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Love On Her Terms
If only attraction always led to happily ever after… Mina Clements wants to grab life with both hands. With a fixer-upper and a fresh start in Montana, the graphic novelist is ready to do just that. Plus, having handsome handyman Levi Pardo next door could be a bonus… But even though sparks sizzle when Levi helps with her renovations, the widower’s in no hurry to fall in love again. Still, he’s much more than the neighbour who looks good swinging a hammer. He’s a man she wants to trust with her biggest secret—one that can either bring them closer or wreck the new beginning they both need.
- GenresRomanceContemporary
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2016
About the author
Jennifer Lohmann
27 books82 followersJennifer Lohmann is a Rocky Mountain girl at heart, having grown up in southern Idaho and Salt Lake City. When she’s not writing or working as a public librarian, she wrangles two cats and several backyard chickens; the dog is better behaved. She lives in Durham, North Carolina
Her favorite non-romance books are Wolf Hall and A Country Called Home. She'll read anything Mary Roach writes. Her favorite romance authors are Carla Kelly, Madeline Hunter, Sherry Thomas, Courtney Milan, and Elizabeth Hoyt.
Her favorite non-romance books are Wolf Hall and A Country Called Home. She'll read anything Mary Roach writes. Her favorite romance authors are Carla Kelly, Madeline Hunter, Sherry Thomas, Courtney Milan, and Elizabeth Hoyt.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 1, 2016
I read this for review at All About Romance and gave it an A-, so five stars here. I wrote:
Do you avoid category romances, thinking they’re all about billionaires or sheiks? And if you learn the heroine of a category romance has a “big secret” do you roll your eyes, convinced it’s a secret baby? Then you haven’t read Jennifer Lohmann. Love on her Terms features a very real, complicated hero and heroine dealing with issues that have absolutely nothing to do with secret babies. I found myself surprised at many points, but mostly, I was completely captivated. When I finished I sighed, and then was sad; I want more of this couple, want to know what’s going to happen next in their lives. Please, Ms. Lohman, don’t let this be the last time I ever read about Levi and Mina!......
For more of my review go here: http://allaboutromance.com/book-revie...
Do you avoid category romances, thinking they’re all about billionaires or sheiks? And if you learn the heroine of a category romance has a “big secret” do you roll your eyes, convinced it’s a secret baby? Then you haven’t read Jennifer Lohmann. Love on her Terms features a very real, complicated hero and heroine dealing with issues that have absolutely nothing to do with secret babies. I found myself surprised at many points, but mostly, I was completely captivated. When I finished I sighed, and then was sad; I want more of this couple, want to know what’s going to happen next in their lives. Please, Ms. Lohman, don’t let this be the last time I ever read about Levi and Mina!......
For more of my review go here: http://allaboutromance.com/book-revie...
February 21, 2017
This was a good but not great read for me. It has some very heavy topics, the heroine has HIV and the hero is a widower because his wife committed suicide. I really enjoyed that he wasn't afraid to admit that he loved his wife and had none of the typical issues like, I'll never love someone as much I loved her. He also didn't have unnecessary guilt related to her death. He was tortured.
I really, really disliked Brooke, Levi's sister. She was terrible and felt she was given too many outs. Overall. Solid read. I enjoyed how Mina stood up for herself in the end.
I really, really disliked Brooke, Levi's sister. She was terrible and felt she was given too many outs. Overall. Solid read. I enjoyed how Mina stood up for herself in the end.
August 18, 2016
The author has tackled a topic rarely dealt with in fiction; namely, the effect of HIV on women's and men's relationships. And she does so with both insight and care without slipping into the maudlin.
Mina Clements intends to live her life her way, in spite of her mother's interfering worrying and the effects of the antivirals that she now takes. She wants to find love in spite of the difficulties her HIV status places on her and her insistence on sharing that information selectively.
