Stolen Words

High Tower #1

by India Caedmon

It was supposed to be one letter. One time… Cassidy Thatcher has just been fired. In an attempt to salvage her life, she flees to New York City to rebuild her career. Desperate for hope, she passes her time writing love letters to her fiancé in the U.S. Navy, but the Big Apple has other plans.Grayson Daniels has a brilliant mind but is not so brilliant when it comes to relationships. After being asked to assist the Navy with nuclear research, he finds himself aboard an aircraft carrier where he accidentally intercepts a letter not meant for him. Cassidy’s words enthral him…but what started as an innocent fascination soon becomes an uncontrollable desire.When Grayson learns of Cassidy’s financial problems, he manipulates matters into his own hands. And when Cassidy’s relationship with her fiancé begins to crumble, Grayson is there to pick up the pieces, reminding her that love doesn’t always have to be a sacrifice.His secret isn’t safe for long. Can a foundation be reconstructed on stolen words? Or will Cassidy mark their romance return to sender ?

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

416 pages, Paperback

Published November 18, 2018

About the author

India Caedmon is a twenty-something hopeless romantic who believes in old-fashioned romance and the power of handwritten letters. When she’s not engulfed in make believe, she is a structural engineer. She enjoys flying planes in the Idaho backcountry, swimming, yoga and paddle boarding with her border collie, Apollo.

India particularly loves conjuring up a variety of ways for Mr. Right to woo her…until that actually happens, she’ll just have to write about it.

Reviews

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and unpredictable story!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Romance: 💙💚🖤💜
Heat/Steam: 🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎
Character development: 😳🤬😏🤓🤯

The heroine: Cassidy Thatcher - she is nearly an archeologist, having only to finish her internship to get her degree but when she is fired, she finds herself at a loose ends and decides to move to New York from Montana for a short time without asking her fiancé Kyle who is in the Navy. She moves in with her cousin Mya who is in the midst of a divorce to a billionaire and was left with nothing but is determined to stay in her penthouse for a while longer.

The Hero(s): Grayson Daniels - a nuclear fission engineer doing a 3 month stint on a Navy aircraft carrier with his best friend and partner, to train the crew on nuclear energy. He is extremely seasick for much of that time and a bit depressed. He was awkward and his interpersonal relationship skills are lacking and he has pretty much sworn off relationships with women.

The Story: Grayson is not happy being stuck on a ship for months when he is handed a letter meant for one of the crew, a guy named Kyle. He finds himself taken with the author of the letter and after meeting Kyle and seeing how he talked about his fiancé negatively, he didn’t feel bad when he told the mail clerk that he was Kyle in order to get more mail from Cassidy.

This was a bit different than I expected. I liked the fact that the first conversation between the two main characters was acrimonious. Though truth be told, Grayson didn’t know he was talking to the woman he had a crush on from reading her letters.

There were things about this book that were a bit beyond belief though it isn’t like most romance books don’t have coincidences that are beyond belief. This just made me question things. Like the fact that Mya was married to a billionaire, but gets left with nothing. I know there are such things as pre-nuptial agreements but I thought that meant the person can’t take anything away from the marriage that was earned or existed prior to the marriage, but still is entitled to half of anything that was accumulated during the marriage. She wasn’t caught cheating or anything like that. So why is Mya so broke?

Then there is the fact that Cassidy moves to New York City from Montana to live with Mya. She helps Mya keep her penthouse for a few months by finding an architect to help renovating the lobby of Mya’s building which was partially destroyed by some kids with m-80’s or something of that sort. Apparently the manager of the building can’t find an architect in New York because all of them were working on the High Tower building next door.

However, Cassidy meets one of those architects, a guy named Colton who is working on building a lab in the High Tower. She finagles a job out of Colton and gets him to agree to help her with the lobby of Mya’s building after 3 pm every day. It just so happens that Grayson runs the lab on the first two floors of the High Tower and Colton and his crew are working on that very lab. So Grayson isn’t too happy to find out that someone is using his architect and crew on another project.

The coincidences keep piling up when we find that the two main characters share similar background trauma. Though like I said, coincidences like these aren’t uncommon in romance novels, so didn’t bother me all that much. As for the narration, it was done by C.J. Bloom and Sebastian York. They both did a great job and their voices matched the personalities of the main characters extremely well.

