It’s Monday, what are you reading? (11/15/21)

I have a few weeks in between ARC’s and am reading entirely for pleasure this week. I’ve started up an old Kristen Ashley series and have read a couple from the Burg, which is fun to revisit. I’ve also just finished a book by Helena Hunting, not an author that I’ve read a lot of and was pleasantly surprised. Let’s get to it!

JUST FINISHED

The first in the All In series, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the characters. Lainey had anxiety issues which our hero RJ handled extremely well. He was the type of guy who likes to be needed. The basis of the book is that they met and he didn’t tell her that he was a pro hockey player and that lie caused difficulties down the road. It was a kind of simple story but when the characters are interesting that can make a simple story interesting.

JUST STARTED

I can honestly say that I don’t remember this book at all. I often revisit KA’s novels, but I don’t think I’ve read since it initially came out in 2011! I do enjoy this author’s earlier books when they had a heck of a plot AND a romance. This novel seems to follow that format as well and I’m digging in and will enjoy it fully.

Do you ever revisit favorite books or series? Which books do you like to re-read. Let me know in the comments.

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

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This Chick Read: The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

Anna Sun is burned out. A violinist, she achieves fame when a YouTube video of her playing goes viral and the instant fame has created expectations that she’s not sure she can live up to. A people pleaser, Anna puts aside her own needs making others more happy than she makes herself. When her boyfriends decides he wants an open relationship before settling down she gets mad and decides to have her own one night stand with someone totally inappropriate. The problem is that she doesn’t know how to go about having a one night stand and her nerves keep he from seeing it through. Luckily Quan Diep, the man she’s chosen, has his own insecurities, and their innocent hook-up turns into a lasting friendship and something more.

Helen Hoang’s debut novel, The Kiss Quotient, gave her instant fame in the contemporary romance genre. I had mixed feelings about that novel but liked that one of the main characters was autistic and it was her love story. The Heart Principle draws on some similarities but like it’s title, I felt that this story had more heart and it’s characters touched me emotionally.

Anna is going through a crisis and is seeing a psychologist who is trying to help her but she has subjugated her own needs to make others happy her whole life and doesn’t know how to put herself first. Quan is the first person where she can be herself and not “put on a face” to make others feel better. Quan is also going through his own crisis having just recovered from an emergency surgery. Anna is the first person he’s dated since his health has improved and he really likes her, but can also see that she’s a different person with her than she is with everyone else. They each seem to be the perfect fit for the other and it’s so easy to care and root for this couple.

I don’t want to get into too many details about the plot because most of the emotional climaxes are tied specifically to a reveal about each character and I don’t want to take that moment away from your enjoyment of this novel. I will say that these moments are intrinsically why I like this book the most out of the three that Helen Hoang has written so far. There are nuances to these characters that created a depth in their characters that cracked my emotions wide open.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Heart Principle

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This Chick Read: Just Haven’t Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens

Laura is a hopeless romantic who works for a lifestyle magazine that focuses on love stories. When she travels to Jersey, the place where her parents met, she accidentally trades bags with a man on her plane and after looking inside decides her may be the one, her perfect match. She hires a local cab driver named Ted to ferry her around to all of the sites of her parents infamous love story, and also to help her find the man who has her bag, she learns a lot about life, love, and what she wants for her own happily ever after.

Sophie Cousens has quickly become one of my go to authors for quirky, fun, and emotional love stories. Just Haven’t Met You Yet sounded sweet and it was! It also exceeded my expectations. Laura was a driven romantic. I say driven because every accidental moment becomes a sign of love and well, most of us don’t live like that. At first it was annoying, but I quickly got into the rhythm of her character and let myself believe in the spirit of her character. I also fell in love with her driver Ted.

Ted and Jasper were Laura’s two love interests. One was the man she was destined to meet, the one whose bag was packed with all of the signs that they were meant to be. Ted, as the grumpy and cynical cab driver, quickly grew to be my favorite character. His unruly appearance and sad story were meant to tug at the readers heartstrings and he tugged the hell out of mine. As Laura searches for her parents love story she is also trying to find herself and her own true love and Jersey may just be the place that she’ll find it.

