Synopsis
It was harmless enough: her best friend's wedding. But for California girl Phoebe, forty-eight hours in North Carolina changed her life.
No one is more surprised than Phoebe when she falls hopelessly in love with her dad’s much older, very married friend. Although she wants nothing more than to jump headfirst into an affair with Mitch, he refrains, telling her she’s just a kid.
Determined to prove him wrong, young Phoebe learns the irony of best laid plans. She travels to North Carolina for a wedding and accidentally falls head-over-heels for two very different men: Mason, the hotel concierge, and Frankie, a captain in the Merchant Marines. Throw in two old flames and a hunky masseur and you’ve got a most complicated love hexagon in this cautionary tale of love, sex, grief, and growing up.
It was harmless enough: her best friend's wedding. But for California girl Phoebe, forty-eight hours in North Carolina changed her life.
No one is more surprised than Phoebe when she falls hopelessly in love with her dad’s much older, very married friend. Although she wants nothing more than to jump headfirst into an affair with Mitch, he refrains, telling her she’s just a kid.
Determined to prove him wrong, young Phoebe learns the irony of best laid plans. She travels to North Carolina for a wedding and accidentally falls head-over-heels for two very different men: Mason, the hotel concierge, and Frankie, a captain in the Merchant Marines. Throw in two old flames and a hunky masseur and you’ve got a most complicated love hexagon in this cautionary tale of love, sex, grief, and growing up.
Reviews
“This story borders between a modern relationship drama and occasional mild sex—but how it does this is probably the most interesting aspect. . . . I write with as much sincerity as I can muster – for anyone who wants insight on how disarrayed a woman’s view might be regarding sexual hang-ups, messy relationships, dating expectations, while still attempting to eke out an iota of happiness – this book is a good one. . . . The story feels amazingly real and that hit me like a closed fist.”
-Stephan Morse, author of the Royal Scales series
“If it was just about a girl finding her sexual self, it would be just another novel. It’s not . . . It’s about a broken young woman who refuses to see herself as a victim, and who has to learn to open up, to trust herself again, and to release the pain of the past. On one hand, there are some dark core feelings and low self-esteem, but actually, the book is frequently very funny and sexy. . . . E.H. Nolan has a lovely way with words, capturing the thoughts and feelings of her protagonist beautifully.”
-Hermione Flavia, CravenWild
“This is a beautiful, emotion-evoking read. It will truly tug on your heart-strings.”
-Cristina Hodgson, author of A Little of Chantelle Rose
“Intense. . . . Nolan will make you work for this one.”
-Carmen Blalock, Misscsolo
“Like a Closed Fist is one of the best coming of age narratives I have read. . . . This book is more than a romance—it depicts how real people make choices as life happens to them and the authentic reactions to predicaments and challenges. Furthermore, how a person faces their choices and grows along the way.”
-Erica Crafter, Goodreads reviewer
"Simultaneously sad and entertaining, annoying and understandable. . . . She's three dimensional with an interesting personality and a heart full of hope. Her struggles are relatable and realistic which gives a deeper level to this novel, even though on the surface it seems like a simple love story. Really, it's a love story that has nothing to do with romance and finding the perfect partner and everything to do with loving yourself no matter the number of mistakes or scars."
-Tracy Beth, The Coffee Pot
"This book took me on an emotional roller coaster. Like a Closed Fist is a great read. I highly recommend reading this book. I assure you that you won't be disappointed."
-J.D. Stonebridge, author of the Charlie Hartley series
"Readers young and young at heart will enjoy relating to and remembering the often painful road from naive to older and wiser. I felt as if I were reading my own journal, so to speak, of some of the same experiences I had at that age. E.H. Nolan truly understands how life plays out for a young woman just discovering what it's all about."
-Angela Barns, Goodreads reviewer
"Refreshing. . . . I was happy to see Phoebe really develop as a character, not because of any outside source like she was searching for but from something a little closer to home."
-Angie Stroud, Eastern Sunset Reads
"This book is for women; however, as a man, I was fascinated by how much self-abuse a young woman could endure. I look forward to the sequel."
-Steve Kerner, Goodreads reviewer
“This story borders between a modern relationship drama and occasional mild sex—but how it does this is probably the most interesting aspect. . . . I write with as much sincerity as I can muster – for anyone who wants insight on how disarrayed a woman’s view might be regarding sexual hang-ups, messy relationships, dating expectations, while still attempting to eke out an iota of happiness – this book is a good one. . . . The story feels amazingly real and that hit me like a closed fist.”
-Stephan Morse, author of the Royal Scales series
“If it was just about a girl finding her sexual self, it would be just another novel. It’s not . . . It’s about a broken young woman who refuses to see herself as a victim, and who has to learn to open up, to trust herself again, and to release the pain of the past. On one hand, there are some dark core feelings and low self-esteem, but actually, the book is frequently very funny and sexy. . . . E.H. Nolan has a lovely way with words, capturing the thoughts and feelings of her protagonist beautifully.”
-Hermione Flavia, CravenWild
“This is a beautiful, emotion-evoking read. It will truly tug on your heart-strings.”
-Cristina Hodgson, author of A Little of Chantelle Rose
“Intense. . . . Nolan will make you work for this one.”
-Carmen Blalock, Misscsolo
“Like a Closed Fist is one of the best coming of age narratives I have read. . . . This book is more than a romance—it depicts how real people make choices as life happens to them and the authentic reactions to predicaments and challenges. Furthermore, how a person faces their choices and grows along the way.”
-Erica Crafter, Goodreads reviewer
"Simultaneously sad and entertaining, annoying and understandable. . . . She's three dimensional with an interesting personality and a heart full of hope. Her struggles are relatable and realistic which gives a deeper level to this novel, even though on the surface it seems like a simple love story. Really, it's a love story that has nothing to do with romance and finding the perfect partner and everything to do with loving yourself no matter the number of mistakes or scars."
-Tracy Beth, The Coffee Pot
"This book took me on an emotional roller coaster. Like a Closed Fist is a great read. I highly recommend reading this book. I assure you that you won't be disappointed."
-J.D. Stonebridge, author of the Charlie Hartley series
"Readers young and young at heart will enjoy relating to and remembering the often painful road from naive to older and wiser. I felt as if I were reading my own journal, so to speak, of some of the same experiences I had at that age. E.H. Nolan truly understands how life plays out for a young woman just discovering what it's all about."
-Angela Barns, Goodreads reviewer
"Refreshing. . . . I was happy to see Phoebe really develop as a character, not because of any outside source like she was searching for but from something a little closer to home."
-Angie Stroud, Eastern Sunset Reads
"This book is for women; however, as a man, I was fascinated by how much self-abuse a young woman could endure. I look forward to the sequel."
-Steve Kerner, Goodreads reviewer