Once the story got moving, I quite liked it and I really enjoyed the interaction between Cassidy and Grayson. It was definitely a slow burn and Cassidy had a fiancé through the majority of the story, albeit an absent one who didn’t call, write or email her. But I enjoyed how awkward Grayson was and how Cassidy had trouble understanding him.

The story was extremely original and I loved that about it. There are so many romance books out there that could almost be copies of each other that I appreciate any originality. I wasn’t too happy with the realistic ending to the book but again it was original.

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[Tiblu · Rating 2 out of 5]

What. The. Heck?!?!?!?

What. The. Heck?!?!?!?
What the heck ( not the word I want to use,believe you me) is this, hot mess ?!?!?!
How the “heck” this only has five star reviews is beyond me!!!!

Ok, this book is extremely s l o w going.... the H and h don’t even meet, Don’t . Even. Meet. Til at least 30% thru the book and the first two times they do it doesn’t go well; both just get flustered 😫😩 and neither even like the other ..... both are disappointed with how the other acts and behaves and it’s about another 40% before anything other than the odd lusty thought happens between them...
Deep sigh....
Beware their might be spoilers ⚠️
Man this book ticked me off...
These two fumbled and bumbled and stumbled around each other worse than newborn puppies...
Kyle the fiancé was a cardboard cut out of your average d bag,and was about as interesting as any soon to be ex the heroine is dating in any Hallmark movie before the h finally gets her very badly needed clue and dumps his sorry rear....
Here he dumps her first and she mourns the loss he never was...
By 80% these two have barely shared a kiss if that much when they finally decide to maybe to start to “date” ,when that’s all ripped apart by the ex and the truth about the letters comes out...
By 82% when I could see what was about to happen, I was about to scream! I’d struggled thru and skimmed my way though watching these to hem and haw,and circle around each other talking about the renovations this would be archaeologist was doing to his house now that she was a would be carpenter and interior designed ,painting walls and redoing floors all on her own after just a few weeks working with an architect and his crew....
As unlikely and implausible as all that looked and sounded I was here for a “romance” and I was trying to concentrate on that,but what I got was page after page about her cousin and the house and painting .... his office and her cousin going to work for him,his jerky best friend Lance ,and business meetings and babysitting Lance’s niece and going camping and talking about his past.... more longing looks and some lust but no true connection really being built for the longest...
By 80% they were just getting to really know each other and become something more than acquaintances....
When I saw the ex pop up,I knew things were going sour before they even got off the ground...

Seriously it was like your plane getting delay after,delay after delay before your finally able to board and then you finally F I N A L L Y get in and get settled in and ready to take off only to find out your going to get delayed again...
Seriously 😒
Wouldn’t you be ready to scream ?!??!
Next thing I know I’m seeing after I skipped a few pages the h is some how back in “Montana “ ( where she’s from) having thought of the H for weeks...
I’m back to WTH ?!?
Soo I skipped to the epilogue where the H is in prison and the h has agreed to wait for him...
Dear lord in heaven ...
Prison time for taking the d bags letters? Seriously 😳?
This could be a clean book... don’t know ... don’t care enough to go back and check those last two chapters...
But after being dragged along on this moronic non romantic journey ? I don’t freakin care...
Even the lamest Hallmark movie ( no insult intended towards them.,some are pretty dang good and some are cringingly bad) are better than this was...
These two idiots stumble thru most of this book not seeming to really know what they want and when they finally do,it all just goes to heck....
Ive read worse but this is a mess and not in the least romantic...
Kept hoping it would get there,but aaaaaaaaaaaa no..
I know I sound a bit harsh but this book left me upset and frustrated and irritated over time wasted and emotions invested..... I'm very passionate about what I read....
Lesson learned for me though, never ever trust a book w/ONLY 5 star reviews...
Rarely if ever is a book that perfect... if there isn’t at least one dissenting four star review something is wrong...
No body is gonna make everybody happy...
ps. Seems I need to be clear,those 5 star reviews were on Amazon,Amazon is where I buy my books because I am a Kindle reader... Soo if I dare mention other reviews please know I look at Amazon first where I buy books first and if I still haven't been able to answer lingering questions then I come here.... Maybe I should come here more often but that's just how I've been doing it....
Thank you

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/22/2019)! 🎁

[Jooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*

[MiniMe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stolen Words used a lot of words—but it didn’t help me relate to the characters or their slow-building story arcs.

