it could have been a great romance between mature women who fight for their dreams above all the problems that life presents to them, but it lacks so many things and has so much nonsense that it is wasted.

Good story, couldn't wait to keep reading all what was going to happen. Any book that involves such a great way with words always make everything better.

For a brief period of time I wanted to be a marine biologist, which is what drew me to this one. While the setting did not disappoint, the unfolding love story did.

I started out excited about this book especially because it was going to be about dolphins. And then as I got into the book I felt a lot of the stress for several reasons mainly the fact that Laura hides the fact that she’s afraid of water and has PTSD. She doesn’t tell anybody about this which again I think was a big mistake. Add to the fact that the woman running the program that trains the dolphins, Jillian, is happy with her life and not looking for a love interest. Yet these to connect and suddenly without any training she decides to try to help Laura with her PTSD. This is the part that really took me over the edge, I will confess that I am a psychologist by training and profession, The fact that Jillian is trying to help her with no training at all could be so potentially dangerous and clearly not the right thing to do. Without this element the book could have been a five star were the book because it is well written, just in my mind completely dangerous and unprofessional for a lay person to attempt to support and help someone with PTSD.

What's not to like in a book about dolphins, a smart woman with PTSD and a sexy marine environmentalist. Laura finally gets accepted into the marine programme she's spent her life working towards. Only problem is that she isn't sure she's ready to get back into the water. Jillian, an experienced dolphin trainer and instructor, is immediately attracted to Laura and the feeling is mutual. The only thing is that Laura hasn't disclosed her reason for PTSD.

'Fearless' has nice tension with a couple of nail-biting moments. The interactions between the characters are great with a fairly diverse cast. Another enjoyable summer read.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A formulatyle I enjoy over and over again


A glance across the room ignites a connection, draws two strangers into the sweetest, most innocent way. Both characters. Laura and Jolliam work together at a prestigious mammal secretary- the chance of a lifetime. Until the woman run into jealousy, misguided ambition that could've serious consequences.

I enjoy the ocean and sea life so I wanted to read this book by a new author for me, Tina Michele. I enjoyed the marine institute, the PTSD storyline, and the characters of Jillian, director of Tampa’s Marine Research Institute, and Laura, a new intern at the institute. I do feel that the "I love you's" too quickly following the sex detracted from the story as well as the continual "sweet girl" comments from Jillian. Terms of endearment are fine, however, when they grate on the reader they should be minimized. The storyline wrapped up in too much of a nice neat package for me with regard to the PTSD.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Laura Carter has wanted to become a dolphin trainer since she was a little girl. Her career path became a convoluted road when she had a near drowning accident as a teenager. It has taken her ten years to overcome the tragedy just enough to apply to Tampa’s Marine Research Institute and their intensive thirty six week internship program. Jillian Marshall is the director of the institute and a consummate professional. She has dedicated her life to education and the animals in her care. The women meet and sparks fly right away. Can they sacrifice dreams in order to have a romantic relationship?

I was looking forward to this book because well, there was a dolphin on the cover. Close enough to my own dreams in a way. Unfortunately it was mostly a miss for me.

Laura’s character suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after her accident and has left her at odds with her dream since marine animal training requires for her to be in the water. Kudos to the author for trying to tackle something like PTSD outside the usual context. However, there were a couple of things that bothered me. Laura was not released by her doctor to pursue this particular training, so she failed to disclose her medical condition when she applied for the internship. In this case, that meant putting herself, fellow trainees and potentially animals at risk. The solution to that dilemma left something to be desired. Jillian not only helped hide Laura’s condition when it became an issue, but then there is an offer to help her overcome PTSD with her own treatment plan. I guess at some point you try different things outside the doctor’s office, but the presentation made me feel like she was devising a treatment plan without a license. It bothered me that a google search and an earmark in a book from an afternoon of research could be better and surpass ten years of therapy. It definitely did not seem ethical on many levels. As the director of the institute, the liability should have been near impossible to ignore.

