Sculpting Her Heart by Annette Mori is a sweet romance between a neurodiverse main character and the woman who moves in next door.
Zari is a renowned artist, has a lot of money and lives a comfortable life. Her best friend and loving parents support her unconditionally and she has everything she could ever want except a girlfriend.
Zari is autistic and no matter how much research she does on the topic, she cannot figure out how to get a girlfriend. When a beautiful woman moves in next door Zari it immediately taken with her and decides to court her seemingly single neighbour.
Frankie has just moved out of the apartment she shared with her girlfriend and into a house that her father helped her buy. As a teacher of special needs kids she doesn’t earn a lot and couldn’t afford the place without a hefty deposit from her father. She only reluctantly accepted the help though because her girlfriend decided they needed to have an open relationship so they could explore sexual encounters with other people.
Frankie isn’t keen not he idea of an open relationship and she moved away in part so that she didn’t have to deal with the situation at home.
Zari isn’t subtle about wooing Frankie and daily visits become the norm making Frankie realise that life can be better than what she has with her current girlfriend.
But, Frankie isn’t the most outspoken when it comes to what she wants and breaking up with her girlfriend is a task that is a challenge for her. Until she has done it she doesn’t feel right actively dating Zari, even if her heart seems to be tugging her towards this kind, beautiful artist who lives next door.
The question now is can Frankie finally end things with her current relationship and give Zari the forever she so badly wants?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
The book is written from alternating points of view between Zari and Frankie. I don’t really have a lot of experience with people on the spectrum so I cannot comment on how accurate the portrayal of Zari was but I adored her. She was analytical in a refreshing way, loving in an unusual and no holds barred way and an all round beautiful character.
Cons And Heads Up
I found Frankie to be indecisive to the point of annoying at times when it came to her girlfriend who she needed to dump. I understood that Mori was building the story and that folks like Frankie do exist, still there were a couple of frustrating moments for me.
Having said that, Mori does a masterful job of also making Frankie one of the kindest people with a gentle heart, which meant I gave her way more space than I would have given most characters or people.
The Conclusion
I really enjoyed this book. I found the story charming, the main characters lovable and the ending to be perfect. I highly recommend this one if you want something sweet and filled to the brim with character moments that are memorable.
In one word this book is lovely.
Excerpt from Sculpting Her Heart by Annette Mori
Chapter One
Zari
I’m twenty-six and still don’t have a girlfriend. I’ve been trying for one since I was eighteen. I’ve done the research, tried to mimic the faces of those around me that don’t fall on the spectrum, gone to the places my only friend recommended, but have not achieved my goal. I don’t need to look in the mirror to see a sad face because, when I’m alone, I don’t have to mimic anyone.
When I was younger, my mom and dad bought flashcards to help me recognize emotions. I would practice in the mirror to mimic the faces so people would realize when I was sad or angry. I thought it would help others as much as it trained me to know when I frightened a woman. If a potential girlfriend were afraid, that would never work. There isn’t a flashcard for love. I asked my mom about that once, and her sad face appeared. I never asked again. But I wonder how I will know if someone loves me. I’ve learned people don’t always tell the truth, and that’s not because I take things too literally.
I have a new neighbor. She’s pretty. As with every unfamiliar woman, I analyzed her for her potential. It’s harder for lesbians because even though the statistics vary, none of the research shows an excess of ten percent of all women would be open to a relationship with another woman.
I like my neighbor’s outward appearance, but I haven’t introduced myself. I’m waiting to talk to my friend. She always has suggestions for how to approach strangers.
I’ll need to practice my smile again. It’s been a while. Jillian, my friend, sometimes says my smile is creepy, and I have to tone that shit down, like a million times. I didn’t understand. So, she showed me by pushing my lips in a little and rearranging them like a glob of clay. I used to work with clay as a medium, but now I work with marble or other stone, except when creating my models. I wish I could sculpt the perfect expressions on my face for every occasion, but sculpting my face is a lot harder than creating my art.
“Not too wide, but show some teeth. Like this,” Jillian said and then took a step back with her arms crossed. At first, I thought she was angry because when people cross their arms, it’s one of those cues I need to pay attention to. Then Jillian nodded and smiled. I knew that the way she had rearranged my mouth pleased her.
“That’s better. You have nice teeth, straight and white, so show them off, but not like a creepy stalker.”
“Okay,” I responded, but I wasn’t sure what the difference was between how she’d rearranged my smile and a creepy stalker. Thankfully, Jillian knows me well.
She pulled out her tablet and began searching for a picture to show me. She pointed to a picture of a man peeking through a door.
“That’s Jack Nicholson. Don’t you think that’s creepy as hell?”
I could see her point about the smile, but I focused on something else. “His eyes are scary.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She began scrolling some more and pointed to another picture. “Now those are some scary eyes. Charles Manson. He was a serial killer. You don’t want to look like a serial killer, that’s all I’m saying.”
“Ted Bundy was a serial killer. He was handsome, too. Should I avoid smiling like him?”
“Just show a medium number of teeth, and you should be okay.” She nodded, and that meant she had finished the conversation.
I wasn’t sure what a medium amount meant, but I let it go. Before I got better with people, I would have asked for precise measurements. For example, how many inches across? That can be creepy and annoying, too. I almost asked her about that but stopped myself as Jillian had taught me. If I can’t ask questions, how will I know? It’s hard having to monitor everything you say.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9781990049095
Publisher: Affinity Rainbow Publications
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