The Madness of March by Marguerite Nardone Gruen
Published by Marguerite Nardone Gruen on September 6, 2019
Genres: College Romance, Inspirational Fiction, Literary Fiction, Romance, women's fiction
Pages: 326
Format: Kindle, Paperback
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The Madness of March by Margeurite Nardone Gruen 

Paul Tanner and Nicky Newman were two of the most highly recruited Point Guards in the country for Division II Basketball. New Coach at the ‘U’ Bob Barrows built his whole program around them. Everything was going fine and the team was on track to become one of the greatest ever in the region until Paul let fame and the attention go right to his head. He partied hardy, drank, did drugs and had many women but mostly didn’t remember what happened once he started down that dark path.

He and Nicky became brothers that first year and even lectures and pleas from Nicky didn’t help straighten him out. Paul knew Nicky was hurting too—watching him destroy his life like that. Nicky lost his only brother the same way and feared the same would happen to Paul. Nicky felt he just couldn’t bury another brother.
Until….Paul met Maggie Sardo. He didn’t want to fall in love with her and knew she would hate his friends and bad habits but he just couldn’t help himself. He knew the only way he could be with her was if he changed his life around and was Nicky ever so happy he had someone to help him save Paul.
Somehow your past always finds you as in this story. Paul tried to live a good life but it always seemed to haunt him—even years later. This story is about tragedy, hope, kindness, friendships and most of all love.

Review:

The Madness of March is a feel-good contemporary, romance set around the world of basketball.  Margeurite Nardone Gruen does a fabulous job of portraying her characters as real and believable in this moving love story.

Paul Tanner and Nicky Newman are both Point Guards in the university basketball team, two of the best players around, they are also two of the best looking female-magnets on campus!  Paired up and sharing a room Paul and Nicky are more than best friends, they have brotherly affection for each other, even Paul’s parents are happy for Nicky to call them Mom and Pops.  It would appear they have everything going for them, but Nicky’s parents are not really interested in him and his brother died of a drug overdose.  Paul on the other hand, although his family’s not as wealthy as Nicky’s, are extremely caring and loving.  With this background it would be easy to understand if Nicky turned to drugs for comfort.  However, it is Paul who is sucked into the drug-partying life-style.  So much so that Nicky begins to fear he will lose his friend the same way he lost his brother.  All night partying and too many drugs impacts on Paul’s game.

Watching from the bleachers, and enjoying the electric atmosphere, is Maggie Sardo and her friends.  Smitten by Paul’s good looks, Maggie has been crushing on him for ages.  After a brief introduction, Paul asks if she would like to meet up after the next game.  Maggie is on cloud-nine and can’t wait to tell her best friends about it.  The first date is a disaster that leaves Maggie with a clearer image of who Paul really is, and her dreams dashed.  Their worlds are too different and Paul knows that Maggie would never want to be part of his current crowd of friends.  This is where this story becomes a truly, lovely romantic.  After a drug-induced near-death experience and a solid talking to from Nicky, Paul suddenly realizes what is most important to him, and that is Maggie.

Maggie’s father is overbearing, and basically scares her and her two brothers Frank and Joseph.  Her mother died a long time ago, but she has a surrogate mother in the lovely Sarah, the shop owner where she works.  Can Paul disengage himself from the dealers and the women who chase him to offer Maggie what she needs?  Can Maggie move out of the clutches of her controlling father?

Marguerite Nardone Gruen has a smooth, easy-to-read writing style, making this a pleasure to read.  This is a sweet, moving romance that reflects on different kinds of authentic relationships and on the merits of forgiveness, trust and ultimately love.  This great read comes highly recommended by Chick Lit Café. Book reviewed by T N Traynor for CLC.

Purchase The Madness of March by Margeurite Nardone Gruen  today!

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