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kfriend's review
5.0
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this series! My favorite from Nikki Ash!
My Kind of Love:
There’s a reason Nikki Ash is my go-to for sweet and steamy feel- good secret baby romances- she always delivers the swoony magic. My Kind of Love gave me all the tender feelings. This is a heartfelt story that charms with its sincerity and captures with its delightful and sexy character chemistry.
This story is chock full of tropes I love- secret baby, age gap, military, and second chance. Micaela has suffered an unimaginable loss as a tender age- she’s not yet even legally able to drink yet she’s already a widow. The life she envisioned for herself has been shattered- but more so, so has her spirit. Even as time passes, she’s barely living, paralyzed by grief. But fate won’t let her linger, and a coincidence finds her and family friend Ryan unexpectedly at the same beach out. Micaela is seeking to heal, while Ryan, a Special Forces sergeant momentarily on leave, is trying to learn how to relax. His life has been an unusual one- adopted into a wealthy family at a young age and fresh out of a marriage of kindness, Ryan has always been restless. Can the man who saves everyone bring Micaela back to life? And what happens when the younger, heartbroken creature somehow settles a man who can’t seem to find a center?
Ryan is the SWOONIEST hero. This man is just a GOOD and beautiful human- and he is SO good to Micaela. This strong and reliable military man is used to saving people- he’s a protector and caregiver. His own challenging background has him craving to give others the stability, safety, and care he was so fortunate to find in his adopted parents, but he can’t seem to invest in anything other than the military. Until Micaela- and his patience, his kindness, his empathy for her just melted my heart. He’s so sexy and commanding in the bedroom, but sweet, charming, and tender in the way he loves. His devotion, his attentive love I think healed me a little bit too.
Micaela pulled at my heartstrings. But she’s strong, and has a maturity well beyond her age on the page. She’s understandably shaken by her experiences, and I found her to be quite rational and self-aware in understanding not only her own grief but the triggers and fears that manifest once she starts to heal- and once she starts to connect with Ryan, a man whose life path is unsettlingly similar to the man she’s already lost. Through it all, she’s so resilient and thoughtful - and watching her heal and rebuild her dreams was such a sweet and intimate journey. I found myself respecting her tremendously.
Nikki always writes such sweet and sexy chemistry- and MKOL is some of the best. These two connect so quickly and seamlessly, and Nikki builds such emotional nuance to their budding relationship as she incorporates their baggage. Their hearts are somehow the answer to the others’- Micaela calms and centers Ryan, helps him discover what love actually is, while Ryan provides the emotional safety Micaela needs to be brave enough to start to live again. Both of them, for different reasons, are so heartbreakingly lonely - a man who can’t stop running from everyone, and a woman who can’t seem to take a single step forward. And suddenly, they move in sync- the path forward is together, only not just how we or they imagined it. Nikki beautifully captures their sweet but hesitant connection- and they are just so adorable.
MKOL certainly has aspects of love that are hard and sad, but its heart is resoundingly hopefully and uplifting. Micaela and Ryan learn that love isn’t one size fits all- that there are different kinds of love all around and different paths to your soul mate. And, when you find the one that is just right for you, you don’t run away, you don’t hesitate- you love to the fullest. Their story certainly has left my heart pretty damn full. Swoon.
My Kind of Beautiful:
I am just so in love with this series! My Kind of Beautiful is just that- beautiful. A beautiful and emotional love story about two best friends who finally find a path to each other- only that path is unexpected at every turn. The carefree surfer and the devoted fire fighter are engrossing and charming leads, and their surprisingly emotional, sweet but bumpy journey to love was totally consuming- I read this cover to cover in one sitting. No one does sweet, tender love stories like Nikki Ash- and My Kind of Beautiful is now amongst my favorites from her.
