You know a book is good when it gets the alliteration going, because this love story is sweet and steamy and oh-so-swoony! Not only does Speechless have a hilarious found family, an adorable dog and a Malibu mansion to die for, but it also tackles big issues with even bigger heart. I don't read many slow burns worth the wait, but Speechless is aptly titled, because it will take your breath away!

Thank you, NetGalley for an early copy of Speechless by Lindsey Lanza in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoy books that have:
-a memorable meet-cute
-men’s mental health rep (social anxiety/ selective mutism)
-chronic illness rep (endometriosis)
-a lovable service dog
-found family storyline
-slow-burn romance
-cheesy songs

Or if you’re a fan of
-The Friend Zone/Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
-the TV show New Girl

… then this is the book for you!

I loved that we not only got the development of Lucy and Henry’s relationship, but also of Lucy’s relationships with Henry’s roommates. This is a slow burn romance, where you get more development of the characters and friendships in the beginning than you do the romance.

At times, the dialogue and interactions between Lucy and Henry were a little cringey and awkward. I’m wondering if that may have been intentional, though, to really make the reader feel Henry’s social anxiety. In a way, that cringey/ awkward component also shows the reader that these two can love and be loved by each other just as they are. And it was really special that they bonded over the healing power of music, and that they wholeheartedly supported one another.

This is Lindsey Lanza’s debut novel and I will definitely be reading whatever she writes next! Speechless comes out January 17, 2023. Make sure to preorder today :)

PS: Make sure to also read the author’s note at the end!

This review will be posted on my bookstagram at a later date (@bookishlee_kaci), and is currently posted on my Goodreads account (Kaci.)

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING omg, Henry is a love interest if I've ever met one.

Dual POV
He falls First
Found Family

Lindsey is going through a rough time, between losing her mother, her marriage ending, struggling with a chronic illness, and her friend blowing her off as she was waiting for the plane to move to LA she is struggling and in comes Henry.

Henry struggles with chronic anxiety and selective mutism but something about Lindsey makes him step out of his comfort zone and speak to her. Once he finds out she is stuck without a home he offers up his and she ends up finding a family she never expected.

This read was AMAZING, I can't even say it enough. It was one of my favorite ARC reads I've received this year.

Speechless by Lindsey Lanza gave me major fanfic vibes. You get found family ALL in this book and I am here for it. It was such a cute book to read and I wanted to jump into these pages and drop kick her friend for ditching her at the very beginning of the book. Like, who does that? Having Henry and Lucy’s store written with such care warmed my heart. Henry with his crippling anxiety and Lucy with her Endometriosis.

It was a slow burn with a happy ever after. I appreciated the friendship before the romance. This book was a very fast read and would recommend it to anyone who wants something light and fluffy. Also, Graham is the best character in this entire book and he deserves the world.

Thank you Netgalley and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Complex main characters with real life issues to work through! Social anxiety. Chronic pain. Trauma from childhood. I loved watching these characters come to know each other and walk with each other through their struggles. Their support and empathy for one another was fantastic. I also loved the supporting characters! The relationships that grew between them all was also delightful and added some joy to a lot of serious struggles.

Lucy has hit a rough patch and decides to move to Malibu to live with her best friend. She wants a fresh start after her divorce and thinks it is a great place to start. On the plane, she meets a guy who offers for her to come stay with him when her plan to live with her best friend does not work out. She finds out after the offer that the guy who is taking her in is no other than Henry Turner, a famous composer that she has admired and listed to his music for years. She moves into his house where he lives with the people he works with and she fits right in. They take her in and treat her like family. As time goes on, she learns that Henry is working all the time and quiet, but she can not ignore the attraction she has for him. She tries to avoid it for a while, but after a trip with him to London, she finally gives in. She is scared to trust him and let him in after her divorce and she is scared that if he finds out her secret that he will not want her.

I absolutely loveddddd Speechless. I connected with this book more than I have any other. I am on a different side being adopted, but I love that Lucy learned that there are other ways to have a family even though her thoughts and fears are valid.

