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Best Kept Secrets #3
What He Never Knew
I never learn my lesson.
And I always want what I can’t have.
When Sarah Henderson walks into my life, I tell myself she’s off limits. She’s my student, sixteen years younger than me, and my boss’s niece. It doesn’t matter that I see the same pain reflected in her eyes that I have in my own, or that the dead organ better known as my heart kicks to life when she’s around.
I’ve been here before, and I know how this ends.
It’s been two years since I fell for the last woman I knew I couldn’t have, the one with the ring on her finger that I chose to ignore.
Two years of trying to overcome that heartache when Sarah slides into my life.
Another woman I can’t have. Another woman I can’t stop myself from wanting.
I never learn my lesson, but with a constant reminder of how that last forbidden love burned, I think I’ve finally learned this one.
This time, I won’t chase what’s off limits.
This time, I’m staying away.
And I’ll keep telling myself that until I believe it.
And I always want what I can’t have.
When Sarah Henderson walks into my life, I tell myself she’s off limits. She’s my student, sixteen years younger than me, and my boss’s niece. It doesn’t matter that I see the same pain reflected in her eyes that I have in my own, or that the dead organ better known as my heart kicks to life when she’s around.
I’ve been here before, and I know how this ends.
It’s been two years since I fell for the last woman I knew I couldn’t have, the one with the ring on her finger that I chose to ignore.
Two years of trying to overcome that heartache when Sarah slides into my life.
Another woman I can’t have. Another woman I can’t stop myself from wanting.
I never learn my lesson, but with a constant reminder of how that last forbidden love burned, I think I’ve finally learned this one.
This time, I won’t chase what’s off limits.
This time, I’m staying away.
And I’ll keep telling myself that until I believe it.
395 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2019
886 people are currently reading
6827 people want to read
About the author
Kandi Steiner
79 books14.8k followersKandi Steiner is a USA Today and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author living in Tennessee. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.
An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. Her love for writing started at the ripe age of 10, and in 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.”
She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a hopeless romantic and found herself bursting at the seams with love stories she was eager to tell.
When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, planning her next adventure, or pole dancing (yes, you read that right). She enjoys live music, traveling, hiking, yoga, spending quality time with her family (fur babies included) and soaking up the sweetness of life.
CONNECT WITH KANDI:
➜ NEWSLETTER: kandisteiner.com/newsletter
➜ FACEBOOK: facebook.com/kandisteiner
➜ FACEBOOK READER GROUP (Kandiland): facebook.com/groups/kandilandks
➜ INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/kandisteiner
➜ TIKTOK: tiktok.com/@authorkandisteiner
➜ PINTEREST: pinterest.com/authorkandisteiner
➜ WEBSITE: www.kandisteiner.com
Kandi Steiner may be coming to a city near you! Check out her “events” tab to see all the signings she’s attending in the near future:
➜ www.kandisteiner.com/events
An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. Her love for writing started at the ripe age of 10, and in 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.”
She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a hopeless romantic and found herself bursting at the seams with love stories she was eager to tell.
When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, planning her next adventure, or pole dancing (yes, you read that right). She enjoys live music, traveling, hiking, yoga, spending quality time with her family (fur babies included) and soaking up the sweetness of life.
CONNECT WITH KANDI:
➜ NEWSLETTER: kandisteiner.com/newsletter
➜ FACEBOOK: facebook.com/kandisteiner
➜ FACEBOOK READER GROUP (Kandiland): facebook.com/groups/kandilandks
➜ INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/kandisteiner
➜ TIKTOK: tiktok.com/@authorkandisteiner
➜ PINTEREST: pinterest.com/authorkandisteiner
➜ WEBSITE: www.kandisteiner.com
Kandi Steiner may be coming to a city near you! Check out her “events” tab to see all the signings she’s attending in the near future:
➜ www.kandisteiner.com/events
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 555 reviews
February 19, 2019
4 stars
If you've read Kandi Steiner's What He Doesn't Know duet, you've met Reese. Though Reese wasn't the boy I was rooting for in those particular books, I still wanted him to get his happy. Reading this really made me feel for him. This story was emotional, sensual, and beautify written.
Reese Walker teaches piano. The piano is all he really has in his life, and he's mostly okay with that. After losing everyone who ever meant anything to him, he's a loner. Then Sarah Henderson walks into his life, or his piano lessons. Sarah is much younger than Reese, but there is something between them from the start. It's a spark. But it's more. Reese can tell Sarah is harboring the same kind of pain he is. He can feel it in her. He works with her to make her the best pianist she can be, and he starts to fall along the way.
Sarah is not the girl she used to be. She used to be a fun loving, yet serious college student. After a terrible incident had her dropping out of college and coming to Pennsylvania to stay with her aunt and uncle, piano is all she has in her life, much like Reese. Reese Walker is the best of the best and Sarah knows how lucky she is to be taught by him. Even though Sarah has sworn off men for good reasons, Reese is different. She trusts him. Something she never thought she'd be able to do again.
No one writes quite like Kandi Steiner. Her story telling is flawless and her words are poetic and gorgeous. This book hit me in the feels. Both Reese and Sarah's stories gutted me. Sarah especially. I feel like her story is so many other women's stories. It's heartbreaking. I'm so glad she had Reese. I'm glad they had each other. My favorite stories are those where the characters are a little broken, but together, they heal. This was exactly that.
The ending of this story had me crying the happiest of tears. This was a lovely book. It was real, raw, and made me feel. It was a little heavy at times, and the romance was a bit forbidden as Reese was her teacher and he was 37 to her 21, but I rooted for them to be together. I loved seeing Sarah's journey and I also loved watching Reese come back to himself. I really enjoyed this one and recommend to anyone who read the duet before it (it can be read as a stand-alone, but I think you'll get more out of it if you've read the others) and those who love emotional reads!!
If you've read Kandi Steiner's What He Doesn't Know duet, you've met Reese. Though Reese wasn't the boy I was rooting for in those particular books, I still wanted him to get his happy. Reading this really made me feel for him. This story was emotional, sensual, and beautify written.
Reese was an entire universe, and the piano was a mere telescope we tried to see him through.
Reese Walker teaches piano. The piano is all he really has in his life, and he's mostly okay with that. After losing everyone who ever meant anything to him, he's a loner. Then Sarah Henderson walks into his life, or his piano lessons. Sarah is much younger than Reese, but there is something between them from the start. It's a spark. But it's more. Reese can tell Sarah is harboring the same kind of pain he is. He can feel it in her. He works with her to make her the best pianist she can be, and he starts to fall along the way.
Sarah is not the girl she used to be. She used to be a fun loving, yet serious college student. After a terrible incident had her dropping out of college and coming to Pennsylvania to stay with her aunt and uncle, piano is all she has in her life, much like Reese. Reese Walker is the best of the best and Sarah knows how lucky she is to be taught by him. Even though Sarah has sworn off men for good reasons, Reese is different. She trusts him. Something she never thought she'd be able to do again.
I once believed I’d find my prince, my one and only soulmate who would make all the pieces of my life fall perfectly in place. Now, the only love I believed in was the love I felt for the piano.
No one writes quite like Kandi Steiner. Her story telling is flawless and her words are poetic and gorgeous. This book hit me in the feels. Both Reese and Sarah's stories gutted me. Sarah especially. I feel like her story is so many other women's stories. It's heartbreaking. I'm so glad she had Reese. I'm glad they had each other. My favorite stories are those where the characters are a little broken, but together, they heal. This was exactly that.
The ending of this story had me crying the happiest of tears. This was a lovely book. It was real, raw, and made me feel. It was a little heavy at times, and the romance was a bit forbidden as Reese was her teacher and he was 37 to her 21, but I rooted for them to be together. I loved seeing Sarah's journey and I also loved watching Reese come back to himself. I really enjoyed this one and recommend to anyone who read the duet before it (it can be read as a stand-alone, but I think you'll get more out of it if you've read the others) and those who love emotional reads!!
Nothing about us made sense, and yet, there was no other possibility. It was me and him and us. It just was. And it always would be.
March 1, 2019
Wow!! What an emotionally stirring story!!
I was so excited to hear Reese was back and I couldn’t get my hands on this book fast enough.
We first meet Reese in the “What He Doesn’t Know” duet, and while I highly recommend you read them both beforehand to get the full picture, in all honesty this can be read as a stand alone.
Reese is the teacher, and Sarah is the student. He is thirty-seven, she is twenty-one. Both are scarred, lonely individuals. Both are fighting personal demons.
Trigger warning:
”If I were a pragmatic, normal human being, I wouldn’t ever come here. Ever. Because every time I do it hurts. I mean, there is this physical pain in the center of my chest standing up here,” he said, hand splaying over his chest to illustrate. “Like someone has their fist inside my rib cage, fingers wrapped around my heart in a vise grip.”
I swallowed. “You said this is a painful place for you to be ... why?”
”I was in love with a married woman.” .... Then, he sort of laughed. “I still am. And this place reminds me of her, along with about a dozen other things that hurt.”
This is the Reese I fell in love with in books 1 & 2 of this series. He tries his best not to wear his heart on his sleeve, but there it is nonetheless.
Sarah, as damaged as she is, comes along at just the right time. While attempting to save herself, she also deeply heals and saves Reese in the process.
... ”We’re not destined to run from our misery, we’re destined to bathe in it — and to somehow find a way to make it beautiful.”
Oh, and make it beautiful they did ... together! I loved watching their forbidden relationship blossom. It was a slow, seductive, and sultry progression.
Loved! Every! Single! Minute! of this inspiring and passionate romance!
Read
May 5, 2020
NOW AVAILABLE!
Included with your Kindle Unlimited membership!
➔ amzn.to/2EjpBjr
For almost a year now, you've been messaging me about the What He Doesn't Know duet. It was over, but something didn't feel quite right. Someone was left out. Someone was broken. Someone still needed their HEA.
And that someone's time is now.
What He Never Knew is NOW LIVE!
--------------------------------
I never learn my lesson.
And I always want what I can’t have.
When Sarah Henderson walks into my life, I tell myself she’s off limits. She’s my student, sixteen years younger than me, and my boss’s niece. It doesn’t matter that I see the same pain reflected in her eyes that I have in my own, or that the dead organ better known as my heart kicks to life when she’s around.
I’ve been here before, and I know how this ends.
