What do you think?
Rate this book
Solace
Nixon and Lincoln have the ideal relationship. After years of bliss, deceit and jealousy shatter their marriage. With a broken heart and broken home, Nixon turns to the one person she thinks she is safe with, only to find herself in a worse predicament.
Nixon and Linc try to get thru this but too much has happened and a new secret threatens to completely decimate any hope Nixon may have had. Will another man's arms provide her solace or will she mend things with Lincoln..
Nixon and Linc try to get thru this but too much has happened and a new secret threatens to completely decimate any hope Nixon may have had. Will another man's arms provide her solace or will she mend things with Lincoln..
280 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2017
356 people are currently reading
347 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
August 2, 2017
very disappointing book, h catches supposed bff riding husband in their bed , loved how she raged and beat the hell out of friend and smash lamp at hubby! then it went downhill. How in the world would you the H believe wife's skanky friend who you dislike that your wife is having affair? and why would that automatically lead you to sleep with said skanky friend as revenge ??? how about getting mad and talking to wife? or oh i dont know, trust your wife over skanky friend?? h then did the stupid by staying with ex b/f who is the one she is supposedly cheating with, then if thats not enough she seduces him and sleeps with him in revenge right after she slept with H! followed by , oh maybe pregnancy where h doesnt know who the father is,,,, i'm out
April 25, 2022
2.5 "suck you in" Stars
This piqued my interest with the teaser of an epic OW smackdown. I went in thinking I was just going to skim to that part (which FYI is in the first chapter), but found myself oddly sucked in by the utter trainwreck of this plot. I feel like it hijacked my entire day. I can’t say I enjoyed it, but also couldn’t seem to look away, so I’m waffling on how to rate it. I also have a soft spot for new writers, so that’s playing into the mix as well. It’s a full moon, and I’m in a wonky/indecisive mood from insomnia, so hopefully this way too wordy review will help, regardless of where I end up rating it. 😊 So, here goes…. I’m going to do both a spoiler free and spoiler review, because I know some of you, (that hate cheating) just want to know what happened. 😉
Spoiler Free
I don’t think it should surprise anyone that this is a book about infidelity, and it’s messy. I find these books typically go one of 2 ways… angsty, heartbreaking and serious (A White Picket Fence) OR OTT drama, soap opera-ish, and not totally serious (Some Wives Do...Whatever it Takes). IMO, this genre is one of the most difficult to pull off, because it’s a tricky balance. You have to dig a hole, but not so deep that your character can’t get out of, and it has to be at least somewhat realistic and relatable… because it’s a serious topic, which is why I don’t like straight-out cheating in my Harlequins.
Solace definitely leans towards the soapy variety, but it’s congested with a TON of plot devices thrown in to manipulate and stir up more drama. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE drama, but at some point, the crazy has to stop, so it can be relatable. Almost, all the characters change their personalities/outlooks without much development, and the biggest shift in the story is caused by another plot device, not growth or maturity. There’s also a pretty significant amount of editing errors. (grammar, punctuation, spacing, time jumps w/out cues) IMO, readers will need to be in a “laid back” headspace with buckets of patience to deal with the content and grammatical issues, and in the mood for a drama-llama ride. ** I found several similarities between this and Inhale, Exhale, (not implying it “borrowed”) but it does have some overlapping devices, and a lot of the same “feels” (minus the kids/depressed parts) so you could probably use that book as a baseline. I am rating this higher, because I hated it less, which in fairness, this had roughly 140 less pages to annoy me, and it’s this author’s first book.
SPOILER REVIEW
This piqued my interest with the teaser of an epic OW smackdown. I went in thinking I was just going to skim to that part (which FYI is in the first chapter), but found myself oddly sucked in by the utter trainwreck of this plot. I feel like it hijacked my entire day. I can’t say I enjoyed it, but also couldn’t seem to look away, so I’m waffling on how to rate it. I also have a soft spot for new writers, so that’s playing into the mix as well. It’s a full moon, and I’m in a wonky/indecisive mood from insomnia, so hopefully this way too wordy review will help, regardless of where I end up rating it. 😊 So, here goes…. I’m going to do both a spoiler free and spoiler review, because I know some of you, (that hate cheating) just want to know what happened. 😉
Spoiler Free
I don’t think it should surprise anyone that this is a book about infidelity, and it’s messy. I find these books typically go one of 2 ways… angsty, heartbreaking and serious (A White Picket Fence) OR OTT drama, soap opera-ish, and not totally serious (Some Wives Do...Whatever it Takes). IMO, this genre is one of the most difficult to pull off, because it’s a tricky balance. You have to dig a hole, but not so deep that your character can’t get out of, and it has to be at least somewhat realistic and relatable… because it’s a serious topic, which is why I don’t like straight-out cheating in my Harlequins.
