Across the Vanishing Sky was one of my most anticipated reads. Safe to say, it absolutely delivered.
Dex Archer heads back to Starlight Grove after ten years with the FBI, still carrying the weight of his father’s legacy, one that still haunts him and his brothers. He’s the broody, brilliant IT expert who keeps the world at arm’s length… until Braedyn moves in next door.
Brae has come to Starlight Grove with her son, Owen, determined to uncover the truth about her best friend Nova’s disappearance a year earlier. Nova was her only family and Brae refuses to let her story go cold. Falling for her grumpy (and very attractive) hacker neighbour was definitely not part of the plan.
I really loved how the romance unfolded alongside the mystery. It didn’t feel rushed and the tension built steadily in both the relationship and the investigation. There’s always this sense that something is coming, even in the quieter moments.
Dex has appeared in previous books, but this is where we truly see beneath the surface. His guilt and the way he struggles with feeling unworthy of love made him such a layered character. And watching him slowly soften with Brae and Owen? So good. Especially his reluctant (and hilarious) dynamic with Yeti the dog.
Brae is just as compelling. She’s grieving, but she’s also fierce, determined and an incredible mum. Even after losing the one person who meant everything to her, she refuses to give up. I loved how she stood her ground with Dex, seeing straight through his walls and refusing to let him push her away. Their connection felt vulnerable and real, built on mutual understanding rather than instant chemistry.
And then there are the Archer brothers and Waylon. Their bond, forged through shared trauma adds so much emotional depth to the story. The found-family element in Across the Vanishing Sky balances out the darker themes in such a satisfying way.
I loved Brae and Dex. Two people who didn’t think they could trust or love again, slowly choosing each other anyway. Absolute perfection.
The twist? I was *so* close. I thought I had it figured out. I didn’t.
I’m already looking forward to reading more of the Starlight Grove series, (although I’m not emotionally prepared for Orion’s story), and I think this might be my new favourite series!
…
Publisher: Evermore
Format: Ebook, 423 pages
ISBN: 9781460767900
…
Here’s the synopsis
Braedyn Winslow never expected to return to Starlight Grove—the town that took everything from her. Not after her best friend, the one who’d sacrificed so much for her, vanished without a trace. But with a young son to raise and a past that won’t stay buried, Brae is back…and determined to uncover the truth.
She just didn’t count on the brooding, reclusive mountain man living next door.
Dex Archer is the stuff of local legend—silent, rugged, and surrounded by whispers of his and his brothers’ violent father. But Brae sees through the scowl and his parentage to the man beneath: fiercely loyal, unexpectedly kind…and just dangerous enough to protect her when someone starts warning her off her search.
The closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to stay away from Dex. And as things get more perilous, Brae realizes the only person she can rely on is the one man who swore never to trust again.
Only someone isn’t happy that Brae has been digging, and they’ll do anything to stop her. But Dex? He’ll do anything to save her, even slip back into the dark.
What Caz Read 