Disability Reads Challenge Reviews - Page 2

July Disability themed books

*A Touch of Fate - Cora Reilly|393 pages, Kindle Edition

After waiting years for the release, this one missed the mark! It was an okay read, I felt there was no overall development in the relationship between Samuel and Emma. Emma was the saving grace and hence my 3.5* rating. She was just so strong compared to some other heroines of Cora Reilly's and I loved Emma.

Samuel was decent, but he did have his A-hole moments especially when it came to their relationship. I felt the relationship revolved around their compability in the bedroom rather than getting to know one another and understanding each other.

Quotes

“I’ll catch you if you fall.” I couldn’t help but smile at his declaration. “That’s very romantic of you,” I teased.

"I might not be able to walk, but i'll carry your worries as if they're mine, Samuel. You don't have to shoulder all the problems by yourself. I'm your wife, and i'm here for you, always."

"She was a beautiful girl, a beautiful woman, now my wife. I wished fate hadn’t shackled her to me. So much darkness lay in her past, and I carried too much darkness for it not to stain her future."

*Out on a Limb - Hannah Bonam-Young|408 pages, Kindle Edition

This was such a wholesome and sweet book. I had a list of disability themed books on my list that I wanted to re-read this month but none of them called out to me so I reached out to others and this came highly recommended. Devoured it in a day.

This was my first from this author and I look forward to her other works.

Win and Bo are just ❤️ They just complimented each other so much and clicked. Their banter, romance, friendship was just amazing.

The writing was simple and just refreshing. I really enjoyed that there was some realism especially when it comes to certain topics.

Quotes

“It’s so much easier to communicate insecurities when you don’t need to communicate them at all. Isn’t that all we ever want? To be seen and heard? Validated, even when we’re not able to ask for it.”

“Perhaps that’s all Bo and I are. Two people leaving behind the worst, looking forward to the good to come.”

“I’m going to friend the shit out of you, Freddie McNulty.”

“Comic books,” Sarah says, snickering.
“I’ve seen what you read on your Kindle. You’re in no place to judge.”

“That’s the question I was going to ask tonight,” Bo interrupts. “Who in this world matters the most to you?” “You,” I answer simply, pleading with him to hear me. What I said and all that it means. “You,” he repeats. “It’s you for me too. With a very close second,” he says, his eyes on my belly.”

Knot My Type - Evie Mitchell | 240 Pages, Kindle Edition

This was a first for me from this author and may be my last. It was an okay read.

It was a quick Insta-love which is something I can get behind but if it was well done and had shown them falling in love, but there was a time jump etc. The concept was interesting and I really liked Frankie straightaway. But the relationship between her and Jay seemed way too rushed and it didn't feel like they had great chemistry because I didn't really read them bonding and falling in love.

Some of the dialogues were cute, I suppose. I wish I could have liked them, but it fell sort of flat.

I loved the cover of the book and thought this would be perfect especially following on from Out on a Limb. But was sorely disappointed. Thankfully it was a quick read.

Quotes

❝Frankie isn’t asking a lot. She doesn't expect you to be perfect.❞ Mai gestured at herself and the women beside her. ❝She loves us because of our imperfections. She'll take you as you are, Jay. She'll do whatever's necessary to build a future with you. All she's asking for—all she wants, is for you to do the same.❞

❝You're the kind of woman who should come with a warning label.❞

❝What? Loves trashy reality TV shows and fails at cooking?❞

❝Makes a man lose his goddamn mind.❞

Book: More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova

Page Count: 367 pages

Review: Maddy Banks, a university student who was misdiagnosed with depression and prescribed antidepressants, which later exacerbated her hidden disorder and spiraled into a manic episode and then led to her being diagnosed with bipolar disorder which challenges her studies, family dynamics, and her love life.

