{"id":9103,"date":"2018-08-19T00:00:39","date_gmt":"2018-08-18T22:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelesbianreview.com\/?p=9103"},"modified":"2023-06-13T17:37:08","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T15:37:08","slug":"ariana-emma-nichols","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelesbianreview.com\/ariana-emma-nichols\/","title":{"rendered":"Ariana by Emma Nichols: Book Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ariana<\/a>Ariana by Emma Nichols<\/b><\/span> is a second chance romance story that underscores the importance of letting your heart guide your decisions instead of financial gains and reconnecting with your soulmate. <\/span><\/p>\n

Ariana Carter-Cruz is tired\u2014emotionally, physically and financially. After her long and drawn out divorce, she is just happy that she can finally move on with her life and get as far away as possible from her domineering mother and her ex-husband. Ariana saw the answer to all of her troubles when she learned that her grandmother Sophia had left her entire estate to her. Ariana decided to claim her inheritance, sell the estate and use the money to give her daughter and herself a new beginning and the life they have always dreamed about. Nikki Kefalas was the last person Ariana expected to see because she thought that Nikki would have left the island of Sakros years ago and she would have moved on with someone else. <\/span><\/p>\n

The passion Nikki and Ariana once shared is far from over. A young couple has just set out on the journey of love and their budding romance is in full bloom but Ariana\u2019s plans for her grandmother\u2019s estate could threaten their relationship, the island\u2019s stability and tear families apart. Will Ariana allow the history of heartbreak and loneliness to repeat itself? Will Ariana allow her financial situation to cloud her judgement or will she open her heart to Nikki and let love lead the way? <\/span><\/p>\n

The Characters<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Nikki Kefalas is a harbor master and she also owns a cozy tavern on the Greek island of Sakros. Her tavern is the place where all the locals and tourists go to whenever they want a good meal and great company. Nikki is so passionate about everything she does and she cherishes the people who are near and dear to her. I just love Nikki\u2019s feisty and fun-loving personality! She wears her heart on her sleeve and she is not afraid to go after what she wants and I admire her selflessness\u2014Nikki really loves her home and she would go above and beyond to see the island thrive. <\/span><\/p>\n

Ariana Carter-Cruz owns the beautiful white house on the hill and a bountiful olive plantation. She has been under so much stress because of her recent divorce and she has a very strained and hostile relationship with her mother. I\u2019m going to be totally honest here, my first impression of Ariana was not a good one because she came across as a fickle and unreliable person. My opinion of her changed when I learned more about her past and I realized that she is a very strong and phenomenal woman who has carried so much pain in her heart for such a long time. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Writing Style<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Nothing beats a vivid description of a breathtaking tropical island! (Wait a minute, I take that back\u2026 a detailed description of any culinary delights along with wonderful descriptions of the sun, sand and sea will take first place!)<\/i> The author did a fabulous job of bringing all of the characters to life for me and she also gave me a peek into the hearts and minds of these amazing women. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Pros<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

The laid back and quiet life on the island made me want to see it with my own eyes and the lovely descriptions of the beach and the harbor is so similar to the island where I live. I just have a thing for sprucing up stuff and making them look brand new again and that\u2019s why I enjoyed reading this story. I got to learn about the time-consuming process and the steps that should be taken when someone is renovating a boat or a beautiful, historic house. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Cons<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

There were one or two lags in the storyline that could have been tightened up a bit. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"aprils<\/a>This novel gave me way more than I expected because it is so much more than a tale about love and loss. There are so many life lessons and nuggets of wisdom thrown in here for good measure. At first, I was a bit overwhelmed by Nikki and Ariana\u2019s turbulent emotions and their confusing behavior but the more I read, the more I came to love these adorable, vulnerable and flawed women. <\/span><\/p>\n

Excerpt from <\/b><\/span>Ariana by Emma Nichols<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

With fury driving her, she marched out of her apartment, across the beach ignoring Pops, and started to climb the sandy path. Reaching the top, the lights from the house guided her to the front door. Her eyes fixed on the blue wooden door, her fist thumped down repeatedly, until it opened. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNikki!\u201d Ariana gasped, her hand swiftly covering her mouth, her eyes wide. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nikki froze, the wind knocked out of her sails. Her mouth tried to move, but the words she had wanted to scream out were stuck, and she couldn\u2019t swallow. Ariana\u2019s dark brown eyes, peeking over the hand clamped to her mouth, had locked onto hers and took her breath away. The ash-blonde hair, resting lightly on narrow shoulders looked a little better coiffured than she remembered. Nikki\u2019s racing heart surprised her too. She hesitated, trying to gain some sense of composure, a jelly-like feeling starting to challenge the muscles in her legs. <\/span><\/p>\n

Ariana released her hand from her mouth and tried to stand taller than her five-feet-six-inches. It took all her resolve, and she still felt small, weak, and strangely confused. <\/span><\/p>\n

The momentary distraction, which had thrown Nikki off course, lifted. \u201cYou\u2019re selling,\u201d Nikki asserted, her hands finding their way to hips and resting there, the tone in her voice a surprise. The anger that had driven her to stand at the blue door this late at night had shifted to something less intense, something far more vulnerable than she would have liked to admit. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI err\u2026 Umm.\u201d Ariana stood, dumbfounded, avoiding direct eye contact. Guilt warred with her desire to pull Nikki into her arms. Her hands were trembling. Her whole body was shaking. Guilt was winning. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re selling?\u201d This time it was a question and the tone more determined. Nikki stood her ground, her hands remaining steadfast on her hips, her eyes seeking the answer. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d The response was timid, remorseful even. Ariana\u2019s eyes lowered, and her hand lifted and rubbed at the back of her neck. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d Nikki asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

The resonance in Nikki\u2019s voice caused Ariana to flinch. It wasn\u2019t just that she never justified her decisions to others, except perhaps to her mother, and then, of course, there was her ex-husband. There was something else though, something more profound and hauntingly pure in the tone that touched her. She gulped. She moved to speak but was interrupted. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey Nikki,\u201d Soph said, a broad grin on her face, rubbing at her hair with a towel, her presence instantly defusing the tension between the two women. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHi,\u201d Nikki responded, more curtly than she intended.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMum, this is Nikki from fishing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d Ariana said, trying to smile with her daughter, heat flushing her cheeks. She had known who Soph was referring to when she arrived home wet from her walk babbling about being bitten by a fish, but she hadn\u2019t expected Nikki to turn up on their doorstep tonight and neither was she willing to engage in a conversation with her about the sale of the house in front of Soph. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you catch any more fish?\u201d Soph asked, enthusiastically. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nikki smiled weakly. \u201cNo, I think you shocked them more than they shocked you,\u201d she teased. She started to chuckle as the image of Soph sliding into the water and her response to being up close and personal with nature softened the atmosphere. Ariana was smiling, and the soft lines accentuating the almond shape of her dark brown eyes caused Nikki\u2019s breath to hitch. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like to come in?\u201d Ariana asked against her better judgement. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUmm, no. It\u2019s late. I umm, shouldn\u2019t have come,\u201d she added, starting to babble again. The conversation they needed to have could wait. <\/span><\/p>\n

Get This Book On Amazon<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(this link works for Amazon UK, US and Canada)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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[tweetthis]I just read this review for Ariana by Emma Nichols[\/tweetthis]<\/p>\n

Bits and Bobs <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n