Episode 21

"Can't Get Enough" by Kennedy Ryan: Caregiving, Grief, and Black Love That Heals

Today I'll be focusing on themes of healing, self-love, and resilience inspired by my personal journey over the last two and a half years. I delve into Kennedy Ryan's novel 'Can't Get Enough,' the final installment in the Skyland series, highlighting its portrayal of black love, complex family dynamics, and authentic representation of a plus-sized, confident heroine, Hendrix Barry. Through the lens of Hendrix Bell and Maverick's love story, we discuss themes of healing, caregiving, mental health, plus-size representation, and the powerful sisterhood among Black women. This episode is a celebration of resilience, self-love, and the kind of romance that honors our true selves. Join us as we reflect on the transformative journey of the characters and the profound questions they raise about our own lives.

A main theme that hit me personally was caregiving for aging parents, the emotional and financial impact of such roles, and how love can be both supportive and liberating.

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Culture Lit is a community celebrating black women and black love, and a reminder that black women deserve joy, love success, second chances, and all the beautiful magic the world has to offer.

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Transcript
Octavia Marie:

Hey y'all.

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Welcome back to Culture Lit, a

podcast about black love, black

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romance, and the stories that

reflect the beauty, complexity, and

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richness of the lives of black women.

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I'm your host, Octavia Marie,

and this space is your sanctuary.

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A place to celebrate the romance book

characters in the real life moments that

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move us, shape us and help us feel seen.

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Today's episode is something special.

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It's a refreshed energy

and a deeper rhythm.

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Think of it like a gentle relaunch.

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We are still here for the story,

still celebrating the beauty of

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black love and life, but now we are

layering in more of what life handed

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me over the last two and a half years.

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Healing from colorectal cancer.

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Caring for an aging mom and rebuilding

from the inside out these past few

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years taught me something important.

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Rest isn't a luxury.

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It's a necessity.

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Joy is resistance.

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Presence is healing and love for ourselves

and others is at the center of it all.

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I wanted to create a space where we could

talk about all of it, the messy healing,

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the beautiful breakdowns, the comebacks,

the rituals, and the romance because

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they're all part of the same story.

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And what better book to start

this new chapter with than

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Kennedy Ryans Can't get enough.

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The final installment

in the Skyland series.

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Whew.

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This book had me up until

3:00 AM on a weeknight.

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I told myself I'd read a

few chapters and go to bed.

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Next thing I know, I'm whispering,

screaming into my pillow, flipping

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pages, and catching all the feelings.

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So grab your tea, light your

candle, and get comfortable.

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And let's get into this beautifully

layered, emotionally rich and

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irresistibly romantic story.

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I think we were all fascinated by

Hendricks in the first two books,

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and we've been waiting on this story.

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And this book gave what

it needed to give period.

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Book three in the Skyline series

and baby Kennedy close it out.

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With heat, death and so much heart, we

meet Hendrix Bell, confident, curvy, and

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independent, and unapologetically herself.

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A woman who knows her worth, knows what

she wants and doesn't waste her time.

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The definition of a rich

auntie energy and maverick.

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Whoa, whoa.

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This man is walking life support in

a tailored suit, and he falls first.

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He falls hard and he never lets up

This final book in the Skyline series

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explores shifts in family dynamics,

deep love and the kind of healing

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that feels both tender and powerful.

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I think we've all been waiting to

see what Hendrick's story would be.

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We've gotten little peaks of

her throughout the series, and

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now she's really stepping out

into the spotlight on her own.

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And y'all, the chemistry, it wasn't

just sizzling, it was tensioning.

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Like, I don't know how Kennedy does

it, but she can make a look, feel

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like foreplay, that whisper line in

the book, you know the one I had to

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put my Kindle down and take a nap.

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I laughed, I cried, I swooned.

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There may have been some

considerations to text.

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And next, I mean Just for research

purposes, I didn't, but it was close.

