I've been deprived of normalcy since the day I was born, lacking the needed essential nourishment that my starving soul yearns for.
Desperately, I've hoped that someone or something would come along and bring me back to life, but small kernels of my withered being have wanted to give up. Past and present wounds continue to surface, giving small, unwanted reminders of my fate.
This is my own personal nightmare.
How was I to know that a mysterious man would enter my presence, causing my soul to instantly react? Why is he here? Did he come to save me from my nightmare?
The burning question Does he hold the cure for my damaged soul?
Hey, lovely readers! My name is Lindsay. I am an N.C. indie author sharing my healing romance debut—The Rhythm of Their Souls.
I am a wife, homeschool mom, part-time realtor, and a mom to a small farm.
Reading has been my escape for many years. In April 2024, after a tragic year of losses in 2023, I decided it was time to spill my soul into a book and become an author. Since I was a little girl, I have journaled and written emotional poems. Realizing that I am gifted with expressing myself on paper .
It means the absolute world to me to connect with readers and give them the chance to relate and connect with book characters.
And I hope, in some way, my books help heal those who need it. Or even provide a temporary escape.
4.25 stars—This book was emotional, raw, and also full of hope. Olive and Theo’s story felt real and meaningful, and the romance had the perfect mix of heartbreak and sweetness. Theo is ♥️♥️♥️ overall it’s a beautiful, heartfelt, and yet heartbreaking read that sticks with you.
The debut novel by L.D. Pack is nothing short than beautiful & breathtaking, you wouldn't believe this was the authors first book ever, she truly encapsulates the highs and lows with navigating grief and finding true love in the most unexpected ways. The story is based on true events, & finding the light in the darkness, being able to overcome life's hardships without giving into the family demons.
“I can’t promise you the Universe, but I can promise you a piece, a piece that is filled with all of me.”
This is a MUST READ, make sure to have a box of tissues with you!
The moment I stepped into this book I knew this was going wreck me and heal me at the same time. It revolves around a woman named Olive who suffered traumatic childhood events that she carried into her adult life. She meets Theo who helps heal her wounded soul. There was one word that came to mind when I started reading this book. HOPE. Hope for those who have suffered similar upbringings and who current fight this fight.
Chapter 27 - balled my eyes out.
By the end, it was tears of happiness and awe!
This is a must read! I hope everyone finds their Theo.
okay let me start off by saying I would never believe that this is your first book. this was amazingggggg. I loved every second of it, and the connection I felt to the characters 🥹 Theo is the PERFECT man, I mean PERFECT. From the very minute they locked eyes, he knew what he wanted and he wasted no time going for it. He broke down wall after wall, or onion layers as he says. She thought he would run away once he heard her life story, she never expected him to stick around but he DID & he never let her feel alone. “What are you thinking in that beautiful head” got me every single time. Theo never let her feel alone, and gave her the feeling of being loved. He took her hurt and turned it into love and showed her she was worth every single thing. And olive, my sweet sweet olive. You remind me so much of someone I know, and I wanna hold you and cry with you. You’re perfect and worthy of it all 🥹 Nora broke my heart, so damn bad. I had a feeling it was going to end up that way but I wanted to be wrong so bad. “I love you to the moon and back olive oil” ❤️ Nora saved olive and olive saved Nora. But in the end Nora couldn’t handle her grief— and it’s the reality of many people going through what she went through 💔
I would really love more Danielle and chase, I FELT THEIR LOVE from miles away. Perfection and Danielle was the best friend any girl could ever ask for.
Would highly recommend this book, if you wanna feel every emotion possible. Theo and olives story will always stick with me 🥹
If a book can bring ME to tears, automatic 5⭐️ This book is full of trauma, grief, learning, growing, healing, loss and love.
This isn’t your typical love story. Yes there’s spice (and it’s quite good), yes there’s banter, but emotionally I wasn’t ready for the feelings this would bring out of me. As someone who has went through familial issues and seen the way addiction can affect people, I resonated with this book on so many levels. So many quotes GUTTED me.
