A Sweet Nothing

by Anastasia Fenne

They say you never forget your first love...

As hard as Tatum Ivers tries, she can’t escape her memories of Kellen Bishop. Long nights under the stars. Holding tight to his waist on the back of his bike…

But their love story crashed to a halt when a fight with her ex got Kellen thrown into jail.

Tatum wanted to wait for him, but Kellen told her whatever they shared was over. She meant nothing. Heartbroken, with her obsessive ex hunting her, there was only one option Run.

She escaped to start fresh in a new town, changing her name to stay safe, and desperately trying to forget the boy who broke her heart.

Little does she know, the last time they saw each other, Kellen lied.

For two years in prison, all he wanted was to tell Tatum the truth. He loved her. He’d always loved her. And the first thing he did upon release was go looking for her…

Only to find a missing person report with her name on it.

Fearing the worst, Kellen blames himself for her disappearance, and he’d lost all hope of seeing her again, until a twist of fate brought them back together.

Kellen sees this as the second chance he longed for, but Tatum is slow to trust. And when the stalker who caused her to run returns, they’re forced to confront everything that tore them apart the first time…

Before it rips them apart for good.

Genres: Second Chance, Romance, Slow Burn, Second Chance Romance, Contemporary

434 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 5, 2022

About the author

Anastasia Fenne is an author of contemporary erotic romance and romantic suspense. When she's not dreaming up the emotional turmoil she can put her characters through, she enjoys video games and reading anything she can get her hands on. She resides in the Midwest with her four children, three cats, one dog, and a bewildered spouse.

A.L. Fenne is the dark twin of Anastasia, and she loves horror games and novels and writes darker, more taboo stories that feature characters struggling for their happily ever afters.

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

“Part of me always would, because you never forget your first love.”

This is Anastasia Fenne debut book and it was such a good read. I really enjoyed reading it.
This story follows Tatum whose life has changed due to her obsessive ex boyfriend. She changed he name and moved away to start a new life but she never forgot her first love Kellen. Kellen never got over losing Tatum and it is his biggest regret. They meet again three years later, she isn’t the same girl she once was she has many issues include ptsd and anxiety due to her ex Davey. When they reconnect with each other she is really hesitant to start a relationship again. I really love how their relationship develops throughout the book.

I would recommended read this book if you like:
* second chance romance
* Friends to lover
* Spicy scenes

Be sure to check your trigger warning

Can’t wait for more books by this author

A special thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for an arc in exchange for a honest review.

[Julie Booklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A solid debut by this author. A great story, with interesting characters and just enough suspense to keep my interest. Kellen and Tatum are learning to heal and get past the hurts caused from childhood to the toxic town they grew up in. Tatum has not had an easy time, and this is her journey to find herself and learn to lean on others.

I have challenged myself to get out of my comfort zone with reading. I typically do not read MCs as they are just too much for me. This book was a personal leap, and I am so glad I took the chance. It is an emotional story, the author does share triggers if you need to know.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️
2.75/5 🌶

Tropes:
- romantic suspense
- second chance romance
- MC romance
- tatted and pierced heroine + hero
- protective hero
- trauma + abusive ex
- slow burn
- found family

POV: first person - dual

Type: interconnected stand-alone (book one)

A phenomenal debut novel! These characters are unforgettable.

I loved this SO much. The MC that the hero is apart of is truly something special. Those characters were f*cking amazing too.

Also the heroine’s name is Tatum/Tate and HE CALLS HER TATERTOT.

[Ann L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good second chance story by a debut writer, it is written well and flows throughout, the characters are interesting and there is even a stalker to keep us on edge.

[Simone Fernandes · Rating 4 out of 5]

"She didn’t know it, but I had. I’d chosen her that first time we met under that tree,"

This book was really heart touching, passionate and ht as fk 🥵❤️.
I'm definitely going to read more books from this author.

♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•

“Christ, Tate. Bother me. My life is easy. Fuck it up, I don’t care. Just be in it again.”

"...whenever I was around, I had a hard time keeping my eyes off her."

"I closed my eyes, melting into the kiss as he pressed me into my car. He was steady where I was shaking. So hard where I felt so soft…".

♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•♡¸.•

•.¸♡❀𝑶 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒊𝒓𝒐 𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒓 𝒏𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒂 𝒔𝒆 𝒆𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒄𝒆❀♡¸.•
#spoilerfree #resenhas7mnp
°
❀ Tatum Ivers nunca teve refrescos na vida.
Cresceu constantemente trocando de lares adotivos e ao chegar na cidadezinha de Northshore, Tate não espera por grandes mudanças ou emoções.
Tudo muda ao conhecer Kellen.
Há entre eles uma forte conexão, que começa como uma amizade despretensiosa e com o passar dos anos evolui para algo mais profundo e intenso.

Nesse meio tempo, Tatum se envolve com Davey, que ao não lidar muito bem com o término passa a persegui-la e ameaçá-la.
As coisas pioram significativamente, quando Tate & Kell finalmente se envolvem e tornam-se inseparáveis.

Até que algo muito grave acontece e faz com que Kell seja preso, Tate tenha que fugir da cidade e assumir uma nova identidade para se proteger.

Então três anos depois, tudo mundo novamente.
°
•.¸♡ 𝑨 𝑺𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, é uma história emocionante e extremamente apaixonante.
Com uma escrita fluída e muito envolvente. Com uma boa dose de angústia e suspense, a autora conseguiu me prender nos primeiros capítulos.
Eu praticamente devorei o livro, porque não queria parar de ler, até ter certeza que tudo ficaria realmente bem.

❀ Tate é o tipo de protagonista feminina que me dá orgulho. Ela já passou por tanto na vida e mesmo assumindo uma nova identidade, tendo que mudar em vários aspectos e se privar de muitas coisas.
Ainda assim nunca perdeu a vontade de lutar pelo que realmente acreditava.

•.¸♡ Kellen vai além do típico badboy, possessivo, superprotetor e membro de MC.
Ele é sobretudo, um homem com um coração enorme, que protege a Tate sem sufoca-lá e a tira da sua zona de conforto lhe mostrando que ainda há muito para viver e sentir.

❀ Eles tem aquele tipo de química, que você sente essa conexão de forma intensa em cada interação.
E por ser um romance slow burn, isso cria muita tensão nesses momentos.

❀ Outro dos detalhes que eu amei - além da diagramação - foi a forma como os flashbacks foram inseridos.
Enfim, tudo pra mim e eu super recomendo esse livro. 🤎
°
╚»445 pág | @anastasia.fenne | Disponível no Kindle Unlimited em inglês«╝
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#slowburnromance #availablenow

[Laura Reads Too Much · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anastasia's debut novel and she's off to a smashing start!

We meet Noelle who is doing an internship at a newspaper as well as going to college to become a qualified journalist. She's a very private person, doesn't go out anywhere apart from work and intern, and is a total loner.
But guess who isn't who she said she was!? Noelle isn't even her real name and as the story goes on, you soon find out why! Talk about traumatic.

Then we have Kellan was was released from prison last year, where he spent 2years for assault - he was sticking up for Tate but it all went south!! When he was released, he searched for Tate but she'd just disappeared and he didn't know how to fix that. Until fate stepped in!...

This can be a sad read at times, she has spent these past 3years in hiding and constantly petrified that her past will catch up to her. She didn't deserve what happened to her - no-one deserves what happened to her!

It's a good read, is the book perfect? No but she's not far off it!! I'm excited to see where she goes next - I'd love Hannah ans Rev to get their stories (just putting that out there 😘)




*I voluntarily received an arc and this is my honest review. 3.5/4 stars

[Jenifer Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE finding new to me authors, especially ones who are just starting out. Once I saw this cover and read the blurb, I just had to have it and omg, it was SO good!! I felt everything: the intense love, the feels, the heat, the heartbreak -- this was all top notch writing that this didn't feel like a debut novel at all!

So here we have Tatum and Kellen who are torn apart by her obsessive/psycho ex, leaving poor Tatum traumatized and heartbroken. Three years pass when she and Kellen are reunited once more, but neither of them are who they used to be, especially Tatum. She's not ready to jump back into Kellen's arms after the ruthless way he broke her heart, but bit by bit she finds herself remembering just why she fell so in love with him in the first place -- but the future she always wanted just might once again be snatched away from her, and she has to fight like hell to make sure that doesn't happen.

