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!

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.

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.

I've never read anything by this author, or any of the books in this series, though I've heard good things about both. This isn't my usual genre to read, but I'm glad I gave it a try.

The cover is what first caught my attention. After reading the blurb, I thought this might be a good book to start out the year. I had problems keeping my focus to read in 2020, but I was able to do so with this enjoyable read.

Nicole is a well-rounded character: a single mom and environmentalist who is determined to do things her way ... and she knows she doesn't need a man by her side. Drew is a goofy guy that can let go and enjoy life. He's the opposite of Nicole.

This is a cute story with a an enjoyable cast of characters. I may check out the prior books to get caught up and gain a greater appreciation for everyone. The dialogue is fun and made it easy to stay engaged. I also liked how Drew was determined to get Nicole to loosen up (something I've in need of doing myself, after last year!). The relationship develops at a realistic pace.

I look forward to reading other books by Monzon in the future.

Nicole has no time or interest in a relationship, and only goes on dates because her friends bribe her. When a date dumps her before the food even arrives, she's flabbergasted (and none too pleased) when Drew, a friend's friend who has the ability to rile her more quickly than anyone else she's ever met, steps in to finish the date so that she won't forfeit her reward. Somehow, though, once they've spent that time together, they seem to keep on bumping into each other. Can Drew convince her that a worthwhile relationship is possible?

A good mix of humour and real feeling, I guess I'd have to call this 'a light read with something more', because it really does go that bit deeper than your typical light read. I enjoyed seeing both points of view, and the relationship unfolded in a fairly gradual, realistic-feeling way. I was pulled in from the first page, and held throughout - despite the fact that I disagreed with various of Nicole's opinions/passions. All in all, a great read and I look forward to meeting more of the friends in future books.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

Nicole is the third novel in the ‘Sewing in SoCal’ series. Each novel follows the story of one of the members of the sewing group so you could technically read this as a standalone, which is what I did. You do not have to read the others to understand what is going on in this novel although there are some pieces about the other characters that were referenced from the previous two novels. The cover is what drew me to read this as it caught my eye while I was scrolling for my next novel to read. I looked at the other two novels and I love how fun each of them are as it draws you to read them.

Nicole Applegate is a single mother to an eight-year-old girl named Sierra. She has recently separated from her husband, Greg, who is not winning father or partner of the year any time soon. She is curvier at a size US 16, which is a nice twist for a main character as they are typically smaller. She’s pear shaped with a larger lower half and a smaller waist and the novel never lets you forget this fact as it is repeated multiple times. Although I love having a curvy main character, I feel that it became too much a part of her identity as a character and the body positivity becomes lost. I wish that it were dealt with in a more organic way than just a fact repeated stated over and over again. It was a missed opportunity as the character is stated to be comfortable in her curvier body, but she keeps having inner monologues as if she is ashamed of it and judges others that are thinner than she is. As a curvy girl myself, I completely understand the back and forth thoughts on your own body image and the envy we can sometimes feel, but I feel as it was a missed opportunity as a character that is trying to portray a body positive image to their audience.

Her love interest, Drew Bauer, is a doctor and peewee football coach. He has a tragic backstory that is easy to guess, but it does not get the full attention that it deserves. It is glossed over as the novel goes over it a few times, but there is so much more that could have been discussed. His chapters in the book I feel could’ve been longer as even though they are from his perspective, you somehow feel like you don’t learn any more details compared to if they were told from an outsider’s point of view. It was completely the opposite of Nicole’s, where I felt that I could understand her inner thoughts and actions.

Nicole’s main defining character trait is her activism to save the planet. She is a vegan and does as much as she can to save the planet and instills these beliefs on her daughter. As an environmentalist, I completely agree with saving the planet like Nicole, but I feel like that becomes all she is as a character. Every action is to ensure that she does something positive for the environment and it seems that is her sole purpose in life so it is nice that Drew balances her and opens her mind a little about also including some fun while doing good deeds. I am not against Nicole’s passion, as I know many people, including myself, that do what we can for the environment, but I just feel like there could have been more to round out her character. I really do want a sequel or something as I really do not understand how this will be a lasting relationship. Although Drew is not against Nicole’s activism, he does not share the same passion. Drew is also not a vegan and also he respects Nicole’s choice, it does make you wonder if he will end up changing entirely for her or how the two will balance their opposing beliefs in the long run.

The dialogue between Drew and Nicole was very enjoyable, as they seemed to have the same religious beliefs, which helps in their connecting with each other. (As a side note, there is many mentions of scriptures and spiritual content, which might not be for every reader. It does not take away from the story, but it does come up a lot.) The two of them define the definition of there is a fine line between love and hate as they apparently do not like each other in the beginning, but they always straddle the line between actual dislike and flirting. The banter between the two of them is entertaining and it was nice that they opened up to each other more and more as the story went on to actually learn about the other. I enjoyed how Sierra brings them together as she is on Drew’s football team, which gives Drew a chance to get to know her and bond. The single parent with an outside love interest was well done as Drew focuses on gaining Sierra’s approval as well as Nicole’s. He treated Sierra with respect and was a good coach for her as she was the only female on the football team.

Overall, this story was entertaining and a good quick read as I finished it in only a few hours. It was a very sweet story, although I wish it were longer as I felt that some topics and events did not get the attention they deserved. There are mentions of political topics, such as kneeling during the national anthem that are rather glossed over as they are briefly discussed between the characters. It feels like the author wanted to mention it for the sake of mentioning it rather than actually exploring it fully. Similar to the environmentally positive message, it was fantastic that it was included in the story, but it just felt like more could have been done with the topic. It’s a very cute romance story surrounded by some heavier topics that needed some expansion to give it a more well-rounded feeling. It was a good read overall, but not quite for me.

**I give a special thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an ARC to read and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.**