Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Totally His
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://erinnicholas.com/
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
Publicist: Chas, at chasityjp@gmail.com; married and lives in the midwest with her husband and children.
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: a daughter, a son.
EDUCATION:Attended college and graduate school.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Also worked as a physical therapist.
AVOCATIONS:Travel, watching movies, watching college football.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Erin Nicholas is the author of more than thirty romance novels with a sexy edge to them. A former physical therapist, Nicholas only began publishing in 2010, but, as she noted in an interview on Romance Junkies website, she has been writing most of her life. “From the moment I first heard my first story I knew I had to be a writer,” she remarked. “I don’t remember one specific moment. I read avidly as a kid in a home of readers and full of books. Writing was just always something I did—poems, songs, short stories that gradually got longer and longer. I always preferred a book or a notebook and pen to any other activity. Still do! I wrote part-time even through college, grad school, working full-time with two little kids. It’s just always been a part of my life.”
Nicholas is the author of “Sapphire Falls” series, as well as a number of other popular romance series, including “Anything and Everything,” “Taking Chances,” and “Opposites Attract.” In an interview on the Melanie Shawn Blog, Nicholas pragmatically described her writing process: “Sit down, write words, get up and get more coffee, tell myself I need More Words, sit back down and write more words—or you know, check Facebook and email. Get more coffee. Tell myself I need MORE WORDS. Continue this process until the end. … Go back and fix everything I screwed up on the first draft that I learned about the characters by the end. Send to my beta readers. Revise. Send to my editor. Revise. Send back to my editor. Take a deep breath and have a cupcake. Start again on next book.”
Anything You Want and Everything You've Got
Nicholas launched her “Anything and Everything” series with Anything You Want, in which two people overcome mutual distrust to find real love. Sabrina Cassidy broke Luke Hamilton’s heart when she left him to chase her musical dreams. Four years later, broke, she calls him for help, but is actually talking to his business partner, Marc, who wants to protect Luke from more hurt. Marc has no time for Sabrina, and the feeling is mutual, but this pair ultimately makes an unlikely connection. “What an awesome ride,” noted a contributor on the Taryn Elliott Website. “I simply loved everything about this book,” the contributor added.
In Everything You’ve Got, Luke Hamilton takes center stage and finds his own true love with Dr. Kat Dayton while stuck together in a three-day RV road trip. A contributor in the online Dear Author noted, “I did like the writing in the book. The sex scenes are pretty hot and parts of the novel are funny.”
Twisted Up, Tangled Up, and Turned Up
Twisted Up is the first title in the “Taking Chances” series, all set in the farming community of Chance, Nebraska, which has been hit by strong tornadoes two years running. Now, with former classmates returning to town for a high school reunion, the winds are up once more and once the winds hit, three different couples are trapped together in various locations around town. Forced to be in close contact, old passions and crushes are rekindled. The first installment features fire chief Avery Sparks and Jake Mitchell, her first love and one that was eager to get out of town after their graduation. A Happily Ever Chapter Website contributor had praise for this first installment, noting: “The two of them had great chemistry together and couldn’t keep their hands off of each other. When the secrets of what happened to Avery in the ten years since they saw each other last come out, I was happy to see Jake’s protective instincts kick in.” Similarly, an online Books of All Kinds writer observed: “With lots of energy and action, a strong, independent heroine who knows what she wants, and a cheeky hero who you cannot help but like, this novel is a delightful read.” Likewise, an All about Romance Website reviewer concluded: “If you enjoy small town romances but are looking for one that stands out, Twisted Up provides a refreshing change.”
Best friends Bree McDermott and Max Grady are at the center of Tangled Up. Max is a storm chaser and he is happy to have Bree, a police officer, at his side. But now Bree wants to make their relationship more than best friends. A Harlequin Junkie Website reviewer had praise for the second installment, commenting: “Overall, this was a fantastic second novel Ms. Nicholas has penned for her Taking Chances series where the sex scenes were hot and illustrated just how right these two are for each other. The way this story ended with Bree confessing what ice cream flavors match their intimate moments together and how they can have everything they both want brought a smile to my face. I would recommend Tangled Up by Erin Nicholas, especially if you love the best friends to lovers trope or small town romances.”
In Turned Up, former academic competitors, Dillon Alexander and Kit Derby are thrown together, both medical professionals, but now their rivalry is transformed to romance when a blizzard traps them in Kit’s grandmother’s house. “I believe I would have enjoyed this more if I had read the first two books in the ‘Taking Chances’ series,” noted a Books of My Heart Website reviewer.
Completely Yours, Forever Mine, and Totally His
Completely Yours launched the “Opposites Attract” series. Kiera and Zach are opposites: she is a successful graphic designer more comfortable hanging out with people online, while Zach is an outgoing EMT first responder. Their paths cross when he is called to the scene of an accident involving Kiera. An online Smut Matters reviewer had a mixed assessment of this series launch, noting: “I really liked Kiera. And I liked that Zach was able to bring her out of her shell, though I didn’t always love how he did it. But I was so annoyed with him for being such an awful EMT in the beginning that I could never completely come around on him. And I liked that Zach allowed himself to explore some of Kiera’s world, too.”
In Forever Mine, cop Maya Goodwin is the sort of person to step toward danger when others run away. Even after she is forced to retired following an injury, she is still a risk taker. Alex is her opposite, but Maya is there to help him deal with the arrival of a young daughter he never knew he had. A Smart Bitches Trashy Books Website reviewer commented: “The best part of Forever Mine was that there’s no real angst. Maya and Alex have to work some stuff out, but the obstacles that keep them apart aren’t dire. And I loved how Maya helped him learn about the characters and worlds his daughter was passionate about in a genuine and enthusiastic way. Add some really hot sex scenes to the mix, and basically I was in heaven.”
In Totally His, the third book in the series, sexy cop Finn, rescues actress Sophie when her theater catches fire. Sparks fly away from the inferno, as well in this “moving and inspiring” novel, according to a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Further praise was offered by BookPage Online contributor Billie B. Little, who observed: “In Totally His, Erin Nicholas has woven a sweet and sexy tale set against the backdrop of a lively community theater and a noisy, rollicking Irish pub that readers won’t want to leave behind.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, October 2, 2017, review of Totally His, p. 124.
ONLINE
All about Romance, https://allaboutromance.com/ (February 21, 2018), Maria Rose, review of Twisted Up.
BookPage Online, https://bookpage.com/ (October 31, 2017), Billie B. Little, review of Totally Hi.
Books of All Kinds , https://booksofallkinds.weebly.com/ (October 8, 2016), review of Twisted Up.
Books of My Heart, https://booksofmyheart.net/ (August 27, 2017), review of Turned Up.
Dear Author, http://dearauthor.com/ (April 6, 2012), review of Everything You’ve Got.
Erin Nicholas Website, https://erinnicholas.com (February 13, 2018).
Happily Ever Chapter, http://happilyeverchapter.blogspot.com/ (August 24, 2016 ), review of Twisted Up.
Harlequin Junkie, http://harlequinjunkie.com/ (January 30, 2017), review of Tangled Up.
Leigh Kramer, http://www.leighkramer.com/ (March 29, 2017), review of Forever Mine.
Melanie Shawn Blog, http://melanieshawn.com/ (March 17, 2018), author interview.
Romance Junkies, http://romancejunkies.com/ (August 23, 2016), author interview.
Romancing the Book, http://romancing-the-book.com/ (October 30, 2017 ), review of Totally His.
Smart Bitches Trashy Books, http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/ (March 29, 2017), review of Forever Mine.
Smut Matters, http://smutmatters.com/ (January 5, 2017 ), review of Completely Yours.
Taryn Elliott, http://www.tarynelliott.com/ (January 23, 2012 ), review of Anything You Want.
Series
Billionaire Bargains
1. No Matter What (2010)
2. What Matters Most (2015)
3. All That Matters (2015)
The Billionaire Bargains Boxed Set (omnibus) (2018)
Anything and Everything
1. Anything You Want (2012)
2. Everything You've Got (2013)
Counting on Love
1. She's the One (2014)
2. It Takes Two (2014)
3. Best of Three (2014)
4. Going for Four (2015)
5. Up by Five (2015)
Just Count on Me (2014)
Sapphire Falls
1. Getting Out of Hand (2014)
2. Getting Worked Up (2014)
3. Getting Dirty (2014)
3.5. Getting In the Spirit (2014)
4. Getting It All (2015)
5. Getting Lucky (2015)
6. Getting Over It (2015)
6.5. Getting to Her (2015)
7. Getting His Way (2016)
8. After You (2017)
Getting In the Mood (2015)
Getting to the Church On Time (2015)
Naughty & Nice in Sapphire Falls (2017)
continued in the series: Kindle Worlds : Sapphire Falls
Sapphire Falls/ Love Between the Bases (with Jennifer Bernard)
1. Getting Wound Up (2016)
Taking Chances
1. Twisted Up (2016)
2. Tangled Up (2017)
3. Turned Up (2017)
Opposites Attract
1. Completely Yours (2016)
2. Forever Mine (2017)
3. Totally His (2017)
Sapphire Falls After Hours
1. After All (2017)
Boys of the Big Easy
Going Down Easy (2018)
Novels
Hotblooded (2012)
Series contributed to
Kindle Worlds : Dare To Love
A Dare Worth Taking (2015)
Kindle Worlds : Hope Falls
Getting His Hopes Up (2016)
Finding Chris Evans
The 9-1-1 Edition (2016)
Erin Nicholas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines and happily ever afters. She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they’re shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).
