Laura’s Review of The Other Man by R.K. Lilley

Synopsis

“How rough can you take it?

LOURDES

He was brazen as hell from the moment I laid eyes on him. He was aggressive, and dominant, with Mack truck arms, and a bar brawler voice.
He was too good looking for his own good, with a hard jaw, and harder eyes.
I’d always led a fairly peaceful life, but even I could tell at a glance that this man was dangerous. For so many reasons.
Not the least of which being that rough, dirty, sheet-clawing sex fairly radiated off him.
I’d thought I’d known how to handle every kind of man, but this one left me baffled.
To say he wasn’t my type was putting it lightly.
But you couldn’t tell that to my libido.
Not even when I found out the truth.
My lover had lied to me from the very start.
Nothing about our meeting was a coincidence.

This book can be read as a standalone. 

What I Loved

What I love about R.K. Lilley books the most is that they are gritty and bittersweet because it makes the happily ever after all the more better and emotional.  The Other Man is no different, Heath is this mysterious rough around the edges type man who takes no prisoners and says what he means all the time.  He intrigued me right away and as I kept on reading I just wanted more and more of him. 

Lourdes’ world was rattled by her ex-husband, she is finally moving on from a messy divorce and building a life of her own with both sons out of the house and her photography career.  She stumbles upon this beautiful man, who is quite a bit younger than her but there is instant attraction that pours of the pages.  The pull between these two was electrifying and I couldn’t put this book down because of it.  I absolutely loved Lourdes because she is comfortable in her own skin and has so much to offer in a relationship.  I love strong female leads who have their shit together and bring a lot to the table and Lourdes fits right into this category.

Not So Much

       There really wasn’t much I didn’t love about this book it had all the elements of suspense and desire that made it easy to become engrossed in their story.  I do wish that more of a foundation was laid out for Heath though.  I get that he’s a mysterious dude and we slowly learn things about him as the plot builds but I did feel like there still some big holes about him and his past that could’ve been explained further.  I’m not talking tons more pages but just maybe a couple more paragraphs to give a deeper foundation.  You do meet some characters that give depth to him, but I just wish there was more description of their connections and past.

To Sum It All Up!

          I’m a huge fan of R.K. Lilley I got hooked on her book with the Up in the Air series and each book she puts out just gets better and better.  This is a standalone but also a spinoff from her past series because we get to see Bianca and James again, as well as Tristan and Danika.  It made me realize how much I miss them but it was so awesome to see them happy and in love. 

There is a ton going on in this story, it quickly goes from an erotic romance to a suspenseful mystery.  My heart broke at times, while others had my jaw on the floor and my eyes open as wide I could get them.  Heath is rough around the edges to say the least, but I loved how much he softens whenever he is around Lourdes.  I’m a sucker for a bad boy who gets all mushy around the woman he loves and Heath is just that.  I really like that although there was an age difference between the two it wasn’t a huge issue, it’s talked about some times but not on every single page so it wasn’t over exaggerated.  I love that this time it’s the woman who is older and more experienced in the love department, it’s a nice twist to a romance that I enjoyed.  Like I said before I love R.K. Lilley and this book is a shining example of why I love her so much, I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

Laura’s Review of Lovely Trigger (Tristan & Danika, #3) by R.K. Lilley

If you have read and enjoyed Forever with You (Fixed, #3) by Laurelin Paige, Wethering the Storm (The Storm, #2) by Samantha Towle, and Rare and Precious Things (The Blackstone Affair, #4) by Raine Miller

Basic Summary

              The Impact: Tristan hit rock bottom, and no one felt the impact harder than Danika.  She was force to see, in the most brutal of ways, that love does not conquer all.  Bruised, bloody, and broken she had to walk away.

        The Aftermath:  Picking up the pieces of your life after a tragedy is a daunting prospect, and that’s considering you will own all the pieces.  But what if you don’t?  What if someone else owns those pieces and those pieces are a part of your soul?  You dig deep and work with what you’ve got.

        That’s what Danika told herself and believed, every single day, for years.  Tristan and Danika’s love hard failed every test that life had thrown at them.  She couldn’t forget that, not for one second.  And if those tests had been overly harsh, well, she wasn’t one to wallow in self-pity.  The failure was the thing she had to focus on.  The failure was the lesson.  She had no intention of working hard to make out of well without learning that lesson well.

