Main Character Energy

by Kendall Ryan

Andi Callahan prefers the quiet company of the dead.

As a morgue tech in a sleepy coastal town outside Boston, she lives for silence, predictability, and zero small talk.
Living people? Too loud. Too messy. Too nosy.

The dead don’t interrupt her, meddle in her life, or flirt with her.

Cole Hartley does.

He’s everything Andi avoids—charming, persistent, and entirely too good-looking for his own good.
The town’s beloved firefighter-paramedic has a hero complex the size of Massachusetts and a dangerous talent for cracking Andi’s ice-cold composure.

What starts as a harmless bet to make her smile turns into something neither of them saw coming.
Now Cole’s determined to prove that life is worth the mess—and that love might be the riskiest, most rewarding thing of all.

Funny, heartfelt, and impossible to put down, this opposites-attract romance asks what happens when a woman who’s made peace with solitude finally lets herself feel everything.

Perfect for fans of quirky slow-burns, grumpy-sunshine, spicy banter, enemies to lovers, and one very determined golden retriever in human form.

What to Expect in Main Character
Golden Retriever Hero x Black Cat Heroine
Grumpy/Sunshine
Opposites Attract
Small Town Romance
Workplace Romance
Slow Burn
Found Family
Meddling Friends & Coworkers
Past Trauma/Emotional Wounds
Banter-Heavy Romance

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Slow Burn, Workplace Romance, Small Town Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

402 pages, Paperback

Published January 15, 2026

About the author

Kendall Ryan is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of flirty, feel-good romance filled with heart, heat, and plenty of banter. An American author who has lived all over the world, her books have sold millions of copies and been translated into multiple languages. She writes swoony heroes, bold heroines, and stories that make you laugh, blush, and fall in love. When she’s not dreaming up new plotlines, she is a proud mom to two amazing sons and the wife of her real-life hero.


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Reviews

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s been years since I’ve read a Kendall Ryan book but I was not expecting four POVs and two love stories in this one. It made it hard to connect and settle in to the MCs story. Fairly ironic given the title. There was def no Main Character Energy here….a whole lotta side character energy.

Overall: 2.5

[Neat Sparkles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn’t bad. It could be great with some help. It just reads like it doesn’t quite know what it wants to be.

This is a solid 2 star read because it is all over the place. The third star is for the vibes and I did genuinely enjoy Andi and Cole’s story! But as a whole.. it all needs help.

There are FOUR points of view in this book. Two of which are completely unnecessary. And the author does not label the chapters (which with solid writing that sometimes isn’t necessary but.. we needed the labels) Jack and Kate’s story easily could have been told through Cole and Andi and it still would have still served its purpose.

Andi and Cole are cute. I am a sucker for black cat/golden retriever and this does that well. Their story is sweet and the book could have stood on that alone.

Kate and Jack are 45 and 43 years old and the author talks about them like they are literally ready to be shipped off to the old folks home. Like she has never met a middle aged person before. The way they were written it made more sense for them to be 60. It was bizarre.

The ending of the book reads weird. None of the last few chapters flow. There’s a time jump but the only indication of that we get is that she mentions it’s almost been a YEAR since the accident.. and you’re like wait what what is happening how has a year passed. THEN the next chapter actually gives you a “one year later” it’s just.. it needed an editor. Or something. It needed help.

Oh! Oooo! They both tell each other they love each other. He tells her randomly at 71% it’s NEVER mentioned again.. then she tells him at the funeral. And then.. poof. It’s like those have never been written into existence. No one proofed or reread this book. Not a soul.

Also the random ex girlfriend chapter at the end?? What even was that?? Because he very clearly talks about not dating. Or wanting to date. Hookups only. It is mentioned more than once. And then at the VERY END OF THE BOOK she throws in a jealous ex girlfriend scene. HELP. WHAT?

[Marina Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an enjoyable but also quite a different story. Especially when a morgue technician and a firefighter meet.
I wholeheartedly loved Andi, her quirkiness and just her vibe, made me want to be her friend.
Cole is nothing if not persistent and what starts as a bet, turns out to be something that no one expects. Something rather unexpected.
I felt so much while reading this book and I also shed some tears….
Cole and Andi forever? You’ll just have to read it for yourself to find out. Such an interesting and also heartbreaking story!
Great writing Ms Ryan!

