Second Thoughts

First Impressions #2

by Nicole R. Locker

There are two sides to every story. When Dylan first meets Zia, she's standoffish and indifferent, something he isn't used to when it comes to the opposite sex. When Zia offers to help him get out of his own way to meet girls with more than just a pretty face, he accepts, but his motives are not what Zia suspects. Standalone novella. Find Zia's side of the story in First Impressions.

116 pages, Paperback

Published March 5, 2017

About the author

Nicole R. Locker is a social worker by day and author by night, writing about strong women and the hunky Heroes brave enough to take them on. She's an avid lover of pit bull softies, Scottish accents, and audiobooks. She lives in Lubbock, Texas, with her nephew and three dogs. Find her at www.nicolerlocker.com.

♥ Exclusive Reader News: http://bit.ly/nrl-subscribe
♥ Twitter: http://bit.ly/nrl-twitter
♥ Facebook Page: http://bit.ly/nrl-fb-page
♥ Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/nrl-fb-group

Reviews

[Jessica Jesinghaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out this review, and many more, on my blog https://jessjesinghaus.wordpress.com

4.5 out of 5 stars

First Impressions and Second Thoughts are a pair of romance novellas following the characters Marzia "Zia" and Dylan. Each novella is told first person from one of the characters' perspectives. Zia is our narrator for F.I. and Dylan for S.T. I'm reviewing these two together as they create a full-color tapestry. Alone, they are both a great read, but together they're fabulous!

I really liked how the author was able to stay true to the story and dialogues between the two tellings, while maintaining unique character voice for each of the narrators. It was a cute plot device with a couple fun twists thrown in. A particular treat is in store for readers when they get to Second Thoughts and find out what Dylan was doing while he talked with the girls Zia tried to point him toward. So sweet!

These two are absolutely a must read if you're looking for a sweet romance.

[Antonia Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off a very awesome book well done to Nicole!
I found that the characters were well developed especially from the one who is telling the story, Dylan, his character really attracted me to keep reading!.
I personally also loved Zia although I have not yet read volume one, I guess that explains more about Zia. However I was still interested in her and her dating skills.
The story itself is amazing, but of course I do not want to give too much away! But I do recommend picking up a copy of Second Thoughts as well as First Impressions like all great novels, you can’t have one without the other and this goes in the same manner!

[Alexa Whitewolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much as I loved First Impressions, something about Dylan's side of the story got to me more. Don't get me wrong, I love Zia! But Dylan's approach of her, his whole "what, she doesn't want me" and "damn I really gotta chase this girl" attitude just made me chuckle and go "aww" for lengthy periods of time.

I loved seeing his feelings develop, and his protective but not possessive side towards Zia was adorable! I also enjoyed seeing the events unfold from his POV, as you get to see more going on underneath the surface than with Zia.

Whoever thinks guys don't feel emotions as us women do, well, pick up a copy of this, and it'll prove you wrong!

*I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review*

[Love Indie Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Annie Arcane

Actual Rating: 4.25



Initial thoughts:

Quick, fun college romance with a cute premise. Part two, told from the hero’s perspective.

What I loved:

While I enjoyed First Impressions, I really, really enjoyed Second Thoughts!

Dylan’s character was very well-developed and held a ton of depth, despite the novella’s short length and the brief timeframe over which it spanned. Because Locker utilized a more “conversational” tone this time around, his personality was front and center from the very first page.

I found it extremely easy to connect with Dylan’s emotions right off the bat. His attraction toward Zia was blatantly obvious and his moments of self-doubt regarding her were endearing, to say the least. Just a few of the many random notes I made about Dylan while reading included, “Aww, what a sweetie”, “Cute as can be”, “Effin’ adorable”, and “OMGeee!”

Needless to say, Dylan Porter has gained a new fan in me.

Even the secondary characters were dynamic and believable, which was a huge plus.

What left me wanting:

Even though there was a vast improvement over the first book, I must admit that a few scenes still seemed “mechanical” to me. There were instances where I felt the description was too matter-of-fact and failed to convey the intense emotion Dylan must have been feeling.

Some specific examples:

It was an intimate moment, innocent as it was. She was silent the entire time, and once she was redressed, I picked her up to reposition her laying her head on her pillow. (I imagine Dylan’s emotions to be so much more intense in this situation.)

My fist connected with Cason’s jaw and his face was pushed to the side in the follow-through. (Same thing here. I didn’t want to just be told that he’s seeing red, I wanted to “feel” it.)

All in all, this sequel novella had me smiling, clapping, and cheering the whole way through.

Final thoughts:

I would highly recommend this novella to readers looking for a quick and highly entertaining college romance told from a very sexy male perspective.

[Alisa Mcculloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story! I enjoyed reading Dylan's side of the story. I didn't think t would be interesting because I already knew what was going to happen from reading "First Impressions". boy, was I wrong! I loved Dylan's character, and the fact that he is a true nice person, and not the ignorant, cocky main character he could have turned into. Read First Impressions and then this. You won't be disappointed!