Sea of Love by Nic Starr

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU 
Goodreads Link

The cruise of a lifetime. A reality TV show about romance. Falling in love is inevitable.

Evan Williams is the type of guy to stick by his friends, especially when they’ve been hurt and need a favour. And if that favour involves the cruise of a lifetime, then how can he say no? Even when it means pretending to be a devoted boyfriend to Amber and having their fake relationship play out on a reality TV show for all the world to see.

Realizing his boyfriend is a conceited jerk and dumping him doesn’t stop Harry Bishop from winding up as one half of a supposedly loved-up couple on the Sea of Love TV show. And if that’s not bad enough, he’s faced with temptation in the form of Evan, the perfect blend of boy-next-door-meets-sexy-stud he once crushed on. It’s going to be a long two weeks.

Two weeks of competitions, challenges, and confrontations. They’re here to take out the Sea of Love title—just not with each other—and there can only be one winner. But it turns out that true love isn’t about winning a contest; the real prize comes when you follow your heart.

Sea of Love is a feel-good romance featuring hidden attraction, fake relationships, and friends-to-lovers.

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Sea of Love is exactly what you'd expect from the blurb. This Nic Starr read is a cute, sweet, easy read. 

Evan and Harry are acquaintances who run into each other on a cruise. Problem is, it's a couples cruise/reality show and they are both pretending to be in a couple with someone else. Cue the forbidden relationship aspect. 

What follows is adorable as the two spend time together and their feelings grow. They are wonderful together and sex is hot. 

The reality show is the background for this story, but there isn't a whole lot of that being shown. It's there as a means to bring the men together and to add some obstacles in their way. But don't expect a lot of the show details or drama. 

The writing is great, with a good pace, lovable characters. and a delightful storyline. The secondary characters fully come to life and add immensely to the tale. 

Sea of Love is a great choice the next time you're in the mood for a cute romance. This Nic Starr tale is and perfectly sweet and fluffy. 

Fragile Heart by Nic Starr

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU 
Goodreads Link

The past doesn’t have to dictate the future.

It’s hard to focus on work when Sean Vargos sits a couple of desks away. He’s quiet, well-respected, and dedicated to his job, not to mention he’s gorgeous. Jason can’t get him out of his thoughts. Acting on his attraction is frowned on in the workplace but talk of Valentine’s Day and an upcoming business merger gives Jason the push to finally make a move. He’s tired of being alone, and he doesn’t want his career to be his key priority anymore.

Sean isn’t looking for an office romance. He isn’t looking for romance, period. Putting the past behind him has been a struggle, and he knows better than to think he can fall in love again. But Jason Simpson is hard to ignore. He’s passionate about his job, and he’s also interested in Sean.

The temptation is too much to resist, and they embark on a tentative relationship. Jason falls head over heels, fast. Sean runs.

All Jason wants is to win over Sean’s heart, but first he needs to earn his trust.

Fragile Heart is an office romance featuring hurt/comfort themes, well-intentioned friends, and a happy ending.


Note: This story started life (as A Day At A Time). This story has been revised, expanded, and re-edited, adding approximately 40% , but the plot largely remains unchanged. It is approximately 26k words.

My Rating - 3.5 Stars!

Fragile Heart is a nice hurt/comfort office romance by Nic Starr. 

This is an office romance with an adorable first date. Sean and Jason are definitely sweet together. 

I love the character development for each man. Sean cut himself off from people years ago. But with Jason, he finds someone worth risking his heart for. 

It's wonderful seeing him opening up again after a past that left him scarred. The details of his past are left until the end though, for both the reader and Jason. I don't always like waiting for those details, and this is no different. I would have felt more connected to Sean if I knew about him earlier. 

The opposite personalities is a large part of this story, setting the tone from the beginning. Shy, quiet, hurt Sean. And confident and outgoing Jason. 

I enjoy the way things develop for the two, and I think they're great together, making for an enjoyable read. 

Fragile Heart is a sweet office romance. This Nic Starr read is simply adorable, with some tender and loving moments throughout. 

Wild Card (The Road To Rocktoberfest #3) by Nic Starr

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

Hitting the big time in Australia isn't enough. Making it overseas, now that's on a whole other level.

Rafe Moreno, lead singer of HyperOctane, is on the brink of achieving everything he's set out to do before his thirtieth birthday. Ten years of hard work and focus is finally paying off. Not that he doesn't enjoy the rock and roll lifestyle--adoration, parties, men. What's not to like? Including a hot hook-up with his bandmate's younger brother. But the most important thing is keeping his eye on the prize at any cost.

Parker Shaw is nothing like his outgoing, super-talented rock star brother, so finding himself on a plane heading to the other side of the world to play guitar with HyperOctane is insane. Who in their right mind would want an ordinary, skinny, red-haired analyst to perform with one of the top bands from Australia?

Rafe's dream is the big time, not a relationship. The furthest thing from Parker's mind is trusting his broken heart to anyone again. But what happens on the road, stays on the road, right? Rafe and Parker embark on the rock tour of a lifetime, a tour that will bring a lot more than they expected, because love is a wild card, not something you can plan for.

Wild Card is an opposites attract, forced proximity, rock star romance.

