What He Never Knew, a standalone teacher/student romance in the What He Doesn’t Know series by bestselling author Kandi Steiner is live!
I never learn my lesson.
And I always want what I can’t have.
When Sarah Henderson walks into my life, I tell myself she’s off limits. She’s my student, sixteen years younger than me, and my boss’s niece. It doesn’t matter that I see the same pain reflected in her eyes that I have in my own, or that the dead organ better known as my heart kicks to life when she’s around.
I’ve been here before, and I know how this ends.
It’s been two years since I fell for the last woman I knew I couldn’t have, the one with the ring on her finger that I chose to ignore.
Two years of trying to overcome that heartache when Sarah slides into my life.
Another woman I can’t have. Another woman I can’t stop myself from wanting.
I never learn my lesson, but with a constant reminder of how that last forbidden love burned, I think I’ve finally learned this one.
This time, I won’t chase what’s off limits.
This time, I’m staying away.
And I’ll keep telling myself that until I believe it.
My review:
I admit when I first read the description of this book I was torn. The age difference between Reece and Sarah is 16 years and the cover model doesn’t look like he’s over 30. But knowing a book with a minor in this position wouldn’t be so openly promoted (thank goodness!!) I read it. And I’m so glad I did.
Sarah is a 21 year old college senior, one semester away from graduating when she is the victim of a horrifying crime. When she isn’t believed, she leaves school never to return. She goes home to Atlanta and changes everything about herself – the books she reads, her wardrobe, and even shaves her head. She ends up in Philadelphia staying with her aunt and uncle to study under well known pianist Reece, who teaches at the school where her uncle is headmaster. They recognize the trauma in each other but he hesitates to move past friendship and teacher/student and her trauma won’t allow her to go further.
This book was so hard to put down. It’s a beautiful slow burn love story – they both have a lot of baggage to unpack and resolve before anything can happen. But I loved every bit of this book.
Two passages I highlighted because they really spoke to me:
The truth was there was no winning – not when you’d been raped. Not when the first man to ever touch you did so without asking permission, without kissing you first, without telling you he loved you. On that cold, wet, tile floor of my dorm room shower, I realized my home had been full of monsters all along. I’d just never seen them before. And now that I had, there was no going back. I was the girl who cried wolf. But I vowed to myself that I would not be the girl who let the wolf win.
She was quiet, but in a way only a fire can be.
The first is from the prologue and it is so powerful. It really speaks to Sarah’s strength and character. The second was from chapter 3, when Reece and Sarah are first getting to know each other. He has no idea what she has been through in her life, but can see the fire inside her so clearly.
I definitely recommend this book.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Download your copy today!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2FQyjpN
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/WhatHeNeverKnewKS
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2Vl9BmZ
About Kandi:
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 diehard 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.
Connect with Kandi:
Mailing List: bit.ly/NewsletterKS
Facebook: facebook.com/kandisteiner
Facebook Reader Group: (Kandiland): facebook.com/groups/kandischasers
Instagram: www.instagram.com/kandisteiner
Twitter: twitter.com/kandisteiner
Pinterest: pinterest.com/kandicoffman
Website: www.kandisteiner.com
Kandi Steiner may be coming to a city near you! Check out her “events” tab to see all the signings she’s attending in the near future:
www.kandisteiner.com/events
#AmReading 