There were some really lovely moments in this novel. Hanging with the neighbors by the fire on Ted’s dad’s last day before going into a home, making the jewelry with sea glass, the list goes on and on. If you can’t find something in this novel to love then, well, you shouldn’t read romance novels. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Just Haven’t Met You Yet

Copyright 2021 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’s Audio Review: Tricked (The Iron Druid Chronicles #4) by Kevin Hearne and narrated by Luke Daniels

After Atticus O’Sullivan helps kill Thor, the Norse Gods are on his tail looking for revenge. Needing to start fresh somewhere he calls on Coyote to help him stage his own death and in return he helps Coyote bring gold into a mine for a local tribe. What he doesn’t realize is that Coyote has an ulterior motive and he’s tricked into fighting two skinwalkers who attack their campsite. With Oberon and Granuaile by his side Atticus is again fighting for his life.

I am hooked on this series! I have been a fan of the narrator Luke Daniels, but I really think he’s at his best in this series. I find myself having fun and laughing out loud, especially during the inner monologues between Atticus and his dog Oberon. We see more of Granuaile in this novel than any yet to date and the chemistry between she and Atticus is sizzling! Unfortunately, she is his apprentice and I’m not sure he’s ever going to let himself fall for her but it’s fun to see him struggle!

I thought the plot of this novel was really interesting. I don’t read a lot of American Native inspired fiction but I do know that Coyote is a trickster god so it’s not too surprising when Atticus gets tricked into a fight he doesn’t want. I enjoyed the interaction between his Druid culture and the very spiritual Native Indian beliefs and learning how some things in the two cultures are more similar than they are different.

Atticus knows that he now has a lot of enemies and he’s going to be looking over his shoulder waiting for a fight, but he doesn’t realize that he may need to watch his front too. Someone that he trusts betrays him and that betrayal leaves him reeling and really, really angry. This sub-plot could lead to an interesting twist in a future story but for now I’m ok with letting that character go.

If you like fantasy, love audiobooks with humor, and want to add to your library this series is great and Tricked was an awesome fourth novel. Each novel has moved these characters forward and made me eager to read the next novel in the series. You can’t get higher praise than that! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase the novel/audiobook!* Tricked: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 4

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Right Reserved

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This Chick Read: Love for Beginners (Wildstone #7) by Jill Shalvis

Emma Harris wakes up from a coma and learns that her best friend and her fiancé are now a couple, she broken most of the bones in her body, and her insurance bills are adding up. The doctors told her that she’d never walk again but with the help of her physical therapist she is finally able to move out of her apartment that she shares with her ex-BFF and into her own place. No one will hire her because she hasn’t had a job in a year when the pet store that she trains dogs in goes up for sale. Unable to get a loan she ends up with an unlikely partner. Her frenemy from high school, and Simon’s cousin, Ali Pratt. Love for Beginners is a tale about perseverance, falling in love, and making new friends.

Emma, as the main protagonist, was completely likable and easy to root for. Out jogging when hit by a car seems like pretty bad luck but it brought the delicious physical therapist, Simon into her life and it changed her from a person who may have let people walk on her to learning to have a backbone and to stand up for herself. Something she probably should have done a long time ago. I loved her inner voice that always reminded her that she wasn’t the old Emma but the new Emma 2.0. Her budding romance with Simon while lacking heat (at least for me) did help Emma grow as a character. I looked at it as part of her healing process. Sex with hot PT- check! Of course, there were feelings involved but their romance wasn’t really what this novel was about. It was about Emma’s challenges and how she was facing them.

