This book was a sweet story about friendship and relationships. What future holds. Also it is about coming in terms with yourself and not worry about the future. Loved the stories and characters.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I have never read a book set in Australia (that I can remember) but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. From the first chapter, I was laughing out loud and continued to do so throughout the entire book. I relate a lot to Natalie and see a lot of myself in her (especially 18-year-old Jade). I read this in practically one sitting and wish I could go back and read it all over again.

I really enjoyed all of the characters, even in their flawed moments.

I will definitely be keeping on eye out for Nina's next release as I really enjoyed her writing style and how she made me fall in love with all of the characters in a short space of time.

This might be one of the first books I´ve read that takes place in Australia! Loved it! The main character was engaging, funny, quirky and I enjoyed reading from her pov. This is such a good YA novel, the plot is relatable, characters are well written and you get to know a lot of their history. I found some of the "drama" unnecessary while reading it however it all ties up nicely in the end. The only reason this isn´t getting 5 stars from me is because of those parentheses that I just can´t get over.

2,5 / 5

Quando me deparei com esse livro pela primeira vez, logo fui atraída pela capa, admito. Em segundo lugar, porém a sinopse também me interessou. Pareceu levar à uma leitura leve e envolvente que, ao mesmo tempo,,iria abordar questões diversas de amizade, família, autoestima e afins, um combo interessante, e acabei me jogando na leitura sem pensar duas vezes.

Eu nem havia criado reais expectativas com a leitura. Simplesmente queria algo que fosse leve e tranquilo de ler, mas que não fosse bobinho, e de fato encontrei um pouco disso no livro. Pena que o plot em torno disso tudo pareceu soar melhor só na sinopse mesmo.

Primeiro de tudo, até uns 40, talvez 50% do livro, a trama seguia ok. Nada grandioso, mas nada também muito abaixo do que eu esperava, então fui seguindo. A narrativa, pelo ponto de vista da protagonista, tem um quê de simplicidade de que muito gostei e foi de longe um dos pontos altos do livro, escrita muito fluída. Só não mais fluída porque a história não o deixava, já que Natalie fazia o "favor" de, do nada, em meio a uma cena ou diálogo, relembrar por inteiro um ponto do passado que poderia ser resumido em dois parágrafos, mas que, por terem sido descritos com tamanhos detalhes e até de diálogos, quebrava a leitura e me deixava meio distante da cena de real importância que ocorria no presente até então, tornando a leitura arrastada.

Os personagens também foram responsáveis por me desanimar da história ao longo da leitura. O mínimo de conexão que eu havia sentido com eles no início, principalmente com a Natalie em meio a sua autoestima baixa devido a um problema sério de acne, foi se desmanchando à medida que os personagens tomavam atitudes ou falavam coisas que soavam aleatórias e baguçadas em alguns momentos, talvez até forçadas, de forma a me irritar.

E aí tivemos o romance que a sinopse prometia ser um grande ponto de virada na vida da protagonista mas que eu não consegui levar o mínimo à sério porque os próprios envolvidos pareciam estar fazendo daquilo quase como ora uma brincadeira, ora uma pura obrigação, e lá vieram mais cenas equivocadas que só me fizeram ficar mais desligada da trama.

Acabei insistindo na leitura, a partir daí, puramente para saber - talvez até entender - onde tudo aquilo iria dar e se teria um fundamento maior que eu havia deixado passar, e, bem, meio que até teve, principalmente sobre a dificuldade de encontrar-se como indivíduo enquanto se está saindo do ensino médio e prestes a entrar na vida adulta e sobre como não podemos ter o controle de tudo, como Natalie tanto pensava que tinha, mas... Tudo acabou sendo tão forçado que, nesse ponto, eu já não estava me importando quando o final chegou. Li o último capítulo, fechei o arquivo e... OK. Não consegui sentir nada além de indiferença com a história, infelizmente. E se eu indico a leitura ou não, bem, releia essa e outras resenhas e decida-se se vale a pena dar uma chance ou não.

Overall rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 stars

Theme - YA romance/ friends to lovers

I received an ARC in exchange of my honest review.

What a cute, funny and completely realistic book it was! and also without unnecessary drama but yes it had its moments. It was a fun read but at the same time, it was clever too. I loved it.

This book is centered around eighteen year old Natalie and her two best friends Zach and Lucy. They were out of high school and would start college in a few months time but with changing relationships, first love, start of a whole new life without your protective shields(best friends) - Natalie's life was about to change.