This book was read like a romance, young adult book, which threw me off knowing that the author herself is a neuroscientist and I was expecting her to delve into the science behind the disorder (like her first book) and I was disappointed + the language used in this book and Maddy's lifestyle really bothered me😅

Nonetheless, the description of her mania, her ups and lows, was PHENOMENAL! I didn't really know what being bipolar felt like until I read this book and couldn't put the book down!⭐

Quotes:

"If she hadn’t been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she wouldn’t be going on a comedy tour in two weeks. None of the amazing things that have unfolded in her life would’ve happened without that fork in the road. Yes, that fork was scary and disruptive, but who wants to drive down a perfectly straight road for an entire lifetime?"

''I have bipolar disorder. Some people would say I am bipolar instead of I have bipolar. And that’s all good. You do you, but for me, it would feel weird to say I am something that I have.''

"But this chose her. Without her consent, like an arranged marriage, till death do they part. She wants an annulment, a divorce, an open window onto a fire escape, a new doctor, a time machine. Some way out of this."

Book: Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

Page Count: 300 pages

Review: The author shares her story in a memoir about how she unexpectedly got really sick with a serious brain condition. Later, she found out that she had a rare autoimmune disease called encephalitis. This illness makes the immune system attack the brain, which causes inflammation (that's why the book is called "Brain on Fire") and leads to serious problems with her brain and mental health.

This book was incredible. It just sends chills down to my spine that you could be alive and well, and suddenly your life can be turned upside down with an unknown rare illness that doctors themselves have yet to understand or learn about. You could easily fall through the cracks of being misdiagnosed or undiagnosed due to the symptoms that overlap with mental illness.

Quotes:

“Someone once asked, "If you could take it all back, would you?"

At the time I didn't know. Now I do. I wouldn't take that terrible experience back for anything in the world. Too much light has come out of my darkness.”

“Sometimes, just when we need them, life wraps metaphors up in little bows for us. When you think all is lost, the things you need the most return unexpectedly.”

“No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness,” Aristotle said.”

~oOo~

Fan Fiction: Solace by CaCD

Page Count: 120 pages

Review: Amid her abduction in her own home by her case suspect, Detective Olivia Benson, grappling with PTSD, is navigating through life after darkness. A chance reunion with her former partner, Elliot Stabler, and his daughter, Kathleen, ignites a desperate hope for shared recovery.

I loved it! <3 10 out of 10 for the writing and staying true to character.

Quotes:

“Do you want me to?”

“I need him gone,” she whispers, the words ragged, pulled straight from deep inside her. “I do.”

“But I need you more.”

“Olivia closes her eyes and lets her body sink deeper into the mattress, trying to find peace in stillness—wishing, not for the first time, that she didn’t feel so much like a guest in her own skin.”

Priya's disability themed log July 2025

Remember Me? by Sophia Kinsella

Number of Pages: 464

Review
A sweet, entertaining read with Kinsella’s signature humor and flair. The amnesia premise is fun, and Lexi’s confusion makes for some genuinely funny and touching moments.

That said, some parts felt overly stretched, and a few emotional beats didn’t land as deeply as they could have. The romance was soft but slightly underdeveloped more hinted than fully felt.

Still, it’s a light, feel-good book with thoughtful undertones about identity and ambition. Not perfect, but definitely enjoyable if you’re in the mood for something charming and easy to get through.

Rating: 3.5/5

Quotes:

"It's like I'm thirteen again and he's my crush. All I'm aware of in this entire roomful of people is him. Where he is, what he's doing, who he's talking to."

"I’m suddenly seeing the other side of me; the side I thought had disappeared forever. All this time, all my stuff was here. Suddenly I have a memory of Eric’s words, that first time I asked him about Jon. ‘You’d trust Jon with your life.’ Maybe that’s what I did. Trusted him with my life."

"There's genuine pain in Eric's eyes. And I feel a stab of guilt. But you can't stay with people because of guilt."

"The thing with giving up is you never know. You never know whether you could have done the job. And I'm sick of not knowing about my life."

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Number of pages: 352

Review

A smart, tender rom com that brings something refreshingly different to the table. Stella’s autism is portrayed with care and nuance, and her growth is genuinely heartwarming. Michael, the love interest, is sweet, patient, and low-key dreamy.

