Finding Harmony

Cypress Corners, Book 1

De: JoMarie DeGioia

Narrado por: Wendy Rich Stetson

A country girl committed to nature. A city guy with his eye on the bottom line. A battle of wills...a battle for balance And a love that can tip the scales

Rick Chapman is climbing to the top rung of his father's corporate ladder. Fulfilling Chapman Financial's contract at Cypress Corners, Florida will finally prove his value to the company. And to his father. But one endangered weed, and the pretty plant girl trying to save it, could really screw up his plans.

Harmony Brooks loves her job as a plant conservationist at Cypress Corners, and the money she earns allows her to make up for a former boyfriend's betrayal. He not only stole her parents' money, he stole her heart. And that's something she won't ever risk again. But opposites attract, not that she or Rick ever expected to fall in love. Can Harmony prove to Rick that he's worth so much more than his father's approval? Or is Rick so blind he can't see that loving Harmony is worth losing what he's wanted for so long?

©2013 JoMarie DeGioia (P)2014 JoMarie DeGioia

Yes! More, More, More Now! Great New Series

What did you like best about this story?

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Finding Harmony

Harmony is an environmentalist looking to save what most people would call a weed. Rick Chapman needs to prove himself to the family hierarchy and needs to build on the same property as the endangered plant is found.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the way JoMarie DeGioia mentioned the environmental angle and then left it alone. No overuse or PREACHING!

Harmony and Rick meet up and cannot stand one another but cannot stand the thought of being apart from one another.

There is very little buildup to their risqué bedroom shenanigans. Enough of a story to hold it against together, however, they do jump in right from the beginning and it semi-graphic so listen at your own risk.

I loved it. It may seem a bit shallow but it is right in the pocket of this genre. would compare this author with Shannon Stacy and her Kowalski series.

I can only hope that JoMarie DeGioia is churning out a whole bunch more, and longer for the series.

The narration was excellent. I listen to most of my books on 2X speed, though I did slow it down to get a taste of the narrators "real" sounds. She was excited, genuine, sad, etc. throughout the performance and she came across as very believable. Genuine and professional, a five star performance (and I am very stingy with my stars.)

Notes: Mature themes

Credit worthy/$: Absolutely I would use the credit for it and each book in the rest of the series. However, I was fortunate to have *been gifted a copy of this to listen to an exchange from my thoughts and this review.*

Thank you for taking the time to read this review. If you found it helpful please select yes below.

A Pleasant Listen

Would you consider the audio edition of Finding Harmony to be better than the print version?

I didn't read this book in print because I would much rather listen to the books on audio.

What did you like best about this story?

This story was such a pleasant one. Not too deep, but not just fluff.

What does Wendy Rich Stetson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I think the narration was good. Pleasant voice and not too emotional.

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

This book does have some humor. Not a roll-in-the-floor laugh, but just the kind of make you smile or chuckle a little bit.

Finding Harmony

Any additional comments?

Finding Harmony is a love story, with lovable characters and some good humor and some drama. The characters and the story can be in real life.
Romance readers will love this audiobook.

Fun Contempo Romance

This is a great contempo romance read. I really enjoyed the story and seeing them come together. Lots of granola crunchy planet saving stuff, fits because of her job.

Harmony is sassy and funny. I loved the banter with Rick. He is going through some things himself. I enjoyed seeing them dance around each other. The narrative is mixed, easily transitioning between the two POV. This helps to understand their motives and emotions better.

The story isn't anything amazing, however, it was thoroughly entertaining. There is something immensely like-able about the writing.

The bedroom door is open, just naughty enough to make you blush. Don't expect huge detail in the smexy scenes. They give steam but not volcanic.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Wendy Rich Stetson, who is a delightful new voice to me. I enjoyed her pace and the energy she gives the read. She has a great voice for the guys and the gals, not trying to stretch things too far. This is a case where the voice is a true compliment to the story. I will be looking for more of her reads down the road.

All in all this was a great experience, really hit the spot. It does a great job of getting you interested in the next book in the series. I definitely want to know about younger brother Jake!

Disclosure – I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts opinions and ratings are my own. I was under no obligation to post a review or give positive feedback.

*** I hope this review was useful to you and helped your decision to read or not read this book. I love reading and sharing my opinions with other readers. I listen at double speed; all my impressions of the narration are from that setting. Thanks for taking the time to read my review! You can see more audiobook reviews on my blog Eargasms Audiobook Reviews ***

The Developer And The Conservationist?

If you could sum up Finding Harmony in three words, what would they be?

EcoFriendly Chicklit Romance

What other book might you compare Finding Harmony to and why?

I do not compare books to each other. Each book series is its own entity.

Which character – as performed by Wendy Rich Stetson – was your favorite?

I loved Harmony! She was so conflicted and yet she let herself hope :) Wendy's performance showcased her ever shifting emotions as well as her resolve to not be the too trusting girl she used to be. She was strong and yet hopeful as well as true to herself.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Nature Meets Progress To Foster Love

Any additional comments?

This series must be listened to (or read) in order. This is the first book. I can't wait to listen to Taming Jake!