You can find Erin on the web at www.ErinNicholas.com, on Twitter (http://twitter.com/ErinNicholas) and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ErinNicholasBooks)
I’ve been reading romance since my mom first let me into her book cupboard when I was about fourteen. LaVyrle Spencer, Julie Garwood, Debbie Macomber… they took my ‘happily ever after’ ideas from animated princesses to real people in the real world.
I’ve been writing romance almost as long. Many a family car trip was spent with my head bent over a spiral notebook in the back seat. I’ll confess that my very first attempts at fiction were fantasy and paranormals, influenced by my father’s love of the Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the original Alice in Wonderland. If Harry Potter had been around, I’m sure he would have been on the bedtime story shelf as well.
But it wasn’t long until I started writing about true love and that’s where I’ve been ever since.
I’m so thrilled to be able to share these stories with you! I hope that they make you smile, sigh, maybe even choke up a little. Most of all, I hope that they help you believe in magical things like first kisses, the spark of passion, and the power of true love.
QUOTE:
From the moment I first heard my first story I think! ☺ I don’t remember one specific moment. I read avidly as a kid in a home of readers and full of books. Writing was just always something I did—poems, songs, short stories that gradually got longer and longer. I always preferred a book or a notebook and pen to any other activity. Still do! ☺ I wrote part-time even through college, grad school, working full-time with two little kids. It’s just always been a part of my life.
AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIN NICHOLAS AND A GIVEAWAY
August 23, 2016 No Comments Author Interview with RJ, Excerpt, Giveaway
Twisted Up by Erin Nicholas
Erin Nicholas was fourteen when she first fell in love with love stories. Not long after that she started writing romances of her own, often spending family vacations in the backseat filling notebooks with stories. Now the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Sapphire Falls series writes about women getting their happily ever after with humor, heart, and hope.
An Interview with Erin Nicholas, author of Twisted Up. I am so glad you could join us here at Romance Junkies, Erin. To start, will you please tell us a little bit about your current projects?
Thanks so much for having me! I’d love to tell you about what’s going on! Taking Chances is a new small-town contemporary series about the farming community of Chance, Nebraska. The town has been hit by EF4 level tornadoes two years in a row and, as people are coming home for their high school class reunion, the winds are picking up again. When yet another tornado hits, three couples are trapped together in different places around town and the close confines rekindle old feelings! A lot of old feelings! ☺ After the storm blows over, they all work together to rebuild the town… and maybe get a second chance at love. Twisted Up is book one and emergency management specialist Jake Mitchell is trapped in a shed with fire chief Avery Sparks when the tornado hits. But a lot more than debris is stirred up by the storm!
When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer?
From the moment I first heard my first story I think! ☺ I don’t remember one specific moment. I read avidly as a kid in a home of readers and full of books. Writing was just always something I did—poems, songs, short stories that gradually got longer and longer. I always preferred a book or a notebook and pen to any other activity. Still do! ☺ I wrote part-time even through college, grad school, working full-time with two little kids. It’s just always been a part of my life.
Who gave you the one piece of writing advice that sticks with you to this day?
One thing I keep posted by my computer is a quote from Nora Roberts: “The most important thing in writing is to have written. I can always fix a bad page. I can’t fix a blank one.” The other is a quote that one of my very good writing friends, P.G. Forte, once sent me. I don’t know who said it but the quote is also right by my computer. “You can be the juiciest, most delicious peach in the world and someone’s still going to always hate peaches.”
I’m not sure those count as advice, but they are things I look at every day!
Describe the “perfect” hero. What about the “perfect” hero for you?
What a great question. I think the perfect hero isn’t perfect at all. He need to have some heartbreak in his past to make him empathetic, some loss or disappointment to make him human, and a deep love—for a brother, his mom, a dog, something—to keep him just this side of totally cynical. He needs to be sure of what he wants and why. He needs to have compassion, protectiveness, a strong sense of right and wrong, and humor. Maybe above all else, he has to have a sense of humor. And dark hair and big hands and look a lot like Chris Pratt 😉
For me personally, the perfect hero is a guy who can laugh at himself. Who can tease me but knows when not to do that. Someone who’s organized and practical—because I’m not—and has a high tolerance for someone who is silly and spontaneous—because I am! Someone who lets me keep my head in the clouds, but keeps me grounded. The guy who can say “Congrats on the USA Today list! Oh, and don’t forget the guy’s coming to look at the washing machine today.” (and yes, I did find this guy ☺ )
What are some of your favorite pastimes? Do you have any hobbies or collections?
Other than reading and writing, I love to travel. I’m very blessed to be able to do a lot of that with people I love. I’m a movie and TV ADDICT. Big time. I love high school basketball, college football and professional baseball. And really, my specialty, is hanging out! Lol! I can do it almost anywhere, anytime with anyone. Great friends, great laughs, great food, great drink and I can be happy for days. I’m really a very good hanger-outer. Oh, and I collect words. ☺ I love sayings and quotes. Wall décor, pillows, coasters, magnets, calendars… whatever. I have them all over my house.
What has been your biggest adventure to date?
Like literal adventure? We travel a lot but I’m not super adventurous. I don’t like to be scared and I don’t like to sweat! Lol! The helicopter ride we took into the Grand Canyon and the one over the volcanoes in Hawaii come to mind —I’m claustrophobic and afraid of heights and get motion sickness… so yeah, those were pretty adventurous for me ☺ But honestly, parenting is the biggest adventure of my life. You never know what to expect, you have to be constantly prepared for anything, you have to be brave and tough and you have to keep going no matter what! But, like any great adventure, the reward is certainly worth it all!
If your fairy godmother waved her wand and whisked you away to the location of your choice, which place would you choose, and why?
My favorite city is New Orleans. In the spring or fall. I love it there. But if we’re talking a place I’ve never been, then Italy. Why? Pasta. Wine. Cannoli. Cappuccino. History. Gorgeous countryside. A beautiful language. And did I mention the wine and cannoli?
What project are you working on next?
I’m working on a super fun project called Finding Chris Evans, with Erin McCarthy, Jennifer Bernard, Lizzie Shane, Jenn Stark and Elizabeth Bemis. Six stories about a woman searching for true love with a man named Chris Evans, thanks to a fortune teller’s prediction at a carnival! That will be out in October. Book two in the Taking Chances series is coming in January. And I’m starting another new series this year! The Opposites Attract series is the Big Bang Theory in reverse… geeky girls and hot guys! Book one, Completely Yours, comes out in December.
♥
Twisted Up by Erin Nicholas
Twisted Up
by: Erin Nicholas
Release Date: August 23, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Summary
Avery Sparks is a master at controlling chaos—and she gets plenty of opportunities as fire chief and head of emergency management in her hometown of Chance, Nebraska. The only thing she can’t seem to control are her feelings when she’s around Jake Mitchell, the man who was her first everything the night of their high school graduation. But Jake was so quick to leave Chance—and Avery—behind that she swore she’d move on.
While Avery’s job is to minimize drama, Jake embraces the chaos of an emergency. After enlisting in the Army National Guard, Jake became a nationally recognized leader in disaster recovery. Yet a life on the road has left him restless. So when a class-four tornado wreaks havoc on Chance, he’s eager to return home—and to the woman never far from his mind.
Now, Avery and Jake must team up to help their hometown weather a siege of violent storms. But it’s clear to them both that nature isn’t the only force they’ll have to reckon with. Will Avery and Jake’s whirlwind love affair be an all-new disaster—or can they recover from their stormy past to build a future together?
Erin Nicholas
About the Author
Erin Nicholas was fourteen when she first fell in love with love stories. Not long after that she started writing romances of her own, often spending family vacations in the backseat filling notebooks with stories. Now the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Sapphire Falls series writes about women getting their happily ever after with humor, heart, and hope. From the fireworks of that first kiss to the thrill of passion, Nicholas strives to create novels that celebrate the magic of true love.
Website – http://www.erinnicholas.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ErinNicholasAuthor
Twitter – https://twitter.com/ErinNicholas
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3155383.Erin_Nicholas
QUOTE:
Sit down, write words, get up and get more coffee, tell myself I need More Words, sit back down and write more words—or you know, check Facebook and email. Get more coffee. Tell myself I need MORE WORDS.
Continue this process until the end.
Go back and fix everything I screwed up on the first draft that I learned about the characters by the end.
Send to my beta readers.
Revise.
Send to my editor.
Revise.
Send back to my editor.
Take a deep breath and have a cupcake.
Start again on next book.
Melanie Shawn is so excited to welcome the awesomesauce Erin Nicholas as the subject of this month’s author spotlight! 😄 She’s fantastic, and so is her work, and we are honored to have her!
About Erin:I’ve been reading romance since my mom first let me into her book cupboard when I was about fourteen. LaVyrle Spencer, Julie Garwood, Debbie Macomber… they took my ‘happily ever after’ ideas from animated princesses to real people in the real world.
I’ve been writing romance almost as long. Many a family car trip was spent with my head bent over a spiral notebook in the back seat. I’ll confess that my very first attempts at fiction were fantasy and paranormals, influenced by my father’s love of the Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the original Alice in Wonderland. If Harry Potter had been around, I’m sure he would have been on the bedtime story shelf as well.
But it wasn’t long until I started writing about true love and that’s where I’ve been ever since.
I’m so thrilled to be able to share these stories with you! I hope that they make you smile, sigh, maybe even choke up a little. Most of all, I hope that they help you believe in magical things like first kisses, the spark of passion, and the power of true love.
You can connect with her at her website, ErinNicholas.com, or on Facebook and Twitter.
***AUTHOR QUESTIONS***
What is your writing process? Do you write from beginning to end or do you skip around?
My process goes like this:
Sit down, write words, get up and get more coffee, tell myself I need More Words, sit back down and write more words—or you know, check Facebook and email. Get more coffee. Tell myself I need MORE WORDS.
Continue this process until the end. (no skipping—occasionally I’ll do some notes or bits of dialogue that come to me out of order but it always changes by the time I actually get there so I don’t write much out of order!)
Go back and fix everything I screwed up on the first draft that I learned about the characters by the end.
Send to my beta readers.
Revise.
Send to my editor.
Revise.
Send back to my editor.
Take a deep breath and have a cupcake.
Start again on next book.
Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?
When I’m stuck on dialogue a shower *always* helps… I think it’s because I can’t actually write any of it down at that moment 😉 If I’m stuck on plot or characterization I go for a drive and talk it out out loud to myself or with my daughter (best plotting partner ever)
What was the last book you read/loved?
Wow. So hard. The two that came to mind when I read this question were Hate F*@k by Ainsley Booth and Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis.
What are you working on now? What is your next project?
🙂 Just finished and released book six in my Sapphire Falls series, Getting Over It, and in early October I will release Illegal Motion my second book in the Boys of Fall series I’m doing with Mari Carr and Cari Quinn. Then I have a *new* series coming with Grand Central Publishing next fall that I’m hard at work on now 🙂
Do you write in sweats, PJs, naked, or regular ol’ real people life clothes?
Sweats/ shorts/ yoga pants depending on the season 🙂
What is your favorite part of the writing/publishing process?
The first five chapters of my first draft. I love seeing the overall vision start to take shape and getting to know the characters in my head. It seems at chapter six I have a groove and things are trucking. But those first five are kind of an adventure!
What is your least favorite part of the writing/publishing process?
The dark moments. Every time. The part where the characters are screwing things up and things look bleak. Even though I know how it will turn out, I really hate writing that spot.
Are there certain scenes that are harder/easier for you to write? Love? Emotional?
Hmm… that really depends on the book. Sometimes the characters make things easy. And sometimes they don’t.
Do your characters ever surprise you?
All the time. Every book. It’s my favorite thing about writing.
If you weren’t an author, what would you do for a living?
I’m also a physical therapist actually and have practiced for years. I don’t practice regularly now and have recently brought on a partner to take care of the patient load, but I still go in to the clinic periodically 🙂
***FUN QUESTIONS***
Have you ever built a house of cards? If so, how long ago? Wow, I don’t think so. Not a literal one anyway 😉
What adorns the top of your Christmas tree? Angel? Star? Men’s underwear? Angel. Though the underwear thing is intriguing…
Can you tie a cherry stem in a knot in your mouth? If so, how fast? No. In spite of practicing. Seriously, really wish I could. (I don’t know why)
Do you sing in the shower? If so, what is your go-to song? I do dialogue in the shower 😉
Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life? Probably Angelina Jolie. I mean, we’re practically twins! (hahahahaha! *wipes a tear*)
Do you love or hate roller coasters? If love, which is your favorite? If hate, why? Hate. Hate, hate, hate. For one, I’m afraid of heights. For another, I just don’t get it. I Just. Don’t. Get. It. Will you forward me the answers from people who love them because I would love to know what the appeal is? That and horror movies. Don’t get that either. At all.
What is your dream vacation? Italy for like a month.
Have you ever needed stitches or suffered any broken bones? If so, what happened? Neither. Knock on wood. Mostly because I’m kind of a wuss and don’t do too many risky things 😉
What was your first alcoholic drink? What age were you when you consumed it? I’m sure it was Boone’s Farm! Haha! Something cheap and fruity—that’s me! 😉 In the field by the river the summer after I graduated from high school. Nothing like a summer night, cute boys and cheap wine. 😉
How old were you when you had your first crush/first love? Are you still in contact with them? Oh wow, this I remember very well. Fourteen. And no freaking way. But our little sisters are still really good friends so I “know” stuff (good old Facebook 😉 )
***RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS***
Deep dish OR thin crust? Thin crust (but lots of cheese 😉 )
Flip flops OR heels? Flip flops, no question, absolutely, every time! 🙂
Night owl OR early riser? NIGHT OWL!! Sorry, did I shout that? Yeah, the day doesn’t start until at least 9.
Book OR ereader? Both! But I really am addicted to my Kindle
Call OR text? Oh, text! Not a big lover of the phone—shocking considering how much I like to talk. I don’t know how to explain that… lol!
Ocean OR mountains? Oh wow… that’s a tough one… mountains probably. Or the ocean. No, mountains. Yes, mountains. Probably mountains.
Pepsi OR Coke? Pepsi. That one’s not hard at all!
Sleep in OR workout? Sleep! 🙂 Haha, also not hard at all!
Boxers OR briefs? Nothing at all 😉
Clooney OR Pitt? Clooney. In a tux. A little scruff on his jaw. Tie loose. Shirt partly unbuttoned. Sorry, was that more info than you asked for? 😉
QUOTE:
moving and inspiring
Totally His
Publishers Weekly. 264.40 (Oct. 2, 2017): p124.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Totally His
Erin Nicholas. Forever, $7.99 mass market
(352p) ISBN 978-1-4555-3972-7
Nicholas's third Opposites Attract contemporary (after Forever Mine) is moving and inspiring. Actress Sophie Birch has always been a pawn in her father's schemes for financial security. She started acting at a young age after her mother died, has had five stepmothers, and was constantly moved around. She's up for her biggest role yet when police officer Finn Kelly saves her from her burning theater. Sophie's dad, who's a part owner of the theater, steals the insurance money, so Finn and his family help renovate the building, as acting there is Sophie's only source of income. Despite her distrust of families, she quickly bonds with the boisterous, close-knit clan, which is led by a clever matriarch. Just when she thinks she can finally be a part of a real family, Sophie's father tries to tear her and Finn apart. Nicholas successfully weaves the two families together while addressing their issues realistically, and Sophie and Finn grow together without sacrificing their own identities. Agent: Elizabeth Winick Rubinstein, McIntosh & Otis. (Nov.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Totally His." Publishers Weekly, 2 Oct. 2017, p. 124. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A509728453/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=41e11193. Accessed 21 Feb. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A509728453
QUOTE:
In Totally His, Erin Nicholas has woven a sweet and sexy tale set against the backdrop of a lively community theater and a noisy, rollicking Irish pub that readers won’t want to leave behind.
Web Exclusive – October 31, 2017
Totally His
Live and let live
BookPage review by Billie B. Little
Bestselling romance novelist Erin Nicholas has her fingers on the pulse of what a girl wants—at least in terms of steamy romantic fiction—and Totally His is a bouyant love story with a refreshing maturity at its core.
Local theater-owner Sophie lost her mother when she was only two, leaivng her under the care of her manipulative father, Frank. Frank bounced his young daughter from stepmother to stepmother, women he used for sex, free food, cable TV and a warm place to live. With this turbulent upbringing, it’s no wonder that Sophie has difficulties with trust and love. She is sure that every good thing that comes her way in life will come to a swift end.
Responsible, self-assured cop Finn Kelly was raised by a single mother after his father’s death. Though the extended Kelly clan can be loud and sometimes cloying, they have given Finn absolute confidence in himself and reinforced his worthiness to be loved. He adores his mother and is both a protector and a “fixer,” traits which draw him to Sophie.