Solace definitely leans towards the soapy variety, but it’s congested with a TON of plot devices thrown in to manipulate and stir up more drama. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE drama, but at some point, the crazy has to stop, so it can be relatable. Almost, all the characters change their personalities/outlooks without much development, and the biggest shift in the story is caused by another plot device, not growth or maturity. There’s also a pretty significant amount of editing errors. (grammar, punctuation, spacing, time jumps w/out cues) IMO, readers will need to be in a “laid back” headspace with buckets of patience to deal with the content and grammatical issues, and in the mood for a drama-llama ride. ** I found several similarities between this and Inhale, Exhale, (not implying it “borrowed”) but it does have some overlapping devices, and a lot of the same “feels” (minus the kids/depressed parts) so you could probably use that book as a baseline. I am rating this higher, because I hated it less, which in fairness, this had roughly 140 less pages to annoy me, and it’s this author’s first book.
SPOILER REVIEW
not-happening
July 30, 2017I will not support this author
May 26, 2022
Not an ounce of angst in this one.
The author was able to write a cheating romance without angst.
Because it's so silly.
Too much silly.
- All characters talks as if they are 16. Their language is full of the F word and its derivates. And the hero and his friends are past 30. Really?
- The heroine is a famous You tuber. Jeez.
- the heroine's partner and bff (where the b is for bitch and the second f is for fu**ing) tells the hero his wife is cheating with her ex.
- the hero believes her and gets drunk in minutes. Then he thinks, with his Harvard brain, jeez, let's have revenge sex with my wife's bff.
-His wife comes home and sees him. She beats the craps off them. Best scene ever. Worth three stars.
-She leaves and goes to her ex.
-Misunderstandings
-Psychotic ex bff
-angry sex between H/h
-angry sex between h and her ex
- pregnancy: who's the father?
-psycho bff pulls a stunt.
- all is well
Ok, I've never ever found a sillier book, with characters so stupid and dumb you can't even imagine.
I hate cheating but this one was really hilarious.
It seems like a serial for demented people. No angst despite the very angsty situation.
And all characters behave like headless hens.
Of course I won't discuss the absurdity of the situations and of their behaviors. OTT and unbelievable.
But I shamefully confess I liked it. It's an easy reading.
This is really, realli a s**t I loved to read!
The author was able to write a cheating romance without angst.
Because it's so silly.
Too much silly.
- All characters talks as if they are 16. Their language is full of the F word and its derivates. And the hero and his friends are past 30. Really?
- The heroine is a famous You tuber. Jeez.
- the heroine's partner and bff (where the b is for bitch and the second f is for fu**ing) tells the hero his wife is cheating with her ex.
- the hero believes her and gets drunk in minutes. Then he thinks, with his Harvard brain, jeez, let's have revenge sex with my wife's bff.
-His wife comes home and sees him. She beats the craps off them. Best scene ever. Worth three stars.
-She leaves and goes to her ex.
-Misunderstandings
-Psychotic ex bff
-angry sex between H/h
-angry sex between h and her ex
- pregnancy: who's the father?
-psycho bff pulls a stunt.
- all is well
Ok, I've never ever found a sillier book, with characters so stupid and dumb you can't even imagine.
I hate cheating but this one was really hilarious.
It seems like a serial for demented people. No angst despite the very angsty situation.
And all characters behave like headless hens.
Of course I won't discuss the absurdity of the situations and of their behaviors. OTT and unbelievable.
But I shamefully confess I liked it. It's an easy reading.
This is really, realli a s**t I loved to read!
Read
October 8, 2022Revenge cheating abounds and is all too messy.
If you read, then read for the epic meltdown attack. As much as I like fictional retribution, it was a teensy bit too much for even me.
If you read, then read for the epic meltdown attack. As much as I like fictional retribution, it was a teensy bit too much for even me.
March 16, 2021
Skim reread 3/15/2021...
I hate tit for tat cheating, but the confrontation scene is worth an extra star.
I hate tit for tat cheating, but the confrontation scene is worth an extra star.
June 25, 2021
Omg, this plot is so stupid! I can't even wrap my head around it !