[Mysti]

slow, boring. side note - despite it being sebastian york - it wasn't good. he must have been in a bad mood that day. or he was bored by what he was reading.

i dnf'd.

actual decent review here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Head in the books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5☆
I felt somewhat unsatisfied with the ending but I really liked that the story made sense. It would probably end like that in real life.

[Anonymous · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the author for allowing me to read a Beta copy of their book! The book’s due to be released in December, stay tuned for it then! Want to read more reviews? Check out my blog: https://feathertonescom.wordpress.com/ !

Normally Romance isn’t my cup of tea, I mean- just look at my Goodreads challenge for the last couple of years and you’ll find maybe two, three, at the most five? Books a year that count as romance. I’m pretty opinionated about what I think works and what doesn’t. So remember that as I start talking about this book.

Basic plot: The plot centers around Grayson and Cassidy, two people who basically dance around each other as fate and circumstance brings them together. Cassidy’s trying to find her way in life and trying to become a strong, independent woman. Grayson’s trying to find his way in life as well, both with his successful career and escaping the demons of his past. Along the way they’re supported by Mya and Lance, as well as other minor characters. The plot’s driven by actions and consequences and is pretty fast paced.
What I liked: With the exception of a couple of characters, the main four were pretty dynamic. I love a good clean romance, even if it seems pretty cheesy to me with the whole love-at-first-sight thing. I’m willing to put that aside for the fact that this is a romance, and that generally happens in these plots. As I was saying, they’re dynamic in the sense that there are a lot of layers for each character. They’re childish and impulsive at points, they’re strong or angry the next. I liked that this is centered around them getting to know each other and not really getting along at first. Even toward the end the conflict comes back into play, it doesn’t necessarily end happily ever after. There’s realism to the plot. I also enjoyed that throughout this book Cassidy is trying very hard to think for herself- asserting her independence, her career, over her relationship. It's a challenge for her and something she's constantly conflicted over, but hey, she's trying. The fact that the characters aren't all one note is wonderful too, those layers I just mentioned above really show through at points. Grayson's conflicted and you can read that in how he responds to things throughout the book. He has some character flaws and they're handled well- in fact Lance, Mya and Cassidy all show their flaws throughout the book and the way they're handled only enhances the plot. They stick true to their conflicted selves and it shows in some of the brash decisions they make, even if some of those are sort of shaky.

What Needed to be Worked On: The pacing was awesome, but there was still some stumbling over the middle and last sections of the plot. That’s fine! It really didn’t take away from anything at all, it smooths out at the last few chapters and comes to a neat close regardless. The characters had moments of being brash without it really adding to the plot aside from additional drama. Some spots it worked, other spots it didn’t. It also needed to have the setting and segues from section to section really worked on to stand out and be clearer, as it was very easy to miss them and lose direction in the sudden time jumps.

Still for a beta? Very solid plot, and a decent grasp on characters! I’m excited to see this book in its completed form and to see the rest of the books that follow!

[Rusty Bader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grayson Daniels is complexity personified. Outside, he’s the handsome man modeling Hugo Boss on the side of a building in Time’s Square. Inside, he’s Elon Musk, he’s Sheldon Cooper. He’s a box of bad experiences wherever he forms relationships.

Once he puts on a tuxedo, his world falls apart. His Prince Charming night with his nearly won Princess (Cassidy Thatcher) takes on nuclear level explosions. How can so many good intentions shatter and hurt so hard?

How can you tell who Grayson’s friends are? Lance, his all-American-man partner and Colton, his contractor and secret angel? They both are, but Grayson butts heads with them on a regular basis. They really love him (and you will too.)

Cupid’s unexpected target for Grayson is Cassidy - A feminine wildcard. Carrying guilt over her parent’s death. Misplaced loyalty to a hometown, a disloyal boyfriend. Kyle’s nickname should be PILE… because he is a big pile of ICK. Kyle is cringe-worthy from the get-go. How can one man make achievement look so dastardly? He is the World’s worst fiancé.

The story is well embellished by her cousin, Mya is a real biscuit, flaky and buttery cute.

Every well-sculpted character grew through this bittersweet comedy of errors. Except for Kyle. Kyle is destined to be alone, perhaps he will examine his conscious.

Come on, India, I hope you are working on their further adventures….. this pair has legs.



Had a marvelous time enjoying this book.... Cannot wait for more.

[Thereadingbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grayson Daniels seems to the world to have it made, but agonizing secrets lie beneath his polished exterior. A handsome face and terrific body cannot break down the barriers of self-protection he’s erected. He’s already decided personal relationships are dangerous, and sworn off intimacy.

Cassidy Thatcher, has been unable to see what everyone else does and that is she deserves so much better than her fiancé. She writes him every day believing their relationship is perfect and even tries to protect him from the negativity in her life. She needs to move from Montana to NY to find employment which puts her directly in Grayson’s path. Neither expected the other but their reaction to each other is a surprise of the best kind. She also has low self-esteem.

Grayson and Cassidy deal with tragic guilt, living behind borders not allowing them their true happiness. Grayson and Cassidy learn that all the things that happen in space and time there’s no way that one instant could have possibly been their own doing. Until that one serendipitous moment when the wrong letter was put into the right hand.

This book weaves the story between Cassidy and Grayson slow burn love. There is mystery, sweetness and a beautiful love that shines through the interactions between the characters.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 star narrators C.J. Bloom and Sebastian York made this 3 star book better. It was slow going and I felt more of an obsession from Grayson for Cassidy than a real developing relationship. This was more Hallmark Movie material than what I expected. Don’t expect any love scenes or sizzle from this one. I am also hoping that somewhere in the next book, that book one might get some closure. The ending of this one was abrupt to say the least. Since I already have book two in the series, I will try to read it and hope for more of a connection.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a beta reader for India Caedmon during the final editing stage of Stolen Words. I literally can’t wait for the final version to release in December. It's already the best romance I've read this year, the final draft is just going to be out of this world amazing.

AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE AUDIOBOOK! Sebastian York is narrating Grayson and CJ Bloom is reading Cassidy! I'm dying in anticipation! I’m hoping the final manuscript will be even longer than 350 pages because I didn’t want it to end.

Grayson Daniels is the exact type of man I dream about. He is very rough around the edges and I didn’t necessarily like him at first, but that quickly changed. Oh my god I’ve never loved a book boyfriend this much in my entire life!!!! The book starts out with him on an aircraft carrier where he’s training the ship's Reactor Division. He’s only planning on being there for 3 months while their pilots get certified before deployment. This poor man. He's sooo seasick! But I knew from the start that this "sickness" was his fear of water.

If you follow India Caedmon, you know she has a big love for the navy. I love military romance books, but I really like that Grayson isn’t in the military. He’s just this normal person. And it’s so incredible that she found a way to place Grayson on an naval ship while keeping him a civilian! This just shows what a brilliant author she is. I was taken aback to be honest. I couldn’t help but tear up while reading because I knew the meaning behind her wanting him there!!!! And the description of the ship holy wowza I could visualize every detail from the rivets to the kickers in the hallways at every ten feet.

While on board, Grayson receives a letter and he’s reminded of someone from his past. Except that letter isn’t meant for him. It’s meant for a Kyle Greens. Kyle is a total asshat btw. Grayson wants to give this letter to Kyle, but after having met him, waves of protectiveness keep Grayson from doing it. He’s scared the past will repeat itself and another innocent girl will get hurt. He ends up stealing all of Cassidy’s letters. Yes steal those letters from that jerk! Grayson is probably the only person who could be a felon and still make me drool.

Grayson is so refreshing. He’s smart, awkward, and he’s kind of a pig in a sexy way. Him and his partner, Lance, run and manage the High Tower Lab and the lab occupies the first two floors of the High Tower. It seems like people think the two own the entire tower, and Lance doesn't mind the attention one bit, but Grayson's all about honesty….which is funny because he’s a thief, right? To add to Grayson’s awkwardness, just wait until you read about the house he lives in. Omg so perfect.

Cassidy lives in Montana and she’s just lost her internship at the museum. She’s been writing to Kyle, her idiot of a fiancé, every day since he’s left. But she doesn’t want to tell him about losing her job because he’s never been super supportive of her career goals. Cassidy is probably my favorite character because her relationship with Kyle reminds me of the worst relationship I ever had and she went through the same transformation I did. It was cool to be able to relate to a character at that level because I knew exactly what she was feeling and the wild emotions were 100% accurate. India Caedmon spoke to my heart here. Cassidy makes a bold move to relocate to NYC and live with her cousin, Mya. Where do I even start with Mya? Mya is so hilarious and her story is captivating. I want her to have her own book in this series!!!! The characters in Stolen Words are so vivid and detailed! Hell, I love them all differently. Each one is on their own personal journey.