Levi Pardo is still in love with his wife, who committed suicide not that long ago. But he, too, still wants love, and of the permanent kind. Mina's news is a shock, but he quickly recognizes that her health status doesn't really define her. But how can he convince her of this when his need to take care of her comes out in different ways?
Mina insists on taking care of herself, but she too wants to take care of Levi, particularly when his sister's words are so hurtful.
How these two compelling characters work things out is the epitome of positive thinking in the face of the realities of contemporary life and well worth a careful read.
Mina Clements intends to live her life her way, in spite of her mother's interfering worrying and the effects of the antivirals that she now takes. She wants to find love in spite of the difficulties her HIV status places on her and her insistence on sharing that information selectively.
Levi Pardo is still in love with his wife, who committed suicide not that long ago. But he, too, still wants love, and of the permanent kind. Mina's news is a shock, but he quickly recognizes that her health status doesn't really define her. But how can he convince her of this when his need to take care of her comes out in different ways?
Mina insists on taking care of herself, but she too wants to take care of Levi, particularly when his sister's words are so hurtful.
How these two compelling characters work things out is the epitome of positive thinking in the face of the realities of contemporary life and well worth a careful read.
August 7, 2016
Warning: discussions and depictions of clinical depression and suicide, which I found triggering and hard to read, but that were in no way offensive, at least not to me.
This was pretty good. The heroine is HIV positive and that's a huge aspect of the story but it's not an issue book, so she doesn't have to come to terms with it and the hero doesn't heal her or some such crap like that.
The hero is a widower and his wife is treated with respect and kindness, which I always appreciate. At one point the heroine mentions how comforting it is to her to know how much he loved his wife, and I really liked that.
Another great example of what category romance has to offer.
This was pretty good. The heroine is HIV positive and that's a huge aspect of the story but it's not an issue book, so she doesn't have to come to terms with it and the hero doesn't heal her or some such crap like that.
The hero is a widower and his wife is treated with respect and kindness, which I always appreciate. At one point the heroine mentions how comforting it is to her to know how much he loved his wife, and I really liked that.
Another great example of what category romance has to offer.
September 25, 2022
I really love how Lohmann tackles controversial/unusual (in Romancelandia) situations in her books but I often have difficulty connecting emotionally with her characters and this is another one of those books. Mina, who is living with HIV, was well-drawn and sympathetic, but Levi has so much going on - his wife’s suicide, some sort of traumatic mine accident, his possibly-alcoholic brother-in-law and his enmeshed relationship with his sister’s family - and further issues brought up by his relationship with Mina - she’s a college professor, he’s a contractor; he’s ten years older than she is - that the focus on Mina and her HIV just feels unbalanced. The only thing Levi really deals with is his feelings about his wife’s chronic illness (depression) and what that means for a potential relationship with someone else with chronic illness. Everything else warrants maybe a paragraph or two, and then is dropped; Levi’s focus, and the book’s focus, is Mina’s HIV.
In terms of the romance pacing, too, it just… moves too quickly. They’ve barely started dating before Mina’s getting super sick and Levi is taking care of her on a really basic level (like he has to break into her house and she’s not capable of calling an ambulance basic). Other characters are mostly set up as unsupportive of Mina, and it can’t avoid looking like they’re set up that way to make Levi look better by comparison - even though, e.g., his terrible sister only knows about Mina’s HIV because Levi TOLD her about it (without Mina’s permission and knowing that Brook is horrible).
Over all, the tone of the book just got too didactic for me. It felt like Brook (and other characters) were set up as Ignorant Reader Stand-Ins, so they can say things like "What about Tom Hanks's character in Philadelphia?" and Mina can respond with a list of movies that have more positive portrayals of characters living with HIV. It felt discomfiting in a way, like Lohmann didn't trust her readers to engage with Mina's HIV on Mina's terms; and in turn that can feel a little offensive, like when I'm reading a book that pauses the narrative to explain in detail what Rosh Hashana is rather than moving forward with how the character engages with Rosh Hashana (because even if we've never heard of Rosh Hashana, we all have Google, so breaking something down Wikipedia-style just isn't necessary). So, like, I'm glad this book exists - and I'm pleased that Harlequin published it - but I just don't think it has much staying power.
In terms of the romance pacing, too, it just… moves too quickly. They’ve barely started dating before Mina’s getting super sick and Levi is taking care of her on a really basic level (like he has to break into her house and she’s not capable of calling an ambulance basic). Other characters are mostly set up as unsupportive of Mina, and it can’t avoid looking like they’re set up that way to make Levi look better by comparison - even though, e.g., his terrible sister only knows about Mina’s HIV because Levi TOLD her about it (without Mina’s permission and knowing that Brook is horrible).
Over all, the tone of the book just got too didactic for me. It felt like Brook (and other characters) were set up as Ignorant Reader Stand-Ins, so they can say things like "What about Tom Hanks's character in Philadelphia?" and Mina can respond with a list of movies that have more positive portrayals of characters living with HIV. It felt discomfiting in a way, like Lohmann didn't trust her readers to engage with Mina's HIV on Mina's terms; and in turn that can feel a little offensive, like when I'm reading a book that pauses the narrative to explain in detail what Rosh Hashana is rather than moving forward with how the character engages with Rosh Hashana (because even if we've never heard of Rosh Hashana, we all have Google, so breaking something down Wikipedia-style just isn't necessary). So, like, I'm glad this book exists - and I'm pleased that Harlequin published it - but I just don't think it has much staying power.
October 7, 2022
This is a heart warming small town romance between a heroine, who has the virus HIV and a construction worker hero.
Mina moved into the house next to Levi for a fresh new start. With them being neighbors and all, she ended up worming her way into his heart. But her chronic illness may tear them apart.
This is a sweet romance between a chirpy bubbly heroine and a hero who takes his responsibilities seriously.
Most of the novel revolve around Mina's HIV and Levi's coping mechanism after his wife committed suicide. However I just could not connect with these characters. There was no solid foundation to their relationship. So many self doubts on both of their parts.
And they spent an awfully good portion of the novel in the kitchen. Making pancakes, making lasagna, making soup, making stew, making sandwich all of which the author detailed out the process. At times I felt I was reading a cook book.
I must mention though, that Mina's illness was an added bonus. Romance novels hardly ever feature any of the main characters with an illness. Most of them are not realistic but this one had a wake up call illness which lent a very important layer to this story.
Mina moved into the house next to Levi for a fresh new start. With them being neighbors and all, she ended up worming her way into his heart. But her chronic illness may tear them apart.
This is a sweet romance between a chirpy bubbly heroine and a hero who takes his responsibilities seriously.
Most of the novel revolve around Mina's HIV and Levi's coping mechanism after his wife committed suicide. However I just could not connect with these characters. There was no solid foundation to their relationship. So many self doubts on both of their parts.
And they spent an awfully good portion of the novel in the kitchen. Making pancakes, making lasagna, making soup, making stew, making sandwich all of which the author detailed out the process. At times I felt I was reading a cook book.
I must mention though, that Mina's illness was an added bonus. Romance novels hardly ever feature any of the main characters with an illness. Most of them are not realistic but this one had a wake up call illness which lent a very important layer to this story.
March 14, 2017
I don't know of any other romance novel, let alone a category, that tackles an HIV positive lead. For that alone, this deserves praise. But in addition to its unusual "conflict", it's also extremely well-written.
Mina & Levi's relationship develops quickly (it is a category, after all) and there is a bit of insta-lust that I'm not generally a fan of - but again, category so I give it more leeway.
In addition to the HIV the H/h have to deal with, there's also a white collar/blue collar secondary "conflict".
Both Mina and Levi are written naturally and their relationship (insta-lust aside) develops organically. I adored Levi. He cooks. He builds things. He cares for the sick. He's hot. He's 37! Mina was one of the "pixie" heroines with a bit of an eccentric job - Russian professor by day, graphic novelist at night - but someone has to do it.