H and h are happily married for 2years. Out of the blue, the h' s BFF shows at her house when she knows that the h' s husband is alone ,and she tells him that the h is cheating with her ex, showing him some photos in which the h is laughing with the guy and stuff like that (inocent stuff). She tells the H that he should give the h a taste of her own medicine, and because she is such a good friend she offers to sleep with him in order to make the h suffer.
The h sees the H and her BFF in the act and she leaves (the writing is bad, i felt nothing regarding the cheating, the emotions, nothing). Two weeks later she sleeps with her ex because she wants to hurt the H (insert eye rolling Emoji) by doing so.
The BFF is now on obsessed with the H, and the dialogues are stupid. He is telling her that he doesn't want her to see her again and she dismiss him by telling that he doesn't have to be mean if he is tired..she will leave him alone and they will see each other next day. She is a stalker, sends him lawyer contacts for the divorce he doesn't want to have, she is breaking in his house and she stuffs all the h clothes in boxes because she wants her out (and the h and H are thinking this is not serious enough to involve the police).
The drama is OTT, the writing is bad with a lot of typos, and without depth. The OW drama is again OTT and the h and H are stupid. The story ends with a HEA for them and the BFF ends up in prison for 7years after she kidnapped their newborn.I skip read it after the 40 marker because i have better things to do with my time. O kust wanted to see what the author will do with a OW so crazy, and a plot so stupid and surrreal.
H and h are happily married for 2years. Out of the blue, the h' s BFF shows at her house when she knows that the h' s husband is alone ,and she tells him that the h is cheating with her ex, showing him some photos in which the h is laughing with the guy and stuff like that (inocent stuff). She tells the H that he should give the h a taste of her own medicine, and because she is such a good friend she offers to sleep with him in order to make the h suffer.
The h sees the H and her BFF in the act and she leaves (the writing is bad, i felt nothing regarding the cheating, the emotions, nothing). Two weeks later she sleeps with her ex because she wants to hurt the H (insert eye rolling Emoji) by doing so.
The BFF is now on obsessed with the H, and the dialogues are stupid. He is telling her that he doesn't want her to see her again and she dismiss him by telling that he doesn't have to be mean if he is tired..she will leave him alone and they will see each other next day. She is a stalker, sends him lawyer contacts for the divorce he doesn't want to have, she is breaking in his house and she stuffs all the h clothes in boxes because she wants her out (and the h and H are thinking this is not serious enough to involve the police).
The drama is OTT, the writing is bad with a lot of typos, and without depth. The OW drama is again OTT and the h and H are stupid. The story ends with a HEA for them and the BFF ends up in prison for 7years after she kidnapped their newborn.I skip read it after the 40 marker because i have better things to do with my time. O kust wanted to see what the author will do with a OW so crazy, and a plot so stupid and surrreal.
dnf
October 30, 2024DNF. Cheating caught in the act. The heroine was bad ass and the hero just a wimp. I thought I was in for a fierce heroine, but that all went down the drain when she saw him again. She caught him f*cking her BFF in their marital bed, she left him and blocked him. Then she calls him that she’s stopping by to get her last things from the house. She gets there, they argue, he pinches her nipples, she spreads her legs, they have sex and I’m out. What a pathetic woman. You saw this excuse of a man f*ck your best friend and the first thing to do when you see him again is jumping his bones? Have more self respect woman!!
Not safe. Hero cheats with OW. Lame excuse for his cheating. He thought she cheated on him, because her BFF told him so. The same BFF that was chasing him for years, yup very believable. That’s not his only excuse. He’s much older than the heroine and insecure that she would leave him. Please… if you decide the best thing to do is stick your 🍆 in OW instead of talking with your wife, at least own up to it!
Not safe. Hero cheats with OW. Lame excuse for his cheating. He thought she cheated on him, because her BFF told him so. The same BFF that was chasing him for years, yup very believable. That’s not his only excuse. He’s much older than the heroine and insecure that she would leave him. Please… if you decide the best thing to do is stick your 🍆 in OW instead of talking with your wife, at least own up to it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2017
I had the privilege of reading Solace as it was being created!! Nicola Cruz is a breath of fresh air!! Finally a book that is REAL!!
This is my one warning to all the readers out there. This IS NOT for everyone!! Solace is not a lovey dovey insta love happy fairytale romance!! This book is soooooo real life!!!
Lincoln and Nixon are my absolutely favourite couple!! They go through many ups and downs when it comes to their relationship!! Marriage is work!! You have fight for what you want!!!
