I have been following Annalisa Nicole since she released her debut novel, with each story in the series I've watched her grow as a writer, I've watched as she has continued to deliver characters that effortlessly draw you in, a family you want to know, and I See...Love was no different, our hero River Mason is young and wildly successful, his life appears to be one of wealth and excess but beneath the flashy house and opulent home is a man who is governed by bitterness and hurt, the author takes us the reader on a journey where she aims a spotlight on the nature vs. nurture debate, was River always the same distant, abrasive man he is now or is he a product of his past, armed with only Josh as a confidante, friend and personal assistant River is used to being on his own, but meeting Joss is going turn his world upside down.
Joss Meyer is young and successful, but that's where the similarities between her and River end, Joss has the perfect life, she's co-owner of a thriving business with her childhood best friend Nina, operating as a personal chef for a number of wealthy and elite clients, their business is going from strength to strength and Joss has everything she ever dreamt off, unconcerned with finding love or a man to share her life, she is content with building her brand and focusing on her career.
River is rude and arrogant on the surface, he is cold and distant, he often challenged me as the reader to see past the brash exterior to see deeper into him, to see the man he is hiding and trying to protect from the world, but the more I read and the more Nicole drew me into River's world and the more I could see him railing against his past and what he's come to believe as the truth, but what I found especially endearing was Joss's light, her ability to see the beauty in the world around her, even when she was scared, even when she felt like she might crumble, even when she was challenged and even when she wanted to break, there was an undeniable strength to Joss, a temerity that held my attention, one that both endeared her to me and intrigued me, there's so much here in I See...Love, Josh and Nina captured my heart and I hope to see more of them in the coming books in this series. The first book in the A Different Road series has definitely piqued my interest for more, if you're after something sweet, thoughtful and sexy, I See...Love is definitely the book for you.