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Verdict: A gentle, very British odd-couple romance between a prim Yorkshire anatomy lecturer and a brash, dyslexic paramedic who team up on a school garden project — thoughtful and warm about dyslexia and life in your forties, but so slow and so crowded with subplots that many readers felt the romance barely arrived.
Best for: Readers who enjoyed Jenn Matthews’s Hooked on You, want leads in their forties, value neurodivergent representation, and are happy with a slow, meandering, character-driven read.
Heat level: Not rated (romance.io has no steam rating)
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.6/5 — a 3.80 Goodreads average across 272 ratings)
Tropes: Opposites attract, enemies to friends to lovers, very slow burn, lecturer and student, dyslexia, single mum, school garden project, British setting.
The Words Shimmer is Jenn Matthews’s second novel, a 2019 contemporary lesbian romance from Ylva Publishing. Ruby Clark, 42, lectures in anatomy at a Yorkshire university, raises two teenage daughters and likes her life low-maintenance. Mel Jackson, 47, is a proudly out, down-to-earth paramedic whose back and knees are telling her to find a less strenuous career — and whose biggest challenge is keeping her dyslexia a secret. A university open day puts them in each other’s way, and it does not go well.
It holds a 3.80 average across 272 Goodreads ratings and 3.47 across 46 StoryGraph reviews, noticeably lower than Matthews’s debut. The reviews explain the split: readers admire what the book is trying to do but disagree about whether it works as a romance.
What Is The Words Shimmer About?
This is an odd-couple slow burn set around a school garden project. Ruby is volunteered to lead a university charity scheme teaching young schoolchildren to grow vegetables, despite knowing nothing about plants. Mel, an expert gardener who is now studying at the university, offers a few helpful suggestions, and Ruby talks her into helping. One reviewer called them a lesbian “Odd Couple”: Ruby is private, prim and orderly; Mel is brash, jokey and at ease with earthworms.
Around the garden, the book takes on a lot. Mel’s newly diagnosed dyslexia and the stigma she fears, Ruby’s teenage daughters and their view of their mother’s love life, a homophobic teacher at the school, dementia, and the awkwardness of a lecturer falling for a student on a different course. Reviewers disagree about whether that makes the book rich or overstuffed.
What Makes This Mature Sapphic Romance Work
- Dyslexia representation: The most praised element. Readers repeatedly say they learned about dyslexia from Mel’s story, and that it is handled sensitively and without preaching; one called it insightful rather than preachy.
- Heroines in their forties: Reviewers welcome leads whose lives are not only about romance — careers, children, bodies that ache — and say the relationship develops the way it would for women that age.
- The garden project: Even critical readers call the scenes with the children delightful, and one reader singles out a particular child as their favourite.
- British warmth: Readers love the Yorkshire vernacular, the British humour and the comfortable, everyday feel of the setting.
- Matthews’s voice: Nearly every review, positive or negative, praises the writing style — “a slow meandering cadence”, in one reader’s words, that makes the book easy to read.
Book Synopsis
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 does not know about human anatomy is not worth knowing. Unfortunately, that knowledge does not stretch to plants, and she has been asked to help out on a school garden project.
Being a paramedic does not do Melissa Jackson’s back or knees any favours, so she is looking at university courses to move into a less strenuous line of work. But the brash, proudly out, down-to-earth woman’s biggest challenge is keeping her dyslexia a secret — and living down the stigma that follows when people find out.
A university open day throws the two women into each other’s orbit. When Mel, an expert green thumb, makes a few helpful suggestions about Ruby’s garden project, Ruby convinces her to team up. Personality-wise, they could not be less compatible: Mel’s brazen attitude and cocky jokes rub the hyper-professional Ruby the wrong way. Can they ever find common ground?
My Review
The strongest thing in this book is Mel. A forty-something paramedic who has spent her life hiding the fact that reading is hard for her is an unusual heroine, and Matthews writes her with real care. The dyslexia is not a gimmick or an excuse; it shapes how Mel moves through university, how she protects herself, and what she is afraid Ruby will think. Readers with no personal connection to it say they came away understanding it far better, and the book’s dedication to people with dyslexia, diagnosed and undiagnosed, sets the tone.
