The Secrets of Rhydian Hill

by Ronica Black

A doctor in need of a new start.

A woman running from a killer.

A love story that could end in tragedy.

When Dr. Gianna Walford finds her girlfriend in bed with another woman, she needs a new start and Cliffside, a small seaside town in Oregon, is just the place. Getting to know her patients on a personal level and making old fashioned house calls is a nice change from hospital bureaucracy. On one of those house calls, she meets the beautiful but mysterious Kiera. She’s kind and unassuming, but extremely guarded and private. Intrigued, and determined to help Kiera’s ailing neighbor, Gianna makes numerous visits, only to discover more than she bargained for.

Jenny McAllister witnessed a murder, escaped a killer, and reinvented herself in Cliffside as Kiera Davenport. So when Gianna arrives and interests her, first with her good looks and compassion, and then her relentless curiosity, Jenny is more than unnerved. With a killer searching and willing to do anything to silence her, she can’t let anyone close or her real identity will be discovered.

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, Suspense, Contemporary, Fiction

278 pages, Paperback

Published November 11, 2025

About the author

Ronica Black is an award-winning author and a three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist. Her books range from romance and erotica to mystery and intrigue, and she enjoys trying her hand at all. Ronica also enjoys drawing, painting, and sculpting. She lives in Glendale, Arizona, with her partner, where she relishes a rich family life and raising a menagerie of pets.

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

[Autumn Aria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and it had a good plot but there were unfortunately too many holes in them.

Like how did the baddie even find Jenny. What even is the secret of Rhydian Hill? So many unanswered questions.

This being a suspense thriller, the romance isn't fully the main focus and I don't know how to describe it... something like an insta-slow burn romance if that makes sense lol

I loved Fiona Vallen's voice though - crisp and clear with all the varied nuances and intonations for every character. The tension could be felt throughout the readings as the baddie inched closer and closer towards Jenny.

Overall it was a good and enjoyable story but the ending felt a little flat and rushed.

I received this free audiobook from Netgalley for review.

[currentlyreadingbynat · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Secrets of Rhydian Hill worked much better for me as a mystery/thriller than as a romance.
From the opening chapter, the murder and Jenny’s flight are gripping, and I found myself far more invested in whether she would escape her husband’s relentless killer than in the developing romance. The suspense carries most of the weight of the story, and that thread kept me listening.

The romance between Jenny (Kiera) and Gianna is very slow to build. So slow that by the time it really begins to take shape, the book is almost over. I didn’t fully feel the connection between them, and at times the dialogue came across as a bit stilted, something that was more noticeable in audiobook format.

That said, I enjoyed the small-town setting and the sense of community around Jenny. The mystery elements were engaging, even if the pacing felt uneven in places and the ending a little rushed with a lot packed in at once.

Overall, an easy and entertaining listen with solid suspense, though I was definitely more invested in the thriller side than the romance.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Tandor Audio for a copy of this audiobook. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Fran Sappharc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was pulled in quickly although the baddy seemed a bit one dimensional.
However, I was tense reading the book as the baddie potentially draws closer, as fast as the mains are drawn to each other.
The more the book goes on with the baddie hunting the more tense I get. The mains have spent little time together but pacing hasn’t faltered, probably because the blend plot is holding my interest.
The first kiss and actions immediately preceding that just seemed odd to me (not odd as is part of the plot odd). Having said that the blend plot is making me sooo tense.
Oh! More tense!
If you want a tense book this is good. If you are looking for romance with a bit of tension, this is tension with a bit of romance.
4 for blend side of plot, less for romance so settles at 3.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a story about Jenny who sees her boyfriend murdered by his brother and escapes the scene and runs across country from North Carolina to Oregon to hide from the killer. Jenny changes her name to Kiera and seeks out an old friend of her deceased aunt, Abigail. Abigail live in a house by the sea, Rhydian Hill. Gianna is an ER doctor who leaves Chicago and takes a position as a family doctor in this same small town in Oregon.

I was very entertained by this story and read it in one sitting. The storyline kept my attention, with just enough evil to make it interesting. Kiera and Gianna's romance was very slow burn. I would have liked a little more dialogue and romance in the story. It was an instant attraction on Gianna's part. Abigail's character added to the story, with her feistiness. Even though parts of it were predictable, I would recommend it.

Thanks to Net galley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

[SusieQ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secrets of Rhydian Hill is a captivating blend of mystery, suspense, and romance. The main characters come from different parts of the country, and through a series of circumstances, they end up living close to one another. The story contains just the right amount of intrigue — leaving you wondering what has happened, what is yet to come, and what truly matters most in life.

