4.5/5 stars

As soon as we were introduced to Angel at the end of Violet's book, I immediately needed The Love Lyric so I could read his and Iris's story. Now that it's here, I have to say: it was worth the wait.

Angel and Iris are a match made in heaven (no pun intended!)

Kristina Forest was able to write one of the most down bad, but patient and caring MMCs. Angel always respected Iris's boundaries, despite her initial reservations about loving again. He never prodded Iris about her husband's death, never tried to rush their relationship, and let Iris open up to him in her own time. And the adoration he has for her daughter Calla? *swoon*

When it comes to Iris, Forest was able to capture the overachieving-burntout millennial-older sister character well. Like a lot of us, Iris doesn't take time for herself and is a 'yes' woman, despite the consequences. (When Angel asked "But who take cares of you?," I felt that to my core. ) The growth from the woman who she is at the beginning of the book to the woman she becomes was a joy to experience.

Forest was also able to expertly navigate Iris's journey with grief and trying to love again. You can see Iris slowly learn to accept that she does deserve to be happy and vulnerability is not something that you should be afraid of.

However, I think my favorite thing about Angel and Iris's relationship is the way they push each other to be their best selves. Neither Angel nor Iris feel like their career is fulfilling and they encourage each other to go after what they want, even if it may seem daunting.

The Love Lyric is hands down my favorite book in the Greene Sisters trilogy, but Lily, Violet, and Iris all hold a special place in my heart. I always love reading about Black women being loved out loud.

I can't wait to see was Forest has next up her sleeve, because I know it'll be just as great as this.

“The Love Lyric” by Kristina Forest 🎶💙

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

what a beautiful, tender, angelic story! there is so much gentleness, healing, and hope in this story, I just adored it in every single way 🥹

Angel is the sweetest softest MMC. he is on his own journey of healing, growth, and persistence, and he always puts his kindest, most open hearted foot forward, especially with Iris. oh how I loved Iris. I wanted to give her a big, tight hug, tell her she’s going so well. her story of grief, persistence, healing, and dedication is so special, heart wrenching and heartwarming to read. she deserved all the love and support she gets from her people, and Angel especially.

Angel and Iris’s love story, and just this entire book, is filled with so much joy, tenderness, humor, healing, respect, and oh so much love— just absolutely perfect 🥹💙

thank you so much for the arc!!!!

4/5 Stars 2/5 Spice

Tropes:
✨ Celebrity Romance
❤️‍🩹 Love After Loss
💕 Single Mom
❤️‍🔥 He Falls First
🔥 Slow Burn.

this was so sweet. i loved these two with my whole chest. iris & angel had such a heartwarming romance. love after loss + single mom with a sexy r&b singer? say less. it was everything. definitely recommend. i will be going back to read the other two books in this series. i really loved this authors writing style.

I knew I would adore Angel and Iris since their romance was only HINTED at, and let me tell you- I was right.

Iris and Angel as a couple were ELITE. Their chemistry is insane from their first interaction until the final page. The two were so perfect for each other despite their different lives, and I was blushing, giggling, and kicking my feet the entire way through.

Iris went on a great journey through this story. She wants try dating, but has a clear idea of what she wants. At first glance Angel is the polar opposite of that, but I loved seeing her realize that he was what she *needed*. And naturally I adored her and Calla (who’s just the cutest).

Angel was one of my favorite parts of this book. Not only was he so down BAD for Iris, he was also just the sweetest, most charming book boyfriend you’ll ever meet. I was absolutely obsessed with him from start to finish, and I LOVED getting to see him bond with Calla a bit.

I also liked seeing the other Greene sisters and their partners. I love this series, so I enjoyed Lily and Violet’s scenes throughout this book (and of course I love getting to see them happy with Nick and Xavier).

I don’t stay up until 3 AM reading a book unless I absolutely love it, so take that as your sign to READ. THIS. BOOK.

(and the rest of the series)

Beautifully written to demonstrate the tensions within Iris as he opens herself up for love. The years-long journey to love was well documented and the dots were connected. Loved every second of this book. A wonderful way to wrap up the sisters love stories.Go read!! BRAVO KRISTINA!

A huge thank you to Berkley Romance for the free book. #BerkleyPartner #Berkley

What a fantastic finale to the Greene Sisters trilogy!

Meet Iris: a career-driven single mom and young widow who finds herself on a work trip with the charming R&B singer Angel. As they travel together, sparks fly, and Iris discovers that love can bloom in the most unexpected places.

As the responsible eldest daughter myself, I felt an instant connection to Iris—her struggles and triumphs hit home. And Angel? Let’s just say his patience, understanding, gentleness, and humility make him swoon-worthy. I mean, when he asks Iris, “Who takes care of you?” 🫠

Iris and Angel embody that old-school quiet storm vibe—sweet, soulful, and undeniably powerful. Their openness and vulnerability made me root for them even more.