I don't always read YA romance these days but I really loved this one for a number of reasons. Firstly, Natalie was very relatable and her point of view made me realise that may be she is talking about me lol. But it's not often that a book deals with polycystic ovarian syndrome and its affects on a girl's confidence level. Especially a teen girl. Zach and Lucy's characters were not the forefront of the book but their lives actually effected Natalie. The author made involved their live without taking the spotlight off the main protagonist and I really think that it's amazing. I loved Alex. He was the sweetest guy ever and his relationship with Natalie was realistic which made this book a complete joy to read about.

If you are looking for YA stories that deals with love, relationships and a bit of drama then it's for you. This story is refreshing, realistic and very cleverly written. It's kinda short-ish and I wasn't bored for a moment. It had an opposite effect and I finished it in one sitting. If you are looking for a short and sweet read then I will definitely recommend it. This one is a really lovely book.

Hope you all like it as much as I did.

Stay safe and happy reading!

AVAILABLE NOW.
P.S. Alex russo reminds me of Wizards of Waverly Place.

A refreshing teen read.

First of all, I need to say that romance is not my usual genre. I like a good romance but usually as part of a bigger story. Even so I was drawn to concept of this book and though it is primarily about romance, it is also about so much more.

Secondly, working as a school librarian, I have had to read a lot of books, some of them are ones I would have read any way and others are books I didn't enjoy but know exactly who I would recommend it too. I am happy to say this book ticks both those boxes.

The story follows Natalie and her friends in the summer before they head off to university. Her parents have just announced they are divorcing, her friends are now a couple and she the perpetual third wheel when they used to be equals, and her anxiety and low self esteem have turned her into a recluse. Then she gets invited to a party by her best friends brother and everything changes.

I liked the basic plot of this book, it was simple and not overly complicated. I enjoyed that the story started quickly so I was immediately into the story. I also liked that we got all of the story from Natalie's POV, it gave us an insight into her character that was incredibly relatable even to a 30 year old like me and I already have about 10 students that I want to recommend this book to based solely on Natalie's hilarious but heartwrenching inner monologue. Her struggles with low self esteem and her body image were handled so well I found myself almost nodding along to some of things she said. Her crippling anxiety over her acne scars verses her guilt that there are worse things in the world to be worrying about, is a conversation I have had with myself, friends and students so many times, it was refreshing to see this openly discussed in a book. I loved the moments when Natalie would have conversations in her head or imagine how a situation would go and be disappointed when things didn't go the way she planned as this is something I do all the time. I felt like I knew Natalie instantly and was completely drawn into her world.

While I enjoyed the overall plot, I did feel like it could have been paced better. The relationship moved so quickly, I was disappointed I didn't get to stay in it for longer. I would have liked to have the two of them stay secret and sneak around for a bit, just so I could enjoy it a bit more. I also felt that this quick pacing meant that the obstacles to their relationship were obvious, they didn't know each other and then got angry about it! It would have been nice if we had gotten to see their relationship develop a bit more before all the drama as it felt so rushed that it took from all the other great aspects of the book.

Though I did feel like the secondary characters were slightly under developed, I actually think this is because this book is about Natalie and how she sees the world, I enjoyed the small tidbits we got into the other characters lives that contradicted Natalie's opinion of them, like when she walks into someone's room and notices how clean it is, making her rethink how she sees them or when she catches her dad looking sad on a park bench and realises he might not be as okay with the divorce as he's making out.

I will definitely be getting this book for my school library as it is a refreshing romance, there's no bad boy, no one has to change who they are to fit in and best of all no tedious love triangle! It is realistic and perfect for 14+ boys or girls who are struggling to come to terms with their bodies, self worth and even changing relationships with their friends.

This book was absolutely delightful! I've found that oftentimes, characters in YA/Teen novels sound like they were written by adults who are trying to remember what it was like to be teenagers. This was most certainly NOT the case in It Sounded Better In My Head - the writing was witty and engaging, but never felt precocious or patronizing. The characters were well developed, beautifully written, and so genuine! Natalie, a recent graduate who is quirky and neurotic and searching for her place in the world, is the most relatable main character I have read in a while. In fact, I often found myself texting my best friend lines from the novel and saying "OMG it's us, this is so real". It's lovely also to read a book that is realistic in it's coming-of-age romance. Natalie struggles with body image issues, first love, family issues, and parental issues in a way that would make any teenager (or anyone who was, at one point, a teenager) root for her. A lovely debut from Kenwood - I can't wait to read more of her novels!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in return for an honest review!