That said, while the steamy scenes are bold and well written, the pacing sometimes feels rushed emotionally. A few conflicts resolve a bit too neatly, and character depth could’ve gone even deeper in places.

Still, it’s a unique and empowering romance with great disability representation, heartfelt chemistry, and a satisfying arc. A lovely blend of brains, heart, and heat.

Rating: 4/5

Quotes

"If you can’t stand being with a woman who’s more successful than you, then leave her alone. She’s better off without you. If you actually love her, then know the value of that love and make it a promise. That is the only thing she needs from you."

"I don't want just a night or a week or a month with you. I want you all the time. I like you better than calculus, and math is the only thing that unites the universe."

"This crusade to fix herself was ending right now. She wasn't broken. She saw and interacted with the world in a different way, but that was her. She could change her actions, change her words, change her appearance, but she couldn't change the root of herself. At her core, she would always be autistic. People called it a disorder, but it didn't feel like one. To her, it was simply the way she was."

"Math is the single most elegant thing in the universe, and economics is what drives the human world. If you want to understand people in a sophisticated manner, I believe economics is the way."

Book Title and Author: Cherry Amber by Yun Zhu

Page Count: 874 pages

Review (can be short but it has to highlight how the book/ FF related to the Disability theme):

Even though the book isn't fully about depressing stuff, I highlighted the review from that perspective. This book was somehow balanced between happy sunshine moments and depressing stuff.

Jiang Qiao Xi was raised as a replacement for his deceased older brother, forced to adopt his brother's identity and live in his shadow. Neglected emotionally and burdened by his mother's obsessive expectations, he endures years of emotional abuse. Struggling with academic pressure, family dysfunction, personal insecurities, and a sudden financial shift, Qiao Xi becomes socially withdrawn and develops reflexive feelings of anxiety.

Quotes from the book (a minimum of 2 quotes):

"Even in Hong Kong, Jiang Qiao Xi sometimes felt as if Ying Tao was accompanying him. In his childhood, he had learned to find spiritual comfort through imagination."

"Over the phone, Jiang Qiao Xi slowly reminisced about his childhood in Hong Kong, a golden period. Because his parents were still immersed in the pain of losing their eldest son and hadn’t fully accepted him yet, Jiang Qiao Xi seemed to have received a stroke of luck that slipped through heaven’s fingers."

"There has never been any savior. To create happiness, we must rely on ourselves."

"In Lin Ying Tao’s eyes, there was only him, just him alone. Even his name, carelessly given by his father, which made Jiang Qiao Xi feel cold and resentful every time it was mentioned, became “an especially beautiful poem” in Lin Ying Tao’s heart. The way she said it was sweet, crisp, with a smile, melting his heart."

"Not everyone instinctively associates thoughts of their parents with happiness, joy, or a supreme sense of security. However, Jiang Qiao Xi also discovered that he could gradually ignore those reflexive feelings of anxiety, depression, and discomfort, especially when Ying Tao was by his side."

"However, Cai Fang Yuan pointed out that nowadays, music websites can recommend new songs based on your favorite old ones. With rapid technological advancements, perhaps in the future, people won’t need friends anymore."

STOLEN TOUCHES - NEVA ALTAJ

A contemporary mafia romance with an obsessed mmc with physical disabilities and possibly sociopathic tendencies. it's on the lighter side of dark romances with a forced marriage trope. still a cute and a funny read especially the dialogue delivery of mmc if you find Italian mafia blackmailing a girl into marrying him because he has fallen in love but doesn’t know himself.
And there is a cat too . If I say anymore I will spoil it.

The disability is there but it’s not really the main theme of this book.

QUOTES/SCENES :

1. “How would you feel about getting a dog?” Salvatore’s body goes so utterly still that I pause in my task and arch my neck to find him staring at the wall.

“If you bring another animal in here, I’ll kill someone, Milene.”

“Please?” I take his chin between my fingers and turn his head toward mine. “It can be some small breed and—Why are you keeping your eyes closed?”

