Sarah Monzon

It has been a long while since I was captivated by a book to the point where I did not put it down. The characters were so strong and I have to say, Chloe was a highlight of the story.

I was really enthralled by the storytelling. This book just seemed to flow right along and there were no hiccups of any sort. I felt like I could have been there with the characters.

The reason I moved the rating down half a star was because I did not feel like I was able to tell apart the girls of the SoCal group. They seemed to blur together and that may have to do with the fact that this is the first book though.

I highly recommend this one to fans of Melissa Ferguson and Kara Isaac. It will not disappoint.



Rating: 4.5/5

Language: n/a

Romance: a kiss, death of a spouse

Spiritual: Ben attends church, Molly frequently references Bible verses

Violence: n/a

Note: mentions of feminine hygiene products



*I received a copy of this novel from the author. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.… (más)

I have enjoyed some of Sarah's books in the past so when my sister told me that Nicole was on NetGalley, I went for it.
Honestly, I was disappointed.
There were many red-flag issues that were just brushed aside throughout the whole entire book. First off, Nicole is very passionate about the environment and resents anyone who is not. Drew cares a little but drives a 'gas-guzzler' and eats meat. With Nicole's personality, I really can't see her brushing all this aside and just being fine with some of the things Drew does.
I found Nicole's attitude to be more of a better-than-you thing with the way she handled those of opposing viewpoints. Nicole mentioned how people think she is a crazy liberal, and it was fairly obvious why people said that. Just saying.
I often come across opinions of authors in books. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to address them (if you ask me). I prefer when they aren't forced on the reader with a 'lecture' and Nicole did A LOT of lecturing.
I did like that Nicole's daughter played football. I don't often see that in fiction so it was a nice change.

Rating: 1/5
Language: n/a
Romance: kissing
Violence: n/a
Spiritual: characters are Christians


*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.… (más)

Haul Out the Holly!

Mackenzie has just found out she is pitted against her secret crush, Jeremy, for a promotion at work. It is Christmastime, and their boss loves the season, and promotes people who have the most holiday spirit.

As the two of them try to outdo the other with creative office decorations, and seasonal activities, they begin to look at each other in new ways.

They also make surprising discoveries about each other. Jeremy has taken on the role of parenting his niece and nephew after their mother, his sister, passed away.

Mackenzie strains to pay for her mother's expensive Alzheimer's treatment in a nice care facility. She also struggles with social anxiety that causes her to have a cripplingly fear of interacting with others.

It was fun to have this tale take place at Christmastime. I really liked the part when they explored the different ways people celebrate around the world, including the special holiday foods.

I had trouble warming up to Mackenzie, but she grew on me when she started trying to find a way out of her problems. The character's faith added a great dimension to the story. Fans of romantic comedies, or the problems of modern life, will enjoy this five-star book.

Thank you, Bethany House, for providing Tickmenot with a book to review. Opinions are my own.… (más)