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The Words Shimmer  By  cover art

The Words Shimmer

By: Jenn Matthews
Narrated by: Rachael Beresford
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Publisher's summary

Yorkshire anatomy lecturer Ruby Clark considers her life low-maintenance. She teaches at the local university, has two well-behaved teenage daughters, and what she doesn't know about human anatomy isn't worth knowing. Unfortunately, that knowledge doesn't stretch to plants, and she's been asked to help out on a school garden project.

Being a paramedic doesn't do Melissa Jackson's back or knees any favors, so she's looking into university courses to try a less strenuous line of her work. But the brash, proudly out, down-to-earth woman's biggest challenge is keeping her dyslexia a secret. That, and living down the stigma that follows her when people find out.

A university open day throws the two women into each other's orbits. When Mel, an expert green thumb, makes a few helpful suggestions on Ruby's garden project, Ruby convinces her to team up to make it a success.

Personality-wise, they couldn't be less compatible. Mel's brazen attitude, cocky jokes, and affinity with earthworms immediately rub the hyper-professional, straight-laced Ruby the wrong way. Can they ever find common ground?

 Contains mature themes.

©2019 Jenn Matthews (P)2019 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: LGBTQ+

What listeners say about The Words Shimmer

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Excellent!

I loved The Words Shimmer. What a great story. I loved the interaction between Ruby and Melissa and loved the kids making a garden. The one takeaway from this book is that you don't know what the person sitting next to you is going through. Be gentle, thoughtful, respectful and kind.

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Great story especially for teachers

It is time for us to understand dyslexia, and this book being a wonderful story for us older women, helps to understand it. Rachel Beresford dose a great job narrating it as well.

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1 person found this helpful

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Sweet love story

This is a super sweet live story. I love how they built the characters relationship up. And I love the over 40 representation of women and the affects it does to our bodies.

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adorable

loved the narrator's style of reading. very well written. cute and a bit refreshing after some of the lesbian romance novels I have been reading

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  • Angela
  • 11-05-23

Gentle

This is a slow and gentle, very British kind of story. By that I mean there aren’t rich, talented and beautiful women everywhere but ‘real’ ones with real lives. Nothing wildly exciting happens but it is a nice listen.

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  • Caroline Astell-Burt
  • 11-04-23

A book of instruction

Although the characters were attractively drawn I am not sure about the intention of the writer- it seemed to be a manual on manners and mores: dyslexia, menopause, lgbt prejeudice, education, growing up with a gay mum, and then an excruciatingly anatomically description of lesbian lovemaking! I write as a gay woman.

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  • Bee
  • 06-01-23

A Laconic journey

It’s not often in this genre that the reader feels so moved by the authenticity of the words on the page. Jenn Matthews weaves a tale that appears so genuine, you feel you are right there at the beginning of an actual love story. It’s a journey of self discovery and happiness for both protagonists. Rachael Beresford’s narration just adds to the authenticity of the words. Her voice soothes over the accents of the characters, putting the listener right there in the centre of the story.

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