I cannot begin to describe how much this story has impacted me. This is a story of healing, trauma, addiction, overcoming fears, learning to love, and grief.
Olive has been dealt cards no person ever should. A father who would rather walk away and a mother who is addicted to drugs and alcohol. Olive and her older sister, Nora, lean on one another and make sure each other are taken care of to make it through the trials of their childhood. Nora is fortunate enough to have found young love and moves out to live with her boyfriend, leaving Nora with her mom but NEVER leaving her behind and continuing to care for her away from the toxicity that is their home.
On Olive’s 19th birthday she meets a dreamy semi-older man (23) Theo, who was taken it among himself to prove to her she is WORTH so much more than the cards she was dealt. Their love story is one for the books and proves everyone needs a Theo.
Author L.D. Pack writes loss & grief in such a beautiful and respectful way and I believe this story can help heal SO many.
Solid 4.5 ⭐️ Goodreads doesn’t offer half stars. Beautifully written! I’m not good with words at all. So I’m not comfortable critiquing anyone’s work. I enjoyed their journey.
I received this book as an ARC and I am so thankful I was chosen to.
L D Pack tells a beautiful healing journey that is real. It’s not always rainbows and butterflies, quite frankly it usually isn’t. Trauma is real. Addiction is real. Pain is real. Far too often these things are overlooked. This story is based on things close to home for her and I am telling you this before you read it to keep in the back of your mind. Read the authors note at the end, I highly encourage you to do so even if you normally don’t.
Now for the book itself:
This book follows Olive Sage Landers (FMC) and Theo Ace Rivers (MMC), they meet at a party and when their eyes sync it’s an attraction from the start. Olive bolts. Why? Because of her history.
Olive had a very sorrowful upbringing, one I felt similarly but was lucky enough to not see up close and personal. Olives dad (or donor rather) abandoned her and her sister and mom. Her mom became an addict and chose those things over her own well being and her daughters.
Nora Ray is Olives sister and a vital part in what kept Olive on the straight and narrow. Through the ups, downs and hard times you experience both joy, heartache, love blossom, tragedy, and loving friendship. You see healing.
Embark on this journey but please do check your triggers.
For my spice lovers, there is definitely spice, it is not a sad book through and through, there is joy and spice 😉.
I highly recommend this book and encourage you to take a chance on L D Pack and her debut novel.💙
Duet narration - Brandon Francis & Dani Soleil What a performance. These narrators were fabulous.
Content Warnings - Addiction, abandonment, bullying, body shaming, childhood trauma, emotional abuse, explicit death scenes, explicit sex themes, grief, mental health awareness, mental illness, neglect, night terrors, substance abuse, and mature language.
Olive and Theo are heartbreakingly sweet. Their story is deeply emotional.
A chance meeting one night at a party and they are instantly connected. “Like our souls knew each other in another life”
Olive is sweet and fiesty. A troubled childhood leaves her feeling alone. She has her sister who is dealing with her own grief, her best friend and that’s it.
Theo is a good man, he gives Olive what she needs and takes care of her. Determined to make her his.
Found family vibes, gives “fated mates” feels in modern times.
Overall, this is a deep emotional love story. I truly enjoyed this book. If you are looking for a book that will reck you emotionally this will do it.
Wow. This book absolutely left me in awe and completely captured my heart.
Olive- my sweet, brave Olive—my heart shattered for you. This story struck such a deep chord with me, especially having lost my own sister. It brought back the rawness of that heartbreak, the long, uneven stages of grief, and the way it lingers in corners no one can truly understand unless they’ve walked through it themselves 💔
But on a lighter, beautiful note: Theo and Olive’s love story was EVERYTHING. Watching their connection grow from a genuine, tender friendship into something so full and life-changing tugged at every one of my emotions. I’m SO grateful Olive has someone like Theo to lean on through the darkest moments and even more grateful that they get a forever to look forward to 🥹
Read this. Don’t hesitate. Don’t second-guess. Just read it. Now. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
From the very first chapter, I was drawn in by the lyrical writing and the emotional depth of the characters. There’s something so intimate and vulnerable about the way Pack writes; like the words are humming with truth. The characters felt real to me, flawed yet beautifully human, and I found myself rooting for them with everything I had.
