This book is not only one that will stay with you, but it was grab your whole heart and never let go. I instantly wanted to read it when I read the blurb due to one of the main characters having crippling anxiety. Lucy and Henry are romantic gold. This book was so well written with amazing plot development and characters and with real issues that you’re able to see evolve.

This is perfect for readers that love romance, a strong love story, and imperfect characters.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

📖 Speechless by Lindsey Lanza

Quick Summary:
👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻 Henry + Lucy
🐾 Rowan
💭 Dual POV
♥️ Strangers on a plane to lovers
👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻 Forced proximity
☯️ Opposites attract
☀️ Sunshine side characters
👯‍♀️ Strong female friendship
🎵 Connection through music
🧠 Anxiety rep
💛 Endometriosis rep
🏡 Found family
🔥 Slow burn
🥵 Tension
🌲 Lots of pining
❌ Check trigger warnings

It took me a while to pick this ARC up, but once I did, I read it in a day. I could not put it down. Henry and Lucy meet by chance at an airport, where Lucy is just about to travel across the country and has recently discovered that she is homeless after her awful friend flakes on her. Henry, graciously offers to help her, after discovering she’s his first genuine fan. He’s a very successful composer, but leads a very secluded life.

The slow burn of their relationship was almost torturous. Both characters have their reasons for not wanting to jump into a relationship, but neither can deny their connection. I loved Henry’s character. He was so freaking precious and sweet. Watching him struggle, but consistently put himself out there for Lucy was painful and beautiful. Lucy has stumbled into this living situation and has found exactly what she needed. Graham is the perfect best friend, and the other roommates (and Dami) were really special to the story too.

While the back and forth between these two was a tad frustrating, it was wonderful to see them get the ending they both desperately wanted. I love that Henry’s mum is his best friend and how important she was to their story too.

This is a great debut and I would definitely recommend!

**This review has been published on Instagram and Goodreads

I loved this book. I laughed out loud numerous times and cried many tears. I also suffer from endometriosis like the main character Lucy. Rowan and Graham were my favorite characters. The writing was fantastic and hooked me immediately.

This book was everything. It had so much heart and soul put into it, and I could feel it coming off the pages. I love Henry, he is such a sweet cinnamon roll type character, and he is just so sweet to Lucy. I loved everything about this book, but what stuck out to me is that Lucy is an endo rep. I also have endo and rarely see representation of endo in books. In this book, the endo is a little more severe than mine is, but the representation is flawless. I enjoyed all of the characters in the house, minus Craig and if you read you'll understand why. But, I love the found family trope that is within this read because Lucy went from having only Rowan, to having a whole family who supports her and is there for her whenever she needs it. This book was overwhelmingly amazing, I could not put this book down. I am so happy I was able to ARC read this and help an indie author with the promotion of this book. I loved Henry and Lucy's story. Thank you NetGalley and Lindsey Lanza for the ARC review copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely ADORED this debut novel by Lindsey Lanza! I was hooked from the very beginning and finished this book in a day!

Lucy is a wreck. She is a writer who is recently divorced, has some ongoing health issues and she had planned to fly to California to move in with her so-called best friend/college roommate, Sarah. But when she is about to board the plane, she gets the call that she has no place to live after all! Besides Lucy’s therapy dog, Rowan, the only thing that gets her through the pain and hard times is listening to the music by Henry Turner, her favorite musician. After the bad news, she puts her headphones on to let Henry work his magic on her nerves. Little does she know the beautiful guy sitting across from her is her musical idol! Henry ends up being her seatmate on the flight. They start talking and he invites her to stay at his house (mansion) with his writing team (HAAAM) until she can find a place but quickly becomes part of their little family.

This dual POV, strangers to friends to lovers with forced proximity was such a delight to read! I love the story, the characters - I cannot say enough great things about this book! I absolutely loved Henry!!! He has a whole set of issues but Lucy seems to be the one who seems to bring him out of his shell. The HAAAM guys (and Adamma)…such a great handpicked family!

This book does have some sensitive topics. Infertility issues and mental illnesses. It really makes you feel all the feels! I loved the bookish references - Throne of Glass has been on my TBR but now, I definitely have to read the series! It definitely gives a New Girl vibe - I would love to see this made into a movie!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Lindsey Lanza for the Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I’m not going to lie , I put this book off for a while and for no good reason . If I would’ve known how much I’d adore everything I’d read it sooner 🙄. The relationships and their stories were very versatile . The awareness and representation that is brought forth for anxiety as well as endometriosis/ infertility is astounding👏🏻. It’s raw and true . As well as the main man Rowan being the best boy 🥹🐾!! I adored him and the dynamic it brought to having a pet in that sense was enlightening / beautiful. The progression of the relationship and the pace it was depicted was one of the realest aspects of the book 💗. The back and forth . The circumstances ✍🏻. Everything really tied into it being a touchingly complex and potentially realistic scenario. Each character holds a special place in my heart , definitely one for the ages. 📖

Unfortunately this wasn't for me. However I really liked the talk about chronic illness and learned something!