        The Reunion: Over six years after the night changed everything, Danika finds herself forced to spend the weekend constantly y in Tristan’s company, as they attend the wedding of two for their dearest friends.  It’s been  long enough that she feels they can be friendly again without destroying her peace of mind, but just a small amount of time in his presence has her remembering something she had forced herself to forget: There’d been a reason she’d gone through hell with this man, for this man, some true good to precede that bad.  She shocks herself by quickly giving in to a hunger that she imagined could still consume her.  Even the best intentioned denial has a breaking point.

        The Harsh Reality:  After everything that’s happened, the rise and the fall, the pain and the aftermath, can these two navigate the waters of acute regret, survive the trails of coming face to face with all that they may have lost, and find the strength to try again?

First Impressions

                Well first of all words cannot describe to finally get my hands on the ending to this trilogy, after Rock Bottom I needed Danika and Tristan to have a happily ever after.  So thank god I can get some closure to this story because I was just completely shattered after finishing book two. 

        I was so happy when R.K. Lilley included the restaurant scene from the last book but this time in Tristan’s point of view because when Danika points out that he is the one that gets to laugh and walk out of there and be happy again it just made me so angry at Tristan.  I wanted to know so badly he was laughing while Danika walked up the restaurant because that scene to me just accentuated the unfairness of it all and once again broke my heart.

What I Loved

               Well of course I just cannot get of Tristan and Danika and this book does NOT disappoint in this category.  I love seeing the progression of Danika from the beginning of this book where is she is filled with bitterness and anger to letting down her defenses one by one and slowly letting Tristan in.  When she starts ordering food from places she used to go to with Tristan or wearing clothes she used to wear when they were together it so awesome because to me it’s Danika returning back to who she truly is, not repeating old addictive patterns.  I know she worries that she’s regressing but to me it was just her finding herself again and breaking out of that shell she has created around herself.

The sex scenes in this book were freaking awesome I haven’t read scenes like that in a long time and this book did not disappoint.  The raw need between Danika and Tristan was so palpable it poured out of the pages and I just couldn’t put this book down. 

        I loved that we not only got see the progression of Danika and Tristan’s relationship but Bianca and James, and Frankie and Estella as well.  Lana and Akira even snuck into this book at a certain point, which was great because throughout this series and the In Flight series you get emotionally attached to the supporting characters as well as the main ones.  It totally made me miss James and Bianca though and now I cannot wait for Mr. Beautiful to come out!

Not So Much

                I’m so happy to finally have gotten this book and read this story; the first part of the book was just going by way too fast, leaving out details I would've liked to have read more of. There were some storylines going on with the supporting characters (Bev especially) and it’s talked about for maybe 4 paragraphs and then that’s it i would've liked to have seen more details about those plots. 

        As the story progresses there are some details as far as Tristan’s house goes and things like that but I still felt like there could’ve been more.  In the other two books in this story the supporting characters were more involved in the plot but in this book it was basically just Tristan and Danika.  I get why that is, but I would've liked a little bit more of other people in their lives in this book.  Also, I felt like there were more descriptions of what Danika was wearing then what her house looked like or what the gallery looked like.  The same goes for Tristan, the layout of his house is kind of talked about but I would've liked to have seen way more details when it came to where both of them lived.

Overall

   I loved this book!!!!  It was so great to not only get more Danika and Tristan in my life but to finally have closure as well.  Rock Bottom just completely gutted me and I needed there to be some sort of happy ending with these two so I could move on and I definitely got that in this book.  I was totally tearing up towards the end of the book and definitely in the last couple paragraphs.

 

        All I ever wanted was for Danika and Tristan to find some sort of peace so they could live again, it was so evident when reading the In Flight series that Danika was really just half a person, so when I finally got to read her story and what happened to her I just couldn't believe it.  Danika’s story was just so heart wrenching and it just totally blew my mind.  Ever since that bathroom scene in Grounded I needed to know what happened to Tristan and Danika and was so happy to finally find out.   This book definitely gives you closure to their story and at certain points makes you relive some of the pain you felt after finishing Rock Bottom, but it was all worth it at the end.  This was just such a wonderful series and truly amazing characters beautifully written.  This book had my entire attention for word one and did not let go until the very end.