What struck me most was how music and emotion were so seamlessly woven together. It’s not just a love story; it’s a story about healing, identity, and finding the courage to truly feel. I honestly teared up at a few moments, not because the scenes were overly dramatic, but because they were honest. There’s a quiet power in that kind of storytelling
It will break your heart and heal it all at the same time.
LD Pack’s debut was nothing short of a masterpiece. She handled delicate topics such as addiction, mental health, grief and trauma with such tenderness and grace. Knowing this was inspired by her true life events made this story even more special and I’m so grateful she shared this with us.
I wanted to hug Olive, be besties with Danielle, climb Theo like a tree and punch Chloe and at times Olive’s mom.
Speaking of Theo 😮💨😮💨😮💨 not only is this man so foineeeee, he has the truest heart of gold. The car scene at the abandoned construction site will live rent free in my head. 🥵
Truly, this book will stick with me for a long dang time. I can’t wait for y’all to read it on 2/14/25.
Let me in. Let me find the scattered pieces of your soul and hold them close. I can’t promise you the universe, but I can promise you a piece that is filled with all of me.
That is my favorite quote from this book.
This book! Oh my! It had love, transformation, heartbreak, grief, trauma, resiliency and so much more. I adored this book. It made me feel so many different things. I will definitely be buying anything this author writes!
It took me some time after finishing The Rhythm of Their Souls to fully gather my thoughts and form this review. As someone who loves supporting indie authors, I’m grateful to L.D. Pack for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy. This story includes some deeply personal elements for the author, so I wanted to take extra time reflecting before sharing my thoughts.
What I liked: I’m a big fan of dual POV, especially in romance novels, and L.D. Pack does an excellent job. The balance between the perspectives feels natural, allowing readers to experience the protagonists’ relationship develop from the very beginning. I also appreciated how Pack developed Olive’s backstory. It gave me a better understanding of her journey and the challenges she faced, which added so much depth to her character.
What I wanted more of: One aspect I would have liked to see more of was Olive’s relationship with her sister. While I was told that they shared a strong bond, I didn’t feel the depth of that connection as much as I would have liked, particularly in the early parts of the book. As the story progresses, the focus is around the romance (which makes sense in a healing romance), but I would have liked to see more moments between Olive and her sister to strengthen that relationship for the reader.
Lastly, I recommend checking the content warnings before diving in. I initially thought I would be fine, but I ended up being more affected by the themes than I anticipated. That’s on me. L.D. Pack does a great job of outlining these warnings and offering guidance on how to navigate them.
Thank you again, L.D. Pack, for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of your debut novel!
Meet Olive. Olive has had a rough upbringing. From having an absentee father, and an addict for a mother, she’s never really had stability. Except for her sister, Nora. Nora always made sure Olive was taken care of. But now they’re adults. Nora lives with her boyfriend Jake and his parents and Olive lives with her best friend Danielle. She’s fresh out of a breakup after her boyfriend cheated with one of her friends and she’s really not in the mood to party. But she goes with Danielle anyway and that’s when she meets Theo.
Theo is simply.. perfection. They immediately hit it off texting back and forth and she finally agrees to go on a date with him and from then on, she experiences something she’s never quite know.. happiness. But nothing good lasts forever right? Something she never expected happens on a night she’s supposed to be enjoying herself at a party and her life will never be the same again. How can she possibly move forward with life now? How can she willingly let Theo into her life of sadness, hurt, grief, and trauma. And how will she ever smile again..
Oh my god .. I honestly cannot put into words how incredibly moving this story is. First of all.. debut novel where? This book was absolutely AMAZING. The characters, the story, everything was so incredibly real. I felt such a connection to Olive. The author did such an amazing job at describing grief. This story encapsulates sadness, grief, trauma, finding hope in the darkest of days, and learning that there is true love out there. Someone can love you despite all the hardships you faced, all the hurt you bear. There is someone out there. Theo was the perfect MMC. He balanced out Olive so well and truly showed the meaning of a man. When she needed someone the most he was there. And when she was beating herself up, he showed her that it’s not her fault. Their love story was beautiful.