It’s been two years since I fell for the last woman I knew I couldn’t have, the one with the ring on her finger that I chose to ignore.
Two years of trying to overcome that heartache when Sarah slides into my life.
Another woman I can’t have. Another woman I can’t stop myself from wanting.
I never learn my lesson, but with a constant reminder of how that last forbidden love burned, I think I’ve finally learned this one.
This time, I won’t chase what’s off limits.
This time, I’m staying away.
And I’ll keep telling myself that until I believe it.
--------------------------------
What He Never Knew is a standalone, but if you want to read the duet first...
What He Doesn't Know ➔ amzn.to/2FCEoYp
What He Always Knew ➔ amzn.to/2peockX
What He Never Knew (NOW LIVE!) ➔ amzn.to/2EjpBjr
--------------------------------
WARNING: spoiler ahead. If you have not read the first two books in the series and you plan to, do not read below. If you want to read What He Never Knew as a standalone, continue reading for a sneak peek inside.
And now, an exclusive Goodreads sneak peek:
I stood rooted to the spot as Charlie said her goodbyes at the door, and when Reese rounded back into the room, he stopped at the door frame, leaning against it with his hands sliding into the pockets of his slacks. His eyes searched mine, but he didn’t say a word.
“That was her, wasn’t it?”
The only indication that he’d heard me was the slight bob of his Adam’s apple, and the barely visible crease between his brows.
My heart broke staring at him in that moment, seeing the pain that still crippled him when she was near.
“You work with her?” I asked after a long pause. “You see her every day, and you talk to each other… and… are you friends?”
Reese blew out a long breath, pushing off from the wall and crossing to where I stood. At first, I thought he was going to run right into me, blow me over like a stick in the wind, but he swept passed, sitting at the piano behind where I stood.
“It’s complicated,” he said, hands already floating over the keys.
“I’d say.”
I took a seat next to him, listening as he played, watching his face and wondering what the hell was going on in that dark, guarded mind of his.
“We were friends as kids, but there was always something more… we both knew it. When I left for New York, for Juilliard, she asked me to kiss her. And I didn’t.” He swallowed, like that was the biggest mistake of his life. “And when I came back, she was married.” He shook his head, hands picking up speed where they played. “She wasn’t happy, not when I first came back. I hated it, hated seeing her so miserable, seeing her husband so unaffected by her visible pain. But, of course, once I showed up? Her husband woke up. He fought for her,” Reese said, hands pausing over the keys. They kicked back to life with his next words. “And he won.”
I swallowed, watching his fingers flick over the keys, bringing an unfamiliar melody to life.
“But,” Reese continued after a moment. “I’m still close with her entire family. Her parents are like the only family I still have, if I’m being honest.”
My eyes floated up to the one and only framed photo in the room we sat in, the family that stared back at Reese as he played. The man in the photo looked like Reese in ten years, and the woman standing next to him shared Reese’s smile. The girl in the photo, the one standing next to Reese, had his eyes.
And though I didn’t have details, I now had confirmation of what I’d always wondered.
They were gone.
His family was gone, just like my father.
“And yes,” he said, still playing that soft, sad melody. “We work together. So, I see her a lot. I see them all a lot.”
“All?”
He nodded, a sickening expression sweeping over his face. “Her. Her parents. Her husband,” he explained, pausing again before he dropped another bomb. “Her kids.”
“Kids?”
At that, he stopped playing, running his hands back through his hair with a huff. “Alright, that’s enough for today. We can pick up on this next week.”
February 17, 2019
*****FIVE STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}
I kissed her with the rain pouring down around us, a bolt of lightning lighting the sky above. And I knew in that moment that she was the missing puzzle piece I’d been looking for all along. I’d just had to walk the busted up, broken down road to get to her.
I absolutely loved the ”What He Doesn’t Know” series. I’m not one to shy away from stories that deal with cheating and that series had some gut-churning angst. At first, I was rooting for Reese to get the girl but then the second book had me doing a 180. I was completely in Cameron’s corner and I lost the love for Reese. Honestly, the two men were pretty awesome in their own ways and it was Charlie who didn’t deserve to be the object of their devotion. I was pretty angry with her during this story. Kandi Steiner brought closure to all of her fans who loved this series as much as I did. Although, this can be read as a standalone, it is beneficial to read the first two in order to understand the pain Reese has endured.
In this book, we get to know Reese intimately and it will break your heart. Two years have gone by but he’s still hanging on to his love for Charlie and tormented by having to see her living happily with Cameron and their two children. He tries to keep his distance but Charlie keeps showing up at his house or at the restaurant he plays piano at because she is genuinely worried about him. But she is hurting him more than helping because her constant presence in his life makes it hard for him to let go.
Things start to change for Reese when his boss asks him to be his niece’s piano teacher. When he meets Sarah for the first time, he sees a kindred spirit. Her eyes show someone who has been through hell and is haunted by her past. She has aspirations of becoming a concert pianist, playing in Carnegie Hall, but an old injury to her wrist and something horrible that happened to her, has been keeping her from her dreams. Someone stole the color and warmth from her life and she’s determined to get them back. Sarah knows Reese is the one who can help her.
Reese and Sarah are so much alike and have so much passion for music that it’s inevitable that they become drawn to each other. But Reese is her teacher and nearly sixteen years older than her. Plus Sarah is still a very broken young woman. Everything is telling them that this is a bad idea but the best kinds of love are sometimes messy and complicated.
Can these two broken souls help heal each other? Will Reese finally get the love and happily ever after that he deserves?
Here are my overall ratings:
Hero: 5
Heroine: 5
Plot: 5
Angst: 4.5
Steam: 4.5
Chemistry Between Hero & Heroine: 5
WHAT HE NEVER KNEW releases on February 21st! It’s definitely worth a “one-click”!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SRC0mj
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}
I kissed her with the rain pouring down around us, a bolt of lightning lighting the sky above. And I knew in that moment that she was the missing puzzle piece I’d been looking for all along. I’d just had to walk the busted up, broken down road to get to her.
I absolutely loved the ”What He Doesn’t Know” series. I’m not one to shy away from stories that deal with cheating and that series had some gut-churning angst. At first, I was rooting for Reese to get the girl but then the second book had me doing a 180. I was completely in Cameron’s corner and I lost the love for Reese. Honestly, the two men were pretty awesome in their own ways and it was Charlie who didn’t deserve to be the object of their devotion. I was pretty angry with her during this story. Kandi Steiner brought closure to all of her fans who loved this series as much as I did. Although, this can be read as a standalone, it is beneficial to read the first two in order to understand the pain Reese has endured.
In this book, we get to know Reese intimately and it will break your heart. Two years have gone by but he’s still hanging on to his love for Charlie and tormented by having to see her living happily with Cameron and their two children. He tries to keep his distance but Charlie keeps showing up at his house or at the restaurant he plays piano at because she is genuinely worried about him. But she is hurting him more than helping because her constant presence in his life makes it hard for him to let go.
Things start to change for Reese when his boss asks him to be his niece’s piano teacher. When he meets Sarah for the first time, he sees a kindred spirit. Her eyes show someone who has been through hell and is haunted by her past. She has aspirations of becoming a concert pianist, playing in Carnegie Hall, but an old injury to her wrist and something horrible that happened to her, has been keeping her from her dreams. Someone stole the color and warmth from her life and she’s determined to get them back. Sarah knows Reese is the one who can help her.
Reese and Sarah are so much alike and have so much passion for music that it’s inevitable that they become drawn to each other. But Reese is her teacher and nearly sixteen years older than her. Plus Sarah is still a very broken young woman. Everything is telling them that this is a bad idea but the best kinds of love are sometimes messy and complicated.
Can these two broken souls help heal each other? Will Reese finally get the love and happily ever after that he deserves?
Here are my overall ratings:
Hero: 5
Heroine: 5
Plot: 5
Angst: 4.5
Steam: 4.5
Chemistry Between Hero & Heroine: 5
WHAT HE NEVER KNEW releases on February 21st! It’s definitely worth a “one-click”!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SRC0mj
March 12, 2019
***4.25 stars!***
I was not expecting this! And I mean that in the best way possible. I mean I don’t know what I was expecting, but it sure wasn’t this emotional and beautiful story. I read the blurb for book 1 & 2 and I know that the particular angst is not for me. Anyway I’m glad I get to read this one without having it to read the previous two. Regardless I had to read Reese’s story knowing about his heartache I wanted him to get his HEA.
The feels for this one! Right from the prologue so heartbreaking! Sarah and Reese had such a hard road ahead of them and I loved it. Loved that their relationship wasn’t easy and instant. Loved the special connection they had for piano music considering they’re were both talented but were impacted by it in a different way. Watching them both come out of their hurts and face them together was beautiful.
I’ve never read KS before and I really loved her writing, the slow burn of this story. The way the author handle what happened to Sarah with such care was amazing. She took the time to heal her and make her grow strong it made me appreciate the slow burn even more. Reese was a sweetheart, loved him. Can’t say enough about the epilogue but that is was, perfect. ♥️
I was not expecting this! And I mean that in the best way possible. I mean I don’t know what I was expecting, but it sure wasn’t this emotional and beautiful story. I read the blurb for book 1 & 2 and I know that the particular angst is not for me. Anyway I’m glad I get to read this one without having it to read the previous two. Regardless I had to read Reese’s story knowing about his heartache I wanted him to get his HEA.
The feels for this one! Right from the prologue so heartbreaking! Sarah and Reese had such a hard road ahead of them and I loved it. Loved that their relationship wasn’t easy and instant. Loved the special connection they had for piano music considering they’re were both talented but were impacted by it in a different way. Watching them both come out of their hurts and face them together was beautiful.
I’ve never read KS before and I really loved her writing, the slow burn of this story. The way the author handle what happened to Sarah with such care was amazing. She took the time to heal her and make her grow strong it made me appreciate the slow burn even more. Reese was a sweetheart, loved him. Can’t say enough about the epilogue but that is was, perfect. ♥️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2019
’WHAT HE NEVER KNEW’ is the third full length romance novel in Kandi Steiner’s ‘What he doesn’t know' series. Spoken in 'Dual POV'S' This is Reese and Sarah's story.
Twenty one year old Sarah Henderson had everything going for her, she's also the girl who cried wolf ‘The Prologue’ got it’s hooks into me straight away, I wasn’t expecting what occurred to be the first thing the author leads off and I knew it was going to be a rocky road.