I don't want to give too much away and spoil this amazing book. This story revolves around main characters Linc and Nikki with Alex, Bianca, Roman and Kennedy surrounding this couple.
Condensed version Linc cheats on Nikki with Bianca. Now Bianca is a complete bitch faced cunt who tells Linc that his wife is sleeping with her best guy friend Lex. So as pay back he sleeps with Bianca and Nikki catches them.
From here on shit gets real!!
Lies are told. Mistakes are made.
Let the fighting begin!!
Linc does everything in his power to get his wife back!! That is not as easy as it sounds!!
Throw in a crazy ass bitch psycho, a best friend who wants more and a whoa shit surprise and you have one kick ass story!!!
One of the BEST BOOKS I have read this year!!
Thank you Nicola Cruz for writing a book that involves couples real issues in marriage!!
I could not put this book down!!!
Way beyond 5🌟's!!!!
This is my one warning to all the readers out there. This IS NOT for everyone!! Solace is not a lovey dovey insta love happy fairytale romance!! This book is soooooo real life!!!
Lincoln and Nixon are my absolutely favourite couple!! They go through many ups and downs when it comes to their relationship!! Marriage is work!! You have fight for what you want!!!
I don't want to give too much away and spoil this amazing book. This story revolves around main characters Linc and Nikki with Alex, Bianca, Roman and Kennedy surrounding this couple.
Condensed version Linc cheats on Nikki with Bianca. Now Bianca is a complete bitch faced cunt who tells Linc that his wife is sleeping with her best guy friend Lex. So as pay back he sleeps with Bianca and Nikki catches them.
From here on shit gets real!!
Lies are told. Mistakes are made.
Let the fighting begin!!
Linc does everything in his power to get his wife back!! That is not as easy as it sounds!!
Throw in a crazy ass bitch psycho, a best friend who wants more and a whoa shit surprise and you have one kick ass story!!!
One of the BEST BOOKS I have read this year!!
Thank you Nicola Cruz for writing a book that involves couples real issues in marriage!!
I could not put this book down!!!
Way beyond 5🌟's!!!!
February 14, 2025
Two wrongs don't make a right
Oh my I could have strangled Lincoln for listening to Bianca. You can of understand his insecurities regarding Alex since he was an ex of Nixon's. However to do what he did, well he deserved some crazy.
Now I say two wrongs don't make a right, so when Nixon does what she did well you just have to shake your head. But at least the end of it worked out.
Let me tell you Bianca was a her own brand of crazy!
Oh my I could have strangled Lincoln for listening to Bianca. You can of understand his insecurities regarding Alex since he was an ex of Nixon's. However to do what he did, well he deserved some crazy.
Now I say two wrongs don't make a right, so when Nixon does what she did well you just have to shake your head. But at least the end of it worked out.
Let me tell you Bianca was a her own brand of crazy!
July 15, 2017
Seductive, suspenseful and completely unfiltered! Nikola Cruz has a way with words that pulls you into a story...a story you never expected! I experienced a range of emotions while giggling to myself (and aloud on a plane, at work, or anywhere I found myself ) as I entered the minds of characters. The seemingly effortless style and grace Cruz writes in makes this a timeless classic on the realities of life, adulthood, family, love, sex, danger, justice and forgiveness! What's next for Nikola Cruz?
July 29, 2017
There is so much to be said about this book its hard to put into words. First of all i am of the belief that if a book takes you through a gamut of emotions then its worth it. So this was 100% worth it.
The plot was well developed and even the secondary characters were so well incorporated and developed as well that it felt as a reAder like you were part of their inner circle. If i had to pick a favorite character i would have to say its Kennedy. She was very honest and tough love with her baby sister but all in the name of love. #teamkennedy
In regards to linc nikki and lex i have to say that even with his misgivings i loved linc. He made a mistake (albeit a huge one) but he more than made up for it and gave it his all to get his wife back. He was sexy he was all alpha he was just delish! Lex pissed me off then i felt like crying for him because in the end he was just a man in love.
I want to read more from this author and the wait will be worth it. I wonder who we will hear from next? Lex? Ro? Or even kennedy? I need to know. Lol
The plot was well developed and even the secondary characters were so well incorporated and developed as well that it felt as a reAder like you were part of their inner circle. If i had to pick a favorite character i would have to say its Kennedy. She was very honest and tough love with her baby sister but all in the name of love. #teamkennedy
In regards to linc nikki and lex i have to say that even with his misgivings i loved linc. He made a mistake (albeit a huge one) but he more than made up for it and gave it his all to get his wife back. He was sexy he was all alpha he was just delish! Lex pissed me off then i felt like crying for him because in the end he was just a man in love.