I loved everything about this book! Everything was incredible. The characters, the mystery, the love. It was one of the best books I’ve ever read.

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this book, and I'm so happy I did.

As a huge lover of Rom Coms and also as someone who suffers from endometriosis, it was amazing to see a character in my favorite genre representing this disease and the struggles you face with it in a realistic way.

Also, Throne of Glass AND Taylor Swift references? Yes, please.

I truly loved the characters in this story. The main characters, as well as all of the roommates, were very likable and easy to be invested in. Plus, who doesn't love when a dog is a character! It gave me Abby Jimenez vibes.

I did feel the beginning was unrealistic. Henry and Lucy are strangers and barely talk before she agrees to move in with him. But, easy to overlook as it is fiction, and let's be honest - do we really read these books for their realistic takes on how people meet?

I'd also like to add that as someone who advocates for endometriosis, I'd like it to be known that hysterectomies do not actually cure endometriosis nor do they guarantee any relief of symptoms. However, each person's journey with endometriosis is different, and many with endo do seek out hysterectomies. So this really isn't a criticism of the book or author, just something I'd like people to be aware of!

I truly did enjoy this book and can't wait to see what else the author does!

First off... I was hooked when main character Henry was described as "Ben Barnes type" (yeah, Ian Somerhalder was mentioned too... But it's all about Ben for me!). But this is not my main point. I was hooked for so many reasons. These characters are suffering from real life struggles that aren't spoken about enough in today's society. I love finding books that shed light on issues that shouldn't be hidden. Anxiety, Social Paralysis, Endometriosis, Depression... These things should be talked about - not hidden. I am so happy to see books with these topics in them.
I fell in love with Lucy, Henry and HAAAM instantly. And I can't leave out Rowan the most adorable service doggie ever! Getting to know each of these characters through the eyes of Lucy and Henry was so heart warming. Watching how much they all needed each other was even better. Giving Lucy a new best girlfriend (Adamma) was a bonus - every girl needs that type BFFL! I loved seeing Lucy and Henry grow not only as friends and then something more, but watching the whole group grow together - sticking up for each other, helping each other... It made the story of Lucy and Henry that much more special.
Both Lucy and Henry grew in their own way. Seeing Lucy stand up to her stupid ex-husband and super fake former bestie showed strength that I wish for every one! Seeing Lucy struggle with sharing details of her Endo was heartbreaking, it's not something that a woman should be shamed for or need to feel embarrassed about (our bodies hate us sometimes - it's a curse we need to live with). Seeing how much none of this bothered or even mattered to Henry made my heart crack. Hearing Henry's story... This is when it shattered.
SO MUCH EMOTION in one book!
More than once did I have to stop reading and remind myself to BREATHE. My heart ached, it pounded. It broke into a million pieces and then glued it's self back together again. Both Henry and Lucy have such rich, broken and complicated histories. Nothing was missed, every detail you would want was written into the story perfectly.
Speechless left me well... Speechless!
Lindsey Lanza's breakout novel is a masterpiece and one that I will re-read whenever I'm feeling down. The story had it's sad moments, but it still somehow made me fell good. This wonderful author included a playlist that fits the book so perfectly - side note, I'm currently listening to it as I write this review because it's so feel-good. I cannot wait to see what Lindsey has in store next! Girl, you've gained a fan for life!

