This Chick Read: Dire Bound (The Wolves of Ruin #1) by Sable Sorenson

This debut fantasy novel did not read like a debut novel at all. I can’t wait to find out who the mysterious writing duo is that makes up Sable Sorenson and fully expect to read a couple of recognizable names. The world building was amazing, the characters well developed, and the action kept me turning the pages. I knew after the first few chapters that this would be a five star rating from me and crossed my fingers the author wouldn’t disappoint, and she didn’t!

Meryn Cooper helps her family survive by training and fighting in the underground arena and as a side job, teaching the kids in her neighborhood how to defend themselves from the “Nabber”. Someone who sneaks into their rooms at night and steals them and gives them to immortal monsters, never to be heard from again. Meryn is one tough cookie but she can’t save her sister Saela from her fate of being kidnapped. Knowing the only way to save her is to fight in the war at the front, Meryn enlists in the army. What she doesn’t realize is that the enlisted will be put through the bonding trials- bond with a direwolf or die trying. Meryn has never imagined being one of the Bonded but when she bonds with a direwolf, she also doesn’t expect that direwolf to completely ignore her. She and Anassa will have to learn to communicate or they will be seen as weak and be culled from the pack.

Meryn was such a great character. She had to learn to be hard in order to survive the poverty in her neighborhood, but her feelings for her sister, her boyfriend, and her mother showed different facets to her personality. As she was going through the Bonding Trials, her loyalty and honor also became apparent and it was hard not to like her. The one critique I’d give is that she had a one track mind and sometimes that became annoying and didn’t allow her to see the whole picture. She had tunnel vision and despite her need to save her sister, that tunnel vision became a weakness. Could I over look that? Sure! This world she was living in was really fascinating, her bond with Anassa was difficult but I couldn’t wait for them to connect and kick butt, and although I had doubts, the romance was also sizzling. What’s not to like?

If you liked the Fourth Wing series, you will love this book. No there aren’t any dragons, but there are Direwolves! They are huge, deadly, and have interesting personalities. I found them just as fascinating and really enjoyed learning all about this new world. I’m going to guess that if you love fantasy novels, you will too. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Dire Bound

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This Chick Read: Spark the Flames (Secret of the Syphon #1) by Ivy Asher

I haven’t loved all of Ivy Asher’s books, but this one hit all the right notes. It’s an epic fantasy with a strong female protagonist, the characters shift into dragons, the male lead is kind of quiet but strong and hot, and did I say there are dragons? The book starts off super fast. Ever has escaped from a stronghold where she’s tortured for her blood, the bad guys are after her and she chooses jumping off a cliff to a certain death instead of ending up back in her cell. Instead of dying she wakes up in a hospital where she’s told that the Horde has been called to retrieve her and again she must escape her fate. She’s been taught that the Horde (also dragons) killed her family and is her enemy, but when she comes face to face with them she sees a unit that acts loyal to their leader, is snarky, and makes her curious. The leader is Aeson Noctis, the King’s second son and he is fascinated with Ever.

The fast paced action and quick-witted dialogue kept me turning pages, but it was the mystery of Ever’s origin story that I was really curious about. She’s a kind of dragon called a Syphon, and her brand was supposedly wiped out with the killing of the previous king’s reign. Her identity as a Syphon is mysterious, as is Ever’s mission, to kill the people who took the Syphon powers away from them. As a plot, it’s not a bad one, but everything Ever thinks she knows about what happened to her family is not necessarily as she believes it, which throws a big kink into her revenge. Oh, and then there’s the love interest, Aeson- she doesn’t count on falling for one of the Horde.

As with most of Ivy Asher’s books, there are some great side characters, some of whom we want to know more about and don’t get to, but they do certainly add some much needed warmth and color. If the plot were only going to be about Ever’s need for revenge it would be kind of boring, but she develops some feelings for the people around her which makes her plotting even more tremulous. The reader is left hoping she knows the truth and her plans will be a redemption arc instead of Ever turning into an anti-hero. We’ll have to wait for the next book to find out which side of the coin she lands on. I can’t wait!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Spark the Flames

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*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts

Natural Resources police officer Sloan Cooper had just arrested three men taking down hikers in the Western Maryland mountains with her partner, when they stopped at a convenience store. Sloan walked right into a robbery in progress and got shot in the chest almost losing her life. She was shocked back to life on the operating table and took some time off to recover at her family’s home in Heron’s Rest. Having a hard time not working, when Sloan hears of a woman who goes missing leaving her car behind in a grocery store parking lot she searches through the database for similar cases. She finds a lot of cases matching the description but nothing ties the victims together. The new man in her life, Nash, proves to be a great sounding board for her theories and with his help she soon finds that missing connection.

