to spend a year in America perfecting her language skills in order to pass the translator’s exam. Then Lenka hopes for a job at the UN so she can go live with her girlfriend Mackenzie in New York. Tiny problem: the exchange program sends her to the other side of the US. To make matters worse, her host mom in Portland, Oregon, although a very attractive woman, seems to dislike her. Grace is always working and it’s like she doesn’t even want Lenka to be there. Lenka doesn’t give up though. She hopes to get a chance to connect with Grace, if only to improve her English. Too bad Grace’s cat Loki had to get involved in a painful way. It worked though, Grace is finally letting Lenka in, in more ways than one.

Mad language skills are hella sexy! I’m glad Grace agrees with me on that front. Grace as a character is very endearing. She always wants to do the right thing and loves her friends fiercely. I was a little annoyed with her behavior towards Lenka at first. I didn’t get why she would distance herself from a guest that she herself invited to live with her. It took an unfortunate accident for her to get a wake up call and I for one am grateful to Loki the kamikaze cat for causing it. Grace’s efforts to ignore her growing feelings for Lenka are understandable given the fact that Lenka is supposed to leave after her year abroad. It’s a completely foolish mission though! I was happy to see them finally giving in to their attraction.

Lenka is adorable! She is smart and competent and a language expert. Her reasons for wanting to move to New York are tightly connected to her dream of working for the UN but simultaneously to her girlfriend Mackenzie. Their long distance relationship felt wrong from the start and my heart did break a little for Lenka when it ended. It didn’t last long though, because I was doing a happy dance when Lenka finally came to terms with her growing feelings for Grace.

Grace’s friend group is a good example of surrounding yourself with people that love you unconditionally. Whether it’s a found family or an actual one. There’s some fun teasing back and forth, but ultimately these people offer all the support to both Grace and Lenka. No wonder Lenka doesn’t want to leave!

The epilogue was fantastic. Even though at that point Grace and Lenka have been together for a few months, their relationship and funny banter hasn’t changed a bit. It is a good example of two people growing and encouraging each other without losing their own identity.

I really enjoyed this story! Language Lessons is a light, fun read and a very good one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC.

This book was highly enjoyable and easy to blaze through. I liked the chemistry between Grace and Lenka, and the fact that they were in their mid to late 20s. They each have an established dating history and their own quirky personalities, so their interactions were fun to read. The fact that Lenka can speak multiple languages, and then ends up learning some English idioms/slang, was neat to have sprinkled throughout the book.

The Portland-specific setting didn't add anything to the story, as places like a coffee shop and the hospital could have been in any progressive city. I think the author could have spent a little more time with Lenka's relationship with other exchange students, as those seemed a bit out of the blue when it came to those characters providing more support/encouragement for Lenka. Grace's friends had more time, and I'd love to read more about some of them in a future book (if there is one)!

Overall the progression of the story and the characters' relationship was fun while they navigated "rules" of being a host and an exchange student. I'd read this if you want a relatively short sapphic romance book.

A very enjoyable slow burn romance. Interesting plot with sensible ending.
The main characters are very sweet and have a group of very loyal friends.
It's a very fast read and very pleasant.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very cute and excellent chemistry between the mains characters. Low angst which I appreciated at the time.
Looking forward to more from this author.

My first book by Sage Donnell  had me intrigued throughout the book. I loved the premise, it was  refreshing differenttrope. The chemistry between the MCs was strong and grew as they continued to get to know each other. 

The found family was a good supportive system. I enjoyed getting to know them. 

There really wasn't any out loud angst, mostly internalized, and wasn't portrayed in the story. It was refreshing.  

It took a minute for the relationship to happen. I appreciated and understood they why of the delay. I loved how their friends dealt with their situation. 

I am a new fan of the authors,  and will continue to keep an eye on her work.

First, I'd like to thank Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read Language Lessons by Sage Donnell in exchange for my truthful opinion.

This book was great from the beginning. I finished it in just over a day. It was one of those that I wanted to see how Grace and Lenka's story ended. Grace is a nurse who is looking for a roommate to help supplement her mortgage. She decides to take in a foreign exchange student since the program pays room and board, thinking she's going to host a teen. Lenka is a translation college student with aspirations of graduating working for the UN and living in New York to be with her girlfriend. It's a wonderful story of how each learn to deal with their immediate and growing attraction for each other and learning to navigate their lives with one another. The book definitely gets 4 stars from me.