Bestselling author Lucy Gold may write fairy tales for a living, but her own happily ever after is looking bleak. Seeking a fresh start after a sudden divorce on the eve of her thirtieth birthday, she decides to make a new life for herself and her service dog in Los Angeles. But when her living arrangements fall through just before takeoff, a handsome stranger offers to let her stay with him and his motley crew of musicians in Malibu. Her gallant hero? None other than Henry Turner, the award-winning composer whose music has held Lucy together while her life's been crumbling apart.
Henry might be at the peak of his creative career, but his crippling anxiety throws his personal life completely out of tune. Yet all of that changes the longer Lucy stays with him and his housemates, swiftly becoming one of their own and offering Henry a glimpse of happiness he never thought possible. As their relationship deepens, Lucy's attraction to Henry cannot be denied, but as she works through the aftermath of her divorce, she's resigned to give up on love. Henry plays all the right notes and says all the right words. Will Lucy be able to hear them over her fear of the past repeating itself?
Speechless is a swoony saga about finding your people, overcoming your deepest insecurities, and choosing happiness no matter what life throws at you.
Really enjoyed this book totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and ARC Provided By Victory Editing NetGalley and Co-op
I just reviewed Speechless by Lindsey Lanza. #SpeechlesstheNovel #NetGalley

speechless by lindsey lanza book review (arc)

★★★★★

okay let me begin by stating my absolute love for the cover, it is absolutely stunning, right? this book was beautifully written and you should definitely snatch a copy when it comes out on january 17th 2023! save this post, write it down, you definitely cannot forget to read this book, it’s absolutely amazing. I promise, it’s definitely worth the wait. this review might be a long one so get ready!

lucy is an author who writes books inspired by fairytales for a living but her life isn’t exactly one. when lucy wants to start over, she decides to move to LA but when her plans fall through, it all starts going down. well, until a handsome stranger offers to let her stay with him and his crew of musicians in his house in malibu and her life is starting to appear more like the fairytale she is supposed to live.

henry, oh my god!!! he is absolutely perfect, i love how awkward he was during their first meeting. i loved how lucy was fangirling the entire time they met. this book was so fucking sweet, i couldn’t help but to smile while reading! I don’t think I ever fell in love with a book that quickly, this was love at first sight 100%

i devoured this book in less than 24 hours and oh my god!! the amazing friends to lovers trope appeared in this book and i’m here for it. well, strangers to friends to lovers but same thing! oh my god how i love the friends to lovers trope, perfection. i laughed so many times while reading this book, i swear to god, it’s amazing!!

i’m totally here for the taylor swift mention, i absolutely screamed in happiness. also fuck lucy’s ex husband, he’s trash. henry is better than him 100%. I loved how the book ended, the whole book was genuinely so good!

Even with its Rom-Com type appeal, Speechless by Lindsay Lanza left me emotionally impacted and contemplative.

As a prospective Music Therapy student, this book caught my eye due to its connection with music and how it tackled the therapeutic properties of music. Throughout the novel and even before the story picks up, the protagonist, Lucy, talked about how music helped her through her divorce and through the hardest times of her life. I can sympathize with her because I too struggle with anxiety and it isn’t easy to overcome. So I rely on music to calm me down sometimes, especially when a stressful situation is inescapable.

It’s easy to say this book had me hooked very fast, which doesn’t happen often.

With allusions to popular BookTok books like Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas and a playlist to show the love story, I felt like this book was destined to find me.

The love interest, Henry, is a composer who struggles with anxiety as well. I feel like men’s mental health is a topic that isn’t talked about a lot or represented in books. In most of my recent reads, the men have been the ones who are the strong female protagonists’ rock, the ones who never falter. I feel like this makes men feel like they can’t have anxiety or acknowledge that they have feelings. I think this was a bold and brave choice for Lindsay Lanza and I appreciate it.

But with every fantastic story line, there are downfalls to be had. For example, dialogue at times seemed a little awkward (which could have been the point) and forced. I felt as though there should have been more of a relationship developed before Lucy agreed to live with Henry upon moving to L.A., even though she had nowhere to go. I felt as though that was a very unrealistic event with really unrealistic dialogue leading up to it. But it’s fine because he’s rich and his house is very aesthetically pleasing, apparently. Let’s just say it wouldn’t be a chore for me to live with a handsome composer and his five handsome friends in a beach house in Malibu, however unrealistic it may be.

I really loved how this story is presented as a feel-good rom com (and it will make you feel good, even though it is at times bittersweet), but it ends up about mental health and chronic illness and love.