There’s just something about the comfort of reading one of Nora Roberts romantic suspense novels. Her pacing is steady, allowing her to build the characters back stories and allow the reader the time to really connect with and care for the characters, but she also develops the romance at that same pace. The two plots don’t outdo each other but rather complement each other so that moving from the romance to the mystery doesn’t distract from the other but rather adds to it. I loved that especially about Hidden Nature.

Sloan’s rehab from her wounds gives the reader a great gage of her head space. She’s exhausted, then frustrated, then angry, then resolved and we’re along for the ride with each of those feelings. When she’s finally ready to embrace those romantic feelings for Nash the reader is brought along seemlessly into those new emotions and is ready for Sloan to feel better, so begins to root for their romance and for Nash to jump on the we love Sloan bandwagon. Of course, he does, and that part of the story feels very natural.

The hardest part for me to read was from the killer’s point of view. Of course, it’s natural to feel uncomfortable, but I kind of wished for a little less of them and more of Sloan and Nash. That’s my only criticism of a really solid novel.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase this book! Hidden Nature

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*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: It’s A Love Story by Annabel Monaghan

Jane Jackson has built her adult life on the mantra ‘Fake It Until You Make It’. Her childhood was spent on a sitcom as the sidekick “Janey Jakes” but now she’s trying to make it as a Hollywood Executive. When she claims to be able to talk a popular musician, Jack Quinlan, into writing a track to help them launch a movie she’s pitching Jane has to ask for help from her one-time crush Dan Finnegan. Jack is playing a festival in Dan’s hometown and she needs Dan’s connections to help her, well, connect with Jack. A week in close quarters with Dan is Jane’s idea of hell, but stranger things have surprised her.

I recently discovered this author when I finally listened to an audiobook that I’d purchased of one of her other books, and fell in love. I love her style of writing, her lovable yet flawed characters, and most of all that slow burn romance. Annabel Monaghan believes in that big build-up in tension and I just love how that makes me eagerly turn the pages. It’s a Love Story had me feeling all that pent-up emotion that I remembered from the first novel of hers I read, Phoebe Goes Off Script. When combined with humor, charm, and an emotional punch you are left with one stand-up novel that’s just really easy to sit back, read, and enjoy.

Dan was set up to be this kind of co-worker jerk who had stood in Jane’s way on another project but by the end of this novel he was the sweet misunderstood hero that every woman wants to meet. On the flip side, Jack Quinlan is the trauma from Jane’s past that serves as a tool for the conflict Jane’s character needs to overcome to believe in love. The juxtaposition of her past and present with the men from her present and past really gave this novel a punch of feeling. I loved Jane’s journey but especially when she and Dan finally work things out. I can’t wait to listen to this book on audio because I think a great narrator could make me love it even more the second time around.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest.

Click this link to purchase this book!* It’s a Love Story

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*Amazon Associate – if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: Not So Fast by Karen Booth

Mia Neal has a love for F1 racing and when a friend suggests she starts her own podcast she thought it would be her little side gig. When her comments about struggling racer, Xander Bishop, goes viral her podcast gains popularity. When Xander’s rival invites her to the Miami Grand Prix she accepts his invitation and meets Xander for the first time. Sparks fly during a confrontation and he invites her to the next race as his guest. Will her new fans understand her relationship with Xander?

What’s not to like about this story? First, I, like many of the US, has gotten to know and love F1 racing and reading a story set in that world intrigued me. Second, podcasts are just the thing in romance novels right now, so combining those two things seemed a smart strategy. Mia and Xander were totally likable characters, with both being surprisingly down to earth and normal. Xander didn’t throw his money around, was a family man, and his struggle to succeed in the F1 world was an interesting take. Mia, too, had a great back story and a struggle to overcome and her need to stay true to herself and her fan base gave her character a truthfulness that you just couldn’t turn away from. I liked them both!