BOOKS LAURA CAN'T WAIT FOR IN 2014!!!!!!!!

Captivated By You (Crossfire, #4) by Sylvia Day:  Obviously we all love this series, and I can't get enough of Gideon Cross!!  I like that this series is turning in a new direction and is departing somewhat from the 50 shades genre.  The synopsis for this book just sucks you right back into Gideon's and Eva's drama and I can't wait to read this book and see what happens next for these two.  (The cover is not out yet so I put up the last book's cover)

Rare and Precious Things (The Blackstone Affair, #4) by Raine Miller:  This book kind of surprised me because I thought that the Blackstone Affair books were done, but I'm so freaking happy another book is coming out!!!! I can't wait to see Ethan and Brynne get set for parenthood and settle into marriage together.  The summary sounds very intriguing and I have soft spot for books that take place in England so this definitely one of my favorite series, and Ethan is very much one of my favorite rich, sexy alpha males! 

The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #12) by J.R. Ward:  I cannot freaking wait for this book!! I feel like with the break away from the "Lover" titles means that the series is taking a new turn.  I never thought I could love a vampire series as much as I love this one.  J.R. Ward has managed to create and entire world, not just a bunch of characters but a very complicated and detailed subculture that I just can't get enough of.  I can't wait to see what is in store next for Wrath and Beth, and the rest of the Brotherhood.

Rock My Body (Black Falcon, #3) by Michelle A. Valentine:  Who doesn't love a series that revolves around hot rock stars??? I can't wait to learn what happens with Tyke, the bassist of Black Falcon!  I really like this series, it's hot, is sexy, and keeps you on your toes in every book.  I loved Noel's and Riff's stories and I can't wait to go back on tour with Black Falcon and watch another member fall in love! 

Unbeloved (Undeniable, #4) by Madeline Sheehan:  This series is probably the most raw and bitter series I have ever read, but that's what why I love it so much.  Each book shows the darker side of humanity and the negative consequences of love, but that just makes you appreciate all the good times in each story.  It makes you hold onto the relationships in each story and you can help but fall for each and every love story in every single book.  I can't wait to read about Hawk, Dorothy, and Jase's story its been a long time coming if you read this series and I can't wait to see how all this will turn out!  Madeline Sheehan is a genius when it comes to this series and I will read anything she writes. 

Lovely Trigger (Tristan and Danika, #3) by R.K. Lilley:  Rock Bottom truly ended with Danika and Tristan both hitting rock bottom.  When you me these two characters in the In Flight series you so badly want to know what happened to these two people. I was completely broken hearted when I found out at the end of book 2, and I just NEED these two to work it out.  This series is just amazing, and R.K. Lilley is an amazing author, I love all of her books.  I can't wait to get some closure for these two but I know once it's all over I'm definitely going to miss Tristan and Danika so much.

Rusty Nailed (Cocktail, #2) by Alice Clayton:  When I saw that there was another book coming out in this series I literally yelled YES!!!! Although I have to wait till June for this book, it's definitely going to be work the wait.  I can't wait to see whats in store for Caroline and Simon and their crazy antics.  The first book, Wallbanger, had me cracking up from beginning to end and I pray the second and third book (Screwdrived) will not let me down in that department.  I need more Simon in my life!!! 

Forever With You (Fixed, #3) by Laurelin Paige:  I can't wait to see what will happen next with Alayna and Hudson.  I really like this series because Alayna seems to be just a broken as Hudson is when you first meet them, and because of that it departs from the 50 Shades type.  Alayna is such a great character because I rooted for her from the very beginning, she is written like many of the other female leads in this kind genre.  She isn't constantly complaining, or not understanding why Hudson even likes her, and she isn't a whiner.  Alayna makes a decision and sticks to her guns,book 2 had me wanting to slap Hudson a couple times but by the end I was head over heels in love with him.  I root for their happiness and I hope we get to see that in this book!

Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountain, #6) Kristen Ashley:  Any book by Kristen Ashley is amazing and I cannot wait for this one!!! She is truly my favorite author, and I can't get enough of her books.  She writes such endearing characters and amazing series and Colorado Mountain was the first series I ever read from her.  The last book in this series was awesome and so have the rest of the books.  I seriously want to move to Colorado and meet a hot sexy mountain man because of these books.  I love that all her books kind of overlap with one another and all these different characters are intertwined with each other so much that you never truly have to say goodbye to any of them.