I want to read more from this author and the wait will be worth it. I wonder who we will hear from next? Lex? Ro? Or even kennedy? I need to know. Lol
December 13, 2020
Unfortunately after reading this I had zero empathy for the h. I thought she was a child. H was fucked up and a fuck up. He should never have believed the OW-BFF, tequila and lies or not...but the h fucking her ex-bf with no condom...which was her reaction to H after refusing to communicate with him when she clearly didn’t want a divorce. I feel what she did was worse and her hubby’s worst fear. What he did was stupid. I hated them both. When you’re in a fight with your spouse, you don’t go to stay with your ex. Period. Get your shit together and recover or move on, but don’t add people to your drama.
I also hate ethnic ambiguity in characters. Either create POC characters that are recognizable and believable, or spare us a half-assed attempt. And sure as shit don’t throw in one or two lines referring to character ethnicity, and then leave it open to interpretation throughout the novel.
I also hate ethnic ambiguity in characters. Either create POC characters that are recognizable and believable, or spare us a half-assed attempt. And sure as shit don’t throw in one or two lines referring to character ethnicity, and then leave it open to interpretation throughout the novel.
Read
November 11, 2020DNF 63%
=========
lost interest
=========
lost interest
August 5, 2023
The MMC cheated because the OW made him think, not believe, think that the FMC was cheating with her male best friend/OM. The MMC did it to hurt the FMC but got caught in the middle of the act by the FMC. The MMC was forcing himself to do the deed and when it was interrupted he didn’t get any chance to get off from it. Not that I think he would have been able to with the way he acted, closing his eyes and waiting it out. Smh. Now let me breakdown the relationships here.
The OW Bianca is the FMC’s childhood best friend.
The OM Alex/Lex is the FMC’s high school boyfriend turned best friend.
The MMC has interrupted s e x (cheating) with the OW.
The FMC later has s e x (not cheating to me but definitely a poor decision given the circumstances) with the OM during her emotional upheaval. In essence giving him mixed signals IMO.
The OM, other than the one time s e x with the FMC, he never showed any real love interest towards the FMC through the whole book before and after the s e x. He basically said it’s just s e x and he wouldn’t mind some more. So his sudden interest after one round of couch Olympics made no sense. He never gave off the vibe that he was waiting for her. They were inappropriately too intimate for “just friends”, yes. But that sometimes happens when former couples stay friends after they end. Most people find it’s difficult to reset physical boundaries once you’ve been physical but his friendship should have ended when the MMC came into the picture.
The OW was made out to be crazy but this is never really explained as anything other than jealousy made her nuts, which is an extreme leap of behavior. How was she able to not show any of her crazy all her life, to any of these other characters, never mind to her closest relationship with the FMC, for years(!), but one day out of the blue she plots the destruction of the main characters marriage, stalks both characters, harasses the MMC with her delusions of their supposed future together or of everything going on around her, and ultimately kidnaps a baby with no plan on what to do after that. Other than to go to some random neighbors house who she barely was friends with claiming to be babysitting.
This story was all over the place. It had no real resolution of the cheating by the MMC. He needed therapy. Because his reasoning to have s e x to actively hurt his wife is another extreme reaction from being told and shown flimsy evidence that the FMC was having an affair. Who does that? Immature people, maybe. The MMC was described as a 34’ish mature, respectful and rational person before and after this confrontation. So it really was out of character. If anything he would have confronted his wife before sleeping with anyone. He would have plotted an out before letting the FMC know that he “knew”. It would have been more sneaky or in your face but not outright sleeping with the OW who he had been thinking of all the things he didn’t like about her during her “reveal” of the FMC’s supposed infidelity.
The author did have the hard questions asked through most of the original part of the story. Like the FMC asking the MMC, “had she ever given him a reason to believe she would cheat(?)”, or be the kind of person to have an ongoing affair and lie to her spouse indefinitely. Or later, when the FMC’s sister asks her when does sleeping with someone else while separated from your spouse for cheating make it a tit for tat option?? More of this happens but then the main couple just decide to be together and then nothing else is said or done to work on the betrayal.