The only thing missing for me was that the author toned down the glitz and glamour in order to make the characters real and easier for the reader to connect with. I would’ve actually liked to read about the behind the scenes world in F1 racing including the money and fashion. However, what we got was still fun and made for a great weekend read. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Not So Fast

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*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: The Love Haters by Katherine Center

Katie Vaughn’s life has gone up in flames. She’s ended a bad relationship and now her job is facing lay-offs. In order to save her own, she take a job producing a video in Florida about a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, despite not being able to swim. Something she hides from her coworker, Cole- who is also Hutch’s brother. That’s just the first lie she ends up telling. When she gets to Florida and meets Hutch, who’s possibly the most handsome man she’s ever met, she gets caught up in a few more lies, the least of which is not being able to swim. As she faces some of her fears, and gets to know Hutch and his aunt Rue, Katie realizes she needs to take this chance to really be brave at last.

Katherine Center’s novels come out every year just as Summer is about to start. I look forward to reading her books because I know I’m going to love the characters and the fears and/or obstacles they are always trying to overcome. She writes with a tongue in cheek sense of humor but also with a lot of heart, which makes her books lovely to read. The Love Haters had all of these things. Wonderful characters who weren’t perfect and needed a little smoothing over, and obstacles that they needed to overcome before finding their happily ever after. This story wasn’t any different, so why didn’t I connect with it as much as I usually do?

Katie and Hutch were interesting, their lifestyle choices understandable, and the conflicts in their lives emotional. Each of them separately were amazing. I think I didn’t feel a huge connection between them as a couple. Katie had a tendency to hide herself behind some of her phobia’s and Hutch had learned from a young age to hide his feelings. These walls each of them had built kept the reader, or at least this one, from that connection that I’m always looking for between the romantic couple. For me, that was problematic and I felt a little like I was reading a synopsis of a therapy session. Hoever, the story was great, their situations relatable, and they were both lovely, nice people and you couldn’t beat the sunny setting.

Maybe it’s just me, but because of these little things I held back on my rating by one star. Nothing huge, this one is still a four out of five rating, but normally I go all in with five stars for this author, so it’s a bit of an anomaly for me. You may feel completely different! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Love Haters

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*Amazon Associate-if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: Slipstream by Madge Maril

Documentary filmmaker Lilah Graywood never thought she’d be producing a film on F1 racing but when her co-owner and boyfriend of their business convinces her to spend their summer doing this she doesn’t have the heart to say no, until he dumps her and tries to fire her from her own company. As revenge she and back-up race car driver Arthur Bianco decide to create a secret partnership where she will film his comeback and take control of Max’s documentary. When she and Arthur have to fake a relationship she gets to know the real Arthur, and his hidden vulnerabilities. Their chemistry soon makes it hard to pretend and Lilah has to face her true feelings.

F1 has certainly become a popular subject in romance and as an F1 fan I was worried that this novel wouldn’t portray it well, but you know what? Madge Maril did the sport justice, AND gave us really likable characters in an interesting romance. When Lila got dumped I was all in for the revenge plot, and her relationship with Arthur seemed like it would lean towards a friends to lovers, which is my favorite trope. What I didn’t expect was for their to be so much depth to these characters! I loved Lilah’s love for documentary filmmaking, but also how she began to love this sport that she at first thought was ego-driven and dumb. When she began to see how she could create this great story about Arthur’s comeback and then also began to let herself fall for him while filming it? Wonderfully written.

If you love F1 this book is a no-brainer and you need to read it. If you love romance novels and don’t know anything about F1? Still read this book! The characters are well written, the pace of the story is fast (as it should be when about racing!), and the chemistry is fab-u-lous! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase this book!* Slipstream

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*Amazon Associate- if you have purchased this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: Rules for Ruin (The Crinoline Academy #1) by Mimi Matthews

Just outside of London lies an institution with a secretive aim, to train young women to distract, disrupt, and discredit the patriarchy. When a powerful lord’s systemic attacks on young women’s rights in Parliament, the Academy sends for one of their best pupils to infiltrate the lord’s inner circle. If she brings down the viscount she earns her freedom. Betting shop owner Gabriel Royce has different plans for the viscount. He needs his support to help him rebuild the rookeries of St. Giles and Effie’s plans completely stand in his way. Effie and Gabriel engage in a battle of wits and wills that’s complicated by a blossoming desire.