The romance felt very instalove, and she just developed this very close bond with all the dudes very quickly. I like a slowburn and I like very angsty romances and this just wasn't it.

Thw writing was good and the overall plot was a cool idea, but it just didn't work out for me.

Also as a massive Throne of Glass fan it felt very cringey the way they spoke about it in the book but that might just be a me thing.

I can appreciate this book for what it is, but it's just not that memorable.

Releases January 17, 2023
4.5 ⭐️│2🌶

This was an incredible writing debut. It was a beautiful story about found family, overcoming insecurities and choosing happiness regardless of your situation.

“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁. 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗻. 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂.”

Henry is the intelligent, attractive, musical wonder cinnamon roll who has crippling anxiety and Lucy is the recently divorced author struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel and afraid the past will inevitably repeat itself.

I really enjoyed how realistic this story represented mental health and chronic illness. It was honest and beautiful even though battling those issues is anything but.

The found family here was heartwarming. HAAAM 😂. I loved Graham and Adamma and I would totally read sequels about any of the other characters except Sarah and Jack - they can kick rocks! Oh and sweet Rowan is the best service dog, best friend, and cuddle partner. I just wanted to reach through the pages and give him some love.

Overall, this was a great read that I would have never guessed was a debut. It was sweet, sad, heartwarming, and hopeful!

I highly recommend this book for readers who like:
➺ Music or music scores specifically
➺ Mental health/chronic illness rep
➺ Found family
➺ Strangers to friends to lovers

Please check the TWs, there are some heavy subjects included in this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I posted this review to Goodreads on January 11th and my Bookstagram account on January 14th. It is not available to review on bookbub yet. I will review on Amazon as soon as it is released and available to be reviewed as well. Edited to add posted review to Amazon 1/18/23

I absolutely LOVED this book! What a fantastic debut. There were so many pieces to it, that just worked! The romance was very sweet, but it was all the little things centered around the main characters that made it special. The found family, cuddly pup, representation of chronic illness, and themes of motherhood were so well crafted. There were moments that made my jaw drop and moments that made my heart swell.

I wasn’t sure how this was going to go but it became such a heartfelt book towards the end. You truly see the evaluation of Lucy and how much she grows from the plane ride to LA to making it her home. You also see Henry doing his own growth as well. I love seeing character development in books. I also loved seeing awareness for endometriosis and the long term effects it has on women, both physically and mentally.

5 FREAKING STARS!!!

I absolutely LOVED "Speechless" by Lindsey Lanza. It is full of insta-love, forced proximity, found family, and PINING. OH MY GOD, THE MUTUAL PINING! I cannot believe this is Lanza's first book... it feels like she's been writing forever, being as successful as she was with this novel! I *could not* put it down. Every page got better and better, more involving, more emotional, more of a slow burn... until it isn't, in all the best ways.

I loved the endometriosis, mental illness, and "invisible disability" representation and discussion. It is talked about in such an honest, earnest way that it made me cry and feel so seen. The way this book focuses so much on music *also* made me feel seen. As someone who struggles with anxiety and an invisible disability, sometimes music is the only thing to bring me out of a spiral, or a flare, or a bad day. It's like Lindsey Lanza cracked opened my brain and yanked everything from my essence and put it into a novel. The way this book made me FEEL, you know?? Music, instrumental or otherwise, has tremendous healing power, and I think Lanza captures this so perfectly.

I certainly loved the main characters, Lucy and Henry. The way they meet had me hooked on their story from the first percent of the book. Henry is the sweetest prince, most wonderful cinnamon roll that ever was. Lucy is also great in her own right. What she has to go through every single day is overwhelming. I know exactly what it's like to not be able to get out of bed some days. The found family aspect made me cry, too. All of the side characters are incredibly detailed. They are given fitting backstories and don't just disappear off the page. Henry's bandmates Graham, Preston, and Jayce each get their own time to shine. I adored how they bonded so quickly with Lucy. I also loved Adama! Lanza also wrote two other characters, Jack and Sarah, who we will NOT discuss because they are dead to me. :)

Bottom line. "Speechless" by Lindsey Lanza WILL be in my top 10 favorite books of 2023. I am confident saying that this early. Please take a chance on this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lindsey Lanza, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

Thank you so much for the gifted digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Read this if you:

Love dogs
Are in the mood for a sweet refreshing romance
Would love to date a songwriter

My Thoughts:

I loved the highlights of mental health and disabilities and the way in which these topics were written.

