I received an eARC of this book from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Stone Silence by Taylor Dean is an achingly, sweet romance about a young woman who thought she would never find love and a man wracked by guilt. Abandoned on the side of an empty stretch of highway, Spencer walks herself to the point of exhaustion before collapsing in front of a man who at first refused to help her. Stony regrets immediately his hasty no and finds himself caring for an unknown woman for several days while she heals. It begins as a necessary relationship and grows to something much more.

Spencer is a likable and relatable character. I could easily picture myself finding this girl and talking to her out on the streets. She’s charismatic, practical, loving, and a bit quirky. She has two parents who love her dearly and close friends, but has never had a lasting relationship for more than a few dates. She’s never been attracted to anyone romantically and until recently never questioned why. But now as she nears thirty, she wants what her parents have, her friends have…a partner, someone that will love her and care for her like no one else can.

Enter Stony. Stony is as his name suggests. He shows very little expression, is closed off, and talks little of his past. This makes it hard for Spencer to read between the lines. As the reader, I picked up on Stony sooner than Spencer did. I could read what he was saying and took it for what it meant. I understood his quiet whispers for what they were and I fell in love. However it’s the secrets of the past that threaten any relationship he could have or want with Spencer.

I enjoyed the slow build romance of Spencer and Stony. The secrets that lie in Stony’s past are heartbreaking and made me love him even more. I think the mark of a good author is getting a reader to fully invest in the characters and Dean does with Spencer and Stony. I fell in love with them both. I cried with Spencer and I ached for Stony.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and hope to continue with the series as I’m curious to know more about Stony and the women in his life. If you enjoy clean, contemporary romance, I highly recommend you grab a copy of this book!