2018/60: A Girl Like Her -- Thalia Hibbert

“Fanfic is good for my heart. Running is a disaster waiting to happen, and you know it.” [loc. 1744]

Everyone in Ravenswood warns new arrival Evan Miller to steer clear of his neighbour Ruth Kabbah -- especially Evan's boss, Daniel Burne. Evan can't work out why Ruth is so unpopular: as far as he can tell, she keeps herself to herself.

When Evan does finally meet Ruth, he finds a forthright black woman, who tells him about her autism and the webcomic she writes, and lets him cook for her. She does not tell him about her abusive ex, or that wearing a bra makes her feel sick, or about what her sister Hannah did to Ruth's ex, or about her fanfic habit .(Ruth wears Steve / Bucky pyjamas: apparently Evan is actually based on Chris Evans, who plays Captain America. I wish Ruth had remarked on this!) But Evan is fascinated by Ruth, and likes learning new things about her, and so we end up discovering these traits as the story progresses.

This is a cheerful and warm romance, with a really likeable heroine and a hero who is simply Nice, and doesn't make a fuss about it or try to hide his flaws. Body positivity, enthusiastic consent, family tensions and obligation ... all handled credibly and with sensitivity.

Incidentally, one thing that -- thankfully -- doesn't make an appearance is small-town racism. (Or so it seems to me.) People ostracise the Kabbah sisters because of who they are and what they've done, not because of the colour of their skin. This may seem a disingenuous distinction, but it felt more honest, more legitimate.

First of my 'free reads' with an unexpected 3-month trial of Kindle Unlimited!