I think the author sends a powerful message that true love also happens because of the things that society sees as flaws and not just in spite of them. And I think that Lucy's and Henry's story can be an inspiration and a comfort for anyone who thinks that they are not enough or not worthy of love. Speechless makes you feel beautiful the way you are and fills you with hope that other people will see you the same way.

Rowan is probably my favorite fictional fog of all time! Could he be any more cute?

The characters were well built and I loved the relationship they all developed in their circle of friends. They are all so different but together they make this strong loyal unbeatable group that anyone would want to be a part of.

My only problem with the book is that, despite enjoying it so much, it took me 2 weeks to finish it but this might also be because I've been in a weird place mentally lately and it might affect my reading focus.

Speechless is an amazing debut novel, definitely worth giving it a go and I can't wait to see what Lindsay writes next.

Speechless by Lindsey Lanza
Rating: 4 stars
Steam: 2 chilis
Pub Date: 1/17

“Because you are special, Luce. You are my anomaly.”

When Henry dropped that quote, I was in tears! This book is so good, you guys! I cannot believe this is a debut.

Bestselling author Lucy Gold needs a fresh start after her divorce. She’s about to get on a plane to LA to stay with her best friend when she gets a call that her friend has changed her mind, and Lucy is no longer welcome to stay there. Just when she’s about to arrive in LA with nowhere to go, a handsome stranger in the airport, who happens to be Lucy’s favorite award-winning composer Henry Turner, offers her a place to stay. Lucy is star-struck, as Henry’s music has gotten her through some tough times in her life, and she has no choice but to say yes.

I was really impressed with this story about loss, friendship, love, and the healing power of music. I loved the music, the pop culture references (especially the Throne of Glass mentions), the hilarious HAAM characters, and the tender relationship that develops between Lucy and Henry. I laughed out loud, swooned, and was teary by the end.

The award for sweetest, most endearing MC goes to Henry! He is unassuming, quiet, incredibly talented, and of course, smokin’ hot. He suffers from a condition exacerbated by his anxiety, which causes him to freeze up and renders him speechless (see what she did there?) Most people don’t know how to handle him when he gets like that, but Lucy has a unique way of helping him through it and never judges him for it.

The disability rep in this book is phenomenal, not only for highlighting Henry’s condition but for shining a light on Lucy’s chronic pain, as well. Rowan, Lucy’s adorable pooch and service dog, stole quite a few scenes and had me googling his breed to gush over the cute pups.

This book reminded me a lot of The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez, so if you’re a fan of hers then you’ll want to pick this up! Read if you like: strangers-to-friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, airport meet cute, dual POV, mutual pining, he falls first, found family, and a sloooow burn. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lindsey Lanza for the ARC to read and review!

“Because you remind me of sunshine.”

Speechless was such a sweet book!! Lindsey Lanza wrote a story that incorporated chronic endometriosis and selective mutism caused by severe anxiety representation. It was so great to see these two kind and generous people find their HEA!

However, my favorite part was how Lucy and Henry no longer defined themselves by their diagnosis by the end of the novel. Even though their true friends always saw them as more than endo and anxiety, it was freeing to see them accept themselves and their bright futures. Instead of focusing on all the things they couldn’t have, they were grateful for everything they did have.

I love a couple that dialogues a little bit more. I understand, and respect, that that wasn’t in the cards for this book but I definitely missed it.

Lindsey Lanza also incorporated some phenomenal secondary characters! Graham, Adamma, and Mary! All three were L&H’s fierce champions. They loved and cared for Lucy and Henry long before they could choose to love themselves.

“But under the rainbow, that’s how I feel when I’m with you. Like the storm has just ended and I can finally see the sun. You’re my fairy tale, Luzu.”

Henry and Lucy are adorably awkward 😆😍 they made me giggle so often. I was constantly smiling and taking photos of things to highlight. And all the Throne of Glass references made my heart so happy! Truly, the way to my heart is referencing my favorite series of all time 😍🔥 She even named her pup Rowan!

💛 Debut
💛 Found Family
💛 Chronic Pain/Anxiety
💛 Meant to Be
💛 Life After Loss

Lucy is fresh off a divorce and in constant pain. She’s moving across the country for a fresh start. Henry never speaks to strangers. But he sees a sad woman in the airport, listening to HIS music and he has to know more about her.

Lucy and Henry scream meant to be. In a world where they are both struggling, they fit. She is his anchor and he is her peace.

“You’re my perfect.”

The music, the writing, the food, the friendships 😍 and even a little bit of spice. What a wonderful debut. I can’t wait to read whatever Lindsey writes next!

“I love the way I feel here. Like anything could happen, like doors are opening instead of closing on me, like my life isn’t over. Like the ending to my story is still waiting on the edits.”

