Book overview Sweetwater Peak, Book 1 Lyla Sage

Soul Searching by Lyla Sage – Full Summary, Characters, Themes & Ending

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Quick Facts

Attribute Detail
Title Soul Searching
Author Lyla Sage
Series Sweetwater Peak
Book Number 1
Genre Contemporary romance with supernatural elements
Setting Sweetwater Peak, Wyoming, present day
Narrator Third person limited, alternating between Collins Cartwright and Brady Cooper
Publication Year 2025
Language English

Short Summary

Photographer Collins Cartwright returns to her hometown of Sweetwater Peak broke and carrying a secret: she can see ghosts but no longer hear them. To hide her financial desperation, she takes a job as an assistant at Coop’s Upholstery, working for the quiet and thoughtful Brady Cooper, a former software engineer who fled his own heartbreak. As Collins and Brady explore the town and its ghosts, their guarded hearts begin to open. But a predatory development company—owned by Brady’s ex-fiancée’s father—threatens Collins’s family properties. Together with her twin sister Clarke and the local community, Collins must confront corporate greed, a century-old ghost mystery, and her own buried pain to reclaim her voice, her family, and a love that feels like home.

Full Summary

Soul Searching opens with Collins Cartwright driving toward Sweetwater Peak during a storm. Her car breaks down, and she pepper-sprays a man who appears at her window—Brady Cooper, her new boss. Brady is an upholsterer who moved to town after ending a seven-year engagement. Collins’s twin sister Clarke, who runs the family antiques shop Toades, forces the two together. Collins plans to pretend she is home to help with the family business; in truth she is broke, unemployed, and hiding the fact that she lost her ability to hear ghosts a year earlier.

The first few chapters establish the forced intimacy between Collins and Brady. She moves into the apartment above his shop. Her odd behavior—talking to empty corners, staring at nothing—puzzles and intrigues him. At a family dinner, Collins deflects questions about her photography career. That night she cries alone, refusing comfort. Chapter 9 (Brady’s narration) sees the pivotal scene at an abandoned church, where Collins confesses she can see ghosts but lost the ability to hear them. When the floor collapses, Brady catches her. After the fall, Collins whispers that she heard the ghosts again for the first time.

Their bond deepens as Brady uses a Lord of the Rings analogy to frame her loss as a quest requiring reconnection with Sweetwater Peak. They begin exploring the town together. Collins shows him hidden spots, including a secret darkroom where she once developed photographs that captured ghosts. She admits that a disastrous Alaskan photography project—where she was gaslit by a famous photographer—silenced the spirits and made her work feel soulless.

Meanwhile, the corporate threat emerges: Sullivan Enterprises, owned by the father of Brady’s ex-fiancée Jackie, has made an offer on the Cartwright properties. When Brady discovers the connection, he confesses to Collins, who responds with surprising grace. Their romantic relationship deepens physically and emotionally. A notable scene occurs on a restored love seat in the shop, where they first make love.

The supernatural mystery centers on the Lady in White, a ghost who haunts the river and becomes possessive of Brady. Collins promises to find the spirit’s lost lover. A key discovery occurs in a hidden cellar beneath Sweetwater Peak’s historical archives: Collins finds a newspaper linking the ghost Earnest to the Lady in White, Adeline Bennett. Brady also discovers a magazine with Collins’s photo story “Ghost (of a) Town”—the very work that inspired his journey to Sweetwater Peak. He confesses his love, and Collins reciprocates.

The climax arrives when Joanie Cartwright reveals she signed a binding contract with Sullivan Enterprises. In a desperate legal move, Dex and Joanie file for divorce to freeze assets, buying time to sue for bad faith. Collins and her sister Clarke reconcile through a reenactment of the Lady in White ritual—covering themselves with a sheet and sharing secrets. During the ritual, Earnest and Adeline appear, and Collins’s abilities fully return.

