Book review: VOICES CARRY, by Alison Rhymes

A heartfelt, gripping romance about healing, safety, and finally choosing yourself, this book pulled me in from the very first page. Lou arrives in the small town of Stowaway carrying the weight of years of emotional and physical harm, and the story follows her as she slowly rebuilds her sense of safety, identity, and worth. Even without going into plot details, her journey is powerful. She’s a former model who never received real affection growing up, then fell into an abusive relationship that chipped away at her confidence until she barely recognized herself. Watching her rediscover her strength is one of the most beautiful parts of the book.

Grady, a firefighter and EMT, becomes a steady presence in her life. He’s been through his own heartbreak — a messy divorce, constant battles over custody of his daughter Paige — yet he remains gentle, patient, and deeply protective. He knows how to approach someone who’s been hurt, and he gives Lou space to breathe while still showing up for her in quiet, meaningful ways. Their connection grows naturally, with easy conversation, shared humor (the morning‑poop talk with best friend Juliet had me laughing), and a slow build of trust that feels earned.

The town itself adds warmth and charm. Stowaway is the kind of place where people look out for each other, where friendships stretch back decades, and where found family becomes just as important as blood. Juliet’s unwavering support, Grady’s wonderful parents, and Paige’s sweet bond with Lou all help her heal in ways she never expected.

What I loved most is Lou’s transformation. She starts the story believing she’s unlovable and broken — lies planted in her childhood and reinforced later — but she has an inner steel she never realized she possessed. With time, care, and the right people around her, she begins to see her own worth. She becomes stronger, braver, and more determined to reclaim her life. Her kindness never fades, even when she’s hurt, and her growth feels both realistic and inspiring.

Grady is the perfect example of a strong man who leads with tenderness. He loves his daughter fiercely, he shows up for Lou without hesitation, and he never tries to control her. He supports her healing, respects her boundaries, and fights for the people he loves with quiet determination.

By the end, I felt uplifted. This story blends heartbreak with hope, trauma with recovery, and fear with empowerment. It’s about survival, found family, and becoming the best version of yourself. I finished it feeling enlightened, comforted, and grateful for a romance that treats healing with so much care.

Purchase links

𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗟𝗘 𝗨𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗠𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗

https://geni.us/voicescarry

Paperback: https://geni.us/voicescarrypb

About the author

Alison lives somewhere in the shadow of a Pacific Northwest Mountain, bordered by the Puget Sound, and not too far from the country roads she grew up on. 

When not writing, she can be found avidly reading, traveling with youthful wanderlust, or slowly turning the inside of her house into her own personal houseplant jungle. 

Content Warnings for Alison's books can be found on her website alisonrhymes.com

You can join Alison's newsletter to receive early news and bonus scenes: https://tinyurl.com/ymrrdtfc

Alison can be contacted at alison@alisonrhymes.com

Book review: KNIGHTS LIKE THESE, by Kendall Ryan

Off the Ice #3

Archer & Sydney

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would just like to say this book was beautiful. Of the whole series so far, this one touched me the most. It had layers, feelings, quiet heartbreak, and the kind of slow‑burn love that stays with you long after you finish.

This is one of the best friends‑to‑lovers stories I’ve ever read. Sydney has loved Archer since she was fourteen, and you can feel that history in every page. She loved him from the moment he walked into her ballet class as a quiet, intense teenager. Their lives stayed intertwined through college, relationships, marriage, heartbreak, and parenthood. All that history made their story feel rich and lived‑in, earned.

The twins were a delight. Lily with her wild energy and tiny‑litigator attitude, and Luke with his quiet seriousness and love for marine life. They added so much heart to the story.  And I loved how much they loved Sydney!

Archer’s journey was emotional. He’s a man who hides behind “safe choices,” and watching him finally face his truth was powerful. Sydney’s growth was just as meaningful—finding her purpose, her joy, and her place in Archer’s world.

I should also mention Lauren, Sydney’s friend from back home. Initially I didn’t love her because I found her too meddling, too bossy—but by the end, she surprised me. She showed real compassion when Sydney was unraveling, and her kindness mattered. And I think we’ll see her in a future book, too!