The side characters brought so much life to the story. Iris’ daughter Calla is an absolute delight, and the dynamics with Iris’ sisters and parents add layers of warmth and depth to the story. The strong family bonds are a beautiful backdrop to Iris’ journey.

Honestly, I’m sad to see this series come to an end!

If you’re in the mood for a heartwarming love story infused with old-school R&B songs, this book is a must-read! Trust me, you won’t want to miss this journey of love and self-discovery.

I have read all three of The Greene Sisters series and The Love Lyric is my favorite!!! The swoony love story of Iris and Angel had me falling for both of them!! I thought the characters were well developed and real and I appreciated how caring and attentive Angel was to Iris. He understood that her daughter and job were important to her and he respected that. And the spicy scenes were spicing!!

If you like spicy romances, swoony characters, R&B vibes, he falls first, and a sweet match made in Heaven then pick this book up today!!

I really enjoyed the instant chemistry between Iris and Angel and the forbidden romance aspect to it. It is definitely a slow burn, but I don’t think there was any way to make the story believable without that given the history and connection between the two MCs and it makes that first kiss that much steamier.

I found Iris to be extremely relatable when it came to her career. She’s hungry for success but doesn’t know what that looks like anymore and I just found that to be a whole mood.

That said, I would’ve loved to see a little more depth to them. Both Iris and Angel have been through some trauma and I didn’t feel like that was fully explored in the most meaningful way.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and will definitely be coming back for more Greene sisters and Forest’s future work!

I LOVE This series! This is such a sweet and beautiful love story for Angel and Iris. Iris is a widow and a single mom. Angel is a musician and he has had it bad for Iris for some time now. The backstory of Angel and the hardship of having a parent who wouldn't accept him and his music due to religion and Iris needing to allow love in again just really worked so well together. They are such a good couple and I am sad that this series is done.

The audio narration is amazing! J. Shani Michaels & Ian Hackney did such an incredible job and the audiobook is def worth picking up!

Thank you to @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for a free ebook and audiobook copy.

✨Summary:

Iris Greene has spent years focused on her career and raising her daughter alone, but she can’t ignore how lonely she feels since her husband died. Then, at her sister’s wedding, she runs into R&B star Angel—who just so happens to have had a crush on her for years. Their attraction is instant, but there’s one problem: their careers demand professionalism, and resisting temptation on a high-profile campaign tour is easier said than done.

✨Review:

This was such a heartwarming way to wrap up the Green sisters trilogy! I connected with Iris so much and LOVED the progression of her character in this book. And ughh, she and Angel were just so cute together! I loved how he helped her loosen up and have fun while also being the steady support she’s been missing since losing her husband. One of my favorite things in romance is seeing characters grow because of each other, and this book delivered. Iris rediscovers her passion, and Angel learns to stand firm in his convictions and boundaries. I just hate that the ending wrapped up so fast. But overall, this was such a sweet and charming read that had me smiling all throughout! 4⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley, and Kristina Forest for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

This book was so cute! I knew from the beginning that it was going to tug at my heartstrings because Angel was just so precious and bless Iris.

I am loving this book so far! I wanted to get into Iris’s story so bad after reading the first two books! This did NOT disappoint. I will do a full review once I finish. Thank you for the arc! Auto-buy author for sure!

The Love Lyrics by Kristina Forest is a contemporary romance diving into the story of Iris and Angel.
I was so excited for Iris’s story and this is probably my favorite book from the series. I loved the chemistry, the communication and the romance for me was chef’s kiss. It was Angel being completely enthralled with all things Iris for me. Them together was pure magical and I loved it.
The story was medium pace and I was able to flow through the book aimlessly. 5 star rating and I do recommend! Thank you to Berkley Romance via Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This is my first Kristina Forest book and it won’t be my last! The Love Lyric is about the third and oldest Greene sister Iris. Iris is the leader, problem solver, and caregiver for everyone but who takes care of her when she needs it? Insert Angel, who wants to be close to Iris in anyway that he can.

The relationship between Iris and Angel starts out as a friendship and progresses into more as the story progresses. From the very beginning you can see the respect that Iris and Angel have for each other. They have an open line of communication and respect for each other’s boundaries. Especially when Iris is hesitant to even persue a friendship with Angel, you see him trying to understand where she’s coming from instead of pushing her to get what he wants.

Not only was Angel just swoon worthy in general but he writes her songs!! Yes you read that correct, MULTIPLE songs!! If that’s not lover boy enough I don’t know what is!


