From This Moment On

San Francisco Sullivans, Book 2

By: Bella Andre

Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky

Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

In From This Moment On, best-selling author Bella Andre introduces you to Marcus, the second Sullivan bad boy, whose life will never be the same from the moment he meets Nicola....

For 36 years, Marcus Sullivan has been the responsible older brother, stepping in to take care of his seven siblings after their father died when they were children. But when the perfectly ordered future he's planned for himself turns out to be nothing but a lie, Marcus needs one reckless night to shake free from it all.

Nicola Harding is known throughout the world by only one name - Nico - for her catchy, sensual pop songs. Only what no one knows about the 25-year-old singer is that her sex-kitten image is totally false. After a terrible betrayal by a man who loved fame far more than he ever loved her, she vows not to let anyone else get close enough to find out who she really is ... or hurt her again. Especially not the gorgeous stranger she meets at a nightclub, even though the hunger - and the sinful promises - in his dark eyes make her want to spill all her secrets.

One night is all Nicola and Marcus agree to share with each other. But nothing goes as they plan, when instead of simply tangling limbs, they find a deeper connection than either of them could have anticipated. And even though they both try to fight it, growing emotions and sizzling attraction keep drawing them closer together - close enough for them to wonder if stealing one more secret moment together can ever be enough....

NOTE: Explicit language, very steamy sex scenes ... and lots of emotion!

About the author: Known for "sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publisher's Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they'll love forever, many of Bella's 20+ titles have appeared on Top 50 best seller lists, including The Look of Love, From this Moment On, Can't Help Falling in Love, Game for Love, Ecstasy, Candy Store, and Love Me. Her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine Red Hot Reads twice, and have been translated into German, Spanish, French, Italian, Thai, Japanese, and Ukrainian.

Never Too Hot won the Award of Excellence in 2011. The Washington Post has called her "One of the top digital writers in America" and she has been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and on National Public Radio.

Visit Bella's website at www.BellaAndre.com

Follow Bella on twitter at www.twitter.com/bellaandre

©2011-2012 Oak Press, LLC (P)2012 Oak Press, LLC

Look out for the SullivansYes

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because it has both mixtures of darkness and light!T

What did you like best about this story?

The Sullivan ideals.

Which character – as performed by Eva Kaminsky – was your favorite?

The Main character

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Toward the end

Love this family!

<b>4.5 Stars</b>

From This Moment On is the second book in The Sullivans series by Bella Andre. Oh my goodness, this one was even better than book one. I listened to this book in audio and Eva Kaminsky is an amazing narrator. I love how she portrays this family and each character individually.

Marcus Sullivan is the oldest of the Sullivan clan. He stepped up and helped raise all of the younger siblings when their father died. He’s the responsible one. He may be the owner of a very successful winery, but he is always there when the family needs him. Now he is ready to throw caution to the wind and do something just for him. Walking in on his fiancé with another man might have pushed him to this decision, but whatever the reason he’s going out and finding a woman for a completely “no strings attached” night of loving.

Nicola Harding is so tired of her “bad girl” image. As a famous pop star her agent assures her that there is no such thing as bad press, so keep up the charade. This night, however, the irony is killing her. Anyone who hears the name Nico automatically thinks about the infamous trysts that have been detailed about her. Little do they know she has only had 2 lovers in her life and neither was anything to write home about. Tonight she has decided if the world is going to paint her a certain way than tonight she will be “that girl”.

I love how Marcus and Nicola are thrown together so unexpectedly and how nothing worked out the way that either of them planned. No matter how hard he tried Marcus couldn't be anything less than his protective, caring self and Nicola could be nothing less than the “good girl” that she really is. The journey these two characters take together was so much fun and tough. They had to make some big decisions and adjust some pretty big ways of thinking. Lucky for them, they had each other to get through it.

This series rocks and, so far, it just keeps getting better and better. We get to know more of the Sullivan family and get more hints of what is to come for them. I can not wait to read/listen on. I honestly think this book would be great in either format, print or audio. You can’t go wrong!

Y

I love this family.

Would you listen to From This Moment On again? Why?

I would listen to this book again because I feel like I know the characters personally. I didn't want the story to end. I wish we had a mature romance movie channel that would produce a mini series or weekly show centered around this family.

What other book might you compare From This Moment On to and why?

This book is part if a set and is much like the other titles in the series. However, I like the author's titles that have steamy scenes and let us learn more about the characters and their emotions.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

There was not much that I did not like about the book. Just wish it couldn't end and the non-sex scenes were more.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Many scenes gave me a chuckle and made me smile.

open ended....

What made the experience of listening to From This Moment On the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed the narration.

What was one of the most memorable moments of From This Moment On?

When Nicola and Marcus meet the first time.....heat!

What does Eva Kaminsky bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I loved her voice, she does a nice sexy male voice....

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was a little perturbed at the open ended finish...there will be lots of plots and sub-plots to deal with in upcoming listens...

