Never Too Soon

Star Falls, Book 2

By: Chelle Bliss

Narrated by: Dane Anderson, Angelina Rocca

Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Grace Bianchi has always been drawn to men who are allergic to relationships. But when a mysterious man walks into her shop, saving her from a disaster, she finds herself wondering… is he different than the others?

Ryder Cooper is fumbling his way through life. He’s been lost since his wife passed away, leaving him to raise two young children alone. But when he meets a beautiful tattoo artist with a zest for life, she makes him wonder…could he love again?

Never Too Soon is a journey of two broken hearts who believe in love as they mend their broken hearts, finding their happily ever after.

©2024 Bliss Ink (P)2024 Bliss Ink

Ryder & Grace

I absolutely loved Ryder and Grace’s story. It was a beautiful love story about getting second chances not just on love but on life. It was filled with all the feels pulling on the heartstrings. It was like fate brought these two together at the right time. This story checked off all the boxes for me.

I’m not gonna lie I was not a fan of the narration. I felt like the voices didn’t fit Chelle’s characters and they felt flat. I’m not saying they were horrible but they were only ok.

I loved this story and I can’t wait to go back to Star Falls again.

Sweet, swoony story with stellar vocal performances!

Book 2 in her Star Falls series, this is my second Chelle Bliss romance read/listen, and I was excited to jump back in.

I love small town romance and the single parent trope done well, and Bliss has written a sweet and swoony romance that includes both.

Ryder Cooper is a widowed father of two very young children, newly relocated to Star Falls. He meets Grace Bianchi, artist and owner of The Body Shop tattoo parlor.

Instantly attracted to each other, Grace and Ryder build on their initial attraction while navigating parenting woes, potential medical concerns, and past trauma regarding losses and their relationships with former partners. Despite these challenges, Grace and Ryder get their much deserved happily ever after.

What I love about this book is the gritty and real depiction of single parenting, the plethora of laugh out loud moments, the support from family and friends, the real talk and clear communication between the MCs, and the devotion and commitment that Grace and Ryder showed to each other as they overcome the various hurdles on their way to their HEA.

This book is lower level spice, with only a few intimate scenes, but one particularly lengthy and spicy video call scene had me laughing out loud while fanning myself at the same time.

Listening to the audiobook was a special treat as two of my favorite voice actors, Angelina Rocca and Dane Anderson, did a wonderful job bringing Grace and Ryder to life. Of particular note is that this audiobook was dual narration, and both Rocca and Anderson voiced the opposite POV as well as the numerous secondary characters with impressive skill.

Rocca brings beautiful depth and warmth to Grace, the extravagant richness of her voice lending itself effortlessly to both tough and tender moments, sweet and spicy scenes, and her Italian heritage shines through in her heartwarming portrayal of the beloved only daughter in a larger than life Italian family. A supreme performance!

Rocca's vocal range is just as impressive. Her children's voices are perfection, as is her performance of the various female side characters spanning a wide range of ages.

Anderson's decadent, velvety baritone is the perfect Ryder. His portrayal of a single dad struggling to nurture the emotional and physical needs of his young children while navigating his own needs for companionship, connection, and a lasting love is particularly moving.

Anderson's performance is infused with equal parts humor and heat, often both at the same time, making it utterly impossible to maintain a straight face while listening (in more ways than one).

CW: A very enjoyable read/LISTEN, my only critique would be the need for content or trigger warnings regarding death of a spouse (off page, but a main theme), pregnancy loss (off page, but a main theme), and fertility struggles. The angst, however, is low, and Bliss treats the topics with the sensitivity they deserve.

I am looking forward to Book 3, Vito Bianchi's story, coming soon this year.

Good story and narration

Having read and loved the first book I could not wait to be back in Sar Falls with the Bianchi family. This is only daughter Grace Bianchi and Ryder Cooper’s story, and it was a wonderful read.

I love this family as much as the Gallo family and believe me that is saying something. Grace is a talented artist, her tattoos are amazing. I fell hard for single dad and widower Ryder, he and his children have been through so much and it broke my heart.

Meeting Grace, she brings light back into Ryder’s life and that was heartwarming. Both have been hurt in the past but together they have a second chance at love and I was cheering them on.

The Bianchi family of course were in one another’s business and the love and welcoming they gave to Ryder and his children made me smile.

The narration by Dane Anderson and Angelina Rocca who are new to me was entertaining. Their voices are easy to listen to and brought the characters and story to life for me.

I loved everything about this book and cannot wait to read more in the series.

Slow burn!

What a great story! Family first always. I love the kids are put first and the relationship builds on that.