Sarah had everything going for her, attending Bramlock University in north Florida and had dreams of making it big playing the piano but that was all stripped away in a blink of an eye she's left broken and damaged beyond repair, so much stripped away from her, which leads her to pack up all her belongings and never to come back.
Music was my life, my heart, my soul. Without it, I couldn't breathe. Without it, I couldn't survive.
And that road leads her Pennsylvania where her Aunt and Uncle take her in and connect her up with a talented Pianist, Reece Walker, a Juilliard graduate and piano legend who taught at a local prep school in Pennsylvania.
I once believed I'd find my prince, my one and only soulmate who would make all the pieces of my life fall perfectly into place. Now, the only love I believed in was the love I felt for the piano.
Thirty seven year old Reese Walker is half of the man he used to be, broken hearted after a woman he loved didn't choose him when everything pointed towards them making a go of it. Now he's left shattered, barely breathing, living day to day as best as he can.
Two souls shrouded in darkness, both beyond broken, neither thinking they could be fixed, but one glance shared between them in a packed restaurant I see you where Reese plays everything faded away. Sarah needed Reece to help her achieve her dreams at playing on the Ronald O. Perelamn Stage, and heal her in the process, Reece didn't think anyone could help him, but once these two started sharing time together the darkness started fading away and they connected on a broader level.
When I found out that Reese was getting his own book I was over the moon!! I needed it, wanted it, couldn't wait to get it!! He had my heart in the previous book so to reconnect with him again put me in my happy place and I knew the woman that captured his heart would have to be special.
This was such a heart breaking journey, I didn't think it would be as sad as it was, but so beautifully written, I felt everything the author wanted me to feel.
* Teaser used is off the authors facebook page *
February 21, 2019
With bated breaths, we were all wishing and hoping for Reese’s own story after witnessing the outcome of the Duet. With fingers crossed and time on our time on our side, we got our wish and the countdown to his happily ever after began. After all of the heartbreak and drama, this man was going to find the love of his life but the biggest question was, who was going to be the woman that would steal his heart?
“She was the light I thought I’d never see again, the purpose I thought I’d lost forever”.
It’s been two years since Reese’s world was crushed by a woman whom he worshipped. Two years since he’s heard those dreaded two words of “I’m sorry” from the lips of someone he would’ve laid down his life for. Two years and the heartache is still there, the wound is still fresh, and those shared moments have now turned into distant memories he wishes he could drown out. Whoever said that some love was painful and sacrifices were endless, were not wrong in that assessment.
Being a piano teacher and player has been Reese’s saving grace through this messed up turmoil. Every note played was like a balm for his soul, every melody and music sheet, made the pain a little bit more bearable but it was always there in the background silently waiting but letting you know that it’s presence is going to be known one way or the other. When he’s ask to help out his Boss’s niece who’s recovering from a strained injury, life as he knows it is going to be filled with a string of firsts.
Sarah Henderson has gone through a traumatic year to say the least. Hoping for a fresh start by staying with her Aunt and Uncle, she is now being taught by one of the pianist of her time. Working closely with your instructor is fine but falling for him? That’s frowned upon. With both of them holding secrets of their own and a past that they can never seem to escape, how will these two lost souls find their missing piece in each other?
“I knew he saw the same pain in me that I saw in him. And maybe that was the only reason we saw it all-because we lived it. You had to understand what that felt like to be able to recognize it, like there was an exclusive club for the eternally heartbroken”.
I normally don’t do this in my reviews but I feel like I need to address this first before I go any further. I was given a warning about the prologue by a very good blogger friend of mine and because our emotions are 90% of the time different, I overlooked that warning and thought that it was going to be nothing. I was wrong. I never saw it coming and my heart broke!! That moment solidified the book and changed every single character that was a part of the story. It was raw, real, heartbreaking and we felt the guilt and the anger and frustration as if it was our own. Not only do I applaud this author for writing this, she has managed to capture the true essence and stages of emotional turmoil.
Now back to my review: It was no surprise that I loved Reese in the previous two books but I fell for him more in this one. Knowing that this was his journey to finding love and having peace when he was faced with so much turmoil made me root for him even more. I loved his strength but I admired his vulnerability. Sarah was his perfect match and I’m glad to see that everything came full circle.
If you’re a fan of this author’s work, then this one is not to be missed.
February 16, 2019
Title: What He Never Knew (What He Doesn't Know #3)
Author: Kandi Steiner
NOTE: This is a Spoiler-free Review
Excuse me while I cry in the corner.
I think...I think I'm crying because I am happy and sad.
Reese broke my heart But then, so did Sarah.
I have been a huge fan of this series and I was so excited to finally read Reese's story. I mean who wouldn't be if you've read the other two books from the series, right?
To be honest, I was never fully satisfied with the way things turned out... the brutal fact was....Reese was left broken and it just didn't feel right to be truly happy when this beautiful lost man deserved a happy ever after too.
What He Never Knew by Kandi Steiner is stunning!
It was so beautiful.
It was so heartbreaking.
It was magical.
It was an experience that is most definitely Indescribable.
Reese and Sarah's story was the type that creeps into your soul and it gradually heals and mends then slowly it sizzles into a blistering attraction that is unavoidable because .... Reese and Sarah? They were just meant to be. These two broken souls created the perfect symphony.
I couldn't have pictured a perfect match for Reese.
I couldn't have imagined a better man for Sarah.
Don't for a second let the blurb of the book fool you.
Reese and Sarah will shatter your soul.
It's incredible how much depth and energy this book has... What He Never Knew is filled with so much love, so much strength and music....Oh The music!! music that perfectly captures every emotion in this book.
What He Never Knew is breathtakingly Magnificent!
★ Get an email when it’s live in Kindle Unlimited ➔ bit.ly/NewsletterKS
March 29, 2019
4 ⭐'s
I was a little hesitant to read Reese's story because I knew he would be hurting. However, I surely didn't think it would still be affecting him so much after two years.
Sarah is a "tad" younger than Reese but has experienced some serious things and is trying to deal with them in her own way.
They both are amazing on the piano and Sarah's uncle hires Reese to help her get back on her feet.
They both see something in each other that calls to them and they start opening up to each other. Reese is trying really hard to not make the same mistakes he did in the past.
To be honest, I didn't really connect with these two as a couple. Don't get me wrong, I loved their musical connection...that was amazing but I just didn't feel like the romance was there. It has a touch of the forbidden teacher/student relationship and with the age difference so that helped a bit.
I LOVED Rojo especially what he did for Reese. AND...I was sooo happy when Reese finally talked to Charlie. I could see where she was coming from but it was something that needed to be done.
I was shocked that Sarah believed what that witch told her but it all lead to something good. Thankfully, Sarah is super close to her Mom and that was really sweet.
I enjoyed how things ended. I think the part with the "wolf" was pretty realistic but that particular plot is not my cuppa tea.
I was a little hesitant to read Reese's story because I knew he would be hurting. However, I surely didn't think it would still be affecting him so much after two years.
Sarah is a "tad" younger than Reese but has experienced some serious things and is trying to deal with them in her own way.
They both are amazing on the piano and Sarah's uncle hires Reese to help her get back on her feet.
They both see something in each other that calls to them and they start opening up to each other. Reese is trying really hard to not make the same mistakes he did in the past.
To be honest, I didn't really connect with these two as a couple. Don't get me wrong, I loved their musical connection...that was amazing but I just didn't feel like the romance was there. It has a touch of the forbidden teacher/student relationship and with the age difference so that helped a bit.
I LOVED Rojo especially what he did for Reese. AND...I was sooo happy when Reese finally talked to Charlie. I could see where she was coming from but it was something that needed to be done.
I was shocked that Sarah believed what that witch told her but it all lead to something good. Thankfully, Sarah is super close to her Mom and that was really sweet.
I enjoyed how things ended. I think the part with the "wolf" was pretty realistic but that particular plot is not my cuppa tea.
February 22, 2019
“We don’t mean to hurt each other but we do.
And perhaps no matter how right we are for each other,
we’ll always be a little too wrong.”
-Beau Taplin
Kandi Steiner is most definitely a one click author for me and any time I pick up one of her stories I can always guarantee one wild ride that I never want to vacate. She always has the ability to draw me in from the very first word with her intricate and though provoking prose, the characters she creates and the multitude of emotions that she always evokes. I have been waiting for What He Never Knew ever since finishing What He Doesn’t Know duet and I thank Kandi for finally bringing Reese’s story to life and for making it everything I had hoped it would be and more.
If you’ve read Kandi Steiner’s What He Doesn’t Know duet then you would be all too familiar with Reese and personally I was a bit on the fence about Reese during the duet. One minute I wanted him to end up with Charlie and live happily ever after and then the next minute I didn’t, I suffered a serious case of whiplash during those books and couldn’t decipher who I felt deserved the girl. So when I found out Reese was getting his story to tell I could not wait to jump back on the Reese bandwagon.
“It didn’t matter if it was wrong, if he was older, if I was his student.
I wanted him.
And the way he touched me, I knew he wanted me, too.”
Everything Reese has had to endure positively broke my heart and I felt for him deeply; he’s lost everything that has ever meant anything to him and now he’s alone and left to pick up the shattered pieces of his heart. The only thing he has left is his piano and the monumental talent he acquires.
Sarah too has suffered immense pain and heartache which has resulted in her making some life altering decisions. Gone is the fun-loving free spirit, because now she is purely the shell of the person she once was. She has moved to Pennsylvania to live with her Aunt and Uncle and this is where she meets the piano maestro himself, Reese.
Despite their age gap, there is such a profound connection between Reese and Sarah; they both know what real life shattering pain is to endure, where the only thing that matters in this life is to escape through the ease and grace of the piano. They both have their own scars to bear but their journey of coming together and learning to trust one another was nothing short of inspiring. Through their trust of each other, these two broken and tortured souls may finally being the act of healing.
What He Never Knew was an emotionally driven story that was so beautifully written and I just drank in every word from start to finish. Kandi Steiner’s writing is always so flawless and poetic and I feel every emotion possible. This story really was a heartbreaking tale to tell, but sometimes you have to suffer through the pain before you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I would highly recommend this story to everyone.