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And let me tell you about Maverick Bell.

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This is not your typical

alpha male romance hero.

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He's emotionally intelligent,

attentive to detail, and his pursuit

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of Hendrix is calculated yet tender.

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And from the moment he meets

her at that gala, he's hooked.

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But what makes him so special

is how he shows up for her in

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reality, not just her fantasy.

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Maverick understands the weight.

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Hendrix carries as a caregiver.

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He doesn't try to fix it or minimize it.

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He steps into her world with grace and

offers support in ways that matter.

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He shows up at family dinners.

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He remembers her mom's

good days and bad days.

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He learns the songs that soothe her mother

during difficult moments, And I love the

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way Maverick embodies the billionaire

archetype, but with purpose, he's not

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just wealthy for the sake of status.

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His wealth is a tool for

legacy building and liberation.

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He gives generally to HBCUs and

uses his resources to address

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the harm done by marijuana

criminalization in black communities.

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Instead of distancing himself from

these issues, he leans in using

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his privilege to build generational

wealth and create change.

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But what really stood out is how he

brings that same intentionality into

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his relationship with Hendricks.

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He offers her care without control.

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He protects her peace

without dimming her light.

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He respects her dreams without making them

secondary to his own, that balance, love

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without possession, support without ego.

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It's rare and it's exactly what makes

him such a powerful love interest for

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a woman as dynamic and self-possessed

as Hendricks The way Kennedy

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writes, his character development

throughout the book is masterful.

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We see him evolve from a man who's used

to getting what he wants through sheer

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force of will to someone who learns

that real love requires vulnerability,

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patience, and the wisdom to know

when to lead and when to follow.

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And then there's a forbidden romance

aspect that adds another layer of

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complexity to their relationship when

loyalties clash with heart desires.

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Watching Hendrix navigate these

choppy waters while maintaining

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her integrity is compelling.

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The way Ryan builds tension

through family gatherings.

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Knowing glances and stolen

moments creates an electric

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undercurrent throughout that novel.

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Their chemistry isn't just physical

though, believe me, that is scorching.

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It's mental and emotional.

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Their banter sparks with wit.

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And intelligence.

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They challenge each other intellectually

while building a foundation of trust

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that can withstand the family drama,

threatening to tear them apart.

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and let me tell you, I appreciate how

Kennedy Ryan Execute the He falls first

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trope Maverick doesn't just fall first.

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He falls strategically, intentionally,

and completely from their first encounter.

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He recognizes something in Hendrick that

matches his own energy and ambition.

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His courtship isn't about grand

gestures designed to impress.

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It's about consistent care that

helps Hendrick's life feel lighter.

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He studies her favorite foods and

has them delivered after her long

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hospital shifts with her mother.

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He learns about Alzheimer's care

strategies not to mansplain,

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but to offer informed support.

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He sends her messages that brighten her

day without demanding immediate responses.

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This isn't just romantic.

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It's revolutionary in how it portrays

black, masculine love and devotion.

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Now, there is spice there too.

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Kennedy Ryan said, let me put some

respect on these characters' names.

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These intimate scenes are, wow.

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They're detailed, they're passionate,

and they're emotionally resonant.

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The intimacy feels earned because we've

invested in watching these characters

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trust each other with their hearts before

they trust each other with their bodies.

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The buildup to their physical connection

mirrors Hendrick's emotional journey

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from guardedness to surrender.

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Each intimate scene reveals something

new about their characters and deepens

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our understanding of their bond.

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And then for me, where the

book became more than a story.

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Hendrick's journey caring for

her mother as she navigates

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Alzheimer's was painfully real.

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And I say that from the

most personal place.

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My sister and I are currently

supporting our mother, who's aging,

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forgetting things, and in some ways

slowly slipping into a version of

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herself we don't fully recognize.

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and this is after watching my

grandmother's dementia deteriorate.

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There's a quiet heartbreak in caregiving

that really gets the spotlight.