“No reason.”
“Salvatore Ajello, open your eyes. Right now.” He sighs. Opens his eyes. “Pretty please?” I ask and smile widely. His gaze travels to my mouth, then he reaches with his hand to trace the line of my lips with the tip of his finger.

“I want a psychological evaluation from a licensed animal psychologist, on paper, before it sets its paw in here.”

I squeal in delight and kiss the tip of his finger. “You’re doing it on purpose,” he says, without taking his eyes off my lips.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You know very well what your smile does to me, and you’re using it shamelessly.” His finger stills at the middle of my bottom lip. “I wonder if you are aware of what a weapon you are wielding.”

“It’s just a smile. Not a weapon.”

“And a gun is just a piece of metal. It can still take a life in a second, if used properly.” He takes my chin between his fingers and leans in, pressing his lips to the corner of my mouth. “You should be very careful with that smile, vita mia. People may end up dead because of it.”

“Smiles don’t kill, Salvatore.”

“Yours does.”

2. “Are you telling me you’re jealous?”

“I’m not jealous.” I take a sip of coffee. “I just have an uncontrollable urge to kill any man who even looks at my wife.”

3. “This childish behavior ends now!” I roar, and her head snaps up, her eyes suddenly wide. “Ada left the food in the fridge. If you don’t eat something, I’m going to force-feed you!”

Milene blinks, still gaping at me, and it dawns on me. I’d been so damn angry about her not eating that I completely forgot. Milene’s gaze travels down my arms and the hands holding my crutches. Then, it moves lower until her eyes reach my left leg . . . where the pant leg of my sweats is tied in a knot just below the knee.

It completely slipped my mind that I’ve never told her about my leg. As her eyes lift to meet mine, I steel myself for what I’ll see there because if I find even an ounce of pity, I’m going to smash the room. She gets up off the bed and comes over to stand before me, her chin tilted up at a slight angle. “I’d love to see you try, Salvatore.” She raises her eyebrows and slams the door closed.

I stand there, staring at the door that almost hit me in the face, and feel the corner of my lips twitch slightly upward.

PAINTED SCARS - NEVA ALTAJ

A contemporary Bratva romance with disabled mmc whose right knee was shattered in a car blast and is on wheelchair and fmc with ptsd from SA not by mmc. with a contract marriage trope.

Neva’s books are more contemporary and chick lit than dark romance which is there as the mmc are morally grey mafia men.

QOUTES/SCENES:

1.
“I googled you yesterday,” he says, still keeping my fingers in his hand, just an inch from his lips. “Who would have thought that such a delicate little hand could create such . . . disturbing art.”

I smile, trying to hide how much his touch and nearness impact me. Roman Petrov, I come to realize, is impossible to ignore, especially when he turns on the charm. “You don’t like it?”

“Oh, on the contrary, Miss Grey. I love it.”

2.

“Being blackmailed into a marriage with someone like me. Having to put your life on hold for six months. I expected you to be wary. Reluctant. Scared. You seem . . . unnaturally nonchalant.”

“You think I’m mentally unstable?” I take a leaf of lettuce, wrap it around a cherry tomato and dip it into the mayonnaise while Roman regards me with interest.

“Are you?” he asks. “Mentally unstable?”

“Of course, not. I’m the embodiment of mental stability. Ask anyone.”

3.

“Life is crazy. You have to embrace it.”

4.

“The shrapnel shattered his knee.”

“So?”

“Doctor said he won’t walk again.

5.

“And what does the therapist say? About your leg.”

“He expects me to be able to regain up to eighty percent of its use.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means crutches in the worst-case scenario. A cane in the best.”

6.

She flinches and takes a step back, bumping into the fridge. Her breathing quickens, becoming shallow like she can’t take enough air in, and her hands are slightly trembling. She is having a panic attack. I have no idea what triggered it, but she’s terrified of something and I’m pretty certain that the something is me. It makes no sense.

“Roman,” she says finally, her voice barely above a whisper, “I need you to sit down. Please.”