It was all squared away as the OW was crazy and it was them against her. The OM honestly had my sympathies because he got caught in the middle of all of their roller coaster of drama and then he was kicked to the curb like it was somehow his fault. Yes, he had s e x with the FMC when I don’t think he should have, but he is a dude and from everything described of all these characters just as self centered and he chose the easy s e x. It absolutely wasn’t cool. But he was only 50% to blame at best. He was also jerked around by the FMC whenever she needed him. He dropped everything for her, his best friend at every pivotal moment. So I feel the indiscretion could have been forgiven in time.
But with the OM, I felt the FMC wanted to keep him friend zoned so that she always has a man she is intimate with who is always there. Not just sexually either. The FMC was absolutely having a type of emotional affair with him for years. He was sort of her fallback relationship. Whether they had s e x or not is irrelevant. They were actively acting like a couple with each other more than just friends. I think the FMC was the OM’s fallback too from the way they played out on page. It’s never explained why they were even “ex’s for a reason”. What ended their relationship? Why couldn’t they work before or in the future? Besides the obvious love between the main couple that is. It does come off to an extent, that if the MMC wasn’t in the picture and the baby had turned out to be the OM’s, then they could have worked out in time.
Anyway, I feel this book sort of lost the plot of the “cheating” and made all about the crazy OW. The main couple did next to nothing to recover from the cheating but did everything to act like it never happened. Brushing it under the carpet. The story did hold my interest because it was trashy goodness but it was not emotional outside of the caught in the act scene at the very beginning of the story. There was a huge amount of errors that even a novice editor should have caught so it made reading crazy a bit more difficult. I don’t know if I would give this author another chance though. Good luck.
The OW Bianca is the FMC’s childhood best friend.
The OM Alex/Lex is the FMC’s high school boyfriend turned best friend.
The MMC has interrupted s e x (cheating) with the OW.
The FMC later has s e x (not cheating to me but definitely a poor decision given the circumstances) with the OM during her emotional upheaval. In essence giving him mixed signals IMO.
The OM, other than the one time s e x with the FMC, he never showed any real love interest towards the FMC through the whole book before and after the s e x. He basically said it’s just s e x and he wouldn’t mind some more. So his sudden interest after one round of couch Olympics made no sense. He never gave off the vibe that he was waiting for her. They were inappropriately too intimate for “just friends”, yes. But that sometimes happens when former couples stay friends after they end. Most people find it’s difficult to reset physical boundaries once you’ve been physical but his friendship should have ended when the MMC came into the picture.
The OW was made out to be crazy but this is never really explained as anything other than jealousy made her nuts, which is an extreme leap of behavior. How was she able to not show any of her crazy all her life, to any of these other characters, never mind to her closest relationship with the FMC, for years(!), but one day out of the blue she plots the destruction of the main characters marriage, stalks both characters, harasses the MMC with her delusions of their supposed future together or of everything going on around her, and ultimately kidnaps a baby with no plan on what to do after that. Other than to go to some random neighbors house who she barely was friends with claiming to be babysitting.
This story was all over the place. It had no real resolution of the cheating by the MMC. He needed therapy. Because his reasoning to have s e x to actively hurt his wife is another extreme reaction from being told and shown flimsy evidence that the FMC was having an affair. Who does that? Immature people, maybe. The MMC was described as a 34’ish mature, respectful and rational person before and after this confrontation. So it really was out of character. If anything he would have confronted his wife before sleeping with anyone. He would have plotted an out before letting the FMC know that he “knew”. It would have been more sneaky or in your face but not outright sleeping with the OW who he had been thinking of all the things he didn’t like about her during her “reveal” of the FMC’s supposed infidelity.
The author did have the hard questions asked through most of the original part of the story. Like the FMC asking the MMC, “had she ever given him a reason to believe she would cheat(?)”, or be the kind of person to have an ongoing affair and lie to her spouse indefinitely. Or later, when the FMC’s sister asks her when does sleeping with someone else while separated from your spouse for cheating make it a tit for tat option?? More of this happens but then the main couple just decide to be together and then nothing else is said or done to work on the betrayal.
It was all squared away as the OW was crazy and it was them against her. The OM honestly had my sympathies because he got caught in the middle of all of their roller coaster of drama and then he was kicked to the curb like it was somehow his fault. Yes, he had s e x with the FMC when I don’t think he should have, but he is a dude and from everything described of all these characters just as self centered and he chose the easy s e x. It absolutely wasn’t cool. But he was only 50% to blame at best. He was also jerked around by the FMC whenever she needed him. He dropped everything for her, his best friend at every pivotal moment. So I feel the indiscretion could have been forgiven in time.