While respondng to a a fire at the local theater, Finn spots a young woman in hot pink underwear running back inside the burning building. More than a little curious, Finn sees it as his duty to find the girl and rescue her. He carries her out of the building and doesn’t stop wanting to protect her.
Finn tries to fix everything in her life, but Sophie wants more from him than that. She wants him to love her for herself, and to trust that she is mature enough to manage her life. Will Finn keep trying to come up with a solution to change Sophie’s difficult relationship with her incorrigible dad, or can he learn something from Sophie, too?
In Totally His, Erin Nicholas has woven a sweet and sexy tale set against the backdrop of a lively community theater and a noisy, rollicking Irish pub that readers won’t want to leave behind.
Review: Totally His by Erin Nicholas
Posted on October 30, 2017 by Danielle
Totally His by Erin Nicholas
Series: Opposites Attract (# 3)
Release Date: October 31, 2017
Publisher: Forever Romance
Pages: 352
Source: book provided by NetGalley for review
Actress Sophie Birch is used to having to look out for herself. So when her theater catches fire and a big guy scoops her up into his arms to save her, she’s going to fight every step of the way. Even if he’s a cop. And really sexy. And his arms feel oh-so-good.
Finn Kelly can’t help but appreciate how good the woman in his arms looks in her sexy pink lingerie. Even if she’s currently resisting arrest.
But as the two get to know each other, they’re both surprised by the things Finn is willing to do to get closer to her. And when Sophie’s estranged father arrives in town and starts causing trouble, the stage is set for disaster…unless Finn can convince her that, for once in her life, she has someone to lean on.
Review: Totally His by Erin Nicholas is a contemporary romance that swallows me up whole. The emotional journey is powerful. Hits me hard in the chest. I was easily able to relate to the main character and her life story. I’ve lived in a similar situation where my relationship with my parents matched hers. Suffering, loss, death, being constantly shifted from place to place…is difficult.
Sophie Birch inherits her grandmother’s theater. Only it comes with a huge price. Being partners with her dad. A father that never was one to begin with…he took everything that ever mattered to Sophie away. Always asking her for money. Making Sophie as miserable as ever…then, something changes. The theater that brings them both money, gets set on fire. Fireman, like Finn Kelly rush to the scene. That’s where fate intervenes and life gets messier. Sophie is stuck with her dad. Whether she wants him or not, he’s a constant hell to her life. Wherever Sophie’s dad is, trouble comes with him. But with Finn there’s some hope of everything that Sophie hasn’t had and could have. But will it work, is something they have to fight for…
Frank Birch is a jerk. A pathological liar and thief. He ruins everything. Meaning, he moves Sophie around so much that she loses her friends, has no stable home, and never has someone to love her. He doesn’t love his daughter. He only uses her for money. Frank never holds a job. Weasley his way into a person’s good side and then, bam, he destroys them. Borrows money, doesn’t ever pay back. Breaks women’s hearts. Tears his daughter up both emotionally and physically. I really hated Frank. In fact, I wish he died in the book. Sophie would have been better with him gone completely from her life. Yet, Erin Nicholas lets him stay like a thorn in Sophie’s side. A constant burden…that’s why I gave this book a half star less than five stars.
Erin Nicholas is indeed a talented writer. I love her work. Totally His is sexy, hot, and sad at the same time. A roller-coaster ride that leaves me feeling complete sympathy for the main character. It sucked that the bad character couldn’t go away and stay away. I wish he had. It’s like Sophie, the main character, has to constantly battle her dad. It didn’t feel like a fun future. It left a sour taste in my heart for this book. If the ending result was rewritten, I would say, I loved this novel. But I can’t. I find myself both liking and hating it at the same time. Characterization was believable and stunning. Rooting for the good ones and wanting to strangle the bad ones. The plot was steady. The emotional pull to Sophie was worth reading this tale. Overall, I recommend it to readers everywhere.
QUOTE:
The two of them had great chemistry together and couldn't keep their hands off of each other. When the secrets of what happened to Avery in the 10 years since they saw each other last come out, I was happy to see Jake's protective instincts kick in.
New Release Review: Twisted Up by Erin Nicholas
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Title: Twisted Up
Author: Erin Nicholas
Series: Taking Chances, #1
Genre: M/F Romance
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Publication Date: August 23rd 2016
Find It Here: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Synopsis:
Avery Sparks is a master at controlling chaos—and she gets plenty of opportunities as fire chief and head of emergency management in her hometown of Chance, Nebraska. The only thing she can’t seem to control are her feelings when she’s around Jake Mitchell, the man who was her first everything the night of their high school graduation. But Jake was so quick to leave Chance—and Avery—behind that she swore she’d move on.
While Avery’s job is to minimize drama, Jake embraces the chaos of an emergency. After enlisting in the Army National Guard, Jake became a nationally recognized leader in disaster recovery. Yet a life on the road has left him restless. So when a class-four tornado wreaks havoc on Chance, he’s eager to return home—and to the woman never far from his mind.
Now, Avery and Jake must team up to help their hometown weather a siege of violent storms. But it’s clear to them both that nature isn’t the only force they’ll have to reckon with. Will Avery and Jake’s whirlwind love affair be an all-new disaster—or can they recover from their stormy past to build a future together?
My Rating:
4.5 out of 5 stars
My Review:
I should probably start off by saying that Twister is one of my favorite movies of all time, so the second I saw a romance that involved tornadoes I knew I had to have it. I'm also a big sucker for 2nd chance romances. This is the first book by Erin Nicholas that I've ever read and I definitely want to try more from her after reading this one. Twisted Up is the first book in the "Taking Chances" series. I can't wait to read the next ones!
Avery is a fire chief in the small town of Chance, Nebraska. She had a tough family life growing up and when the people she thought cared about her seemingly turned their backs on her she began very independent. She's had a hard time letting anyone close and only has 2 people she would call her friends. Her attraction to Jake frustrates her because she feels like he also abandoned her.
Jake is a cocky self-assured guy that loves pushing Avery's buttons. He's got a huge hero complex and can't stand the idea that Avery doesn't fall all over him like other girls he's been with.
The two of them had great chemistry together and couldn't keep their hands off of each other. When the secrets of what happened to Avery in the 10 years since they saw each other last come out, I was happy to see Jake's protective instincts kick in. He was a man that knew how to fight for his girl. I thought Avery came off as a little uncaring or even clueless at times but I guess it could be her defense mechanism.
QUOTE:
What an awesome ride.
I simply loved everything about this book.
January 23, 2012
REVIEW: Anything You Want, Erin Nicholas
Review
Anything You Want by Erin Nicholas My rating: 5 of 5 stars
*Insert new fangirl squeal*
I loved this book. I'm officially in love with Marc and could only hope I'm as good at character building as Mz. Nicholas is someday.
What an awesome ride. From the hilarious and somehow sizzling way Marc renamed the place he had to rescue Sabrina from...Muddy Gap (one of his nicknames Dirty Gulch...and there were tons more. lol) to the slow and delicious build of character, I was utterly sucked in.
I loved that she was able to make me like Sabrina when the premise promised anything but a likeable character. I loved the family background and the way she showed that dreams are just as important as being responsible. I love that Mz. Nicholas managed to insert heat and awareness in such a way that it didn't feel forced or cliched.
I simply loved everything about this book. I don't want to give too many details because the read and the experience was where the pleasure unfolded.
Read it.
You won't regret it.
QUOTE:
With lots of energy and action, a strong, independent heroine who knows what she wants, and a cheeky hero who you cannot help but like, this novel is a delightful read.
Review: TWISTED UP by Erin Nicholas
10/8/2016
0 Comments
Release date - 23rd August 2016
Book Length - 316 pages
Available on - www.amazon.com | www.amazon.co.uk
Avery Sparks enjoys making sense out of chaos and relishes her role as Fire Chief and head of emergency management in her hometown of Chance, Nebraska. Independent and sassy, Avery has her life together and doesn't let anything faze her. That is until the guy who walked away from her so easily all those years ago, suddenly walks back in. And when unforeseen circumstances force them to work together, who knows what could happen...
Jake Mitchell has become a top leader in the field of disaster recovery, and when he finds himself in the middle of a tornado, in his hometown of Chance, he will do whatever he can to sort it out. It is just an added bonus for him that he must work alongside Avery, the woman he has never really managed to forget. But Avery certainly knows how to hold a grudge. But can their explosive chemistry ever really go anywhere as he must always leave for the next place that needs him? And can the past ever truly be forgiven?
TWISTED UP by Erin Nicholas is the first book in her new series Taking Chances. With lots of energy and action, a strong, independent heroine who knows what she wants, and a cheeky hero who you cannot help but like, this novel is a delightful read. The witty banter that is natural between Avery and Jake made me smile, and I loved the fast-paced action surrounding the tornado, and the many emotional elements of the story. TWISTED UP by Erin Nicholas is the first book I have ever read by this author but it certainly will not be the last.