From a beautiful relationship between Theo & Olive to an 100% true friendship between Danielle & Olive. This story took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I highly recommend checking trigger warnings and giving this incredible book a read. You won’t be the same after.
First, I just want to say thank you so much L.D. Pack for allowing me to ARC read your debut novel. You should be so proud of yourself.
This book was such a beautiful, raw and real story about love and healing. I instantly connected with Olive and swooned from the moment I met Theo. I couldn't stop thinking about these characters and truly rooting for them. By the end I was so proud of Olive and ready to marry Theo for myself. Everyone deserves a Theo and a Danielle in their lives and I am so glad Olive had that.
I experienced every emotion while reading it. It's one of those books that will have you talking to yourself and maybe yelling at your kindle a time or two... L.D. touches on sensitive topics such as addiction, mental health, grief and trauma in such a way that makes you feel not so alone if you too have dealt with these subjects. I definitely cried while reading it, but it was so worth it and just goes to show how much it made me feel for these characters.
The romance was so natural and not rushed. I had butterflies while watching their love story unfold. It really just felt like fate. Theo was exactly what Olive needed. I was not expecting to be so blown away by the chemistry and passion between these two. Some of the moments were so hot and I was eating it up with a smile on my face. Who doesn't love a man that truly wants to get to know you for what's inside your head and not just for a good time. Not to mention knows what he wants and goes for it. Swoon.
I will say the book was so much more than just a romance though and I really loved the message and meaning behind it all. I do not want to go into detail on that and spoil the book because you really just need to experience it for yourself.
L.D., thank you for being so vulnerable and intertwining some of your own experiences and life story into this book. It did not go unnoticed and it's inspiring that you were able to take your hardships and create a beautiful story that is so real and can help others not feel so alone in their thoughts/experiences. I really am going to miss these characters!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Packs debut novel has been dubbed a “healing romance” and healing was absolutely had! This is a symphonic journey through trauma, addiction, poverty, small town gossip, family turmoils, and coming-of-age. We get a front row seat into the differences of toxic relationships and true, safe love.
We follow our FMC Olive while she grows up “on the wrong side of the tracks”. Her mom is an addict and has a revolving door of men. Olive and her sister find solace in one another and learn to depend on each other while being forced by circumstances to quickly mature before their time. Olive’s sister takes on a protective role until she encounters her own traumas in life. Olive is suddenly on her own. Until we meet our MMC.
Theo is everything Olive is not. He has a healthy family, a safe home, plenty of food on the table, and structure and reliability. Theo is a MAN, in the healthiest form of masculinity. He is clearly in touch with his emotions and has no problem communicating. Theo comes behind Olive to support her while she navigates ensuing family struggles. Will his love be enough to help Olive come back to herself? Will Olive allow herself to heal in the light of the love Theo so freely gives her?
Lindsay has me in an emotional state that I can’t get out of. Her debut novel was absolutely phenomenal. I would have never in a million years guessed that this was the first novel from her. This book is beautiful, emotional, well written & heart wrenching. I laughed, cried, felt anxious, & bit my fingernails all while reading this beautiful book.
The banter was realistic and witty and made me feel all the emotions of being in high school. The writing was perfect, plot was intriguing, detailed, dark but also full of banter.
I appreciated all the details of the characters that we were given. The history of the sisters & how they got to where they are now. The character development for Olive, the raw emotions from Theo. Learning how to navigate grief and continue to live on was such a beautiful story. The bond that Olive & Nora share is unlike anything I’ve read as far as siblings, it makes me crave a genuine sisterhood no matter what we would have to go through together.
Lastly, anything that Lindsay releases I will be reading, no questions asked. I was holding my chest while reading this entire book & I will be recommending It to everyone. & I can’t wait to get my hands on the physical copy.
