An Amazon Top 30 Bestseller On the northeast side of town, there is a house.The house was once magical, filled with love and joy and plans for the future. Inside its walls are many things that belong to me — my books, the china from my mother on my wedding day, the beautiful cage once home to two birds, now empty, just like me.And a man.A man who also belongs to me.A man I no longer wish to keep. also belongs to me.
A man I no longer wish to keep.
A man who, no doubt, has not slept, though the sun is rising. Because the house where he waits is where I laid my head to rest every night for eight years. Until last night.
No one who knows me would believe Charlie Pierce, the quiet, bookish girl who never made waves is pulling out of the driveway of a man who isn’t her husband.
But they don’t know me at all.
I don’t even know me.
Not anymore.
They say there are two sides to every story, and I suppose in most cases, that’s true. But the one I live inside of? It has three.
On the northeast side of town, there is a house.
But there is no longer a home.
more
Holy cow. What a beginning to this duet. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen. Things I never expected. This one made me emotional at times. I will say, no matter what happens in the next one, I absolutely love Reese and Charlie together. They just work. I love Kandi’s writing and the way you can relate to her characters. This book is amazing and now I can’t wait to see how it ends.
What did I just read??!!
My heart.
The angst.
My heart.
This book was one of the best books that I have read this year! Like hands down I don’t know how Kandi Steiner guts me with her words. I knew going in this was going to be an emotional and angst filled read but I didn’t not expect this book to SLAY me. My heart was literally racing as I read and I was scared to turn the next page. Thank goodness for my book friend, Trish who was here to hold my virtual hand!
Charlie and Cameron were married, about to start their new journey and in the blink of an eye it all changes. During this time Charlie and Cam grow apart but Charlie was so intent on pretending that everything was ok. She was fine, everything was fine. I wanted to reach in and hug her and tell her it’s ok to not be ok. Cam couldn’t express himself and honestly they are no innocent parties when it comes to this couple. They both could have done things differently.
Then we have Reese who Charlie has known since she was a kid. Reese just gets her and I loved every second they were together. It was such a delicious slow burn between the two. Even though I know I shouldn’t want them together, I do. I can’t help it I’m a sucker for best friends to lovers. But sadly everything is not as it seems and when you read it, I’m sure you will feel the same way I did. I’m still trying to process this to be honest.
The last few chapters of this book had my heart in my throat. Steiner delivered some things that I. Did. Not. See. Coming and has me all in my feels. The urge to throw my Kindle was SO strong but then I remembered I wouldn’t be able to read the next book so I put her back down. If you are looking for an angst filled story that will have your emotions all over the place and leaving you with more questions and not sure who to root for, look no further! I mean I’m still stunned and having such an hard time coping with this story. Well done!
Here it is 1pm on a Friday afternoon, I’m still in my pj’s, tears flowing down my cheeks, I’ve finally popped my Kandi Steiner cherry and what a book to pop my cherry with!!!
No one is the same once they lose someone they love. They just have to learn to exist in the new world, no matter how messy it is.
No truer words can be said!
Charlie is the perfect teacher for children entering kindergarten at Westchester Prep. It’s a school she knows all too well, as that is where she graduated from. She’s a warm, loving perfect example of a kindergarten teacher. But behind those loving eyes, tells a story that is buried so deep, only one can see what is going on.
It’s been 5 years of carrying the grief of loss. 5 years of her husband thinking that building new things, replacing old and in with the new, shall make the pain go away.
Reese is back in the town he left years ago. Having grown up here, he never imagined returning. But when a drunken night happens and he applies for a job in the town he left, he never thought he would get hired and be moving back.
Music is his therapy. It’s what makes him who he is. He gives himself to his music, how he could feel it from the inside out.
Every note seemed to pain him in a way, like he had to peel away a layer of skin each time he discovered a new string of chords that fit perfectly together.
The history these two have go beyond the years they were apart. The love that started out when they were so young has emerged stronger and more fulfilling.
But if I was a river, and he was the ocean, then he was the storm that raged over the point where we met.
How can a love triangle be so hard? What brought us love and happiness at one point in our life now brings us sorrow and empty desires.
