Title: Nico (The Leaves, #3)
Author: J.B. Hartnett
Series: The Leaves
Release Date: February 7, 2014
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When I was a
boy, I met a girl.
She didn’t
know it then, but…
She changed
me.
Now…..I am a
man.
A man who is
broken by the stories of the women who come to me.
They are my
birds with broken wings.
I help them
heal, help them to make them strong, so they can fly free.
Lark changed
me. Loved Me. Made Me Strong.
With her, I
am free.
I write…
To the girl
of the past.
To the girl
of my present.
And, the girl
of my future.
A few days
later, I was single again and dressed in a grey suit and black collared shirt,
ready to watch Anika get married to the love of her life, Cole. I walked up to
Lark’s front door and was ready to tell her to get dressed, she was coming with
me to the wedding as my date. I moved my necklace around nervously, lifted my
hand to knock…and stopped. I fuckin’ chickened out. I knew there was something
about her and I wanted to know what that something was, but thought it would be
better to wait.
A friend
asked how I liked Nico. My response: “I just finished, and I have a HUGE smile
on my face”. Love it, love it, love it.
JB Harntett
has the most beautiful cover art on this series, and the stories she tells
inside are no different. Nico is filled with passion, emotion, healing, drama,
laughs, heartache, joy, and most of all DEPTH. It’s nothing short of brilliant!
Ok…. So
what’s with the blurb??? It’s kind of cryptic, and I really couldn’t figure out
what Nico’s story was (aside from the whole tattoo thing). But, I didn’t really
care because it’s a JB Hartnett book, and I was reading it no matter what. Once
I was into the story, the light bulb went on and I figured it out. I am kind of
glad the blurb is written the way it is. Unearthing the mystery of the blurb
makes Nico’s story just that much more beautiful.
I absolutely
loved Inky and Cole, but Nico’s story is very heartfelt in a very different
way. We all know Nico as the tattoo artist that helps women rid themselves of
their demons through body art. But, what we weren’t privy to before is just how
much the burden of all the hurt weighs on him and just how tortured he is on
the inside. He’s lost. It all started when seven year old Nico meets a little
girl with dishwater blond hair, and she changes his life forever…. He unburdens
the broken women, but who is there to unburden Nico?
Kleenex. Keep
them on standby. You will need them. This book deals with some sensitive
subjects. I found myself shedding tears quite a few times with an occasional
sob thrown in. But to lighten it up, JB Hartnet throws her signature humor into
the mix. I swear she has some kind of magical secret formula or fairy funny
dust because the humor adds perfectly to the story. If you were cracking up at
Inky and her bedazzling of the t-shirt, then you will certainly appreciate what
happens in Nico. I was laughing out loud on several occasions.
As usual, the
story and plot are amazing and kept me glued to my Kindle. I simply did not
want to put it down. JB kept the story real by not taking the easy way out. She
wrote a story that isn’t perfect; it has ups and downs and unexpected events.
Yes, some sad things happen, but that’s life. And, that’s what I want from a
book – real life. If a story is 100% perfect with an easy HEA, what’s the fun
in reading a story you already know??? There is nothing better than a book that
ties me up in emotional knots.
JB truly
created a loveable and sympathetic character in Nico. I absolutely fell in love
with him. JB is amazing at character development. She develops them to the
point you know and understand them deep down. You even fall in love with the
secondary ones. Nico’s parents play a huge role in the story. I really fell in
love with them (especially his dad) not to mention Nico’s friend, Zack, and the
others that impact his life.
JB Hartnett
is fast becoming one of my go-to authors. She’s on my gotta-have-it-yesterday
list. Her writing is absolutely beautiful. She has the ability to bring out
your emotions and have you completely invested in the characters. It’s
difficult to find an author with her level of maturity and eloquence. Her
writing ranks up there with my favorite authors, AL Jackson and Jen Frederick.
Thank you for
being an author that believes in epilogues. I think you would have killed me if
there wasn’t one. I could have used my imagination, but your epilogue was far
more fabulous than anything I could have imagined in my head.
I will be
honest. I debated about putting Nico down after the first chapter. I knew I was
going to fall so head-over-heels for this book that I wanted to save it. I knew
once I finished, it would be quite a while before I find another book that
gives me this feeling. Yep! I was right. Nico is a book you can truly get lost
in, and now I’m floundering to find something as equally amazing.
Just as Inky
and Cole made my top reads list of last year, Nico has already earned its spot
on this year’s list!
4.5 STARS!!!
Inky (The
Leaves, #1)
Anika "Inky" Redding has it all: a great fiancé and a job that
allows her to follow her passion of painting and considering her history,
that's plenty. All is well until someone from her past sets events in motion
that upend Inky's careful world. When a handsome customer comes to her rescue,
will she take a risk with her whole heart?
Cole (The
Leaves, #2)
Cole Carlyle, successful hotelier, has lived his life on his own terms.
Burned by a gold digging ex-wife, he never expected to find his soul mate
in Anika “Inky” Redding.
Anika Redding, talented artist, overcame her past to live her life free
of shame.
Betrayed by people she thought she could trust, the last thing she
expected was to find true love in Cole Carlyle.
Their love for each other has helped them overcome their demons before,
but now faced with an unimaginable challenge, Cole must turn to the last person
he wants involved in his life, and hope that those demons don’t once again try
to swallow them whole.
Inky and Cole’s romance and passion ignite and in the sequel to “Inky” we
follow their journey to overcome their pasts once and for all, while building
their love into something everlasting.
Julie is a Southern California native, a fan of a really good story
(preferably romance with a happily ever after), really good pie (preferably
pumpkin) and copious amounts of coffee (preferably Folgers).
She has always enjoyed writing and at one time thought she could be a
singer songwriter...the 'writer' part is the one that stuck.
Julie is obsessed with pi...the equation(and the food). She's allergic to
cats and cantaloupe and hates mushrooms...so if you ever want to give her a
gift, those are out for sure.She currently lives with her own romance hero
husband and two boys in Melbourne, Australia.
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