Wild Card is the third book in the multi-author Road to Rocktoberfest series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why not stay and enjoy the whole show? If you like scorching tales of hot rock stars and the men who love them, then you'll adore the untamed musicians of Rocktoberfest!

My Rating - 4.5 Stars!

Wild Card, the third book in the multi-author The Road to Rocktoberfest series, is a fantastic rocker romance by Nic Starr. 

This one has a lot going on for it. There's friend's brother, rock band, forced proximity, opposites attract, and more. And I love it all. 

Rafe and Parker think nothing of having a hookup. Rafe and Parker's brother may be in a band together, but the men don't think any problems will arise. 

I love the opposite aspect of this story. Rafe's the outgoing rock star who loves the spotlight and all that it brings. On the other hand, Parker is shy and wants nothing to do with the spotlight that his own brother lives under. In addition, a former bad relationship has him running from anything couple like.  

Of course, the forced proximity aspect is what sets things up for these men, as Parker temporarily takes his brother's place in the band. With the men off to play at Rocktoberfest, they will be together for a while. And they certainly wants to keep their hookups from the band. 

The chemistry between the two is fabulous, and their development of their feelings is wonderful. If you like when friends with benefits start developing real feelings, you will love this book. 

Wild Card is a fabulous read. Nic Starr had me hooked from the first page to the last, unable to put this sweet and tender tale down. I'm loving this series so far and am excited to see what the other authors come up with. 

Pay It Forward (A Giving Back Story Book 1) by Nic Starr

Amazon Link

Goodreads Link

Blurb

Forced to leave home as soon as he finished high school, Bailey McCreedy’s focus has been on earning enough money to survive. All he needs is a roof over his head and to keep his small mobile lending library running. Books are Bailey’s escape, and he loves to share the joy of reading with those who don’t have access to them.

Tom Brooks’s upbringing is very different to Bailey’s, with a loving family, a good education, and a high-flying job—that is, until things came crashing down. Tom opens a coffee shop, struggling to build his business and reluctant to accept help, operating under the misguided belief that he must pay penance for his sins. Watching Bailey work with the street kids opens Tom’s eyes to the reality that accepting help is not a sign of weakness, and that he is so much more than his past mistakes.

But as Bailey falls for Tom, with his charming manner, obvious care for others, and group of successful friends, Bailey’s own sense of self-worth threatens to tear them apart. In the face of intensifying challenges, he’s reluctant to confide in Tom, afraid he’s not good enough.

A bright future will require Bailey to heed his own advice—people aren’t defined by their failures or inability to live up to the expectations of others. It’s time for Tom to pay it forward, and Bailey needs to accept the help and love that Tom offers.

Review 

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Nic Starr's Pay It Forward is a wonderful and thought-provoking romance. 

Bailey's grown up feeling that it's often him against the world. In his spare time, he's been working with the homeless, helping them, while also trying to find his own direction in life. 

Tom's running his own coffee shop, and refuses to accept help from his friends to fix up the place. Events is his past has left him feeling that he needs to do all the hard work himself.

Both men need to face some issues from their pasts. They both need to give in and accept help from others. Together, they make a great couple and are both able to help the other.

Of course, I adored every mention of Sydney and Australia in general, finding myself giddy with excitement, as I love Sydney.

I love the theme and lessons of this story. One always needs to stop punishing themselves for things in their past. Let others in and move forward. I'm excited to see what Nic Starr comes up with for the other books in this series. 

Runaway by Nic Starr

Blurb

Dr Nathan Powell is ready to settle down near his family, and hopefully find the man of his dreams. He returns to the small coastal town where he grew up, but while life is simpler than it was in the city, there are also complications—like patients’ reactions to an openly gay doctor. And like running into Nate’s first love, Damien, an out-and-proud local business owner who is unwilling to be any man’s dirty secret. The reunion reignites old desire even while it stirs up Nate’s guilt over the way things ended with Damien.

When Nate’s nephew runs away, Damien accompanies Nate on his mission to find the young man. The drive to Sydney, and the search of the city, gives Nate time to reconnect with Damien—and to wonder if he made the right decision years ago—when he determined a future for them was impossible. Is a fresh start realistic for two men in their forties? But before he can ponder the second chance they’ve been given, Nate must locate his nephew.

World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

REVIEW

My Rating - 5 Stars!

What's not to love about Nic Starr's Second Chance romance Runaway?

I love a good Second Chance romance, and this one hits all my buttons.  It is sweet, it is romantic, and it's light in angst.

Nate and Damien were secret lovers when they were young. But they parted since Nate couldn't face coming out.  Now, many years later, they are reunited when Nate returns home. And eventually they go off in search of Nate's nephew together, giving them lots of time to talk.

This story deals with coming out, whatever the age may be. I love stories where a closeted man has that part of himself well developed. One fantastic line is "You can't have a proper relationship if you're hiding and not living life to the full." I can't agree with that more. 

When they are talking about getting back together, Damien just can't do so, as he can't  hide and pretend to just be friends again. The three years he had to do so before was too much for him. He wants a permanent relationship.  

As an added bonus, the locations mentioned make me giddy with nostalgia, since I lived in Sydney for a time and am familiar with all these places. For me, this was just wonderful!!!

Thus, I highly recommend Nic Starr's Runaway as a great comfort read.