River Mason has never led an easy life. Losing his parents forced him to become a man and step into a role that was never intended for a ten-year-old boy. But his parents weren’t the only thing he lost. He is bitter and angry at the world and everyone in it. He’s determined to never allow his heart to feel anything because that would be weakness and weakness is never allowed. If he doesn’t allow feelings into his heart, then there are zero chances he will ever be hurt again. His number one rule is to never let anyone in.
Joss Meyer is perfectly happy with her life. She and her best friend, Nina, have been by each other’s side since the fifth grade. They’ve opened their own personal chef business together and life couldn’t be better for them. She isn’t looking for a man. It isn’t something that’s ever been missing in her life. She’s focused on her career and enjoying a carefree life.
When Joss meets River her world is turned upside down. She finds herself willing to be with a man who promises to hurt her in the end.
Is it better to end up hurt, than to never have loved in the first place?
When you are born, you’re born a blank canvas. Over time, sadness and heartbreak leave deep scars. Loss and sorrow carve deep chasms into that canvas. Love is like paint, it colors your heart and fills in every scar, every wound that life has left behind.
The decision is black and white, but how you feel isn’t. Can one truly see…love?
International Bestselling Author Annalisa Nicole is an "Indie" Adult Contemporary Romance author. She's been married to her husband since 1996 where she enjoys being a stay-at-home mom to their two teenage boys. She was born and raised in Michigan, but currently lives in California. She published her debut novel Take A Chance in October of 2013.
Here's where you can find Annalisa Nicole: Website: www.annalisanicole.com Facebook: Author Annalisa Nicole Twitter: AnnalisaNicole4 Pinterest: Annalisa Nicole Instagram: Indieanicole
Overall Opinion: I think I'm a minority on this one, but this wasn't that great for me. I felt like I was just told the surface of a story and never got down into the nitty gritty that made me connect and feel with the characters. I think I get what the author was going for with the characterizations, but sadly I think she missed the mark with the mysterious grey-like CEO and the "sassy" girl. At a few times it worked, but for the most part it felt like we were trying too hard to fit them into certain categories. It also had another one of my pet peeves -- the miscommunication. The big conflict would've not even happened if they would've had a simple conversation! Oh well...I guess we needed to have some type of conflict, right?!?
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Joss and River's story. Joss owns a personal chef company with her best friend and has to step in and work for one of their biggest clients, River. He is instantly intruiged by her because she reminds him of his mother, and he keeps on trying to have her around. They start a flirting game of sorts, but River is convinced he is too damaged for any type of normal relationship-- so the push and pull game starts. There are some issues with old family friends, some sexy times, and some friend drama....but they eventually get their HFN ending.
POV: This alternated between Joss and River's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Ok. I don't know how to explain it other than it felt kind of choppy and unnatural in how it flowed to me. I didn't skim, and I did read it pretty fast though.
Instalove: Yes. They don't share "I love yous", but they do not have much in feeling development going on.
H rating: 3 stars. River. I think he was supposed to be this brooding mysterious rich guy, but it missed the mark IMO. I didn't get his damage or feel for him at all.
h rating: 3 stars. Joss. She was sassy at times and boring at others, so just kind of meh.
Sadness level: Low. No tissues needed.
Heat level: Mild/moderate. I felt underwhelmed with their chemistry and scenes.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: Yes. Mentions of condoms being used.
OW/OM drama: Mild
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Possible Triggers: Mild
Closure: This didn't have enough closure for me, so I would call it a HFN ending.
How I got it: It was part of my kindle unlimited subscription.
Star Ratings: Heroine (Joss): 5/5 - 25yrs old Hero (River): 5/5 - 28yrs old – I wanted to give him a hug
Plot: 4/5 Grovel: none Cheating: none HEA: yes but no epilogue Triggers: none
Average score: 4.5/5
Best Lines:h to H: “You have a really good heart, River. You just need to learn how to use it”
Worst Lines: H: “I’m lucky I didn’t splooge in my underwear before she even got them off.” – what the fuck is ‘splooge’?!
Personal Review: This was an emotional read between a hard, blind, vulnerable businessman and a determined, soft and stubborn chef.
