A Small Town Second Chance Romance That Hits Hard in Audio

Release date: July 14, 2026

Publisher: Lyric Audiobooks

Narrators: Savannah Peachwood and Connor Crais

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

NYT and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylee Ryan brings you a new standalone series set in a small town, surrounding four sisters. Trying Not to Love You is a small-town, second-chance, first-love, ex-military romance.

Ellison
Copeland James was my first love, my first heartbreak, my first everything.

Then he left without explanation, and never came back.

My sisters and our closest friends helped me pick up the pieces, but my heart hasn’t been whole since the day he walked out of Magnolia Ridge.

I’ve learned to live with what could have been… until his mother’s illness brings him back to our small town. He’s older, harder, and more magnetic than I remember.

He’s a man now. The man I learned to live without. And yet, he’s back, stirring everything I thought I’d buried, making my world feel unsteady.

Because loving him nearly destroyed me… and now, I’m still trying not to love him.

Copeland

I left Magnolia Ridge with nothing but a duffel bag and a decision.

I told myself joining the Marines was the right choice. That loving her meant protecting her, and this was the way to do it.

I was wrong.

Now I’m back, years later, and she’s just as breathtaking as the day I left. All these years, I imagined she’d have moved on, married someone else, but she’s still single, and in my heart, she’s still mine.

But Ellison doesn’t see me the way I see her, not anymore. All I find in her eyes is the wound I left behind. The one that never healed.

I didn’t fight for us back then, but I’ve learned. Now I’m ready for battle, fighting for what we could be while she tries not to love me.

Review:

This was an audiobook experience that completely pulled me in. I ended up listening to it in one day without intending to, and it became one of those immersive reads where everything just clicked at the right time.

The emotional weight of this story is really where it shines. It leans heavily into second chance angst, the kind built on years of silence, misunderstanding, and unresolved love.

What stood out most, though, was the narration.

Savannah Peachwood delivers Ellison’s emotional arc with real depth and clarity, but it was Connor Crais who surprised me most here. His performance felt raw, vulnerable, and grounded in a way that gave Copeland’s regret real texture.

Together, they elevate an already emotional story into something that feels even more immersive in audio.

It’s a mix of angst, tenderness, spice, and small town comfort — and it sets up the sister series really well. I loved the experience of it, especially in audio, and I’m fully invested in where this series goes next.

Perfect for Readers Who Love

• second chance romance with emotional depth
• first love reunion stories
• military separation tropes
• small town family series
• strong audiobook performances

Thanks to Must Love Audio and the author for the alc.