Cassidy and Grayson get flung into each other’s path a multitude of ways. And when they first meet…tension! This is where I really fell in love with Cassidy’s character because when she meets Grayson, she never lets him walk all over her. She’s strong and she doesn’t even know it. And Grayson lolol! He doesn’t know how to handle Cassidy. They don’t even really meet until much later in the book, because she's rebuilding her life and he's on a ship, but their chemistry is on fire from the very beginning.

This book kept me at the edge of my seat. I stayed up all night and read it in one sitting. There were so many questions that kept me wanting more! Like the children’s home. I’m crying just thinking about it. There’s a children’s home that's going to be demolished when the second High Tower gets constructed and Grayson is fighting to keep it. But he doesn’t like children!!! So the entire time I kept asking myself “why does he want to save the children’s home?” At the end when I realized WHY I bawled my face off. There were dozens of instances like this that kept me wanting more and more. And his fear of water? Yah, that came back around, too leaving me with even more tears.

Grayson loves so deeply and I felt all of his emotions to my very core. It’s more than just someone accidentally finding a letter and running into their soulmate. There’s lies, deception, and growth within each of the characters. You can choose love and not give up your dreams. In fact, someone can even spark a new dream within you like what Grayson does to Cassidy. This is such an amazing book.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great romance with a very different twist. This is not your typical romance but has a wonderful ending.

[Gina Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

The universe grants a serendipitous encounter for two people who need to find each other. Grayson, the hunky, awkward around women and people, science guy, and Cassidy; the sweet, people pleaser, young woman who has given up her own dreams of becoming an archeologist to appease her boyfriend, currently in the navy.

Is it wrong to break the law, if you know it’s the right thing to do? Grayson learns the real woman of his desires through letters not belonging to him. He should return them to the rightful owner. But when he knows Cassidy’s boyfriend does not deserve her, he does what the universe has challenged him to do. Find this woman.

Cassidy has once again found herself lead down a path, not of her chosen will; move to New York and take care of her childhood friend and cousin, Mya. But when threatened with no place to live, fate steps in and Cassidy finds work with a man that will connect her to Grayson.

Grayson’s nuclear project on the Navy carrier he was assigned is now complete, and life back at the High Tower has not held up to his expectations. But when he discovers the reasons, he discovers the face behind the Stolen Words. The words etched on his heart.

Both Grayson and Cassidy deal with tragic guilt, living behind borders not allowing them their true happiness. Grayson and Cassidy learn that all the things that happen in space and time there’s no way that one instant could have possibly been their own doing. Until that one serendipitous moment when the wrong letter was put into the right hand.

Stolen Words is a love story endured with mystery, sweetness, charming moments with great characters you’ll fall in love with. Mya is the cousin with chutzpa every girl needs in her life. And an ending that will leave you wanting more of Grayson and Cassidy, now that fate has brought them together. I highly recommend this book by India Caedom. Author of The Secret Series, Gina A. Jones

[Irene]

STOLEN WORDS – HIGH TOWER #1 – INDIA CAEDMON

I just finished reading the first book of the High Tower Series by India Caedmon. I need to say that the story is catching since the first glimpse. You start reading it and you get a feeling that tells you you need to keep reading to know what will happen next.
The book is really well structured, the chapters have Grayson or Cassidy as the narrator depending on the chapter so you know both points of view while reading and they expose their feelings and their stories. Both stories, Grayson’s and Cassidy’s are really sad, but they are realistic and make you understand their personalities, their flaws, their insecurities and also their dreams.
I want to encourage you all to start reading this amazing book and I want to thank the author for writing such a good and appealing book to read. I’m sure when you start reading you’ll want more and you’ll be sad when you finish the book because you want to know what will happen next. I’m really looking forward the second book of the High Tower Series, Number Infinity, to continue reading about all the characters and meeting some of them a bit more (yes, I’m referring to Mya and Lance, I’m looking forward to know more about their stories and hopefully they end togheter, just my expectations, I think they’ll make an interesting couple). Anyways, Cassidy and Grayson have made themselves a space on my heart and I encourage you to give them a chance to let them make you fall in love with their history.
Thanks another time to India Caedmon for writing the book and for letting me read her book and give my review, I really enjoy your book and I couldn’t stop reading it, I’m waiting to read the next book, which I’m sure I would love as much as the first one. Also, I want to apologize about my English and my review if it’s not clear in some parts, but English is not my first language, hope you understand.
Read Grayson’s and Cassidy’s history, you won’t regret!
Hugs,
Irene.