I loved the whole story and I completely understood why River acted like a douche at times. I also very much enjoyed the secondary characters (apart from Sebastien).
Random Ramblings: •The hero’s blindness made for an interesting introduction to the heroine •Loved Nina’s and Joss’s friendship
•This is going to sound strange but I wish they didn’t quickly jump to sex when, instead, they could get to know each other more •I loved the dads…”Oh, and no pressure, but when one of them gets married, both Dan and I walk down the aisle with our girl” •That ending completely wrecked me
What a remarkable book - Basically I grabed this edition because the 3rd book that will be out soon catched my attention and when checking on the author I found this one. It was so well written that I now wonder what the next ones will be like.
River is a remarkable character that is so well written that he brought tears to my eyes. Yes he is hard at times but the reader always knows where his heart is at - nomatter what his mouth is saying.
Joss is great - not one on those fluffy heroines that are easy bend and broken ... she does not give in nomatter what ...
A beautiful, heart-warming love story with strong characters all around! Love the unique touch of River's situation and was deeply moved by his struggles. This was my first book by Annalisa and it definitely won't be my last.
I have been following Annalisa Nicole since she released her debut novel, with each story in the series I've watched her grow as a writer, I've watched as she has continued to deliver characters that effortlessly draw you in, a family you want to know, and I See...Love was no different, our hero River Mason is young and wildly successful, his life appears to be one of wealth and excess but beneath the flashy house and opulent home is a man who is governed by bitterness and hurt, the author takes us the reader on a journey where she aims a spotlight on the nature vs. nurture debate, was River always the same distant, abrasive man he is now or is he a product of his past, armed with only Josh as a confidante, friend and personal assistant River is used to being on his own, but meeting Joss is going turn his world upside down.
Joss Meyer is young and successful, but that's where the similarities between her and River end, Joss has the perfect life, she's co-owner of a thriving business with her childhood best friend Nina, operating as a personal chef for a number of wealthy and elite clients, their business is going from strength to strength and Joss has everything she ever dreamt off, unconcerned with finding love or a man to share her life, she is content with building her brand and focusing on her career.
River is rude and arrogant on the surface, he is cold and distant, he often challenged me as the reader to see past the brash exterior to see deeper into him, to see the man he is hiding and trying to protect from the world, but the more I read and the more Nicole drew me into River's world and the more I could see him railing against his past and what he's come to believe as the truth, but what I found especially endearing was Joss's light, her ability to see the beauty in the world around her, even when she was scared, even when she felt like she might crumble, even when she was challenged and even when she wanted to break, there was an undeniable strength to Joss, a temerity that held my attention, one that both endeared her to me and intrigued me, there's so much here in I See...Love, Josh and Nina captured my heart and I hope to see more of them in the coming books in this series. The first book in the A Different Road series has definitely piqued my interest for more, if you're after something sweet, thoughtful and sexy, I See...Love is definitely the book for you.
I know a lot of people raved about this book, but I just wasn't feeling it. I didn't like all the talk of him being with "prostitutes" and a chick he regularly slept with was still working for him? Definitely didn't like that. I don't know if I'll read the next book or not.
Here is a simple review of I See...Love by Annalisa Nicole, told in 3 parts:
What I liked/loved. . .Not so much, And all that other stuff in between.
What I liked/loved:
• Disabled hero
• Lead female protag, Joss
• Dual POVs, usually presented as half-and-half chapters
. . .Not so much:
• So, River uses the services of prostitutes who are hired for him by his lawyer since River was 17 years old. I got that, and it didn't really bug me much as such activities took place pre-Joss and off the page. What bugged me was how strict River was with his rules about not getting involved with employees of the Mason Group, but then his secretary was one of the women that he had casual sex with. Not only that, but when he found out that his assistant Josh was involved with one of his personal chefs, he was ready to have a coronary, coming down hard on Josh! (WTF!) It was such hypocrisy on his part that it made me gag! River totally lost points because of that double standard.