I want to say so much more, but this is a book that truly needs to be experienced first hand. This author definitely has a fan for life and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!!

**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest opinions **

[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

A Sweet Nothing appears to be Ms. Fenne's debut and it's an emotional, second chance romance with a h in hiding and a H who's never completely given up on her. The characters and the plot pulled me in and kept me engaged throughout. There is some room for growth common with debuts like smaller grammatical errors and minor moments of being taken out of the story, but the story as a whole was a good one for me. This is a first person, dual-POV narrative. No ow drama, om drama in the sense that the h has a previously abusive ex and there's also a co-worker who's interested but the h is not; neither were virgins and it had been more than a year for each (for the H, he had tried to move on a couple of times after being released from prison but couldn't because she was it for him, even though he thought she might be dead); bc was discussed and used.

The story begins in the present a few years after major events had happened with Tatum having run from an abusive ex while Kellen (H) was in prison. He'd beaten up the same ex previously and had pushed her away, for her own good (I know, a lot of readers don't like this but he's been repeatedly told and realizes that he made a mistake). She's changed her name (to Noelle) and appearance, is in college for journalism, and is working as an intern. He lives not far away, owns his own motorcycle shop, has joined an MC, and still hopes he might find her. Of course, she's going to be discovered and of course, he's going to pursue her. Their romance was sweet with Kellen trying to just be present for her in any way she'd allow after he was initially angry. Tatum however has major anxiety from what she experienced and has closed herself off in many ways. She's also hesitant to trust him again with their history. He is just all about her. Parts of the story are told in flashback and I thought these were incorporated well.

The pacing of the whole story just worked for me, I loved the slow blooming of their friendship and then romance again. The steaminess does happen in the latter half of the book I think, which fit for me. Kellen's not afraid to ask for what he wants and he encourages Tatum to also. Lots of comments about her riding him for example as a play on the MC. The push/pull that these characters go through made sense given all that had happened and both main characters have doubts and insecurities that rear up at times. Kellen has a fantastic support system and they become that for Tatum as well, helping to bring her out of her self-imposed shell. A mystery/danger also develops as Tatum begins to investigate disappearances of girls for articles, in addition to the danger she's always felt she was in because of the ex she's hidden from. We get some suspenseful scenes and there's some angst and heartbreak.

By the end, I felt like all the major plot strings had been tied up and a small jump ahead epilogue has a sweet HEA feel. I could see a couple of side characters with potential for their own stories and would definitely read them, but I'll keep an eye out for future books either way. Trigger warnings: flashbacks of past abuse (not H); recollections of past parental drug/alcohol abuse; anxiety/panic attacks on page; discussions of missing/murdered women; recollections of past cult-like religious affiliation

[Mandyloves2read · Rating 4 out of 5]

They say you never get over your first love but what happens when you’re given a second chance? This book is all about forgiveness healing and moving on it’s about learning how to live after a traumatic experience and what you do when you’re given a second chance .
A Sweet Nothing by Anastasia Fenne was such a phenomenal debut the maturity of the writing blows my mind that this is her first book that she has written the emotions the heartache the pain I felt all of them I also suffer from anxiety and PTSD and have lived with it for most of my life and the flashbacks and anxiety attacks that Tatum was having were so real you could tell this author did her research for this book the romance was a little slow but you could feel the emotions and the love that Kellan and Tatum had felt for each other and it just made it that much sweeter when they do finally give in ! I also loved the flashbacks into their younger years this book was just so good this is another new to me author that I’ve read and loved this year and definitely another amazing read of 2022 to add to my list!

Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chemistry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam 🌶🌶

Trope(s):
✔️ Motorcycle Club
✔️ Second Chance
✔️ Friends to Lovers


Check your TW/CW

Overall 4.5⭐️

~Arc kindly given for my honest opinion


Here’s some of the triggers the author had listed :

✔️ Discussion and depictions of anxiety and PTSD
✔️ Depictions of Stalking (not in main relationship)
✔️ Depictions of Abuse and Other Physical Violence (not in main relationship)
✔️ Discussions of religious violence (not in main relationship)

[Nagma (Take A Look At My Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You never forget your first love.”