[Desiree Sharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

India Caedmon is an excellent writer. I had the pleasure of finishing her audible version of the book on a road trip. I want to remind readers that this is BOOK ONE before they go spouting off about the main character suffering consequences for stealing mail. The point of a review is to two-fold; One to speak to the writer's writing ability and two to talk about the story itself. I personally enjoyed the fact that India spends time building her character CORRECTLY. Sometimes that is a slow process. It doesn't happen in a paragraph like you see so many "authors" doing today. By the third page the characters are all they ever wanted in eachother and there has been no backstory. India does an excellent job of giving us a clear picture of who these people are. I very much enjoyed the story and look forward to reading the next book. I appreciated the fact that she took the time to build a firm foundation for us to move forward on throughout the rest of the series. There are no clunky connections or awkward silences in the book. She doesn't leave loose ends and her sense of humor is fantastic. If you are a mature reader (And by mature, I do not mean old.) and enjoy reading quality work, Stolen Words is an excellent read. I give this book five stars because of the quality of writing, sense of humor and the interest she builds sustains the reader to the last page.

[Jean Patton · Rating 5 out of 5]

India Caedmon has a way with words. She’s probably been a writer since childhood and it shows in her illustrative prose and witty dialogue. Her appealing and quirky characters are irresistible and draw the reader effortlessly into her story.

Grayson Daniels seems to the world to have it made, but agonizing secrets lie beneath his polished exterior. A handsome face and terrific body cannot break down the barriers of self-protection he’s erected. He’s already decided personal relationships are dangerous, and sworn off intimacy.

Cassidy Thatcher, is the all-American girl combined with King Midas in reverse. Everything she touches turns to lead and drags her down with it; mostly because she allows every person and circumstance to take advantage of her. She has her own demons causing her lack of self-esteem.

Anyone would think these two thrown together would be a disaster! How could they possibly learn and grow from each other, let alone ignite into love? India Caedmon knows how to start a conflagration that has the reader rooting for her lovers!

It’s a complicated story, filled with twists and turns and ups and downs, and it is never dull! Take the ride with them for an enjoyable adventure into a tricky romantic romp! Can’t wait for the next book!

[Kari Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grayson may look like Superman on the outside but on the inside, he is definitely Clark Kent. He tries to hide both his insecurities and social awkwardness, but it always manages to appear at the worst times. When fate gives him a letter that belongs to another, he fully intends to make sure the intended recipient receives it however changes his mind when he decides they are not worthy. Although his actions are questionable, they are with the best of intentions.

Cassidy has been unable to see what everyone else does and that is she deserves so much better than her fiancé. She writes him every day believing their relationship is perfect and even tries to protect him from the negativity in her life. She needs to move from Montana to NY to find employment which puts her directly in Grayson’s path. Neither expected the other but their reaction to each other is a surprise of the best kind.

These two are a perfect match but first they must get through not only their pasts but misunderstandings as well. The romance was a slow burn which only made it better as it allowed us to fully know the characters. I enjoyed the debut novel by this author and I look forward to her future stories. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story about two strangers brought together by a letter that’s delivered to the wrong man. Cassidy writes to her user fiancé but nuclear physicist Grayson receives her letter instead and both of their lives change for the better through a series of coincidences, some bending of the truth and serendipity. It’s not your traditional romance but the characters are very likable, the plot is heartwarming and Cassidy’s best friend Maya is a hoot. I listened to the audiobook and I loved the narration performances of CJ Bloom and Sebastian York.

[Kaitlyn Boylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

India... WOW!! I am new to this wonderful author so I wasn't sure what to expect. But one thing is for sure... SHE NAILED IT! I couldn't put it down! I went into this book blind. I didn't read the synopsis and let me tell you.. it was fun and so worth it. I would give this book 5 out of 5 STARS!

Grayson wanting to rescue a young woman he never met. He only knows her by one single letter that wasn't even written for him. But he had to know her, he had to help her, he had to meet her. However, their paths expectantly cross. Is it fate? Is it true love? Will Grayson be able to be there in the end? Just to give you a little push... the ending BLEW me away!