I found it hard to put the book down; I wanted to know what would happen next and, more importantly, why. Some storylines were left with open ends, and others felt a bit underdeveloped, which made me curious about what might lie beneath the surface. Personally, I would have liked the final chapter to be expanded into three or four chapters to give the story and its characters a more complete conclusion.

Despite these small points, I was thoroughly engaged throughout. If I could, I would give it 3.75 stars — definitely a solid and enjoyable read.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #BoldStrokesBooks for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many secrets!

Jenny is on the run having witnessed a murder and ends up in Cliffside with a new identity as Kiera Davenport. There she meets Dr. Gianna who after breaking with her girlfriend after finding her in bed with another woman, as she getting to know her new patients. Curious about who Kiera really is, Gianna and she grow closer but she ends up discovering more than Jenny wants her too.

This was so intense, right from the very start and wasted no time in sending Jenny off on a race against time to get away after an encounter that makes her fear for her life. I adored the running theme in this story surrounding Jenny’s story that there is more kindness in the world than bad, but that it is hard to trust when you are scared for your life. Jenny was taking risks, but they were all necessary to her survival. Many of the moments were actually really sweet and helped to lift the darker nature of the story and Jenny’s real reasons for being in Cliffside.

I loved Gianna and her curiosity. She had good heart and hadn’t deserved all that happened to her. It could have had a negative impact on her, but her nature kept her focused on still wanting to help those in need. She met Jenny because she was helping an older neighbour who was stubborn and refusing to accept just how much help she needed. In fact they had been the perfect pairing, but for Gianna this small time life and patients she knew more personally was a big change. It really seemed to bring her more out of herself though and showcase what an amazing person she was. Even when she learned more about Jenny, she was calm and dealt with all the revelations really well.

Such a great thriller, with a nice hint of romance and a simpler way of life. Really enjoyed it!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and it was an interesting story with a lot of layers, but I am not a fan of the narrator. Now I sometimes zoned out and missed a bit unfortunately. However, if you like a book with a bit of mystery, a lot of great relationships and just a touch of romance this is a perfect book for you. I listened to the book in one sitting so despite my struggle with the narrator I really like this book.

I received a free ALC via NetGalley and leave an honest review.

[JAYNE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edit Review

[SullenSapphic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spice Level: 0/5 Very Sweet

Jenny McAllister witnessed the murder of her husband and escaped his killer. She headed out west, to a small seaside town in Oregon and uses a different name, Kiera Davenport. She is able to get by helping out an elderly lady as her live-in help. Little does she know that her husband’s killer is relentless and is still on the hunt for her.

Dr. Gianna Walford comes home one day to find her wife in bed with another woman. She decides it’s time for a change and moves to Cliffside to become the town doctor. Kiera (Jenny) ends up meeting Gianna and over time they start spending more time with each other. Kiera has to sort her feelings for Gianna but will it be too late?

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and the Author in return for my honest opinion. This book is listed as a romance with some mystery / thriller background. I feel it is more mystery / thriller with some romance in the background. You’re thrown into the mystery / thriller aspect of the book from the beginning and that theme stays pretty constant throughout the whole book. The romance is very slow building. Not sure if I would even classify it as slow burn because by the time you get to any of the romance, you’ve kind of reached the end of the book.

I will say I enjoyed the mystery / thriller aspect of the book, the romance not so much. It’s like the author wanted to do more with the romance aspect but just kind of threw the characters together. I didn’t really feel the connection between the two characters.

This audiobook was narrated by Fiona Valen. I always hate giving not so great reviews especially when a lot of work goes into audiobooks. The voicework was very monotone, not a lot of inflection, emotion. I found myself tuning out at points and kind of had to remind myself to listen.

🍩 Sapphic Romance
🍩 Suspense
🍩 Murder
🍩 Small Seaside Town Setting
🍩 Slow Burn
🍩 Hidden Identity
🍩 Trauma

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 Stars) Jenny sees the person who killed her boyfriend and for some but he claims to have an alibi. When her car is run off the road she knows she needs to get as far away from her home as possible. She seeks refuge across the country in a small coastal town of Rhydian Hill. A very old friend of her deceased aunt lives there and takes her in. Dr. Gianna Walford left the ER in a Chicago hospital after catching her girlfriend cheating. She decides a change is in order and takes over the practice of a retiring doctor in Rhydian. She meets Jenny/Kiera when she stops in to do a home health check on the older woman she lives with. Of course in the meantime the person Jenny saw kill her boyfriend is hunting her down to eliminate her as a witness.