The epilogue shows Collins and Brady on the road, gathering evidence against Sullivan Enterprises for a photography project called Acts of Resilience. Collins’s creative passion is restored. Elda, an old ghost, reappears. Collins receives photos from Clarke hinting at an engagement ring on her sister’s finger, suggesting a new chapter for the Cartwright family.

The novel closes with a playlist chapter and an excerpt from the next book in the series, Free Falling.

Main Characters

  • Collins Cartwright – A photographer who can see ghosts but lost the ability to hear them. She returns to Sweetwater Peak broke and hiding her struggles.
  • Brady Cooper – A former software engineer turned upholsterer. He moves to Sweetwater Peak after a failed engagement and becomes Collins’s boss and love interest.
  • Clarke Cartwright – Collins’s twin sister who runs Toades. Initially estranged, she reconciles with Collins through a shared ghost ritual.
  • Boone Ryder – A gruff family friend who runs a ranch. He provides tough love and practical help.
  • Earnest – A ghost who communicates with Collins through static; he is revealed to be the lost lover of the Lady in White, Adeline Bennett.
  • Jackie Sullivan – Brady’s ex-fiancée; her father’s company Sullivan Enterprises threatens to buy Collins’s family properties.

Themes

Symbols

  • The Camera – Symbolizes Collins’s abandoned career and her healing journey.
  • The Love Seat – A restored love seat becomes the site of their first sexual encounter, symbolizing renewal and intimacy.
  • Lady in White Ritual – A childhood ritual reused to repair the sisterly bond and restore Collins’s ghost-hearing abilities.
  • Sweetwater Peak 1.0 – The original ghost town destroyed by an earthquake, serving as a metaphor for loss and rebirth.

Ending Overview

The novel concludes with Collins and Brady traveling together to expose Sullivan Enterprises’ predatory practices through a photography series titled Acts of Resilience. Collins regains her creative passion and her ghost-hearing abilities. The final scene shows Collins receiving photos from Clarke that hint at an engagement ring, suggesting a happy future for the Cartwright family. For a deeper analysis, see the ending explained.