This book, oh my goodness….
So many great points that get brought up in a marriage that is just getting by. A marriage that was strong at one point, then devastation tears it apart.
Can NOT wait for What He Always Knew!!! I need it like STAT!!!
#BookBistroBlogApproved
I don’t read love triangles, like ever. The fact of the matter is that when I saw a Kandi Steiner book, I jumped on it without even reading the blurb because I knew no matter what it would be awesome. Well now I have a huge problem, I’m sleep deprived in a huge way too. I was up all night reading it in one sitting. This 6 star story is one that needs to be read.
Charlie is suffering in silence. Pretending everything is all right with her marriage but it’s all facade. Cameron, her husband is distant but she makes excuses and thinks it’s her fault. They both went through some sad losses but they grieved each on their own instead of together. This is their story.
THIS IS NOT A STANDALONE. It’s a duet and this is the first part. Since I don’t read love triangles, for me it was a new and unique experience. The characters were so emotionally raw that they felt real to me. It was an emotional roller coaster ride that left me reeling. This is an highly addicting and captivating story that latch itself to my heart and soul. This story took me by storm, spinned me at tornado speed and left me emotionally distraught. I wasn’t team Cameron at all until, Kandi made me with his emotional POV.
For me what makes an amazing story, are the characters. These ones were perfectly created. Broken and flawed, they almost felt human. They latched on to my emotions and made me feel so much for them. It consumed me until the very last page. Let me get this straight, all of Kandi’s stories have been amazing but this is by far her best work yet. Beautifully written and amazing storyline that was just so consuming.
Duet told in a dual POV with one at the end that left me baffled and speechless. It did change my way of feeling about the characters and story. I strongly recommend this story. The second part is coming soon.
An intense and heart-wrenching love story that’ll have your ribs squeezing the life out of your heart and lungs…
I’ve read a couple of Kandi Steiner’s books previously, every single book of hers I read I think is her best. She’s one of those authors that doesn’t write just from the heart or her soul, every word she so brilliantly writes comes straight from her gut and it hits yours with such beautiful brutality that you can’t help but yearn for more. What He Doesn’t Know was a bit of a strange on for me. I went in excited and by the end of the first chapter I was so gripped that I desperately devoured every page as if it were a race to my death. To say that I adored this book would be putting it mildly. This book wasn’t just an incredible read, it is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year and—in my opinion— Ms. Steiner’s best.
I think readers will be really surprised by this plot. It is unique and heart-wrenching. It gives angst a whole new lease of life. The more I read the more conflicted I felt. This is a love triangle like no other I have ever read. I thought that my opinions would be clear-cut. I thought I knew how I would feel. The reality is I had no freaking idea what this book would do to me. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster that had me questioning myself and my morals. I don’t want to say too much because this is a book that requires the reader to go in with an open mind and free of expectations. This story is poetic in its essence and delivery. It’s every bit unapologetic as it is sensitive to the subjects it portrays. It’s a masterpiece with characters that are so deep and stunning that you can’t imagine not loving every single one of them. I felt for Charlie, I ached for her as though I was I were aching for myself. There were times that I willed her to be stronger and others where I desperately wanted her to let go and just take what she needed against all my better judgements. I thought that I would know who was in the right and who was not, but in the end I felt just as deeply for Cameron as I did Reece and I could not discount one for the other. The situation in its entirety is so fraught that it’s impossible to say whose pain and needs are more important. There is no easy right or wrong. No distinct and easily perceivable conclusion.
If I could’ve stayed up all night and read this book without interruptions and breaks I would’ve done it without a second thought. It made me hurt beyond anything I could’ve prepared for, yet it made me stop and see past the social beliefs and expectations. It was such a emotionally intense and imposing story and I’m quite literally on the edge of my seat waiting for What He Always Knew (book #2). I am counting down the next two weeks to release way with more rapture than a holiday to tropical paradise!
4.5 Stars
What He Doesn’t Know, the first book in Kandi Steiner’s new duet has left me a confused and emotional wreck.
This is a second chance romance tied up in a complicated and emotional love triangle that had me reeling by the time it ended.