Ruby is harder to love at first, and that is deliberate. Their first meeting is prickly — Ruby has firm opinions about paramedics — and readers describe her as thorny, judgmental and very private. Those who stick with her say she becomes adorable; others never warmed to her, and one disliked how clearly she favours one of her daughters. The friendship that grows between the two over the garden project is the book’s best stretch, and the children give it a lot of charm.
The problem is the romance, or rather how long it takes. “Super slow”, “snail paced”, “anguishly slow”: the complaint is everywhere, including from readers who rated the book four stars. Lex Kent, who loved Hooked on You, felt Matthews waited until there was hardly any book left and that the chemistry and intimacy that carried the debut were missing here. At least one reader wondered whether Ruby and Mel were meant to be friends rather than lovers. A second, related criticism is that the book tries to cover too much — dyslexia, homophobia, dementia, parenting, a workplace dilemma — and gives few of them enough room. And when the late conflict comes, more than one reviewer found Mel’s reaction overblown and the resolution quick.
It helps to read it as the ambitious second book it is. One reviewer who loved Matthews’s debut called this an ambitious effort that took on more tropes and topics than it could fully handle, and that feels right: the enemies-to-lovers spark of the opening fades as the book moves into friendship, and the homophobia subplot raises questions it does not fully answer. Another reader was surprised that two women in their forties with plenty of life experience immediately assumed their university would side with a homophobe. Those are the frustrations of a book with a lot on its mind, and for many readers the kindness at its centre outweighs them.
Reset one expectation. The cover looks like a medical romance, and several readers picked it up expecting one. It is not; it is a quiet, gardening-and-family book about two women in their forties.
My honest note: If you value representation, mature heroines and a meandering British voice over pace and heat, this is a thoughtful read. If you need romance on the page early, start with Matthews’s debut instead.
| Element | In The Words Shimmer |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Ruby Clark & Mel Jackson — anatomy lecturer and dyslexic paramedic turned student, opposites attract |
| Core tropes | Opposites attract, enemies to friends to lovers, very slow burn, lecturer and student, single mum |
| Setting | A Yorkshire university and a school garden project |
| Heat level | Not rated — romance.io has no steam rating |
| Series | Standalone — happy resolution |
| Content notes | Homophobia, dementia, death of a parent, dyslexia stigma, sexual content |
How Spicy Is The Words Shimmer?
We have not scored the heat. romance.io has no steam rating for The Words Shimmer — only six readers have rated it there — and StoryGraph has too little data on sexual content. The romance arrives very late, and one reviewer mentioned sex scenes that beautifully portray both women’s vulnerability, so there is on-page intimacy. Others felt the chemistry was missing altogether. This is not a book to pick up for heat.
The content worth knowing in advance is homophobia, mainly from a teacher at the school, along with dementia and the death of a parent. For more books with neurodivergent leads, see our neurodivergent sapphic romance list.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want dyslexia representation, you enjoy heroines in their forties, you like British settings and humour, and you are happy with a slow, character-driven book. It sits on our women over 40 and neurodivergent sapphic romance lists.
You may want to skip it if: you need visible chemistry early, you dislike very slow burns, you want a tightly focused plot, or you are expecting a medical romance.
In short: A kind, thoughtful book about two women in their forties that works better as a character study than as a romance.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
This is a mid-list Ylva book with a modest, engaged readership, much of it coming via Matthews’s debut, and a web search surfaced no Reddit threads. On Goodreads the split is 25% five stars, 37% four, 29% three and 7% two or one — a flatter curve than most books on our lists. It was not in Kindle Unlimited when I checked. The Tantor audiobook is narrated by Rachael Beresford and runs 9 hours and 22 minutes.
Prefer audio? Listen to The Words Shimmer on Libro.fm — the audiobook shop that supports independent bookstores.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The dyslexia representation first. Second, heroines in their forties with full lives. Third, the garden scenes with the children. Fourth, Matthews’s easy, British writing style.