And all that other stuff in between:
OW drama: Sebastien brings one of the prostitutes, Fawn, over to River's and Joss is in attendance. Joss finds out that another one of River's women, Autumn, actually works in his office as his secretary.
I liked reading this story. The writing isn't bad, just needs a bit more work. The book fast paced and emotional. I wish there's more character development. The relationship between River and Joss is really quick. Joss has an awesome best friend and business partner in Nina. Josh is River's right hand man and friend. There's a cute side story about Nina and Josh. Pretty good read.
I loved River although I found him a bit frustrating at times with his hardheadedness. It bothered me that Nina couldn't have Josh in the beginning yet River was pursuing Joss. Thought he was a bit selfish/hardheaded but I already mentioned that...
“Her hands rest on the top of mine and my heart skips a beat. What are these feelings? Where are they coming from? Did my father have these feelings for my mother at one point? Joss’s hand squeezes mine and I open my mouth to explain just why I’m not the man for her.”
4 stars! This was a cute little read! The book definitely draws you in as you start to read it.
River Mason has never led an easy life. Losing his parents forced him to become a man and step into a role that was never intended for a ten-year-old boy. But his parents weren’t the only thing he lost. He is bitter and angry at the world and everyone in it. He’s determined to never allow his heart to feel anything because that would be weakness and weakness is never allowed. If he doesn’t allow feelings into his heart, then there are zero chances he will ever be hurt again. His number one rule is to never let anyone in.
Joss Meyer is perfectly happy with her life. She and her best friend, Nina, have been by each other’s side since the fifth grade. They’ve opened their own personal chef business together and life couldn’t be better for them. She isn’t looking for a man. It isn’t something that’s ever been missing in her life. She’s focused on her career and enjoying a carefree life.
When Joss meets River her world is turned upside down. She finds herself willing to be with a man who promises to hurt her in the end.
Is it better to end up hurt, than to never have loved in the first place?
When you are born, you’re born a blank canvas. Over time, sadness and heartbreak leave deep scars. Loss and sorrow carve deep chasms into that canvas. Love is like paint, it colors your heart and fills in every scar, every wound that life has left behind.
The decision is black and white, but how you feel isn’t. Can one truly see…love?
This book was a lot of fun to read!! The characters were fun to read and get to know and the story was fun and unique!! You can’t help but fall in love with the characters and their stories as you go along!! What a great fun read!!!
**Received a copy in exchange for an honest review. Read and reviewed by Melissa for Alpha Book Club**
This was a great series starter. Just from reading the synop you can see the life River has lived since age 10 has been difficult. And even before that age his life was not all rainbows and fun. The circumstances surrounding that one night will never leave him. He is fiercely loyal and protective of his sister yet his brother has managed to find a way to slip away from them. Running the family business under the guidance of a family friend/uncle has never been easy yet it fulfills River by giving him a sense of control. You find that he needs that control and strives for it in all things and with all people. I loved his fierceness and craved it even when it was not the right way for him to be !!
Joss and Nina have this great friendship that has led them to the amazing business they have created. They are personal chefs , meal preppers etc !! I had a connection with this for a couple reasons - 1 being if I was rich I would hire a chef or someone to shop for me and prep my meals !! 2nd due to the fact that there used to be a place in the area I live that did this sort of business. You went there and they taught you how to prep for meals and then you chose meals off their menu and prepped them for yourself. They then turned around and offered the services of them prepping/packing and you just picking up. I went to more than a few dinner prepping parties there and the food was always great - it was called Dream Dinners !! Anyhow - I loved Joss and Nina's business due to the fact that it would be awesome to have at my disposal !!
Joss and River are thrown together last minute without much warning which is a big no-no for River , yet Joss handles herself well or at least handles herself enough for us to get a laugh out of them and enjoy the build up of tension and frustration they have towards each other. I didn't catch on at first to River's amazing senses BUT when I did I ate it up even more. River is definitely no less a man than anyone and if possible he is so much more. The way he makes up for things he cannot experience - wow and it is a turn on to feel his passion !! I loved this story and look forward to what comes next and more stories of overcoming life's obstacles.