March 5, 2019
***3 STARS***
I tried to enjoy the story of Sarah and Reese with everything in my soul but the disconnection was too strong. The way Sarah was presented as a black woman bothered me. I didn’t like it at all. Sarah was presented as a black woman through the eyes of an open minded white woman – with empathy and without understanding. We’ll get into that later.
I believe that authors should write stories about whatever they want regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or whatever without feeling restricted. The only thing that I ask is if you are going to address social injustices, do so with research and be accurate.
SOMETIMES ALL YOU CAN DO IS LAUGH TO KEEP FROM CRYING.
Click the link to read more here.
Remember to follow all things messy. . .
I tried to enjoy the story of Sarah and Reese with everything in my soul but the disconnection was too strong. The way Sarah was presented as a black woman bothered me. I didn’t like it at all. Sarah was presented as a black woman through the eyes of an open minded white woman – with empathy and without understanding. We’ll get into that later.
I believe that authors should write stories about whatever they want regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or whatever without feeling restricted. The only thing that I ask is if you are going to address social injustices, do so with research and be accurate.
SOMETIMES ALL YOU CAN DO IS LAUGH TO KEEP FROM CRYING.
Click the link to read more here.
Remember to follow all things messy. . .
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February 26, 2019
A MUST READ!
February 17, 2019
Release Date: February 21, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
What He Never Knew is the third book in the What He Doesn't Know series. While the first two books are a duet, this one could technically stand alone even if you haven't read those ones. I personally recommend reading reading the series in order (you have to for the first two books) but you don't need to. That being said, this is a great book. Kandi Steiner does a wonderful job in stirring the emotions and this one really hits the heart. I loved seeing a different side of Reese and felt a personal connection with him (this was built up because I met him in the first two books). I enjoyed Sarah's character- my heart ripped apart for her- and felt Kandi did a wonderful job at bringing her character and story to life. While it's tough to read about, I think it's important for every woman.
I don't want to get into the plot simply because I think this is a book readers need to feel for themselves, but I will say the road is rocky but the end result is worth it. Kandi Steiner has written a gorgeous and emotional story that is going to make her readers feel a roller coaster of emotions but one that won't break you. I very much recommend this to all fans of romance especially those who have had the please of reading the first two books. You will love this!
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
What He Never Knew is the third book in the What He Doesn't Know series. While the first two books are a duet, this one could technically stand alone even if you haven't read those ones. I personally recommend reading reading the series in order (you have to for the first two books) but you don't need to. That being said, this is a great book. Kandi Steiner does a wonderful job in stirring the emotions and this one really hits the heart. I loved seeing a different side of Reese and felt a personal connection with him (this was built up because I met him in the first two books). I enjoyed Sarah's character- my heart ripped apart for her- and felt Kandi did a wonderful job at bringing her character and story to life. While it's tough to read about, I think it's important for every woman.
I don't want to get into the plot simply because I think this is a book readers need to feel for themselves, but I will say the road is rocky but the end result is worth it. Kandi Steiner has written a gorgeous and emotional story that is going to make her readers feel a roller coaster of emotions but one that won't break you. I very much recommend this to all fans of romance especially those who have had the please of reading the first two books. You will love this!
February 21, 2019
REVIEW: 4 STARS
"Love doesn't play by the rules we have set for it in society."
If you do not want to ruin the What He Doesn't Know series before reading it, you probably don't want to step into this book because some things may be spoiled for the first two books.....but I can't imagine you don't know the outcome of those. It's been a while, yeah? No? Well, fair warning given. I will NOT spoil anything about ANY book in this series, but I'm pretty sure the synopsis gives away the outcome of the duet...if the cover doesn't already.
As you are well aware, this is Reese's story and HE was my pick the entire time I was reading the duet. Is that horrible of me? I feel like I can finally say that, but I can also say that 'everything happens for a reason' and I'm a firm believer in that. And he obviously hadn't met his one true love, despite the heartache he felt after the duet - because his story wasn't done. And let me tell ya, his heartache was palpable. It was so sad and painful to watch him go through it not only once, but twice because of how this one was told.
"We're not destined to run from our misery, we're destined to bathe in it - and to somehow find a way to make it beautiful."
I feel like Steiner did Sarah's brokenness justice. I obviously already knew Reese had a lot to go through, was going through, would go through....but with Sarah, I feel like I saw a very strong character, but a very broken one too. She was younger, and I felt that in some certain situations that highlighted just how young she was, but man! She was strong. I loved seeing how these two worked with each other but also helped each other in very unconventional ways. I will admit seeing Reese in his element in this one was so perfect for the storyline, but I feel like I got more of a deeper look into his pain and his emotional turmoil because he was more raw after everything that happened in the duet. These characters had a likeminded pain.
This was a wordy book - I won't lie, but a powerful message was weaved throughout the entire thing. Heartache coupled with trust, fear combined with need......emotions played heavily throughout. The pain was laced from beginning to end and was expertly laid out on the pages, leaving me with no other options but to devour the words. My *only* issue was that I felt like I wanted to skim some of the passages because they were either long-winded or repetitive, but I also know that Steiner has a way with her words and I enjoy them very much, so I had to remind myself to slow down and enjoy the story.
I'll be honest....I was worried about her making Reese's love story separate and independent from the duet because that's where we were introduced to his emotions and his love. I was worried about us seeing the same "acts of love" and proclamations. I saw a completely different side of him and not only his pain, but his growth. A whole 'nother love voice was shared in this book and I liked that side of it.
Last but certainly not least, that cover model is all sorts of perfect for the way I saw Reese in my mind the entire time I was reading these stories, and I still cannot imagine any cover matching as perfectly as this one does.
"She was quiet, but in a way only a fire can be."
~BEE
AA AMAZON LINK: https://amzn.to/2EaAZMT
ENTER HERE TO WIN A COPY: http://bit.ly/2Ip5OT1
"Love doesn't play by the rules we have set for it in society."
If you do not want to ruin the What He Doesn't Know series before reading it, you probably don't want to step into this book because some things may be spoiled for the first two books.....but I can't imagine you don't know the outcome of those. It's been a while, yeah? No? Well, fair warning given. I will NOT spoil anything about ANY book in this series, but I'm pretty sure the synopsis gives away the outcome of the duet...if the cover doesn't already.
As you are well aware, this is Reese's story and HE was my pick the entire time I was reading the duet. Is that horrible of me? I feel like I can finally say that, but I can also say that 'everything happens for a reason' and I'm a firm believer in that. And he obviously hadn't met his one true love, despite the heartache he felt after the duet - because his story wasn't done. And let me tell ya, his heartache was palpable. It was so sad and painful to watch him go through it not only once, but twice because of how this one was told.
"We're not destined to run from our misery, we're destined to bathe in it - and to somehow find a way to make it beautiful."
I feel like Steiner did Sarah's brokenness justice. I obviously already knew Reese had a lot to go through, was going through, would go through....but with Sarah, I feel like I saw a very strong character, but a very broken one too. She was younger, and I felt that in some certain situations that highlighted just how young she was, but man! She was strong. I loved seeing how these two worked with each other but also helped each other in very unconventional ways. I will admit seeing Reese in his element in this one was so perfect for the storyline, but I feel like I got more of a deeper look into his pain and his emotional turmoil because he was more raw after everything that happened in the duet. These characters had a likeminded pain.
This was a wordy book - I won't lie, but a powerful message was weaved throughout the entire thing. Heartache coupled with trust, fear combined with need......emotions played heavily throughout. The pain was laced from beginning to end and was expertly laid out on the pages, leaving me with no other options but to devour the words. My *only* issue was that I felt like I wanted to skim some of the passages because they were either long-winded or repetitive, but I also know that Steiner has a way with her words and I enjoy them very much, so I had to remind myself to slow down and enjoy the story.
I'll be honest....I was worried about her making Reese's love story separate and independent from the duet because that's where we were introduced to his emotions and his love. I was worried about us seeing the same "acts of love" and proclamations. I saw a completely different side of him and not only his pain, but his growth. A whole 'nother love voice was shared in this book and I liked that side of it.
Last but certainly not least, that cover model is all sorts of perfect for the way I saw Reese in my mind the entire time I was reading these stories, and I still cannot imagine any cover matching as perfectly as this one does.
"She was quiet, but in a way only a fire can be."
~BEE
AA AMAZON LINK: https://amzn.to/2EaAZMT
ENTER HERE TO WIN A COPY: http://bit.ly/2Ip5OT1
February 18, 2019
3 STARS!
What He Never Knew by Kandi Steiner was an emotional, raw and gripping story about two broken souls brought together by the beauty and power of music.
Why the low rating you ask? Well, I wasn't happy with Sarah. In the beginning I cried and my heart ached for her and Reese but as the story progressed Sarah began to annoy me. I needed her to be stronger and hold her head high, not allow herself to be influenced by others. I found her to be too immature for her age at moments. But above all esle, I simply wanted Reese's happiness. Not to say that he wasn't happy, but after all he's been through he needed a redeeming path to show him love.
Ugh, I don't know I'm degressing here! I feel disappointed. This story was going great until it got close to 70% and then everything just crumbled. In that moment, I was just about done with Sarah.
I did find myself loving Kandi's writing. She knows how to make you feel everything all at once. When I heard Reese was getting his story, I knew I had to have it! I love a good taboo and forbidden love story but I needed so much more from the heroine.
Overall, this story had potential. It was filled with lots of angst. If you're a lover of heart gripping pain, then this my lovelies is the story for you!
*AN ARC WAS KINDLY PROVIDED IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.*
What He Never Knew by Kandi Steiner was an emotional, raw and gripping story about two broken souls brought together by the beauty and power of music.
Why the low rating you ask? Well, I wasn't happy with Sarah. In the beginning I cried and my heart ached for her and Reese but as the story progressed Sarah began to annoy me. I needed her to be stronger and hold her head high, not allow herself to be influenced by others. I found her to be too immature for her age at moments. But above all esle, I simply wanted Reese's happiness. Not to say that he wasn't happy, but after all he's been through he needed a redeeming path to show him love.
Ugh, I don't know I'm degressing here! I feel disappointed. This story was going great until it got close to 70% and then everything just crumbled. In that moment, I was just about done with Sarah.
I did find myself loving Kandi's writing. She knows how to make you feel everything all at once. When I heard Reese was getting his story, I knew I had to have it! I love a good taboo and forbidden love story but I needed so much more from the heroine.
Overall, this story had potential. It was filled with lots of angst. If you're a lover of heart gripping pain, then this my lovelies is the story for you!
