HOW MUCH I NEED by Marie Force

Series; Miami Nights Book 5
TJP, Inc
April 11^th, 2023
78-1958035030
Contemporary Romance
E-book

Reviewed by Dawn Roberto (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Author

5 Hearts

 

Milo Giordino is recovering from being shot in the hospital when he finds himself falling for his sweet and sexy nurse, Gianna and soon he can’t wait for when she comes on duty while he is in the hospital. With Gianna, he finds a woman who is sweet, makes him laugh and just keeps a smile on his face. While watching his siblings and cousins fall in love and find their own happy ever after, Milo yearns for his own special someone and he thinks he found it in Gianna, but he has uphill battle for her heart even as he falls even more in love with the pretty nurse.

Gianna has had it rough with her parents dying in an accident which had her in charge of her younger brothers, a fiancé who destroyed her heart and soul and now that she finds herself falling for her patient, she can’t help but fall for his large family even as they bring her into their world with open hearts and arms. But Gianna is determined to stand on her own…even if it means giving up on a second chance at love with Milo and breaks her heart in the process.

HOW MUCH I NEED is a great book to end (for now I hope) in Marie Force’s Miami Nights series. With Milo finally getting his own romance and ever after seeing his siblings and cousins fall in love with some amazing people, he finds himself falling for his pretty nurse after getting shot by mistake and having major surgery. With the large Giordano family giving the readers much laughter, love and more amid this series and Milo and Gianna finding their road to happy ever after is paved with speed bumps right and left, the reader is taken on a wild ride that will tie up lots of loose ends in the series and we get a catch up with everyone we have grown to love since book one, How Much I Feel. Marie Force is a wonderful storyteller and is an autobuys for me regardless of the book/series. Her storytelling is on par with the big-name authors (Susan Mallery, Nora Roberts, etc.) and her characters are so multidimensional and the reader cannot help but fall in love with them all. I know I can honestly say I am really, really hoping she comes back to this amazing series in the future as I know I am not the only one who would love to see what’s up with the family and all the characters.

Milo is the nice guy, the boring one according to past girlfriends and he despaired on finding his own love even as he was thrilled as his siblings fell in love and found their perfect mates. Now after waking up in the hospital and being told what happened, his days pass in slow motion until his pretty nurse Gianna comes on duty then he finds himself brightening up even as he makes her laugh and want to know more about her and why her eyes held such shadows of pain. Milo is one of my favorite characters in this series. The youngest kid, the ‘nice guy’ who always seemed to finish last. His personality shines through in his book, HOW MUCH I NEED, and the reader will fall for him and Gianna right from the start. Gianna has no shield from Milo as he storms her well meaning defenses and she finds herself falling for her patient even as she resists until she succumbs to Milo’s charms as well as his family’s welcome. But Gianna has issues, and they get triggered even as she wants to believe that love with Milo will not sour. Can Milo show Gianna that the strength of love can be a more wonderful thing than the second time around, only if you trust yourself and the person, you’re with one hundred percent? I love Gianna and love her with Milo a lot. He gives her space, is generally interested in her, her past and why she is the way she is. This made me happy to see it as a realistic approach to romance that I sometimes don’t see in romance books at times. Its not all chemistry and sex, it’s about respect of the other person, their feelings and giving them space to figure out what they need and want. The entire cast of characters deliver in this final book as Milo’s family gives advice to him and Gianna, as Gianna wrestles with her heart and as Milo finds himself on tenterhooks as he waits for Gianna to come back to him. Ms. Force delivers a wonderful finale in HOW MUCH I NEED with her trademark style, full of romance, friendship, and family as well as some steamy sex to keep things interesting.

HOW MUCH I NEED is more than a boy meets girl, falls in love and lives happily ever after. Its about two people who need to find their way to one another even as things conspire to toss roadblocks periodically (as life tends to do) and the reader will fall in love with Milo and Gianna even as the ending itself ties up loose storylines from past books and the reader finds themselves longing to meet this wild and wonderful cast of characters. If you haven’t read this series, then I highly recommend you start with book one, How Much I Feel, and make sure to settle in because you will not want to put these books down. Kudos to Marie Force for giving the reader a satisfying final book in a series set in steamy Miami and the little Havana area of the city. I can’t wait to see where this author goes next in her writing journey and hope you can grab any of this author’s books.