BOOK RATING - 📖📖📖📖 4
Author Bio:
Erin Nicholas is the author of sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, flawed heroines, and happily ever afters. She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they’re shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!). For more information:
Website - www.erinnicholas.com/about.html
Facebook - www.facebook.com/ErinNicholasBooks/?fref=ts
Twitter - twitter.com/ErinNicholas
QUOTE:
I believe I would have enjoyed this more if I had read the first two books in the Taking Chances series
Turned Up by Erin Nicholas
Series: Taking Chances #3
Published by Montlake Romance on August 29, 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 254
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads
Amazon
Dillon Alexander has been Kit Derby’s nemesis since third grade, when he beat her in the school spelling bee. They’ve been competing ever since, driving each other to be the best at everything from science fairs to bake sales. While working together one night during their senior year, they stopped bickering long enough to share an emotionally charged kiss. But a tragedy that same night left them both racked with guilt, driving Dillon out of town and leaving Kit determined to keep her distance.
Now an emergency room physician, Dillon has returned to their hometown of Chance, Nebraska. Soon he and Kit fall back into old habits, sparring in public while trying to stay out of each other’s arms. But when a blizzard traps them overnight at Kit’s grandmother’s farmhouse, the real competition begins: Who will be the first to give in to the feelings they’ve denied for a decade?
Dillon and Kit grew up together, competing with each other, even at the same college, and are both medical professionals. Dillon has been out of town in the service, Doctors Without Borders and in practice elsewhere. After ten years, he is back in the hometown. Kit has been in the small town where they grew up other than her college time. This is a rivals to lovers story.
Turned Up starts out very antagonistic; it is difficult to believe at their ages and professional capacities they would act this way. When they fight, they get each other to do better. I found it tedious. They have always had “chemistry” and the sexy times are hot. They get snowed in together which gives them time to reconnect. I love Erin Nicholas for her humor but didn’t find it in the dialogue here.
I believe I would have enjoyed this more if I had read the first two books in the Taking Chances series (it is in Kindle Unlimited) prior to this one. It would have given me more of a connection to the rest of the town’s characters and the other two couples. It might have even laid some groundwork for this couple. My recommendation would be to read in order for this trilogy which is now complete, and do try some of her other series which I have enjoyed more.
About Erin Nicholas
Erin Nicholas is the author of sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines and happily ever afters. She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they’re shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).
QUOTE:
I really liked Kiera. And I liked that Zach was able to bring her out of her shell, though I didn’t always love how he did it. But I was so annoyed with him for being such an awful EMT in the beginning that I could never completely come around on him. And I liked that Zach allowed himself to explore some of Kiera’s world, too
Review – Completely Yours by Erin Nicholas
Posted January 5, 2017 by smutmatters in ARC, Contemporary, Reviews / 0 Comments
I received this book for free from Forever Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Completely Yours (Opposites Attract, #1) by Erin Nicholas
Series: Opposites Attract #1
Published by Forever on December 20th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Forever Publishing
Goodreads
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks
Kiera Connelly leads a quiet life, and that's just how she likes it. She's built a name as a graphic designer and meets up with her friends online, all from the comfort of her living room couch. But when a rare outing turns disastrous, Kiera finds herself up close and way too personal with an unbelievably hot real-life hero.
Zach Ashley doesn't see himself as a hero. He's just a regular guy who gets to help people every day as an EMT. But when he's called to a scene and has to treat his most gorgeous patient ever, he finds himself mixing work with pleasure. He never hesitates to put his life on the line...but will he ever risk his heart?
I’m struggling with this review a little bit. I loved, loved, loved Kiera. She was amazing. If I could be anything, it would be a cosplaying hermit who was really good at developing video games. She’s my new hero. Zach, on the other hand… Zach didn’t make a great first impression on me, and I struggled to recover from it..
He wasn’t an asshole. Not exactly. He had his moments, but who doesn’t? The problem is… Ok. Zach is an EMT. We meet him when he’s responding to a call at a Comic-Con type event where a ceiling has fallen down. The first sentence of the book is “They’re estimated up to twenty thousand were inside when it came down.” Twenty thousand people were inside this venue when it came down. Zach and his partners and fellow first responders should be hauling ass to get in there and help. Especially in 2016. You can’t tell me that the first thought in everyone’s mind any time there’s a mass casualty these days isn’t “terrorism”. If a ceiling falls in on your head, it’s probably going to take a while to ascertain that it was in fact, just a ceiling falling. In the meantime, there will be chaos. First responders have a pretty important job to do. And Zach and his cohorts are indeed hauling ass to get in there and help. Until Zach sees Kiera. She’s standing up, under her own power, and her only visible issue is that her skirt is caught under some debris. Zach spends the rest of the day with her. He ignores the other EMTs who are calling for him to come and help with actual injured patients, and spends the time with Kiera. Knowing he shouldn’t because he has a job to do, but unable to help himself because she’s so hot.
Kiera is there with two of her friends who are significantly more injured than she is, and when she tries to see how they’re doing, he physically pulls her away from them and backs her up into a wall where he presses up against her and thinks about how her boobs look in her costume and about how good she smells. Then when he discovers she doesn’t have a ride to the hospital where her friends have been taken, he decides she should tag along with him for the rest of the time he’s at the convention center. Because apparently he’s finally decided to treat other injured people. Somehow in the entire day they spend together treating hurt people, though, he, the brave EMT everyone looks up to, completely misses the fact that Kiera has a concussion until she passes out at his feet.
I know it sounds like I hated this book, but that’s what’s so frustrating. I didn’t. Like I said, I really liked Kiera. And I liked that Zach was able to bring her out of her shell, though I didn’t always love how he did it. But I was so annoyed with him for being such an awful EMT in the beginning that I could never completely come around on him. And I liked that Zach allowed himself to explore some of Kiera’s world, too; it wasn’t a one-sided relationship. Zach had a lot of deep-seated issues that led him to try to control the lives of everyone around him, and Kiera didn’t let him get away with it. The way Erin Nicholas was able to make Zach’s controlling personality work for me was nothing short of amazing, frankly. Being overly controlling is one of my least favorite hero traits; it’s usually a full stop for me. But it worked with Zach. I understood where he was coming from, even if I thought he was wrong.
I loved reading about the Comic-Con and the cosplaying. I’ve been to San Diego Comic-Con a few times, and as I read the beginning of the book, I could actually feel as claustrophobic as I did then. I’ve always said that those were some of the most stressful fun vacations I’ve ever taken, and she captured the atmosphere for me. I loved Kiera’s gaming, and the
The side characters, Kiera’s friends and Zach’s sister especially, were fun to read about. I’ll definitely read their books. There were clearly things brewing here for the rest of the series, and I like Erin Nicholas’ writing a lot. I wouldn’t steer anyone away from reading this book, but I would understand if they gave up during that first scene.
About Erin Nicholas
I’ve been reading romance since my mom first let me into her book cupboard when I was about fourteen. LaVyrle Spencer, Julie Garwood, Debbie Macomber… they took my ‘happily ever after’ ideas from animated princesses to real people in the real world.
I’ve been writing romance almost as long. Many a family car trip was spent with my head bent over a spiral notebook in the back seat. I’ll confess that my very first attempts at fiction were fantasy and paranormals, influenced by my father’s love of the Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the original Alice in Wonderland. If Harry Potter had been around, I’m sure he would have been on the bedtime story shelf as well.
But it wasn’t long until I started writing about true love and that’s where I’ve been ever since.
I’m so thrilled to be able to share these stories with you! I hope that they make you smile, sigh, maybe even choke up a little. Most of all, I hope that they help you believe in magical things like first kisses, the spark of passion, and the power of true love.
QUOTE:
I did like the writing in the book. The sex scenes are pretty hot and parts of the novel are funny.
April 6, 2012
REVIEW: Everything You’ve Got by Erin Nicholas
DabneyC ReviewsContemporary / friends-to-lovers / road-romance / Samhain11 Comments
Dear Ms. Nicholas,
Perhaps I wasn’t the best choice to review your latest novel Everything You’ve Got. I’m married to a physician and have worked in and around the medical field for most of my adult life. Your heroine, twenty-seven (I think) year old Dr. Kat Dayton, struck me as unbelievably immature and the problems she faces in her medical practice seem to be in large part of her own making. For most of the book, she annoyed the hell out of me and I couldn’t see why your hero, the literally heroic Luke Hamilton, put up with her.
Kat and Luke have both grown up in the small town of Justice, Nebraska. Everything You’ve Got is the second book in the series Anything and Everything. I didn’t read the first book, Anything You Want, in which Luke and Kat are introduced, but that wasn’t a problem for me. Their back-story is clearly explained in Everything You’ve Got. Kat has been hung up on Luke for years but he spent most of that time stuck on the heroine of Anything You Want, Sabrina. Sabrina is now happily married to Luke’s best friend Marc and Luke has realized the woman he really loves is Kat. The two share a highly charged kiss involving handcuffs the night of Luke’s birthday party and immediately become a couple. As Luke says to Marc after he walks in on the two of them making out madly,
“And we’re both about to have a love life.”
