‘Can't Get Enough’ by Kennedy Ryan: What do you want for yourself?

If you had a chance to choose how you’d like to die, what would you pick? A slow goodbye or a swift departure? For Hendrix, the fierce and resilient heroine in Kennedy Ryan’s Can’t Get Enough, the third book in the Skyland series, she’d choose the quick kind. Here today, gone tomorrow. That’s her preference. But life rarely follows our scripts. Hendrix pushes forward, even when the ground beneath her begins to crumble.

In Can’t Get Enough, we follow the complex life of 40-year-old Hendrix, a generous, ambitious talent manager and venture capital investor, whose world tilts when her mother, Betty, the rock of her family, is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The illness begins to steal memories and the fragile balance Hendrix has worked so hard to maintain; however, her determination to keep going no matter what draws the readers to her character.

"When life deals you the worst hand, the biggest test is how you get through it. Laugh, cry, wail, whine, doesn't matter. Just through."

As Hendrix moves between her beautiful life in Atlanta and her hometown of Charlotte, she begins to unravel. Each time her mother forgets where or who she is, it chips away at Hendrix’s strength. One such episode happens at a party hosted by a tech mogul. There, by chance, she meets Maverick. They connect instantly, bonded by a shared experience: loving someone with Alzheimer’s.

After overhearing Hendrix’s tender, heart-wrenching call with her mother, Maverick shares his story of caring for his grandfather. It’s this unexpected moment of honesty that makes Hendrix feel seen. Someone else knows what it’s like to watch the woman who raised you disappear piece by piece.

Their connection deepens into a friendship rooted in understanding. The attraction is immediate, but romance complicates everything. Hendrix dreams of producing a TV show, a dream tied to her business partner, who also happens to be Maverick’s ex. Their relationship ends because neither is willing to bend on what matters most to them.

And here’s the book's truth: people only change when they want to. Not for you. Not because you hoped hard enough. Maverick couldn’t change for Zere—but he might have for Hendrix. Not because she asked, but because it’s what he wanted to do.

Hendrix and Maverick’s love can no longer be denied. Despite what might happen to her business with Zere, Hendrix finally chooses herself, her happiness, and her heart. After a lifetime of being let down by men, Maverick is different. He’s the partner she’s always dreamed of: a man who lives his truth, who understands that an ambitious woman is not a threat to his manhood.

They say love is a verb, not a noun. It demands action. Maverick is a man who speaks less and does more. He shows up. He shows love. And for someone like Hendrix, who had given up on love and commitment, he helps her believe again that it’s possible. That it’s worth it.

“I would like for us to take care of each other. If we’re together, we’re together. We help each other. We have each other’s backs. Let’s be good to each other. Being good to each other means wanting what is best for you.”

Through Maverick, Ryan reminds us that there’s more to life than achievement and ambition, more than money and accolades. None of it means much without someone to share it with.

This book also reminds us of the importance of community. In Ikigai, one of the secrets to living a long life is having a sense of belonging, a place where you’re held. Hendrix’s mother had that. Her friends and community showed up for her when she needed them most.

“After we hang up, I sit holding my phone, humbled and stunned by the kindness of my mother’s friends, of her community. I’d never realised I have built a community of strong, loyal women as my friends because my mama moulded that for me.”

Everything in this book sits where it should—character development, emotional nuance, dialogue. Aunt Geneva, Betty’s sister, brings depth to the family theme. Yasmen and Soledad ground the story in the power of sisterhood and friendship.

Can’t Get Enough is more than a romance novel. It’s a story about reclaiming yourself. About choosing joy in the face of grief. About family. About loving boldly. About not just surviving but living.

And if nothing else, let this book remind you: Put yourself first. Yes, be compassionate. Be kind. But never betray your own needs. It’s OK to admit you want more from life. You want to be independent and be loved. That you want to be cared for, held, chosen. It’s OK to want something different. And most of all, it’s OK to ask for help and receive it.

Jane Shussa is passionate about books, coffee, nature, and travel. She serves as a Senior Digital Communications Officer for Twaweza East Africa.