The Love Lyric is the third book in Kristina Forest’s Greene Sisters series. We met our two leads in the previous novels but the author does a great job of setting the story up so that this volume can easily be read as a standalone.

They met at her younger sister’s breakup party, where Iris Greene found herself being charmed by pop R& B singer Angel Hughes. Gentle and amusing with a strong core of sweet, Angel is exactly the kind of guy Iris would have fallen for in her past life. But as a young widow and single mother to adorable six-year-old Calla, she has other priorities than hot guys and fun flings and lets the moment pass. And the next time Iris sees Angel, this time to celebrate her sister’s wedding, she shares a romantic dance with him and a far less romantic ‘let’s be less than friends’ conversation afterward. Angel takes it with good grace but does wind up writing a hit song about his feelings for her. When she hears it on the radio, Iris recognizes herself in the lyrics and hopes fervently that absolutely no one else does. She does not need a super-star like Angel in her life. After years of hustling, Iris is the director of partnerships at a beauty company, and what she needs is the kind of steady, reliable man who can help her achieve even more. She needs a dad for her daughter, one who will be there for all the recitals, school plays, and sports events to come. Not someone who will breeze in and out of their lives, leaving chaos in his wake.

Iris knows that Angel is the celebrity endorser for her company, but she’s not too worried about it. She’s a behind-the-scenes worker bee and not involved in their media blitzes, but when her friend and co-worker winds up having an at-risk pregnancy and needs to go on bed rest, Iris is the only one who knows the campaign well enough to step in for her. Now, she has a whole tour of intimate moments with Angel to look forward to. She makes it clear from the start they will have to be completely professional – always. Angel’s worked hard to get where he is, too, and he agrees. The last thing he wants is bad publicity just as he is getting to a place where he can finally start making his own kind of music rather than just the pop hits he’s been forced to churn out the last few years. But we all know the old saying about good intentions…

For me, romance is a celebratory genre, one that focuses on the things that make life worth living – love, family, friends, and finding your niche in life. I have heard others describe it as fantasy, claiming it paints a glamorized picture of all of the above and doesn’t examine them realistically. I would say The Love Lyric, with its superstar who could choose anyone falling for the nerdy (but beautiful) single mom for no particular reason, falls into the latter category.

The two leads are extremely likable and relatable. Angel is hardworking and kind. When the story begins, he leans a little too much towards being a people pleaser, but he works on that and actually finds a really good balance for himself as the narrative progresses. Iris is an alpha – driven, goal-oriented, organized, and meticulous- without being an ass. She is never a push-over, but she is caring and thoughtful, always going the extra mile for friends and family. In the beginning, we see her handling with grace a life filled to capacity – being a single parent, holding down a competitive and high-powered job, and opening herself up to a new romantic relationship. Iris does fight for those she loves when she needs to – there are several memorable scenes where she comes to Angel’s rescue – but she manages to do that without being a jerk.

I also liked the way the relationship is depicted. Angel and Iris enjoy doing simple things together – sharing meals, watching TV, hanging out. Their encounters focus on them and not the event, allowing us to see how natural and comfortable they are together and helping us to see them really connect. I loved that, at heart, they both love domesticity, and while they don’t share the same opinion on everything (Angel is a weirdo who doesn’t like mint chocolate and doesn’t allow himself to be converted), they have enough in common to make me believe they will work as a couple. I also appreciated the workaround to his celebrity Angel finds that allows him do ordinary things without being mobbed by adoring fans.

What doesn’t work is the depictions of their jobs; both have far too much free time given their perspective careers, especially Iris, who has to juggle hers with motherhood. Those jobs also don’t impact how they see the world or interact with it, despite how mentally and physically demanding their carees can be. If the story had been about a high school principal and an accountant or any two people in the everyday realm I would give it an A-. But anytime their respective jobs were mentioned it yanked me out of the story because how they live doesn’t fit with what they do to earn money.

If you can get past that glitch, The Love Lyric is a very enjoyable story about two wonderful people falling in love. I would recommend it to anyone who can apply a heavy dose of suspension of disbelief to their romance and who enjoys watching the hero and heroine build a sincere, sustainable connection.