A great debut with interesting characters and suspense. This second chance, MC romance was a really good read.

Tatum’s life was changed because of her obsessive ex, she moved away to start a new life and did not forget her first love. They meet three years later and the way their relationship developed throughout the book after they reconnected was phenomenal.

The book kept me on the edge of my seat and I enjoyed how emotional this book was. The characters were very well written and I’d love to read more from this author.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Karly Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥/5

TW’s: Depression and Anxiety; PTSD; Panic/Anxiety Attacks; Stalking; Abuse; Violence; Flashbacks of Attempted SA; Attempted Murder; Cult(ish) Brainwashing

Tropes:
Second Chance
MC
Friends-to-Lovers
Romantic Suspense
Trauma and Heartbreak
Dual POV
Flashbacks
HEA; No Cheating

I’m not usually a fan of slow burn romances, but this book was page after page of action, suspense, and fantastic plot. From the very first page I was hooked and didn’t want the story to end. There were twists and turns around every corner that always left me surprised.

I loved the characters and was easily able to connect with them. The chemistry between the main characters was through the roof. And I absolutely loved the family and friendships made during this book.

This book was definitely more emotional rather than smutty, but there were still a few good spicy scenes. And some amazing sexual chemistry.

This was a fantastic debut by Anastasia Fenne and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Thank you to The Smuthood and Anastasia Fenne for letting me read this as an ARC. All of the opinions in this review are my own.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK. I loved this book. I am honestly shocked that this is a début novel because it is giving everything. I want to keep everything she ever comes out with behind lock and key. Tate and Kellan are 👩‍🍳 💋. This second chance romance has everything. A secret identity, small town packed with religious trauma, stalking, mystery, murder, bikers, baking, and heart grabbing chemistry from the two main characters. I honestly hope she writes another book about Priest and Hannah *swoon*.

[Philippa Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝙳𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛?”
“𝙾𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝.”
“𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏?”

🍷🍷🍷🍷 / 5

🌶🌶🌶 / 5

»»————-✼————-««

Review:
Bikers are just sexy, like legally to be a biker you have to be sexy no? Mr Boyfriend is a biker, so I just spent the entirety of this book picturing him as Kellen and myself as Tatum. Anyway, this book was full of suspense and mystery, to begin with I thought it was just a casual romance with the mc’s having emotional trauma, but then there’s a cult thrown in (I love a good cult book, I find them incredibly interesting, I’ve got a few recs if anyone wants one😅) and then there’s like missing people and body’s start showing up, oh and then we like throw in the stalker; like damn a lot is packed into this book. Soz for the slight spoilers but I feel like they may make you want to read this more?

This is Anastasia Fennes’ debut novel and I personally think she smashed it. Tatum and Kellen have that easy connection that makes loving each other easy, but neither have had an easy life. They’re both likeable, funny and witty; Tatum is the strong independent woman who has a man who reminds her of her worth and sucks her pu$$y like a boss🥵 (I cannot believe I just wrote that *internally cringes*😭). A sweet nothing is an easy read with a good plot and the right sprinkling of sex scenes (in fact I wouldn’t object to a few more😉).

Anyway I’m off to get Mr Boyfriend to teach me how to ride his bike (first then we’ll progress to other things😉).

For lovers of:
- Sexy bikers
- Scone chance love
- Childhood sweethearts
- Tall, tattooed and hot men
- Ex-convicts turned good
- Escaping cults
- Missing people

Don’t forget to read the trigger warnings, this book does contain descriptions of physical abuse.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am shocked that this book is a debut book. I just realized it when coming to write my review. I wanted to find more books by Anastasia Fenne.
A SWEET NOTHING was well written with a great storyline and excellent characters. I was so invested in the outcome. The author pulled at my emotions. I laughed, cried, smiled. I felt fear, anger, and shock. My emotions ran all over the place. Excellent writing. It is rare for me to five star a first book, but this most definitely deserves it! I originally chose this book because of the title, cover, and blurb. I'm so glad I took the chance at reading this new author's book!

Thank you Netgalley and The Next Step PR for the ARC of this book. This is my voluntary and honest review.

[The Gemini’s Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god y’all. This book was so so so good.