Beauty from Love (Beauty, #3) by Georgia Cates:  YES!!! That's all I have to say about getting more Jack McLachlin in my life.  This series has made me want to meet any man that owns a vineyard and move to Australia.  I can't wait to see what will happen now that Laurelyn has finally moved to Australia and they are together!! I always love a story when a character's past comes back to the haunt them and from the synopsis of this book seems that is exactly what will happen to Jack.  Hopefully their love for one another is strong enough to survive it.

Twisted (Tangled, #2) by Emma Chase:  The first book in this series was hilarious!  I loved that the entire book was from the dudes point of view and Drew Evans did not disappoint in any department.  It looks like this book will be from Katherine's POV and it doesn't seem that they rode off into the sunset in a horse drawn carriage kissing and hugging (and way more).  Can't wait to find out what craziness is going on in Drew and Katherine's life!

Saving Dallas Forever (Saving Dallas, #3) by Kim Jones:  This series is freaking awesome.  Book one ended with my jaw on the ground.  Book two took my breath away.  Not a lot of books take me by surprise but this series totally did.  I have no idea with secrets Dallas will reveal in this book, and I have no idea what will happen next for Luke.  As long as the sex scenes are just dirty as the first two books and Dallas' temper goes off a couple times in this story I know I will love it. (The Cover has not been released it, so I'm using the cover from the 2nd book cover)

The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3) by Deborah Harkness:  I don't think I have loved a vampire more than I love Matthew Clairmont.  This entire series has just totally enchanted me, and the massive amount of details in each and every scene has me bowing down to Deborah Harkness as a writer.  You don't have to like paranormal books to read this series, it just such an amazing take on Witches and Vampires and there are no words to describe how much I love these books.  I know I will be sad to see Matthew and Diane go, but I can't wait to see how everything will end because I have no clue how it will.  

Cooper (Corps Security, #4) by Harper Sloan:  At first after reading book 3, I was like; wait what?  Then immediately after I was like ohhhhhhh okay now it's making sense.  You have to read the third book in this series to understand what I'm saying.  I can't wait for this book to come out, I love this series so much and I have a feeling how this book will play out but Harper Sloan threw me for a loop in the last book, and I will love it if that happens again!  Great series and I know this book won't be anything less than awesome! (There is no cover yet for this book, so I put Beck in it's place)

Frank and Benny (The 'Burg, #5) Kristen Ashley:  You meet these two characters in At Peace (The 'Burg, #2) and right away you want to know more about them. Kristen Ashley gave us a taste of whats to come in the fifth book, but I automatically wanted more!!  Cannot wait for this book, and since I love everything about Kristen Ashley I know I will love this book.  Bring on Frank and Benny, and quickly!!! I mianss the 'Burg series, I've been having Kristen Ashley withdrawal.  

Hard As You Can (Hard Ink, #2) by Laura Kaye:   There is nothing I love more than a man with tattoos, combine that with hard muscle and military experience and I'm panting.  I love that this series has one center arc to it, so you just get deeper into these characters and their lives.  I can't wait for this book and to see things from Shane and Crystal's point of view.  This series offers a lot of mystery and raises quite a few questions, it will be very interesting to see how this all plays out! 

Consumed (Devoured, #2) by Emily Snow:  I wasn't sure if I was going to put this book on this list because it was supposed to be released in 2013 but has been pushed back several times.  Now it says its being released on NYE, so we will see.  I can't wait to read this book though, I want to know all of Lucas' deep dark secrets and this book promises to spill them all!! Bring on Lucas and Sienna!!! Who wouldn't fall in a love with a rock star Dom with millions of fans and sexy tattoos? 

Fighting to Forget (Fighting, #3) by J.B. Salsbury:  Bring on more sexy fighters please!!! After being introduced to these group of hot males and all their tattoos. I just couldn't get enough of them.  The synopsis for this book looks amazing and I can't wait to see whats in store for Rex.  This definitely seems like a story of pasts haunting your present and affecting your future.  Can't wait to get more of these guys, Jonah and Blake just wasn't enough.