A slow burn romance which was somehow cute. I thought the main characters played their parts well..

Thank You Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for this ARC copy.

This is a slow burn romance about Grace, a Portland local looking for a roommate, and Lenka, an exchange student from Europe with a bit of a complicated life. This story explores unexpected love, between two different cultures, and what "home" really means two both main characters. Each character is well developed, and their slow burn romance feels very real, even though it did take a while for their connection to grow. It was well worth the wait. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I'm looking forward to what's coming up next from this author.

The insta love in this and the plot holes made this very difficult to read! I kinda liked the premise but this is one of those that was not worth the time. I had to occasionally make sure I didnt skip pages due to the story jumping around so much. 2 stars.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it has since come out. Sapphic love yes! Slow burn but quick crush yes! Steamy at end yes! Use of Invalid noooo. Character at least finding the word weird because no one is invalid as a person yes!!!! More yes if author uses (temporarily) disabled next time. Overal yes!

Thanks to Netgalley & the Publisher for providing me with an E-Arc in Exchange for an honest review!

4.5 / 5 Stars

For a book I'm rating this highly, I've got surprisingly few things to say.

As a european from a slavik speaking country, I was very interested to see and find out how the book and author would translate the language barrier thing from theory to paper. I was almost dissapointed we didn't get more written language and native tongue dialoge, but then again, I think I'm only feeling this way, because that's how I've seen a lot of latin people do it in books featuring latin characters. And slavik languages are beautiful and deserve love, too. That being said, you could feel her background in everything else. Especially in the "No, I don't speak X, but I speak Y and we use similar syntax and vocab so I'm sure I'll figure it out." Because yes, I too know that experience. The author put a lot of love into the little things and it certainly made the experience even better.

Now onto the romance. It's very sweet and there's talks of consent and aceness and just a very healthy enviroment in general and I loved it. Their friendship was beautiful and their partnership felt natural and great. Very wholesome, very fluffy.

All in all, a very nice book.

I found it very chaotic, but in a nice and caring way.
I loved how they both loved each other but were afraid that the other wouldn't feel the same way. It was a little infuriating at times, but it was still super cute.

*Language Lessons* by Sage Donnell is a tender and heartfelt romance that delves into themes of home, identity, and the unexpected nature of love. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Portland, the novel brings together two characters from very different worlds—Grace, a reserved young woman, and Lenka, a spirited exchange student with big dreams. The story beautifully captures their initial disconnect, as Grace navigates her insecurities and Lenka grapples with adjusting to a new reality in America, all while balancing the complex emotions surrounding her long-distance relationship.

Donnell skillfully develops the slow burn between Grace and Lenka, giving readers a chance to appreciate the depth of their bond as it transitions from friendship to something much more. The author’s use of language is thoughtful and delicate, exploring not just the literal language barriers between the two women but also the emotional walls they each have to overcome. Their journey together is full of warmth, humor, and a growing mutual respect, making their eventual romance feel organic and deeply satisfying.

I love a slow burn romance so this book was perfectly suited to me. The beautiful cover drew me in but the cute story kept me invested.

Grace can’t find a desperately needed roommate, so she takes a gamble and decides to host an exchange student. When the student turns out to be in college and just a few years older than her, not to mention extremely cute, Grace is flustered and withdraws. When an accident forces her to spend time with Lenka, she realizes just how much they have in common.

Lenka is so excited about her year in America. She’s going to love New York not only because she wants to work for the UN, but also because it’s where her girlfriend lives. She plans to practice her English with a large host family, so when she’s matched with a single woman living in Portland, she’s crushed. Only it turns out that she loves Portland, things with her girlfriend aren’t as they seem, and Grace’s house begins to feel like home.

This was an adorable romance with Hallmark vibes. I was an exchange student my last year of high school, and nothing like this ever happened to me! Cute story, fun main characters, and lots of good feels in this one. If you love sapphic romances and young love, this one is for you!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!