Heartwarming and humorous. Both are great descriptions for Nicole.

I loved Drew's playfulness and the way he enjoyed finding ways to push her buttons. Not unkindly - he just knew the subjects she was passionate about and brought them up in conversation - taking the opposite side than she would. Sure, in some ways he was like the kid dunking the girl's braids into the inkwell, but it worked. Especially as I got more glimpses of the deeper layers to this man.

Any woman who has struggled with insecurity related to her appearance will relate to Nicole. Hurt badly by her ex-husband, she assumed everyone saw her as he did. Which made Drew's attraction to her such a surprise to Nicole. It was refreshing to have a less-than perfect-looking heroine. Due to the lesson learned about beauty being in the eyes of the beholder, there was perhaps more of an emphasis on physical attraction than is normally seen in books by Sarah Monzon. I believe it was necessary for the story, though.

Readers who enjoy a sweet romance will want to read Nicole and the entire Sewing in So. Cal series.

Part of a series. A cute and fun story. I will have to find the other in this series to see what else happens

Nicole by Sarah Monzon is book 3 in the Sewing in SoCal series. Why haven't I read these books sooner?!? After finishing this book, I immediately made sure that I purchased the earlier books in the series. I need to know the whole backstory of Nicole's other friends! Wow-- what can I say about this book? I loved everything about it. I loved the cast of characters and the true bond they shared. I loved Nicole's quirky personality and the lessons she learns about life in this book. I love how realistic this book is and how it is full of hope that love can be found a second time. And I think this is one of the most romantic (yet still clean) books I have read in a long time. It was a delight to read and I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

This was an entertaining and funny book. The main character I liked and enjoyed reading this.

I would recommend to others looking for an entertaining and light read. I great way to sit back and read on a rainy day.

If you enjoy romantic comedy with depth and lots of heart, then do yourself a favor and be sure to snag a copy of Author Sarah Monzon’s newest release Nicole. All of the stories in this collection are page-turning delight.

At first glance Nicole comes across as a zealous environmentalists, a serious, no non-sense kind of woman. As a single mother with a young daughter, she rarely lets her hair down to have fun. Honestly, the word fun isn’t even in her wheel-house. Nicole has a heart of gold and as the story progresses and Nicole’s heart softens even more.

Authentic and realistic these characters found their way into my heart. More than once I found myself talking to them, as if they could hear me. I laughed out loud on more several times, startling my family and garnering strange looks.

I especially appreciated the Biblical truths artfully sprinkled through the story and tucked not just into the lines, but into the very hearts of the characters. They not only lived Christian lives, but they had hidden in their hearts a light that shined out to others.

Far better than any Hallmark movie, this book is one you won’t want to pass up! I’m eagerly anticipating more delightful stories from Sarah Monzon!

(I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)

Love this series so much! Every new heroine is my favorite, but I really love Nicole and all of her quirkiness. Eagerly awaiting the next book from Monzon!

The more that I think about this book, the less I like it. It just was too pushy. The author would give us secondhand lectures through Nicole that frankly just made me mad. The author went out of her way to give the reader way too many rants about political, environmental, and social issues. I am well aware that authors inject his or her opinions and views into their books, but this was just too much.
I tried to like the main couple, but I really just couldn't. They go from enemies to lovers in the blink of an eye with basically no warning. Literally, they are enemies one day and the next, they are going on a date together and kissing. Unrealistic, no?
I was excited when I saw this book, and jumped right into it. I have read and liked other books from this author but this one wasn't very good.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I didn't realize this was the third book in a series but it does a good job of covering background information. Nicole and her sewing group are helping her best friend prepare for her wedding. Drew, the best friend of the groom, keeps popping up in unexpected places and doing his best to annoy her. He accuses her of being too opinionated, too serious, and her personality is an example to her daughter Sierra. He offends Nicole by telling her she and her daughter need to have more fun. But when her daughter joins the football team with Drew as one of the coaches, they start spending more time together and Nicole discovers there's more to him than she thought.
This was good clean Christian romance. Drew turned from an annoying character to a really great guy and his relationship with little Sierra is so sweet.
Thank you to Sarah Monzon and Radiant Publications for the opportunity to read this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Contemporary Romance : ⭐️⭐️⭐️

First I was interested in this solely because...well look at this cover! It's gorgeous.
This novel was sweet and cute. The relationship between our MCs was believable and made you root for their HEA. Nothing to complain about here.

I’ve really enjoyed the Sewing in So Cal series and I want more of these friends. Author Sarah Monzon has written the best of the three with Nicole’s story, and that’s saying a lot. You could read this as a stand alone but don’t. You’ll miss out on a lot of nuances if you do. Plus, Molly and Jocelyn have great stories of their own.

The characters in this story grew on me. I wasn’t even sure I could like Nicole at first. She’s very strong willed and opinionated. And not afraid to share that opinion. But I grew to love her as she dealt with being body shamed and showed her vulnerable side. A great reminder not to judge by the cover! And Dr. Drew had some maturing to do but I liked him. He tried so hard to win Nicole. All of the characters are great and it was fun to have the “people” from books 1 and 2 present in book 3.

If you enjoy a good rom-com with depth then I highly recommend Nicole. You won’t be disappointed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

Sweet romantic comedy

I had a harder time connecting to Nicole than the other Sewing in Socal women. The Christian themes were nice and I really admired Nicole's daughter, Sierra, I just have a harder time with opposites attract/enemies to lovers romance. This was a sweet and clean romantic comedy, I'd rate it PG for kissing.