That brings us to the relationship, which compounded the problem with the morals in this story. This is somewhat of a teacher-student relationship. For all the problems that could have come from this situation, this was mostly an instalove story in which the mains had very little struggle coming together. And not only that, but did close to nothing to hide it. The first make out session was in the parking lot. Of the institute. Right on Jillian’s usual parking spot! Laura immediately tells someone else about the secret relationship too. Maybe things should have been kept more platonic and allow time to pass so we could be a few months into the internship and the relationship be significant by then and based on personality, not physical chemistry (which I will admit, was very much present). And hey, have to mention Jillian’s ‘sweet girl’ immediate term of endearment towards Laura made me cringe. Perhaps because it came from Jillian and she is the one in the position of power. Please save those for the animals.

The story had an interesting, action opening scene that grabs the reader’s attention. The interesting action picks up late in the book when animals become more central to the story. I did like the final resolution as I was not sure how things were going to be solved. Thank you to Pepper the dolphin for coming to the rescue.

The cover design, also by Ms Michele, was excellent and perfect for the story. It is definitely eye catching and guaranteed to get more readers interested in this novel.

3 stars

ARC generously provided to me by BSB via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This has been that kind of story from which I expected more, but at the end something was missing. Laura has some kind of PTSD due to an accident that is not well explained, or maybe I've been unable to connect the dots the author has let along the book, but at the end has been a bit confusing for me to understand if she was traumatized or what. Jillian is the director in the organization in which Laura always wanted to work but it seems that meeting Laura makes her forget it all, somwehat unbelievable. And then they both act like horny teenagers, her oun words, around the worksite. Also beyond belief. Then there is the jealous ex-girlfriend who acts silly and causes a stupid chaos near the end. Therefore, it could have been a great romance between mature women who fight for their dreams above all the problems that life presents to them, but it lacks so many things and has so much nonsense that it is wasted.

Jillian is the head of Dolphin Training (or, all training too?) at Tampa Aquarium sort of place. She loves her job and her dolphin pod. There's a new group of Interns in their intensive training program. Laura is one of them and she has a big big secret she's keeping from everyone. Nope, not that's she's a lesbian, that would sorta be an entirely different book then, heh. She's afraid of the water because of something in her past.

Of course, people do find out her secret, and as Jillian tries to help her overcome her fear, they gets closer and closer in the usual sort of way, with some big bumps, and some humongous bumps, and some littler bumps too.

It was a great read. I really liked the Dolphin stuff (go Pepper!!), and sometimes it almost felt like I could smell the fish smells. The ending was a just a teeny bit too easy to my brain, but, it was also very very satisfying in a schadenfreude sort of way.

Oh, and I really wish there had been more BJ in the story too. Loved him.

I received this book via Netgalley thanks to Bold Strokes Books.

This book was a wild card for me, I hadn't read anything from this writer before but I think she did a good job with the PTSD angle in the story. It gave you your fill of angst and the natural inserting of a transgender secondary character is something to applaud. The setting of this story at a Marine Research Institute is what made me want to check out this book and even though I am not sorry I read it, I am also not sure if I'll try to find more books from Tina Michele.

Laura has PTSD after a near drowning at a younger age but still wants to follow her dream and gets into the training program of the institute where Jillian is the director, but she has omitted the PTSD from her application. Ofcourse the lie will come out and this leads to all sorts of events impacting the developing relationship. And here is where my issues are: the dialogue was pretty good and flowing natural. But unfortunately this is one of those romance books where there is love immediately and this goes way to fast to be believable in my opinion. I also got annoyed by the sudden over-use of terms of endearment. So for me the dialogue went down-hill fast.

This is however a personal opinion and to be honest the setting of this story, the good handling of PTSD, the chemistry between the mains and the overall plot will make this a good read for many romance readers out there.

