Aspiring Affection

Jems and Jamz #6

by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue

When River Jensen hires Marie Reynolds to design her new restaurant, she's immediately impressed by Marie's talent and vision. However, River can't shake the nagging doubt that Marie's modeling dreams might distract from the project. After all, River has invested everything into building her dream restaurant, and she can't afford distractions. But as they spend more time working together, River's uncertainty begins to fade, replaced by an undeniable attraction and a growing affection for Marie.
As their professional relationship deepens into something more personal, River is torn between her desire to trust Marie and her fear of being let down. Marie, on the other hand, finds herself caught between two worlds. She has always dreamed of making it big in the modeling industry, but the more time she spends with River, the more she questions whether she's willing to risk the future she's been working toward for a shot at love and a different kind of success.
Faced with the choice of completing River's restaurant design or pursuing her own aspirations in the competitive world of modeling, Marie must make a decision that will not only affect her career but her heart. Can Marie balance the allure of her personal dreams with the commitment she's made to River? Will River's trust in Marie hold strong, or will their budding love be overshadowed by the clash of ambition and passion?
In this heartfelt romance, two women struggle to navigate the complex intersection of love, career, and dreams. Will they find a way to have it all, or will they have to sacrifice one for the other?

Unknown Binding

About the author

Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue is a Midwest-based author known for her captivating lesbian romance novels, compelling mysteries, and heart-pounding thrillers. With a talent for weaving emotion, suspense, and authenticity into every story, Nicole has built a loyal readership drawn to her richly developed characters and relatable themes. Her work reflects a deep understanding of human connection, identity, and resilience, often exploring the complexities of relationships in high-stakes settings.

Nicole holds a Master’s degree in Business Management with a focus on marketing, a background that not only informs her strategic approach to publishing but also brings a thoughtful precision to her storytelling. She began writing at a young age, inspired by a book she found in her local library written by a fellow eight-year-old. That early moment of discovery sparked a lifelong passion that has guided her creative journey ever since.

When she’s not writing, Nicole enjoys cooking new recipes, exploring new places through travel, and spending quality time with her family. Her stories are rooted in experience and imagination, making her voice both grounded and uniquely engaging. Whether penning a slow-burning romance or a thrilling mystery, Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue invites readers into worlds where love and intrigue go hand in hand.

Reviews

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

River is low on cash sinking most of the loan from the bank into the space for her restaurant. So when she asked for help from her friends and family her sister offered Marie who is a model and an interior decorator. At first river is reluctant, but Marie is good looking and again just short on funds she reluctantly said yes. This is the beginning of a cat and mouse game and romance, but who is the cat and who is the mouse?

I truly enjoyed this book as I do most of this authors work. I find her sweet and clean LGBT romantic and mysteries or excellent read. I started reading this book I didn’t stop until it was over. I received this book from the author on Booksprout and I’m leaving this reveal voluntarily is one I highly recommend to anyone who likes witty Romance books.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[El · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received a copy for free from VoraciousReadersOnly.com and am leaving this review of my own accord.

Much in the trend of the reviews I've given to every other book in this series, this was an enjoyably sweet story, and I'm hugely glad to see novellas populated by so many gay characters. The writing is still improving and the relationships and characters are sweet.

In the case of this one, however, I didn't really like any of the characters. They all seemed a little too quick to snap at each other and then immediately be friendly again, and some of the dynamics were a little off. Beyond that, I still very much enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to tying the series up with the last book.

[Lesbian Romance Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

a short novella to wet your appetite. River is preparing to start her dream: opening her own restaurant. Marie is a model turned designer.