Nicole Michaels

Start Me Up is the first novel in Nicole Michaels' Hearts and Crafts series. It is a sweet but sexy romance between two very unlikely people but that is one of the things that makes it such an enjoyable read.

Anne Edmonds and two of her friends have a wildly popular blog, she runs a very successful party planning business and she also writes a weekly newspaper column. On the surface, her life seems picture perfect, but Anne is carrying a ton of baggage from her divorce. This single mom is devoted to her adorable daughter, but she has not been on a single date since the divorce and she is teeming with insecurities. So when hot bachelor Mike Everett shows an interest in her, Anne finds it hard to believe that he wants her for anything but a fun, flirty fling.

Mike is instantly smitten with Anne but he has a bit of bad boy past that makes him feel like she is out of his league. He has left his troubles behind him and he owns a lucrative car restoration business but he wonders if he is a little too blue collar for Anne. He does not let his reservations keep him from asking her out, but Mike quickly realizes that Anne is not anywhere near as invested in their burgeoning relationship as he is.

Mike and Anne are a wonderful couple, but their lack of communication and insecurities are quite exasperating. Anne is quick to point out her flaws and her low self esteem keeps her from taking their romance seriously. Anne's preoccupation over their slight age difference comes across as more of an excuse to keep him at arm's length than an actual concern. Both of them are a bit immature at times but Mike's preoccupation with sex is a little juvenile. There is plenty of sexual tension between them and Mike is incredibly understanding when parenting duties interrupt them at a very inopportune moment. Mike is surprisingly patient with Anne and her hang-ups and he refuses to let a misunderstanding ruin their relationship.

Despite a few frustrations with the lead characters, Start Me Up is an absolutely charming and scorching hot romance. It is a very heartwarming beginning to Nicole Michaels' Hearts and Crafts series that fans of contemporary romances are going to love.… (plus d'informations)

NEW RELEASE: WIN ME OVER BY NICOLE MICHAELS. ON SALE 9/1.  
 
READ AND REVIEW
 
WIN ME OVER BY NICOLE MICHAELS
 
Release Date:  September 1, 2015
 
SYNOPSIS
 
WINNING ISN'T EVERYTHING
Callie Daniels is a singular sensation. She owns and operates her own bakery, contributes to a popular lifestyle blog, and is the dance team coach at a local high school. She lives by her own design and is much too busy to consider dating. Mr. Right will have to fit into her life when the time is right...UNLESS YOU'RE PLAYING FOR KEEPS
Football coach Bennett Clark always plays by the rules. He knows that his new colleague Callie is off limits but she's so beautiful-and irritating!-that Bennett can't get her off his mind. She wants him to participate in a charity dance contest, and won't take no for an answer. Soon, what begins as a festive athletic endeavor turns into a heated flirtation on and off the dance floor. Could it be that the free-spirited Callie has finally found a way through Coach Clark's line of defense?
 
BUY LINKS
 
Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Win-Me-Over-Nicole-Michaels-ebook/dp/B00UGE0P4G/
 
Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/win-me-over-nicole-michaels/1120871297?ean=9781466862234
 
Google Play Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Nicole_Michaels
_Win_Me_Over?id=8wcRBwAAQBAJ&hl=en
 
Ibooks:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/win-me-over/id979153383?mt=11
 
Kobo:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/win-me-over
 
 
REVIEW:  WIN ME OVER BY NICOLE MICHAELS
 
Win Me Over by Nicole MichaelsMy rating: 5 of 5 starsWin Me Over is the perfect title for this novel. Romance at it's finest. Nicole Michaels fascinating story is both entertaining and touching. Love the characters. Enjoyed the story and found a new author in the process. Definitely a WIN, WIN. Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.View all my reviews… (plus d'informations)

2.5 stars

****Full Review****

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Mike thought he would just drop his niece off at her friend's birthday party but when a living breathing goddess opens the door he decides to brave the pink explosion inside and stay a while. The goddess, Anne, sees herself more as a slightly too heavy, on the wrong side of 30, and with the added bonus of being a single mom, not exactly a prime catch. Their attraction is immediate and neither can ignore it but Anne's self-esteem issues and Mike's former womanizing ways threaten to derail the relationship they are trying to get going.

I have to say, the beginning of this book was extremely hard to get into, however, once you get past the insta-lust Mike has towards Anne, the obligatory catty women, cliché gay male friend, and tough female friend, it gets better around the 32% mark as Mike and Anne start to be together. The story really focuses on Mike and Anne living their lives while trying to make a go at a romantic relationship; there is an angst wrench thrown into the mix towards the end that involves scorned/jealous women. I hesitate to call this a character driven story though; Mike and Anne aren't completely developed or flushed out characters. Anne is so gorgeous but just doesn't realize it! All she can see about herself is the extra weight and how she failed at marriage. These are definitely issues that affect women but the character development was very surface level. Along with Anne and her adoption story, Mike lost his parents at a very young age and seemed to have a difficult past but once again I couldn't get absorbed into the essence of his character as the writing didn't delve deep enough.

This story works best when Anne and Mike are together and interacting with all the excitement and nervousness of a new relationship. Mike was charming and did feel real (he goes way too over the top with how perfect Anne is) in the story, the cool, calm, ease, and let's face it, adorable way he interacts with Anne's daughter is pretty sigh worthy. For the calm tone of the story I was impressed with their sex scenes, nothing over the top but definitely have some heat to them. Mike can't keep his hands off of Anne and it leads to some public adventures that were fun to read about.

If Mike's insta-lust had been toned down a smidge and the author had thrown out the check list of what is typically in a contemporary romance, I think the good writing showcasing Anne and Mike's relationship could have shown through more. On a side note, I would also like to mention that Mike's job is fixing up and restoring old cars, so it was fun to read some car porn. It's not focused on a lot but it was a great fun addition, especially when he didn't want to get busy on a car he was restoring because of denting :) It's a mellow, fairly quick read that if you are looking for a story that has a well written charming single guy dating a single mother with daughter involved in the interaction, then this could trip your trigger.… (plus d'informations)

Brooke Abbott has returned to her hometown in Missouri after a painful relationship that has left her wary and her brother very protective of her. She's opened a small arts studio, selling her own jewelry and handicraft as well as that of others, and she really needs this, her first Christmas season, to be a big success if her studio is to survive till spring.

When local bad boy/heartthrob (and secret crush) Alex Coleman returns to town unexpectedly, she's pretty sure it's bad news. Alex was always trouble. What she doesn't know is that Alex has returned to see his grandmother, settle his wealthy grandfather's estate, and make peace with his mother.

What Alex doesn't know is that his often cold, distant grandfather has left him his most treasured real estate holding other than the family house: 100 Main Street, the building that houses both Brooke's studio and her apartment.

I like both Alex and Brooke, although they do both follow the Rule of not sharing important information early that will come out later and make much more trouble then. They are both in their different ways damaged by past experiences, and reaching for healing and wholeness. They also both have both a sense of fun, and a sense of decency, so that you're rooting for them both all the way through.

A fun Christmas read.

I received a free electronic galley from the publisher via NetGalley.… (plus d'informations)