Review - - A Hero's Return

A Hero's Return

by Carrie Nichols

Sandy Shores - Book 1

Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition

Release Date: August 26, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

He knows how to be brave on a battlefield

Now he has to be brave with his heart

Years of military service taught decorated veteran Braden Sullivan how to be strong. It didn’t teach him how to be vulnerable. Back in his Oregon hometown, with a job as a helicopter pilot and a two-family home to renovate, he’s not at all prepared for his heart to take flight after meeting his tenant, Cassie Donovan. The widowed single mom is beautiful, charming…and terrified of loving another pilot after losing her husband in a crash. Overcoming her fears and his own uncertainties will take courage—but isn’t that what a hero soldier is for?

PJ's Thoughts:

Carrie Nichols launches a new series with A Hero's Return, a heartwarming, humorous, and deeply emotional story of surviving loss, starting over, and finding new love. 

I was quickly invested in Cassie Donovan and her daughter, Amelia. Nichols paints a clear picture of mother and daughter, starting over in a new town after a devastating loss three years earlier. The effects of that loss are still reverberating, making the duo, who are both strong and vulnerable, sympathetic characters I took to heart. I appreciated Cassie's strength, her willingness to put her heart at risk again, and her fierce determination to keep her daughter her priority.

Braden took a bit longer to get to know. I enjoyed his character but I wouldn't have minded more attention to his backstory, especially his military service and its lasting effects on him. It would have added layers and rounded out his character a bit more. He may be grumpy at first but it quickly becomes evident that he's a good guy, showing through his actions how much Cassie's happiness means to him. He's a guy who pays attention.   

I especially enjoyed Braden's soft spot for the animals in the story as well as the evolution of his relationship with Amelia. It's not easy starting a romance with a woman who has a twelve-year-old daughter, especially when that daughter is still grieving the tragic death of her father, taking tentative steps forward in life, and watching her mother fall in love with a new man, all while navigating the hormonal peaks and valleys of puberty. Her character is realistic, relatable, and essential to this story.

If you enjoy stories that feature starting over after loss, family dynamics, finding love a second time, adorable pets, and happy endings, A Hero's Return by Carrie Nichols may be a good book for you.

Review and Giveaway - - The Hero Next Door

The Hero Next Door

by Carrie Nichols

Small-Town Sweethearts - Book 6

Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition

Release Date: February 22, 2022

Reviewed by PJ

Love—and kittens—to the rescue!

Olive Downing has big dreams for her Victorian bed-and-breakfast. She doesn’t need her handsome new neighbor pointing out the flaws in her plan. But Cal Pope isn’t the average busybody. The gruff firefighter can be sweet, charming—and the perfect partner for the town fundraiser. Then Cal surprises her with two adorable rescue kittens. Maybe there’s a soft heart underneath his rough exterior that needs rescuing, too…

PJ's Thoughts:

In the mood for a grumpy-sunshine romance? Check out this newest addition to Carrie Nichols' Small-Town Sweethearts series. We're back in Loon Lake, Vermont with two new characters: Olive, the former foster kid who aches for a husband, family. and friends of her own and Cal, a dedicated bachelor whose emotional baggage has him running from the faintest hint of a relationship. 

When Olive wins a run-down Victorian house in Loon Lake, her first real home since losing her parents to a drunk driver when she was eleven, she sees it as an opportunity for new beginnings, to put down roots, make good friends, and, maybe, fall in love. Cal, who just happens to own the house across the street, sees the writing on the wall immediately when his friends start playing matchmaker and he  wants no part of it. But Olive's generous nature and sunshine smile have him spending more and more time with her. Will he finally allow himself to make a commitment or will the demons of his past win once again?

I enjoy the complexity of Nichols' characters, the emotional baggage that holds them back from committing to love, and the issues that they have to work through, together, to find that happy ending. I enjoyed the evolution of both Olive and Cal in this story. They were each deeply impacted by events in their childhood that were evident in their adult views and actions. I enjoyed their journey and was happy with the conclusion though it wrapped up a little too easily for me considering Cal's behavior (I wanted more groveling). That's just me. The important thing is that the way it played out was true to Olive's personality and the epilogue showed a true partnership with full commitment on both sides. I'm happily convinced that they're living their happily ever after. 

If you're a kitten lover, you will definitely enjoy the antics of Mischief and Mayhem and the way these two little rascals bring Cal and Olive together. I adored them. 

Fans of the series will also no doubt enjoy seeing many of their favorites pop up here and there throughout the book but, as I mentioned earlier, Cal and Olive are new to the series. If you haven't read the earlier books, you can absolutely jump in with this one and not miss a beat.  