Also a music nerd moment I had: the “sections” of the book were called movements, which I thought was really cool.

What a wonderful debut from Lindsey Lanza!

This was heartwarming tale of love-- both romantic late and self-love.

Lucy deserves all the great big hugs. She was a terrific lead, she felt fleshed out, engaging, and real. Her past is holding her back from taking risks in the future, and throughout her story I just rooted for her to be able to recognize her self-worth and also believe in others seeing it too.

Henry was a lovely co-lead. His social anxiety is something I found very relatable, and I loved seeing how he blossomed, especially around Lucy. Sometimes you just find that person where the words don't get stuck, they flow right out.

Speaking of flowing, I loved the steady, beautiful stream of music throughout the book. Music played a big part without every distracting or overwhelming. It was all very well placed!

I think my only hang out was feeling at times the dialogue wasn't very believable, there were moments were it made me disengage from the story, not convinced in certain exchanges in conversation. But I truly would consider this a minor hangup. Lindsey Lanza has a terrific hold in storytelling and she's absolutely deserving of reaching grand heights. I'm excited to see what she does next!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review. This was such a delightful read!

The way I loved this book!!!

Between the swoony romance with a lot of pining- there was endometriosis rep in such a REAL way. Not to mention honest representation of someone with crippling anxiety. There was so much love and feeling and I just had goose bumps the whole time. I felt that both subjects were handled well and gave validation for those living with anxiety and endo.

Also, I had never read a book that went from strangers to friends to lovers. WE NEED MORE OF THIS! Friends to lovers is my favorite category because I feel that the couple really knows each other before falling in love, which is more realistic in my opinion. It was so well done here.

OK one more thing- the roommates!!!! They stole the show. I loved them so much- especially Graham. They added such a great layer to the story and gave comedic relief from some heavier topics.

Did I mention I loved this book? I can't wait for more from this author and I can't wait for more readers to fall in love in January.

This book was a great feel good romance while tying in real life issues that don’t get as much representation in romance novels. We get to meet Lucy who is a novelist with her service dog Rowan, travelling to LA when she meets Henry Turner one of her favourite composers who happens to be very handsome and offers her a place to stay when her plans fall through. These characters felt very real and relatable and both main characters are dealing with personal problems. The friendships that were formed in this book are some of the best I have read and there isn’t one that I would pick as my favourite above the others. This is different to the type of romance books I usually pick up which is more alpha male grumpy sunshine style so I was very surprised that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.


Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for sharing this ARC in exchange for an honest review

(4.5⭐️) Perfect for fans of the show “New girl”!!! This book really did have me speechless. The chronic illness representation is amazing, and it really delves into the insecurities, doubts, and struggles that come along with that. Not only that, it also depicted with someone who struggles with severe social anxiety in a very honest way. I love seeing these two characters slowly accepting themselves and wholeheartedly accepting each other despite their own insecurities. This was such a beautiful story, I enjoyed every second of it. The romance was literally so amazing. I love both of these characters, as well as all of the side characters! They were all so well developed and lovable and felt so real. Taylor Swift songs for this book would be “Afterglow”, “Call it what you want” and “Delicate” (also London boy bc we love British male main characters)! There was so much emotional depth and heart to this story that it was impossible not to love. I highly recommend this book!! Lindsey Lanza’s writing is truly incredible, it deserves so much hype. Dare I say it, Lanza rivals Emily Henry… anyways, I highly recommend this book!!

Age rating: 16+ (a couple adult scenes, about as steamy as Emily Henry books)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ebook advanced copy.

Speechless is such a sweet and heartwarming read! Lucy and Henry’s relationship was so special, and I loved all the supporting characters, especially Rowan ❤️ The writer did a wonderful job shining light on illnesses that aren’t always talked about. That made me love this book even more. This was such an enjoyable book that I couldn’t put down! I’m looking forward to reading more from Lindsey Lanza!



📘: Speechless by Lindsey Lanza
🗓 Pub Date: January 17, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley, Lindsey Lanza, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for this ARC!