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It's waking up every day knowing

your role is to comfort someone

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who may not always recognize you.

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It's managing their needs while

trying to protect your own peace.

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And in our community, this emotional labor

is almost always showed by women, often

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black women, often without enough support,

enough rest, or enough acknowledgement.

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And in this third book, Kennedy Ryan is

really looking at Alzheimer's through

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the experience of a heroin who is a

caregiver for an aging parent, And I think

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it was incredibly personal for Kennedy

too, as she shared that her grandmother

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was living with dementia at the time.

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She wrote this book, that authenticity

comes through on every page.

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The care, the research, the

emotional truth of it all.

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Kennedy Ryan doesn't sugarcoat the

reality of Alzheimer's caregiving.

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She shows us Hendrick's exhaustion

when her mother has a difficult day.

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She portrays the guilt that

comes with feeling frustrated.

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She captures the moments of clarity

that offer hope, followed by

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the regression that crushes it.

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The book explores how Alzheimer's

affects family dynamics.

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We see siblings responding differently to

their mother's condition, some in denial,

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others overwhelmed, all struggling to find

their footing in this new reality, this

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mirrors what so many of us experience.

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And then one aspect Kennedy

addresses is the financial and

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professional cost of Caregiving.

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Hendricks, a successful entrepreneur

must balance growing her business

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with increasing care demands.

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The book doesn't shy away from showing

how this affects her bottom line, her

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time management and her mental bandwidth.

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The representation matters because

it validates the real trade offs many

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of us make the promotions postponed.

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The networking events missed the sleepless

nights spent researching care options

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instead of working on passion projects.

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The novel also touches on cultural

attitudes towards elder care.

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In black families, the

expectation that children will

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care for aging parents at home.

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The resistance to assisted living

or professional care, the shame

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associated with putting Mama in a home.

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I felt that deeply when we

finally had to make the choice

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to put my grandmother in a home.

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These are conversations happening

in living rooms across black

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America and Kennedy gives

them the nuance they deserve.

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Hendricks's journey illuminates

the importance of setting

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boundaries in caregiving.

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we watch her learn when to say

no, when to ask for help, and how

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to protect her own mental health

while honoring her mother's needs.

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This is revolutionary for many of us.

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Raised to believe that good

daughters sacrificed everything.

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The book, normalizes Therapy and

Mental Health Support for Caregivers.

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Hendricks doesn't go through this alone.

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She has professional support, family

support, and most importantly,

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the self-awareness to seek

help when she was overwhelmed.

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Perhaps most Touchingly the novel

preserves the dignity of Hendrick's

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mother, Even as her condition progresses,

we see flashbacks of her vibrant past.

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We witness moments with her where her

personality shines through the fog.

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We understand why fighting to

keep her at home matter so much.

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To Hendricks.

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This representation honors our

elders by showing them as full

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people with rich histories, not

just patients to be managed.

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It reminds readers that behind every

Alzheimer's diagnosis is a life fully

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lived deserving of respect and honor.

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then let's touch on Hendrick's

confidence as a plus size woman.

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In this book, we see plus size

representation done right?

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Hendricks's confidence as a

plus-size woman Isn't treated as

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revolutionary within the story world.

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It's her natural state.

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This is powerful.

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Her desirability is never questioned.

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Her worth is never tied to her size.

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Her sensuality isn't

qualified by her body type.

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Kennedy writes Hendricks's Physicality

with such reverence and appreciation

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from the way Maverick's hands

worship her curves to how she moves

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through the world in her power.

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There's never a moment when her body

is seen as anything less than worthy

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of love, desire, and celebration.

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Hendricks is a plus size brown-skinned

woman who isn't just love, she's desired.

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Adored and chosen unapologetically

and without condition.

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That kind of representation matters for

women who rarely see ourselves reflected

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as the center of someone's longing.

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It's powerful to witness a character who

isn't an afterthought or comic relief,

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but the heartbeat of the love story.