While reading, a couple thoughts came to mind. First, when you obtain a dream, is there such a thing as dreams changing. I say yes. Second, family can be supportive and awesome. Third, friends can be like family. I totally agree. And, fourth, "love at first sight". Makes me think of the movies, Imagine you and me. I really enjoyed the setting and the interaction with the marine life. Laura Carter, dealing with the aftermath of a tragedy while working to find her footing with the assistance of a strong family. Jill Marshall, works her dream career, focused, not looking for a relationship but who can and does not notice an attractive woman. If you like instant love, this is the read for you. Laura and Jill are drawn to each other and it just so happens they are good for each other. The setting is interesting, the people for the most part are fun to be around and good at what they do.

I love the ocean and dolphins, so for me this book was a no brainer to read.

The book was an easy read, but the story fell a little flat. From the first few chapters you knew Jillian and Laura would end up together, but they Will have some major obstacles to overcome. Laura wants to become a dolphin trainer, but an accident in her youth has left her afraid of the water. Jillian tries to help her, much to the chagrin of her ex and coworker Diana. At first the ladies don’t act on their attraction, until they can’t hold it back. An obstacle filled love story begins.
I like the addition of BJ, a trans guy, he seems like a good friend to have. I’d love to have had some more story with him.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a new author for me, and I was also intrigued by the premise, so thought I’d give this a shot. Main premise is that Jillian works as the director of a marine research institute and Laura has just applied to undertake a 9 month training program there. They meet before Laura’s interview and are attracted to each other but then Laura gets accepted, and they each realise it’s a bad idea to get involved. That doesn’t stop the attraction though and it’s also noticed by those close to them.

The main characters are each fairly interesting, though Laura gets more background by virtue of her PTSD storyline. See, the problem is that she survived a near downing about ten years prior and has issues with water, but didn’t disclose that in her application. Jillian finds out and goes to great lengths to help Laura with this, which also leads to them spending more time together.

Laura also makes friends with BJ, who is a trans character, and I was glad to see more representation of trans characters in lesfic. The two bond throughout the book, I really liked their support of and for each other. The only other character to get some substantive story time is Diana, another trainer who Jillian used to be involved with. And this creates the ‘drama’.

Now, for probably the first two thirds of the book I found it interesting, I loved the marine park setting and how the characters interacted and how the MCs were working on Laura’s PTSD. But from when they officially start sleeping together it all started to go off the rails a bit. First, I found the pet names a bit too goopy, and although a long time span had passed, two-three months, it still felt a little too insta-love. The ‘drama’ stuff was also over the top and I thought the way it was handled, both by the park big wigs, and later by the MCs, was too over the top. All the melodrama just sort of left me feeling a bit flat. The ending also seemed rushed, which was disappointing, since it started out well but then kinda fizzled at the end.

I’d give this 3.5 stars but am rounding down, because it’s not four stars. That said, I would try more by this author.

Jilli Marshall is the director at the Tampa’s Marine Research Institute. She loves training the dolphins and she takes her job seriously. On a personal level, she doesn't appear to be looking for love because she is fulfilled by her job. Each year the Research Institute takes on 9 trainees. In comes Laura Carter who has applied and is interviewing to enter in the several month long program. Laura does have a secret that no one knows about. She almost drowned 10 years ago and has PTSD and anxiety that she has tried to overcome.

I really liked the idea of this romance and thought I would really love this one. I didn't dislike it, I just thought it was too slow which caused it to be a bit boring for me. Initially I just knew that there was going to be major sparks in this one. The author does a good job at expressing the attraction between the mains. Yes they have major chemistry. The chemistry is built higher and higher as each chapter is read until it reaches a point were you think it's going to burst but it doesn't. By the time the dam does break, I really wasn't interested anymore. Listen, I love a romance that has some sizzling hot sex. I think the sex was probably sizzling, but by the time the scene came, I wasn't really interested. All that hype fizzled out for me long before it happened. I was sort of disappointed.

Overall the story was interesting and I thought it was a decent read. I just need this one to move faster.

I thought this was marvelous. I've never read a Tina Michele book before - how, I don't know - but I'll definitely be looking into her back catalog. But anyways...