*AN ARC WAS KINDLY PROVIDED IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.*
February 22, 2019
I'd give a million trillion gazillion stars for Kandi Steiner's stunning prose alone. Her writing is as seamless and as lovely as her storytelling is captivating. Truly, I grow more and more awed by her writing style with each book I read.
It was beautifully satisfying to see Reese get the HEA he truly deserved. Together, Reese and Sarah have some monster demons to conquer, they have some heartbreaking history paving the broken road that leads them to one another. But their dynamic is forbidden and fraught with impossibility and complications and it makes for a story I truly enjoyed. This book is emotional. It's angsty. It's beautifully pieced together and in all of its wrongness, it only ever felt right.
It took me a bit to find my groove with this book at first. I blame myself and my frame of mind, not the book at all, but it did take me a bit to get into it... but once I did, it was everything I could've ever hoped for. I think I fell harder for Reese in this book than I did in the previous duet. (If you haven't read the duet yet, THIS BOOK DOES STANDALONE. However, if you plan on reading the duet later, be aware this standalone does spoil the duet so I recommend reading that first!) This book felt all kinds of right and all kinds of satisfying and I really enjoyed it.
It was beautifully satisfying to see Reese get the HEA he truly deserved. Together, Reese and Sarah have some monster demons to conquer, they have some heartbreaking history paving the broken road that leads them to one another. But their dynamic is forbidden and fraught with impossibility and complications and it makes for a story I truly enjoyed. This book is emotional. It's angsty. It's beautifully pieced together and in all of its wrongness, it only ever felt right.
It took me a bit to find my groove with this book at first. I blame myself and my frame of mind, not the book at all, but it did take me a bit to get into it... but once I did, it was everything I could've ever hoped for. I think I fell harder for Reese in this book than I did in the previous duet. (If you haven't read the duet yet, THIS BOOK DOES STANDALONE. However, if you plan on reading the duet later, be aware this standalone does spoil the duet so I recommend reading that first!) This book felt all kinds of right and all kinds of satisfying and I really enjoyed it.
February 21, 2019
I have to protect my heart every time I start a new Kandi Steiner novel. Since I absolutely LOVED the duet before this book, I knew my heart had to be prepared entering this book!
It's been two years since the love of his life didn't choose him. Now, Reese is just trying to make it day by day. When he takes on a new piano student for the headmaster of his school, he's shocked to find a broken girl that understands exactly the hurt and heartbreak he's dealing with. Sarah was broken to the point of no return, and now she's a shell of who she used to be. Sarah will do anything to be good enough to reach her dreams of playing the piano at Carnegie hall, which means becoming vulnerable and showing the emotions she's kept locked up since she left school is impossible. Reese is slowly unlocking those emotions and learning how to be human again alongside her.
Wow. The moment this book starts, your heart is going to shatter and slowly put itself together again with each page. Sarah is violated in the worst possible way and we see her at her lowest point, trying to just get through life. Watching Sarah and Reese connect was so emotional and magical and it was amazing how Kandi can create two such broken people and help heal them. While this was an age gap (21 and 37), I never felt like Sarah and Reese weren't capable of being equals. Because of the life experiences they had and the betrayals they had experienced, they were able to connect with each other and fall for each other because of it.
Not only was the relationship and the romance spot on in this book, the music that Reese and Sarah connected over was breathtaking. I loved how lost in the music the characters would get and how they would communicate with the piano. I could feel how important the piano and music was to both of these characters and how vulnerable they would become while they played. The music gave their romance so much more depth and meaning.
If you can't tell, I absolutely adored this book. This is definitely a very emotional book that you have to go in ready for characters to be broken. The beauty of this book, though, was watching these characters learn to love and feel again. I loved seeing Reese finally have a chance at becoming whole again and I think everyone needs to pick up this book!
It's been two years since the love of his life didn't choose him. Now, Reese is just trying to make it day by day. When he takes on a new piano student for the headmaster of his school, he's shocked to find a broken girl that understands exactly the hurt and heartbreak he's dealing with. Sarah was broken to the point of no return, and now she's a shell of who she used to be. Sarah will do anything to be good enough to reach her dreams of playing the piano at Carnegie hall, which means becoming vulnerable and showing the emotions she's kept locked up since she left school is impossible. Reese is slowly unlocking those emotions and learning how to be human again alongside her.
Wow. The moment this book starts, your heart is going to shatter and slowly put itself together again with each page. Sarah is violated in the worst possible way and we see her at her lowest point, trying to just get through life. Watching Sarah and Reese connect was so emotional and magical and it was amazing how Kandi can create two such broken people and help heal them. While this was an age gap (21 and 37), I never felt like Sarah and Reese weren't capable of being equals. Because of the life experiences they had and the betrayals they had experienced, they were able to connect with each other and fall for each other because of it.
Not only was the relationship and the romance spot on in this book, the music that Reese and Sarah connected over was breathtaking. I loved how lost in the music the characters would get and how they would communicate with the piano. I could feel how important the piano and music was to both of these characters and how vulnerable they would become while they played. The music gave their romance so much more depth and meaning.
If you can't tell, I absolutely adored this book. This is definitely a very emotional book that you have to go in ready for characters to be broken. The beauty of this book, though, was watching these characters learn to love and feel again. I loved seeing Reese finally have a chance at becoming whole again and I think everyone needs to pick up this book!
February 19, 2019
Personal note that may spoil parts of the book if you've not yet read.
5++++++++ Stars
Reese Walker is a piano genius that shied away from the spotlight and embraced a quieter life teaching piano to youths. He knows a star when he sees one and he doesn't see it in Sarah, the quiet, angry niece of his boss. Sarah Henderson is ready to stop hiding and wants to love the piano again, but it sparks fear in her still, even after being away from her old university for some time. Reese is her one chance to make her dreams happen again and she's ready to fight. When Reese sees that fight in Sarah he recognizes a bit of himself and as he helps her turn her emotions into notes he feels emotion stir in him again, kick starting his heart again after it had been trampled over. They both believe it's wrong, they know everyone else will too, but the feelings they have, the hope they share, it just might be their chance to know happiness again.
"Reese was an entire universe, and the piano was a mere telescope we tried to see him through."
There are books that make you warm and fuzzy inside, there are books that make you angry, and there are books that make you sob in sadness, or in this case, in solidarity. What He Never Knew is one of those reads that quickly became very personal for me, my connection with it may not be the same as it is for everyone else, and I ultimately loved it due to that personal connection. It's very easy to gloss over the ugly, to allow romance to clean up the mess, or to tackle difficult subjects in a way that isn't sensitive at all. I can name on just two hands the books I've read that have tackled the incident in this novel well and What He Never Knew by Kandi Steiner has just been added to that list.
Sarah's situation isn't unique, but Kandi's sensitivity to it is. Sarah is at first despondent, she is defensive and angry, and she has given up the things she loves. She's left university, ashamed and afraid of the incident that occurred. She's left it all behind and now, after hiding, has moved to Pennsylvania to try to train on the piano again. What He Never Knew is her butterfly moment captured on pages, it's her opening up, embracing the beautiful parts of life again, and learning that the tragedies don't have to hold us down. She learns to love music again, to open up, and to trust. Reese Walker, who I loved so very much from the What He Doesn't Know duet, is her piano teacher and while he is significantly older than her he sees that she is wise beyond her years. He sees a darkness in her that he sees in himself, he too finds someone to trust with the things that have weighed him down. He shows her how to harness that pain and while he watches the piano make her shine again he begins to fall.
"He searched my gaze like I was a puzzle with all the right pieces shoved in all the wrong places, and I'd never felt more pegged down in my entire life."
Kandi Steiner is always one of my favorites, she can write angst and love in such a way that you feel it too, but in my opinion this is her at her very best. This story is told in a descriptive, lyrical way, moving much like the piano Sarah plays. It's a story of loss and tragedy, of forgiveness and hope, and of love and strength. I really appreciated the character development in this book, especially with Reese recognizing his poor behavior and Sarah realizing that her initial choice to hide isn't the right choice at all. While it is incredibly heavy, it features the promise of love, a feeling we all know how to cling to. Reese and Sarah, though unconventional, heal one another and no one can deny that their broken pieces fit together perfectly. They bring out the best in one another and even when things are hard they each push themselves to overcome it.
"'For the record,' he finally said. 'I am in your corner.'"
If you are not afraid of an emotional read, get this one in your hands right away. I do recommend reading the duet first, but this book is equally brilliant as a standalone. Fans of Reese will be so happy he finally got the HEA he deserved, but fans of the romance genre in general will be over the moon about the gorgeous, realistic story Kandi Steiner has gifted us.
ARC provided.
5++++++++ Stars
Reese Walker is a piano genius that shied away from the spotlight and embraced a quieter life teaching piano to youths. He knows a star when he sees one and he doesn't see it in Sarah, the quiet, angry niece of his boss. Sarah Henderson is ready to stop hiding and wants to love the piano again, but it sparks fear in her still, even after being away from her old university for some time. Reese is her one chance to make her dreams happen again and she's ready to fight. When Reese sees that fight in Sarah he recognizes a bit of himself and as he helps her turn her emotions into notes he feels emotion stir in him again, kick starting his heart again after it had been trampled over. They both believe it's wrong, they know everyone else will too, but the feelings they have, the hope they share, it just might be their chance to know happiness again.
"Reese was an entire universe, and the piano was a mere telescope we tried to see him through."
There are books that make you warm and fuzzy inside, there are books that make you angry, and there are books that make you sob in sadness, or in this case, in solidarity. What He Never Knew is one of those reads that quickly became very personal for me, my connection with it may not be the same as it is for everyone else, and I ultimately loved it due to that personal connection. It's very easy to gloss over the ugly, to allow romance to clean up the mess, or to tackle difficult subjects in a way that isn't sensitive at all. I can name on just two hands the books I've read that have tackled the incident in this novel well and What He Never Knew by Kandi Steiner has just been added to that list.