Off the Record (Record, #1) by K.A. Linde:  This looks like it will new series starting up in 2014 and I say, BRING IT ON!  I love Linde's Avoiding series so anything else she creates I will definitely read.  The synopsis for this book looks really interesting and who doesn't love a secret love affair? While reading the Avoiding series I wanted to scream about a million times because I was so frustrated with the characters and really into the series, so I don't expect anything less with this new series.  

Laura’s Review of Rock Bottom (Tristan & Danika, #2) by R.K. Lilley

If you love Gabriel’s Rapture by Sylvain Reynard, Cage by Harper Sloan, and Disastrous by E.L. Montes then you will love this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Basic Summary:  Their love had the power of a runaway freight train, and the potential to be just as a destructive.  The tempestuous sequel to Bad Things picks up where the first book left off.  Reeling from a profound loss, Tristan and Danika struggle to pick up the pieces and build a life together, but the hard habits of a lifetime are not so easy to escape. 

                Rock Bottom takes us on a dual point of view journey through addiction and desire, through love and agony, and answers the question we’ve been asking since these characters were introduced in Grounded: “What happened between Tristan and Danika?”

“I meant the words when I said them, but life had other plans for us.  I was, by nature, a fighter, and one could say I didn’t fight for us.  I’d have given my life for that fight.  In fact, I very nearly did.”

What I Love About This Book: The first book in this series reels you right into Tristan and Danika’s relationship and you instantly can’t get enough.  If you have read the In Flight series you know that at a certain point Tristan and Danika has a huge falling out that somehow ends with Danika being permanently injured and presently walks with a limp.  In Grounded you get the feeling that whatever happened between the two of them it was years before but still tortured both of them.  I loved Bad Things, and I knew Rock Bottom would answer the question of what happened to them and that this book would end very badly.

                This book starts off very hottttt, and continues throughout the story with some very elaborate and lustful sex scenes.  Danika is someone that any girl can latch onto, fighting for a relationship that at certain point is hanging by a thread.  We have all tried to fight for a relationship that should’ve been over already because you are so blinded by your love that the stubbornness persists stringing along something that is already dead.  Tristan didn’t really have a lot of time to get over his brother, Jared’s death.  He immediately signs a record deal and goes out to L.A. and tries to distract himself with his band, drugs, and Danika; anything that will take away the pain of Jared being dead.  He never really deals with his grief and to me that was the first step into his downward spiral, and with a past that includes medicating himself old habits die hard and has no issues with plunging right back into that sort of pattern. 

                There is so much loss and devastation in this book it’s just leaves you completely raw and open after reading it.  I was hysterically crying at certain points, and beaming at others.  It was wonderful to finally find out what happened to Tristan and Danika but damn, this story ripped my heart out and then beat it up over and over again.  I was so angry at parts I wanted to scream at these people, and I was so sad for Danika and Tristan at other parts I just wanted to hug them and make it all better.  It’s so hard to stop someone’s downward spiral especially when it affects you so negatively at the same time.  Danika became Tristan’s enabler and you can’t blame her for that, because she just loves him so desperately and completely.  Tristan has experienced so much loss and can only deal with his pain the best way he knows how, even if that means I wanted to punch him in the face at times.  Even if a book invokes a negative emotion from me I think it makes me love it even more, I would rather want to scream and throw my kindle across the room then feel nothing at all.  It’s the books that make me feel nothing at all that are bad, and even though I felt totally shattered by the time I ended this book I was okay with that because I just fell more and more in love with Tristan and Danika because of it.

“This was the kind of love that only hit you once in your life”

Cons: The flow of this book was a little off for me.  I don’t really know how to explain it, but at certain points in the plot I felt like it was just a little too forced rather than a story developing naturally.  The chapters that were from Frankie’s POV were great, and it was awesome to see James before he met Bianca and what he was like as a real Dom.  But I felt like the chapters were kind of just randomly put in the book, it would've been nice to see them link better into the overall plot of the book.  The chapters kind of just started and ended with no real string from one to the other. 

                Also I feel like towards the end Frankie was nowhere to be seen in this story.  You have the two random chapters about her and Estella and then she was gone.  Where was Frankie after the accident, or when Tristan was spiraling?  I didn't like the inconsistency with that relationship, when someone is an important character in the book but then not mentioned again.  