Joss Meyer and her best friend Nina St.James have just opened California Chef, their own cooking and catering business and life could not be better. When Nina asks Joss to take over for her with one of her clients, River Mason, Joss doesn't know what she is in for.
River Mason is one of the most eligible bachelors and has no desire to change that. He hates life and everything in it and tends to alienate most of the people in his life. He helps run Mason Group, an investment firm with his brother Stephen.
When River meets Joss he is immediately drawn to her but at the same time wants to keep her at a distance. Joss knows that being around River will only break her heart but she has a hard time staying away. Will Joss take the risk or will she realize that River will not be able to give her what she wants unless he decides to take a risk.
This was my first time reading this author and the book definitely did not disappoint. There are so many emotional facets to this book, yet it never felt overwhelming or fake. I loved Joss and all of the goodness of both her and Nina. They are honestly two good girls who want a real love to call their own without anyone controlling them.
River's character was so heavy with everything that he was dealing with. He is an arrogant jerk to people to push them away so he won't get attached to them and then have a chance at losing them. He controls every aspect of his life and I was blown away at how far he went in controlling things. He was so hurt inside and never gave himself a chance to heal properly.
I really enjoyed this book and was definitely surprised at a whole bunch of events in the book!
I have loved all of Annalisa Nicole's books, and I See....Love is just as beautiful as her previous work. This author has a knack for writing romance like no other. I have mentioned in reviews of her earlier books, that she writes modern day fairy tales and this one is no different. We meet Joss and her bestie, Nina that are inseparable. They run a business together, live together and spend all of their spare time together. Joss has no time for a man in her life and makes sure she keeps her distance as she doesn't need the distraction. However, when she meets mystery man, River, that's all about to change. They share a love-hate relationship to start with and there are so many funny moments in this book, I really felt like the authors sense of humour was shining through. It wasn't all funny, though. As with all of Annalisa's books, this is packed with emotion. Yes, I cried (of course), I was angry at times, but most of all I felt connected with these characters. I empathised with them when things got tough and I was cheering for them when things went their way. Did I talk about the twist??? What a twist it is!!! I wasn't expecting it all and we learn the twist early on in the book (the other reason why I didn't see it coming). I'm not giving anything away, because that would spoil it, right? I will recommend I See...Love to anyone that enjoys a good love story. Annalisa has weaved her magic again and I'm hooked and ready to read more of these characters. Loved it!!!
I Speak… Love by Author Annalisa Nicole is Romance novel and it's the 3rd book in the series. The authors did an excellent job so you are able to read this book without reading the first two books, but in my opinion, I would recommend reading the prior two books first just so you can connect with the characters better.
In this book, we meet Stephan and Maddy. Stephan has two huge secrets. He had distanced himself from his family due to his actions as a teen. Now we have Maddy because of her past she feels unwanted and any happiness that comes her way she questions it. Stephan and Maddy have an instant connection, but at the same time, they both feel they are not good enough for each other. As Stephan get closer to Maddy he wants to tell his secret, but how will that hurt his family. Things slowly come to light and things will never be the same for anyone. No matter what secrets have a way of coming out. Will the Mason family ever be happy again? Only time will tell!
Wow, this was such an emotion ride. I absolutely loved reading this story and I could turn the pages fast enough. Author Annalisa did a fantastic job creating a world where I felt like I was right there with the characters. I can’t wait to read some more of her work. This is definitely a must read book.
Love love love Joss & River (and Nina & Josh, and Kate)!!! This is a fabulously written cast of characters! : ) My heart broke for River & the way he was forced to grow up. His siblings, too. I just wanted to hug the daylights outta all three of them. And Joss, she is a strong, motivated, awesome heroine! She doesn't take anyone's crap, she doesn't pull any punches, and she doesn't let any dust settle. She takes charge, confronts those who need confronting right at the time anything happens... just very well done.
The only downside, and what kept this in the 4.5 stars rather than 5++ for me, were the fact that Joss & River don't get a lot of "in the same space" time for the first part of the story, and the SOB (seemingly obligatory break up) - the way it came about. After everything was said & done, that just didn't jive for me. BUT!! The wrap up was FABULOUS! *bounce* And I LOVE when River & Joss do get to be in the same space. Those scenes sparkle.