Ali’s story was secondary but I found it just as interesting. She too needed to grow but it was in the reverse of Emma. From an early age Ali has put a wall up, not letting anyone get close. She always considered Emma a rival. Probably because from the outside Emma’s life seemed charmed but just like what you see on Facebook, nothing is as it seems on the surface. Their partnership allowed them both to see the other side of each other. I thought Jill Shalvis did a good job of showing the growth of a female friendship!

I’m a big fan of Jill Shalvis’ novels. She always writes great secondary character and/or groups of friends that you always want to get to know. Love for Beginners was no different. I do wish the romance had brought a little more sizzle to the page but upon reflection it kind of fit. Simon had his own story that made him a little distant too. Luckily, he had Emma and his cousin Ali to help him work through his emotions and give him a kick in the butt.

If you’re in the mood for a good friendship novel I think Love for Beginners is certainly that. If you want a romance, there is some of that too but I really feel like that was secondary to all of the other stories that were being told in this novel. It wasn’t what I expected but I did like it! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Love for Beginners: A Novel (The Wildstone Series Book 7)

Copyright 2021 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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It’s Monday, what are you reading? (11/1/21)

It was a perfect fall weekend, just begging for me to spend time outside, so I spent it inside reading! LOL. I was a serious couch potato this weekend and enjoyed it so much!

JUST FINISHED

A really entertaining and quick read. A Twist of Fate was a haunting mystery and our heroine had an enduring love that survived throughout the centuries. What more could you ask for?

JUST STARTED

I started this audiobook on my walk this morning. I’ll admit this one’s a re-read. I really enjoy the mysteries in this series and Anna and Charles as a couple evolve over the length of the series. It’s deftly written and really great!

Have a wonderful Monday! I hope you don’t miss that book you put down last night too much. 🙂

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: A Twist of Fate (A Stitch in Time #2) by Kelley Armstrong

New mother and beloved wife, Rosalind Courtenay, likes to ride horses late at night. When her horse is found dead after falling over a cliff, it’s feared that Rosalind has died from the fall but her body is never found. What has happened is that she has found a stitch in time and has traveled to the 21st century. Four years have passed and despite returning monthly to the scene of her time travel, Rosalind has been unsuccessful in returning to her life in the past. Until one night her attempt is successful and she needs to figure out how to reveal herself to her son and her husband August. She travels to his estate in disguise and ends up as her sons new governess and becomes embroiled in a mystery filled with specters, missing governesses, and a little boy who can see and speak with ghosts. Rosalind needs to solve the mystery and reveal who she is to her family without becoming one of the missing herself.

When I received the ARC of this book I was so excited! I love Kelley Armstrong and have read almost all of her books. Then I saw it was book #2- oh no! Luckily I was able to get a copy of A Stitch in Time at my library so that I wasn’t reading these books out of order. The basis for these characters time travel is set up in the first novel so I’m really glad I was able to quickly read that book so I knew all of the characters, and past history needed to read this novel. Truthfully, I probably could have done without but I like to read books in order and I do think it helped my feelings towards the characters, knowing their past history.

What I love the most about this series is the fact that these books are historical mysteries, have a bit of fantasy thrown in with the time travel, and ultimately that they’re love stories. In a Twist of Fate, Rosalind had a head on her shoulders! Her character used lived in the future for four years helping her evolve from a modern woman in her century to an evolved woman from the 21st century and use that knowledge upon her return. She has read up on medicine and understands germs, etc. but is by no means a nurse or a doctor. She just has more sense. Overall she was easy to relate to, Rosalind had a lot of fortitude, was fun, and when danger comes Edmund’s way, she was a mama bear and very protective. She also very much loved her husband August.