I don’t see the sense in her request, but I take two steps toward the dining table, pull out the chair, and sit down. Nina stays rooted to the spot in front of the fridge, but at least her breathing seems to be coming under control.

Someone hurt her, and for her to react this way, it must have been really bad.

7.

“Come on,” she says, lifting the corner of the blanket.

Making sure there is enough space between us, I lay down expecting her to stay back. Instead, she throws her leg around me and climbs on top, lowering her head to place it on my chest. I barely breathe, trying my best not to move even a muscle, afraid of spooking her. We stay like that for a few moments, me lying still with her sprawled over my chest.

“Put your arms around me.”

I do as she says, watching for any sign of distress, but there isn’t any. What an unusual creature she is, and it feels so good to hold her in my arms like this. I wish it wasn’t just for the show.

“Is this okay?” I rasp.

“Yup,” she says and closes her eyes. “I need to give you a few pointers.”

“No holding my wrists or squeezing my neck.” She says, and I feel the cold rush down my spine. “Also, no pinning me down with your body.”

Book (or FF) Title and Author: Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

Page Count: 320 pages

Review (can be short but it has to highlight how the book/ FF related to the Disability theme.

MMC has a neurological glitch called prosopagnosia,which means he cannot see distinguishing features on faces, including his own i.e. Face Blindness.

He and his wife take weekend gateway to Scottish chapel in remote area to fix their troubled marriage. Secrets started unraveling in chapel and mysterious anniversary letters adds a punch. The story was gripping and kept me hooked. I guessed some things along the story but the ending was something I hadn't expected. Husband and wife both deserve eachother!

Quotes from the book (a minimum of 2 quotes)

- Nostalgia is a dangerous drug,but I enjoy the sensation of happier memories flooding my mind.

- If every story had a happy ending then we’d have no reason to start again. Life is all about choices, and learning how to put ourselves back together when we fall apart. Which we all do. Even the people who pretend they don’t.

- All people are addicts, and all addicts desire the same thing: an escape from reality

- I wish people were more like books. If you realise halfway through a novel that you aren’t enjoying it anymore, you can just stop and find something new to read. Same with films and TV dramas. There is no judgement, no guilt, nobody even needs to know unless you choose to tell them. But with people, you tend to have tosee it through to the end, and sadly not everyone gets to live happily ever after.

- Life is like a game where pawns can become queens, but not everyone knows how to play. Some people stay pawns their whole lives because they never learned to make the right moves.

- I do know that the lies we tell ourselves are always the most dangerous. And I know that sometimes the thoughts we hide in the margins of our minds are the most honest, because they are ours alone, and we think nobody else will see them.

- ‘It means sometimes life changes people, even us. We are both different versions of ourselves compared with who we were when we first met. Almost unrecognisable in some ways. But I love all the versions of you. And no matter how much we change, how I feel about you never will'

---------------

Book (or FF) Title and Author: Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Page Count: 387 pages

Review (can be short but it has to highlight how the book/ FF related to the Disability theme.

FMC has Fibromyalgia a condition that causes pain in muscles and soft tissues all over the body. It is an ongoing (chronic) condition. Also MMC was in a abusive relationship and getting therapy for it.

I liked the banter between the leads and FMC. Also smudge! That was it. The story started really well but then I started loosing interest in the story and didn't want to drop so completed it.

Quotes from the book (a minimum of 2 quotes)

- Happiness, independence, true solitude. Sweeter than oxygen. She breathed it in. This was, in a word, bliss.

- There was that smile of hers. Like the rising sun.

- “Just tell me,” he said. “Give me a hint.”

She rolled her eyes. “Where is your patience?”

“Same place I left my shame.”

- “No more talk. I am a poor, disabled woman who is not to be harassed with

unnecessary conversation.”

- "It's Sunday, after all. No work, few obligations. A perfectly acceptable day for recreational drug use

- CHLOE: YES. Honestly, what on earth do you think of me?

RED: That you’re short-tempered and always interesting.

CHLOE: You are a very difficult man.

RED: That must make me perfect for you