[AnneMarie Dapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stolen Words offers the perfect ingredients for an exceptional romance novel ―multi-dimensional protagonists, undeniable sexual tension and riveting plot twists. India Caedmon's enchanting prose provides an edge-of-your seat love story. I truly enjoyed the interplay between Grayson Daniels and Miss Cassidy Thatcher. Daniels is handsome, brilliant, and delightfully clueless in the relationship department. Thatcher is smart, sassy, and eager to discover her unique voice. They are a match made in heaven. I’m waiting in greedy anticipation for the next book in the series!

[Dapper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. I was drawn in by the concept and pulled further by the story. The character development is superb, it’s well written and it’s interesting.

If you’re looking for a high drama, intense insta-love YA fic.. this isn’t for you.

This is outside of my usual realm of goodreads reads.. I’m very pleased to have stumbled upon India’s indie book.

[Robyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

The h is just TSTL!!! Oh. My. Fucking. God. I don't understand how authors always write women like this no backbone and will, need permission from their asshole boyfriend but talk back and fight everyone else who are good to them.

[Cortni Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who reads a lot of romance, I know what a good story looks like. Not only does this book have a unique twist on some classic elements and commonly-used ideas, but the writing is clean, easy-going, and fun. A little humor and a little sass combine for an overall great time. :)

[Hopelessly seeking Happily Ever Afters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grayson and Cassidy

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Stolen Words by India Caedmon. Book 1 of 2 in the High Tower Series. Audible Plus borrow, audiobook review. Dual POV. The intro and finalé music is completely unnecessary. Sebastian York did a great job. This is the first CJ Bloom narration I've ever listened to that fit the main female character (even though I don't understand why Mya, a secondary character, has a Southern accent). Rated G, absolutely no sex. Great story until the disappointing ending ruined it. Content warnings: mail theft; drowning death of a 6 year old; a young orphaned girl dies after being hit by a car; lies under oath; and 2 prison sentences.

Dr Grayson Daniels (33) was in foster care until he was 9, was adopted then kicked out of his home when he was 16 after his adoptive parents' biological daughter drowned to death and he wasn't able to save her, served a 6 month prison sentence when he was 16 after hitting and killing Paige (a young orphan who was riding her bike) for leaving the scene of an accident when Veronica (his then girlfriend) lied & said the accident was caused by distracted driving, and is now a nuclear scientist contracted by the Navy to train the nuclear division on board a naval vessel for 6 months with his business partner Lance. Cassidy Thatcher (27) was orphaned after she ran away when she was 16 and her parents died trying to find her; is engaged to Kyle; and is in school studying to be an archaeologist. Cassidy writes to Kyle, a sailor on the naval vessel where Grayson is currently working, about her daily life. The mail service gives Grayson Cassidy's letter to Kyle by accident and after Grayson meets Kyle he decides to intercept all of Cassidy's letters. Cassidy loses her internship and her cousin invites her to live with her until she can find another internship to complete her degree. Cassidy stumbles into a job for an architect that lands her a job remodeling Grayson's home. Grayson returns home to find that Cassidy is both taking away his construction crew and architect and remodeling his home. Cassidy gets a letter from Kyle breaking off their relationship. Mya, Cassidy's cousin, is going through a divorce from a wealthy lawyer that cheated on her, she gets hired by and trained by Grayson to work as his assistant for his lab. Grayson and Cassidy quickly fall in love but when Grayson's theft of her letters comes out Cassidy returns to Kyle only to realize she isn't in love with him anymore. Cassidy returns to Grayson to let him explain what happened, he is sentenced to prison for stealing Kyle's letters, and Cassidy promises to wait for Grayson until he gets out. JP

1st listen 05-28-21

[Rose Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a "I want something free on Audible right now because damn it, I'm paying for this subscription, and I want to get my money's worth." I have mixed feelings on it. I thought it was a real-page turner; I wanted to see what would happen, mostly because of the mess Grayson created for himself. Hah! Then, when it was all over with, I was like, "Hmmm. Not how I would have executed it at all." In the end, did I enjoy the book? Yes. Is this one a hard one to rate? Very much, yes.

First, a warning: This is a clean romance. When I say clean, I mean, all we get is some kissy poo. Not even a closed door romance. It's a cute romance. It's frustrating at times. It's dramatic. It's adorable. It's NOT a smut book.