“You’re getting a girlfriend?” Marc asked with a smirk.
“Yep. Terrific gal. You’ll love her,” Luke said.
“And Kat’s getting a boyfriend?”
“Guy who’s crazy about her.” Marc chuckled and Kat rolled her eyes as she took Luke’s hand. “Let’s go. Dining room.” Luke sighed and followed her into what could only be his surprise birthday party.
Kat’s never had a really serious relationship with any man although she’s had many a fling. Not only has she been crushing on Luke for years, Kat has serious intimacy issues. For years, Kat has kept the world at bay with her kick-ass attitude and her physical presentation.
She knew that most people saw her as a tough, confident, no-bullshit kind of woman. And that was absolutely the image she worked to project. Most of the time it was easy and most of the time it made her feel that way. But there were days like this, when even the boots, the makeup, the piercings and body paint didn’t make her feel tough.
It had always fascinated her how outward appearance colored the way people perceived things. She’d chosen her battle armor back in junior high. She changed the color of her hair and the body jewelry and paint she used, but her general look was the same— don’t mess with me.
It had worked like a dream in junior high and high school to keep the mean girls away and the cocky boys at arm’s length. A guy had to really want to get close to make a move. She admired those that tried.
The look had followed her to college and even med school. She was very comfortable with it by then and liked seeing how people responded to her. Some avoided her, feeling intimidated, some labeled her a rebel, some a bad-ass slut.
Some found her intriguing, some figured she was just trying to be odd, still others assumed she was disturbed and felt sorry for her….
She was more than a little fascinated by the whole thing. She’d grown up in small-town Nebraska, so she knew she was an anomaly. After all, it was completely on purpose.
No one knew that behind closed doors she preferred baggy sweats, no makeup and that nothing was pierced or painted anywhere others couldn’t see it.
It was armor, a costume, a Spiderman suit for the Peter Parker that lurked inside her—awkward, unsure, and breakable.
Kat thinks maybe she could let Luke in, but then, something bad happens. As she’s admiring her new boyfriend’s butt at his surprise party, her phone rings. A patient Kat saw in clinic earlier in the day—he came in complaining of arm weakness and a headache after working in the yard—whom she then sent home has just had a massive stroke and is unconscious. Kat realizes she misdiagnosed him—his symptoms were those of someone who had a mild stroke. Kat begins to freak out. Had she realized that Tom, the patient, had a stroke, she would have sent him to the hospital for testing and treatment which then, possibly, might have prevented the huge stroke he subsequently had. Kat doesn’t tell Luke about the issue that night nor does she tell him about the discussion she has with the senior partner in her medical practice who, the next day, essentially forces her to take a leave of absence, and begins the process of forcing her to quit practicing in Justice.
In the meantime, Luke, who always has a plan, decides what he and Kat need to do to take their relationship to the “we’re getting married and having six babies” stage is to kidnap her and take her on a trip in an RV to Nashville—it’s a favor, in part, for Sabrina, a musician, who will be performing in Nashville and needs the RV there, but is pregnant and wants to fly rather than drive. So, Luke handcuffs Kat and off the two go—Kat with her secret career problems and intimacy issues, Luke with the conviction she’s perfect for him and everything’s going to be great.
So many things are wrong with this set up—it’s hard to know where to begin. Let’s start with Kat and the way she presents herself. She’s supposedly brilliant and wants nothing more than to treat the small town patients she sees at the clinic. And yet she never thinks that her appearance might make some uncomfortable with her as their physician. She wears black leather skimpy clothes, pierces her face, covers her body with wild body paint and still wants to be seen as a trust-worthy family practitioner in a small town in Nebraska—the 11th most conservative state in the country. Where I live, in a liberal part of North Carolina, most of the hospitals and medical practices don’t allow their medical employees to have visible tattoos or any visible body piercings other than ears. One can argue this is dumb, archaic, and based on an irrational premise—people who are tattooed and pierced aren’t as trustworthy as those who aren’t—but the bias in patients and medical administrators is real and it seemed ridiculous to me that Kat didn’t appear to give it any thought.
Then there’s the misdiagnosis. Kat is a young practitioner—she’s been licensed for less than a year. And it’s true the patient presented with symptoms consistent with a possible minor stroke. But, the misdiagnosis Kat makes is a common one, and it seems unlikely, had she correctly diagnosed the patient earlier in the day, that diagnosis would have prevented him from having a massive stroke less than twelve hours after she saw him in the clinic. Furthermore, if every time a physician made a misdiagnosis or didn’t catch a problem, she were immediately put on leave, we’d have very few working doctors in this country. It made no sense Kat was not allowed to continue to practice and even less sense that she, who is known for being both a medical whiz and a strong woman, would have allowed herself to be professionally treated in this way. This is a woman who has been to four years of college, four years of medical school and, probably, three years of residency. She’s spent years and—although it’s never mentioned—money to become a doctor. One bad call and she’s on the run, terrified she’ll never be able to hold her head up in Justice again, worried she’ll be ruined in a malpractice suit (unlikely given the circumstances), and, in general, overwhelmingly awash in anxious self-pity.
Luke, who knows none of this, kidnaps her—her office tells him it’s fine because she’s due for some vacation—and Kat goes with him, running away (for most of the book) from the nasty senior partner threatening her professional life. Kat, while on the road with Luke, when she’s not freaking about her awful horrible no-good mistake, is freaking out about having Luke see her without her makeup and body paint. She hasn’t let anyone—anyone!—see her without makeup or body paint since she was in ninth grade. She doesn’t normally take off her clothes when she has sex. And now, she’s stuck in an RV for days with a man who says he wants to marry her and she’s terrified to show him the real her. So, she spends her time alternately trying to get in his pants or panicking her life is going to fall to ruins. One page she thinks she loves him and he can be trusted; the next she’s sure he’ll leave her when he finds out the people of Justice will all think she’s fatally flawed. She’s so all over the map emotionally, I found it hard to either like her or make sense of her feelings.
Luke is also a cipher. He was apparently in love with Sabrina, or thought he was in love with Sabrina, for years. After she hooked up with Marc, Luke realized he just wanted to take care of Sabrina because he’s the kind of guy who wants to take care of everyone and everything. I don’t know why he loves Kat initially—he has a hero complex and she, on the surface, comes across as someone who doesn’t want anyone to be her savior. Then, as the two travel and she opens up to him, he sees she is a far more complex person than he thought and he begins to feel hurt she isn’t offering him much more than just her body. Luke also, unlike Kat, fits in beautifully in Justice. He runs a restaurant there he loves, he’s involved with the community, someday he’d like to be mayor. His dream is to marry Kat, have tons of kids, grow old in Justice, and be the most loved guy in town. He can’t seem to see Kat might not be the right person for that specific future and Kat, who is sure she is not, in the wake of her medical practice problems, that person, punishes them both for this disconnect. It’s an annoying version of the “I love you but I can’t be with you because I’m wrong for you” thesis and, by the middle of the novel, I wanted them to both start seeing other people—in Kat’s case, I hoped it would be a good shrink.
Finally, in the middle of the book, Kat comes clean to Luke in more ways than one. She allows him see her “naked,” tells him about her professional problems, and lets him go down on her. (She’s only ever let anyone do this to her once before—it makes her feel too vulnerable.) And, at this point, I had hopes the two might begin to resolve their issues constructively. My hopes were dashed. I disliked the way this story resolved itself. Kat never really stands up for herself in Justice and Luke, in order to have Kat, not only puts up with way too much crap from her, but gives up almost everything he cares about. The ending is written as though it is a happy, even blissful, one but I didn’t by it. I wanted to say, especially to Luke, (stealing the words of the great country music songstress Kathy Mattea), “Darlin’, you’re not dreamin’ big enough if that’s what you call love.”
The book is dedicated to “to anyone who’s ever been bullied or made to feel like you’re less than you are.” (Is there anyone who hasn’t, at some point in their life, been made to feel less than they think they are? And is that necessarily a bad thing? There’s a reason the ancients were obsessed with hubris and that the ability to succeed is closely tied with the ability to fail.) It’s clear the message of the book is we should all accept everyone on his or her own terms, not judge others by their appearance, or try and force people to fit into limiting social expectations. And yet, in her own way, Kat has a very difficult time not doing just those things. She’s judgmental, struggles to compromise, and needs to control how others see her. She sees the people of Justice as less than they turn out to be and she, one could argue, bullies Luke into a relationship based far more on her needs than his. I have a hard time with pat morality inherently—I had an even harder time with it in this book given the actions of the heroine.
