This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️.5
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒.5
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞.5
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖.5
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5

First Impressions
The Quiet is the most recent release from Linda Kage and is also a standalone so you can easily read this on its own if you are new to this author. Linda Kage has become a personal favorite when it comes to contemporary and especially new adult romance. I absolutely adore the combination of elements that she delivers into a story and she really writes the most come to life characters that I have ever read. The Quiet was a delighter, interracial romance that delved into relatable issues and brings together the most unlikely couple that have the most beautiful connection that resonates deeply. The Quiet is a beautiful small town romance that I couldn't get enough of.

First Line
The bruise around Mama's eye hadn't even faded yet when we rolled into town that year.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Zac Topper
Bad Boy, Outcast of the town, Gruff and grumpy and a jack of all trades and a hard worker but a lone wolf type who has had limited human touch.

The Heroine: (Heroine's Name)
Mariana Ruiz, a hispanic young woman who is mute from a trauma she experienced as a child. She is intelligent, a poet and sees the beauty in human contact, joy and nature.

Summary
Zac Topper came to the small town of Peril when he was but a young boy and his mother was being abused by her boyfriend. This was to be a fresh start for them. But Zac in his growing years was treated like an outcast of sorts, bullied and treated horribly and the town believes his bullies over him and thus created a bad reputation and only works the jobs that no one wants to do to support himself and his mother. Then we have Mari, who became a mute due to the trauma of losing her parents in a car accident and Mari has a sweet loving spirit. Instantly she is drawn to Zac and has the urge to bring him love and affection as its apparent he is starved for human touch and connection. Zac and Mari instantly grow together when they find common ground and connect over the beauty in the nature surrounding them. But as they build their relationship, there are enemies that wish to separate them and only by believing in each other will they rise above the storm ahead...

What I Loved
I really adored the way in which we see these two come together. From the very beginning, I was all in for these two to be together. Their meet cute was so heartfelt and real and I instantly gravitated towards these two who deserve so much and have been treated so poorly in this small town. Especially in how the law enforcement treated Zac especially but seeing his strength and courage and determination to work hard and provide for himself and his mother was poignant at times. Then we have the way that Mari is with Zac. She sees the good soul that he is and always believes in him. She has such a sweet caring nature that heals the wounds of bad treatment that Zac has felt. Seeing these two lost come together and find such common ground with each other was truly endearing. And their connection to the nature around them and their poetry was instantly so deep and I related so much with some of their talks they have with each other. This is definitely one of the most profound romances I have ever seen this author write and it left me so satisfied and happy as a clam for what these two find together.

What I Struggled With
Not much to be honest, I wish that there had been a bit more justice in the wrongs committed against the couple a bit. But it didn't really reflect badly on the story itself.

Overall View
I found The Quiet to be a heartfelt romance that tugged at the heartstrings in deep pivotal ways. Its a story of healing, growth, and the power of connection amidst a setting of distrust and loneliness.

Favorite Quote(s)
“You could lead me anywhere, and I’d be happy to go. Because I’d be with you.”

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Character Types: Bad Boy, Blue Collar, Hispanic Heritage
Themes: Small Town, Pining Heroine, Heart/Emotional, All the Feels
Tropes: Unrequited Love, Friends to Lovers, Opposites Attract, Grump/Sunshine

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A Mix

Song This Book Inspires
Place in Me by Luke Hemmings

Steam/Spice Explanations

Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes. ( )