Are you a fan of category romances?

Have you read Carrie Nichols before?

Do you enjoy animals who play a significant role in romances you read? Do you have any favorites?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, March 14 will receive a signed, print copy of The Hero Next Door. 

*U.S. Only

*Must be 18

*Void where prohibited

 

Review & Giveaway - - The Sergeant's Matchmaking Dog

The Sergeant's Matchmaking Dog

by Carrie Nichols

Small-Town Sweethearts - Book 5

Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition

Release Date: June 29, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

 

Let love—and a puppy—lead the way!

Former marine Gabe Bishop is focused on readjusting to civilian life. So the last thing he needs is the adorable kid next door bonding with his dog, Radar—and the boy’s guardian butting in. Addie Miller is afraid of dogs, so why does she keep coming around and making his heart melt? Soon, Gabe finds himself teaching Addie about the beauty of the human-canine bond…and becoming her shoulder to lean on. Could his new neighbors be everything Gabe never knew he needed?

PJ's Thoughts:

Carrie Nichols is one of my favorite authors writing in the Harlequin Special Edition line. Her heartwarming stories, especially those in her Small-Town Sweethearts series, are filled with complicated relationships, sweet romance, emotional depth, hard-won happy endings, and some of the cutest kids around, who are much more than wallpaper. 

In The Sergeant's Matchmaking Dog, Nichols gives us Gabe and Addie, characters trying to do their best while dealing with a whole lot of emotional baggage and determined to ignore each other. If it were left to them, they would probably never get together. Good thing they have Gabe's dog, Radar and Addie's little brother, Teddy to lead the way. Talk about adorable matchmakers. 

Once again, Nichols immersed me into the lives of her characters from the start and kept me invested until the happy conclusion of their story. She touched on difficult topics keeping both Addie and Gabe from pursuing a relationship but did so with a deft hand, exploring survivor's guilt, parental addiction, and parental neglect in a way that conveyed the seriousness of the topics while still keeping the tone of the book hopeful. She allowed her characters to grow, find forgiveness, and heal, opening their hearts to the possibilities of love and a life together. She made me fall in love with all four of them, especially Radar, a very special dog with a whole lot of instinctive wisdom when it comes to the humans he loves. 

While The Sergeant's Matchmaking Dog is the fifth book of a series and characters from previous books do make appearances, it can absolutely be read and enjoyed on its own. It has my enthusiastic recommendation, along with the other books in the series. 

Have you read any of Carrie Nichols' books?

Do you read Harlequin Special Edition books? Do you have a favorite author writing in that line?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comments before 11:00 PM, June 23 will receive a signed, print copy of The Sergeant's Matchmaking Dog. 

*Must be 18

*U.S. only

*Void where prohibited

Review - - The Scrooge of Loon Lake

The Scrooge of Loon Lake
by Carrie Nichols
Small-Town Sweethearts - Book 4
Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition
Release Date: November 1, 2019
Reviewed by PJ
    

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

…with the grumpiest man in town!

The love of his life left him. The navy discharged him. So former lieutenant Des Gallagher sees no reason to celebrate Christmas—now or ever.

Yet when Natalie Pierce shows up on his doorstep, a bright light enters his gloomy existence. As Des shapes her—and her little son’s—world for the better, she wonders if a scrooge could turn into the perfect Santa…


My thoughts:

Carrie Nichols never fails to touch my heart with her small-town romances and The Scrooge of Loon Lake is no exception. Both Natalie and Des have some serious emotional wounds but how they respond to them is totally different. Des chooses to hide away on his farm, interacting with the residents of Loon Lake as little as possible and ignoring the approaching holiday. Natalie, on the other hand, embodies the spirit of Christmas with her generosity, kindness, and community involvement. Not to mention the delicious plates of cookies she keeps delivering to Des as she tries to gain his cooperation for a charity auction. They may be total opposites but they are oh, so good together!

Nichols writes wonderful banter between Des and Natalie as she gradually, and skillfully, guides them into friendship and love. Natalie's young son is a heart-stealer. Nichols shows great sensitivity - and realism - in creating this young character who has lost his ability to speak following an accident three years earlier that killed his father and left Sam with a traumatic brain injury. I love the relationship that forms between Sam and Des almost as much as the one between Des and Natalie. But I really love the three of them together. I laughed, sighed, and also shed a few tears as I caught up with previous Loon Lake couples while gathering this newly formed family into my heart. 

