Tag: Ali Hazelwood

This Chick Read: Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Misery Lark is the daughter of the most powerful Vampyre Councilman in the southwest. When she is called upon to help broker peace between the Vampyre and their enemies the Weres she steps up to do her part. She marries the alpha wolf, Lowe Moreland. Lowe doesn’t trust easily and he really doesn’t trust his new bride.

I am obsessed with this novel! Her first novel in the paranormal genre and Ali Hazelwood hits a home run. The world building….wow! Vampyre, Humans, and Were live in the world together but in separate, heavily guarded regions. The humans are about to have a shift in leader which jeopardizes their vampyre relationship. When this new pact is made between Vampyre and Were – the first since a previous reunion ended in a massacre, Misery is asked to sacrifice her secret life among the humans to move into the unknown. Coming from a species who has very few emotional expressions, Misery finds the Were’s and their passionate responses dangerous but shows no fear and only increases her sassy, quick witted responses. She was fearless and funny.

Lowe was the perfect contrast to Misery’s coolness. She pretty much ignored his alpha stature and advanced into were life with humor and bravery- and had her own agenda. Lowe was conflicted in wanting to protect this little vampyre and see what she was up to. I loved their interactions and was fascinated with the differences in their species. This was a book where once I got lost in the world and the plot I COULD NOT PUT DOWN. It’s truly been awhile since I’ve said that.

Do you love Ali Hazelwood’s STEM romances? This one is different but there are many similarities too! Misery is smart, sassy, difficult, and brave. Just like the STEM heroines. Lowe is a bit more alpha, but he’s pretty similar to STEM romance heroes. Tall, handsome, in over his head with the female he’s interested in- definitely! It is just a different world that they live in, but everything Ali Hazelwood quirk that you love from her previous books are in this novel too. I am so eager for a second book in this series. We get a hint at the end so there better be one!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Bride

Copyright 2024 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: Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

Mallory Greenleaf gave up chess four years ago but her best friend has asked her to take an open spot on her team in a charity tournament and guilted her into playing. As she knocks off one challenger after another she finds herself facing the #1 player in the world, the “kingkiller”, Nolan Sawyer… and wipes the board with him. Nolan’s loss to an unknown player shocks the world and Mallory is drawn back into the life she’d once left and cash prizes she can receive to help support her struggling family. Keeping it all a secret from her family is imperative but when Nolan shows up at her door imploring her for a game that secret is threatened.

I loved this first YA novel by Ali Hazelwood. I say YA, but really this reads as an adult novel with characters who face adult issues. They only thing that’s YA about it is the age of the characters who are in their late teens and early twenties. If you’re a fan of The Queen’s Gambit, as I was, this novel reminded me that I don’t know a bit about chess but the strategy, skill, and drama can be riveting despite my lack of knowledge. Mallory’s life was decimated by her parents tragic divorce – all tied to the game she loved, so she dropped it like a hot potato and was determined to put the past behind her and help her ill mother support the family. Fortunately, she was drawn back into the chess world and Nolan Sawyer took and interest in this young lady. Despite him being a good guy, there were classic moments of good vs. evil and our Mallory dueled it out on the chess board. What fun!

Nolan was a pretty typical Ali Hazelwood character, but had his own tragic past that kept him separated emotionally from his pretty solid group of friends. He was everything a hero should be, handsome and loyal, but he was also pretty secretive, which made for some great conflict and resolutions. He was very well matched in skill with Mallory and it was nice to see that he wasn’t threatened, but relished the challenge. I loved this healthy relationship that helped each of them deal with their troublesome pasts.

This novel, like I said above, is a young adult novel, and is in comparison to adult novels pretty clean. I would consider it a slow burn romance, but there is some sizzle towards the latter part of the book so if you’re looking for clean, this may not be a good fit. For me, it was the perfect mix of relationship building, conflict, drama, and heat. Check & Mate was the perfect play and one helluva a good story.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Check & Mate

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Theoretical physicist, Elsie Hannaway, is an adjunct professor who hates teaching and just wants to finish her research project she’s been toiling on between teaching a million courses to undergrads and working for Faux, a fake-dating service. Being a fake girlfriend helps pay the bills but her lives are about to intersect when the brother of one of her favorite clients turns out to be the experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and rules the physics department at MIT, where there’s a job opening for her dream job. When Jack meets Elsie the theoretical physicist when he’s known her as Elsie the librarian, her two lives are about to collapse. However, the Jack she comes to know isn’t the same horrible tyrant who ruined the lives of theoretical physicists everywhere.

