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.
Dear Dish…
4.5 star review by Jen Skewes
Nico is the third installment in The Leaves series but can be read as a stand alone. Nico is a beautiful journey of finding one's self. For years Nico has always been the one to help everyone else heal, but deep down he is the one that needs the healing.
Nico was introduced to us in the first two books as Anika's tattoo artist. But he isn't just a tattoo artist, he is a healer to many woman who he refers to as his "birds". When Anika first came to him years ago for a tattoo she had a story behind her tattoo. One that was difficult to take in. But through her tattoo and the comfort of Nico he helped her to heal her scars in more ways than one. Nico became the artist who helps woman heal. He doesn't just give them a tattoo that helps take their pain away, he holds them, comforts them, listens to their story, and is always there for them when they need it. But through the years Nico has experienced their pain second hand and has been affected by it in so many ways. He is a lost individual who finds comfort in meaningless sex with many different woman. When you look at him from the outside all you see is a sexy tattoo artist who is a complete man whore. And based on his actions, yes he is just that, a man whore. But once you peel back the layers of Nico Grant you find a man who is lost and can't seem to find his way.
When Nico was younger he comforted a young girl who had just seen her mother be murdered by her father. He was only 7 at the time but he comforted her in the only way a 7 year old knows how. They ate cake and held hands until she fell asleep. The was the first night that Nico didn't have a nightmare, which seemed to be a normal occurrence in his life at the time Nico never forgot that night or the girl that he comforted, who he refers to Dish. And in some way I think he has been searching for her since he was 7, all though he knows that finding her is near impossible, but he still holds onto that memory. He hasn't been able to find love. He grew up with two parents who were deeply in love and still are. He had a great life as a child but somehow along the way he lost his way. His father is on his back to settle down, telling him that one day he will find that one woman who takes his breath away. And he will know it when he sees her. His father's word rang true the moment he saw her.....Lark.
Nico knew the moment he saw Lark that she was it. She literally knocked the breath out of him. Nico was tired of the meaningless sex with nameless women and wanted a change. He wanted to find that love his parents had. Lark was certainly attracted to Nico, I mean honestly who wouldn't be. But her ex boyfriend hurt her emotionally that it caused her to lose her self confidence. Bu slowly Lark and Nico get to know each other, and find themselves falling in love. And their relationship is so sweet and real. In a way I think they healed each other. Lark was lost and wanted Nico to help her find herself again, to find the woman she was before her ex boyfriend hurt her. But the truth is that Nico was just as lost as she was and being with Lark healed him.
Nico was an emotional and intense story. It also dealt with some deep issues but Jb Hartnett did a fantastic job dealing with those issues. Nico appears to be this arrogant man whore who but in reality the man has a heart of gold. He is sweet and caring and you especially see that when he is with Lark. This is in Nico's POV so you get to see how deeply he cares for his parents and how much Lark really means to him and how she helped him change. You also see the true effect that his "birds' stories had on him. You felt his pain and your heart just broke for him.
Lark has to be one of my favorite heroines. She was just awesome. In my opinion she was strong and confident. She knew all about Nico's past experiences with woman and she didn't care. She only cared about the now with her and Nico. And some of her reactions to things that happened or things that may have come out completely surprised me. She may have questioned Nico's feeling for her but I think she just needed to know that it was real, but the truth is she had this amazing confidence about her when it came to Nico. She had spunk and I just loved her. She was the perfect match for Nico.
I loved this book and I think this may be my favorite one of the series. The beginning of the book is really Nico's story and gives us his background, we find out how he became so lost and what affected him. And then once we meet Lark you will completely fall in love with the both of them. This was an emotional journey but there were also some laugh out loud moments, usually involving Nico's dad. Nico is a beautiful emotional story with a perfect ending. Loved it!
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.
Website: http://www.jbhartnett-author.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JBHartnett
a Rafflecopter giveaway
No comments:
Post a Comment