Thank you for opportunity to ARC read in exchange for my review!

I was really excited for this title but I almost feel like it was too predictable and lacked anything of interest. Of course when you read a romance novel you automatically know that the two main characters will end up together, but I wish there was more tension building between the two so that when they did get together it would be fireworks. Forced proximity is one of my favorite tropes and still I was not wowed by the development of this relationship. On the other hand, Iris is a more subtle, reserved person so maybe that is why this book was the most lowkey out of the 3 Greene sister series.

I will still recommend this to my friends, but will be sure to tell them all that this is a more palette cleanser and don't expect too much.

The Love Lyric is the engaging third installment of the Greene Sisters series.

Iris Greene is a single mom and the director of partnerships at a beauty company. She has a fulfilling job and loves her daughter but she’s a bit lonely as well. At her sister’s wedding she crossed paths with a popular R&B singer, Angel. Today, it turns out that Angel is the new ambassador for the Save Face Beauty campaign. He’s delighted to see Iris who is the sister of his stylist. Iris is surprised that she’s been put in charge of the logistics for the campaign and will accompany him. Angel remembers his attraction to Iris from the wedding. The challenge for both of them will be to remain professional despite the chemistry between them.

Fans of “forced proximity” and “single mom/celebrity romance” might especially enjoy The Love Lyric. Forced proximity seems to provide opportunities for fun banter and interesting circumstances.

Has anyone written a song for you? One romantic gesture in the story is when Angel writes a song for Iris. Will she be able to resist that?!

If you love stories of sisters, you might want to try the Greene Sisters series by Kristina Forest. Each installment focuses on one sister and each can be read as a stand-alone. I love the support and encouragement they extend to each other.

Content Consideration: some open door romance

I’m recommending The Love Lyric for fans of Kristina Forest and her Greene Sisters series. I’ve only read the first one, Neighbor Favor, which isn’t as open door (from what I remember). Support an author of color this February and add this to your TBR!

Thanks #NetGalley @BerkleyPub for a complimentary eARC of #TheLoveLyric upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Happy book birthday to The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest! This is the final book in her Greene Sisters trilogy, in which eldest sister and single mom Iris finds an unlikely connection with a popular R&B singer, Angel. But with her past and carefully constructed life, can she pursue a future with a celebrity like him?

Why I Chose This Book:
I’ve been wanting to read The Neighbor Favor since it came out two years ago, but sadly I’ve never read it or its sequel, The Partner Plot. Now the trilogy is ending with The Love Lyric, and though I don’t normally read series out of order, I couldn’t pass this up. I love books about music, and this one sang to me!

What I Liked:
- Iris is a single mom and widow. She’s only just starting to date again… but she’s looking for a man with a certain list of qualities.
- Angel is a popular R&B singer who’s had a crush on Iris for years.
- She’s a few years older than him.
- Overcoming loss, grief, and learning to love again.
- Angel’s songwriting!
- Dealing with the music industry and their creative control. IYKYK. Let Angel make the music he wants!
- Traveling the US together for a brand ambassador tour.
- Iris’s daughter, Calla!
- Family relationships.

Final Thoughts
I adored The Love Lyric. Iris is so different from most of the women I read in romances; she’s serious and cautious, but she’s so kind underneath it all. I really felt for her and her tragic past. Angel is sweet and open, and though he seems like Iris’s opposite in every way, I love how they complement each other. I enjoyed reading about him writing new songs and dealing with gaining creative control over his next album. The Love Lyric is a tender and heartfelt romance about finding a new love after loss, and though it made me tear up, ultimately it brought me such joy.

This book features characters from the previous two books, but it works as a standalone. I can’t wait to go back and finally read those first two parts of the trilogy.

This is the third in the Greene Sisters series, each of which I’ve loved! I really loved both of the MC’s - they were both very sweet, but both felt well fleshed-out with their own goals and problems outside of just their romantic relationship. There was a third act breakup, but it felt realistic to where the characters were at and what they were going through. Plus, who doesn’t love a love interest who writes a hit song about our main character?!

I loved both MC's and would highly recommend this romance!

I freaking loved this book and this couple so much!! He wrote her a love song before they were even a thing 😭💕💕I think it’s so refreshing having an adult romance where there is clear COMMUNICATION! There were so many tender sweet moments in this book that really tugged at my heart. I’m so in love with Forest’s writing, it is just so heartfelt and beautiful.

I love the Greene Sisters so it's only right I supported The Love Lyric! I loved reading Angel and Iris's story. This was a beautiful change of view from the typical romance. I loved how Angel pursued Iris while honoring her boundaries and working to understand how to be present for her. In the same stead I love how Iris acknowledged her grief and took her time falling in love. This was another fun one!