“In this moment I can feel our souls desperately reaching toward each other like they are preparing to sing a beautiful song in harmony.” -Olive
“She doesn’t need your apology. She forgot your name the moment she started screaming mine.”-Theo
This was one of those books that you just know is going to hurt but heal the minute you start reading!
Olive is a young woman forced to grow up too soon due to a traumatic childhood. Having to witness addiction and experiencing abandonment, she is led to believe that she will never be good enough for anything more than the life she is currently living. Enter Theo Ace Rivers, a man that proves to be everything Olive has needed to mend the pieces of her shattered soul.
This book is for anyone who enjoys 🌙 Healing Romance 🌙 He falls first 🌙 Found Family 🌙 Spice 🌙 Dual POV
Admittedly, I spent the majority of this book waiting for the other shoe to drop because everything between Olive and Theo was damn near perfect! This is one of those love stories that just captures your heart and makes you root for the couple until the very end. The love Theo has for Olive is just so pure and I enjoyed every minute of seeing it grow through the pages!
Well done, L.D. Pack! Thank you for sharing Olive and Theo’s healing love story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
First off, the writing is 🤌chef’s kiss🤌, beautiful imagery and heartfelt conversations. The author did a fantastic job writing and transitioning from heavy emotional scenes to light hearted ones. I appreciate that especially when healing can look exactly like that! It is all ebbs and flows, and this book really showed that beautifully. I found myself looking forward to reading it in the evening, and those types of books are just the best 🫶🏻
Second, the sister love connection & bond runs DEEP in this story and is truly a wonderful experience to read. I nearly sobbed.
This book was so real, so raw, heartbreaking but also puts you back in the perfect pieces once you’ve finished the book. ✨
AND THEO IS A SWEETHEART. The way he says, “I can’t promise you the Universe, but I can promise you a piece, a piece that is filled with all of me.” ARE YOU KIDDING ME. Brb, crying.
LINDSAY!! You incredible author YOU! Thank you so much for writing such a beautiful, heartfelt novel. From one sister who lost a sibling to another—your words are seen ❤️thank you for allowing me to arc read your story, I am so honored to have read this. Thank you, thank you, thank you 🥰
I’ve had this book sitting on my kindle for a while. It was an advanced reader copy. I read the triggers and put it down. As someone who has lost several friends to drug overdose I wasn’t in the right mindset to take this book on yet. I was scrolling TikTok one day and saw a rec for the book and thought I should really give it a chance and I’m so glad that I did. The topic of addiction was covered in a way that it wasn’t triggering for me, it was more therapeutic. I knew going into this that I would cry, and a lot of it was happy tears for Olive. She faced many obstacles and came out of it healed, recovered and loved by someone who showed her that she had a value and worth. Some micro tropes in the book are found family, a part that really stuck out to me was a quote I highlighted on page 213 “Somehow, in the most comforting, unexpected way, the four of us have become a little family.” Another micro tropes in the and my absolute favorite, when he gives her a nickname. Theo jokingly calls Olive “You little criminal” on page 39 and it ends up sticking. And it’s actually very cute.
This book was a fast paced, hot burn that was complemented by a heartbreaking story. Pack’s discussion of addiction in this book is one that is important and so well done. At the beginning of the book, to emphasize the importance of the themes in the novel, she provides resources and trigger warning disclaimers for the reader, which is something I think a lot of authors forget to address. But even with these themes, Pack does not forget the humor that makes this book so easy to fall in love with. The whirlwind romance between our MMC and FMC is intoxicating, and you can’t help but to root for them from the very beginning. I really enjoyed the element of soulmates and how you just gravitate towards someone without seeming to understand why or how. It reminds me of my love story, as silly as that seems. I highly recommend The Rhythm of Their Souls for readers who want a fast-paced, hot burn with a dash of spice and an achingly beautiful story ❤️
ARC Review:::::: Just like the characters in this book falling in love at first sight, when I signed up for the ARC I KNEW I was going to love the story. Lindsay writes in a way that made me feel warm. Her depictions of family trauma and addiction made me feel all of the pain and grief that accompany deep rooted trauma. And then she put me all back together again. I will NEVER listen to Dreams by Stevie Nicks the same again. If you’ve never experienced a true soul-tie, then you’re in for a treat. Theo and Olive are destined to be. A true broken soul and “fixer” soul uniting together to make each other whole. I loved every second and every page!! Lindsay is going to help people heal and feel seen through her words. Please do not forget to read the acknowledgments and authors notes. They really make the book 5 stars.