*Reviewed on NetGalley and Goodreads. Will review on retail once published!

CW: anxiety, divorce, infertility, chronic pain

Henry and Lucy's story is such a sweet, tender depiction of loving somewhere where they are. Henry struggles with anxiety (and what I assume is selective mutism) but is able to let his guard down around Lucy. Speechless is funny, touching, and has just the right amount of tension and slow burn. I loved the screenplay music dynamic and how Lucy used music as therapy long before she met Henry. It was such a beautiful parallel the way listening saved one, while composing saved the other. Without giving any spoilers, Lindsey Lanza handled Lucy's journey with endometriosis in a very compassionate and organic way. There was not a "one size fits all" solution to what she was going through - and it never felt like her pain was minimized or put into a box to make others more comfortable. I love how Henry's personality was able to shine and his sense of humor made sneaky appearances. Speechless is a novel of love, second chances, and the ways joy and pain can coexist.
Such a lovely book that I was glad to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a great debut, honestly it is beautifully written I fell in love with the story I couldn't put it down. It definitely was a rollercoaster of emotion like I find myself crying once and then laughing the next but overall it was truly such a light read you find yourself completely submerged into the story with such deep love and understanding for the main character.
It has a great representation for chronic illness and brings such awareness to it and how much it could impact the person suffering from it mentally and physically especially if you don't have a support system backing you up also the author made me fell seen when it comes to dealing with severe anxiety and how much it could affect your life.
It also highlighted the struggles and mental pressure that a lot of women if not all deal with due to sociatel expectations of whether they choose to have children or not, I feel like this topic should be talked about more.
Now to the fun part, Henry was such a sweetheart I love him so much he is literally the embodiment of what the standard should be, like the definition of the boy obsessed with his girl and will do pretty much anything just to see her smile and I love that so much!!!
I'll most definitely be rereading it!

Some books are memorable enough to capture a sacred place in your heart and taint your soul! This is absolutely one of them! It makes your heart sing!

Lucy Gold and Henry Turner’s meeting at a plane story starts like modern fairy tale/ promising romcom but then it turns into something so special, unique! My emotions are everywhere!

I want to give those characters long hugs! Especially to Henry! And they are not the only perfect things about this book! The playful surfer Graham, wise and loyal Preston, flirty- fun Jayce, sweetest guardian dog Rowan, best friend-confidante Dami are the best supporting characters! Each of them is so perfect!

It also approaches to the sensitive mental and physical health issues such as endometriosis and selective mutism.

My heart ache so much for Lucy and Henry who has been getting through so much heavy tragedies. But I adore their strength and their characters’ evolving by getting out of their shelves.

Quick recap of the story: Lucy Gold at the age of thirty, freshly divorced, deciding to make changes in her life by moving to Los Angeles with her dog Rowan but at the last minute her girlfriend she’s planned to stay at her place, calls her to tell she is not welcomed after she got together with her boyfriend.

Lucy’s worst day miraculously turns into most special day of her life because the tall and handsome stranger she’s met at airport is the composer she’s been fangirling for years. With the help of music, she heals from her both physical and invisible emotional injuries! His music healed her soul! Now he sits the next to her at the airplane and makes an offer she cannot reject! He offers her to stay at her guest room of his house he’s sharing with musician friends. Lucy thinks she can stay few days till she finds a new apartment. But when they drive to the place, she realizes he lives at a mansion in Malibu with four gorgeous musicians! And three of them are so friendly!

As she spends more time with those people, she realizes she finds real friends who accepts her as she is. But she is curious why Henry lives a hermit life and has some problems to communicate with new people. When Henry opens up with his big secret, she understands she’s not the only one who is broken. Maybe they can help each other to break their walls to embrace the life without fear! Can they or will they?

No more words! The angsty parts of the book broke my heart and at some parts I wanted to yell at Lucy to give a chance to her happiness and I ugly cried- laughed out loud during my read! It awakened so many emotions I buried! I loved it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Victoria Editing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.