Such an easy and cute read! I love how the main character started out as a super insecure 18 year old and as the story progressed she gained more and more confidence in her own body. Great story about self-love, love, family and friendship.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

A fun quick read. Pretty typical YA romance, but I liked Natalie's honest self-consciousness. It was a nice break from the heavier reading I've done lately

Whenever I see an Australian author I just have to read their book (need to support a fellow Aussie). I love Aussie books and I admit I never read enough of them. And I’m glad I picked up this book.



In ‘It’s Sounded Better In My Head’, we follow the protagonist, Natalie, as she navigates through her life upon discovering that life isn’t going the way she imagined it to be. Her parents? Divorcing. Her two best friends? Dating. Herself? Awkward and sometimes the borderline third-wheeler.

There were many aspects I liked about this book. I loved how the narration is engaging and very distinctive. The tone is humorous throughout the story yet it can be serious when covering topics such as divorce, self-acceptance, and so on. I actually laughed aloud on several occasions whilst reading this book.



I like how Natalie is such an authentic character with relatable fears and real insecurities (regarding her skin—and the effects it had on her both psychologically and emotionally). I also appreciate how the love interest allows Natalie to set what she’s comfortable within the relationship. I also love how this book depicts genuine friendships. I loved the dynamics between the trio.

This was such a charming and heart-warming coming-of-age book. With only 272 pages, this was an easy and fast-paced read. I’d recommend this book to fans of YA contemporary and romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was so cute. I loved it really. I liked the representation of the main charater. Natalie was struggling with very bad skin, and I just felt that. While my bad skin wasn't as bad as Natalies, I did feel the insecurity that came with it. And the fact that she wanted to hide her back while swimming, and her face in school, afraid people would judge her for her skin. I also felt that PCOS rep, because me.

Anyways, cute story, love the romance, and I like how it's set in Australia, instead of the US. I have been reading a lot of American fiction, so this was nice, and I'd like to read more. I can understand how the romance in this book would be awkward for some of the characters, but on the other hand, it's great, and I felt it. I wanted more of it though! I liked that we got a whole lot of backstory for our main character and why she behaved certain ways.

I would definitely recommend it. It's short, and it's a nice and quick read. I mean I read it before I went to sleep, and started reading again after I woke up. Yay for this book! Probably like 4,5 stars even!

3.5
Natalie has just finished high school, she has 2 best friends, Zach and Lucy who are dating, making Natalie kinda the third wheel. And her parents are getting separated. Then there is Alex, Zach's older brother.

This is a cute coming of age story, covering issues which I find quite relatable to my teens.

This is not a love story as I didn't feel the romance (though it was cute) was the main focus here, I felt the friendships and family were what held the story together. That and Natalie's overriding complexes about her supposed short-comings, aka bad skin. Natalie is smart, funny, "interesting", but she was blind to all of these because of one shortcoming.

I liked reading this story. I have just a small complaint though. Up until 40% of the story, Natalie was constantly whining about her acne/backne situation. It's understandable, but it got to be too much. Even till almost the end I felt Natalie had not come to accept her body as is, though in all other aspects she seemed to have matured. It's just my opinion though.
I liked the writing and would recommend this book.

A funny, accurate portrayal of a teenage girl trying to figure out what she wants and who she wants to be.

It sounded better in my head is about eighteen year old Natalie, newly graduated from high school when her parents drop a bombshell on her that they are splitting up. Juggling her feelings for this, a new love interest and trying to avoid feeling like the spare part to her best friends relationship, Natalie finds that maybe some things are better said inside her head.

First of all, this book was hilarious. I chuckled a lot and Natalie was so relatable. She was a well developed character with realistic decisions and thoughts and she reminded me exactly of the type of girl I used to be (or probably still am).
I think Alex was a great love interest. I was invested in their romance and I liked that they had this thing between them for a while before it was ever labelled.
Zachary and Lucy were good secondary characters and added a lot of substance to the story. I think the dynamic between Alex and Zach’s relationship was interesting and I liked that the Zach/Lucy/Natalie trio was a topic of discussion.