Looking forward to the next story, which will be Kate's. This is definitely looking like another favorite series for me from this wonderful author! : )
I loved Annalisa Nicole's Running into Love series, so was really looking forward to the chance when I'd be able to read this one. It is a great read! I enjoyed the storyline and the internal monologue of the characters, the couples were well matched and the friendships were nice too. The only thing I wish there was a little more of, was conversation between the two main characters, it just felt like their love was based a little too much on their attraction to one another than their knowledge of each others characters. It was easy for me to fall in love with each of them though, because their thoughts, situations and backgrounds were well described, just not quite enough to each other within their realationship. The description of scenery was beautifully done, I was able to see, hear and sometimes feel all the pictures and sounds described in the world surrounding the characters. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series and getting to know even more about Some of the other characters
So I'm a huge fan of this author and she doesn't disappoint at all. This book blew me away... First off the emotion of this book was intense. I mean a trio of siblings lost everything they knew in a blink of eye. What should have been a fun family vacation didn't turn at all as planned.. Every kid dealt with it the only way they knew. Stephen felt guilt, Kate still holds her memories close even though she got lost in the world of pills and River lost his most of all. He is determined to hold the business together and refuses to let any woman close to him. That all changes when a conflict of interest happens. Joss and her bestie Nora are head of a catering services and have high hopes for their lives. When the conflict happens, Joss is thrown into a job she only knows the guy is particular and a arrogant jerk. He wants things cooked a certain way or else they have to start over. She never expected to fall for him. She pushes him in a way that his walls begin to fall. She shows him compassion plus cooks just like his momma did. This book was so amazing to read!
This was my first time reading this author and the book definitely did not disappoint. There are so many emotional facets to this book, yet it never felt overwhelming or fake. I loved Joss and all of the goodness of both her and Nina. They are honestly two good girls who want a real love to call their own without anyone controlling them.
River's character was so heavy with everything that he was dealing with. He is an arrogant jerk to people to push them away so he won't get attached to them and then have a chance at losing them. He controls every aspect of his life and I was blown away at how far he went in controlling things. He was so hurt inside and never gave himself a chance to heal properly.
I really enjoyed this book and was definitely surprised at a whole bunch of events in the book!
I See...Love is written in 2 POV, Joss and River. Joss is a personal chef and has her life on track. River is CEO of the family business and has a haunted past. Throughout the book River is hot and cold, seriously his moods are all over the place. At times I caught myself thinking "geez Joss should walk away and not look back" but then he had his sweet caring moments. All in all Joss and River's relationship was nice to read about. I like the descriptions that she gave him when asked what she saw. And him showing her how it was to be blind. I'm not sure how I feel about the story, it is written really well just predictable. My emotions were all over the place at times. Overall, I did enjoy reading this story and I think if you like emotional romances this is a great book to read.
Joss is a personal chef that has recently started her catering business with her best friend, Nina. One of their biggest clients happens to be River Mason, a millionaire running his family’s business.
Joss is happy and guarded. River is hard and unrelenting. I enjoyed the way they meet as an assumption by Joss causes some funny moments.
I liked the angst that was caused by their reluctance to let go of the control they each wanted to hold over every aspect of their lives. River and Joss want to be together, yet they have scars that prevent them from allowing themselves to feel. The story was well written and the secondary characters also add some hilarity and depth to the story.
I enjoyed this book but not as much as her Running Into Love Series.
Joss, Nina and Josh were amazing characters and I loved all three. I did have a hard time connecting with River though. I would've liked to see him soften up sooner in the story. I thought the epiphany that comes at the end should've come sooner. I wanted to see him and Joss in their HEA for a longer period of time.
I did really enjoy the storyline of this book and the surprise turn at the end of the book was great!!! I look forward to reading Kate's story next. I have a feeling it will tug at my heartstrings.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I have followed Annalisa since her debut book. It has been amazing watching her writing grow and change over The past couple years. This book was nothing like I expected. I know one Review said it was the same old story, well I have never Read anything like it. I loved it.