Harmony is a conservationist who works for Cypress Corners to make sure no nature is harmed by new development. It is her job to keep the rare plants safe from developers who would likely just destroy them to meet their almighty deadlines and keep their high profits flowing. Finding the rare buckwheat has been proof that she deserves her job. Now she just has to convince the handsome developer Rick he has to listen to her. Will they learn to work together? Or will they spend all their time fighting over what is more important, nature or the bottom line? Can she make him see reason? Why does he spark her interest when noone else has since college? Will she ever get over the past?


Rick has been working his whole life to gain his father's approval. He needs to keep his promise to his dead mother. Becoming heir apparent and the second in command at his father's empire is all that matters. He can't fail his mother's memory or his two siblings. No matter the price. He has no time for romance and he doesn't want it anyway! He will be happy when he FINALLY has his rightful place in the company. Doesn't he? Why is he so drawn to the one woman who can destroy his dreams? Could he be interested in more than a quick distraction?


***This chicklit romance series is suitable for adult readers who enjoy hopeful stories with plenty of steam and a dash of ecofriendly morals to go with the requisite HEA :)

Great Book!

Any additional comments?

This is a great book; this is the first book in The Cypress Corners series written by JoMarie DeGioia and narrated by Wendy Rich Stetson. Rick Chapman is climbing to the top of his father’s corporate ladder. He is hoping that by fulfilling Chapman financial’s contract at Cypress Corners, Florida he will finally prove his value to his father and company. Harmony Brooks loves her job as a plant conservationist at Cypress Corners. Rick and Harmony must learn to work together to get what they both want.

The narrator Wendy Rich Stetson, did a wonderful job, and was very easy to listen too. She did a great job with the different characters and their voices.

This book has a great story; if you are looking for a great romance, then you need to get this book. I am looking forward to the next book by this author. Once I started listening to this book, I didn’t want to stop until the end.

A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Hometown series romance

Cypress Corners starts out as your hometown story, a little slow at first, but once you begin to get to know the people who live there, you are thrown into the story full force. This first in the series introduces us to Harmony, a conservationist who finds an endangered plant growing in Cypress Corners near where there will be some development. Rick, the overseer of the project and man who needs to keep the investors happy is not too thrilled with this find. The two meet and conflict, but the chemistry is evident right away. I loved Harmony, she was a very matter of fact woman, able to stand on her own and was clear with her life path. I found Rick likable too, and as the book went on and you found out more about his past, it was evident the reasons why he reacted certain ways. The cast of background characters are quirky and fun. Harmony's parents, especially her mom brought a smile to my face each time she was in a scene. Also met Rick's brother and mention of his sister, so am looking forward to seeing their stories come out. Their family is definitely dysfunctional and it's always interesting to see how they pull themselves out of predicament.

My first Wendy Rich Stetson narration, and now I am wondering why I haven't stumbled upon her sooner. She has a rich, melodic voice that pulls you into the story. Each character is easily discernible and her cadence is perfect for this hometown series. I am looking forward to the next one!

Great book and a fun listen!

Where does Finding Harmony rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I actually had a little trouble with the narration to start with. I seemed like it kind of dragged. I sped it up to where it was at a more normal speaking speed and was then able to really get into the book and the performance.

What did you like best about this story?

The story dealt with Harmony, a plant conservationist checking out property that Rick's company was wanting to build on. I liked that she felt so strongly about her job and that she wasn't going to let her feelings for Rick influence her. I did lab work for over 20 years, so I also liked that she was in a science related job. The romance and sex didn't hurt any, either!

What does Wendy Rich Stetson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I was given the book by Ms. Stetson and really enjoyed the opportunity to review it for her. I thought her performance was very good (once I sped it up just a little). It was very easy to listen to her voice. She did a great job with the different voices and I never had any trouble telling who was speaking and when there was a character change. None of the voices were hard to listen to as in some other audiobooks.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Preservation meets development and romance.

Good listen

What did you like best about Finding Harmony? What did you like least?

I liked how Rick would always think that Harmony was so beautiful even if she was not looking her best he’d be in awe of how pretty she is. That was very sweet.

What other book might you compare Finding Harmony to and why?

The Unexpected Millionaire by Susan Mallery, both have wealthy men and women with family issues. Both main ladies have a love for nature or animals.

Was Finding Harmony worth the listening time?

Yes, it’s a simple love story were both characters have to realize what they really want in life. Good length for what it was.

Just a really easy, enjoyable read

I'm not sure if it was the mood I was in or not, but this started a little slow for me. Luckily it picked up pretty quickly and I found myself engrossed in the book. Wendy Rich Stanton has one of those voices that pulls you into a story and keeps you there. She just has a way of capturing the essence of the characters and making you feel like you know them.
I really enjoyed Harmony, our main character. She just had this mellow personality that had no fuss and pomp. And, I even liked Rick. He was conflicted but honest. I loved the way their story sort of unfolded into this sweet, loving connection. I'm looking forward to enjoying the rest of this series. I'd really like to know what happens with Ricks siblings and if his detached father ever gets a clue. I received this as an ARC and now want to continue with the series.