This book had nuance, tenderness, humor, and a whole hockey family that made everything richer. A gorgeous slow burn with a payoff that felt earned. Five stars, easily.

Purchase links

Kindle: https://amzn.to/4nH9QGy

Goodreads: https://geni.us/grknights

About the author

Kendall Ryan writes contemporary romance. Her books have been featured on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestsellers lists a combined total of more than 100 times. 

Connect with Kendall:

➜ WEBSITE www.kendallryanbooks.com

➜ NEWSLETTER www.kendallryanbooks.com/newsletter

➜ FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/kendallryanbooks

➜ INSTAGRAM www.instagram.com/kendallryan1

➜ TWITTER www.twitter.com/kendallryan1

 

Book review: ICE COLD CHEMISTRY, by Kendall Ryan

Off the Ice #2

Banks & Winnie

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A tender, protective, slow‑building romance that feels like healing, this book gave me everything I love in a romance: a woman rebuilding herself, a man who feels too closed‑off to love, and the slow, careful way they find safety in each other.

Winnie starts fresh with a new job and strict rules for herself after a painful past. She wants peace, confidence, and a life where she doesn’t shrink for anyone. But her first days at work are rough — too many immature men who don’t know how to behave, too many comments that make her feel small again. And just when she thinks she has to deal with it alone, someone steps in.

Banks.

When the sleaze Grayson Reed goes too far, Banks steps in. Not loudly, not dramatically — just with that quiet authority that shuts a whole room down. And when he sees Winnie shaken one day, he decides he’s done watching from the sidelines. He offers to be her fake boyfriend to protect her from the players’ behavior, and the moment they test it at lunch, everything changes. The room goes silent. The guys behave. The yoga class finally becomes what it should be. And Winnie gets to breathe again.

He’s quiet, broody, and looks like he’s always one second away from growling at someone. But underneath all that is a man who has lived a life full of instability and loneliness, and it shows. He doesn’t talk much, he doesn’t let people close, and he definitely doesn’t know what to do when he meets someone who makes him feel something real.

Their connection grows in small, gentle moments — the kind that sneak up on you. He protects her without making her feel weak. She softens him without forcing him to change. They start to trust each other, to open up, to feel seen for the first time. And the more time they spend together, the more you feel that warm, steady pull between them.

There are challenges, misunderstandings, and moments where old fears try to ruin something good. But what makes this story beautiful is how they work through it. Winnie learns she deserves someone who shows up. Banks learns that not everyone leaves. And together, they build something that feels safe, sweet, and full of hope.

By the end, you’re smiling because these two finally get the love they’ve always needed — a love that feels like home.

What I loved:

Winnie came from pain and found someone who gave her safety, joy, and a place to stand tall. Banks came from abandonment and found someone who stayed, who loved him, who made him believe he deserved a home. They healed each other in quiet, steady ways. They learned, trusted, and built something real. And Banks discovered that family isn’t always blood — sometimes it’s the people who choose you and stay.

A tender, protective, emotional romance that made me smile, ache, and cheer for these two. A perfect five‑star read.

Purchase links

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4b7EHYj

Goodreads: https://geni.us/ICCGR

Audio: https://geni.us/jj23tn

About the author

Kendall Ryan writes contemporary romance. Her books have been featured on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestsellers lists a combined total of more than 100 times. 

Connect with Kendall:

➜ WEBSITE www.kendallryanbooks.com

➜ NEWSLETTER www.kendallryanbooks.com/newsletter

➜ FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/kendallryanbooks

➜ INSTAGRAM www.instagram.com/kendallryan1

➜ TWITTER www.twitter.com/kendallryan1

Book review: MANHATTAN KISS, by Louise Bay

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story follows two people who meet at the exact moment their lives are shifting, even if they don’t want to admit it. Deacon grew up as an army brat, always moving, never settling, and that childhood shaped him deeply. Now he’s a father, and all he wants is for his daughter Willow to have the steady, predictable life he never had. He and Willow’s mother, Gabby, have a nesting arrangement that works for them… until Gabby announces she’s getting married. Suddenly Deacon feels the ground move under his feet, and he hates it.