Fair warning… this book made me so hungry. I made a couple of these things and I asked the authors to share the recipes. The strawberry and Nutella stuffed French toast? I made that a few times 🤤

4.5/5

First off, I cannot believe this is a debut! The characters came alive and I feel like I personally know them. I want to spend a week in the Malibu mansion with these strangers turned besties! This book tackled tough topics as well as had a fun, flirty feel to it. After discovering Lindsey on Instagram as a Bookstagrammer a couple of years ago, I could feel and see that her whole heart was in this book.

I very much appreciate Lindsey selecting me as a recipient of this ARC and also NetGalley for providing that opportunity! Excited to see what Lindsey will come out with next!

Divorcee Lucy is about to move to California when her 'best' friend lets her down, as she's waiting to board the plane. When handsome musician Henry overhears, he offers her a place to stay at his luxury home, which he shares with his fellow musician friends.

I enjoyed this debut novel. I loved the premise, however outlandish it seemed. Henry was adorable, and the representation of his severe anxiety felt authentic (and often heartbreaking). Lucy is a writer, and I appreciated the representation of chronic illness, which again felt accurate, though she came across as overly secretive and immature to me, which occasionally veered into frustrating. While i empathised with her worries, I just wasn't keen on the forced 'drama' that resulted. Rowan, her service dog, was a cute addition, and I also enjoyed the found family dynamic, particularly Lucy's friendship with Adamma and Graham. But this is a story about two people overcoming difficult pasts and health issues, and I loved Lucy and Henry's development. Their first 'date' was both adorable (pasta songs) and heartbreakingly accurate (anxiety).

I did find the dialogue rather immature at times, especially considering all of the characters are in their thirties. It often read like teenagers, and sometimes it felt like they missed the obvious questions people would ask in real life (possibly because the dialogue sometimes veered into info dumping). That aside, I enjoyed this book, and I absolutely ADORED the musical aspects, particularly Henry's love language. A solid debut.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️.5
Heat Rating: 🔥
Emotional Rating: 😕💓🥰😂🙄😍😢🥰

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review*

REVIEW FOR SPEECHLESS

4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Lindsey Lanza for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Oh goodness did I love this book! I loved how it tied in music to not just the story, but into the fabric of the book through the chapter titles. I loved the ways it addressed chronic illness and mental health, and that the characters were messy and raw and real and unapologetic. There was definitely miscommunication in this story, but it didn't bother me at all. In fact, this is one of the few books where I welcomed it because it felt necessary and essential to Lucy and Henry's story.

Things I liked-
- GRAHAM. PROTECT HIM AT ALL COSTS
- Henry and Lucy's relationship
- I thought the concept for the story (not in the addressing of chronic illness and mental health, but the concept of the story itself) was interesting and I liked how the author addressed chronic illness and mental health in an intentional way and not in a way that made it seem like an afterthought or "fun fact" about the characters

What I could do without:
- drama with Craig- afterward it seemed a bit pointless
- Sarah made me angry. I know she was necessary for the storyline, but still I wanted to ring her neck, but only because I know people like her.
- While I really liked Lucy and understood that her situation entitled her to have certain discussions on her own terms, I do feel in some instances she was unfair to Henry. HOWEVER, I do also feel this was intentional and part of her storyline to demonstrate her growth. I just didn't like it, especially the scenes in the UK.

Overall I really loved this story. I loved Lucy and Henry and their vulnerabilities. The pace of the story was quick, chapters were short so it was easy to keep attention, and the characters were extremely likeable (um HELLO ADAMMA AND GRAHAM). I hope we hear more from this friend group because I just want to hang out with them all the time!

I really enjoyed this indie romance debut!! A friends to lovers, forced proximity, roommate romance featuring two MCs with their own disabilities find love where they least expect it. Henry is a talented musician living in Malibu with his friends and he meets Lucy on a shared flight to LA. Together the two bond and Henry offers his house for Lucy to stay when her original roommate plans fall through. Recently divorced and still recovering, Lucy accepts, finding a group of friends she didn't realize she really needed in her life.

I loved the whole cast of characters in this book!! From Rowan the sheepdog, to all the HAAM guys, this book was full of laughs but also tackled some serious issues. Lucy's ex-husband dumped her when she was told she'd never be able to have children because of her severe endometriosis causing her to doubt her self-worth for any other potential romantic partner. Henry has his own crippling social anxiety and selective mutism stemming from childhood trauma but in Lucy he finds someone he can be himself with.

The journey to HEA is a rocky one but so worth the ride and I found the chronic illness/pain rep so well done in this book! Realistic and very relatable, perfect for fans of books like Melissa Grace's Home is where you are or Tori Jean's Finding Gene Kelly (other indie romance books with endo rep). Much thanks to NetGalley and the author for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

A really refreshing read that covered also some deeper topics, i loved the main characters, especially Henry and the cover is certainly a bonus!
I also really appreciated the social anxiety rep (which i found to be pretty accurate, as someone who suffers from it) and the endometriosis one.
Would certainly recommend.