Chapter-by-Chapter Summary

Chapter Summary
1 – By Lyla Sage Title page listing Lyla Sage’s previous novels. Link
2 – Epigraph Oscar Wilde quote from The Picture of Dorian Gray. Link
3 – Chapter 1: Collins Collins’s car breaks down; she pepper-sprays Brady. Link
4 – Chapter 2: Brady Tense ride home; truck hydroplanes; Brady shields Collins. Link
5 – Chapter 3: Collins Collins wakes at Clarke’s; notices a ghost orb; starts work at Coop’s. Link
6 – Chapter 4: Brady Brady watches Collins; she guesses his heartbreak; she mumbles to herself. Link
7 – Chapter 5: Collins Collins reveals she can only see ghosts now; cries alone. Link
8 – Chapter 6: Brady Bonding over matching denim jackets; Ms. Papadakis scene; Sweetwater Peak 1.0 history. Link
9 – Chapter 7: Collins Ghost knocks down tacks; Collins invites Brady to explore an abandoned church. Link
10 – Chapter 8: Collins Collins avoids unpacking her camera; heads to the church with Brady. Link
11 – Chapter 9: Brady Church ruins; Collins confesses she lost her ghost-hearing; floor collapses; she hears again. Link
12 – Chapter 10: Collins Collins helps Boone herd cattle; reflects on her ghost silence. Link
13 – Chapter 11: Brady Brady uses a Lord of the Rings analogy; proposes exploring Sweetwater Peak together. Link
14 – Chapter 12: Collins Collins walks in on Brady in a towel; family tension with Clarke. Link
15 – Chapter 13: Brady Leith Wilkes reveals Collins’s portrait; Collins recounts the Alaskan photography project. Link
16 – Chapter 14: Collins Collins retrieves her photography suitcase; shows Brady her ghost photos; nearly kisses. Link
17 – Chapter 15: Brady Brady gives Collins a concussion test after she hits her head; intimate care. Link
18 – Chapter 16: Collins River trip; Brady shares his family history; Lady in White appears; Collins claims Brady. Link
19 – Chapter 17: Brady Hidden waterfall; Collins uses “control group” metaphor; she rests her head on Brady. Link
20 – Chapter 18: Collins After ghost encounter; Brady reveals his engagement to Jackie; Collins feels deepening attraction. Link
21 – Chapter 19: Collins Stormy lunch at Coop’s; Boone urges Collins to reconcile with Clarke. Link
22 – Chapter 20: Brady Power outage; candlelight conversation; Game of Life; Brady kisses Collins. Link
23 – Chapter 21: Collins Collins sleeps through the night; flood at family home; passionate kiss on trampoline. Link
24 – Chapter 22: Brady Brady discovers Sullivan Enterprises is the developer; connection to his past. Link
25 – Chapter 23: Collins Collins apologizes to Clarke; reveals second offer on the house. Link
26 – Chapter 24: Brady Collins reacts with laughter to the Sullivan revelation; mutual masturbation scene. Link
27 – Chapter 25: Collins Collins visits storm-damaged Toades; Earnest speaks with static; she resolves to save the shop. Link
28 – Chapter 26: Brady Collins presses Brady about Sullivan Enterprises’ predatory tactics; plans to tell Clarke everything. Link
29 – Chapter 27: Brady Brady helps Boone fix his roof; wins Boone’s trust. Link
30 – Chapter 28: Brady Arcade night with Clarke; Clarke interrogates Brady about his intentions. Link
31 – Chapter 29: Collins Bowling at Drama Mama’s; Collins accidentally hits Brady with her ball; bonding. Link
32 – Chapter 30: Collins Sex on the love seat; both say “Me too” about love. Link
33 – Chapter 31: Collins Hidden cellar discovery; Earnest linked to Adeline; Brady realizes Collins is his inspiration; love confession. Link
34 – Chapter 32: Brady Encounter with Jackie; she reveals a signed contract; Brady negotiates to buy time. Link
35 – Chapter 33: Collins Family meeting; Joanie admits signing the contract; Boone’s lawyer suggests divorce to freeze assets. Link
36 – Chapter 34: Collins Lady in White ritual with Clarke; secrets shared; Earnest and Adeline reunite; Collins’s abilities return. Link
37 – Chapter 35: Brady Assets frozen; Collins proposes an exposure photography project; they affirm home is each other. Link
38 – Epilogue Collins Road trip gathering evidence; Elda reappears; Collins’s Acts of Resilience series; Clarke’s engagement ring. Link
39 – Welcome to Sweetwater Peak: The Playlist Author shares an essential playlist of 20 songs. Link
40 – Excerpt from Free Falling Promotional excerpt for the next Sweetwater Peak book. Link

Eight Common Questions Answered

  1. What is Soul Searching about?
    It is a contemporary romance about photographer Collins Cartwright, who returns to her hometown and falls in love with upholsterer Brady Cooper while confronting a ghost mystery and a corporate developer.

  2. Do Collins and Brady end up together?
    Yes. They confess their love in Chapter 31 and commit to a shared future in the epilogue.

  3. Does Collins get her ghost-hearing abilities back?
    Yes, during the Lady in White ritual with Clarke in Chapter 34 when Earnest and Adeline reunite.

  4. What is the Lady in White ritual?
    A childhood game where someone covers themselves with a sheet to summon the ghost Adeline Bennett. Collins and Clarke use it to heal their relationship and restore Collins’s abilities.

  5. Who is the developer threatening the family?
    Sullivan Enterprises, owned by Ed Sullivan, father of Brady’s ex-fiancée Jackie.

  6. How do the Cartwrights stop the sale?
    Dex and Joanie file for divorce to freeze assets, buying time to sue Sullivan Enterprises for bad faith.

  7. Why did Collins lose her ghost-hearing?
    The exact cause is not stated, but it is implied that trauma from the Alaskan photography project and her emotional isolation silenced the ghosts.

  8. Is there a sequel?
    Yes. The book includes an excerpt from Free Falling, the next Sweetwater Peak novel.

Further Reading