Sarah's situation isn't unique, but Kandi's sensitivity to it is. Sarah is at first despondent, she is defensive and angry, and she has given up the things she loves. She's left university, ashamed and afraid of the incident that occurred. She's left it all behind and now, after hiding, has moved to Pennsylvania to try to train on the piano again. What He Never Knew is her butterfly moment captured on pages, it's her opening up, embracing the beautiful parts of life again, and learning that the tragedies don't have to hold us down. She learns to love music again, to open up, and to trust. Reese Walker, who I loved so very much from the What He Doesn't Know duet, is her piano teacher and while he is significantly older than her he sees that she is wise beyond her years. He sees a darkness in her that he sees in himself, he too finds someone to trust with the things that have weighed him down. He shows her how to harness that pain and while he watches the piano make her shine again he begins to fall.
"He searched my gaze like I was a puzzle with all the right pieces shoved in all the wrong places, and I'd never felt more pegged down in my entire life."
Kandi Steiner is always one of my favorites, she can write angst and love in such a way that you feel it too, but in my opinion this is her at her very best. This story is told in a descriptive, lyrical way, moving much like the piano Sarah plays. It's a story of loss and tragedy, of forgiveness and hope, and of love and strength. I really appreciated the character development in this book, especially with Reese recognizing his poor behavior and Sarah realizing that her initial choice to hide isn't the right choice at all. While it is incredibly heavy, it features the promise of love, a feeling we all know how to cling to. Reese and Sarah, though unconventional, heal one another and no one can deny that their broken pieces fit together perfectly. They bring out the best in one another and even when things are hard they each push themselves to overcome it.
"'For the record,' he finally said. 'I am in your corner.'"
If you are not afraid of an emotional read, get this one in your hands right away. I do recommend reading the duet first, but this book is equally brilliant as a standalone. Fans of Reese will be so happy he finally got the HEA he deserved, but fans of the romance genre in general will be over the moon about the gorgeous, realistic story Kandi Steiner has gifted us.
ARC provided.
February 22, 2019
Oh damn, this book...it was phenomenal. One of the best books I’ve ever come across if I’m being honest. This book moved me, it left me in awe!
ARC Received In exchange for an honest review
Reese, this man is a special kind of man. He’s handsome, strong and very in touch with his emotions. He’s going through things that are emotionally draining, things that destroy people with the grief that follows him but he’s still standing, he’s strong in his own way and he makes you fall so hard for him, you just won’t be able to help it. He’s an amazing, incredible man with a whole lot of passion.
Sarah, gah this woman. I’ve never met a heroine that I’ve loved as much as I love this one. She goes through something that no woman should ever have to but even through her suffering she’s a strong and beautiful woman. She finds it hard to trust, as any one would but through music she speaks volumes and it’s beautiful, it’s beautiful to see her work through her struggles and come out on top. I’m in absolute awe of this character.
Right from the start I was invested in every way possible. Sarah’s story was heartbreaking and real, an every day occurrence and gut wrenching. The things that poor woman had to deal with just broke my heart over and over again but her strength, the strength shone brightly. She’s an incredible woman dealing with an extremely difficult thing and then we have Reese’s story and your heart breaks more for him. The things he has do deal with is extremely hard especially loving someone that will never love you back, that’s extremely painful.
Kandi Steiner truly outdid herself with this phenomenon. Never will I ever read a book that’ll make me feel the way this one did. This is by far my favourite book from this author and definitely on my top list of favourite books of 2019!
This book is about two broken souls finding their place in the world, finding their other half, the half that makes them whole again. About two people experiencing terrible ordeals but coming out strong in the end. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking, angsty and has you feeling all the feels.
ARC Received In exchange for an honest review
Reese, this man is a special kind of man. He’s handsome, strong and very in touch with his emotions. He’s going through things that are emotionally draining, things that destroy people with the grief that follows him but he’s still standing, he’s strong in his own way and he makes you fall so hard for him, you just won’t be able to help it. He’s an amazing, incredible man with a whole lot of passion.
Sarah, gah this woman. I’ve never met a heroine that I’ve loved as much as I love this one. She goes through something that no woman should ever have to but even through her suffering she’s a strong and beautiful woman. She finds it hard to trust, as any one would but through music she speaks volumes and it’s beautiful, it’s beautiful to see her work through her struggles and come out on top. I’m in absolute awe of this character.
Right from the start I was invested in every way possible. Sarah’s story was heartbreaking and real, an every day occurrence and gut wrenching. The things that poor woman had to deal with just broke my heart over and over again but her strength, the strength shone brightly. She’s an incredible woman dealing with an extremely difficult thing and then we have Reese’s story and your heart breaks more for him. The things he has do deal with is extremely hard especially loving someone that will never love you back, that’s extremely painful.
Kandi Steiner truly outdid herself with this phenomenon. Never will I ever read a book that’ll make me feel the way this one did. This is by far my favourite book from this author and definitely on my top list of favourite books of 2019!
This book is about two broken souls finding their place in the world, finding their other half, the half that makes them whole again. About two people experiencing terrible ordeals but coming out strong in the end. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking, angsty and has you feeling all the feels.
March 17, 2019
So many five star reviews and here I come bearing my two.
.
.
.
I was dead set against reading this book because I didn't like Reese in the two previous novels. I couldn't root for him to get the girl because the girl was married, maybe not happily married, but married nonetheless. So I was all set to ignore this until I checked out the reviews and saw it being listed as interracial. Downloaded the sample and well, my curiosity got the best of me.
This book also employs two tropes I try to steer clear of: significant age gap and student-teacher. But seeing as the heroine was a black biracial woman, and I haven't come across many books that entails those tropes featuring black or non-white women, it's why I bit the bullet. I had hoped for steam, forbidden passion, and what I got was lots, tons, an immeasurable amount of purple prose.
I was bored out of my mind!
The book went as follows:
Reese: self-pity, self-pity, cigarette break, self-pity, self-pity, Charlie, self-pity, self-pity, piano, self-pity, self-pity, gotta smoke.
Sarah: self-pity (hers was warranted, but then after a while I grew numb to it), piano, self-pity, yoga, self-pity, more piano.
These were two characters who didn't have any friends or interests outside of feeling sorry for themselves and playing the piano. I'm sorry but that didn't make for an enjoyable or even a messy read. I was fully prepared to be uncomfortable, of feeling my guts being squeezed and twisted as they fought their attraction to one another, but I didn't get that. Not even a speck of it. This book tried to come for your feels but it felt too forced, I'm afraid, and it just didn't work for me overall.
Did this book change my initial attitude about Reese? Well I didn't hate him, but he didn't wow me or make me swoon. So that's that on that. Sarah? I didn't dislike her although I did side-eye her because she was ready to hate Charlie only because she knew one part of the story, Reese's. How can you be mad at a woman for choosing to stick with her husband? Weird. Sarah, unfortunately didn't grow on me, but I can appreciate how hard she worked toward her dream.
Oh and just a helpful note to white writers when one of your main characters is a black and/or mixed race person. If they are on the darker hue of the color spectrum, our cheeks don't flame or turn rosy. Not saying we're incapable of blushing, you just won't see the physical manifestation of it. M'kay? Great. And one final thing before I go...
I had read this really good point in a review for a different book, but the reviewer asked the question of, why, when characters are of a different ethnic background do they have to be half of something else in order to be relatable? This is the seventh book I've read written by a white woman where the heroine is biracial. And yes, those books were interracial romances. I'd just like to know why. Why couldn't Sarah have two black parents or even Brecks in 'My Love Letter to Whiskey'? Is it the fear of unconsciously delving into stereotypes, alienating your base? I'm just curious. Please don't take this to mean that I feel biracial people don't have a place in romance or any genre. I've just been noticing the trend, even black writers, those I've come across have done the same. As a black woman with two black parents with brown skin and brown eyes, finding someone who looks like me in literature is starting to feel like its becoming obsolete.
.
.
.
I was dead set against reading this book because I didn't like Reese in the two previous novels. I couldn't root for him to get the girl because the girl was married, maybe not happily married, but married nonetheless. So I was all set to ignore this until I checked out the reviews and saw it being listed as interracial. Downloaded the sample and well, my curiosity got the best of me.
This book also employs two tropes I try to steer clear of: significant age gap and student-teacher. But seeing as the heroine was a black biracial woman, and I haven't come across many books that entails those tropes featuring black or non-white women, it's why I bit the bullet. I had hoped for steam, forbidden passion, and what I got was lots, tons, an immeasurable amount of purple prose.
I was bored out of my mind!
The book went as follows:
Reese: self-pity, self-pity, cigarette break, self-pity, self-pity, Charlie, self-pity, self-pity, piano, self-pity, self-pity, gotta smoke.
Sarah: self-pity (hers was warranted, but then after a while I grew numb to it), piano, self-pity, yoga, self-pity, more piano.
These were two characters who didn't have any friends or interests outside of feeling sorry for themselves and playing the piano. I'm sorry but that didn't make for an enjoyable or even a messy read. I was fully prepared to be uncomfortable, of feeling my guts being squeezed and twisted as they fought their attraction to one another, but I didn't get that. Not even a speck of it. This book tried to come for your feels but it felt too forced, I'm afraid, and it just didn't work for me overall.
Did this book change my initial attitude about Reese? Well I didn't hate him, but he didn't wow me or make me swoon. So that's that on that. Sarah? I didn't dislike her although I did side-eye her because she was ready to hate Charlie only because she knew one part of the story, Reese's. How can you be mad at a woman for choosing to stick with her husband? Weird. Sarah, unfortunately didn't grow on me, but I can appreciate how hard she worked toward her dream.
Oh and just a helpful note to white writers when one of your main characters is a black and/or mixed race person. If they are on the darker hue of the color spectrum, our cheeks don't flame or turn rosy. Not saying we're incapable of blushing, you just won't see the physical manifestation of it. M'kay? Great. And one final thing before I go...
I had read this really good point in a review for a different book, but the reviewer asked the question of, why, when characters are of a different ethnic background do they have to be half of something else in order to be relatable? This is the seventh book I've read written by a white woman where the heroine is biracial. And yes, those books were interracial romances. I'd just like to know why. Why couldn't Sarah have two black parents or even Brecks in 'My Love Letter to Whiskey'? Is it the fear of unconsciously delving into stereotypes, alienating your base? I'm just curious. Please don't take this to mean that I feel biracial people don't have a place in romance or any genre. I've just been noticing the trend, even black writers, those I've come across have done the same. As a black woman with two black parents with brown skin and brown eyes, finding someone who looks like me in literature is starting to feel like its becoming obsolete.