Second, the story goes good, good, good, and then it gets weird and suddenly ends oddly. The author could have taken it in many directions, and perhaps that's the way it should have gone, given Grayson's character. But it needed...more. The way it wrapped up was cute but abrupt, and I felt like the whole story was build-up with no romance. It was fun build up. I was entertained. I actually pushed off all my other books for this one, but I was disappointed when it ended because it needed more. Actually, now that I think about it, an thorough epilogue would have solved most of this books major problems.

So, as for ratings, that's a tough one. I hate the rating system as it is. I liked the book. I'm just trying to weigh how much I was entertained (and the pros) between the cons of the books. It really needs a 4.5. Eh, I'll bump it to a five. Round up. I support indie authors.

[Shan ~A~ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cassidy Thatcher & Grayson Daniels

I got this book from Audible Plus because it was narrated by Sebastian York and it was getting ready to be removed from that program soon. Now I'm wondering why the hell I did such a thing.

Cassidy was a doormat and when she did start to get a bit interesting the truth about the letters is exposed and then her stupidity showed again.

One of the many things that boggled my mind was how she thought that Kyle had anything to do with anything good happening in her life? Plus, why in the hell did she even stay with this guy as long as she did?

Grayson had issues that he should have been getting help for long before the events of this book. I actually understood his reason for not wanting to give Kyle the letters, but that whole thing past the initial letter just comes across as a contrived way to have future angst. Especially since the events that led them to actually meeting had nothing to do with the letters.

Then that ending. Why did it end that way. The outcome could have happened, but an epilogue could have been after what the actual epilogue ending up being in the book.

Maybe the book wasn't complete, or things were meant to be open so that readers would want to pick up the next book. Not only was their story not complete, considering where Grayson ends up, but Mya and her situation is still open. I thought something was going to happen with that once it was revealed that her SO was Grayson's lawyer, but that fell through the cracks or was deliberately left open well.

[Aster77 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a classic along the lines of the Notebook, but a bit darker and quirky with a geeky broken hero and a woman maturing after loosing her naïveté to a cad. Maybe there is a touch of "A Beautiful Mind". If you like traditional romances, you might not like this so much because it has enough untraditional twists and turns that it ranks as excellent fiction, not just romance.

It has a touch of ghosts, fate, and otherworldly whispers on the edges, but at it's heart, it's about a man, a letter, and a woman whose fiancé doesn't appreciate her. It's set in real life with middle-class characters who continue with their jobs and such while falling in love. The ending is realistic AF and wraps the novel up so nicely and unexpectedly. I would have liked to hear what happened to the lab a year or so later, but that isn't essential to the story. I can’t say enough about all the feels I got from this story; I don't actually like the Notebook because it's so sad and hopeless at the end (and I've had a parent with dementia and it ain't romantic). "Stolen Words" ends with a clean slate, ready to write the next chapter with full disclosure. The epilogue is not a wedding, but is perfect.

I hope there are more stories in this series. There are enough hints and loose threads that several more books could be written, and if they are like this one, I will buy them all.

[Late Bloomer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found myself reading this book with the assumption /feeling that the main character was on the autism spectrum and dealing with significant trauma from his childhood. It was basically his only redeeming qualities --the only way i could give him any empathy or even begin to understand why he treated people the way he did. BUT i could not finish the book once it came to the scene where it finally came out that he stole all the letters she had sent to her ex-boyfriend ... i just couldnt do it. I can suspend my disbelief pretty far when in comes to fiction but i will never believe that someone could forgive him for what he did and how she found out about it. She would be thinking about everything he did and said during their entire relationship thus far-- you could never trust him. So overall, the writing was subpar and story while slightly interesting ended up being a waste of time.

[Aneesah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well… I don’t even begin to know how I feel about this one…

I admit that this was partially a “hate read” for me because the heroine’s ability to behave like a total doormat irritated my soul. I kept reading in the HOPES that maybe things would turn sexy…

Nope! Not only was there NO SEX IN THE CHAMPAGNE ROOM, the book actually ends with the hero going to prison for 6 months for mail theft! Yes, that is actually how the epilogue closes!! So now I have to scramble to find another short read (to make up for this dumpster fire) to complete in the next few hours so I don’t feel as though my two days off were a total wasted!