Kelley Armstrong has a great sense of fun, and uses fantasy, to enmesh her readers in familiar worlds which are slightly different. This ghostly mystery was quick and entertaining but it was also really well written and engaging. I can’t find any faults at all other than that I hope this isn’t the end of the series because I want to read more!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase!* A Twist of Fate (A Stitch in Time Book 2)

Copyright 2021 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: Chasing Serenity (River Rain #1) by Kristen Ashley

Chloe PIerce, daughter of famous Tennis player Tom Pierce and Hollywood icon and actress Imogen Swan, is beautiful, fashionable, and fierce. Judge Oakley works for her mother’s new boyfriend and old love Duncan Holloway at his outdoor retail empire in the philanthropic division. He loves to hike and camp, but he also loves women in spike heels who have sass and Chloe PIerce is all of that and more. When they meet, sparks fly, and when she lets him in her life he sees that she has a world of hurts that she hides deep inside and that he’s the man to see her through.

There was so much depth to these characters. As the oldest child to famous parents, Chloe has always tried to hold her family together. When her parents divorce Chloe is obviously upset but she puts on a good face and stays strong because that’s what’s expected. When her beloved Uncle Corey kills himself and his lies are revealed she again stays strong but inside she is unraveling. Judge is there when she breaks and it is his strength that holds her up.

Chloe is similar to other Kristen Ashley female protagonists but Judge is a different kind of hero. He has moments of alpha, definitely, but was also sensitive and empathetic. It was so refreshing and unexpected for a Kristen Ashley hero. The second half of the novel was all Judge’s story and it was Chloe’s turn to be strong. These two balanced each other so well.

Next up is Rix and Alex and the author spent a good bit of time setting up their story. What do we know so far? There is a big misunderstanding that will be standing in their way. I can’t wait for the book to come out in November. KA is on a hot streak and I hope she keeps up with this great writing! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Chasing Serenity: A River Rain Novel

Copyright 2021 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: Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau

Baker, Lyndsay McLeod, just finished baking a specialty batch of donuts when the whole tray is knocked to the floor by the bakery door opening by a handsome man. Irritated at the loss Lyndsay doesn’t have an issue with giving Ryan Kwok an earful, not realizing that he’s an up and coming hearthrob and actor. When he reaches out for private baking lessons she can’t help but notice his charms. Is this slightly famous actor really as nice as he seems to appear?

Donut Fall in Love has a pretty simple premise- gorgeous actor meets slightly shy baker and hit it off, but there is a lot of depth under that layer of pretty frosting. As an Asian-American actor, Ryan feels like he represents all Asians and the sub-par reviews for his starring role in a recent rom-com could be used as a reason to hold back himself and other Asians for top roles. Both of our main characters also had family issues, some of which were quite funny, and added layers to these characters that a “baking and hot actor romance” may not normally see. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased.

What I did find lacking were the jokes about Ryan’s looks, his abs, and just general handsomeness. I thought this author had done a good job at setting this novel up as being relevant and different, and I thought those mentions lacked the sensitivity that the other topics brought to this novel. On the flip side, I loved all of the baking details! Those baking classes created a nice visual and made me want to run out to the closest cupcake place and snack on a dozen. Yum!

Despite the plethora of baked goods that inhabited my dreams the night I finished this novel or maybe because of them, I decided I enjoyed Donut Fall in Love more than I was scared away by Ryan’s slight cheesiness and self-aggrandizing. I liked the message the author was trying to deliver in both Ryan and Lyndsay’s characters and enjoyed their love story more than I had imagined I would. So, if you are immune to baked goods and want to spend time with a hot actor and a sweet baker, check out this novel for a light-hearted romance with some hidden depths. It may surprise you as it did me!

❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Donut Fall in Love

Copyright 2021 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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It’s Monday, what are you reading? (10/25/21)

I spent the weekend traveling down to Florida to visit my dad with my sister and the hubs and as I a,ways do when traveling I read A LOT!

JUST FINISHED

A hunky movie star wants some private tutoring from our heroine baker so he doesn’t look like a fool when he does a cooking show. It was light, fun, and perfect for a weekend getaway.

JUST STARTED

The first novel in this series was a great story and I received the ARC for the second book. I haven’t started it yet but I’m looking forward to digging in!

Happy Monday everyone! As usually, if you’d like to share what you’re reading, please do!

Deb

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