Read-2-Review: READ-2-REVIEW - CONTEMPORARY SUSPENSE - INSIDE SILENCE (Silence, #2) by Freya Barker

Inside Silence

Silence Series , #2
by Freya Barker
Release Date: October 27th 2025
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Savannah (Savvy) Colter is not easily overwhelmed, which is a good thing, since she is the sheriff of Edwards County. It’s rare to find someone her age— a woman to boot—carrying such responsibility, but over the years, Savvy has more than proven herself worthy of the position…to most.

However, when in a matter of a few weeks an old flame resurfaces in Silence, and two particularly violent murders land on her desk, her steady and predictable life becomes a little much to handle.

New full-time single parent, Nate Gaines, reluctantly returns to his hometown, Silence, to offer his teenage daughter some much-needed stability. As a contractor he can work anywhere, and it’s not like he left a particularly fulfilling life behind, but he’s not too sure how much work he’s going to get here.

Although, some of the changes he encounters in Silence are a surprise. The most shocking one is seeing the woman he once craved like air, now wearing the sheriff’s badge he so despises.

Coming home is definitely not turning out the way he’d envisioned. Especially when a sudden crime spree has the law knocking on his door…again.

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The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . INSIDE SILENCE (Silence, #2) . . . The Badge and the Broken: A High-Stakes Second Chance for Two Adults With Too Much History.

For those of us who appreciate a romance where the characters have actually lived some life and carry the scars and wisdom that enrich a relationship, Freya Barker is a must-read, and Inside Silence is no exception. This book takes the angsty premise of a second-chance romance and embeds it deep within a gritty, high-stakes romantic suspense setting.

We meet Savannah (Savvy) Colter, a woman who has earned her powerful role as County Sheriff. She's competent, steady, and exactly the kind of strong heroine we love. Yet, her carefully constructed life is shattered not just by two violent murders, but by the unwelcome, chaotic return of her "old flame," Nate Gaines.

Nate's situation is immediately complex and deeply sympathetic: a new full-time single parent desperately seeking stability for his teenage daughter. But Nate's baggage is heavy; he despises the badge Savvy wears, and his history means the law is knocking on his door...again. This is not a fluffy reunion. It’s a collision.

What makes this story compelling for an adult-focused reader is the immense, dual pressure on both characters:

Savvy must find the killer while compartmentalizing the intense pull toward the man who once "craved her like air," even as he becomes a person of interest in a crime spree.
Nate must confront his past, swallowing his contempt for law enforcement, and realize that the stability he seeks might only come by trusting the very woman whose job he despises.

This is a story about the hard work of rekindled love, where old passions meet new realities and deep-seated grudges. If you appreciate a narrative where the emotional stakes are as high as the suspense, and where bruised but capable characters fight to earn their slice of happy, you'll be captivated by this tense, heartfelt journey back to the small town of Silence.

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.

With forty-plus books already published, she continues to create characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We've Read All Year Award for "Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!