February 16, 2019
What He Never Knew (What He Doesn't Know #3)
By: Kandi Steiner
4 Stars
I knew going into Reese and Sarah’s story it wouldn’t be an easy one to digest. Reese has had his fair share of bad luck in his life. From relationships to friendships to family, everyone he comes in contact with bad things happen.
While he chooses to punish himself daily with teaching at the same school that the woman he lost, he is trying to get over the heartbreak. Teaching, playing the piano part time at the restaurant and now taking on the new student, Reese should be moving on in life.
2 years have past since that horrible day that Charlie went back to her husband….
Sarah is a breath of fresh air! She is going to graduate this semester, her dreams of playing Carnegie one day seems to be coming into play. Finals are upon her and then she can head home for the break and come back to finish her final semester. But just like that, her world has fallen apart. In the blink of an eye, she won’t be returning to college to finish.
Packing up and moving to live with her aunt and uncle to regroup, her uncle puts her in-touch with the great Reese to tutor her and get her back to playing and dreaming of moving to New York.
I enjoyed reading this story as I really looked forward to Reese finding someone who he truly deserved. It wasn’t an easy relationship but what relationship ever is?
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By: Kandi Steiner
4 Stars
I knew going into Reese and Sarah’s story it wouldn’t be an easy one to digest. Reese has had his fair share of bad luck in his life. From relationships to friendships to family, everyone he comes in contact with bad things happen.
While he chooses to punish himself daily with teaching at the same school that the woman he lost, he is trying to get over the heartbreak. Teaching, playing the piano part time at the restaurant and now taking on the new student, Reese should be moving on in life.
2 years have past since that horrible day that Charlie went back to her husband….
Sarah is a breath of fresh air! She is going to graduate this semester, her dreams of playing Carnegie one day seems to be coming into play. Finals are upon her and then she can head home for the break and come back to finish her final semester. But just like that, her world has fallen apart. In the blink of an eye, she won’t be returning to college to finish.
Packing up and moving to live with her aunt and uncle to regroup, her uncle puts her in-touch with the great Reese to tutor her and get her back to playing and dreaming of moving to New York.
I enjoyed reading this story as I really looked forward to Reese finding someone who he truly deserved. It wasn’t an easy relationship but what relationship ever is?
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May 8, 2021
I might be the odd man out, but I was not a fan of Reese in the first two books. I found him to be manipulative and pushy. He wants Charlie and he pushed and prodded and got what he wanted, until she realized he wasn’t what she wanted.
It’s two years later and he hasn’t moved on. I wasn’t a fan of Charlie either, and I like her even less in this one. She honestly thinks they’re friends, that he just accepted and moved on. She’s cruel in her cluelessness, but that wasn’t surprising as she’s stayed in character. She was TSTL in her books and hasn’t improved.
Sarah, our heroine, is a surprise. I like her, she has a horrible backstory (trigger warning—rape victim), and she needs help moving on with her musical training and life goals. She’s 21 to his 37, but this actually works as their maturity level is similar.
3 ⭐️ story, minus one for my continued dislike of Reese and Charlie.
It’s two years later and he hasn’t moved on. I wasn’t a fan of Charlie either, and I like her even less in this one. She honestly thinks they’re friends, that he just accepted and moved on. She’s cruel in her cluelessness, but that wasn’t surprising as she’s stayed in character. She was TSTL in her books and hasn’t improved.
Sarah, our heroine, is a surprise. I like her, she has a horrible backstory (trigger warning—rape victim), and she needs help moving on with her musical training and life goals. She’s 21 to his 37, but this actually works as their maturity level is similar.
3 ⭐️ story, minus one for my continued dislike of Reese and Charlie.
February 18, 2019
4.5 Bring On The Angst Stars
What He Never Knew by Kandi Steiner was a angsty, gritty, love story that tore my heart in two. I laughed, cried, and damn near almost threw my kindle clear across the room. I'm still reeling at that ending. It was beautifully written and trust me when I say this, you need to read this book. Give Reese a chance.
In this story we learn more of Reese's backstory, why he is the way he is. It's been almost two years and he is still in love with Charlie. It utterly destroys him inside to see her with Cameron and their two children. He keeps his distance but Charlie being Charlie want's to make sure he is doing okay.
But things take a dramatic twist when he gets asked by his boss to teach his niece on the piano. The first time he meets Sarah he see's a beautiful broken spirit. Something is haunting those gorgeous eyes of hers, and Reese is the only one who can bring her back to life.
Right from the get-go Reese and Sarah are so much alike, and with their passion of music. But he is her teacher, and sixteen years older than her. . . This is a bad idea . . . but the love they share for one another is is unlike anything they ever experienced.
Two broken souls that help heal each-others wounds.
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What He Never Knew by Kandi Steiner was a angsty, gritty, love story that tore my heart in two. I laughed, cried, and damn near almost threw my kindle clear across the room. I'm still reeling at that ending. It was beautifully written and trust me when I say this, you need to read this book. Give Reese a chance.
In this story we learn more of Reese's backstory, why he is the way he is. It's been almost two years and he is still in love with Charlie. It utterly destroys him inside to see her with Cameron and their two children. He keeps his distance but Charlie being Charlie want's to make sure he is doing okay.
But things take a dramatic twist when he gets asked by his boss to teach his niece on the piano. The first time he meets Sarah he see's a beautiful broken spirit. Something is haunting those gorgeous eyes of hers, and Reese is the only one who can bring her back to life.
Right from the get-go Reese and Sarah are so much alike, and with their passion of music. But he is her teacher, and sixteen years older than her. . . This is a bad idea . . . but the love they share for one another is is unlike anything they ever experienced.
Two broken souls that help heal each-others wounds.
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November 13, 2020
"We are all just humans who want to feel like we're not alone, even when we are."
No matter how I start this review and no matter what words will follow, I can't do this book any justice. It came, it saw and it conquered: My mind, my heart, my soul.
"Sarah was an unstoppable force, like a Category 5 hurricane, and we'd all just been wrecked by her power."
What He Never Knew is incredibly touching, moving, real. Since IEWU by C. Hoover in 2016, a story that shook my bones to the core, no book after was able to rip me apart on such an intense level. Until now. Don't get me wrong, I've read wonderful soul-touching and soul-crushing books in the meantime, but the way this book here touched me, my soul, my heart and my mind is like finding a pearl in a natural oyster.
"His lips were the softest command, smooth like rose petals, yet powerful enough to bend me in a silent plea to submit."
As much as I wished to read this beautiful book in one sitting. I had to take my time. Not only because I wanted to prolong the time with the characters as much as possible but also because the story wore my out heavily. It holds a weight that's hard to carry. I needed breaks to distance myself, to let myself breathe again, not realizing I held my breath while reading.
"Reese had given me my dream kiss, a kiss I'd dreamed about, one I wasn't sure could ever be reality."
Sarah and Reese are raw gems and Kandi Steiner was able to grind and shape those characters into the most beautiful diamonds. Even their scars are visible as pretty inclusions, that make them unique and outstanding.
"She looked happy and free, and it was my favorite way to see her."
Reading about these soulful characters, beautifully and tragically broken by life, feeling their connection and how they help each other heal, together with the power of music is a reading experience you won't ever forget.
"Her pain was palpable, and it bled into me like ink on paper, spreading over me in a way that would permanently change me forever."
This book had my mind, my soul my stomach in a constant knot. My eyes were heavy and puffy when I turned the last page. It moved me on a level I thought not possible. THAT book right here is the reason why I love to read. Why I fell in love with romance books. Emotions spilling all over the pages. A reading experience beyond comparison.
"She was the light I never thought I'd see again, the purpose I thought I'd lost forever."
While writing this review I still have to fight tears and it's hard to swallow. All the feelings that bubble up are hard to contain. And as soon as I finish this review, I won't. Thank you Kandi Steiner for giving me all the feels, for showing I am enough, for letting me know it's ok to feel and it's ok to fall in love, to be vulnerable and to trust, even if that means I might get hurt. But as long as I feel, I live and as long as I live, I can follow my dreams.
"Nothing about us made sense, and yet, there was no other possibility."
No matter how I start this review and no matter what words will follow, I can't do this book any justice. It came, it saw and it conquered: My mind, my heart, my soul.
"Sarah was an unstoppable force, like a Category 5 hurricane, and we'd all just been wrecked by her power."
What He Never Knew is incredibly touching, moving, real. Since IEWU by C. Hoover in 2016, a story that shook my bones to the core, no book after was able to rip me apart on such an intense level. Until now. Don't get me wrong, I've read wonderful soul-touching and soul-crushing books in the meantime, but the way this book here touched me, my soul, my heart and my mind is like finding a pearl in a natural oyster.
"His lips were the softest command, smooth like rose petals, yet powerful enough to bend me in a silent plea to submit."
As much as I wished to read this beautiful book in one sitting. I had to take my time. Not only because I wanted to prolong the time with the characters as much as possible but also because the story wore my out heavily. It holds a weight that's hard to carry. I needed breaks to distance myself, to let myself breathe again, not realizing I held my breath while reading.
"Reese had given me my dream kiss, a kiss I'd dreamed about, one I wasn't sure could ever be reality."
Sarah and Reese are raw gems and Kandi Steiner was able to grind and shape those characters into the most beautiful diamonds. Even their scars are visible as pretty inclusions, that make them unique and outstanding.
"She looked happy and free, and it was my favorite way to see her."
Reading about these soulful characters, beautifully and tragically broken by life, feeling their connection and how they help each other heal, together with the power of music is a reading experience you won't ever forget.
"Her pain was palpable, and it bled into me like ink on paper, spreading over me in a way that would permanently change me forever."
This book had my mind, my soul my stomach in a constant knot. My eyes were heavy and puffy when I turned the last page. It moved me on a level I thought not possible. THAT book right here is the reason why I love to read. Why I fell in love with romance books. Emotions spilling all over the pages. A reading experience beyond comparison.
"She was the light I never thought I'd see again, the purpose I thought I'd lost forever."
While writing this review I still have to fight tears and it's hard to swallow. All the feelings that bubble up are hard to contain. And as soon as I finish this review, I won't. Thank you Kandi Steiner for giving me all the feels, for showing I am enough, for letting me know it's ok to feel and it's ok to fall in love, to be vulnerable and to trust, even if that means I might get hurt. But as long as I feel, I live and as long as I live, I can follow my dreams.
"Nothing about us made sense, and yet, there was no other possibility."