If you're looking for a quick, sweet, holiday romance with well-placed humor, a satisfying depth of emotion, and a tear-inducing happily ever after, give The Scrooge of Loon Lake a try. 

Review - - The Sergeant's Unexpected Family

The Sergeant's Unexpected Family
By Carrie Nichols
Small-town Sweethearts - Book 2
Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition
Release Date: January 15, 2019 (Mass Market Paperback
Release Date: February 1, 2019 (Digital format)
Reviewed by PJ

After losing friends while serving his country, Sergeant Brody Wilson shut himself off from the world. Enter beautiful Mary Carter, his brother’s former girlfriend, and her adorable infant son. Despite his best efforts, Brody can’t close off his heart to beautiful Mary and little Elliott. But will pushing them away cost the wounded warrior the family he’s always dreamed of?





My thoughts:

One of the (many) things I enjoy about Carrie Nichols' books is the fact that she doesn't shy away from difficult issues. The Sergeant's Unexpected Family is no exception. With a deft hand, Nichols brings together a former soldier who has practically become a hermit in his quest to escape the pain of war with a strong, resilient woman in search of a community where she can build a home for herself and her baby. He would prefer never to leave his farm and the animals he's taken in there while she jumps on every opportunity to make friends and become part of the town where she's landed. Then there's the fact that Brody's presence is the very reason she's come to little Loon Lake, Vermont.               

Mary's son was fathered by Brody's half-brother, a man who wants nothing to do with either Mary or their child, a man from whom Brody is estranged. That's fine by Mary. She had already clued in to the man's true personality and stopped dating him before she discovered she was pregnant and, financially, she can support her child without his help. But Mary has no family and if something were to happen to her, her son would have no family. She wants Brody to know his nephew. She's there to form connections with Brody for her son. She never expected them for herself. 

Carrie Nichols really tugged my heartstrings with this story. I so enjoyed watching Brody slowly begin to open up to both Mary and Elliott as well as others in town. The scenes between Brody and Elliott made me want to wrap my arms around both of them. So sweet. And Mary and Brody are perfect for one another though it takes time, and overcoming a few obstacles, for that to become apparent. I like that Nichols gave them that time, and the space, to grow their relationship and overcome the emotional hurdles standing in the way of a happy ever after. I like her ability to pull me into a story and into the hearts and minds of her characters. I feel as if we've become friends and I'm traveling this journey with them. It's a feeling that brings me back to her books, again and again.

If you enjoy emotionally satisfying small-town romance that leaves you smiling with joy and eagerly looking forward to more, give Carrie Nichols a try. 

Review - - The Sheriff's Little Matchmaker

The Sheriff's Little Matchmaker
By Carrie Nichols
Publisher: Entangled Bliss
Release Date: October 8, 2018
Reviewed by PJ

When teacher Sasha Honeycutt kisses a handsome cowboy in a bar on a dare, she never expects to see him again. To her surprise, though, he walks through the door of her classroom for a parent-teacher conference. Sheriff Remy Fontenot might be sexy as sin, but Sasha has no interest in falling for another police officer. Rose Creek, Texas is her fresh start after being “that poor widow.” Only, Remy’s precocious daughter has big plans for the two of them…

After their stolen kiss, Remy knows there's a sexy woman hiding under that school marm charm. When fate—aka his seven-year-old—keeps putting her in his path, he decides to take it as a sign. His daughter needs a mom, and the intriguing, beautiful Sasha is perfect for the role. Not to mention their chemistry is off the charts. Unfortunately, he's set his sights on the one woman in town who has no interest in falling for another man with a badge.

My thoughts:

Carrie Nichols launches her Rose Creek,Texas series with The Sheriff's Little Matchmaker, another heartwarming, subtly sexy, and all around fun contemporary romance. I was pulled into this story from the first page and it kept my interest engaged until the end. The three main characters - because Remy's daughter, Evie is a very important character - are all likable, relatable people I'd enjoy knowing in real life although being friends with Remy could cause a few issues. First, there's that whole tall, dark, and muscular vibe he has going. Then there's his charm, his kind heart, his "come to me" smile, and that oh-so-sexy Cajun growl that wraps itself around you every time he opens his mouth. Is it hot in here? It feels hot in here. Seriously, I'd probably be living in a state of perpetual drool. Sasha is a sweetheart (who can more than hold her own against potential Remy poachers) and they're such a great couple that I'd try to control it but still...what can I say? He's just that yummy. 