[Bri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

I love a good Black Cat/Golden Retriever story and this one had so much potential. I did really enjoy seeing Cole pull Andi out of her shell and get her to take a chance on him. I also really liked that it wasn't easy for him and that she made him work for it giving us some amazingly intriguing attention. But I also felt like there wasn't enough of it. There seemed to be a lot of things skipped over or just not focused on enough to where I really felt like we were getting a full story on this couple. Especially when there were interruptions in their story to focus on Kate and Jack. Quite honestly I didn't care about those two at all. It was so little page time that it wasn't worth it while at the same time was too much that it took away from Andi and Cole. I think Kate and Jake had a fine story and it wasn't completely unnecessary, but to give them their own POVs instead of just letting us see their story through the eyes of Cole and Andi was too much for me.

Guess the title was actually ironic considering we didn't get just one main character.

[Betsy Kanagawa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 this was cute but a little undeveloped. The ending was emotion so I bumped it up a little.

[Dana Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover but that's how I read. I never read a synopis and always just go into a story blind. Starting Main Character Energy, I totally went into this thinking it was going to be some cutesy romance where a wild and free girl with her colorful hair is breaking down the walls of the handsome broody, tatted guy. That is not this book.
Reverse the sunshine vs grumpy roles and add in some depth and grief and heartbreak and you have the beautiful story that is Main Character Energy. Loved it!

[BookAddict · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is quintessential KRy -- warm, witty, charming, and full of heart. It's the kind of romance I need more of. Determined Golden Retriever hero and a heroine with mile-high walls who prefers the dead to the complicated, emotionally messy living. Andi Callahan is my new favorite shero, and Cole Harltey gets major bonus points for his persistence.

She works as a morgue tech, and he's a firefighter/paramedic. She's the grump to his sunshine, but her wounds run deep, giving her far greater wisdom about loss than a woman her age should have. But he's an indefatigable, all-around good guy who won’t take no for an answer and keeps showing up.

This one is pure perfection! From the small-town setting to the big emotions, this romance had me reading late into the night and devouring it in one sitting. Charming, quirk, and heartwarming, this one feels like coming home.

[MissPetiteBrunetteBookBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andi Callahan loves her job in the town’s morgue as it’s quiet and mostly no one bothers her there. That is except the town’s firefighter/EMT, Cole Hartley. He is determined to get AndI to open up to others and just live. When her work makes her participate in a date auction for charity she is not happy but doesn’t have a choice either. She may think she wants to be alone but can Cole show her there is more to life than just her lonely job? What a fun romance with a reverse grumpy/sunshine situation. There is also an underlying emotional reason for the way she is. I really enjoyed watching these two together and Cole getting her to open up. Definitely an emotional, feel good romance with a side of romcom. Told in first person and multiple POV.

[Agne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars
This was such a fun, heartwarming read. Nothing groundbreaking — just a golden retriever guy and a very grumpy girl. He’s all sunshine and smiles, she’s determined to resist… until she isn’t. ☀️
If you’re in the mood for something sweet, soft, and full of sugar, this one’s for you. 🍭

[JewelsyGoolsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one gets all 4 stars as it was first book in a while that had me finishing it within a night. I did wish we got a bit more details and more intimacy.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Main Character Energy by Kendall Ryan
3 stars
Spice: 🔥/5

I found having the main character, Andi Callahan (Andrea), kind of neat LOL reading about a main character with my first name doesn’t happen very often. Although, I have never been called Andi long in my life. Drea took over Andi for me.

I found the start of the book to be cute and kept me wanting more. Andi and Cole’s separate stories and occupations kept me intrigued. I had high hopes for how these two would start to interact, and their story would unfold. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite go the way I thought it would, and I didn’t feel the chemistry that I wanted to feel between them.

It was cute, but just slightly missed the mark for me. It had Hallmark type feelings to it - didn’t give me that physical ache nor was there any ‘surprise’ for me since it was all predictable. Plus, how many times was “You love it” and/or “you’re ridiculous” was said…

I wish I loved my first book of 2026 but can only go up from here, right?! 