But with the OM, I felt the FMC wanted to keep him friend zoned so that she always has a man she is intimate with who is always there. Not just sexually either. The FMC was absolutely having a type of emotional affair with him for years. He was sort of her fallback relationship. Whether they had s e x or not is irrelevant. They were actively acting like a couple with each other more than just friends. I think the FMC was the OM’s fallback too from the way they played out on page. It’s never explained why they were even “ex’s for a reason”. What ended their relationship? Why couldn’t they work before or in the future? Besides the obvious love between the main couple that is. It does come off to an extent, that if the MMC wasn’t in the picture and the baby had turned out to be the OM’s, then they could have worked out in time.
Anyway, I feel this book sort of lost the plot of the “cheating” and made all about the crazy OW. The main couple did next to nothing to recover from the cheating but did everything to act like it never happened. Brushing it under the carpet. The story did hold my interest because it was trashy goodness but it was not emotional outside of the caught in the act scene at the very beginning of the story. There was a huge amount of errors that even a novice editor should have caught so it made reading crazy a bit more difficult. I don’t know if I would give this author another chance though. Good luck.
March 29, 2018
Okay... first of all, I did not know what to expect with this book. The blurb is intriguing and illusive. So, hmmm, I thought I would give it a try. Am I ever glad I did. Because damn and wow! My jaw dropped from the very first chapter and then pretty much stayed that way all through. I laughed so hard in the that first chapter and fell in love with Nikki right from word go. She is FIERCE! If I ever got into trouble I want her on my side. The characters were flawlessly written with impressive depth and consistency, including the secondary characters.
This book is about overcoming a major struggle and a terribly painful event in a marriage that would break most couples. I thought the author did a beautiful and believable job of handling the subject matter while creating a fun, page-turning story. Very enjoyable! I cannot wait for the next book!
This book is about overcoming a major struggle and a terribly painful event in a marriage that would break most couples. I thought the author did a beautiful and believable job of handling the subject matter while creating a fun, page-turning story. Very enjoyable! I cannot wait for the next book!
July 3, 2017
Nikola Cruz's debut Solace proved to be one of those books that you undermine only for it to be slap you in the face with it's greatness. Going into it, I didn't place any expectations, because well usually...
however with int he first few pages of reading Nikola Cruz's debut as I was thoroughly invested and couldn't wait to get more.
Nix and Linc are a married couple who are living the happily ever after dream. Nix is a strong beautiful heroine with a backbone. She is decisive to the point and I couldn't pinpoint a single thing I would change about her. Our alpha Lincoln doesn't fall short as he is tenacious and relentless in his love for nikki. Secondary characters from Bianca, Kennedy, Lex, and Rho were incredibly developed. I would say that there is a rare time where I fall for a secondary character hard. Character development was incredibly well done by Nikola Cruz.
While the plot kept me entertained and throughly invested, Bianca and her craziness were the cherry on top because I have to admit, she will make readers uncomfortable. At the beginning I kept thinking damn...
then I thought ok thats about it from her only to be proven wrong
and then it just kept on coming
Like I said the limit of her character's craziness was pretty much infinite. if you have any doubts read this and..
A unique romance filled with betrayal, hope, and love, It is most definitely different than the regular romance tropes at the moment.
August 3, 2017
Longer and more in depth review will follow soon.
This book is so good.
If you're not a fan of cheating (I'm not) I still think you should read this book. The story shows you the aftermath of infidelity and the struggles endured to overcome it.
The heroine's sister Kennedy is the person you want at your side when it all goes down! The hero's best friend Roman is that keep it real friend we all need. I loved him and he deserves his own book.
In the meantime -- read it for yourself and review it.
This book is so good.
If you're not a fan of cheating (I'm not) I still think you should read this book. The story shows you the aftermath of infidelity and the struggles endured to overcome it.
The heroine's sister Kennedy is the person you want at your side when it all goes down! The hero's best friend Roman is that keep it real friend we all need. I loved him and he deserves his own book.
In the meantime -- read it for yourself and review it.
June 15, 2024
Nope. This was a mess. Needs some serious editing. Best thing about this book though was the beat down the ow got. You don't see that kind of comeuppance often enough in books. I mean physical hold you down and punches to the face. It was quite satisfying 🙈
August 8, 2017
Holy SHITMONKEY
What a good book! Man that Bianca is one Bat shit crazy girl! I went into this thinking hell I'm crazy, I'll love this character..... not so much. She's crazy in a bad way! Not even a bad you gotta love. I mean just WTF is wrong with you!! Lol
But what a great book cant wait for Roman's story!!!
