"Nicole" by Sarah Monzon

[reviewsbyerin]

I have loved the whole Sewing in SoCal series! First there was Molly, the compulsive truth-teller. Then Jocelyn, the Black accountant out of her element vacationing on a dude ranch. Nicole rounds out these very fun and distinct ladies, and I hope there are more books planned in this series. I would be in line to read them!

Nicole is a tightly strung single mother and environmentalist. She has no time for goof-offs like Dr. Drew Bauer, but unfortunately their paths keep crossing. Somehow she's going to have to avoid killing him if she doesn't want to end up in jail. Who would take care of her daughter then?

A survivor of childhood cancer, Drew has dedicated his life to serving the children around him, both as a pediatrician and a youth football coach. Everything about Nicole Applegate drives him crazy—in a good way. Getting a rise out of her is worth every dagger in her gaze. Can he possibly convince her that his feelings are true and genuine, or is it impossible for her to ever see anything in him beyond the pain other men in her life have caused?

This book was so fun and engaging. I appreciated Nicole and my heart ached for Drew. While I've seen other reviewers complain about an "agenda" the author had in writing about a vegan, Earth-conscious heroine (which you have to admit is rare in Christian fiction!), I personally found the different viewpoint refreshing and honest. Will all readers agree with Nicole? No. But it's a brave choice by the author, and I thought it was fantastic.

I received my copy of the book from NetGalley. All opinions in this review are my own.