Alec- SWOOOON. He is everything I love about a Nikki Ash hero. This sexy firefighter is beautiful inside and out- he’s a devoted friend and colleague, a loving family man, a man who loves fiercely and usually without restraint. And once he’s able to lean into his love with Lexi- it is unconditionally unrestrained. Nikki’s heroes always show me just how pure, sincere, and deep a man’s love can be- the kind of love we all hope to find. Despite never knowing if he can find a path to being with his best friend, Alec loves her faithfully anyways while by her side. Because he’s a man who leans into his heart. And once he opens up that heart to her- OH LAWD. The way he loves Lexi takes my breath away- the care, the tenderness, the unflinching patience and devotion. This is how you love.
And I simply adored Lexi. I loved her wild, carefree spirit. She has an artist's soul- she sees the beauty around her, views the world with hopeful, but critical eyes. Her passion, her zest for life is what drives her- I could feel the energy of her character pulsing off the page. I fell in love with her just like Alec. Nikki gives her a bit of existential conflict- torn between the person she thinks everyone wants her to be and the version of herself that she wants to be, the version she hasn’t quite figured out. She’s a bit lost, which makes her so relatable, but her heart is always with Alec. Outside of her family, he’s her constant- which is why she feels such fear about exploring her feelings for him. She can’t lose her person- and having only part of him is better than none at all.
Their chemistry is sweet, sincere, emotional, and tender- the kind of chemistry that no one writes like Nikki Ash. Since these two are best friends already, we jump right into a well established connection. Their familiarly, their comfort with one another, the way they know each other feels so real and intimate- and it makes the emotional angst of their hesitation feel more palpable and authentic, and the transition into more than friends feels natural. I loved them together- all the sweet love butterflies. This is the perfect evolution of a platonic connection to a soul searing love.
I love how Nikki keeps finding new challenges and obstacles to explore unconditional love in her stories. Her characters love rarely falters- that’s never really the conflict or angst. Rather Nikki always shows us how love can weather complications, pain, and unexpected hurdles- how adversity can strengthen a connection, how love can be sustained and strengthened- even if it makes it momentarily fragile. It’s why I love her love stories, what makes them so special- she doesn’t use conflict to tear her couples apart, she uses it to help them dig deeper into what’s between them. To make them stronger. And My Kind of Beautiful is such a moving articulation of that.
I know for some, the ambiguity of parts of this ending may not be your cup of tea. I don’t want to spoil- but don’t worry readers, the couple’s HEA/their togetherness is not ambiguous- we just have some unanswered questions about some other parts of their lives. But, I not only admire Nikki for ending a story in a way that may be controversial, but I also can appreciate this through the thematic lens of this story. Because life isn’t always neatly resolved- and we don’t always have all the answers. Of course, this is a more dramatic take on that uncertainty- but the point is resonant none the less. The path to love isn’t always easy or clear. The path itself is never perfect. Sometimes the road to getting there can be quiet bit of ugly. Because life isn’t always beautiful, but the love you find? That love is what is beautiful.
Nikki never fails to give me all the feelings- this is one of my favorite books of hers to date! I am so in love with this series, and I can not wait for the book coming next- we get some awesome insight into Georgia and Chase in this book, and I am DESPERATE for more. This is fast becoming my favorite Nikki Ash series yet!
My Kind of Perfect- My fav in the series!
Nikki Ash never fails to captivate and charm! My Kind of Perfect is the PERFECT conclusion to this heartfelt and swoony series about the unique paths to finding love. Swoony, sincere, sexy, and emotionally complex- this story is everything I've come to love and crave in romance. The finding love series is indeed my kind of perfect. This is a bittersweet farewell to unarguably Nikki's best series to date!
I was so excited to finally get Georgia’s story- I’ve loved her from the very moment we met her. I related to her so fiercely- her extreme introversion, her desperation to figure out her path, all while warming in the radiance of her louder and brighter sister. And when I saw the chemistry between her and Chase in My Kind of Beautiful, I was bursting at the seams to get their story. And it does not disappoint.