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She's not asked to change.

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She's not expected to prove her worth.

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She simply is radiant, confident, and

wholly deserving of the kind of love

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that sees her fully and says, I want you.

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Maverick could have anyone, and

he wants her not in spite of

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who she is, but because of it.

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The intimate scenes between Hendricks

and Maverick are written with heat

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and passion that centers her pleasure.

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There's no hesitation.

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There's no insecurity to overcome.

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Maverick is attracted to her

fully, completely intensely.

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This kind of representation matters

for readers who rarely see themselves

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desire this way in mainstream romance.

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What makes Hendricks Cnce

so compelling is its layers.

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Yes, she's confident in her sexuality

and her body, but she's also confident

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in her boundaries, her business acumen,

her family values, and her life choices.

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Her confidence doesn't mean she's without

vulnerability, though quite the opposite.

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She's confident enough to be

vulnerable with the right person.

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She knows her worth enough to be

selective about who gets access

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to her time, energy, and heart.

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This nuance portrayal

shows plus-size women.

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That confidence isn't about

being loud or proving anything.

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It's about knowing yourself

deeply and honoring that

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knowledge in every area of life.

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Hendricks is fiercely independent

and fully rooted in her own worth.

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She's not waiting to be chosen.

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She's already chosen herself.

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Her standards are high and rightfully so.

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If love doesn't feel like

peace, like partnership, like

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home, she'd rather walk alone.

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That's the kind of woman she is.

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So it was clear from the start

that her love interest would have

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to be exceptional, not flashy

or performative, but grounded,

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generous, and emotionally secure.

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Hendrick isn't impressed by status.

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She doesn't need someone to provide

for her materially what she craves.

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What she deserves is someone who offers

emotional safety, someone who can

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be a steady, soft place to land when

the weight of caregiving, grief, and

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ambition feels too heavy to carry alone.

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And Maverick was exactly that for her.

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Hendrick runs a successful beauty

business that caters to diverse clients.

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Her professional confidence

mirrors her personal confidence.

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She knows her market, understands

her value proposition, And isn't

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afraid to charge what she's worth.

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The novel does not separate her

professional and personal confidence.

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They're intertwined aspects of

the same woman who refuses to make

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herself smaller in any area of life.

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Hendricks's decision to remain child-free

is presented as just that a decision,

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not a plot twist, not a conflict to

overcome, and certainly not something

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that requires a backstory or apology.

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in a genre where the baby equals

happy ending trope still dominates.

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This was such a refreshing shift.

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She's clear.

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She's confident she simply does not

want children, and that's enough.

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Her love for her family, her

community, and other people's

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children is never in question.

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She's warm, generous, and deeply

connected, but her fulfillment doesn't

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hinge on motherhood, and what I

appreciated most was how the story allows

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this truth to exist without tension.

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The conversation she has with her

family, with Maverick and with herself.

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Are grounded in mutual respect.

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Maverick doesn't flinch.

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He doesn't try to persuade her otherwise.

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He hears her honors her boundaries,

and moves forward accordingly.

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It's powerful to see a woman affirm

her own desires and be met with

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acceptance instead of resistance.

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Hendricks doesn't bend,

she doesn't negotiate.

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She's upfront about what she wants, and

if that disqualifies someone from being

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a partner, she's at peace with that.

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They're simply deeply empowering

about watching a woman hold that

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line and still receive the epic

emotional love story she deserves.

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The novel explores how hendricks's

choice affects family dynamics.

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There are subtle pressures,

well-meaning comments, and some

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generational misunderstandings.

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These moments feel authentic to

anyone who's made unconventional

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choices within traditional families.

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Hendricks, handles these conversations

with grace, but firmness,

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she doesn't argue or justify.

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She states her truth and redirects

This model's boundary setting

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around deeply personal decisions.