What a good book! Man that Bianca is one Bat shit crazy girl! I went into this thinking hell I'm crazy, I'll love this character..... not so much. She's crazy in a bad way! Not even a bad you gotta love. I mean just WTF is wrong with you!! Lol
But what a great book cant wait for Roman's story!!!
March 17, 2021
DNF @ 30%
February 14, 2022
Just a big fat NOPE to all this story.
May 26, 2023
Very messy and OTT. I questioned the sanity of several characters and the maturity of all of them.
March 28, 2024
This book is one giant run-on sentence.
August 8, 2020
A solid 3.5. I really liked how the ow got what she deserved.
April 11, 2022
Just no
I tried, I really do, but this was just to much for me. It was like a bad soap opera. I made it to 30% and said enough.
I tried, I really do, but this was just to much for me. It was like a bad soap opera. I made it to 30% and said enough.
May 8, 2025
DNF this is over the top trash and not in a good way.
September 2, 2017
Nikola Cruz's debut Solace was just short of perfection for me. In the midst of all the Romance tropes that start to blend in together and totally all look the same, she came on top. Nikola Cruz wrote a book, that while may not be for everyone because of their preference, it was for me and I was simply engrossed the whole time. She had me invested, she had me begging, she had my attention to her characters, plot, sexy scenes and oh so much more. This was romance done unique. This was romance done differently and she excelled.
While it may not be for everyone because of their preference in regards to certain to things, it was for me. It was well written and flowed very well. A love that cracks and has been damaged is mended and healed oh so beautifully. From the beginning I was praying and Linc and Nix to get it together. Our alpha Linc is relentless, he fights hard for Nix and you can't help but admire his love for her despite his mistakes. Nix is beautiful and oh so strong. She is most definitely a doormat and I loved that. So the whole time I was angsty and praying that they get it together for an ending that would mend me.
Secondary characters were done extremely well. I am assuming that Roman and Linc will be having book. I fell as easily for them as I fell for the primary characters. Kennedy was the most pivotal secondary character I have seen in a book.
Again it is a romance thats not usual and to a small group of people may seem completely outrageous. I LOVED IT THO.
Also, it should be noted that Bianca is one crazy person that I can't even begin to fathom.
I loved it all.
While it may not be for everyone because of their preference in regards to certain to things, it was for me. It was well written and flowed very well. A love that cracks and has been damaged is mended and healed oh so beautifully. From the beginning I was praying and Linc and Nix to get it together. Our alpha Linc is relentless, he fights hard for Nix and you can't help but admire his love for her despite his mistakes. Nix is beautiful and oh so strong. She is most definitely a doormat and I loved that. So the whole time I was angsty and praying that they get it together for an ending that would mend me.
Secondary characters were done extremely well. I am assuming that Roman and Linc will be having book. I fell as easily for them as I fell for the primary characters. Kennedy was the most pivotal secondary character I have seen in a book.
Again it is a romance thats not usual and to a small group of people may seem completely outrageous. I LOVED IT THO.
Also, it should be noted that Bianca is one crazy person that I can't even begin to fathom.
I loved it all.
May 14, 2018
This is this authors first book and while I have been in the whole cheating mood, this book hit the spot but at the same time it really annoyed me. I’m glad Nikki and Lincoln got their HEA because they did deserve it because of everything what the crazy psycho friend, but their lack of communication really got on my nerves. They acted very immature about everything that was going on and while it added complex aspect to the story, it made me almost give up. I did enjoy the plot. It was intriguing, suspenseful, steamy, the perfect amount of angst, but some aspects were hard to get over. Some things weren’t believable and redundant. I would be willing to read another book by this author because her ideas are awesome and she has me intrigue by few secondary characters. 3 stars #2OCCJD
October 10, 2022
This is the one where the crazy bff OW tells the H that the h is cheating w/ an ex. Of course she suggests they bang to get her back. Mid bang, H is SO not into it & is wasted to boot, h walks in. She proceeds to give OW a black eye and bloody nose 🥳 H also gets a lamp pitched at him. h leaves & goes to the ex to cry on his shoulder…then they bang. Self fulfilling prophecy. 🙄😆. She moves out for real. H grovels, and OW is stalking them both. h get preg but who’s the daddy?! 😆😑. Blah blah, OW kidnaps newborn for an hour, gets caught, 7 yrs in prison. HEA
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews