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Discovering Stella

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One event changed Stella Walker’s life forever. One decision. One action. One split second.
One mistake.

Broken and desperate to bury her past, Stella moves to a small town and meets local mechanic, Lawson Drake. He’s kind, caring, and determined; everything she does and doesn’t need. He’s also her new roommate, and he wants nothing more than to dig up what she has buried and set her free. But will she let him, or will she keep running away?

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First published February 15, 2015

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About the author

K.M. Golland

21 books1,464 followers
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About Me:
Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, K.M. Golland is a best-selling hybrid published author and ranty, married mother of two with a very healthy high heel obsession. She’s also a self-confessed car-aholic, choc-aholic, and bridge-aholic who drinks her weight in tea.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
Profile Image for Deb Omnivorous Reader.
1,890 reviews156 followers
January 11, 2019
Our leading lady, Stella is fleeing some great big horrible haunting past. In pursuit of escape she reconnects with a long lost stepbrother and goes to stay with him in a remote, rural, drought struck small Australian town. As she is approaching town her car dies and she is 'rescued' by an amazingly hot mechanic - enter our leading man. Lawson seems like a nice guy, he is instantly taken with the gorgeous (and hot) young woman whose car is belching clouds of steam and it all goes on from there.

This book was one I found tedious, poorly written and immensely disappointing, I had to resort to skim reading to get through it. In fairness to the book (which, apparently, nearly everyone but me got all weak at the knees and four-stars-in-the-eyes about) I had just read a really, really good romance by a different author, the previous romance I had read might have set the bar too high.

Though, honestly, I don't think I would ever have really loved this book. It isn't terribly written, but it is very superficial most of the time. I enjoy reading the scenes of a book; the towns, forests, rooms and streets that make the scene real for me. This author does not really do this. When Stella comes to town we hear that the town is dry and in drought. That is about all the description we get of the town. There is a river, she walks beside it and twists her foot, that is about as much as we see of the river. The only location that gets any attempt at vivid description is a strawberry farm, late in the book but it was too little too late.

Secondary characters are lacking; there is the step brother and his - wife? girlfriend? whatever. There is the inevitable ex-girlfriend of Lawson and the inevitable guy to make him jealous of Stella. Once a secondary character is briefly sketched at first encounter though, they get no more attention. Now, we don't necessarily need a lot of secondary characters in a romance, but 292 pages worth of Stella crushing on Lawson and Lawson telling us about his hard cock and tight balls is a bit much with no secondary characters, secondary plot or any scene description.

Oh, yes, if you don't like swearing, you will not like this book; rural Australians do swear, using 'fuck' as adjective, noun, subject and pronoun on occasion, Lawson is true to life in that regard. In fact I quite liked Lawson, I was impressed at the author's ability to write a believable male character. His only major flaw is his fixation with Stella, though having met his ex-girlfriend, he obviously has a thing for batshite crazy women.

Stella now, I didn't like. At first I did (first hundred pages, maybe) but I got sick of the crazy with no substance after a while. Stella had something bad happen to her a year and a half ago. What that 'tewibble tewibble' thing might be is the teaser for the first part of the novel. Her constant idiotic behaviour, whining and drama queening around however, reduces all sympathy in the silly little bint's pain. When the 'big-nasty-tewibble' is revealed it is so.... banal that it is obvious there must be more to it. There is, but I had to read too long to get to it, so I no longer cared. Also, I have seen a lot of people deal with worse. Without being so selfish, abusive of others and annoying. No sympathy for Stella from me.

The romance was tepid and the attraction between the two unconvincing. Would I have found it more convincing if I liked Stella? Maybe, but I doubt it. The entirety of the attraction seems to me to be "me man, you woman, you hot, lets fuck." "Me woman, you hot man, save me from myself, lets fuck". This is pretty harsh, I know, especially about a book that everyone else seemed to love. But that is my honest feeling about it. Sadly. I really did want to like it.
Profile Image for Kristine GPI Bookblog.
379 reviews25 followers
August 18, 2015
There's something thrilling and yet comfortable about picking up one of KM Golland's books, it's like opening Christmas presents in your favourite pj's...weird analogy right? It probably sounds silly, but for me diving into the worlds Golland creates is like coming home and yet at the same time exciting, and full of possibility. From the blurb I had a inkling Discovering Stella was going to be a darker story, and it was to an extent, but it still had Golland's trademark wit and sexiness...and boy was this sexy...Lawson is definitely a perfect combination of rugged man and sweet heartthrob, he's rocking the dirty talking alpha thing and yet there's an innate goodness to him, one that wants to breakdown Stella's walls, one that wants to help her heal from whatever she is hiding, one that wants to be the kind of man she deserves.


Stella is hiding something, something lodged so deeply inside her, something that has eaten away at who she was leaving only a shell, she's running from a past that still haunts her looking for a fresh start, driving across the state to visit her long lost step brother, Stella thinks she may have found somewhere that she can forget her past, somewhere she can't be confronted with what haunts her, until Lawson challenges her in ways she never imagined she would be again, their connection is tangible, Golland effortlessly draws you into their world, daring you not to love them, not to fight for them, there's a rawness, an intensity that seeps through the pages and right into your soul, one that begs you to see past Stella's freak outs and stoic personality and Lawson's bravado and sexual innuendo.


There's a simple beauty to this small town where Stella starts to live again and Lawson finds himself opening up to the possibility of a future, there's a fragile strength to Stella that is both endearing and awe inspiring, behind the hurt and the pain is a woman who's survived on her own, and found a way to keep breathing, keep moving through the days, she's not truly living but that's what drew me in, what held me captive, while Lawson is definitely a worthy book boyfriend, Stella was undoubtedly the hero of this story for me, she was breathtaking in her journey from darkness to light, and I revelled in her moments of clarity, her moments of forgiveness, I was captivated by every glance, every secret smile, every nuanced second left me smiling and wanting more.
Profile Image for Lucrug.
608 reviews26 followers
June 18, 2021
Una lettura poco stimolante. La trama ha del potenziale ma lo sviluppo mi ha lasciata perplessa. I protagonisti sono quasi trentenni ma a volte non lo sembrano proprio. Il linguaggio utilizzato nelle scene erotiche spesso è piuttosto trash,ma potrebbe anche dipendere dalla traduzione,(cit.:"ho voglia di trivellarla"😎)..
Mi sono annoiata nella prima parte per riprendermi sul finale con il segreto di Stella e l'epilogo....
⭐⭐,90
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews84 followers
Want to read
April 1, 2020
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Profile Image for Three Chicks.
2,625 reviews420 followers
August 23, 2015
Review by Lisa Kane

Stella Walker is running from something. She's reconnected with her stepbrother, Todd and is going to be leaving Melbourne** and staying with him for awhile. They haven't seen each other in years, but the same sense of family is still there. Only the journey doesn't go as smoothly as she would have liked. Somewhere along a long stretch of road in Australia her newly purchased car breaks down. As she's going a little crazy over it and is about to open a red hot hood with steam escaping she feels arms grab her around her waist to move her aside. She just may have punched that good samaritan's nose (maybe broken it?) as his reward. He tried to stop her from getting burned; she overreacted and put a little beating on his face.

He offers to take her into town, but she refuses and calls Todd for help, Todd gets a hold of his friend Lawson, the mechanic for Knight Repairs, to tow her car. Guess whose phone rings and guess who is the mechanic? Let's continue on this road of coincidences. Guess who is Todd's girlfriend's brother? Yep, this hot mechanic, Lawson Drake also lives with his sister, Meg, and her boyfriend Todd.

"So, um...thank you for saving me from a painful burn. And once again, I'm sorry for head-butting you, but you really don't need to hang around. My stepbrother, Todd, has a friend coming to pick me up."
"You mean Lawson, right?" he asked with a cocky grin.
I furrowed my brow. "Yeah, Lawson...how'd you know that?"
"Because I'm already here."



These two started off with quite the rocky introduction. Stella is attracted to Lawson, but her heart won't allow her to open up. She is in a world of pain and refuses to talk about what happened to make her up and leave. She does find a sense of belonging in this new town and she asks Todd for a job at his bar. Lawson is intrigued by Stella but he doesn't want to jump in for lots of reasons. For one thing, she is hiding secrets and is broken. For another, he was betrayed by his girlfriend Vicky (hereby knows as the resident bitch) and he doesn't want anymore drama. Not to mention she is living in the same house as he is and things can go sour real fast.

"Vicky is my ex." he replied just as firmly, ignoring my request.
"I said I don't care. It's none of my business."
"I'm making it your business," he said, eyeing me heatedly. "She cheated on me with my mate. I broke it off. She didn't like that. The bitch doesn't understand what 'f#*k off' means.


Little by little Stella opens up to both Todd and Lawson. But when you think you know her story, believe me, you don't.

I couldn't ignore the step forward I had taken and I couldn't ignore that he was the one to have helped me take it.

This girl is well deep in pain and for good reason. When she opens herself up to find love again, there just may be some complications from that she wolf, Vicky. She is one determined ex.

Lawson is determined to make Stella realize that they can have something in spite of her painful past. His mind tells him to slow down, but his body is having a few problems with that.

My cock was still making a statement in my pants, undoubtedly pissed off that I'd gotten him excited, then let the poor bastard down for the second night in a row.
Soon, mate, soon. Good things come to cocks that wait.


This story may be painful to read in parts, but KM Golland writes snarky like no one else.

And f#*k, did my cock want to communicate. He wanted to stand tall and become the next f#*king Nobel Peace Prize recipient for uniting Stella's nation with his own.


Discovering Stella has lots of intrigue, some steamy passion, a hot hero who was raised by his mama to be a good guy, and great story line. This one is definitely worth a read!

"Can you fix me?" she whispered.
"You're not broken, Princess, but I f#*king promise that I will take your sadness away if you let me."
Profile Image for Renee Booth.
411 reviews43 followers
October 29, 2015
Golland has once again sucked me in and made herself a comfy little spot in my heart for herself and her stories.

Discovering Stella was a beautiful story of loss, pain, love and discovery, delivered in true Golland style. A storyline that entices you in, a writing style to make you stay and characters that you will fall in love with. Especially Lawson.

Toad.
Knight in shining armour.

Set in rural Victoria, Australia, it made for a comfortable read as I was able to picture everything so easily (being an Aussie myself) thanks to her simple yet detailed descriptions of everything.

The best thing about Golland is that she has this amazing ability to make her stories so hot and sexy yet still manage to keep them classy, beautiful and touching. She also knows how to create characters that will cement themselves in your heart as you are reading. Each one bringing something different to the book. She sure delivered with Discovering Stella.

So if you feel like laughing, crying, getting butterflies, curling your toes and getting lost in an addictive story then Discovering Stella is the book to read!

P.S K.M. Golland- From the playlist throughout the book, I have come to the conclusion that we are soul mates. Either that or you stole my iPod.
Profile Image for Love is in the books.
1,552 reviews38 followers
March 2, 2021



Salve lettori,
oggi vi parlo di Cercasi Stella di K.M. Golland. Questo libro arriva in Italia grazie alla Triskell Edizioni e ci racconta la storia di Lawson e Stella. Quando ho letto la trama, ne sono rimasta subito affascinata, ma a volte ci sono libri che non riescono a toccare le corde del mio cuore e purtroppo è accaduto proprio questo. 



Dolore. Fisico o psicologico, quale dei due fa più male? È possibile che uno faccia più male dell’altro, oppure sono entrambi debilitanti.




Stella è una ragazza che sta scappando dal suo passato e l’unica persona su cui può fare affidamento è il suo fratellastro, Todd. Quando arriva in città, la sua macchina decide di fare i capricci e di fermarsi sul ciglio della strada. Qui, ecco comparire Lawson che si precipita ad aiutarla, ma Stella gli assesta una testata sul naso, pensando di essere in pericolo.
Il malinteso dura poco, perché la nostra Stella si renderà conto che Lawson non è il cattivo della situazione, ma il cavaliere dall’armatura scintillante arrivato a salvarla, nonché un amico di suo fratello.
Comincerà così la loro storia dove da una parte abbiamo Stella, traumatizzata da ciò che le è accaduto e dai fantasmi del passato che le aleggiano ancora intorno; dall’altra troviamo Lawson, il meccanico della città, che capirà subito di essere attratto da lei e che è una donna complicata. Questo però non gli incute timore ed è pronto a combattere, se necessario, anche contro di lei, per tirarla fuori del tunnel oscuro in cui è precipitata.




Lawson aveva risvegliato in me qualcosa che era rimasto addormentato, qualcosa che non ero sicura di voler resuscitare.


Purtroppo, non sono riuscita ad entrare in sintonia con la storia e con i personaggi, soprattutto con Stella. E' una donna che ha lasciato la città in cui viveva per rifugiarsi dal fratellastro Todd. Il trauma che ha subito le ha provocato così tanto dolore, che farebbe di tutto pur di cercare un modo per cancellarlo. 
Stella è un’anima perduta, ma in alcuni momenti l’ho trovata insopportabile; i suoi continui sbalzi d'umore mi hanno portata a non comprenderla del tutto. Il suo dolore mi ha toccato, ma la sua indecisione e il suo menefreghismo, non mi hanno permesso di creare un legame con lei. Il suo rapporto con Lawson è fatto di alti e bassi; lui farà di tutto per conquistarla e per restarle accanto, ma per lei non sarà facile fidarsi e abbattere il muro che ha costruito intorno a sé.



Una parte di me voleva fingere che i fatti della mia vita, fino a quel momento, non fossero mai avvenuti. Ma ero anche giunta a comprendere che c’era un’altra parte di me che desiderava disperatamente andare avanti e godere di ciò che la vita aveva da offrire, senza dimenticare che poteva essere anche crudele.




Lawson è un personaggio meraviglioso, viene descritto come il cavaliere dall’armatura scintillante ed è veramente così. Lui è premuroso, attento e vedremo come cercherà di prendersi cura di Stella, nonostante la sua indecisione. Anche lui non ha un passato felice, ma non si preclude la possibilità di amare ancora.
All’inizio Lawson può sembrare il solito ragazzo che pensa solo a divertirsi, ma ci renderemo conto che non è così, perché cercherà di fare di tutto per Stella, appena capirà il trauma che sta vivendo. A volte, però, l’amore non basta e finché la nostra protagonista non chiuderà con il proprio passato, non potrà mai far posto al futuro. I fardelli che ci portiamo dentro, spesso sono troppo pesanti, ma la presenza di un'altra persona, pronta a combattere insieme a noi, può alleggerire il percorso da intraprendere.



I suoi occhi trovarono i miei e sostennero il mio sguardo con fermezza, pieni di emozione. Poi, come un raggio di sole che irrompe tra le nuvole, sorrise e mi rubò il cuore.




In tutto questo mi è mancato qualcosa; il libro è scritto bene e la narrazione è scorrevole, ma l’autrice, secondo me, ha basato il romanzo troppo sull’attrazione fisica e sulle scene passionali tra i personaggi. Questo aspetto mi ha fatto perdere l’interesse nella storia, perché non è stato chiaro il momento in cui è scattato l’amore tra i due personaggi.
Nonostante il romanzo sia scritto in prima persona, con i pov alterni, non sono riuscita a comprende completamente Lawson e Stella che hanno messo in mostra tutta la loro immaturità con le loro scelte.
La storia, tutto sommato, è emozionante e tratta temi delicati; avrei preferito che l’autrice avesse approfondito maggiormente questo aspetto, piuttosto che soffermarsi su dettagli irrilevanti. L’unica parte che ha saputo incuriosirmi è stato il passato di Stella.
L'autrice, secondo me, non ha saputo sfruttare il potenziale a sua disposizione per far lievitare il livello della storia. Adesso, però, sono curiosa del vostro parere: l'avete già letto? Fatemi sapere cosa ne pensate!  
 

Profile Image for Meegz Reads.
1,509 reviews127 followers
June 22, 2023
*3.5 Stars*

This one took me a while to read, but in saying that, I have also been busy. I found that I was invested in the characters, but at the same time I wasn't. I liked the meet-cute for Stella and Lawson, and I enjoyed her relationship with Todd and Meg. Stella and Lawson though - their relationship frustrated me for much of the book because of Stella's reactions. Granted, a lot of this was for her own personal and good reasons, but it still frustrated me lol. I liked how everything played out in the end.

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Profile Image for Jodie Squelch.
463 reviews5 followers
August 23, 2015
"Go. Start afresh and forget the demons, for if you don't feed them they cease to exist" ~ Stella

Stella is fleeing from her previous life.... in need of escaping her demons....

She is balled up so tight with emotions that she struggles to keep it together even all these miles away from home .....

Lawson Drake .... sees her internal battle and fights to repair her....

This book for me personally was a easy, quick read but it failed to draw emotions out of my cold black heart.... I didn't connect with the characters ..... and as much as I hoped Stella overcome her many hurdles to find a happy ending .... I wasn't propelled to find out .....

For me I simply needed more.... I needed more angst, more raw emotions, just more.... but I am a cold harden hearted cow who doesn't show emotions but I can see and understand how this is a emotional roller coaster of a book for many.... because Stella truly had a up hill climb of hard, heart breaking emotions to over come....

I did stick with it to the end of the book and the extended epilogue truly did finish the book off just right and even made me smile and my heart swell with happiness ....

Overall, this is a sweet, emotional yet light love story which i enjoyed .....
Profile Image for New Adult e dintorni.
1,274 reviews94 followers
December 15, 2020
CLICCA SULL'IMMAGINE PER LEGGERE LA RECENSIONE COMPLETA:

K.M. Golland torna in Italia con un romanzo doloroso in cui la protagonista ha tanti segreti da rivelare prima di tornare a vivere sul serio e vuole liberarsi dai fantasmi e dagli incubi del passato che solo Lawson può portare a galla per eliminarli definitivamente.

Stella Walker ha percorso centinaia di chilometri e lontana da Melbourne e prossima a Pittstown, la città del fratellastro Todd, il destino decide di abbattersi nuovamente su di lei, la macchina è in panne e nessuno all’orizzonte. Per fortuna il meccanico della zona Lawson Drake nonché cognato di Todd cercherà di aiutarla malgrado la sua ritrosia ma andando ben oltre i suoi servigi di aggiusta-tutto.

‘𝑹𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒗𝒂 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒆 𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒛𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊 𝒄𝒉𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒐 𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒗𝒐 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒕𝒆, 𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒛𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊 𝒄𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒆𝒗𝒐 𝒂𝒗𝒓𝒆𝒊 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊 𝒏𝒖𝒐𝒗𝒐. 𝑸𝒖𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐 𝒆𝒓𝒐 𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒐 𝒂 𝒍𝒖𝒊, 𝒎𝒊 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒐 𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒐. 𝑴𝒊 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒐 𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒐 𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒐.’

Appena si ritroveranno sotto lo stesso tetto, passo dopo passo, Lawson riuscirà ad abbattere dei muri invalicabili, nel cuore ma soprattutto nell’anima perduta di Stella.
Lawson è un ragazzo sexy e sfrontato che è appena uscito da una storia con una ragazza che non riesce proprio a dimenticarlo, non è dunque il momento giusto per buttarsi in una nuova relazione ma Stella stuzzica tutte le sue fantasie e se all’inizio è solo attrazione fisica col tempo diventerà molto di più e sarà troppo tardi per tornare indietro.

‘𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙖 𝙡𝙖 𝙢𝙞𝙖 𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙖, 𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙫𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙞 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙣 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙤 𝙙𝙞 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞 𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣 𝙪𝙣𝙖 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙩𝙖: 𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙖, 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙖̀ 𝙚 𝙪𝙣 𝙗𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚 𝙙𝙞 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙯𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚.’

Stella si era completamente persa, negli ultimi 18 mesi aveva vagato, per non dire annaspato in attesa di annegare più che salvarsi. Non se lo merita uno come Lawson o almeno crede di non meritarselo, gli accenni o le supposizioni a un uomo del passato che le avrebbe fatto del male sia fisicamente che psicologicamente non ci preparano alla verità che arriva come un boomerang verso la fine della narrazione.
Non nego di averla trovata anche antipatica ad un certo punto, si è insofferenti davanti ai suoi continui cambi d’umore e le sue continue lacrime. Lo stesso Lawson si trova disarmato, vuole far tornare a sorridere quella donna che tanto si sta prendendo di lui ma che non si concede fino infondo.
Devo ringraziare Lawson, un meccanico scanzonato e sempre malizioso, un finto donnaiolo dalla scarsa credibilità che alla fine non ha cercato, come recita il titolo del libro in italiano, ma ha scoperto la vera Stella e ci ha fatto un enorme regalo.
Profile Image for Sabrina Fornero.
1,327 reviews22 followers
December 10, 2020
💋Recensione per il blog New Adult e dintorni💋

K.M. Golland torna in Italia con un romanzo doloroso in cui la protagonista ha tante verità da rivelare prima di tornare a vivere sul serio e liberarsi dai fantasmi e dagli incubi del passato che solo Lawson può portare a galla per eliminarli definitivamente.

Stella Walker ha percorso centinaia di chilometri, lontana da Melbourne e prossima a Pittstown, la città del fratellastro Todd, il destino decide di abbattersi nuovamente su di lei, la macchina è in panne e nessuno all’orizzonte. Per fortuna il meccanico della zona Lawson Drake nonché cognato di Todd cercherà di aiutarla contro ogni sua ritrosia ma andando ben oltre i suoi servigi di aggiusta tutto.

‘Rievocava in me emozioni che a lungo avevo tenuto sepolte, emozioni che non sapevo avrei provato di nuovo. Quando ero vicino a lui, mi sentivo al sicuro. Mi sentivo a mio agio.’

Appena si ritroveranno sotto lo stesso tetto, passo dopo passo, Lawson riuscirà ad abbattere dei muri invalicabili, nel cuore ma soprattutto nell’anima perduta di Stella.
Lawson è un ragazzo sexy e sfrontato che è appena uscito da una storia con una ragazza che non riesce proprio a dimenticarlo non è dunque il momento giusto per buttarsi in una nuova relazione ma Stella stuzzica tutte le sue fantasie e se all’inizio è solo attrazione fisica col tempo diventerà molto di più e sarà troppo tardi per tornare indietro.

‘In tutta la mia vita, non avevo mai provato un tale miscuglio di sentimenti tutto in una volta: irritazione, lussuria, curiosità e un bisogno opprimente di darle protezione.’

Stella si era completamente persa, negli ultimi 18 mesi aveva vagato, per non dire annaspato in attesa di annegare più che salvarsi. Non se lo merita uno come Lawson o almeno crede di non meritarselo, gli accenni o le supposizioni a un uomo del passato che le avrebbe fatto del male sia fisicamente che psicologicamente non ci preparano alla verità che arriva come un boomerang verso la fine della narrazione.
Non nego di averla trovata anche antipatica ad un certo punto, si è insofferenti davanti ai suoi continui cambi d’umore e le sue continue lacrime. Lo stesso Lawson si trova disarmato, vuole far tornare a sorridere quella donna che tanto si sta prendendo di lui ma che non si concede fino infondo.
Devo ringraziare Lawson, un meccanico scanzonato e sempre malizioso, un finto donnaiolo dalla scarsa credibilità che alla fine non ha cercato, come recita il titolo del libro in italiano, ma ha scoperto la vera Stella e ci ha fatto un enorme regalo.

‘Scoprii la donna che era stata tenuta prigioniera da se stessa, una donna che aveva combattuto l’inferno dentro di sé, e una donna che era la persona più coraggiosa che avessi mai conosciuto.’

È il primo libro che leggo di quest’autrice e leggerò sicuramente i prossimi, la scrittura è semplice ma i risvolti inaspettati.
Le scene di sesso ci sono e ravvivano il libro, il corteggiamento è sicuramente una parte importante del romanzo ma quelle ultime pagine mi hanno commossa e a chiunque intraprenda questo viaggio chiedo di arrivare fino alla fine e di perdersi in Stella.
Profile Image for Leggere Romanticamente.
1,934 reviews284 followers
December 17, 2020
È online sul blog la recensione del contemporary romance autoconclusivo "Cercasi Stella" di K. M. Golland ⬇️
https://www.leggereromanticamente.com...

Non conoscevo questa autrice ma il suo stile mi ha conquistata, è stata una piacevolissima lettura, dolce, divertente e piccante al punto giusto, ma anche emozionante e triste in alcuni momenti.
Come dicevo questa è una storia semplice, che non ha bisogno di troppi drammi per essere interessante, giusto un segreto che scopriremo man mano, una ex un po' psicopatica ma inoffensiva e una serie di personaggi secondari che completano il cerchio. A rendere tutto ancora più bello, un epilogo finale di quelli che chiudono il libro come meglio non si poteva.
Profile Image for ✰  BJ's Book Blog ✰Janeane ✰.
2,949 reviews12 followers
July 15, 2015
A was lucky to be able to purchase a veeeerrry early paperback copy of Discovering Stella, and have been holding off reading until closer to the release date. She said at the time "I hope you enjoy Stella and Lawson's story"

And I have to tell you - KM Golland has done it again.

I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that this story hit me right in the feels. Happy feels, sad feels, sexy feels.

To say that Lawson is Stella's knight in grease covered jeans would be an understatement.



Stella is a broken shell of a woman, and it was a joy to be taken along on her journey of healing. It is also a journey of self discovery.

I am now kicking myself for taking so long to pick it up and reading

Discovering Stella is told from dual POVs, and I felt that both characters had very distinctive voices (unlike sometimes when I am reading dual POV's and I have to keep checking whose chapter I am reading).

I love the "small town" feeling of this book. I live in a small country town and I get the small town thing with everyone in everyone else's business (You sneeze and someone 2 streets away says bless you!)



The is a wonderful, romantic, funny and sometimes sad story, and there was only one thing wrong with it.... it ended!

Thank you Ms Golland for another wonderful story.

        

description Smokin Hot Book Blog Email



Profile Image for Hilary.
187 reviews37 followers
December 23, 2015
Discovering Stella is a brilliantly written tale of heartache, rediscovery and love. Grab a box of tissues, chocolates and a glass of wine -- you are going to need it.

Stella is a broken woman running away from her past, trying to bury the hurt and move forward. The only problem with running away from your pain is that your pain is within you. You cannot run from yourself. It is not until she meets her 'knight' that she really learns to embrace life and slowly peel back her layers of pain, meeting her inner anguish head on.

Lawson is the knight in shining armor- the prince riding in on his white horse to save the day. Although, his white horse comes in the form of a wrecker and his shining armor is grease stained clothes. Regardless of his attire, he is a dream come true. A cocky, compassionate and sexy smartarse that can come rescue me any day! This is definitely a Book Boyfriend you will lust after.

Slowly piecing together what has hurt Stella and working to mend her broken heart, this tale will bring you tears: Tears of sadness, tears of joy and tears from the laughs you can always expect from KM Golland. I can't recall the last time I pleaded for a Happily Ever After for two characters. If any are deserving of that, it would undoubtedly be Stella and Lawson.

You know those "chick flicks" that all women run to when they need a love story and a great, cathartic cry? Discovering Stella is just that. My heart was beautifully broken and magnificently mended back together again.

** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed on behalf of Bookalicious Babes Blog. **
Profile Image for Jen.
765 reviews116 followers
September 24, 2015
ratings 35

Discovering Stella is a story of new beginnings, starting over and learning how to love again. Stella is running from her painful past—one that haunts her and paralyzes her from moving forward. She heads to her step brother’s home, the only true family she has, for a fresh start.

Fate intervenes and she meets Lawson, hot, delicious, we wanna keep him Lawson. He rescues her from her car mishap and turns out his sister is dating her stepbrother. What a perfect coincidence.

The two of them are thrown together and their attraction is so strong. Stella isn't ready for anything series, but Lawson is having a hard time staying away?

As Stella navigates through her grief, Lawson remains by her side trying to help her overcome her fears. He is PERFECTION! So swoonworthy and so patient.

Although we really liked this one, there were certain parts of the story we couldn’t connect to. Stella could be frustrating at times, and Roxie had to hold Jen back from beating her with the kindle.

Overall, this was a 3.5 star read for us. KM Golland's writing is top notch. She writes one hell of a male POV. We look forward to whatever she has up her sleeve for her next book.
Profile Image for Megan.
Author 18 books431 followers
August 24, 2015
What a beautiful story of overcoming your demons and facing the realities of life. Stella is hiding from her tragic past and her knight in shining armour is here to rescue her. I loved Lawson and his marvellous ability to 'get' Stella. His understanding and patience were what made him so incredibly irresistible. These two travel one rocky road to love. It was interesting to slowly uncover what Stella was hiding, which also put a mysterious spin to the book. And though this tale was incredibly sad at times, there was also plenty of humour and off the charts sexy times, too.

I think for me, what I liked most was the setting of this story. Pittstown and its inhabitants, the descriptions of its surroundings and the Aussie way in which the story was told were close to my heart. I, too, live in a small town on the Murray, near the strawberry fields with my closest big shopping hub being Shepparton (just the other week my mechanic sent a car part of mine to Shep for repairs!) so I could really relate to this story well.

These characters were real. The pain that Stella faced was unsettling and brought tears to my eyes. The romance of being whisked away by your knight was a lot harder for someone like her to deal with when she was faced with so much heartache. I really felt for her and her struggle. This story was very well written and I found it hard to put down.

I highly recommend you give it a go! 4.5 stars.
Profile Image for Maggie's Book Collection.
305 reviews5 followers
August 20, 2015
WOW....What a beautiful story, I loved it.

I am quite the fan of KM Golland's stories, so I knew I would like this new book from her, but I did not realise just how much I would love it.

Discovering Stella is a standalone story and different from her previous books. It is still contains the humour, detail and high quality of writing that I have come to expect from KM Golland; however I found the writing more serious and charged with a depth which was totally engrossing, taking the story to another level entirely.

This is a beautiful love story, it is emotional, captivating and just lovely. A true romance.

Stella and Lawson are very believable characters, there is no pretence in them, they are just real. Their story is refreshing and uplifting and yes I did cry a bit, but I also smiled a lot and laughed to myself. While I was reading it.

This is a definite must read. A triumph for KM Golland, who I congratulate on a story above and beyond the norm.
Profile Image for Anastasia.
78 reviews1 follower
Want to read
September 22, 2014
Do you have a publication date settled?? I cannot wait to read this one! I've seen the pins for this book on K.M.'s pinterest ages ago and I am so excited to read another one of the K.M. Golland creations!





Profile Image for Gemma Arlington.
Author 40 books52 followers
May 31, 2015
I am not going to give anything away... but I was lucky to get a signed paperback copy of this baby and KM the sweetheart never disappoints.
She said I hope I enjoyed Stella's story & I most certainly did.
Trust me for all those KM fans and just readers in general... you're all going to love this book.
Happy tears, love, emotional, hot sex...
Oh KM the feels the feels Xoxo
Profile Image for Meg.
1,226 reviews9 followers
December 10, 2020
recensione a cura del blog "libri magnetici" by Meghan

Ed eccoci in Australia, cari Magnetici, per uno stand-alone da leggere e che vi lascerà soddisfatti. In questa storia ci sono due normalissimi protagonisti, non miliardari o sportivi o amori che si ritrovano, ma solo Stella e Lawson, due persone molto diverse che si incontrano. Lei, dopo un tragico evento, ha deciso di trasferirsi dal fratello in una piccola cittadina a nord di Melbourne. Non ha superato la perdita e anzi, vive in una sorta di vuoto emozionale, rifiutando tutto ciò che possa farle provare una qualche emozione come la musica, una delle sue passioni. È una donna in fuga da se stessa e dal suo dolore, si sente in colpa per per come sono andate le cose.

«”Sono rotta”, mormorò. Il suo tono piatto e quasi senza vita mi strappò dai miei pensieri. Sentirla descriversi a quel modo mi fece a pezzi, perciò le diedi un bacio sulla testa e cercai di confortarla. “Lo siamo tutti sotto certi aspetti.” “Sono una perdita di tempo, Lawson. Non posso darti ciò che vuoi.” “ Non sai quello che voglio, Principessa. Non sei una perdita di niente.»

Lawson è uno di quei protagonisti maschili “semplici”; fa il meccanico, è discretamente bello, ha una ex che compare sempre nei momenti meno opportuni, e fin qui tutto nella norma, direte. Quello che lo rende particolare è la sua caparbietà nel voler capire il dolore di Stella, nello starle accanto al di là del fatto che lei gli piace fisicamente e nel dividere con lei anche i suoi momenti bui.

«Era doloroso, perché anche se era proprio lì, vicino a me, in realtà non lo era. La desideravo così tanto e in ogni modo possibile, ma sapevo di non poterla avere. Doveva essere lei a volermi, lei a inseguirmi. Doveva essere lei al comando e a prendere il controllo di noi, se mai potesse esserci un noi.»

Se cercate una bella lettura, per un pomeriggio di pioggia, con tè e biscotti, questa è la storia per voi.

«La vita è strana a volte... c’è tanto dare e avere, tanti alti e bassi, porte che si aprono e si chiudono, cose perse e cose ritrovate. Ed è così che era stata la mia vita. Avevo perso così tanto, tutto ciò che avevo di caro. Ma poi, dopo molto tempo, avevo trovato un uomo che non solo aveva riparato la stupida auto, ma aveva aggiustato anche il mio cuore tormentato e spezzato. Che aveva scoperto la mia luce quasi spenta. Aveva scoperto Stella.»

quattro petali
Profile Image for Romance Readers Retreat.
2,346 reviews224 followers
August 24, 2015
4.5 stars

Well doesn't every woman need a toad in their life? Especially one has hot and amazing as Lawson Drake. I can honestly say there is nothing about that man that isn't perfect and the line "Right now, Princess, you are a puzzle, and I’m sure as hell going to piece you back together again.” just about sums him up.

Stella was indeed a huge puzzle. I couldn't make out what had made her run and I had many different theories as the book progressed and if I'm honest and I probably sound really harsh here, there were times I felt she needed to suck it up and get on with it. By the end I did understand her a lot more and the reason she was acting that way. What I really loved about Stella was that she could hold her own against certain characters. She was by no means a push over, despite what she was going through.

Another thing that struck me with this book was how there were a lot more Aussie phrases than have appeared in Ms Golland's previous books. Personally that didn't bother me in the slightest, as I'm familiar with many of them, but some readers may find they need to go look up a few definitions. I do however think, when you have authors who appeal to a worldwide audience, there is always going to be some kind of language/phrase issue and for me that can be part of the fun.

Which leads me onto my next point (sort of). Besides learning new words and phrases we also come to expect lots of steamy sex with KM Golland's books, but I do think more emphasis was on the story itself and found it to be a much more contemporary read that drew on emotions rather than the steaminess, but that is not to say there were no sex scenes, because let's face it, we all love a good, hot sex scene as much as the rest.

I found the dialogue in this book to be laugh out loud funny at times, which for me was a great contrast to the emotional parts.

This, as far as I'm aware, is a standalone read and I have no doubt will be another hit for Ms Golland.
Profile Image for Chantal.
480 reviews19 followers
August 26, 2015
Oh another wonderful, humorous, sexy story by KM Golland.

Meet Stella, on her way to her step brother Todd’s, running away from what is haunting her at home. While stranded at the side of the road due to her car deciding to crap out only a short distance from her destination she meets the oh so ever delectable Lawson. Their first encounter not the smoothest it turns out that not only is Lawson the town’s mechanic but also Todd’s close friend. To make things more awkward she finds out that Todd is dating Lawson’s sister Meg and they all live together.

Stella’s attraction to Lawson is growing more and more but whatever happened in her past is keeping her from acting on those feelings. Lawson himself can’t keep his mind of Stella but knows that something is keeping her from giving in to his advances towards her. But soon she can no longer fight her desire for him and gives herself to him in every way.

Happy with the way things are between them Lawson still is determined to get her to open up to him, to tell him what is haunting her from her past. Is he ready to find out what is keeping her from complete happiness? Will it prove too much for their relationship to survive?
Loved, loved, loved it. One shouldn’t be surprised by how KM Golland is able to capture your attention from the moment you start reading until there are no more pages left. As with her other work you will find yourself laughing, hoping and crying all at the same time. Lawson is delightful, funny and yes, sexy (no surprise there) and Stella, you just want her to be happy, wrap her in your arms and take away her pain. A wonderful story of courage, hope and love. I’d give it more than 5 stars if I couldJ


Profile Image for A Book Lover's Emporium Book Blog.
2,815 reviews167 followers
December 4, 2015
5 STARS!
I’ve Discovered Stella….and I had an incredible time doing so.

The writing in this book was so different from the KM Golland that I have read in the past, but that is not to say I didn’t absolutely love it; because I did. While we still saw the fun loving, witty banter than KM normally writes, I also saw a more serious side, and this is by far, in my opinion, the most emotionally charged book that she has written. I’m NOT one to cry when I read, but admittedly I was close. Really close. If you are already a fan of KM, you already know that she is an incredibly talented writer, and this just only proves that point further. Well-developed characters, well written plot, and a great mix of raw emotion and laugh out loud moments.

Stella is both feisty and damaged, strong yet weak. We follow her along on her emotional journey, as only bits and pieces of her “story” come out throughout the book. There were times I thought she was full on crazy, and others that I wanted to reach my arms right through the pages and give her a squeeze. Lawson is…well…how do we explain Lawson? Lawson is the “knight in shining armour”, rugged yet big-hearted country boy who follows along with us on Stella’s journey. We watch as he takes the role that we want to take while reading to try to make Stella whole again. You will only know whether or not he succeeds if you pick this up and read it yourself.
Profile Image for Trish -  Novels In Heels.
247 reviews10 followers
August 24, 2015
5 STELLA stars

Wow, just wow. KM Golland blew me away with Discovering Stella.

It was simply outstanding. The writing was flawless, the dialogue was perfect and the Australianisms were fantastic. I absolutely loved it.

Set in the small Australian town of Pittstown, this book had a beautiful country feel to it.

Stella is feisty and stubborn but also is a very broken soul. Her secrets are torturing her. How does she deal? She runs from her past. Will she be able to get herself back?

Her journey in discovering herself and finding a way to forgive was just beautiful. And Lawson … OMG Lawson, how hot, sexy and gorgeous was he. His determination, humour and big heart made him just perfect. He is definitely Stella’s Knight.

Watching Stella and Lawson’s relationship develop was something special. He brought out the best in Stella. I loved watching him heal her just by being there for her. And the lust and passion between them was sexy. You could feel it between them from the moment they met.

Okay … I don’t want to give away too much, but I will say, I adored it. It’s sad, funny, romantic and just fabulous. It gave me all the feels – that’s right all of them. GET YOURSELF A COPY.

This was a STELLA story from KM Golland full of sexiness, wit and fun.

A Must Read.

Thank you to Harlequin Australia for providing an advance reading copy for this review.
Profile Image for Mollien Fote Osterman.
722 reviews11 followers
August 21, 2015


Review
Four Delicious Strawberries

I had a love/hate experience with this book. I really loved the story line. I wanted Lawson Drake to be my knight in shining armor and I felt truly sorry for him throughout the book. Stella and all her secrets drove Lawson and me crazy. The best way that I can describe Stella is to compare her to an onion. Ms. Golland would peel away at Stella’s secrets little by little exposing the tragedies that she faced bringing her to a small town and Lawson.
What I didn’t like about the book, (please forgive me I am not a prude) was the overkill sex. I love a sexy book, but I want the sex in my books to have relevance to the story. Yes this is my opinion, but I felt that if the couple was together, they were having sex sometimes distracting from the story. Yes there is a warning, “This book is for mature audiences 18+ It contains explicit language and sexual content.”
If you want to know why I gave this book Strawberries, you will have to read the book to find out. I do recommend it. If you feel the same way that I do, you can speed read over some of the sex scenes and get to a very good story that will have you uncovering Stella along with Lawson

ARC provided by the Author, and distributed by Give me books in exchange for an honest review. Read and reviewed by Mollien from Alpha Book Club..
Profile Image for Sandra L..
62 reviews2 followers
October 23, 2015
Oh wow oh hell a freakin wow! I never thought this book would have me in tears, happiness, and laughter. This people is a 5 star read.

Estelle: broken, torn, ripped apart at her soul. She can't take it anymore and uproots and leaves all the sadness behind. Losing her husband and child just about broke her until she found her toad or is it knight in shining armor?

Lawson: single man after he was cheated on to a best friend. What kind of friend does that to his mate? Fuckin A man! One day minding his own and sees a car with the beautiful brunette Estelle fixing to cause herself to be burned badly, he swoops in and saves her from harm only to get the shit heard utter out of him.

KM Golland, I loved this book. You made me a sappy mess reading her finally letting go of her husband and daughter, Quinn. I looked like a raccoon with these black mascara smeared eyes. But none the less this book is my Fave yet. So many emotions to feel though out it. It's one that kept me wanting to read more and more.
Profile Image for Kelly.
1,197 reviews15 followers
October 30, 2016
An enjoyable first read by this author

Discovering Stella is the first book I've read by this author. I'm going to a a book signing in a few months time, and noticed she was one of the attending authors, sparking my interest in reading her books.

I don't want to give too much of the story away, as what I really enjoyed about this book was the story slowly unfolding - We first meet Stella when she's escaping her life by moving and reconnecting with her step-brother Todd, who she hasn't heard from or seen for quite a while. Her car breaks down on the way, and the mechanic who helps, Larsen, turns out to be her brothers friend. Stella and Larsen slowly develop a relationship, with Stella initially being very unsure and hesitant about that she really wants.

What I loved about this story was thinking I had worked out what had happened to Stella, and why she was such an emotional mess, but the plot surprised me a couple of times ( I love when this happens! ). And that epilogue - so sweet.
Profile Image for Pamela Cunningham.
11 reviews3 followers
August 23, 2015
OH SWEET JESUS!!!! KM Golland has done it AGAIN!!! Lawson Drake, what can I say about Lawson Drake? Sweet lord does he sound delicious. Like a real life Knight in shining armor he comes to Stella's rescue. He is a true gentleman with a dirty talking side that can truly melt panties.

"You are both of those things and more, Lawson Drake; knight, prince, toad and comfortable cushion," I [Stella] teased.
"You left out Sex God, oral expert and giver of multiple orgasms" *swoon* YES PLEASE!!!!!

Poor Stella has had a rough time of it and Lawson is bound and determined to mend her broken heart and put her back together. The twists in this book kept me guessing right til the end and I wanted to jump right in my time machine and go back 2 days so I could read it again for the first time!!

Go get this book as soon as it's live!! As with ALL of this talented lady's books, you WILL NOT be disappointed!!!

I received an ARC for an honest review.

5 stars from Pam @ Bitches Heart Books
Profile Image for Rain.
102 reviews14 followers
August 31, 2015
I seriously was expecting more from this book.

I didn't finish it unfortunately, and the reason behind this was the reason behind the trauma. If everyone could up and leave their life behind based on this reason alone and walk around like the walking wounded gathering sympathy from everyone around them, the recovery would at least be a gentler road.

However, as I'm trauma trained and had my own share of difficulties in life - I've found that reality dictates that one must deal with being treated like a leper whilst recovering in the environment whereby constant reminders are 'thrown up in your face.' This story was neither realistic, anymore than it was relatable.

I really wanted to love it, as K. M. Golland is one of my favourite writers, but it looks as though I've seriously missed the train on this one.
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