What readers argue about and complain about: The pace, above everything — “slow” appears in almost every review. Second, a lack of chemistry. Third, too many threads for the book to explore properly. Fourth, a late conflict that felt overdramatic and was resolved quickly. Several readers also compare it unfavourably to Hooked on You.
The standalone question worth asking first: The Words Shimmer is a standalone with a happy resolution. If you have not read it yet, Matthews’s debut, Hooked on You, is the book most readers prefer and the better introduction to her style.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Words Shimmer a medical romance?
Not really. Both leads work in healthcare — Ruby is a nurse who lectures in anatomy and Mel is a paramedic — and the cover suggests a medical drama, but several reviewers point out that most of the book is about a school garden project, a university course and the two women’s lives outside work.
How old are Ruby and Mel?
Ruby Clark is 42 and Mel Jackson is 47, according to the publisher’s description and several reviews. Ruby has two teenage daughters.
How is dyslexia handled in The Words Shimmer?
Mel is dyslexic and keeps it secret for fear of the stigma. Readers widely praise the representation as sensitive and educational, and several say they learned a lot. A few felt the book raised important subjects, including dyslexia and homophobia, without exploring them in enough depth.
How spicy is The Words Shimmer?
romance.io has no steam rating for it, so we have not scored it. The romance is a very slow burn and arrives late; one reviewer mentions sex scenes that show both women’s vulnerability, so there is on-page intimacy, but I could not confirm how explicit it is.
Is there an audiobook of The Words Shimmer?
Yes. Rachael Beresford narrates the Tantor Media audiobook, released in October 2019 and running 9 hours and 22 minutes. One listener said she did a great job with both characters.
If You Loved The Words Shimmer, Read These Next
Start with Jenn Matthews’s debut, Hooked on You. It shares Matthews’s gentle pace, her fondness for mature heroines and her eye for everyday detail, with more chemistry. For more, browse our neurodivergent sapphic romance list, the women over 40 list, the mature lesbian romance hub, or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
The Words Shimmer sets out to tell a slow, grown-up love story with a dyslexic heroine at its centre, and it succeeds in the parts that matter most to it: Mel’s dyslexia is handled with care, the heroines have full lives, and the garden scenes are a joy. What holds it back is a romance that arrives so late and so quietly that many readers never felt it, and a plot crowded with more issues than it can explore. For readers who value representation and mature heroines over pace, it is worth it. Check The Words Shimmer on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, The Words Shimmer ranks as a good, gentle mature sapphic romance — valuable for its dyslexia representation and its heroines in their forties, held back by a glacial slow burn, thin chemistry and an overstuffed plot.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ 3.80 average across 272 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 3.47 across 46 StoryGraph reviews
- ✓ Most readers prefer Hooked on You
Romance ★★★☆☆ 3.2/5
- ✓ Odd-couple setup with promise
- ✓ Friendship built over the garden project
- ✓ Romance arrives very late
- ✓ Chemistry missing for many readers
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Mel a rare dyslexic heroine
- ✓ Ruby prickly but rewarding
- ✓ Garden project kids a highlight
- ✓ Ruby’s favouritism bothered one reader
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Easy, meandering British voice
- ✓ Gentle humour
- ✓ Too many subplots
- ✓ Some scenes over-detailed
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Dyslexia handled with care
- ✓ Readers learned a great deal
- ✓ Late conflict felt overdramatic
- ✓ Issues raised but not explored
Heat Level — not rated
- ✓ No romance.io steam rating
- ✓ On-page intimacy, late
- ✓ Vulnerable sex scenes per one reader
- ✓ Explicitness not confirmed
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Happy resolution for Ruby and Mel
- ✓ Standalone with nothing left open
- ✓ HEA vs HFN not specified
- ✓ Resolved quickly after the conflict
Re-read Value ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ Comfortable British read
- ✓ 9-hour audiobook available
- ✓ Slow pace on a second pass
- ✓ Few readers mention rereading
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