This book is all about taking chances and being brave enough to go after what you want. Laura has always wanted to be a dolphin trainer, but a near-drowning experience a decade before leaves her with vicious PTSD. Now in her late 20s, Laura wins a coveted spot as a trainee in a 9-month program. Jillian has everything she wants: a successful career as a trainer, now director of the institute. When these two meet at Laura's interview, the meet-cute is electric, but can it really happen?

The pacing is excellent; there's good dialogue and some cheesing humor, which I loved; the setting/plot is certainly unique. I'd say pick this one up!

** I received this book free from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **

This book was an enjoyable first time read for me by this author. There was lots of detailed information about dolphins and the extensive care and clean up required to care for them. The story takes place in SW Florida where I grew up and lived for 43 years. It was cool to read a story that included so many places I'd been. It made me relate to the story even more. It was definitely insta love, but that works for me. I love books where they fall in love fast and fight together against something instead of fighting each other. I also appreciated the departure from the typical storylines and locations. All in all this was a great read and I look forward to this author's next book.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There are many elements and themes in Fearless that appealed to the reasons why I love to read Lesfic. Both Laura and Jillian are strong, independent women with experience and intelligence. Their friends to lovers theme over dolphin training had it sealed for me. The author took the time to immerse the reader in all aspects of what it’s really like in that field, including the not so glamorous details such as cleaning, collecting urine samples, or even teaming up with other area sea life institutes to rescue stranded manatees. Secondary characters played an important role in Laura and Jillian’s trajectories while also reminding us to be supportive and open to other members in the LGBT spectrum. Their attraction is immediate and intense for both of them, and. I loved that Jillian was invested in helping Laura through some of her PTSD which only solidified their initial chemistry. Throw in a plot twist of intrigue with a tad of danger and this novel made for a fun and intriguing read.

Six stars? Can I give six stars to this book? Because it is perfect! It ticks all the boxes of what I love to read and left me completely happy and gazing off into space while sighing.

What do I love about this book?

The cover: dolphins and sunlight, yes please! This is a beautiful cover that just begged me to find out what was behind it and I am so glad it did. I mean, dolphins? Yes please!

The setting: the author really knows the area and it shows. The details are perfect and ring true about the Floridian weather and the institute itself.

The characters: I couldn’t stop my happy squeals when I noticed our two MCs bear a resemblance to another famous duo we in the lesfic world all know and love. The focus of the story is on Jillian, the super-hot director, and Laura, a sweet and awkward young woman who is fighting with the demons of her past with dignity and strength—and is training under the supervision of Jillian. This is a slight age-gap, but Laura is older than the other trainees and she is mature, kind and did I mention awkward? She makes some hilarious blunders and is never hesitant to laugh at herself.

Our MCs aren’t perfect, they make mistakes and have flaws, but they are both strong and absolutely smoking hot together.

The secondary characters don’t overpower the narrative and I really like the relationship Laura has with BJ, her fellow trainee who proves himself a true friend and ally throughout.

The plot: this book has everything I love to read about, from the sexually-charged first meeting to the surprise second meeting, the aspect of forbidden love, the push-pull of undeniable attraction right from the first moment, and of course the sizzling hot love scenes. The plot deals with some heavy issues, mainly PTSD but that is balanced out by funny moments that are sprinkled through the narrative. I laughed out loud a few times, probably scaring the other people on the train, most notably when Laura is unable to find her pocket and has an adorably hilarious inner monologue about pants.

I also love their job! The author really researched the topic and doesn’t pull punches with the gory behind-the-scenes aspects of taking care of living beings. The story overflows with love, understanding and respect for sea life. Both Laura and Jillian are as devoted to the work as they are each other and makes the inevitable conflict that much more heartbreaking.

Okay, this review is becoming a novel in itself. Thanks for reading this far!

While not everyone will love this novel as much as I do, I heartily recommend it to anyone who has ever has a childhood dream they wished could come true or who is battling to overcome some trouble whether it is a traumatic event or a fear that is holding them back. The only complaint I have about this book is that it’s finished and I can’t read about The Further Adventures of Jillian and Laura and Their Happy and Hot Sexytimes. *pouts*

My rating: the maximum amount of stars!

ARC received via NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.