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Also there's this sisterhood that anchors

the trio that powers everything Ya, soul

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and Hendrick, Watching their friendship

unfold across the Skyline series has

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been like witnessing a masterclass in

what real grounded sisterhood looks like.

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These women aren't just brunch

buddies or surface level friends.

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They are a chosen family, deeply invested

in one another's healing, joy, and growth.

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Each woman brings something essential

to the circle, Yasmin, the strategist

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who protects with precision soad,

the intuitive nurturer who holds

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space like no other, and Hendricks,

the fiercely pragmatic protector

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who always shows up when it counts.

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One of the most beautiful undercurrents

of this series is how it quietly

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centers black women's mental health.

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It explores how we check in, how we pour

into each other, how we create room to

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fall apart and rebuild without shame.

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It's a love story of another kind.

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friendships as refuge and as therapy.

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In the first two books we saw

Hendricks consistently show up

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for her friends with her signature

steadiness and no nonsense loyalty.

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She was the one you call when things

fall apart but in can't get enough.

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It's her turn and the way Yas and

Soul wrap around her with love,

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support and zero hesitation.

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That's the kind of circle

every woman deserves.

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And what's beautiful about their

dynamic is how they create a

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space where all three can exist as

their full selves in boardrooms.

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They might need to code

switch in family settings.

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They might need to perform certain

roles, but with each other.

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They can breathe.

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And this speaks to the unique

power of black female friendship.

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The way we hold space for each other's

complexity, trauma, joy, and ambition.

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Without requiring explanation

or translation, I.

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We see these women support each

other through starting businesses,

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navigating romance, family crisis,

professional challenges, health scares.

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Their support isn't just

emotional, it's practical.

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They show up with food after long

weeks with problem solve business

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challenges together, they cover for

each other when life gets overwhelming.

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Their friendship is a blueprint

for collective healing.

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In this trio, vulnerability is honored.

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Asking for help is second nature,

and celebration is a love language.

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It's a space where emotional honesty

is the norm, not the exception, where

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no one has to carry the burden alone.

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This kind of sisterhood shows

what's possible when black women

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choose solidarity over comparison,

there's no competition here.

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Only care protection and deep rooted

belief in each other's wholeness.

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I recently saw a post on social media

that said romance is often the language

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A female friendship and I felt that

deeply Reading this series, the way

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these women pour into each other,

anticipate each other's needs and hold

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space with tenderness, It echoes the

kind of devotion we often associate

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with romantic partners, but here it's

beautifully platonic Hendricks, Soledad

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and Yasmin are platonic soulmates.

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The kind of friends who show up

before you even know you need them.

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Their bond reminded me of my own circle.

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Women I've loved and been

loved by for decades.

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That kind of connection is sacred.

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It teaches you how to love yourself

better so you can love others more fully.

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And that I think is one of the

biggest themes of this series.

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Self-love as the foundation

for every other kind of love,

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familial, platonic, romantic.

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And there's also a business sisterhood.

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All three women are entrepreneurs

and their business relationships add

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another dimension to their friendship.

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They collaborate, refer clients,

and provide professional

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mentorship to each other.

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this representation of successful,

supportive black business women

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working together is powerful.

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Any reader who's part of a tight

friend group will recognize the

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energy in these women's interactions.

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The inside jokes, the group chat dynamics,

the shorthand communication, Kennedy,

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Ryan captures all of it authentically.

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Their text messages, voice notes,

and spontaneous meetups feel like

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glimpses into real conversations.

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The humor, concern, advice, and occasional

roasting between them reads as genuine.

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And Kennedy's patient is immaculate.

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she knows exactly when to slow down

for emotional moments and when to

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accelerate for dramatic tension.

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the Alzheimer's storyline is woven

seamlessly throughout, rather than

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dumped in exposition, And then the

book also redefines Black Girl Magic

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Hendrick embodies what we mean when

we say black girl magic, but not

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in the glittery, performative way.

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It's often reduced to her.

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Magic is lived in it's earned.