#avidreaderbookblog #readingislife #bookblogger #bookbloggersofinstagram #romance #romancebookstagram #romancebookstagrammer #romancebookaddiction #kendallryan #kendallryanauthor #romancebook

[kevork_1989 · Rating 2 out of 5]

First and last time I’ll ever read this author. This book was not good. It was sweet, don’t get me wrong but was disjointed. There were 4 POVs. Two of the side characters had POVs with a story that went nowhere and was pointless. They didn’t need to have any side story, it could have just been integrated through the MMC/FMCs story.

I also found the FMC incredibly selfish. Like she did something to me at the 80% mark that is actually irredeemable. It’s a spoiler, but everyone just brushed it off because she’s scared and it’s her trauma but to abandon the MMC the way she did. To me that’s a red flag and the character lacked development. I also wish I knew this is close door. Don’t get me wrong, I can handle no spice. But at least if there is actual character development and a proper story. But having no spice, killed it even more.

I don’t know what is going on with so many fucking authors these days and NOT DESCRIBING THEIR CHARACTERS IN DETAIL!!! Or at all! Every damn book I pick up lacks basic descriptions. For example the MMC Cole, we don’t even know the colour of his hair at all, never mentioned. There’s art on the cover and it’s not trustworthy because he has tattoos on the cover and there is no mention of tattoos. The FMC Andi’s eye colour was not shared until 80%!! The rest of the side characters. Got nothing, Cole’s mother who has a side POV, somewhere around 70% we find out she has blonde hair. This is so ridiculous and I’m getting fed up with authors not doing what is expected of them in a book. It just ruins the experience when I can’t picture what they are trying to get us to buy from them.

[Laura Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute. I liked the change up of the grumpy character being the woman for a change. Really enjoyed Cole! I teared up in some parts, as I have a lot of firefighters in my family… I liked the two romances. I listened to this book, so it got somewhat confusing in the beginning until I realized there were two couples to follow… overall, I liked it!

[Kristyn McEwan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best and most surprising 5 stars to start my year of books. My heart almost wasn't ready but it was so very good.

[Jess (Taylor's Version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the best and cutest book I've read in a long, long time!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 💫

[Marika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andi and Cole's story was so emotional. I went in expecting a lighthearted romance com but I got so much more. Absolutely love Cole and Andi, I just wanted to hug her. I see so much of myself in her it is kinda scary lol. Beautiful story and the way it was told, with more than these two characters' story, was great. Genuinely loved it and couldn't put it down.

[Sara Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kendall Ryan vibes while also being a tad different!

I really enjoyed the banter in this novel. Totally Ryan’s energy, but with a somewhat different plot. I don’t know why but this felt like a fresh style for her.

This book was cute, and I enjoyed the subplot of Kate and Jack. It was definitely a case of the reader knowing more than the characters, which I love.

I only took off a point because Cole and Andi still seemed a bit too surface level, but I don’t feel it takes away from the story too much. Just my overall connection to them.

*An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Natasha's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andi is a morgue technician. She's hard, unapproachable, and only likes a few people, including her dog named Beef.
Cole is a firefighter/EMT and decides to woo Andi. She doesn't want to fall for it but soon realizes that Cole is sweet. Her icy demeanor starts to melt as they spend more and more time together. I enjoyed the characters and supporting characters.

[Brittany Steminist Booknerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

STEM FMC: morgue technician; STEM MMC: paramedic and firefighter
This is a unique set up in a book, it’s actually quadruple POV since this is a double romance spanning two generations. I liked the first ⅔ of the book a lot more than the last ⅓.
Stop reading here if you don’t want spoilers.
I’m a little flummoxed by the reveal that all of these characters know each other. It’s a small town, Jack has seen Cole’s photo at Kate’s house, Jack has mentioned Kate to Andi twice, Andi mentioned Cole to Jack, Cole mentioned his mom Kate a couple times to Andi, Kate mentioned Jack to Cole a couple of times, and Kate already met Andi at the career day at the high school and warned Cole to try not to drool over her… so how is everyone acting like they had no idea who anyone was or that everyone was dating each other? It makes no sense. I also never grasped why there was beef between Cole and Jack.
Cole says I love you in the middle of bantering with Andi and neither of them reacts but one second later he calls her his girlfriend and everyone freezes up? What?
So she breaks it off with him for reasons that I fully comprehend. I have no issue with the third act breakup in this book, which is a rarity for me, but it makes total sense from an emotional standpoint. My issue is with the resolution. She just shows up one day and without more than a one sentence discussion, everything is totally cool and they are back together without even really talking about it. then there’s a declaration of love like she’s never said it before, but she did say it when she was breaking up with him previously. I think this book needed one more round of editing to clear some of this up.
If you’re looking for spice, there are spicy scenes but they are light on detail.

