Collins Cartwright does not want to go home. Sweetwater Peak, Wyoming, was supposed to be in her rearview mirror, but when she finds out a developer is trying to buy her parents’ antiques shop out from under them, she doesn’t have a choice—at least, that’s what she tells her family. They don’t need to know she’s lost her job and is out of money. Or that the ghosts who have always been her companions have recently gone silent.

But just because she’s returned home doesn’t mean she has to stay with her parents or crash on her twin sister’s couch. Lucky for her, the new-to-town upholsterer has a room for rent above his store. Unluckily, it is absolutely crawling with more ghosts who are freezing her out. And Collins hates being ignored.

Brady Cooper is absolutely and totally fine. Seriously, there’s no secret reason why he decided to uproot his life and suddenly move to Sweetwater Peak. He just needed a change of pace. At least that’s what he tells himself. And everyone else.

When he agrees to let the elusive Collins Cartwright stay in his spare room, he doesn’t know that she’s absolutely bonkers—constantly talking to herself and having conversations with no one—or that she looks like that. But as they begin to get closer, the lines between them start to blur, leaving both of them—and the ghosts who have been pushing them together—wondering whether their temporary arrangement could be something more permanent.

Titles in the Sweetwater Peak series include: Soul Searching ~

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Soul Searching
Series:  Sweetwater Peak  #1
Author:  Lyla Sage
Published:  September 30, 2025
Publisher:  Dial Press
My Rating:  3.5 stars 

Soul Searching is the first title in the Sweetwater Peak series, introducing this small, mountain town that just might be full of ghosts, as Collins and Brady’s reluctant romance unfolds.

Most of what you’d want to know before picking up Soul Searching can be found in the cover description.  This is a new-to-me author, and I went into this story expecting something that I didn’t find.  I liked the book, but I simply couldn’t connect with either Collins or Brady.  For me, Collins came off as a “mean girl” in the first half of the book; only when some of the reasons why she’s acting that way are introduced later in the story did I begin to see her side of the situation. I was actually more drawn to her twin sister, Clarke, and her reactions, plus that bit of a surprise at the ending… yeah, I’d read Clarke’s story.

I’m not going to nitpick a story that an author has poured their blood, sweat, and tears into; that’s not fair, and every reader will take away something different because we don’t all read the “same” book.  I simply didn’t connect in a way that I wanted to, and perhaps that’s more on me than the author.  The best way to know if you enjoy a story is to read it yourself. A review is only one person’s opinion… and mine is, I liked Soul Searching for the most part, and yes, I’d give this author a second chance when Clarke’s story comes out.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust.  It is my choice to leave a review, giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)