Black keeps the story progressing with short chapters going from the MCs and the killers POVs. The relationship between Gianna and Jenny is very slow burn. Gianna is helping her as a friend but can’t get Jenny out of her mind wanting to know her story. I would have liked to see more of a romance develop between the two on the page. There is an epilogue to help flesh out the quick ending. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review.

[Onaleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Secrets of Rhydian Hills was a good book! I enjoyed reading the relationship between Kiera and Gianna and Kiera and Abigail develop. I liked that all the characters in the book helping Jenny are empathetic and caring. The narrator was a perfect fit for this book! She had a great, cheery inflection and made the read enjoyable to listen to.

There were a lot of aspects and perspectives that the author tried to accomplish during this book; mystery, thriller, romance. Thats a lot of stuff to fit into less than 300 pages! Some things I didn’t like; The timeline! I found it unrealistic that it took a couple of days to make it from North Carolina to Oregon? How did Gary find Jenny and what clues led him to her? To develop any relationship so quickly after a death, and a betrayal? Why is it called The Secrets of Rhydian Hills, did I miss how the hills were so secretive? I would’ve love to have seen some more of the relationship between Ruby and Abigail.

Overall, it was a light and easy read. It was pleasant to listen to and unique. It kept me entertained throughout the book. Thank you to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to listen and review this book!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jenny witnesses a murder but because of her relationship with the victim, she’s considered a suspect. To protect herself she escapes to a seaside town in Oregon to live with a friend of her aunt. She changes her name to Kiara.

Gianna comes home from a tough day doctoring to find her girlfriend in bed with another woman. She escapes for a new start to a small seaside town in Oregon that has a vacancy for a family doctor.

There is a slow burn romance between the two but the bulk of the book is the killer trying to find Jenny/Kiara to silence her. There is a requirement for suspension of disbelief as there is with many crime novels but there are some real moments of tension and some genuine jeopardy. The ending was a bit rushed but satisfying as a conclusion.

I particularly liked the ancillary characters especially Lizzie who is helping Gianna settle in. She is funny, empathetic, and just nosey enough to keep the plot moving. Abigail is also endearing and her reactions felt ‘real’. I’d happily read more about this little band of friends if Ms Black wrote about them again.

I was given a copy of the book by NetGalley

[M the avid reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Review is for the audiobook version)
Immersive mystery but too much packed into ending  
The narrator does a great job of creating distinct voices for all the characters and amping up the comedy in relevant dialogue, making a couple of the secondary characters come close to outshining the mains at times.  Articulation is good at 1x but you may end up playing with the speed when the story feels slower paced.  In terms of the story author Ronica Black moves between the various plot lines to feed the suspense, plant and nurture seeds for romance, and create intrigue and drama but it felt uneven in places, with too much or not enough focus devoted to plot threads both early on and nearing the end of the story.  It's easy to listen to but the latter part of the book had more new information brought in than what I'm accustomed to in a mystery or romance, so it heightened the suspense as expected but the epilogue seemed to need an additional epilogue, or more pages to the book to flesh out the rest.

[Veronica John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I’ll have to say this book was a miss for me. I understand it’s a romance/thriller but being by Ronica Black I excepted at least some spice. Other than both characters being nurturing types it was really hard to see their chemistry. As for the thriller side, the villain’s actions were all over the place. Some spoilers: Why would he allow 2 victims who could link him to MC to survive (and even help them to live) but then turn around and murder someone for no reason? It was obvious the author had a conclusion in mind and had to twist logic to get to the conclusion. I understand that authors are going to have a conclusion in mind when writing but what separates an average book from an excellent one is the author’s ability to make that not as obvious as it was here.

(I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review)

[Kayleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an audio copy of The Secrets of Rhydian Hill from Netgalley in exchange for my review.
A lot of this book felt like the author had two good ideas for a book and decided to make them both happen at the same time.
Jenny sees her boyfriend get murdered by his brother and goes on the run to hide from him. At the same time, Gianna is an ER doctor who leaves her busy life in Chicago to take a job as a family doctor in the same small town in Oregon that Jenny escapes to. Both of these would have been really interesting on their own but mashing them up left a lot of plot holes and wanting more information throughout.
I really enjoyed the supporting characters, especially the eccentric old Abigail, who provides a lot of the comic relief.
The alternating POV’s didn’t add anything for me and I think the constant switching enhanced the feeling of too much going on.
Overall, I think there was something good there but there were too many missing pieces.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a story about Jenny who saw her boyfriend murdered by his brother and runs from North Carolina to Oregon to hide from the killer. Jenny changes her name to Kiera and seeks out an old friend of her deceased aunt, Abigail. Abigail live in a house by the sea, Rhydian Hill. Gianna is an ER doctor who left Chicago and took a position as a family doctor in this same small town in Rhydian Hill, Oregon.