Our sweet and innocent Georgia finds herself rooming with the newly divorced and slightly older Chase- and overtime their coexistence blossoms into something more substantial, hesitant friends, to a meaningful connection, to an undeniable love. Like her sister’s story, her path to love is more gentle and sweet- what is more fraught are the complications that come after they’ve found their way together. Here, in the form of an unexpected and life altering surprise from Chase’s past.
What I loved most about these two is how they draw out the best of the other. Chase gives Georgia courage to pursue her “perfect path”- but to also expect that there is no perfect path, there is only the path she makes and chooses. He loves and treasures her for her softness, her quiet vulnerability and gentle heart, but he also helps her explore sides of herself she’s inadvertently repressed her hidden- some very sexy ones too (wink wink). He helps her discover her butterfly. And she helps him heal the hardened, bitter Chase- brings back the playful and loving man he was before he was burned. He doesn’t start out as swoony as the other men in this series, but then he blows them away- with his sweetness, his protectiveness, his gentle understanding and support. And he’s a little bit kinky, too. Watching them work through their emotional baggage together is so endearing and heartwarming- I swooned and smiled and cried and sighed with delight.
And that ultimately is what makes Nikki Ash so special- she lets her characters go through it TOGETHER. Conflict, drama, pain, baggage- she doesn’t allow it to rip apart a hesitant and burgeoning love for the sake of angst, rather she lets her characters lean into and grow together. Work through it as partners, imperfectly but with understanding and empathy. And that is love- THAT is romance. Leaning into a relationship that makes you better and stronger, especially when life’s unexpected challenges come your way or when you make mistakes. It’s why I find her stories so charming, and so refreshing. She lets her characters be fragile and vulnerable while letting their connection, their love, be sturdy.
I have LOVED this series so very much- swoony, sweet, sexy, sincere, and full of heartwarming themes. Themes that remind us that there is not perfect path, in life or in love. What matters is that you are living- and that you aren't scared of loving, even when the path to getting there isn't the kind of love story you expected, a beautiful in a way you never expected, or only perfect for you.
My Kind of Love:
There’s a reason Nikki Ash is my go-to for sweet and steamy feel- good secret baby romances- she always delivers the swoony magic. My Kind of Love gave me all the tender feelings. This is a heartfelt story that charms with its sincerity and captures with its delightful and sexy character chemistry.
This story is chock full of tropes I love- secret baby, age gap, military, and second chance. Micaela has suffered an unimaginable loss as a tender age- she’s not yet even legally able to drink yet she’s already a widow. The life she envisioned for herself has been shattered- but more so, so has her spirit. Even as time passes, she’s barely living, paralyzed by grief. But fate won’t let her linger, and a coincidence finds her and family friend Ryan unexpectedly at the same beach out. Micaela is seeking to heal, while Ryan, a Special Forces sergeant momentarily on leave, is trying to learn how to relax. His life has been an unusual one- adopted into a wealthy family at a young age and fresh out of a marriage of kindness, Ryan has always been restless. Can the man who saves everyone bring Micaela back to life? And what happens when the younger, heartbroken creature somehow settles a man who can’t seem to find a center?
Ryan is the SWOONIEST hero. This man is just a GOOD and beautiful human- and he is SO good to Micaela. This strong and reliable military man is used to saving people- he’s a protector and caregiver. His own challenging background has him craving to give others the stability, safety, and care he was so fortunate to find in his adopted parents, but he can’t seem to invest in anything other than the military. Until Micaela- and his patience, his kindness, his empathy for her just melted my heart. He’s so sexy and commanding in the bedroom, but sweet, charming, and tender in the way he loves. His devotion, his attentive love I think healed me a little bit too.
Micaela pulled at my heartstrings. But she’s strong, and has a maturity well beyond her age on the page. She’s understandably shaken by her experiences, and I found her to be quite rational and self-aware in understanding not only her own grief but the triggers and fears that manifest once she starts to heal- and once she starts to connect with Ryan, a man whose life path is unsettlingly similar to the man she’s already lost. Through it all, she’s so resilient and thoughtful - and watching her heal and rebuild her dreams was such a sweet and intimate journey. I found myself respecting her tremendously.