Mimi Matthews delivers another really great historical romance. This time with the theme of women’s rights. Although I got the feeling that Effie was more interested in her freedom at first, but as the story moved forward you could feel her shift to believing that what she was fighting for was in fact what was best for her. Her attraction to Gabriel was immediate and their conflict gave a really great tug and pull of both their developing feelings but also where they stood in the fight for womens rights. Gabriel had his own interests he wanted to protect, but it ended up being the love of a good woman that won him over in the end.

This author has always shown us different sides of London society and this novel was no different. Although Effie was passing herself off as a lady, she had a mysterious background that was a sub-plot and gave insight into her actions. She and Gabriel ended up having a lot in common which drew them together as well. With the addition of a truly reprehensible bad guy to add more conflict to an already great story this one you shouldn’t miss reading. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase this book!* Rules for Ruin

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

When Samantha finds a kitten in distress she takes him to the closest veterinarian clinic. When Xavier Rush walks in the door, Samantha is gobsmacked by his Greek god vibes, until he opens his mouth proving himself to be a surly SOB, delivering his professional opinion about the cat and the entire human race. Samantha loves nothing better than proving an SOB wrong, unless he can admit his mistake. They go on one date, and it is absolutely perfect, but Samantha has some family issues and is moving back home to Los Angeles the minute their date ends. Only neither one of them can forget the other.

Abby Jimenez is the queen of delivering romantic comedies with a lot of heart and this novel definitely had both. I laughed out loud at the great dialog, and felt emotional stirrings about all of the difficulties Xavier and Samantha had to overcome. Sounds great, right? So why was I left feeling slightly disappointed? Stop reading here if you don’t want some small spoilers.

This story had all the things, it really did. Romance, good looking girl, great looking guy, lots of chemistry, comedy, but what it didn’t have was our two main characters in the same city for the majority of the book. I thought the author did a great job of showing how a long distance relationship has been proven to break up couples. It was frustrating for me as a reader to not have them holding hands in the evening over a good meal or tv show, I can only imagine how it would feel in real life. So, I spent a great deal of this story, in between brief chuckles and heart tugs, feeling frustrated. That’s not really how I want to feel when I’m reading a romance novel. Hence the disappointment.

The good parts of this novel were really great. I loved both characters, I liked their back stories, I LOVED them together. I just didn’t get enough of that togetherness. Despite that frustration it was still a well written book by an author I love, it just wasn’t a five star read. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Say You’ll Remember Me

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*Amazon Associate- if you purchased this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: Crossing Paths (Beneath the Wild Sky#2) by Katie Ruggle

Norah Pax works with her sisters in the family bail bond business as their researcher. She works completely behind the scenes but when one of their skips hacks into her computer and starts taunting her she decides to up her game and takes personal defense lessons from an ex-MMA fighter and very grumpy Dash Porter. Taking those lessons with Dash become the highlight of her week and he very quickly becomes someone she trusts. When he realizes the danger she’s in he takes the opportunity to stick close to her side.

I can always count on Katie Ruggle to write a good women in jeopardy story. Norah is strong of heart, but she’s not the most physical or athletic Pax sister. With Dash’s help she grows in confidence both physically and mentally and that is a very attractive trait in a romance novel. Dash himself is very physical, both in fitness and mental agility. He’s attracted to Norah from the start and as soon as he realizes she’s in trouble he’s all in. You got to love that in a hero!

Just as with Katie Ruggle’s other novels there’s a lot of action and adventure which makes this a very quick moving fun novel to read. I love the interactions between Norah and her sisters. There’s a lot of love on these pages, not just between the romantic leads. If you haven’t read any of Katie Ruggle’s other books, you really don’t need to read the series in order. This and all the other books can be read as stand alone’s, but you might get a little more enjoyment if you’ve read the other books first. Either way, you’re going to enjoy Norah and Dash’s story. Get ready for a fun ride!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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