Point is, they deal with her HIV status like mature adults. They talk about it. They argue a bit about it. They make some mistakes along the way. But at the end, while there is no wedding, that's where they're headed.
What I want is for Mina's neighbor, Echo, to have her own story. I haven't gone through Lohmann's back list so it might be there. I will definitely read more of her books.
PG-13. No graphic sex, but there is frank discussion, references to masturbation on both sides, a bit of dirty language, etc. The actual deed is fade to black.
Mina & Levi's relationship develops quickly (it is a category, after all) and there is a bit of insta-lust that I'm not generally a fan of - but again, category so I give it more leeway.
In addition to the HIV the H/h have to deal with, there's also a white collar/blue collar secondary "conflict".
Both Mina and Levi are written naturally and their relationship (insta-lust aside) develops organically. I adored Levi. He cooks. He builds things. He cares for the sick. He's hot. He's 37! Mina was one of the "pixie" heroines with a bit of an eccentric job - Russian professor by day, graphic novelist at night - but someone has to do it.
Point is, they deal with her HIV status like mature adults. They talk about it. They argue a bit about it. They make some mistakes along the way. But at the end, while there is no wedding, that's where they're headed.
What I want is for Mina's neighbor, Echo, to have her own story. I haven't gone through Lohmann's back list so it might be there. I will definitely read more of her books.
PG-13. No graphic sex, but there is frank discussion, references to masturbation on both sides, a bit of dirty language, etc. The actual deed is fade to black.
March 18, 2021
I assumed I had read some of this Author's work previously while checking out her SuperRomance imprint stash, but mmm, maybe not like I had thought.
This one perked me up because I'm not certain I've ever read about any MCs being HIV+ and their stories being weaved into a romantic one. That was half my interest, the other half is that I just adore HQ's SR imprint.
We have two neighbors, our MCs. The male MC is a 37yr old widower who had married a younger woman and he lost her as she battled depression [for 10yrs] and ended up committing suicide.
The female MC is a 27yr old Russian Lit professor [part-time] and the other part-time thing she does is teach graphic novel artwork; she is also a graphic novelist.
At first, he was leery of making any kind of "nice-n-friendly" to his new neighbor, until she came over and introduced herself to him.
Plus, every time she tried doing things for herself in her yard, he would secretly watch her from a window and frustratingly worry about her all day long.
That is truly all this book was about but there were other minor instances of other family members butting into their relationship, but it also dealt extremely well with the MCs current situations as they lived their lives together and how to have real hard & difficult conversations so that faith in each other can grow and trust can build.
Also, there was a level of difficulty that the female MC hadn't faced with her HIV+ diagnoses and how people finding out about her secret would make her feel and cope.
I would've given this 5-stars or at least a half-star more but some things advanced way-too fast for my liking which, of course, caused some much unneeded drama/angst.
I wasn't upset with them being sexual but simply put...just like with any other romantic couple the MCs take no time to get to learn or know one another before hopping into bed.
I'm an old-school romantic so f*ckin' sue me.
March 28, 2017
I immediately took a liking to this when Levi caught sight of his new neighbor outside his window. His antics and low key creeping set a humorous tone that was both serious but adorable. Things got darker when Mina revealed a few of her private things, and once the air was cleared, things started to get interesting.
I really enjoyed the antics and hope, the way they kept taking risks for new love and the ability to trust someone. Serious topics in here, and a lot of mean and rude people that I'd like to do things I can't repeat on a 'superromance' review, but long story short: a very trusting type of romance, more based on security and being comfortable than the burning hot love I'm used to. I liked it.
I really enjoyed the antics and hope, the way they kept taking risks for new love and the ability to trust someone. Serious topics in here, and a lot of mean and rude people that I'd like to do things I can't repeat on a 'superromance' review, but long story short: a very trusting type of romance, more based on security and being comfortable than the burning hot love I'm used to. I liked it.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews