The Words We Lost (Fog Harbor #1) by Nicole Deese

 Three friends. Two broken promises. One missing manuscript.

As a senior acquisitions editor for Fog Harbor Books in San Francisco, Ingrid Erikson has rejected many a manuscript for lack of defined conflict and dramatic irony--two elements her current life possesses in spades. In the months following the death of her childhood best friend and international bestselling author Cecelia Campbell, Ingrid has not only lost her ability to escape into fiction due to a rare trauma response, but she's also desperate to find the closure she's convinced will come with Cecelia's missing final manuscript.

After Ingrid jeopardizes her career, she fears her future will remain irrevocably broken. But then Joel Campbell--the man who shattered her belief in happily-ever-afters--offers her a sealed envelope from his late cousin, Cecelia, asking Joel and to put their differences aside and retrieve a mysterious package in their coastal Washington hometown.

Honoring Cecelia's last request will challenge their convictions and test their loyalties, but through it all, will Ingrid and Joel be brave enough to uncover a twice-in-a-lifetime love?

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Confession.  I didn't ever read the blurb for this book.  It's a thing for me with authors that I know I love.  I trust them to write fantastic stories and I want to be completely surprised going in so yeah, no reading the blurbs for me.  This book was the best surprise for me.  I'm so glad I didn't know anything about it going in.

There is a dual timeline happening in this book as Joel and Ingrid read a memoir of sorts that takes them back in time to memories of their youth.  I really loved this because I had the chance to connect the people before and the people now.  The shift in time was seamless.

Emotions of all kinds were swirling in this book.  Sorrow and loss, pain and regret.  Love and laughter, healing and peace.  And plenty of misunderstanding.  It was quite the journey.

I loved the setting and the characters.  Second chance love stories are so satisfying to read and if I had to pick a favorite?  It's Joel.  Unwavering, steady, devoted and protective.  His love was his walk and his talk.  I'm all in for that.

The story had so much book talk- from writing to editing and then publishing.  It was fun to be immersed in that side as well.  I love book talk!!  This is another fantastic book from this author.  I enjoyed it top to bottom, beginning to end, all the way through.

Content:  death, drinking (alcoholism),  depression.  Kissing.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

All That It Takes by Nicole Deese

 

When the ever-cautious Val Locklier finally agrees to a cross-country move with her nine-year-old son to take a job with her best friend, Molly, everything she had planned for the future unravels within the first week. After pushing aside her anxieties about renting an apartment from Molly's twin brother, whom she barely knows, she accepts an invitation for an elite filmmaker's mentorship. Caught between her insecurities and new possibilities, she feels completely unprepared for the challenges ahead.

Pastor Miles McKenzie returns home from abroad to discover that not only does he have an intriguing new tenant living upstairs, he's been banished to a ministry on life support. Disillusioned and restless, he pursues a relationship with Val without stopping to consider the timing or asking God to direct his steps.

As Val struggles to stop hiding behind the camera and Miles wrestles with shattered expectations, they'll find that authentic love and sacrifice must go hand in hand.

 * Amazon * Goodreads * BookBub * 

Author Nicole Deese has once again written a story filled with emotion and love in so many forms.  No matter if I've experienced exactly what these characters have experienced or not, I still feel those emotions and then connect to them.  That is a really good feeling as a reader.

Val and Miles know sacrifice but in different ways.  They know about hard things and they both have insecurities.  Their relationship goes from acquaintances to friendship to romance in a natural feeling way.  It was easy to believe and easy to settle in with.  Val and Miles are both so easy to like.  I enjoyed the side characters, especially Val's son.  He was a fun addition, bringing light and joy to all the scenes he was in.  The message of reaching out and helping even just one person, to change their trajectory from lonely, sad and even desperate, to one of love, acceptance and peace is a good reminder today (and every day).  We all can be a little more aware of others and a little kinder to them.

I love the cover of this book- it feels just like the story I just read.  Plus, blue is my favorite color.  💙

This book is Christian Fiction and as Miles is a pastor, there is a heavy base of God and Christian themes.

Content:  kissing

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

All That Really Matters by Nicole Deese

 

Molly McKenzie's bright personality and on-trend fashion and beauty advice have earned her an impressive social media following, as well as a big paycheck each month. When her manager-turned-boyfriend says she has an audition to appear as a host on a makeover show that nominates underprivileged youth, her dream of further fame seems to be coming true. There's just one catch: she has little experience interacting with people in need.

When her manager-boyfriend convinces her to partner with a local organization, she begins volunteering with a summer youth program. The program's director, Silas Whittaker, challenges her at every turn, but she swiftly grows more attached to the kids--and him--every day.

As Molly experiences an acceptance unlike anything she's known, she wrestles with the lies she's been believing about herself for years. She thought she knew what mattered most in life, but maybe she's had it wrong this whole time, and there's more to being truly seen than what she's built her entire life on.

 * Amazon * Goodreads *

When I pick up a book by author Nicole Deese, I know that I am in for an emotional, deeply rooted story with smiles, romance and tears.  Her writing is packed with layers and I love it.  Oh!  And I also love this cover.  LOVE it.

This story is so good.  Just wait until that emotional investment kicks in because when it does, BAM.  I liked Molly from the first moments I met her.  Silas took a minute longer but not by much.  Getting to know both these characters bit by bit was fantastic.  They felt so real, so raw.  It felt like I was there with them.  One thing I really loved was that once it was Molly and Silas, it was Molly and Silas.  They were a team and it was them against the world.  They didn't have a falling out, a walking away or a tuning out.  They were there, together for the haul.  That felt so good.

And, speaking of a team.  Wow, the ending of this book felt like a rally.  All people unite and forge ahead together for the good of all.  It was full of all the warm, fuzzy, inspiring feelings.

These characters, all of them, pack emotional hurts and scars.  They battle inner demons and face moral issues.  It is gritty and it is beautiful.  I loved every page of this book.  5/5 stars

Content:  mild violence, kissing, Christian elements

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

The Kissing Tree: Four Novellas Rooted in Timeless Love by Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings, Amanda Dykes and Nicole Deese

Bestselling novelist Karen Witemeyer joins award-winning authors Regina Jennings, Amanda Dykes, and Nicole Deese for this Texas-sized romance novella collection. Each of the authors' unique voices is on display in stories where courting couples leave a permanent mark of their love by carving their initials into the same oak's bark.

In Regina Jennings' Broken Limbs, Mended Fences, a small-town teacher has her credentials questioned by a traveling salesman.

Karen Witemeyer's The Kissing Tree Inn tells the tale of an unlikely woman building a very unexpected lover's retreat.

From Roots to Sky by Amanda Dykes follows a young WWII naval airman who heads to Texas to meet the sister of a lost compatriot.

Heartwood by Nicole Deese is a modern-day romance where the aftermath of a giant storm brings changes for the owner of a historic inn.

 * Amazon * Goodreads * 

This was the sweetest book!  I love how each book is connected by a tree that lasts through generations of people.  In the first book we get our first introduction to the tree and see how it's history and legend were started.  I love how each story is set in a different decade of time bringing different challenges to the characters.

I thought all the stories were well done.  These are all great authors and it's fun to see them writing for one collection.  What a fun idea this was!  Each story is novella size so I read through them pretty quickly. 

The tree is an integral part of each of the couple's stories and romances and I really loved how each generation celebrated the tree's history and honored it's place in their community. It really gave the whole book such a romantic feel.

Content:  mild peril, kissing

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

 

Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese

Lauren Bailey may be a romantic at heart, but after a decade of matchmaking schemes gone wrong, there's only one match she's committed to now--the one that will make her a mother. Lauren is a dedicated first grade teacher in Idaho, and her love for children has led her to the path of international adoption. To satisfy her adoption agency's requirements, she gladly agreed to remain single for the foreseeable future; however, just as her long wait comes to an end, Lauren is blindsided by a complication she never saw coming: Joshua Avery.

Joshua may be a substitute teacher by day, but Lauren finds his passion for creating educational technology as fascinating as his antics in the classroom. Though she does her best to downplay the undeniable connection between them, his relentless pursuit of her heart puts her commitment to stay unattached to the test and causes her once-firm conviction to waver.

With an impossible decision looming, Lauren might very well find herself choosing between the two deepest desires of her heart . . . even if saying yes to one means letting go of the other.

 * Amazon * Goodreads *

Was there ever a better book boyfriend than Joshua Avery?  I'm having trouble thinking of any others at this very moment!  I know this story was prominently about Lauren (and she is a hero too) but Joshua?  Wow.  I loved his steady goodness and his optimism.  And the way he set Lauren up to support and love her? He was really, truly amazing.

I loved how much emotion this story held.  My favorite kind of stories are the ones that make me feel wrapped up and immersed in the lives and feelings of the characters.  Before I Made You Mine did this expertly. This was a fantastic journey of love of all kinds.  Familial love, romantic love, parental love and love for God.  It's no wonder why author Nicole Deese is one of my favorites.  💙

Content:  Christian fiction, kissing

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expresses are my own.

The Promise of Rayne by Nicole Deese

Rayne Shelby has spent her entire life trying to earn the approval of her high-powered family, with the hope of one day managing her late grandfather’s prestigious Idaho lodge. But when she makes a mistake that puts her future in jeopardy, she faces an impossible choice: defy her family or deny her dream. The only way to fix the mess she’s created is to enlist the help of her neighbor, Levi, the apprentice of her family’s greatest enemy. And if Rayne gets caught crossing the divided property lines, the consequences will be irreparable.

Levi Harding has never forgotten the August night he shared with Rayne when they were teens—or the way she later rejected him. Despite his warring instincts, he can’t ignore her plea for help or the spark that’s ignited between them. But now, as wildfires bear down on their town and family secrets are revealed, their newfound alliance might just go up in smoke.

 * Amazon * Goodreads *

Nicole Deese is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.  I haven't read all her books- just a couple but I'm such a fan of the ones I have read.  When I saw this new book up on NetGalley I was so excited!  

I loved the tension that existed from the very beginning of this book.  It felt so real and strong.  Rayne and Levi are fantastic characters with depth and humanity.  Their struggles, their feelings and their decisions felt authentic and real.  The whole book just had a meaty feel to it.  I loved it.  

It's a forbidden love, a family feud, buried secrets and a raging wildfire all conspiring against two genuinely good people who want to want to contribute positively to society and live peaceably.  At times, the forces against them seemed too overwhelming but I always felt that thread of hope from both of the main characters.  It had me fully invested and rooting for the good of all.  I really loved this book!

Content:  Clean

-I received a copy of this book from the publisher.  A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.

A Season to Love ( A Love in Lenox Novel) by Nicole Deese

At this point in her life, bravery is not a trait Willa Hart would readily claim. She believes her seven-year-old daughter, Savannah, who never knew her father and successfully tackled chemotherapy, is truly the courageous one. Yet after Willa has a fateful encounter with handsome young doctor Patrick McCade, her outlook—and her view of herself—begins to change.

Patrick, a thrill-seeking world traveler and temporary resident of Lenox, Oregon, sets out to show Willa the value of adventure, even within her tiny town. But just when their friendship shows signs of turning into something more, Patrick’s life as a traveling doctor calls him back. Will his last days in town signal the end of their journey, or will Patrick and Willa find the courage to transform a single season into a lifetime?

 * Goodreads * Amazon *

When your book world friends start raving about a book and an author, you listen.  Then you run as fast as your fingers can take you to every review place you have access to in order to secure a review copy to read for yourself.  Well, this may not be how it works for you but this is how it works for me and this is exactly how it happened for me and this book.  (Thank you NetGalley and Waterfall Press!)

A Season to Love is just classic clean romance.  It has all the elements I look for when reading.  The characters were real and personable.  They had strengths and flaws.  They make mistakes and they have moments of absolute awesome.  There was emotion and feeling that drew me in and kept me so invested in not just the characters, but the story and most especially, the ending.

Willa is scared.  There isn't any other good way to put it.  She has been through an awful lot and to some degree it's understandable, but the problem is, once you start shutting people out and living life in a bubble of fear, it becomes habit and you become even more scared.  That's how Patrick finds Willa and because of his adventurous life- full of living and exploring- he is determined to help Willa break out of her cage and really live.

Friendship is the base of Patrick and Willa's relationship.  They move slowly because that is the only way Willa can move.  It was so good, so satisfying, to see Patrick's patience and Willa's transformation.  

There is also great cast of supporting characters in this book.  That's so important.

I really enjoyed reading this book.  I ran out right away and picked up a previous book by this author ( A Cliche Christmas) which I am looking forward to reading.  I actually got it from Amazon and added the audible for only $1.99.  This will be one for the car!  :)

Content:  kissing