Aurora, on the other hand, is thirty‑six and quietly heartbroken by the life she expected but didn’t get. No husband, no kids, and a doctor telling her motherhood may not be possible. She’s been stuck in the same job for years, watching her friends build families while she stays on the outside. So when a hotel in New York offers her a three‑month position, she takes the risk, even though everyone thinks she’s lost her mind.

Their first meeting is messy — literally — and not cute at all. He’s rude, she’s annoyed, and yet the spark is there. As they keep running into each other at the hotel, that spark grows into something neither of them planned. Their chemistry is strong, their conversations are honest, and for the first time in a long time, both of them feel seen.

But life is complicated. Deacon is terrified of anything that might disrupt Willow’s world, and Aurora is torn between the life she knows and the life she could have. Their fling becomes something deeper, but fear and old habits get in the way. They each have to face the truth: they’ve been living small, letting life happen to them instead of choosing what they want.

What I loved most is how both characters grow. Aurora finally steps into her own life, making choices for herself instead of out of fear. And Deacon learns that protecting his daughter doesn’t mean freezing the world around her. Change can be good. Change can be love.

By the end, the story gives you that warm, hopeful feeling — two adults choosing each other, choosing happiness, choosing a future that once felt impossible. It’s emotional, sexy, and full of heart, with a beautiful message about letting go of fear and letting life in.

Purchase links

https://amzn.to/4uSC2rP

About the author

International, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author, Louise Bay writes contemporary romance novels that make you laugh - the kind she likes to read.

Ruined by the bonk-busters of the eighties, Louise was inspired by Judith Krantz and Jackie Collins, but wants to be Emily Henry when she grows up.

Louise loves the rain, RHOBH, London, days when she doesn't have to wear make-up, hanging out with her kid, elephants and champagne (not necessarily in that order).

She loves to hear from readers so get in touch!

 

Keep up with Louise Bay and subscribe to her newsletter: https://louisebay.com/newsletter/

 

To learn more about Louise Bay & her books, visit here!

 

Connect with Louise Bay:

https://louisebay.com/contact/

Book review: SAVED BY A GOD, by Michelle Heard

Kings of Mafia # 10

Enzo & Rosie

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story felt like a beautiful farewell gift to the whole series. At the center of it all is Rosie, the bright, funny heart of the Cosa Nostra. She grew up surrounded by danger and power, yet she’s still the girl who loves pranks, jokes, and making every capo say “pretty please with a cherry on top” before she helps them. She’s their little sister, their genius hacker, and the one person everyone protects without question.

And then there’s Enzo, the man who feels everything too deeply and hides it behind discipline and silence. He has always cared for Rosie in his own quiet way, even when he convinced himself he couldn’t have her. Their bond—this strange mix of comfort, routine, and unspoken longing—was one of my favorite parts of the book.

What struck me most was how emotional this story is. Rosie goes through something terrifying and life‑changing, and the book handles her journey with so much heart. Watching the Cosa Nostra rally around her, watching Enzo fall apart and then pull himself back together for her, watching Rosie slowly return to herself—it all hit me so hard. I cried more than once.

The romance is tender and slow, full of care and patience. Enzo’s love shows in the way he protects her, the way he listens, the way he gives her space to heal. Rosie’s love shows in the way she trusts him and lets him lead, little by little, until she’s strong enough to stand on her feet and tease him like she used to. Their connection feels earned, deep, and incredibly sweet.

I also loved the family moments. The capos, the parents, the friends from all the different mafia groups—they all come together in a way that made my heart swell. When Rosie returns and everyone celebrates her, you can feel how much she means to them. It was one of the most touching scenes in the whole series.

By the end, everything comes full circle. Love, loyalty, healing, and family all wrap together in a perfect final chapter. The wedding had me in tears—happy ones.

This was an epic, emotional, beautiful ending to the Kings of Mafia series. I loved Rosie, I loved Enzo, and I loved every moment of their journey.

Purchase links

Amazon: https://geni.us/aSw9

About the author

Michelle Heard is a Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling Author who loves creating stories her readers can get lost in. She resides in South Africa with her son where she's always planning her next book to write, and trip to take.

 

Connect w/Michelle:

Website: https://michelleheardauthor.com

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