The pop star and the vintner

Setting: Mainly San Francisco present day
Genre: Contemporary romance
Narration: Ms Kaminsky once again provided a creditable performance. I'm getting used to her style, so any limitation are pretty much forgotten.
This begins right after the first book in the series. But, as with the first, the falling in love happens too quickly. Lust at first sight? Yes. Love within two days? Not so much. Maybe, despite the fact that most of my books are romance, I'm not a romantic. But I really did like the situation of two disparate people hooking up. Nicola picks Marcus up in a bar for a one-night-stand, but they can't get enough of each other, so they extend their sexual liaison through Monday. I think it started on Wednesday. I really like Marcus. He's conflicted about the differences between them. Then on Monday, Nicola decides that the relationship can't possibly work. So at least toward the end, you finally get a sense of time passing as they work things out. Surprisingly, the book doesn't end with plans to marry, or even cohabit. That's a change from what I usually read.
You will likely want to read the entire series because the characters are so likable. There are 8 San Francisco Sullivan's. You can space the books out, of course, I read them all practically back-to-back. I think I had to wait for the last two or three, but I got those as they came out.
Worth the credit and time? Yes.

Great way to spend the afternoon...

Read for Review/Listened for Fun (Book Trib/Audible)
Overall Rating: 3.50
Story Rating: 3.00
Character Rating: 4.00

Audio Rating: 3.75(not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: Loved diving back into the world of the Sullivans! From This Moment On was a great afternoon read!

Story Thoughts: I love the world of the Sullivans! Families that stick together, love each other, and support each other are fantastic. The romance between Marcus and Nicola just didn’t work for me (sometimes that happens) BUT the flow of the story was very smooth. Bella’s writing is really well paced and you care deeply about the characters. So even if a particular romance doesn’t work for you the book is still worth the time spent reading it!

Character Thoughts: I loved Marcus! He was just swoon-worthy all around. I loved his alpha head-of-the-household traits because he also seemed very fair/grounded. I also really liked Nicola. There was more to her than what initially meets the eye. Plus the way she was written felt organically real to me. She was very much ahead of her years in some ways but in others you could see her “youngness”. While I wasn’t a fan of their romance, I did really connect with them as individuals.

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated By Eva Kaminsky / Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Eva does a great job with all the female voices in the series! I am warming up to her male voices but they still aren’t my favorite. They are not distracting though. Her pacing is great and her differentiating between characters is really good. Overall, I will give the audiobooks one more whirl to see if we finally click.

Final Thoughts: Really excited about the next book! I think it will be a doozy :)

was pretty good but not great

This is an enjoyable light hearted listen. Granted, this series doesn't arouse your mind intellectually but it does entertain. The story and romance was good and kept me interested. I got the first two in this series on sale so I'm actually glad I didn't use credits for them. If you can get them on sale they're worth a listen.

Pop Star-tastic

Marcus and Nicola (Pop-star) are an unlikely piaring. I didn't expect this line-up and I am happy to say that it works. I like being delighted by plots. This is more of a coming of age for the 20-something woman, successful pop-star who must reconcile who she is, who everyone thinks she is, and who she wants to be. Marcus has to resolve his role as the patriarch of the family with the happiness and delight he has for the woman. I love the opening couple of chapters of the novel, when you finish them you will be hooked for the whole thing.

The Sullivan clan is lovable. One critique is Andre is slow to widen the circle to include others in the family especially from book 1. There novel is littered with pointed moments. Kaminsky does a great job narrating.

I love the way she changed Marcus and Nicola, very believable and sweet. This book is heavy on the romance. This series continues to get better. I already have read book three. Couldn't even take the time to write this review before I finished it.

Kitten, what a way to Nap

Where does From This Moment On rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Of the sullivan brothers, this is # 1. Loved Smith, and Ryan's as well,and still have Chase's story to listen. Gabe story just did not appeal to me. Zack's started out fairly great w/ puppy, but turned a bit dark/sad so it was not a favorite. Sophie's story, broke my heart.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Marcus, bad boy with lots of style

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

I wish Eva read a bit faster. This is one of her better reads as the story had a better outline.
I would not buy her as a reader if not for Sullivan brothers.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did listen to this one all at once. True core romance with enough of all the right elements.

Any additional comments?

You do not have to listen to the books order in as Bella writes with enough tie in, but does not have the stories based on a mystery. I like the older brothers Marcus and Smith the best. Ryan was yummy. Ms Andrea is very cleaver in her outlines.

Marcus drove me crazy and kept me hot

Marcus was in a free fall or was he. Life slapped him and he was going to slap it back but I think that it slapped him a second time but this was a good slap. Nicola was sweet and endearing and she was hidden in a world that could see all, but the truth before its eyes. She worked hard to get to where she was. She was not willing to rock the status quo to make her worlds combine. She was in the right place or wrong at the right time to find Marcus. Marcus finds that he may have just made a stick. He took too long to figure things out, but when he was working on it Nicola was making strides in finding herself and a center for balance.

Eva rocked it from beginning to end. She brings the sexy male and the sensual female.