By all appearances, Nicki Reading is a star. PR director at a major music label, Nicki is sharp, successful, independent, and confidently calls the shots. She dates whom she wants, when she wants, with no strings attached. But beneath that shine, loneliness flickers. Events from her past prove love leads only to pain. Commitment is not an option.Until Dex Hanover, a classy, principled, and … prosperous CPA, enters the picture. Undeterred by his unhappy childhood, he has an amazing capacity to be both caring and generous, giving his free time as a mentor for a child from the projects. Dex wears his paternal yearnings on his sleeve, and he is at a point in his life where commitment is the only option.Despite their opposing views, Nicki and Dex ignite each other. But will events from their pasts ruin their challenging relationship and prevent them from experiencing everlasting love?
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A book that takes the reader through every possible emotional roller coaster possible. You get the highs and lows of life. You get love, you get heart break; you get life long friendship, you get dark secrets; you get hidden demons and you may even get a modicum of happiness. Maybe.
A lot of points resonate out of the terrifically written novel.
To go through life with preconceived ideas is just setting yourself up for failure.
You are never going to find happiness with someone if the first thing you consider is how you want to change that person.
To look for ‘fatal flaws’ in someone is again, setting yourself up for failure.
If there was a soundtrack to Nicki and Dex, it would be Sarah McLachlan’s Push. I was brought to tears with Dex’s proposal to Nicki. I nearly threw my tablet out a window with their last break up.
The Sworn Sisters connection is very relatable and a great anchor through the tumultuous lives of the Sisters. They support and challenge each other through love to bring out the best in each other.
You might say a lot of this book is how not to have a relationship. Trust must be there from day one or you are inevitably doomed. I was deeply challenged when reading this book. It is excellently written, and I recommend it to almost everyone. A hard read but one you won’t be able to put down.
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I’d review it.
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Fantastic Story & Narration Gripping & Heartfelt!
Sworn to Forget
Sworn Sisters Series, Book 1
By: Maria Imbalzano
Narrated by: Leanne Woodward
This book is fantastic, the story grabs your attention right from the start and captivates it the entire time. It is my first book written by Maria Imbalzano and it will not be my last. I enjoyed her writing style, the characters and storylines she created are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with. The lead female, Nicki Reading, is strong, independent & career focused, she is successful in many aspects of her life but she does have her faults, faults that are guilt driven. She is does not get involved with men for the long term, she prefers her partners with no strings attached. That changes when she meets Dex Hanover or so she thought. Dex Hanover is also strong, independent and career focused, the only difference is he is looking to settle down and start a family with that special someone. He thinks he found that person in Nicki, the chemistry between is electric and undeniable but is that enough since they do not share the same sentiment. I was rooting for these two, I thought they were great together and for each other. It was heartbreaking to see how Nicki’s inner demons controlled her life, guilt is an ugly monster to live with. This story is beautifully written and plotted, there is never a dull moment, it is filled with plenty of drama, angst, heartfelt and emotional moments and wonderful, yet sometimes heartbreaking romance. I loved the relationship of the sworn sisters and the camaraderie amongst them. Maria Imbalzano, thank you for this fantastic story and the emotional rollercoaster ride.
I listened to the Audible edition, Leanne Woodward is a fabulous narrator and voice artist. She brings these characters to life, humanizes them, gives each their own distinct voice which makes it easy to follow along and tell who is who. Her portrayal of the characters is spot on, she grasps their personas, takes each role and makes it her own. You could hear how much heart she puts into her work as she captures the characters emotions and projects them into her performance. She is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for this wonderful listen listen
I really enjoyed “Sworn to Forget”. I liked all of the characters and that it took place locally. It was very romantic and you found yourself rooting for the two main characters to find their way back to each other.
This was the first book that I read by this author and I highly enjoyed it. It was truly an enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone that I know should read.