Charlie is at a turning point in life. Her husband and her seem to be very much going through the motions. She loves him, but her marriage has turned into a loveless affair she hardly recognizes. She can’t take how closed off he feels or how detached the have become. When a new teacher arrives at her school, she is shocked to find it is her first love.
Reese has never forgotten Charlie. He was too older for her back then and now the ring on her finger should be all it takes to continue making him stay away. At least, that’s what he tells himself. Truth is, the ring can’t keep his feelings at bay, nor can it keep them apart. Charlie knows she took a vow years ago, but given the state of her marriage, it’s awfully hard to not give in and run into Reese’s arms.
This book gave me all of the emotions and then some. Just when I thought I knew where we were going and what would be happening, the last chapter turns everything around and now I am not at all sure were the conclusion will take us. I only know that I am firmly invested in the lives of these three characters and I will be biting my nails until I find out what their fate will be.
This story. Oh my stars. The angst. The raw emotions. The passion. Kandi Steiner takes a topic that I know a lot of people are not a fan of but writes it with such heart and finesse that you cannot put it down. There are three sides to every story and you watch Charlie navigate through the pain, the passion and the uncertainty of what life has handed to her. My heart was in my throat while reading this story because it felt like it was a real life story, like this could be your best friend to your next door neighbor. It felt real. This could honestly be a movie or a tv show.
Overall, this story is hard to put into words. Just the feelings and the thoughts that run through your head while reading this, you are left feeling very raw and open. The heartbreak, the second chances and so so much more. Kandi Steiner gives us once again, something so emotional and brilliant that you cannot stop reading it. I am very much looking forward to what is going to come next in this duet. What path with Charlie take? How will it affect the rest of her life and the people involved?
This book had me tied up in knots from start to finish. Kandi Steiner is an expert when it comes to delivering an angst ridden romance and What He Doesn’t Know is another brilliant example of that. This story has a real ness to it that is very easy to relate to. This story could happen to any of us and the way it’s written, I found it very easy to put myself in the characters shoes. The characters are all really likeable and again there’s a real ness to them. They’re normal, average every day people whose lives just happen to get thrown into upheaval.
I’m left feeling quite conflicted about my feelings concerning the characters, and kind of feel like I’ve been let down by one of them in particular. This book definitely plays with your emotions. The characters are written in a way that felt like I was really getting to know them. The story left me torn at times over my feelings towards them. Did I dislike their actions sometimes? Sure, but I also understood what drove them to act like they did. Did I hate every single one of them at some point? Absolutely! But even when I hated them, I still loved them (I told you I was torn and conflicted!)
I loved this book. It really hit me with all the feels. There’s a twist thrown in that literally left me picking my jaw off the floor and really upped those conflicting feelings I was having. I honestly can’t wait for the concluding part of this story.
I am emotionally drained. I couldn’t put this book down. Oh trust me I tried. I tried to and had to get right back up and finish it. There is so much loss and pain in this read. The emotions are all mixed up. There’s Charlie who feels alone and unappreciated, abandoned and unfulfilled by her husband after they suffered a major loss. This book was really her side and her feelings and her loss, her. There’s Cameron and while you can’t help but feel for Charlie no where well until the end we never get his side. He isn’t a talker, his father made sure of that, but he does love her, or is it the possession of her. And Reese, her past, her home, her heart has spoken and he sees her. But is it enough. One desperate plea. One desperate move.
Oh man at one point, okay multiple times in this book I wanted to put it down. I mean yeah the blurb told me what I was getting in to and yes I read it for once. But this story just had me waffling all over the place. Hating on Charlie for letting it go so far. Anger at Cameron because he wouldn’t step up. Frustrated with Reese especially with his secret. Yeah all of the emotions. A great read. I don’t know if my emotions can take the next book which will finish this. Nope it isn’t a standalone.
I don’t usually dig cheating or love triangle stories but I always enjoy a Kandi Steiner. I don’t feel as if I’m giving anything away with that statement. If you read the synopsis than you’ll know it isn’t a spoiler but fact. I refuse to talk about this storyline, there isn’t a real way to do it without giveaway details readers should find out on your own. Steiner writes an emotional story, an emotional story that focuses on relationships; on the good, bad, beautiful, and the ugly.
I’ve read every single book that Kandi Steiner has written and What He Doesn’t Know is her best work yet in my opinion. She rocked me. The writing and flow is beyond perfect. Steiner pulled you in and soothes you to the point that you don’t realize she’s about to break your heart. Im gonna be honest here, this isn’t light… this is a deep, soul-searching story that will make you reflect upon yourself and your relationships. We don’t get a ton of sexy times but it’s really not really about the sex. This is a story of love, of hope, of deceit, and lies all pulled together by the exquisite writing style of Kandi Steiner.
I can’t believe I willingly chose a book that not only has a love trying but also ended in a cliff hanger. I am so torn between the two men in this book, Cameron and Reese. I can’t even make a choice or be #team anyone. Charlie has her work cut out for her! Prepare your heart for this one people. Steiner is about to show you what heartbreak is all about! I’m waiting as patiently as possible for What He Always Knew and I have absolutely no idea what I want to happen in the conclusion. I’ll trust Steiner to show me the way.
4.5 stars
I had such a hard time reading this book. The hopeless romantic in me was flailing, screeching, and spitting. She turned into a banshee trying to be heard over the disappointment, longing, and sadness.
She thrashed, tore up my insides, and gave me acid indigestion. All because of this book…
Here’s the thing:
Kandi Steiner has incredible talent. She can make you feel, do, and be a part of something you never thought you would agree to…all with her words. I’ve never met her, seen her, or spoken to her. Yet she has always (even when it makes my heart hurt and my stomach queasy), always been able to capture me. She is the flute player taming the snake. I always follow mindlessly along even when the spitting banshee tries to take control- I’m still following along.
What He Doesn’t Know is a cross between a nightmare and a fairytale. A story that you wish to wake up from. It’s your heart locked away from your body while you slowly shrivel up and die. It’s feels and heart break. It’s loss. It’s a never ending fog that drowns you slowly…or at least Charlie is until a spark appears in the fog. That spark isn’t her husband. And there in lies the problem…
Formulating the words to describe the utter devastation Charlie feels is impossible in this review. Ms. Steiner manages to not only explain Charlie’s feeling but she has you – the reader- drowning in the fog of despair. You search for a light or an escape. It’s amazing what she can do. She makes it interactive in a way. I’m just hoping that the final piece of the puzzle is everything we hope. I have no doubt it will be everything we need…but with a party of three…hope is all you can have.
reviewed for Naughty Book Blog
5 PUSH AND PULL ON YOUR HEART STARS!! My heart is so broken right now, I am not sure I can put it back together again. The angst in this story has left me speechless and that is hard to do. The story that Charlie, Cameron and Reece needs to share with you is unbelievable and you need to listen to them. Kandi Steiner has written a beautiful heart wrenching story that will stick with you forever. I am dying to see where their story ends up. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
My first book by Kandi was A Love Letter to Whiskey it wrecked me and made me a fan!
What He Doesn’t Know is perfectly Kandi! So full of angst, so full of romance and love and so much of all the feels!
This story is about three people and more than 2 sides to a story, Reese, Charlie and Cameron. I honestly don’t know who to root for! You have childhood history and first love. You have a beautiful marriage that because of a horrible trauma has slowly fallen apart. You want to hope for first love and then you want to cheer for the marriage! What a rollercoaster of emotions I have felt through this!
I loved the different POV element to the story, it was intriguing to see how each character is feeling and how they handle the pressures that are put upon them.
Charlie’s delmina will rip you apart, and I am on pins and needles waiting to find out what will happen next! I can see a happily ever after with either choice Charlie makes. Kandi writes one hell of a cliffhanger!
I have said this many times and I will say it again, books full of angst are my kryptonite. They make me feel and leave me drained and I devour them. What He Doesn’t Know by Kandi Steiner is such a book. This is the first book in her What He Doesn’t Know Duet and it is such an angst filled story with all the feels. Be prepared to be brought to tears and be left devasted. And I loved it. Absolutely loved it. I love books that make me feel.