March 29, 2019
4.25 Stars
This series has been a huge hit for me! It had everything I love: the unbearable angst, love triangle, and the PIANO! I took my time reading this 3rd and final book because I wanted to savor it. I wanted to really take it all in and the characters.
Maybe this book was extra special to me because I am a pianist and it just spoke to me, but also Kandi Steiner is such a great author you can’t help but come away from her books feeling a bit like your heart has been broken but put back together again.
This series has been a huge hit for me! It had everything I love: the unbearable angst, love triangle, and the PIANO! I took my time reading this 3rd and final book because I wanted to savor it. I wanted to really take it all in and the characters.
Maybe this book was extra special to me because I am a pianist and it just spoke to me, but also Kandi Steiner is such a great author you can’t help but come away from her books feeling a bit like your heart has been broken but put back together again.
November 16, 2019
A heart wrenching tale of age-gap love which wasn't supposed to happen but it just sprouts and blooms and sways to the beautiful piano music in midst of personal devastations. Kandi writes with a lot of heart. Tears flow out of her pen and she soaks the pages crimson with bleeding hearts. Very touching and invoking sympathy, her characters are real and vulnerable at all times.
“Like someone has their fist inside my rib cage, fingers wrapped around my heart in a vise grip.”
This book highlights the healing power of music, It's ability to mend hearts, bring them together and provide a crutch to disabled souls.
Two characters limping around after personal tragedies have struck them down, drowning in darkness and despair
The person who left had the most power, and the person left behind had the most despair. One would move on, the other would live in heartbreak until enough time had passed.
Reese Walker is shit out of luck. Everything he touches, crumbles to dust. His love always unrequited, off limits. His personal grey cloud follows him wherever he goes. Morose, dejected, defeated
He meets his new student-Sarah Henderson. She's been through a lot....like A LOT !!
And she's still standing, that's an achievement in itself. But she's scared, terrified, distrusting, her walls up she avoids proximities. She just wants to disappear, be invisible, not be acknowledged or touched. Just wants to be left alone with her bf-The Piano
I was the girl who cried wolf. But I vowed to myself that I would not be the girl who let the wolf win.
They both are slaves of self-flagellation and weighed down by self doubts.
A seemingly symbiotic relationship develops and he teaches her music and she writes a brand new song in his heart.
Like Black & White Piano keys they sit together and create beautiful music, on the piano and in their hearts.
It's a angsty, raw, soulful story which has lot of fantastic content. This was a highly anticipated story ever since WHDK the duet. Though I have to admit, appearance of Charlie again and again irked me a bit, she had to know that scratching at the scab gotta hurt a lot and keep the wound afresh. Maybe that twisted the knife in the gut a little bit more, so all in all good thinking Kandi!!
Go ahead and pick this up if you're a masochist who needs their hearts mauled and eyes puffed and red.
4 stars for Adorable Rojo
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“Like someone has their fist inside my rib cage, fingers wrapped around my heart in a vise grip.”
This book highlights the healing power of music, It's ability to mend hearts, bring them together and provide a crutch to disabled souls.
Two characters limping around after personal tragedies have struck them down, drowning in darkness and despair
The person who left had the most power, and the person left behind had the most despair. One would move on, the other would live in heartbreak until enough time had passed.
Reese Walker is shit out of luck. Everything he touches, crumbles to dust. His love always unrequited, off limits. His personal grey cloud follows him wherever he goes. Morose, dejected, defeated
He meets his new student-Sarah Henderson. She's been through a lot....like A LOT !!
And she's still standing, that's an achievement in itself. But she's scared, terrified, distrusting, her walls up she avoids proximities. She just wants to disappear, be invisible, not be acknowledged or touched. Just wants to be left alone with her bf-The Piano
I was the girl who cried wolf. But I vowed to myself that I would not be the girl who let the wolf win.
They both are slaves of self-flagellation and weighed down by self doubts.
A seemingly symbiotic relationship develops and he teaches her music and she writes a brand new song in his heart.
Like Black & White Piano keys they sit together and create beautiful music, on the piano and in their hearts.
It's a angsty, raw, soulful story which has lot of fantastic content. This was a highly anticipated story ever since WHDK the duet. Though I have to admit, appearance of Charlie again and again irked me a bit, she had to know that scratching at the scab gotta hurt a lot and keep the wound afresh. Maybe that twisted the knife in the gut a little bit more, so all in all good thinking Kandi!!
Go ahead and pick this up if you're a masochist who needs their hearts mauled and eyes puffed and red.
4 stars for Adorable Rojo
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August 31, 2021
Sarah thought the worst thing that ever happened to her is the death of her father. She was wrong!
WARNING: This story is not a lighthearted read—it’s what I deem, as real-life romance, as these characters are dealing with life issues and real pain. Sometimes, to get where you’re meant to be, you have to go through the fire. This story may have triggers for some readers, proceed with caution.
Now ...
A semester away from graduation Sarah Henderson bails because something precious was taken from her and she’s filled with darkness and pain. She acts out by drastically changing herself and refusing to let the voice of the wolf inside her head deter her from her ultimate goal.
Sarah, a gifted pianist digs deep to overcome the past and her repetitive strain injury that she has to heal if she wants a career as a concert pianist.
Enter Reese Walker, a talented pianist and teacher at a private prep school helmed by Sarah’s Uncle Randall. Reese is a man filled with the pain and loss of many things, including loving a woman that didn’t choose him.
How do you get over a lost love if you see them everyday?
I felt for Reese (though he failed to verbally express his boundaries) because Charlie was perfectly clueless as to the boundaries he needed. Avoiding her didn’t work and she continually insinuated herself into his life by refusing to be ignored. Don’t get me wrong, she seems nice enough—just not someone in tune with the havoc her presence caused in Reese’s life.
At this point, I should probably mention that Reese and Charlie have known each other since childhood and they have history. Though this is a stand-alone, Books 1 & 2 chronicle their relationship which I skipped because I wanted to read about the present, not his past.
Through their almost daily interactions, Reese and Sarah begin to break down each other’s walls and they both begin to open up to one another. At times, Sarah is able to forget the past and we’re well aware of the moment where she returns to the Land of the Living.
As you can imagine, things become complicated as they grow close and realize they have feelings for one another. The closer she gets to her goals, the further away she becomes from the here and now and out of Reese's life for good.
There is a pivotal moment that didn't work for me, when Sarah throws an accusation at Reese, she shows every bit of her 21 years of age. There was no Pay-to-Play here, and I would even go as far to say that he didn't (deliberate on his part) get what he wanted, because HE wanted her to be HAPPY.
Recommended: Read It!
WARNING: This story is not a lighthearted read—it’s what I deem, as real-life romance, as these characters are dealing with life issues and real pain. Sometimes, to get where you’re meant to be, you have to go through the fire. This story may have triggers for some readers, proceed with caution.
Now ...
A semester away from graduation Sarah Henderson bails because something precious was taken from her and she’s filled with darkness and pain. She acts out by drastically changing herself and refusing to let the voice of the wolf inside her head deter her from her ultimate goal.
Sarah, a gifted pianist digs deep to overcome the past and her repetitive strain injury that she has to heal if she wants a career as a concert pianist.
Enter Reese Walker, a talented pianist and teacher at a private prep school helmed by Sarah’s Uncle Randall. Reese is a man filled with the pain and loss of many things, including loving a woman that didn’t choose him.
How do you get over a lost love if you see them everyday?
I felt for Reese (though he failed to verbally express his boundaries) because Charlie was perfectly clueless as to the boundaries he needed. Avoiding her didn’t work and she continually insinuated herself into his life by refusing to be ignored. Don’t get me wrong, she seems nice enough—just not someone in tune with the havoc her presence caused in Reese’s life.
At this point, I should probably mention that Reese and Charlie have known each other since childhood and they have history. Though this is a stand-alone, Books 1 & 2 chronicle their relationship which I skipped because I wanted to read about the present, not his past.
Through their almost daily interactions, Reese and Sarah begin to break down each other’s walls and they both begin to open up to one another. At times, Sarah is able to forget the past and we’re well aware of the moment where she returns to the Land of the Living.
As you can imagine, things become complicated as they grow close and realize they have feelings for one another. The closer she gets to her goals, the further away she becomes from the here and now and out of Reese's life for good.
There is a pivotal moment that didn't work for me, when Sarah throws an accusation at Reese, she shows every bit of her 21 years of age. There was no Pay-to-Play here, and I would even go as far to say that he didn't (deliberate on his part) get what he wanted, because HE wanted her to be HAPPY.
Recommended: Read It!
February 20, 2019
The Queen of angst has done it again! Kandi delivered another emotional story that is guaranteed to make you feel everything.
If you read the duet, What He Doesn't Know, then you've already met Reese. He didn't get the woman he loved and has lost everyone else in his life, so he's resolved to his life of solitude and his piano. Until Sarah walks into his life and his piano lessons.
Sarah too has had her life's hopes and aspirations taken away and has chosen to stay away from everything but her piano. However, she finds herself trusting Reese, something she swore she'd never do again.
Kandi truly knows how to bring life to her words. You feel every emotion her characters feel, you become a part of their story. I truly forgot about the age difference while reading this story. I got so lost in the characters and their journey, that all the smaller details became mute and it was just Sarah and Reese and the journey of their damaged hearts finding life again.
I had not expected Reese to get his story, but I am so glad that Kandi chose to write one. Whether you loved him or hated him before (if you read the duet), this story is one you will find yourself rooting for his HEA.
If you read the duet, What He Doesn't Know, then you've already met Reese. He didn't get the woman he loved and has lost everyone else in his life, so he's resolved to his life of solitude and his piano. Until Sarah walks into his life and his piano lessons.
Sarah too has had her life's hopes and aspirations taken away and has chosen to stay away from everything but her piano. However, she finds herself trusting Reese, something she swore she'd never do again.
Kandi truly knows how to bring life to her words. You feel every emotion her characters feel, you become a part of their story. I truly forgot about the age difference while reading this story. I got so lost in the characters and their journey, that all the smaller details became mute and it was just Sarah and Reese and the journey of their damaged hearts finding life again.
I had not expected Reese to get his story, but I am so glad that Kandi chose to write one. Whether you loved him or hated him before (if you read the duet), this story is one you will find yourself rooting for his HEA.
September 21, 2019
❤❤❤😭❤❤❤😭
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