It was not a bad story, but felt off and didn't keep my attention like Black's stories usually do. The killer storyline seemed lacking along with the romance between Kiera and Gianna's. Normally I enjoy slow burn, but it would have been better with more dialogue and romance. I have a hard time with instant attraction and etc.

Not the best, but not the worst. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Pam Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Secrets at Rhydian Hill was an interesting book. At first I did not know how the two storylines were going to come together, and then when they did it felt like a very forced LGBT relationship not did not seem natural. I liked the mystery of the book of the death of Jenny's (also known as Kiera) significant other was murdered and the killer searching for her. However, was solved, it just abruptly ends, and everyone lives happily ever after. The ending just did not feel complete. There's also almost the third story line of Jenny/Kiera's ailing neighbor who she is helping and then moves in with, and how she is connected with Jenny's grandma (which also is another love story which resulted in a dead husband). Just a lot going on in this book.

thank you NetGalley for the ARC to review.

[Red Dragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had several threads - a murder - putting Jenny ‘on the run’, infidelity- Gianna relocates and Abigail and Ruby’s mysterious‘relationship’!They all come together in Oregon. Then there’s Gary!!

The threads start developing nicely and the stories start intertwining with the development of a romance as well but I found the interchange of the use of Jenny/Keira sometimes confusing especially about 40% of the way in.
There were many moving parts and the end felt rushed as if the author was trying to make sure they all tied together.
It was an enjoyable book but I wasn’t so engaged that I felt the need to keep turning the pages to the end as soon as possible!

Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

[Sue Plant · Rating 4 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

i have to say that i was thoroughly enjoying this book but felt the ending was very rushed and finished abruptly. how when and why are my main questions to the build up

but apart from that i was enjoying eveything about this book

a doctor needing a fresh start after finding her partner with someone else

jenny needing help and finding it

but the threat is always there ... can jenny stay hidden until everything is sorted out or will she have to hide forever...

but a killer is looking for her....

enjoyable read but that ending needs some work

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
This book is set up as a thriller romance, and though it attempted these plot points, I feel it felt short. While it was an easy listen, I was mostly bored. Gianna and "Kiera" fall for each other so hard and so fast, that I had trouble believing the romance and the chemistry. It felt rushed. I also didn't like the chapters from the POV of the murderer, who is delusional about his relationship with Jenny and I didn't enjoy reading his inner monologue. Also in those chapters, we know how close he gets to finding Jenny so there is no tension or surprise toward the end. The ending also felt rushed and uninteresting.

On a positive note, I do enjoy finding new reads with LGBTQIA+ romance, and this might be my first one that is also a mystery thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story; however, I felt that the ending was very rushed, and I wished the author had taken more time to wrap it up. The plot centers around Jenny, who witnesses her boyfriend being shot and killed, only to find herself targeted by the killer and forced to go on the run. The book is narrated from three different perspectives: the killer, the doctor, and Jenny. I appreciated the varying viewpoints, particularly that of the killer.

Nevertheless, I think the author fell short with the ending. I also wish we had learned more about Abigail and Ruby instead of just getting hints about them. Overall, it was a great read, and I would still recommend the book.

I received an arc

[LP Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC.

This story was good for folks who like thrillers without much gore or intensity (there’s violence in the book but it’s not too detailed). I would not consider it a romance, and the relationship between the two MCs is not super well-developed. It is told from 3 POVs, with the two MCs and the male villain all getting their own chapters. I really enjoyed the narration except the villain chapters, which felt a bit cheesy.

[Kayla Winkler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping to love this book a lot more, and despite the heartwarming ending, I found there were too many plot holes to keep up. The confusion of the changed identity was hard to follow and for the read, too many characters were involved.

The story though I found was very original and still kept me on my toes from time to time.

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this audiobook!

[Stacey Sainsbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

This quickly reeled in my attention and kept it. Fantastic book. Not something I’d usually gravitate towards but will have me reaching outside my comfort zone more regularly for sure