Charlie Pierce is in a loveless marriage. Her home if full of all her treasures, but none of the love she expected. Then someone from her past returns to town. The first boy she ever loved. He knows she is married and it does not matter. He wants her. End of story. But what of the man she is supposed to cherish and honor?
This is a love triangle. This is not spoiler, based on the blurb, but overall, this is a story you just need to experience. Dive in and go for the ride. It was compelling. You feel the story as you read it. I want to share so much of what I loved and felt, but I do not to spoil anything for you. Just know it is a story worth reading.
The journey in this book was so emotional and left me gutted. I know many will stay away from a book that deals in cheating, but let me tell you, the writing is phenomenal and the story full of emotions. This is the book you take a chance with. The story is not over, but the good news is the second book is only weeks away. I absolutely loved this book. Loved it and devoured it.
Happy reading!
Well damn. Let’s get the queen of angst to write a LOVE triangle duet! Of course that would be a crazy ride. I think just about everyone that I talked to… read this book in one sitting. Once you get started with these characters, it’s just about impossible to put down. Now, I know what you are thinking. It’s a duet, so there will be a cliffhanger. I promise you that you will survive. And the good news is that the next book is out in about 2 1/2 weeks. I think this is actually a good thing, because it lets this story percolate in your mind. You might suspect that there will be some twists. And there are. But they are SO DAMN GOOD! This story was my JAM. Everything that I love. Triangles, cheating, angst. Just adds that layer of unpredictability to the story that keeps me right on the edge of my seat. I am looking forward the conclusiont. I normally hate cliffhangers, but oddly rather enjoying this one. It’s leaving the story ping ponging around in my brain and I bet it will make the next book all that much sweeter!
“I learned the people we love usually turned out to be one of three things:
a home,
a holiday,
or hell.”
—Beau Taplin
This is the truest adage, if there was ever spoken!! And Charlie Pierce knows this the best, she’s gone through all three in her life. She’s the quintessential “Good Girl” living her life inside the conforms of society, her heart trapped in a box, her life well within the lines
“I was always reliable. I was the “yes” girl. I was the hostess, the soft-spoken, compliant friend, coworker, daughter, and wife. And I was perfectly content being in a routine, providing comfort to those around me by being the one constant they could rely on.”
The love that has disturbed her life, has started from home, had a relapse in holiday and her life is living hell right now. Cameron Pierce is her husband and their wagon has hit rough roads and it’s hurting both of them. Their loveshine under heavy grey clouds
Then comes in Reese Walker like a snowcloud, heavily laden with wonderful memories and she doesn’t know which weather is her fave now. The concrete solid home vs the Softer romantic Pillow fort is a hard choice indeed
I’ve loved Kandi Steiner writing ever since A Love Letter To Whiskey. She’s very thoughtful and pensive in her style. Lots of inner conflict & ponderance reflects in her story. Generally internalized, the story reflects real life. What may seem the logical choice to readers, truely mirrors real life situations. It’s not easy to break relationships and shed guilt.
I loved the turmoil Charlie, Cameron and Reese go through together.
They say there are two sides to every story, and I suppose in most cases, that’s true. But the one I lived inside of?
It had three.
On the northeast side of Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania, there was a house.
But there was no longer a home.
I won’t say it’s a fast read , kandi takes her time explaining. The pace is slow-er and she spends enough time to dip and explore the nuances of her characters’ Hearts. So you get inside scoop on real people . I say real because she spotlights very Real People , their Real situations, and Real Quandries , which you can find almost anywhere in real life. Her grip on angst is real tight and her understanding of Brokenness is very acute.
“It never gets easier, no matter how many days or months or years pass. Some days are quieter than others, but on the loud days, on the days when everything you see and hear and do and feel reminds you of their absence…”
“Those days are brutal.”
Charlie used to be the unbroken one.
I wished I could reach inside her and pull out to inspect, to fix.
I cannot wait to read what happens next.
I must mention here, had she not come to the end point in this way, I’d have respected the story a bit less, but kudos to Kandi, she’s not letting any stone unturned and her nobility and sensibility shows perfectly on the turn she story ends. I just need to turn the corner now and see which road she’ll take !
4.5 Tadpole & Two Budgies stars