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There's a moment in the book where she

reflects on how being called magical

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can sometimes feel like code for you,

carry everything and still smile.

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And she's right because for so many

of us, the magic has been born out of

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survival, out of necessity, out of holding

it all together where no one else could

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That truth hit hard, especially now in

a moment where so many black women have

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poured their energy into a vision of

the world that didn't quite materialize

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And we are still grieving, still

reckoning, and yet we keep showing up.

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Kennedy writes that kind

of resilience with care.

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She never romanticizes it.

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She honors it.

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And what makes Hendricks so

compelling is how fully formed she is.

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She's aspirational, yes, but she's

also real sharped, powerful and tender,

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ambitious and emotionally honest.

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She knows what she wants and she

won't dilute herself for anyone,

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:

but she also knows she doesn't

want to carry everything alone.

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:

and that balance, wanting to

be held without being handled.

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It's part of her brilliance and Maverick.

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He meets her there.

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He doesn't just witness her

strength, he reveres it.

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He holds space for her softness

without mistaking it for weakness.

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And that's the kind of love that

lets a woman like Hendricks exhale.

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The book itself feels a lot

like Bell Hooks, all about love.

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It invites us to look at love as

a practice, as something we first

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learned within ourselves, then extend

to our families, our friendships,

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and finally our romantic partners.

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And in that Spirit Hendricks, his

story reminds us, you can tell

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a lot about someone by how they

love and by who loves them back.

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There's a moment in the book that feels

like it was written For every ambitious

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woman who's ever paused to wonder,

can love in my dreams truly coexist,

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Hendricks finds herself asking, not

out of fear, but out of clarity, is

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Maverick asking me to give something

up, or is he offering to run beside me?

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Whew.

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and wow that line alone.

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Journal worthy because so many of

us have faced relationships where

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our ambition feels like too much.

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where love came with quiet ultimatums,

where we were expected to shrink,

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to sideline our goals, to make room

for someone else's story where ours

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sat on the shelf, but Hendricks.

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She's not slowing down.

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She's not folding herself

into someone else's vision.

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She's looking for and choosing a love that

makes space for her dreams to breathe.

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And what I love about the Skyland

series is how it centers women

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in their forties, women who've

lived, loved, lost, and learned.

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Hendricks knows exactly who she is.

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She's done the searching.

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there's this hilarious and honest moment

where she says, in my thirties, I was

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in these streets looking for what?

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Now she's rooted, she's clear.

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She's not compromising for proximity,

not contorting, for companionship.

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Kennedy captures that clarity so well.

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The understanding that love, real

love should never require you to

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disappear or accept the bare minimum.

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And for women who spent years contorting

to fit someone else's mold, Hendrick's

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journey is a powerful reminder.

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You don't have to choose between

being loved and being fully yourself.

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And that's it for this

episode of Culturally.

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Thank you for spending this time

with me diving into Kennedy.

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Ryan's can't get enough.

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This book is more than a romance.

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it's a mirror.

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A teacher and a celebration all

at once, and I'm excited for this

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:

next chapter of culturally where

we continue to explore stories that

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honor our complexities, celebrate

our joy, and recognize our humanity.

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If you love today's episode,

please share it with someone who

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:

needs to hear about this book.

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Text it to your bestie, post it on

your stories, and please leave a

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:

review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.

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Slide into my dms.

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I wanna know which part

resonated most with you.

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I hope this discussion helps you

reflect on your own questions.

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What aren't you willing to compromise?

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What aren't you willing to settle for?

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How do you protect your dreams

and ambitions while aligning

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:

yourself with a partner who loves

and supports those ambitions?

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These are some of the questions that rise

to the surface and can't get enough, and

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they're questions worth sitting with.

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Until the next time, protect your peace.

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Sip your tea, and remind yourself

you don't have to shrink to be loved.

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About the Podcast

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Culture Lit
A Black Romance Books Podcast

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About your host

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Octavia Dosier