[Luisa Rivas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts off kind of meh—I wasn’t sure if I’d stick with it—but it turns cute pretty fast. The characters are all connected in the most roundabout way, which makes the whole thing hilarious once you realize who knows who. Midway through, the pace slows down and gets a little boring, but even then the characters are lovely and the story intriguing enough to keep me turning pages.

Andi is a morgue technician, sharp-tongued, acerbic, queen of one-liners. Cole is an EMT/firefighter, golden retriever energy, cocky but kind. They cross paths constantly at the hospital. He falls first (of course), and he’s determined to win her over. She’s a hard case, though—her walls are skyscraper-high thanks to losing her parents in a car accident at 18.


Cole’s teammates make a bet with a checklist: make her smile, hold a five-minute conversation, get a kiss, and finally, score a date. Instead of hiding it, Cole shows Andi the bracket—points for integrity! His persistence is adorable: cherry pie deliveries, pink-frosted cupcakes, quiet dinners instead of flashy outings. He’s relentless but sweet, and she’s attracted against her will.

Meanwhile, there are plot twists that are hilarious: Jack is Andi’s father best friend, he has been present in her life since her parents died, acting as a father figure. He starts dating Kate (Cole’s mom) who downloaded a dating app thanks to her meddling book club besties.

Jack and Cole already know each other from Search & Rescue work—and they don’t like each other. Cue awkward dinners and tense rescues.

A tragedy occurs that makes shock waves for both Andi and Cole. And Andi, true to form, retreated back within her walls. I found her selfish and coward, abandoning Cole, just when he needed her the most. In the midst of her turmoil, Jack delivers the wisdom bomb: better to be afraid with the person you love than to live alone with the same pain.

I struggled with Andi, she’s witty and her zingers are fun, but she’s negative, self-sabotaging, and downright Eeyore-ish. On the other hand, I loved Cole. He’s cocky, funny, kind, devoted to his mom, respectful of Jack even when he didn’t like him, but just because he made his mom laugh. He’s the definition of a golden retriever hero—loyal, goofy, and impossible not to root for.

I loved the mixture of humor, heart, and a bit of drama. I loved the romance part, sweet persistence against stubborn resistance. The side characters add layers of comedy and warmth, making the story feel like a sitcom family tree gone wild. Cute read!

[Ruby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Got about halfway through when the lady love interest sends the guy a text saying she wants to cut it off, and he then COMES OVER UNNANOUNCED and proceeds to say that HE IS COMING IN AND SHE CAN'T CALL THE COPS BECAUSE HE'S FRIENDS WITH ALL THE COPS.

I am not sure in what universe this is not an immediate, scary, GINORMOUS red flag, but it's certainly not my universe. Immediate do not finish.

[Jennifer Kirshman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐. This was a fun, easy romcom that delivered exactly what I expected: flirty banter, light angst, and a breezy pace. Nothing groundbreaking, but definitely enjoyable. It felt familiar in a comforting way, like slipping into a tried-and-true romance formula that just works. Perfect for when you want something cute, low-stakes, and entertaining without needing to emotionally recover afterward.

[Jacelynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! I didn’t expect it to be so emotional throughout. The title doesn’t make much sense to me and I wasn’t a fan of the mom/boyfriend povs being in there. Everything else was great!

[Ofra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an emotional roller-coaster and I laughed and cried and laughed again ☺️

[Anna Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this

This was the first book I read by this author. I really enjoyed it. I love the sass of the FMC Andi.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. It was not profound or had long lasting lessons but it was cute, fun, I laughed out loud a lot and the dog was great.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read

3.5 stars rounded up

The story was cute, I felt like it was trying a bit too much to be funny to the point of becoming a bit cheesy.

[Tashiana Conklin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. It felt very rushed at the end and had a lot of time jumps. I feel like it could have used another 50-100 pages to make it more connected. Still cute though.

[Andrea Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️