This is definitely the type of book I would read around a book, on a summers day or when I need a pick me up. It’s a feel good story with a good ending and a relatable storyline!

5 stars!!
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this e-book!

It Sounded Better in My Head is about Natalie and her struggles while going through the ringer with puberty, self-image issues and juggling friendships/relationships.
This discussed topics that can seem dark to some people but the author was able to deliver it in more of a light-hearted way. It was effective and I can see many adolescents really enjoy this story because they can find great representation within it. I did feel like the whole story needed more substance - I needed more details with certain scenes but overall, it was a great read!

It Sounded Better In My Head is a sweet YA/NA story from Nina Kenwood that follows the adventures of Natalie, an eighteen year old young woman whose parents choose Christmas Day to announce their divorce. Aside from the domestic issues at home ,Natalie is hugely lacking in self esteem and self confidence because of her severe acne, so when she goes to a party and gets some attention from an unexpected source she struggles to believe it is genuine. To further complicate matters, she is starting to feel like a third wheel since her two best friends hooked up and became a couple. This is a very real and honest coming of age story, not afraid to dwell on what it is like to be awkward and unsure of yourself, or to be out of step with the rest of the crowd. I also liked the way that Natalie's acne was incorporated into the story, it is something that commonly affects teens, and when it is as severe and painful as described here, the psychological damage should not be underestimated, so I am glad that the author included it in the story. Although I described the book as sweet, it is not overly sugary, there are plenty of less than glamorous moments, including an alcohol induced vomiting session in the back of a car, and issues like virginity, consent and betrayal are also touched on. There is a lot of humour, most notably from Natalie, who has a great sarcastic and witty tone throughout the book., Despite the age of the main characters, there is nothing here that I would consider unsuitable for a teen. I am very impressed to note that this is a debut book, and I look forward to reading more of the author's work.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This was an easy read about love, friendship and the struggles people have in everyday life. The book covered self doubt very well, showing how scarring and acne can affect the way a person sees themselves and how they can overcome some of those struggles when they have positive people around them. Throughout this book you could relate to all characters in ways such as getting into university, first love and falling out with friends. Something we have all ben through and it made the characters so much more relatable. Overall this book was an enjoyable read and i gave it 4 stars.

"It Sounded Better In My Head" is an honest, relatable book. I really found Natalie so real and I caught myself smiling while reading, sometimes nodding and sometimes living through the sadness of the characters. I think many teens and adults can see many resemblances to their own life and experiences.
I liked how this book concentrated on more than just Natalie's relationship with her parents and how she is dealing with their divorce. It was about friendships, first boyfriends and her struggles to like and accept herself for who she is.
Great book! Will be recommending to my teen patrons!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

It Sounded Better In My Head is so easy to connect with, the main protagonist is slightly dramatic but as the story unfolds you see why and she becomes very relatable to.

It's a story we've all been through in form so it was easy to put yourself in her shoes.

A great read about growing up. finding yourself and first loves.

Rating: 4/4,5 stars!
"It Sounded Better In My Head" is an honest, relatable book. I caught myself smiling while reading, sometimes nodding and sometimes living through the sadness of the characters. Especially with Natalie, she felt so real and I could see many resemblances to my own life and experience.
Although I expected that the storyline would be more about Natalie's relationship with her parents and how she is dealing with their divorce, however, it was more about friendships, first boyfriend and, her struggles to like and accept herself for who she is.

Natalie's parents have just announced they are separating, her best friends are dating, and she's waiting to hear whether she's gotten into her top choice university. She has a lot of uncertainty to deal with — plus, there's a new romantic interest in her life and she's not sure how to handle it.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought Natalie's voice was so honest and cringey, in the best way. She felt so real. I appreciate that the author didn't shy away from the messy parts — the parts where the MC is acting selfishly, or is overreacting, or can't just rationalize herself out of insecurities. All of these feelings are so real and so true, especially for young women faced with expectations set by airbrushed models on media, and it was so refreshing to have such a wonderfully true and flawed main character. Especially because in other moments she was delightfully clever, compassionate, and introspective. I loved the balance. I also loved her relationships; I'm always here for strong friendships, and for giving people the benefit of the doubt, only to find out that they're wonderful.

I'm rooting for things to work out for all of these characters, but I appreciated that the story ended with some uncertainty, that it didn't tie up all the bows but instead assured the reader that it's good to hope for the best, but it'll still be okay no matter what.