Nikki always writes such sweet and sexy chemistry- and MKOL is some of the best. These two connect so quickly and seamlessly, and Nikki builds such emotional nuance to their budding relationship as she incorporates their baggage. Their hearts are somehow the answer to the others’- Micaela calms and centers Ryan, helps him discover what love actually is, while Ryan provides the emotional safety Micaela needs to be brave enough to start to live again. Both of them, for different reasons, are so heartbreakingly lonely - a man who can’t stop running from everyone, and a woman who can’t seem to take a single step forward. And suddenly, they move in sync- the path forward is together, only not just how we or they imagined it. Nikki beautifully captures their sweet but hesitant connection- and they are just so adorable.
MKOL certainly has aspects of love that are hard and sad, but its heart is resoundingly hopefully and uplifting. Micaela and Ryan learn that love isn’t one size fits all- that there are different kinds of love all around and different paths to your soul mate. And, when you find the one that is just right for you, you don’t run away, you don’t hesitate- you love to the fullest. Their story certainly has left my heart pretty damn full. Swoon.
My Kind of Beautiful:
I am just so in love with this series! My Kind of Beautiful is just that- beautiful. A beautiful and emotional love story about two best friends who finally find a path to each other- only that path is unexpected at every turn. The carefree surfer and the devoted fire fighter are engrossing and charming leads, and their surprisingly emotional, sweet but bumpy journey to love was totally consuming- I read this cover to cover in one sitting. No one does sweet, tender love stories like Nikki Ash- and My Kind of Beautiful is now amongst my favorites from her.
Alec- SWOOOON. He is everything I love about a Nikki Ash hero. This sexy firefighter is beautiful inside and out- he’s a devoted friend and colleague, a loving family man, a man who loves fiercely and usually without restraint. And once he’s able to lean into his love with Lexi- it is unconditionally unrestrained. Nikki’s heroes always show me just how pure, sincere, and deep a man’s love can be- the kind of love we all hope to find. Despite never knowing if he can find a path to being with his best friend, Alec loves her faithfully anyways while by her side. Because he’s a man who leans into his heart. And once he opens up that heart to her- OH LAWD. The way he loves Lexi takes my breath away- the care, the tenderness, the unflinching patience and devotion. This is how you love.
And I simply adored Lexi. I loved her wild, carefree spirit. She has an artist's soul- she sees the beauty around her, views the world with hopeful, but critical eyes. Her passion, her zest for life is what drives her- I could feel the energy of her character pulsing off the page. I fell in love with her just like Alec. Nikki gives her a bit of existential conflict- torn between the person she thinks everyone wants her to be and the version of herself that she wants to be, the version she hasn’t quite figured out. She’s a bit lost, which makes her so relatable, but her heart is always with Alec. Outside of her family, he’s her constant- which is why she feels such fear about exploring her feelings for him. She can’t lose her person- and having only part of him is better than none at all.
Their chemistry is sweet, sincere, emotional, and tender- the kind of chemistry that no one writes like Nikki Ash. Since these two are best friends already, we jump right into a well established connection. Their familiarly, their comfort with one another, the way they know each other feels so real and intimate- and it makes the emotional angst of their hesitation feel more palpable and authentic, and the transition into more than friends feels natural. I loved them together- all the sweet love butterflies. This is the perfect evolution of a platonic connection to a soul searing love.
I love how Nikki keeps finding new challenges and obstacles to explore unconditional love in her stories. Her characters love rarely falters- that’s never really the conflict or angst. Rather Nikki always shows us how love can weather complications, pain, and unexpected hurdles- how adversity can strengthen a connection, how love can be sustained and strengthened- even if it makes it momentarily fragile. It’s why I love her love stories, what makes them so special- she doesn’t use conflict to tear her couples apart, she uses it to help them dig deeper into what’s between them. To make them stronger. And My Kind of Beautiful is such a moving articulation of that.