I did like the writing in the book. The sex scenes are pretty hot and parts of the novel are funny. Anyone who has ever waited in a doctor’s office has to smile at this passage:
An hour and forty minutes later, Luke was sitting in the waiting room of the Alliance Medical Partners clinic flipping through a Cosmo magazine from 2009. Still, he couldn’t argue with the seven ways to seduce a man outdoors and the position-by-position guide to “The Best Sex of Your Life” seemed timeless.
But, overall, Everything You’ve Got did not work for me. I give it a C-.
Dabney
QUOTE:
If you enjoy small town romances but are looking for one that stands out, Twisted Up provides a refreshing change.
Desert Isle Keeper
Twisted Up
Erin Nicholas
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Small town romances tend to have certain elements in common that appeal to their readers. Shops with cute names; seniors coffee or craft circles where the latest gossip is discussed; best friends who’ve known each other since kindergarten; fundraisers for a neighbor needing a hand; etc. Erin Nicholas is no stranger to this subgenre of contemporary romance, having self-published her successful Sapphire Falls series. But in Twisted Up, the first story in her new Taking Chances series, she takes things up a notch by adding a bite of reality – the consequences for a small town that lives along Tornado Alley, a colloquial term for a region of the United States that is prone to strong and damaging storms. For the people of Chance, Nebraska, tornadoes are no laughing matter. The author succeeds in taking a serious subject and still providing the heartwarming romance her readers expect while offering up a unique contemporary story.
The last few summers in Chance have been tough for the town. Since the first EF4 strength tornado hit in recent memory, the townspeople have rallied to fix the damages and work on their preparedness for future storms. As the fire chief, Avery Sparks is always one of the first to respond to any emergency and these definitely qualify. But with storms this big, state and federal officials get involved. And that means her old friend, long ago crush, prom date and virginity taker, Jake Mitchell, keeps showing up in town. On site for brief periods after the last two tornadoes, they’ve had a little flirtation, some stolen kisses, but nothing more as Jake stays only as long as he’s needed, then he’s off to another small town in need of help. When stormy weather once again descends on Chance, Jake, in town for his ten year high school reunion, is in the right place at the right time. But the outside weather is no match for the rocky emotions Avery is experiencing over his being back in town again. There’s no denying the attraction between them – will they finally take a chance on a future together?
Knocked down and still fighting, the town of Chance is a definite star here, the setting and plot of the story definitely highlighting the small town spirit and togetherness found in any location where natural disaster strikes. But where things could descend into sadness and grief, those emotions, while present, don’t overwhelm the story. Instead there is an emphasis on being prepared, knowing what to do and where to turn to in an emergency. The different leaders of the town – the mayor, the police chief (who happens to be Jake’s father) and Avery as the fire chief work together to provide as much safety for the town as they can, while coordinating relief efforts. It gives you a warm feeling to see these people all pulling together.
Amid the backdrop of summer storms, Avery and Jake’s romance is unstable too. Avery has been hurt by Jake in the past. She was raised by a cold and rather cruel grandmother and Jake’s family was a safe place for her. When he asked her to the prom, she knew it was because his mother had suggested it, but she didn’t care. And when she asked him to kiss her and things escalated quickly, that was okay too. What wasn’t okay though, was the morning after when she discovered that Jake had left town without saying goodbye, en route to his basic training in the national guard. Hurt by this, and abandoned by her grandmother once she was eighteen, Avery made her own way. First college, then training as a firefighter that enabled her to return to Chance and eventually gain the position as fire chief. Adversity has made her strong but her heart is very guarded.
Some readers will see Jake’s actions as insensitive. And they are right to think so. But it’s important to understand Jake’s overall character. From a young age, he wanted to help others. While this sentiment is of course encouraged, it manifested itself in Jake as the continual desire to help more and more people. This desire led him to apply to the national guard and he knew that his mother or Avery would be emotional over his leaving so he didn’t tell them his post-graduation plans. In hindsight he knows he should have approached it differently. But he was eighteen and already thinking of the good he could do for so many other people. Chance became a distant memory in the focus on his career – at least until the tornadoes started bringing him back again. But the truth is, he’s more comfortable helping strangers. It hurts to see his neighbours struggling and to avoid this, he stays in town only as long as necessary before heading back to the emotional safety of his office and his desk job. But every time he comes back and sees Avery, he finds a way to spend some time alone with her and it gets harder and harder to leave. This time, things go even further, and they share some steamy scenes that emphasize the depth of the feelings they keep trying to hide. This time, Jake finds that he doesn’t want to leave.
There is a mystery that quickly becomes apparent in the first few chapters, and it kept me reading late into the night. Avery was close to Jake’s parents when she was young, but when he left, something clearly happened to their relationship and they are as strangers to each other now. I wanted to know what happened! And Jake is in the thick of it too, realizing that the future he had envisioned for his parents and Avery – that his parents would take care of her while he was gone – never happened. The unraveling of that mystery, combined with the romance finally developing between Jake and Avery makes for a very satisfying story. As well, Jake’s two cousins Max (a former army corps engineer) and Dillon (an ER doctor) who are home for the high school reunion provide some humorous moments, and the same goes for Avery and her two best friends Kit and Bree. There are some clear match-ups for future books in the series with these friends that it seems, based on some of the events in this book, will take place concurrently with Jake and Avery’s story. If you enjoy small town romances but are looking for one that stands out, Twisted Up provides a refreshing change.
Book Details
Reviewer : Maria Rose
Grade : A-
Sensuality : Warm
Book Type : Contemporary Romance
Review Tags : Taking Chances series
03/29/2017
Review: Forever Mine by Erin Nicholas
Forever Mine (Opposites Attract #2)- Erin Nicholas
Synopsis
Maya Goodwin doesn't believe in holding back. Ever. As a cop, she never hesitated to throw herself into harm's way to save someone. Even after an injury on the job forces her to retire, she's not afraid to keep risking it all to get the life she wants. With a new career teaching martial arts to kids already underway, she's looking forward to the future - and taking a chance on the unbelievably hot Dr. Alex Nolan.
Maya - daring and spontaneous - is the exact opposite of what Alex always thought he wanted. But when a nine-year-old daughter he never knew existed shows up on his doorstep, Maya is the one who helps them hold it together. With love on the line, will the guy who's always played it safe be willing to take the biggest risk of all?
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Completely Yours (Opposites Attract #1)
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My Review - 4 Stars
I'm always on the lookout for books featuring smart heroines. The Opposites Attract series is about a trio of Lady Nerds, each with their own geeky interest. Each book stands on its own so you can read them in any order you want. Forever Mine is Maya's story.
Maya is all about cosplay, martial arts, and super heroes. I could care less about these things- much like Alex- but Maya's enthusiasm is contagious. She's spunky and passionate about her interests, as well as the people she loves. She initiates most of her relationship with Alex- she's someone who goes after what she wants- and this sets up an interesting, not always good, dynamic in their relationship.
Alex is an enigma. He's brilliant in his field as a hematologist but refuses to tell his colleagues or anyone else he has hemophilia himself. His mom overshared this information when he was a child and so he's swung in the opposite direction. (Is this possible?Wouldn't he have worn a medical bracelet or something along those lines in case of emergency?) When he finds out a) he has a 9 year old daughter from a one-night stand and b) she has hemophilia, he goes above and beyond to make up for not being there for her sooner. Alex is a truly good guy. He is loyal and funny and tries to do what's right.
He thinks he shouldn't start a relationship because of his daughter but he has a hard time resisting Maya, especially when she's teaching him martial arts which he can then modify for his daughter and she's schooling him on his daughter's favorite superheroes. It's a really great set up for the story and I loved seeing Maya shine as an instructor and Alex's dedication to his daughter. They have wonderful chemistry together and I loved how their very different interests are brought them together in the first place. It was so fun watching their relationship grow!
Maya's friendship with Sophie and Kiera still plays a big role, as it did in the first book. These girls have been through a lot together and there's great growth that happens because of their friendship. I'm so happy whenever female friendship plays a big role in a novel because it's true to my life and most people I know.
Hemophilia is such an interesting illness to spotlight. Definitely a great choice. Because I used to be a pediatric oncology/hematology social worker, I had a few quibbles with the medical aspects of his storyline. Having the same diagnosis as the population you treat is a major boon and I couldn't understand why he wouldn't disclose it to his patients. I also wish the interdisciplinary pediatric team had been highlighted. At least by the end he understands the areas where he needs to grow as a doctor.
One geek plus one doctor equals a sweet, enjoyable story of opposites who attract. I'm looking forward to Sophie's story next!
Disclosure: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Affiliate links included in this post.
QUOTE:
The best part of Forever Mine was that there’s no real angst. Maya and Alex have to work some stuff out, but the obstacles that keep them apart aren’t dire. And I loved how Maya helped him learn about the characters and worlds his daughter was passionate about in a genuine and enthusiastic way. Add some really hot sex scenes to the mix, and basically I was in heaven.