If you enjoy small-town, character-driven romance with plenty of humor and heart, give Carrie Nichols a go. She creates characters with layers and stories with satisfying emotional depth while infusing enough humor to keep them light rather than angsty. Remy and Sasha have sexual chemistry that sizzles but actual physical intimacy is off-page so if that's your preference, this is a good book for you. Having said that, however, I enjoy physical, on-page, love scenes and the lack of them in this book didn't hamper my enjoyment of the story or my buy-in of Sasha and Remy's desire for one another one bit. Remy's daughter, Evie is a 7-year-old whirlwind who steals just about every scene she's in. I adored her and the ways she attempts to engineer her dad's love life once she meets her new teacher, Miz (Sasha) Honeycutt. Nichols also introduces readers to an intriguing cast of secondary characters I hope we'll be seeing more of in future books. Remy's brother, Ethan is on my list of hopefuls for a story of his own, along with struggling rancher Annie Metcalf. I'm already looking forward to my next visit!

~~~~~~~~~~

Do you enjoy a romance hero with an accent? If you do, what's your favorite? (I swear, every time Remy lapsed into Cajun French or called Sasha "Cher" I just about melted.)

Winner - - The Marine's Secret Daughter

The randomly chosen winner of a Kindle copy of

The Marine's Secret Daughter by Carrie Nichols is:

 Jaycee Jarvis

Congratulations!

Please send your email address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Review -- The Marine's Secret Daughter

The Marine's Secret Daughter
By Carrie Nichols
Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition
Release Date: January 16, 2018 (Paperback)
Release Date: February 1, 2018 (Digital)
Reviewed by PJ

  

After three tours in Afghanistan, Marine Sergeant Riley Cooper has seen more than his share of death and destruction but the latest attack that killed a man in his command and left Riley wounded in both body and soul has resulted in a mandatory 30 day recovery period stateside. He could have gone anywhere but, for Riley, there was only one choice: Loon Lake, Vermont and the vacation cottage his parents had rented when he was growing up. The tranquil small town is the site of his best memories, happy times spent with Liam McBride and his younger sister, Meggie. The McBrides were his respite from his warring parents, his example of what a loving, supportive family should be. And Meg...she was the shining star of those memories. The last time he was in Loon Lake - six years earlier - they had one perfect night together before he shipped out for his first overseas tour. By the time Meg's letters reached him in Afghanistan, he had seen too much heartache and despair. The Marine Corps was his life and he couldn't sentence her to a life of living each day not knowing if he would live or die so he returned the letters unopened. In his mind, cutting her loose to pursue her teaching career in Boston and a life with someone else was the kindest thing he could do, even if the thought tore him to pieces.

Single mom, Meghan McBride has built a good life for herself and her daughter, Fiona even if it isn't the one she had envisioned. She's back in Loon Lake permanently, has finally finished college, and is ready to begin her teaching career. Then, the man she was certain she would never see again, the man who broke her heart, the man who has no idea he has a daughter, lands on her doorstep with plans to spend the next thirty days in the cottage next door. It doesn't take long for Meg to realize her feelings for Riley never went away but were simply waiting to be reignited, especially as they get to know one another again. Is this their second chance to get things right or will it all turn to dust when Riley finally discovers what she's been keeping from him?

I've already read this book twice and enjoyed it just as much the second time as the first. Nichols uses a few of my favorite romance tropes - secret baby, second-chances, best friend's younger sister - to good effect in this heart-tugging, emotional contemporary romance. Meg and Riley are both complex, fully-dimensional characters with whom I felt an immediate connection. They're good, likeable, honorable people who deserve their happy ending. I loved their chemistry, which sizzles, but, especially, their friendship, the rock-solid foundation of their love. While Fiona doesn't appear until more than halfway through the book, she's both a heart-stealer and a scene-stealer, leaving laughter and happy tears in her wake. Nichols does a beautiful job of capturing the shock, uncertainty, terror (on Riley's part), and deep, unconditional love that unfolds as Riley and Fiona come to know one another. Nothing can bring a tough Marine to his knees like the love of a five-year-old little girl who holds his heart.

After I finished reading this debut book from Carrie Nichols, I discovered that the manuscript was the 2016 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® award winner for Short Contemporary Romance. It is certainly deserving of the award. I've added Nichols to my authors to watch list and am eager to see what she brings us next. 


Because I enjoy celebrating debut authors and because this story touched my heart, I'm giving away one Kindle copy of The Marine's Secret Daughter to a randomly chosen person who leaves a comment before 11:00 pm, January 28, 2018.

So, tell me...

What are your favorite romance tropes?

Where would you most like to go for rest and relaxation?

Have you ever had a crush on a sibling's best friend?