“Tragedy never took its full chunk out of you right away.  It always took a while to hit you head on, and sink in and for something substantial, some hint of the real feeling, the real reaction, to come to the surface, and this loss was not done taking its toll on us.”

Overall:  Like I said before I knew this story would end badly, and I just couldn't wait to finally get to the end and have all my questions answered.  I powered through as was up till 1 in the morning yesterday reading because the story is so good and I love Danika and Tristan so much.  I was not prepared at how raw I felt when it was all done.  At the end there is a scene with Danika and Bev and I was balling like a baby, because that kind of unwavering support from someone is so hard to find and it was so touching to see it play out in this book.  I do have some questions that I would like to be answered, that I hope Lovely Trigger (Book 3) will answer them for me.  

                I don’t think I have ever rooted for a couple in a book more than I have rooted for Tristan and Danika and I can’t wait to for Lovely Trigger to come out.  I went back and read over the parts in Grounded where Danika was either mentioned or in, and it’s like she’s half a person.  That there is something essentially missing from her, some sort of light that is in a human being that is whole is not there.  It’s easy to see after reading this book what has caused this transition from the person you meet in Bad Things to the person you first meet in Grounded.  I don’t know how anyone could survive the sequence of events that she and Tristan survived but god bless them!  When Danika was desperate to save her relationship with Tristan I felt just as desperate for them to work things out, when she was devastated I was devastated.  This is such a great bitter sweet story, and since there is another book in this series and it takes place six years later and after Grounded (In Flight #3) that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for these two.  I’m praying there is some sort of happily ever after, but for right now I am totally heartbroken after reading this story.

SOME GREAT BOOKS COMING THIS FALL!!!

Convicted (Consequences #3) By Aleatha Romig:  I think out of all the series I have ever read, this has given me the works book hang over of them all!!! This story has so many strings and so dark corners I don’t even know where to begin.  I cannot wait to get to the end of this book just so I have some closure this addictive series.  Althea Romig is an evil genius and I love for her it! Expected Publication Date: October 8^th

Jagged (Colorado Mountain #5) By Kristen Ashley:  The continuation of this mountain man series is a must! I have missed this series dearly and I’m to going back to Gnaw Bone from the first book instead of Carnal like the other books.  Kristen Ashley is truly my favorite author and I don’t know what I would do without her books in my life! Expected Publication Date: November 8^th

Consumed (Devoured #2) By Emily Snow:  It’s time to get back to the love story of Lucas and Sienna!! I have been waiting too long for this story I need to all of Lucas’ secrets and I want to know them all now!!!! Who doesn’t love another rock star love story?  Expected Publication Date: October 15^th

Gabriel’s Redemption (Gabriel’s Inferno #3) By Sylvain Reynard:  I love this series so much and cannot wait to get my hands on this book!!! I have missed Gabriel so much but having Mr. Reynard release little tidbits has been nice but now it’s time for the real thing!!!! Expected Publication Date: December 3^rd

Rock Bottom (Bad Things #2) By R.K. Lilley:  R.K. Lilley has created my favorite Dom, James Cavendish and has sucked me in once again with Tristan and Danika’s story!! I cannot wait for this next book, it is probably was one my most anticipated books this fall.  Expected Publication Date:  Late October/Early November

Mine (Real, Raw & Ripped#2) By Katy Evans: I need more Remmington Tate in my life and I need it now!!!! Whodoesn’t love a hot man who you get to beat the crap out of someone and gets paid for it!!   I’m anxious to see how this whole bipolar not taking medication and Brooke dealing with all this.  Expected Publication Date: November 12^th

Fighting to Forgive (Fighting #2) by JB Salsbury:  This is the second in the fighting series, I loved the first book and cannot wait for this one.  Each series I’m assuming will be different love story from a different character that you have met in book 2.  I kind of hated and loved Blake in book one so I can’t wait to see him get over the head with the love stick!   Expected publication November 19^th

Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth:  This probably the most anticipated book of the year by many people.  It’s a break away obviously from the romance/erotica books but I love dystopian series and this one hooked me in a couple years ago when the first book came out.  I can’t wait to read the conclusion of Four and Tris’ story and cannot wait to see Divergent on the big screen.  Expected Publication Date: October 22^nd