 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.

 

 

STATE OF THE UNION by Marie Force

First Family Book 3
HTJB, Inc
September 20^th, 2022
978-1-952793-83-7
Contemporary, Crime/Police, Romantic Suspense
PaperbackReviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Self Purchase

4 Hearts

The biggest night of President Cappuano’s life is here, and he has no idea if his wife, Lt. Samantha Holland will show up for his first State of the Union Address. For Sam, trying to balance being a working mom and first lady is like juggling chainsaws while they are on. With a puzzling case and trying to support her husband Nick as he deals with one thing after another as President, Sam is on edge over everything. But as times get tough, Nick and Sam find themselves drawing on their shared strength as a couple while dealing with issues between family, friends and work. For with these two, when push comes to shove, Nick and Sam turn to one another to fight for their family, their lives and more.

STATE OF THE UNION continues the First Family spin-off of the Fatal Series with an explosive addition as Sam finds herself tugged in so many directions at work and at home, she has figure out her footing before it gets so bad, she is swept away from it all. Nick is dealing with one crisis after another as well as the bubble he has put himself and his family in as the First Family of the United States. With each book in this series, Marie Force delivers an explosive storyline that will keep you glued to the pages till the very end. I couldn’t put this book down and that ending has me on tenterhooks waiting for State of Shock in December to get here. With each book I read from this author, I fall more in love with her world building, her entertaining and complex characters, and the storylines she crafts has me in awe over her talent to create such masterpieces.

STATE OF THE UNION picks up a few months after State of Grace (book 2) and we get to see how Sam, Nick and their family is dealing with being thrust into the world’s spotlight as well as dealing with the fishbowl they are dealt with. Concessions by Sam in regard to her job as Metro PD’s Homicide Lieutenant is trying to do her job as a police officer as well as being the First Lady as well. I love, love, love how this author captures Sam’s issues head on as she balances two jobs, being a working mom, her family and her marriage to Nick. For me, this keeps it real instead of everything being all great and fairytales. The challenges Sam faces are relatable (though not sure about the whole First lady aspect but as a working mom), I love how the author gets how conflicted Sam can be as she deals with another baffling case, the demands on her as First Lady and more. STATE OF THE UNION delivers so much in terms in character development and the fact that it is relatable as working parents with demanding career trying to juggle everything. I got to admit a few times I was as annoyed as Sam as the case she is dealing with delivers no leads time and again. The last half of the book is when all those twists and turns delivers the climatic ending that left me in shock. I won’t spoil it in case you haven’t read this one yet but suffice to say December can not get here fast enough for me to see what happens next.

Marie Force is one of my favorite authors and an auto-buy or me whenever she has a new release and STATE OF THE UNION is a crown jewel in my mind. I love how she keeps the tension woven through the story as well as some light heartedness as well to break it up a little, get the reader to smile and laugh as it turns back to serious issues. Ms. Force has a gift of storytelling on par with Nora Roberts and Patricia Briggs in that they completely capture the readers attention and delivers stories that you can not put down.

STATE OF THE UNION delivers more than two main characters fighting to solve the case and live another day. It’s about balance, love in all its forms, family, and friends and more. In this, Marie Force gives us, the readers, a series that is full of those heartbreaking moments as well as those healing moments that will steal your heart. I can not recommend this author the most because she delivers in STATE OF THE UNION in more ways than one and this time, I am eager to see just what else she has in store for Sam and Nick as they embark on this adventure as First Family.

 

This is an Objective review and not an endorsement

 

RESILIENCE AFTER DARK by Marie Force

 

Series: Gansett Island, Book 25
July 19^th, 2022
978-1-952793-77-6
Contemporary Romance
Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail,.com)
Obtained by self-purchase

4.5 Hearts

 

Cindy Lawry needs a new roommate ASAP now that her sister, Julia, is moving in with her fiancé, Deacon. When she places roommate wanted flyers around the island, she is anxious to find the right person to room in the house with her after the abusive upbringing she had as a child.

Jace Carson is determined to find a permanent lodging know that summer is done and Gansett Island gets back to normal with the year round residents. When he is told about a room for rent, he jumps at the chance until he finds himself face to face with Cindy, the one woman he’s been flirting with for weeks and she is all he thinks about now.

Sparks fly this autumn as Jace and Cindy see if they can have a relationship even as their pasts surface as the summer heat gives way to autumn cool. It’s about to get interesting on Gansett Island and the fun has just begun.

 

RESILIENCE AFTER DARK is another wild ride from start to finish. Marie Force delivers lots of laughs, sadness, love, and friendship as readers are treated to the going on of the residents of Gansett Island. With a big cast of characters as well as it being the twenty-fifth book in the series, the author does an amazing job in capturing sub-plots and storylines of the other residents that readers have fell in love with since the first book, Maid for Love. What delights me the most in RESILIENCE AFTER DARK is the characters and how much they all have grown since we, the readers, first met them eons ago. This is an author who knows her characters inside and out, captures their vulnerabilities and strengths, keeps them growing with each book in the series and overall, delivers a character ensemble of a series that delighted me from the very first time I picked up the first book and met these wonderful characters.

With Jace and Cindy, we got to see two characters who deserve their own happy ever after more than these two. With each page of RESILIENCE AFTER DARK, I was rooting for Jace and Cindy to get their own brand of happy ever after and though there were a few interesting things along the way, I got to admit even I was thrilled at how their story turned out. Jace and Cindy have had some hard knocks and their past makes itself known in more ways than they thought but I loved how the author made it come as a strength rather than weakness for this couple and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing how they continue in future books.

RESILIENCE AFTER DARK is more than boy meets girl and falls in love, Its full of love, family, friends and more. The theme I keep coming back to is hope and love for Jace and Cindy. They took a chance on each other, and I know I am not the only one who rooted for them to win their heart’s desire. Marie Force delivers a story that is full of that hope and love not just for Jace and Cindy but for all the wonderful people set in this universe that I adore. If you want to check this series out, I highly recommend this series as a fun, sexy read and perfect for those lazy hot summer days/nights. I can’t wait to see where the author goes next in the series and just what happens next for everyone there on Gansett Island.

 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

 

 

 

STATE OF AFFAIRS by Marie Force

A First Family Novel Book 1, Spinoff of Fatal Series

HTJB Inc|
April 20^th, 2021
978-1-952793-17-2
Romantic Suspense
Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Self-Purchase

5 Hearts

 

It’s the phone call that changed their lives. When Vice President Nick Cappuano was informed the President has died suddenly, he finds himself promoted to President and his family is now on the biggest stage of their lives. As Sam and Nick try to deal with the suddenness of Nick’s changed position in the White House, Sam is also working on a current murder investigation that has ties to a cold case that has haunted her for fifteen years. As their lives spin out of control as changes come left and right for their family, Nick and Sam find that if they stand together, they can get through anything, big or small.

 

STATE OF AFFAIRS is a new direction in the Fatal Series by Marie Force.  I can honestly attest that I adore this series with a passion. It has amazing characters, an author who delivers a story that has heart, suspense that will keep you invested in solving and a contemporary world where you can relate to the main characters and their families/friends. Ms. Force delivers a knockout introduction to Sam and Nick’s new direction in their life in STATE OF AFFAIRS and gives her readers a story that will keep you highly entertained as well as glued to the pages till the end. What I love about this author’s books is how real these characters are to me. I mean, Sam is a kick-ass police Lieutenant who has a knack for solving crime mysteries; Nick who is determined to keep his promises to his wife and young family while serving in politics and you fall in love with them as they unite to face whatever obstacle life throws at them. They are so beautifully written and life-like it makes me want to hang with them and see what transcends the pages into real life.

 

STATE OF AFFAIRS is more about the new direction in their lives but also about them, their family and how they can cope with the most unsettled changes they find they now have to navigate. With the flourish of a keystroke, Ms. Force delivers on everything while also keeping the reader glued to the pages till the very last page is read. What I want to know now is…. When is book two out and why so long of a wait? If you want to enjoy Sam and Nick’s journey to this new direction then I highly recommend starting from the very beginning in Fatal Affair and be prepared, their connection with one another is off the charts hot and you just might need a cold drink after reading these books.

 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.