This Chick Read: Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

Driving home from a funeral through the countryside, ER Doctor Alexis Montgomery avoids a deer and ends up in a ditch. Luckily for her super cute and ten years younger Daniel Grant drives by and stops to help pull her out. Later that night when she walks into the dive bar where he and his friends are sitting he has a chance to make an impression. She accepts his offer of a grilled cheese sandwich and ends up spending the night. What was meant to be a one night stand turns into her weekend escape and carpenter/B&B host Daniel starts finding his way into her heart.

Part of Your World was a breath of fresh air. A younger man-older woman romance that didn’t feel at all forced, I loved Daniel’s small town and quirky nature. Alexis obviously did too since she snuck away from her fast paced life, pushy family, and super annoying ex-fiancé in order to breathe a little easier. She never intends for her two lives to cross but their feelings for each other override her cautious nature and make her take risks in order to find her own happiness.

I was so surprised by this novel. I mean, I’m not sure why I was because I love this author and have yet to be disappointed by one of her novels yet the quirky setting and characters made me fall in love. Not just with our two main characters but for the whole town, pigs, goats and all. Alexis was a woman who needed saving from herself. Coming from a well-known family of doctors she feels the pressure of falling in line and doing as her parents want- becoming uber successful and continuing the good family name. She doesn’t want the same things they want but it’s not until she ends up in the ditch and meets Daniel that the direction of what she wants out of her life really changes.

There were many magical moments in this novel and all of those happened in the small town of Wakan. There seemed to be some sort of “true love” mystical bond between Alexis, the town, and Daniel. While slightly silly, it did give a “it was meant to be” vibe to an already sweet story which I’ll admit I fell for – no problem. It helped that Daniel was charming, funny, and just absolutely adored Alexis- I can buy into the magic of the moment if it means these two would get together. After all, if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be!

If you love small town romances with a hint of magic and a whole lot of charm, you will love Part of Your World. Pick up this book and give it a read! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Part of Your World

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

This Chick Read: Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez

Vanessa’s mom and sister didn’t live to 30 so Vanessa has vowed to live every day like it was her last, traveling around the world and blogging about her life. She didn’t expect people to react so positively having followers in the millions. When her sister drops her baby off and never returns Vanessa has to change her life to fit this new little one. Adrian Copeland is a successful trial lawyer with an impeccable reputation and hard work attitude. When the screaming baby wakes him up, he goes over to his neighbor’s see what’s up and ends up babysitting while Vanessa takes a shower. Enjoying her personality, Adrian ends up spending more and more time with she and Grace until they are almost like their own little family unit. But Vanessa is a lifestyle blogger who is used to living life like there’s no tomorrow.

I have read the other two books in this series and they were cute, which is why I picked up the third. I did not expect this book to be so full of heart, have great characters, and leave me with soggy tissues to clean up when I finished reading. Whew! This novel hooked me in and then took me on a journey that I wasn’t sure I wanted, but definitely didn’t want to stop.

Vanessa was kind of a nut. A free spirit, she really fits that lifestyle blogger persona- or at least she seems to. She really has a hidden agenda, raising money for ALS, the disease that killed her sister and that her mother was also showing symptoms of. Vanessa is terrified that she too will die from this disease. That thought has filled her life and every decision she’s made since she realized it. Adrian is completely thrown by this fascinating creature that lives next door. He has been all about work and as he gets to know her he is realizing that there is so much more to life than being a partner in his firm and working 24/7. I loved seeing him blossom out of his work persona.

I can’t let this review end without saying something about Vanessa’s family who played a huge part in this book. As with most families, her’s had their share of issues. What was so nice about Life’s Too Short was how family was at the heart of the story. The ALS storyline, the baby, her father’s hoarding, her sister’s addiction, her brother’s money making schemes. All integral parts to making Vanessa who she was and why this novel worked so well. Loved! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Life’s Too Short

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

This Chick Read: The Happy Ever After Playlist (The Friend Zone #2) by Abby Jimenez

Two years after the sudden death of her fiancé and Sloan Monroe can’t seem to get her life back on track. Once a talented budding artist she is barely making ends meet working for a mass production company painting cat astronaut paintings. On the anniversary of her fiancé’s death she is driving down the road when she finds a stray dog. She takes him home and calls the name and number on his tags. She leaves messages for over two weeks, but in the interim she keeps feeding the dog and taking him out on walks which help her come out of her funk. When the owner finally calls back and says he’s out of the country, she offers to keep watching him, sending him texts and pictures daily. As those texts with Jason turn flirty she finds herself looking forward to the time when they can meet face to face, while at the same time feeling guilty for moving on. When she finds out he’s a famous musician she wonders if she can survive another heartbreak.