Tatum(Noelle) lost her first love when he pushed her away so she could live her like with nothing holding her back. Little did Kellen know that her ex was only going to get more obsessed with her.

I love a good stalking romance. It really adds the suspense I need sometimes. I also love how the corruption of some churches was brought to light. That stuff is just not talked about enough. I don’t want to give too much away but in this particular group the church is what motivated Tatyana ex to do all the things he did. Anastasia Fenne executed this beautifully.

I highly recommend checking this book out if romantic suspense is your thing! There are some triggers so just keep that in mind.

[K.A Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second chances ✔️
Slow burn ✔️
Steam 🌶🌶🌶
Tatum is recovering from a traumatic past and Kellen just can’t give up. This book has everything! I was surprised to learn that this is the authors debut, I will be keeping an eye out for her next releases!

[Mamas_Book_Addiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! My first read with this Author and I can’t wait to read more.
I love everything about Kellen and Tatum. I enjoyed the flashbacks of their past all while tearing down Tate’s walls. The tropes is in this book.. set you up for one amazing book!

[EmsBooks0312 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was such a sweet, loving, all-the-feels story. Tate and Kellen were amazing together. I wanted to read more about their love. I loved the sweet story, but I was hooked by adding the mystery and who-done-it vibe. I didn't want to put the book down because I had to know what happened to the girls and who was behind it. I was worried for Tate and thought Kellen would be back in jail if he didn't control his anger. Ultimately, these two showed the world they had changed and are stronger together.

[Once Upon a Page · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf 36%

Too slow for me and contained quite a few typos. It took until just under 30% for our characters to meet (excluding flashbacks) and I was bored.

[Ervita · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad I took a chance on this book. It was a fantastic debut novel by Anastasia Fenne.
The plot was well fleshed out and meaty, didn’t feel rushed or dragged out. The story was very engaging, so many moving parts of romance, regret, angst, mystery, intrigue and heartbreak.

Tatum/Noelle has been through a lot in her young life. Dealing with a religious zealot of an abusive ex boyfriend, she’s changed her identity and is keeping a low profile and dealing with social anxiety.
Kellen has regretted pushing Tatum away when he was incarcerated. He thought he was doing her a favour but once he’s released he’s desperate to find her again, fearing the worst when it appears she’s dropped off the planet.

A chance encounter reunites them but Tatum is no longer the same girl he knew. She’s scared, angry, sad and wants to be left alone.

There’s more to the story than these two hashing out their relationship and it kept me engaged, eager to find out the mystery with all its twists.

I also loved the side characters even if the death of one did make me sad. I’m so glad Priest and Hannah are getting a story next. I adored Priest! And I hope the rest follow suit.

Merged review:

I’m so glad I took a chance on this book. It was a fantastic debut novel by Anastasia Fenne.
The plot was well fleshed out and meaty, didn’t feel rushed or dragged out. The story was very engaging, so many moving parts of romance, regret, angst, mystery, intrigue and heartbreak.

Tatum/Noelle has been through a lot in her young life. Dealing with a religious zealot of an abusive ex boyfriend, she’s changed her identity and is keeping a low profile and dealing with social anxiety.
Kellen has regretted pushing Tatum away when he was incarcerated. He thought he was doing her a favour but once he’s released he’s desperate to find her again, fearing the worst when it appears she’s dropped off the planet.

A chance encounter reunites them but Tatum is no longer the same girl he knew. She’s scared, angry, sad and wants to be left alone.

There’s more to the story than these two hashing out their relationship and it kept me engaged, eager to find out the mystery with all its twists.

I also loved the side characters even if the death of one did make me sad. I’m so glad Priest and Hannah are getting a story next. I adored Priest! And I hope the rest follow suit.

[Nicola Thorpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s nothing I didn’t enjoy in this book - it ticked all the boxes for me - and I absolutely adored the main characters, Kellen and Tatum. Their story took me on an emotional journey, rife with danger, painful secrets and lost-and-found love; and I loved every minute of it!

Tatum (who starts the story as Noelle) escaped her ultra-religious, ultra-conservative home town three years ago: fleeing from an assault that left her a shell of her former self. The consequences of that assault, saw her then love-interest, Kellen jailed for attacking the perpetrator. Though the complete story of exactly what happened to Tatum, and how, remains her closely guarded secret and source of great shame.

A chance encounter with Kellen takes Tatum right-back to that difficult time in her life, and because of this, she tries everything to hold off his attentions. But it doesn’t work, because for Kellen, Tatum has always been the ONLY woman for him. Kellen vows to keep her safe, to protect her from the predator who, worryingly still has Tatum in his sights - but will Kellen’s promises be enough?

Anastasia approaches Tatum’s assault recovery incredibly sensitively, but she doesn’t shy-away from the rawness of the emotions it evokes, and for this she should be applauded. 👏🏻 With every turn of the page I felt like I was fighting side-by-side with Tatum and Kellen, for their much deserved, and long overdue HEA.

When a book grips you, the way ‘A Sweet Nothing’ gripped me, you know you’ve read something special. A five star read, without a doubt. I can’t wait to read more from this author. Hopefully some of the incredibly likeable side-characters from ‘A Sweet Nothing’ might get their chance to shine in future books.

And I know I’m showing my inner geek here - but the Manga, Anime, and Studio Ghibli references were everything! You nailed it with the Howl comparison Anastasia 🙌🏻

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a phenomenal story. It was sweet, heartwarming, intense and suspenseful. There were so many layers and as each layer slowly gets peeled back it reveals deep dark secrets and painful past events that at times had me completely shocked. It was an emotional rollercoaster ride that had me laughing, crying and hanging onto my kindle tightly not know what was going to happen next.

Kellen and Tatum have quite the tumultuous past, that at times was very toxic and dangerous. They were both pulled apart due to some very terrible events. Tatum has a harder time readjusting to her new life and deals with debilitating PTSD and anxiety every day. Kellen and Tatum have this amazing connection that grows in leaps and bounds as they both learn to navigate their new lives together. I loved their interactions and their ability help each other heal. Their relationship was a bit slow burn but pulled on my heartstrings and made me fall hopelessly in love with them both.

“You never forget that first love because it doesn’t cut. It flays. It peels way every barrier you’ve put up and you welcome it. You lay yourself at their feet, skinless and bare, heart exposed in offering regardless of the outcome. Will they take it? Will they leave it and walk away? Will they pick it up and examine it like an interesting curio, then toss it aside because it has no value?”

Brilliantly written story with such amazing, relatable characters, and with a storyline that was heartwarming, emotional, suspenseful, completely captivating and entertaining right to the very end. I loved every second of this story and can’t wait to see what this new author has for us next.

[Nath✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐
Gracias The next step PR y Anastasia Fenne por el E-ARC vía Netgalley

TW⚠️: contenido sexual explicito y grafico , drepresion^ansiedad, acoso , abuso fisico y psicologico, mencion de asesinatos, estres post-traumatico. Para mayor informacion , visitar la pagina de la autora.
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Tatum/Noelle ha pasado por muchas cosas durante su vida. Desde un hogar de acogida en un pequeño pueblo con fanaticos religiosos a un ex novio abusivo. Cambió su identidad y mantiene un perfil bajo mientras lidia con la ansiedad social que se origino en su adolescencia . Kellen se ha arrepentido de alejar a Tatum cuando estaba encarcelado. Pensó que le estaba haciendo un favor, pero una vez que es liberado, está desesperado por encontrarla de nuevo, temiendo lo peor cuando se entera que nadie a sabido de ella durante los ultimos 3 años. Un encuentro casual los reúne, pero Tatum ya no es la misma chica que conocía. Está asustada, enojada, triste y quiere que la dejen sola.
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Este es el mejor second chance romance , con suspenso , slow burn que he ledio y me sorprendio que sea un debut.
Esta muy bien desarrollado y los personajes son completamente incleibles , presentan un extraordinario crecimiento a lo largo del libro.
Ame a los personajes secundarios y no puedo esperar para leer la historia de Rev y Hannah.
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¨the only person who had the power to hurt me, was me, and I knew how to handle my self-inflicted damage.¨
¨the life she had stolen from her before it ever had a chance to really get started.¨
¨I wanted a future where I could be happy.¨
¨She was meant for bigger things and I would somehow hold her back.¨

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.25⭐️)

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠. 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬.”