I know for some, the ambiguity of parts of this ending may not be your cup of tea. I don’t want to spoil- but don’t worry readers, the couple’s HEA/their togetherness is not ambiguous- we just have some unanswered questions about some other parts of their lives. But, I not only admire Nikki for ending a story in a way that may be controversial, but I also can appreciate this through the thematic lens of this story. Because life isn’t always neatly resolved- and we don’t always have all the answers. Of course, this is a more dramatic take on that uncertainty- but the point is resonant none the less. The path to love isn’t always easy or clear. The path itself is never perfect. Sometimes the road to getting there can be quiet bit of ugly. Because life isn’t always beautiful, but the love you find? That love is what is beautiful.
Nikki never fails to give me all the feelings- this is one of my favorite books of hers to date! I am so in love with this series, and I can not wait for the book coming next- we get some awesome insight into Georgia and Chase in this book, and I am DESPERATE for more. This is fast becoming my favorite Nikki Ash series yet!
My Kind of Perfect- My fav in the series!
Nikki Ash never fails to captivate and charm! My Kind of Perfect is the PERFECT conclusion to this heartfelt and swoony series about the unique paths to finding love. Swoony, sincere, sexy, and emotionally complex- this story is everything I've come to love and crave in romance. The finding love series is indeed my kind of perfect. This is a bittersweet farewell to unarguably Nikki's best series to date!
I was so excited to finally get Georgia’s story- I’ve loved her from the very moment we met her. I related to her so fiercely- her extreme introversion, her desperation to figure out her path, all while warming in the radiance of her louder and brighter sister. And when I saw the chemistry between her and Chase in My Kind of Beautiful, I was bursting at the seams to get their story. And it does not disappoint.
Our sweet and innocent Georgia finds herself rooming with the newly divorced and slightly older Chase- and overtime their coexistence blossoms into something more substantial, hesitant friends, to a meaningful connection, to an undeniable love. Like her sister’s story, her path to love is more gentle and sweet- what is more fraught are the complications that come after they’ve found their way together. Here, in the form of an unexpected and life altering surprise from Chase’s past.
What I loved most about these two is how they draw out the best of the other. Chase gives Georgia courage to pursue her “perfect path”- but to also expect that there is no perfect path, there is only the path she makes and chooses. He loves and treasures her for her softness, her quiet vulnerability and gentle heart, but he also helps her explore sides of herself she’s inadvertently repressed her hidden- some very sexy ones too (wink wink). He helps her discover her butterfly. And she helps him heal the hardened, bitter Chase- brings back the playful and loving man he was before he was burned. He doesn’t start out as swoony as the other men in this series, but then he blows them away- with his sweetness, his protectiveness, his gentle understanding and support. And he’s a little bit kinky, too. Watching them work through their emotional baggage together is so endearing and heartwarming- I swooned and smiled and cried and sighed with delight.
And that ultimately is what makes Nikki Ash so special- she lets her characters go through it TOGETHER. Conflict, drama, pain, baggage- she doesn’t allow it to rip apart a hesitant and burgeoning love for the sake of angst, rather she lets her characters lean into and grow together. Work through it as partners, imperfectly but with understanding and empathy. And that is love- THAT is romance. Leaning into a relationship that makes you better and stronger, especially when life’s unexpected challenges come your way or when you make mistakes. It’s why I find her stories so charming, and so refreshing. She lets her characters be fragile and vulnerable while letting their connection, their love, be sturdy.
I have LOVED this series so very much- swoony, sweet, sexy, sincere, and full of heartwarming themes. Themes that remind us that there is not perfect path, in life or in love. What matters is that you are living- and that you aren't scared of loving, even when the path to getting there isn't the kind of love story you expected, a beautiful in a way you never expected, or only perfect for you.
reading_with_2_book_lovers's review
4.0
This is a great series, even better now that you can get all three books in 1
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