From the bestselling author of Weightless and A Love Letter to Whiskey
Wren Ballard is trying to find herself.
She never expected to be divorced at twenty-seven, but now that the court date has passed, it’s official. The paperwork is final. Her feelings on it aren’t.
Spending the summer in a small mountain town outside Seattle is exactly what she needs. The peaceful scenery is a given, the cat with the croaky meow is a surprise, but the real kicker? A broody neighbor with nice arms, a strange reputation, and absolutely no interest in her.
Anderson Black is perfectly fine being lost.
He doesn’t care about the town’s new resident — he’s too busy fighting his own demons. But when he’s brought face to face with Wren, he can see her still-fresh wounds from a mile away. What he doesn’t see coming is his need to know who put them there — or his desperation to mend them.
Sometimes getting lost is the way to find yourself. Sometimes healing only adds a new scar. And sometimes the last place you expected to be is exactly where you find home.
I had just grabbed my oversized hat and slipped my sunglasses on when I spotted Anderson walking up the drive with a large trash bag slung over his shoulder. He wore a simple, black V-neck and distressed jeans, an outfit way too dark and hot for the heat. A light sheen of sweat gathered on his neck as he made his way toward my cabin, his eyes hidden behind all-black sunglasses.
"Change your mind?" I asked, not even fighting the grin on my face as I walked outside and leaned against the banister.
Anderson squinted up at me, his boots heavy as they hit each stair. "About?"
"Tubing?" I asked. That was why he was here, right?
"Oh." He shook his head as he hit the top stair, shrugging the bag off his shoulders to hold it by the neck in one fist. "No, I have somewhere to be..." His voice trailed off, and even through the tinted shades of his glasses I felt his eyes on my chest. I'd strapped on my favorite boho print bathing suit and paired it with a dainty gold chain that wrapped around my neck once before dipping between my chest and crossing over my ribs.
He sniffed, holding the bag out toward me. "I just came to drop these off. My clothes. Well, the ones that could probably use a little TLC."
My eyes lit up and I reached for the bag, but Anderson snatched it back, brows shooting up into his forehead.
"No frills, Wren."
I threw my hands up in surrender. "I promise."
He smirked, just slightly, and handed the bag over, tucking his hands in his front pockets.
"Are you sure you don't want to come?" I asked, peering into the bag at my project before setting it just inside the cabin and locking the door behind me.
"I can't," he said, lips pressed together. He was tense, the muscles on his forearms tight as he glanced around at pretty much everything but me.
I opened my mouth to ask why but was cut off by the sound of a truck flying into my drive, tires sliding against the gravel.
Tucker was in the driver's seat with Davie in the passenger. Sarah and Yvette sat in the back, laughing with their hands up as the truck skidded to a stop. They were both sprawled out on a pile of tubes, wearing bathing suit tops and tiny shorts.
All of their faces froze when they saw Anderson.
"Hey, you ready, Wren?" Tucker asked warily, his eyes moving from where Anderson stood in front of me, to me, and back again.
"Yeah, one sec!" I called back.
I turned to Anderson, but his eyes were hard on Tucker, jaw ticking under his skin. When he faced me once more, an anchor fell from my throat into the pit of my stomach, immobilizing me completely. Because even though I 'd tried to convince myself I was wrong, I recognized the look in his eyes.
Possession.
And when his nose flared and he took one big step toward me, our chests brushing, his hand reaching out to rest almost imperceptibly on my hip, the anchor in my stomach exploded into flames, burning a desire so fierce I inhaled a toxic breath and didn't let it go.
"Be careful, okay?" His eyes locked on mine just before he leaned in and swiftly kissed my cheek.
He turned on his heel and jogged down the stairs and past the truck. Sarah called his name, but he didn't acknowledge her, just kept his gaze forward until he'd disappeared from view.
And then everyone looked at me.
Christy's Review:
4.25 stars!!!!
Kandi Steiner has a way with words. All of her stories have an impact on me, and Revelry is no exception. It made think about my life and I think it’s a book that a lot of people can relate to. Trying to balance life, dreams, goals, relationships etc isn’t always easy to do, but for Wren Ballard it was more difficult than most. Because she had a husband who wasn’t supportive of her wants and dreams.
After that relationship ended, Wren was in a funk. She needed some time to get away, to find herself again. Wren ends up renting a cabin for the summer in a small mountain town. She wants the peace, quiet, and tranquility the mountains offer. What Wren never expects is to be taken in the way she is by the town's people. They are a great bunch that accept her and embrace her from the start. Then there is Anderson Black.
Anderson used to be the life of the party in his small town, but things changed for him. Now he is quiet, broody, and keeps to himself. When he sees Wren, something changes for him. He feels something he hasn’t felt in a long time. Desire. Longing. A spark from within.
She was stunning, a sophisticated woman straight from the pages of a magazine. And I was a lumberjack.
Neither Wren or Anderson is looking for, or is in a place for a relationship, but there is something between them that can’t be ignored. Their brokenness calls to one another. They start to heal each other without even trying. The attraction and chemistry between them was palpable, but it was so much more that that.
He kissed me with an intention so pure and powerful I knew I’d never experience it again—not in all my life. It was one of those singular moments, the ones that tattoo themselves on our hearts, embed themselves under our skin and further down still until they exist as part of our blood stream. They connect to our hearts, our brains, our organs that we rely on, and in turn they become a very source of life, themselves.
Gah! The writing in this book is so stunning! It’s so descriptive and beautiful. It seems like with every new book Kandi writes, her writing only gets better and better. Wren is a character I could really connect with and I think she’s one that will be relatable for most women. I admired her for having the strength to not take the easy way, but go the road that is more difficult. In the end, it will make all the difference in the world for her.
I love a damaged leading man, so it was no surprise that I adored Anderson Black. Anderson struggled with fighting his demons and trying to move on from his past. It's been years and no one could seem to get through, but Wren is able to help him move forward. They moved forward with their lives together and were a great pair. Aside from the leading characters, there are so many fantastic secondary characters in this book who offered unconditional friendship and great advice. I think Momma Von was my favorite!
“Life doesn’t exactly give us what we need when it’s the perfect time. It’s not a pitching machine straight over the plate. Life throws curve balls—hard and fast, unpredictable. But you still have to hit that sucker or strike out swinging.”
Revelry is a profound story of two people with a second chance at life and love. It’s light on the angst, heavy on the feels and will leave you swooning and smiling! I love this book and this author and highly recommend!
Kandi Steiner is a bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. 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. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. 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 die hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.
When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys live music, traveling, anything heavy in carbs, beach days, movie marathons, craft beer and sweet wine — not necessarily in that order.
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