I read The Friend Zone when it first came out and even though I liked it I sat on this second novel. Who knows why, because as soon as I started reading it I knew that I was going to love it. It was so easy to read and I really loved both Sloan and Jason. Jason, despite his superstar status was so down to earth, calm, and charming. He knew that what he found in Sloan was something special and he pursued her with a steadiness that was sweet and smooth. Sloan was a bit more of a mess because of her fiancé’s sudden death but then who wouldn’t be? I loved how it was Jason’s dog, Tucker who brought her out of her slump, playing a great wingman for his missing owner. By the time Jason arrived on the scene Sloan’s heart was on the mend and she was more open to a new relationship. Was this book perfect? No. I had issues with the conflict that arose when Sloan joined Jason on tour. It was pretty manufactured but I had trust in the author to get us back on the trail to our happily ever after, and she did.

I seem to be drawn towards books that have solid friendships, and Sloan’s and Kristen’s was pretty much perfect. I can’t say I remember Kristen too much from The Friend Zone since I read it quite a few years ago, but she was a pretty funny foil to Sloan’s more subdued demeanor. Her antics created the perfect comedic foil to push Sloan into action on a few pivotal scenes. I smiled through her craziness and enjoyed their friendship. Every Thelma needs a Louise and that was who Kristen was for Sloan.

If you are in the mood for a quick romance that is surprisingly sweet with characters who have quite a bit of depth, this may be the perfect book for you! I am still wondering why I waited so long to read it, but hey, the third in the series is out already and now I don’t have to wait at all before diving in to another book that I know is going to bring me pleasure. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book! The Happy Ever After Playlist

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

This Chick Read: The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

Kristen Peterson is one of those girls that is effortlessly beautiful, sarcastically funny, and everyone’s best friend. The moment Josh Copeland meets her he knows she’s the woman for him. With her boyfriend on deployment, Kristen has plenty of time to hang with her best friend helping her plan her wedding. As the maid of honor to Josh’s best man, they are thrown together on many occasions and develop an easy friendship that could turn into so much more, except for two things. Her boyfriend and the fact that she has a medical condition that will make her unable to have children.

This was one of those books that is a delight to read at least for the first half of the book. I loved Kristen’s personality. She was so freaking funny but also had so much heart. She and Josh together were really effortless and the tension that built between them as she fought to keep that wall up was extreme! As the second half of the book rolled along I’ll admit to moments where I wanted to kick her in the shins to just make her get over herself and give him a chance. Thankfully the tender moments outweighed the frustrating, but I did seriously question my resolve to finish this book.

With the exception of a lack of communication skills, Josh was the perfect guy. Handsome, had a great job, and a good personality. The fact he was so nice was kind of unreal but knowing I was reading a fantasy filled romance novel I let myself enjoy his wonderfulness. There were a couple of tense emotion filled scenes where he just shone and I again wanted to kick Kristen in the shins because her reactions just didn’t make sense! LOL! Who wouldn’t want to do everything in their power to be with this guy?

Thankfully, knowing this is a romance and a happy ending is pretty much guaranteed I chose to enjoy the ride and not question things too much. The ending was happy just as I’d hoped and this amazing couple fought through adversity and then some… to finally get that happy ending. The Friend Zone had moments of hilarity mixed with tension filled heartbreak. I hit all points on the emotional spectrum and still enjoyed the novel. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“What I expected upon picking up The Friend Zone was a light-hearted, fluffy contemporary romance perfect for summer. And while the book delivered with the romance, angst, and humor, it also contained a layer of emotional complexity that was unexpected in the best way.” Paws and Paperbacks

The Friend Zone in three words: Witty, Relatable and EmotionalNovel Gossip

Click this link to purchase!* The Friend Zone

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate