Happy Friday, Dear Readers!
This week I was able to take a deep breath. It was a mad dash leading up to the release day for Never the Right Time last Friday. You have no idea how close I came to postponing the release of the book. I was more than a month behind on finishing the book. Life was life-ing. Technology wasn’t cooperating. My editor had to have surgery. Feedback from a beta reader on the first few chapters indicated that they didn’t like the heroine of the story.
I was about five minutes away from a complete meltdown.
Fortunately, my author besties talked me out of postponing the book release. I used the beta reader’s feedback to convey Nikki’s anxiety with more clarity and compassion and strengthen the overall story. My editor was a warrior. I offered to delay the release, but she insisted that we push through and not push the panic button. ARCs (advance review copies) went out to my street team members just a few days before release day. And from the moment I pushed publish, I was stressed about how readers would receive this story with its long list of content notes.
Never the Right Time is a distinctively Reese Ryan story. It’s a sexy romance with family drama, career crises, close friendships, surprising secrets, and moments of humor. Yet, it feels like quite a departure from the stories I typically write.
Nikki is dealing with anxiety. Ced is dealing with grief. The book feels spicier than usual. There are lots of moments that feel raw and real. I didn’t know how readers would respond to this story that is a rollercoaster ride of emotions and deals with a variety of sensitive topics. So I was over the moon when the first reviews came in and they were good. Really good.
Readers praised the very thing I was most concerned about: my portrayal of Nikki’s anxiety and Ced’s grief. Check out some of the book reviews in the next section. And if you haven’t read Ced & Nikki’s story, download your copy, buy a paperback, or read it on Kindle Unlimited by clicking the link below to find out what all the fuss is about.
Here’s What the Story is About
Nikki
I went from gracing magazine covers as a member of a best-selling female group to being the subject of a blog article on “The Downfall of Nikki Hart.” After the flop of my solo album and a failed engagement, my anxiety is at an all-time high. I’m in desperate need of a fresh start, so I’m headed to London in hopes of kickstarting my solo career. But first, I’m returning home to Atlanta for my old high school’s jubilee celebration. I’m here to heal the rifts caused by my manipulative ex and to repair my friendship with Ced.
Cedrick
I’ve known Anika Hart was the woman for me since we met in high school. But family obligations and our individual music careers have always interfered. I was destroyed by her engagement to the one person in this industry I’d love to see take a long walk off a short pier. Now that she’s back, I’ll do whatever it takes to convince her to stay.
Nikki believes the road to her solo career runs through London’s music scene. But I’m an award-winning record producer and co-owner of a brand-new boutique record label. If she’ll give me twelve weeks, I’ll prove we’re the perfect match in love and music.
Note: NEVER THE RIGHT TIME deals with a variety of issues that may be difficult for some readers. Please check the content note on the retail page.
Here’s What Readers are Saying
“There’s so much depth to this second chance love story and it is simply amazing… I must mention the way mental health and relationship dynamics are treated in this story left me with such gratitude for the treatment this Author used throughout the story. I feel seen and for that alone I’d recommend this book.” — KB
“Reese Ryan’s storytelling is stellar here… I appreciated Ms Ryan’s representation of Nikki’s sometimes crushing anxiety, and how it affects her life and relationships. I rooted for Ced and Nikki hard and loved their hard-won happiness. I also loved the general peek at the music industry. Cannot wait for more in this series.” — FC
“I felt like I was on a journey with this character. As the story develops, you can feel Nikki become more comfortable and secure. Now that I’ve finished the book, I have a much better understanding of how mental health can influence relationships… I can’t wait for book three!”
— CL
Read the First Two Chapters of NEVER THE RIGHT TIME
Have You Read NEVER THE RIGHT TIME? Don’t forget to leave a review.
Have you already read Never the Right Time, First name / friend? If you enjoyed the book and have a moment, I’d be eternally grateful if you posted your honest review of the book. Reviews help other readers find the book. Sharing your review or thoughts on the book on social media channels like Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and X (formerly Twitter) help get the word out about Cedrick and Nikki’s love story. Word of mouth recs are invaluable to an author, but especially to indie authors like me.
Other ways to help indie authors get the word out about our books include:
- Recommending the book to a friend or book club.
- Requesting that your local library purchase a copy of the book.
- Passing your copy on to a friend or Little Free Library.
Happy Reading!
