An emotional hockey romance with a devoted hero, powerful healing, and an incredible audiobook cast

Goodreads | What About Us

Release date: September 10, 2026

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby comes the next installment of the Silver Springs series, What About Us, a small town, friends to lovers, hockey romance set in Montana.

Xander Hendrix was the only person in the world who was kind to me. Not my horrible family, and certainly no one else at school. He was the boy who protected me from bullies and made me feel . . . seen. Now, all these years later, he’s a hockey superstar, back in our hometown of Silver Springs with an injury—and he doesn’t remember me at all.

Let me tell you, that will mess with your head.

But I’ve never forgotten him. I’ve followed his amazing hockey career, cheering him on from afar while dealing with an abusive mother and a soul-crushing workload.

Now I’ve been hired as his physical therapist. Suddenly, my sole job is to spend every day with the tall, sexy athlete, helping him get back in shape to return to the ice and the sport he loves. But this isn’t just about rehab for him. The way he looks at me, takes care of me, and touches me is so much more than a simple working relationship.

When my already fragile life starts to totally fall apart, Xander is there to help me pick up the pieces. He’s the one person I can lean on. Count on. And don’t even get me started on what the man can do to my body.

But when he’s healed and it’s time for him to return to Denver, will what we’ve built be strong enough to keep us together? Or will I have to say goodbye?

Review:

Apparently What About Us was my first time listening to both Savannah Thomas and Liam Cortright, and after this? I would gladly listen to either of them again. Their chemistry was fantastic, their performances complemented each other beautifully, and Savannah especially impressed me with everything she brought to Ivy. This woman goes through some deeply emotional moments, and Savannah handled every single beat so well. Liam was equally perfect as Xander, giving him exactly the steady, solid, reassuring presence I wanted from his character.

And Xander! What a GOOD GUY. He is such a constant source of strength for Ivy—thoughtful, caring, generous, and completely sincere about wanting to be there for her. Ivy has spent so much of her life dealing with a horrible situation with her mother that kindness doesn’t come easily to her. She’s understandably skeptical of Xander’s intentions at first, but once she realizes this man is completely serious and all in? They never really look back. I loved watching her slowly learn that she could trust him, lean on him, and accept the kind of care she’d never been able to count on before. There was something so satisfying about watching Ivy grow while Xander simply remained steady beside her rather than trying to swoop in and fix everything.

Their chemistry was FIRE, too. 🔥 There is plenty of heat here, but I liked that their emotional connection felt just as strong. The romance develops alongside Ivy’s personal growth, which made their relationship feel like much more than simple attraction. Xander sees what she needs and continually shows up for her, and watching Ivy begin to believe she deserves that kind of love was probably my favorite part.

This is the second book in the series, and the audiobook also has an incredible supporting cast featuring Connor Crais, Jason Clarke, Stella Hunter, Kat Auden, Avery Caris, Samantha Brentmoor, and Sebastian York. With so many recognizable voices popping in, the whole production has this lively ensemble, almost full cast feel that made the world feel even bigger and more immersive. If you’re an audiobook romance reader, the narration alone makes this one worth putting on your radar.

Perfect for readers who love:

• Hockey romance
• Protective, dependable heroes
• Emotional heroines finding their strength
• He falls hard and means it
• Small town romance
• Caretaking and acts of service
• Steamy chemistry
• Audiobooks with an ensemble/full cast feel

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks Must Love Audio for the gifted copy.

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