The second chance romance A Sweet Nothing by Anastasia Fenne features Kellen Brady and Tatum Noelle Ivers in this incredibly sweet and angsty read with some dark elements and suspense.

This book had a lot of good tropes and themes, making it a good read. It contained hints of stalking, found families, motorcycle clubs, anguish, and religious cults. In essence, everything worked together to develop the story. In contrast to second chances romances, when the heroine returns to the hero who shattered her heart, I loved that the heroine in this story truly had a backbone.

However, there were numerous grammatical errors throughout the book, making it difficult to read because some sentences would not be completed. Additionally, it seemed unrealistic that the Hero and his friends got over the Heroine’s disappearance so quickly.

Overall, the topics and plot were fantastic, but I think I would have appreciated this book much more if there hadn't been a few hiccups.

Thank you to The Smuthood and to the author, Anastasia Fenne, for providing with this e-book in exchange for an honest review!

[Feral Words · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will start by saying that I typically would not have picked this book left to my own devices, but I am glad I did. I typically go for faster burns and more smut, but this was such a beautiful story I can't help but be glad I got to experience it.

The first chapters where Kellen becomes aware of Tatum's status are written so beautifully. Actually heartbreaking in a way that is so hard to do. I teared up for him and that's pretty hard to get me to do. I will absolutely be revisiting those parts especially because they're so beautiful.

Their relationship comes back together very organically but it is a sloooooow burn. I personally would have liked to see more passion and spice at their reconnection, but all told was happy with the story. There was so much tension leading up to it that I expected fireworks and got cozy campfire.

Kellen may be the most patient, understanding, gracious book boyfriend of all time. I honestly don't know how he didn't lose it several times over, but he kept it together and was a beacon for Tatum.

Heartbreaking moments combined with strong characters and interesting tension created an enjoyable read.

[Ashley Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. This is my 1st book by Anastasia. I will definitely check out her other books. Tatum is on the run from her life. Things had happened in her small hometown that she had to get away from. She changed her name and her appearance. She started a whole new life. She left behind Kellen an old friend/lover. He never gave up hope on finding her. Their relationship ended badly and Tatum now going to Noelle didn’t want anything to do with him anymore. She is a journalist. One day while she was out getting coffee she sees some people from her old life. They don’t notice her. Then another day out getting coffee she sees two of the three people from last time. This time they recognize her. They talk a little bit about what happened in their old town. She tells them she doesn’t want Kellen to know where she is. As she’s leaving for work one day she runs into Kellen outside her apartment. He wants to win her back. She is hesitant at first. Things keep happening to Tatum/Noelle. She thinks her past is coming back to get her. Will Tatum and Kellen have their happily ever after or will her past finally catch up with her? Read the book to find out.

[Jeanelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting to feel so much heartache right at the start of this but @anastasia.fenne did such a great job at just making you FEEL. In the beginning, Kellen presumes Tatum is dead and he regrets their last meeting when we went to prison and boy, do you FEEL that, that deep heartache. What a way to start a book, but I honestly loved it. I love a book that just makes your heart hurt because you know it’s a good book. Right from the beginning, you know Kellen and Tatum are it for each other and enjoyed reading about their development. I also love how you see Tatum’s character develop, you can see she’s trying to overcome her past recent. I also enjoyed the flashbacks and that they’re both from Tatum and Kellen, it provides a lot of background with how their relationship started and what happened with Tatum as well. Overall, this was a great read, full of heartache, love and a touch of thrill.

[Johanna Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the cover, and blurb had me grabbing a copy. Debut book by this author and it was definitely sweet.

What did I like? The characters were amazing! The author wets your appetite for more from this MC. Kellen and Tatum shared an equal fervor for each other and finding their HEA was so much fun.

Would I recommend or buy? I’d definitely read more by this author! I enjoyed the cast and it set the stage for books. Five stars!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super sweet second-chance romance with some darker aspects and suspense. Its got a little of everything, from found family to stalking to religious cult vibes. I really enjoyed that this story featured a wholesome motorcycle club filled with good people who just happen to have rough pasts. I especially loved Rev and hope we get to see him get a hea. Kellen and Tate's journey didn't always go smoothly but I love the way it ended. These two def felt like soulmates, and their story gave me all the warm and fuzzies.