In the latest by Ms. Monzon, this book is based on Nicole’s story. This is the third book in the Sewing in SoCal Series. Having read the previous two books, I highly recommend them as well. This series is a fun, laugh out loud read. Each book is based on one of the friends. Nicole is a single mom raising her daughter and doesn’t really have time for dating. Her friends, however, have other ideas for her. Drew is best friends with her friend’s fiancé. They see each other at times due to this. As you read this hilarious interchange between the two, you will be engaged in this romantic comedy. This book was well written and I enjoyed this book! Ms. Monzon wrote in such a way that readers will definitely see the realistic side of Nicole’s life. This book and series are fantastic reads for those who enjoy romantic comedy and just want a fun, escape from reality. I highly recommend this book and know you will not be disappointed!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.

This was a nice, comfortable and relaxing read. It's pretty formulaic but I think that's the intention and Nicole is a relatable character overridden with the insecurities and inner conflicts that many people face today.
Her experiences as a single parent and relationship with her daughter are a highlight as well as her development into being more relaxed and accepting of fun.
The main male character complements Nicole's characterisation well and the story moves along at a nice pace.
A good rainy day or holiday read.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a part of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone. I think the book does a really good job of immersing you into the story even if you haven’t read the first two books. I really enjoyed the characters and their relationships and I really liked watching Drew and Nicole’s relationship develop. I also really liked Sierra and her relationship with Drew and Nicole. This was a fun and quick book to read and I would recommend it for a light and quick read.

Nicole (Sewing in SoCal book 3) by Sarah Monzon was such a fun read. Nicole is independent, strong, and fiercely caring, especially when it comes to her daughter. This book is humorous and engaging. The romance is between two real people who have fun with each other. I will definitely be reading more books by this author.

***** I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. *****

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.

Nicole by Sarah Monzon is the third book in the Sewing in SoCal series. When I received this as an arc from the publisher through NetGalley, I was super excited about it based on the blurb. As I read it, I honestly kept rolling my eyes or wanting to through my hands in the air over some of the situations. Once I got done reading this, I honestly didn’t know how to feel about it or what to write. As I thought about it though, I realized that’s what a book should make you do. It should make you have all these feelings, explore what you take away from a story and what you thought about what happened and how you can relate or not relate. Since Nicole is what I would expect of a California hippie basically, you could tell she hated how her mom acted towards and treated her yet she raised her daughter the same way. With Drew in her life, he turns her whole world on its axis and has her learning how to be herself yet learn how to view things differently for not only her daughter but her other relationships. I also have not read the first two books in this series and wish I would have before reading this one. I will definitely go back and read them now though. With that in mind, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to others.

The story starts with the Blind Date. You know the one. Set up by your friends who are worried about you and you agree to go under protest – and here because they promise to make a donation to your favourite charity.
And you are curvy and your date doesn’t believe you don’t eat a lot – especially fatty fried food – and orders for you. Food you don’t want.
And he flirts with the waitress, makes derogatory remarks and implications about your shape and size and then leaves.
The story is told by both characters, Nicole and Drew, so we learn early on that he really likes her in an sort of she irritates him and he keeps thinking about her sort of way – and so the trope begins.
I liked the storyline. I liked Nicole and her values and her daughter and her other too. I approve of environmental concerns and definitely saving the whale and reducing plastic use.
Nicely written and fun to read.

This was my first read by this author and I really enjoyed it. The story is fast paced and full of humor. I loved Drew's character and how there were hidden depths there. I wasn't a fan of Nicole for most of the book. There were things I liked about her and I definitely was rooting for her. There were several times where her judgemental behavior was offputting though.
I liked the cast of characters and am interested in reading previous books in the series. Though this read great as a standalone. I will absolutely read this author again. I truly enjoyed the writing style.

On an objective level, this is a well-written book. I didn't run into any of the problems that I find with indie books, such as misspellings and grammatical errors. The pacing was nice and the characters were fleshed out well enough for the word count. The steam level matches what you would expect from a contemporary Christian romance: the hero and heroine didn't act like they weren't physically attracted to each other, but they didn't go any further than kissing. I would have no problem handing this to any of my aunties, my daughters, or my Christian friends.

My personal enjoyment is another matter. I found the heroine Nicole to be self-righteous and abrasive. There is more than one person in my life who has the "save the planet" mindset, but they are not in my face with it. After being confronted with Nicole's attitude right off the bat, every other political issue (and there were a few) introduced in the book got my back up a little, even if I agreed with the stance. It almost felt like the author included issues just to say that she was aware of what is going on in the world because they didn't move the story along. The one thing the book didn't get too preachy with, strangely enough, was the subject of Christianity. There were a few Bible verses but no "come to Jesus" moment like I've seen in most of the inspirational romances I've read in the past.

This is the third book in a series but it is meant to be a standalone. However, if you are anything like me, reading this out of order will bother you like an itch in an awkward spot. I can always tell that I have jumped into the middle of a series even if the author does her best to make each book stand on its own. In this case, I had the niggling feeling that I should know all the side characters and their personalities because they were in other books. This installment might be more enjoyable if readers hold off on picking it up after reading the first two.