Forever Mine by Erin Nicholas
by Elyse · Mar 29, 2017 at 3:00 am · View all 24 comments
Forever Mine
by Erin Nicholas
March 28, 2017 · Forever
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A
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance
Theme: Secret Baby
Archetype: Cop/Sheriff, Single Parent, Doctor
Forever Mine is a contemporary romance that made me squee and made me sigh. It’s a celebration of geek culture, of women who love comics, and of cosplay. Sometimes I read a book and I love it so much that I basically can’t even describe how much I love it – I just shove it into people’s hands and shout “OMG READ IT RIGHT NOW!”
Forever Mine is that book. I love it so much it gives me Confetti Farts.
It’s a wonderful escape, like a vacation for your brain. I say that in a totally non-patronizing way too. I’m not doing the whole “denigrate romance as escapist fluff” thing. Escapism and brain rest are super important, you guys. And while Forever Mine is light-hearted and stress-free, it also has depth. And feels. There are feels.
Our intrepid hero is Doctor Alex Nolan who is a pediatric specialist in genetic conditions, specifically hemophilia. Alex recently found out that he has a ten-year-old daughter, Charli. A big part of the book is Alex trying to learn how to be a dad and connect to Charli – not because he’s inept, but because this is a whole new person he’s never met who is now a huge part of his life. He has a lot of guilt because Charli inherited her hemophilia from him and it inhibits her from doing “normal” things.
Charli is a huge fan of the movie franchise Galactic Renegades (think Power Rangers meets Guardians of the Galaxy) and she wants to do martial arts like her favorite heroine. Unfortunately her increased bleeding risk means any injury could lead to internal bleeding and other bad things, and Charli has to sit by the sidelines.
Then Alex hears about a place called Active Imagination Martial Arts and Fitness Studio, and that’s where he meets Maya Goodwin. Maya’s studio teaches a combination of martial arts and stunt work to kids. They have the kids develop their own superhero, design a costume, and incorporate the cosplaying and fitness activities into self-esteem boosting. Maya herself loves comics and is a cosplayer.
Alex is afraid to let Charli take the class, so instead he asks Maya to teach him so he can teach Charli in a safer setting.
You know where this leads right?
It leads to Alex giving Maya orgasms in his swimming pool is where it leads.
Alex is pretty buttoned up, and Maya is an adult who sometimes dresses like a superhero and who has an unabashed love of geek culture. She reads comics. She watches superhero movies. She makes her own costumes and weapons.
Maya helps Alex loosen up in many charming little ways. For example, he has his assistant research his daughter’s favorite superheroes and give him a synopsis, which Maya promptly stops. Instead, she makes him read the comic books. Without setting out to do so, she helps him become a better father – not that he wasn’t legitimately trying already. This isn’t a book about a dude who can’t dad right. Oh, and did I mention he has a good relationship with Charli’s mom? This is not a mean ex book at all. Co-parenting for the win.
In fact, a lot of the conflict comes from the fact that Alex has just found out he has this really important person in his life (Charli) and he doesn’t want to enter into a relationship with anyone else until he’s figured his relationship with Charli out. It’s important to him to be a good father.
There’s also conflict surrounding the fact that both Alex and Charli have a disorder that impacts their ability to do physical activities safely. Maya has similar hang ups- she was a police officer until an injury put her on desk duty. One of the things I liked was how Forever Mine balanced the message of not letting physical limitations completely inhibit you while at the same time not suggesting GO DO ALL THE THINGS NO MATTER HOW UNSAFE BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. As someone who suffers from a chronic illness, that “just believe and you’ll overcome” anthem annoys the hell outta me.
The best part of Forever Mine was that there’s no real angst. Maya and Alex have to work some stuff out, but the obstacles that keep them apart aren’t dire. And I loved how Maya helped him learn about the characters and worlds his daughter was passionate about in a genuine and enthusiastic way. Add some really hot sex scenes to the mix, and basically I was in heaven.
If you need to just feel really good for awhile, or you really love cosplay or comics or guys who specialize in blood disorders, this book is absolutely your catnip. It’s “read in one sitting good.”
As an aside, Maya and her friends routinely debate who is the superhero they find the hottest. I’m a Captain America girl, myself. You?
QUOTE:
Overall, this was a fantastic second novel Ms. Nicholas has penned for her Taking Chances series where the sex scenes were hot and illustrated just how right these two are for each other. The way this story ended with Bree confessing what ice cream flavors match their intimate moments together and how they can have everything they both want brought a smile to my face. I would recommend Tangled Up by Erin Nicholas, especially if you love the best friends to lovers trope or small town romances.
In Tangled Up (Taking Chances #2) by Erin Nicholas, Tornados are a common occurrence in Chance, Nebraska and when one of the worst hits the town, best friends Bree McDermott and Max Grady team up to help those in need. Both know repairing the houses and businesses around town comes first, but there’s no way Bree isn’t going to finally make her move, especially when she comes to realize just how much Max means to her.
”Damn, girl, you make me want to break all kinds of laws.”
Bree McDermott – Officer McDermott – turned to him and raised her eyebrow. “You know I won’t think twice about using my stun gun on you.”
He did know that, as a matter of fact. “You promise to be extra rough when you handcuff me?” Max asked her with a big grin.
Bree laughed and launched herself into his arms. “You’re just hoping to get frisked.”
Ms. Nicholas is one of the authors I frequently re-read, especially when I know she’s releasing a new book in one of her series. Because re-reading her books is a way to familiarize myself with the characters in that series, and as I read Twisted Up (Book 1 in her Taking Chances series) again, I couldn’t wait to dive in and start reading this book featuring Bree and Max. Not only because this story encompasses the best friends to lovers trope, but because it’s palpable how much Max cares for Bree.
As for the dialogue, I loved every minute of it. The teasing dialogue between Max and Bree illustrates how close they are and that neither of them wants to do anything to jeopardize their friendship. Yet, in saying that, if they don’t do something about the intense chemistry pinging between them, than they could lose something that has the potential to be great and last forever. Can Bree convince Max that she’s ready to give them a chance? It isn’t easy, but if anyone is up to the challenge it’s the heroine. She’s smart and resourceful in the way she uses ice-cream analogies to prove to Max how right their relationship is. Really, who knew Bree could be so sweet? Furthermore, I liked the dynamics between the main characters and the secondary ones. Certainly, Bree and Max need the helpful advice their friends provide, if they’re ever going to have a chance at happiness.
”Max?” Bree finally asked, her forehead wrinkling. “Are you okay?”
“You planned this? To have all of this ice cream here?”
She nodded. “I had to go to the store, but I wanted to show you what I’d realized. This is my celebration of you moving home. I get to have all of this, all of these kinds, whatever flavor I’m in the mood for, even multiple flavors at once, every day forever. Because it’s all you.”
Both the main characters were compelling, and it was understandable why Bree is an adrenaline junkie. She lives her life by appreciating the phrase — “Live every day like it’s your last, because you never know what can happen” — because of how she’s always felt like a replacement baby for her parents. However, her philosophy doesn’t make it easy for Max to trust that she doesn’t just want him because of the adrenaline rush the tornado or other incidents create for her. Luckily, she’s persistent in trying to convince Max that she wants him for him.
While Max, he’s hard-working, stubborn as a mule, and protective of Bree. She’s been his best friend forever, and yet, his feelings for her have been more than that of a friend for years. There were moments where I wanted to slap the hero for being so stubborn when it came to believing in Bree’s feelings for him. Yet, at the same time, I could understand why he kept hesitating to give them a chance. He had to be absolutely sure that she wanted to be with him forever, because once he had her he wasn’t letting her go.
Overall, this was a fantastic second novel Ms. Nicholas has penned for her Taking Chances series where the sex scenes were hot and illustrated just how right these two are for each other. The way this story ended with Bree confessing what ice cream flavors match their intimate moments together and how they can have everything they both want brought a smile to my face. I would recommend Tangled Up by Erin Nicholas, especially if you love the best friends to lovers trope or small town romances.
Book Info:
Becca| 4.5 Stars | HJ Recommends | No |
Publication: January 17th, 2017 | Montlake Romance | Taking Chances #2
Storm chaser Max Grady can already feel it: there’s a tornado coming to his hometown of Chance, Nebraska. Max is going after it, and the only person he wants by his side is police officer Bree McDermott, fellow adrenaline junkie, his best friend, and the woman Max has secretly been in love with for years. But when a close call with a tornado leaves them lip-locked, Max knows that the danger is only beginning.
Bree is always up for excitement. Her close and sexy encounter with Max is unlike anything she’s felt before, and she wants more. As they work together to help clean up Chance, the air between them crackles with sexual tension. But Bree has a tendency to look ahead to the next thrill, and Max knows it. Now they’re all tangled up as they chase the strongest force of nature on earth: love.