THE NERD AND THE MARINE by D. R. Grady

Book 1 in The Morrison Family Series
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Date published: October 2011
ASIN: B005LVODP6
Contemporary Romance
E-Book
Reviewed by Dawn
Obtained by Author


When Lainy Morrison is asked to take in a soldier’s dog while he is on a deployment, little does she know that it is the beginning of a friendship that will change her life. Captain Mitch Monahan is devastated to give up his dog but finds that an angel has helped him out while overseas. Though he only knows Lainy through emails, pictures and DVDs, Mitch finds himself fascinated with the woman caring for his beloved pet and slowly finding himself falling for the spunky woman as well. But what happens when Mitch returns and both have to face the reality of their friendship turning to love. Can love remain even as old fears try to tear these two apart?

I was enchanted the minute I opened THE NERD AND THE MARINE. The story hits you in the heart from the first page. D. R. Grady pens a tale of a friendship that turns to love-an ocean apart. I loved the way this author incorporated the emails between Lainy and Mitch into the story and I felt it enhanced it instead of taking it over completely. The characters are so wonderfully well written and life-like, I felt like I was one of the family. This is an author who knows how to make her characters shine in a story. I really enjoyed the antics of Lainy’s huge family. I mean eight hundred relatives of some kind??!!! Boggles the mind at times as the author sets up the story but it played nicely with the author giving page time to a specific core bunch so the story wasn’t inundated by Morrison family members.

D. R. Grady really delivers a heartfelt story that made me cry in the beginning then laugh as the story progressed with the way the characters reacted to the world around them. Lainy is a woman who thinks relationships are just not for her. Brainy and a self-professed ‘Nerd’, she thinks someone like Mitch would never be interested in her. Until she finds herself looking forward to his emails, getting to know him and letting her guard down to see the man he is. Mitch is just as nervous and unsure of himself in relationships as Lainy but corresponding with Lainy makes his day brighter an ocean away. Mitch and Lainy are absolutely perfect for one another. The author does a great job in keeping the characters real, with vulnerabilities and fears that a reader can relate to. The secondary characters are just as well written and I am eager to see who comes next under cupid’s arrow. The star of the story was Bentley, Mitch’s dog who had me laughing at his antics in the story.

THE NERD AND THE MARINE is a sweet and well written romance that will steal your heart from the first page. D. R. Grady does an amazing job in creating a story that will touch you on all levels. I look forward to seeing where this author goes in the future. If you are looking for a sweet and romantic story of friendship, love and root beer loving dogs, then grab THE NERD AND THE MARINE and settle in for an evening of reading entertainment.

This is an objective review and not and endorsement of this book.