Beautiful, sexy, funny, detailed, heart breaking, heart mending.. literally everything you want in a book.
The smut was *chefs kiss* Theos fine ass had me melting into a puddle in every chapter 🫠 I love an MMC that knows what the fuck he wants and makes it known! but I won’t fail to mention Olive and the sexy confidence she has in herself either! Those two are literally the hottest!!
Real life shit that opened my heart to truly feel what some people have dealt with in life. The last few chapters seriously wrecked me but then quickly mended my broken heart. Truly a masterpiece.. thank you for sharing the hard parts of life, but also the good that can come from the trauma. ❤️🩹
I am so dang proud of you. 🥹 I could literally see so much of YOU in this book and GIRL you were meant to do this!! Please keep writing and giving us more, I will forever be a fan of anything you write.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Olive never believed she would be able to be loved right by anyone. Her home life alone would make any guy run for the hills. Her mom is a drunken addict and she hasn’t seen her father since she was a child. The only support she has comes from her bestfriend Danielle and her big sister Nora ray. Never would she of thought the guy she met at a party would make her feel deserving of love
He falls head over heels first. I loved watching their relationship grow. I love how patient and accepting he is of her. He treats her the way she deserves to be treated.
This book was an emotional one. The theme of addiction is present and it goes to show that no one is safe from the evil claws of it. I support everyone going through treatment and my account will always be a safe place for people to have a person to just listen. Addiction is hard and the signs are not always obvious.
Wow. Where do I even begin?! I can’t believe this is L.D Pack’s first book. The writing was beautiful and took you in to the story itself and I felt every single emotion.
Olive’s story really touches you and I’m sure is relatable to a lot of people. She hasn’t had the best start in life and seen so much trauma from being young making her grow up to quick.
I love the sister bond between Olive and Nora. The struggles they went through together and always had each others back.
MMC Theo??????? Hot as hell. I’m so please Olive and Theo found each other. It was beautiful.
The whole storyline brought sadness with addiction but the healing process and how you get through is breathtaking.
Definite 5 star. I will read anything from this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
“Our lives may not align perfectly together, but damn it, Olive, I know our souls were destined to dance.”
I was absolutely captivated by The Rhythm of our Souls from the moment I opened it. This story takes you through a whirlwind of emotions. At times I was laughing alongside Olive & Danielle, swooning over Theo, and then trying to hold back tears. If you’re looking for a novel that is going to make you FEEL, I can’t recommend this book enough.
The writing was beautiful, characters were so dynamic, and the spice was SPICING!! Hoping L.D. Pack continues to write because I neeed more from her! 🩵
this book was heartbreaking, healing, spicy, & so emotional! the characters were very likeable and you can’t help but want the FMC, olive, to be happy. i found olive to be very relatable. her backstory & the emotions and trauma that come with it were spot on and definitely made me shed a few tears. the relationship between olive and theo was so pure and wholesome & i love them together! they complete each other. the story was really well done & i was invested in where it was going next. this was such an emotional journey (i cried like a baby) and the last 20% really got to me. check your trigger warnings!
This book was absolutely amazing!! It’s one of those books that stays with you long after you finish it. The story was powerful, and so well written. Theo and Olive’s story was definitely one of healing, and I loved the soulmate aspect of it as well. I went through a whole range of emotions while reading this book. I laughed, I cried, I swooned. But I was left with a sense of peace and happiness by the end. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, and feel so honored to have been able to read it.