I love these women of STEM romance novels of Ali Hazelwood’s. Not only are they cleverly written, but the characters are flawed, real, and go through all of the self confidence issues that regular folks like you and I face on a daily basis, but perhaps even more so! Elsie had a great back story that captured my heart immediately. Diabetic since her youth, she’s always felt like she was a burden to her parents and because of this kind of lets the world walk all over her. When she meets Jack, the person who she thinks is her arch enemy, she is shocked that he doesn’t appear to be what she’s always believed. As we read further into the story, we understand Jack more and more and find him very easy to love as well. Both characters have had things shape their lives and mold them into who they are today. Totally flawed individuals who have to grow to connect with this other individual who certainly seems to be their soul mate. Their story was certainly swoon worthy!

Romance novels have certainly evolved over the years and Ali Hazelwood’s have helped that evolution by writing about a segment of our female population that aren’t usually the heroine’s in romance novels. Kind of like the first “Wallflower” books in the historical romance genre (now totally overdone btw), these women of STEM are certainly intellectual, but Ms. Hazelwood does a great job of showing how these women of STEM have the same insecurities and messed up youths as the rest of us. Underneath those white lab coats are women who just want to be loved, just like you and I. I have a Bachelor’s in English and by no means am proficient in science, math, etc. but I LOVE reading these novels and identifying our likenesses. I also love the surly men who come to love these great women. If you’re looking for a different kind of romance novel, please give this book a try.

Love, Theoretically is an exceptional romance novel. Not only does it have my favorite trope, enemies to lovers, but it has a little mistaken identity and rom-com thrown in as well. What isn’t funny about a young woman who has to fake-date men for a little extra cash to survive? Those scenes make for some great storytelling! Jack is a beast of a physicist and a prime specimen of a man and their interactions have great chemistry and heat. His direct stares followed me into my dreams and haunted me. Really!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Love, Theoretically

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick’s Mini review: Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood

This final book in Ali Hazelwood’s mini series about three best friends. This book follows NASA aerospace engineer, Hannah. In grad school Hanna needs to interview someone for an assignment and her best friend Mara hooks her up with her cousin Ian who is in the same industry and who was on the team that sent the last rover to Mars and they have instant heat but years later they are arch-rivals.

Out of the three Women of STEM books, this one was the book that I’d have liked to see as full length. There was obvious chemistry between Hannah and Ian and I would’ve liked to have explored each character a little more fully to develop that chemistry into full fledged heat. Hannah had a really interesting back story that begged to be told and I would’ve liked to have known a bit more about Ian’s personality that wasn’t just limited to young genius.

What I liked the best about this novel was how each of these characters were so strong and independent but they needed each other and were better together than by themselves. At least they were in my mind. LOL.

I love all of Ali Hazelwood’s novels. The characters are interesting, funny, and smart. The dialog is sassy and you just want to be their friends in real life. (I also wouldn’t mind taken home my own Ian…)

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Below Zero

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.

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This Chick Read: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

Bee Königswasser lives by a simple rule: What would Marie Curie do? So when NASA offers her the co-lead on a neuro-engineering project she accepts, despite it also being led by Levi Ward. Levi, made it very clear in grad school that he disliked Bee, so how would they lead this project together?

I love Ali Hazelwood’s women of STEM romance novels. She is the queen of awesome dialog and heated chemistry and Love on the Brain delivers in both of those areas. Bee is not only brilliantly smart, she also has a very smart mouth. She stands up for women and doesn’t let mansplaining dissuade her from her purpose on this project to create the best model for NASA and somehow get along with Levi. Despite having heated dreams of Levi breaking her concentration. Love on the Brain is a slow burn story, but Ali Hazelwood heats up the pages when it’s time for her characters to get together.

I loved all of the Marie Curie references as well as the science speak. Smart chicks are cool, and Bee is one of the coolest leading smart chicks that I’ve read to date. She’s colorful in character and brilliant of mind, but most of all, she’s a great person and an easy character to like. She has one foible, she wants stability and a home. She was brought up by various relatives around the world and wants to find her person, but she’s not quick to trust because of her past. Levi has a lot of work ahead of him! Yeah, Levi doesn’t really hate her, he’s just socially awkward and doesn’t know how to show his feelings.

Love on the Brain was smart, cute, funny, and at times brilliant. It was the perfect vacation read and I loved the feelings that it evoked in me. I know I’ll be picking up the audiobook as soon as it comes out so I can enjoy it again in a different way. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this ARC for my honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase!* Love on the Brain

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.

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This Chicks Audio Reviews: Under One Roof and Stuck With You (The STEMinist Novellas #1 & #2) by Ali Hazelwood

The Love Hypothesis was one of my favorite romance novels of 2021, so when Ali Hazelwood came out with novellas featuring women of STEM (Scientist, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) I had to read them and see if she could repeat her magical formula in short form. Part of what worked for me in The Love Hypothesis was the geeky humor and witty dialog. Also, the complete obtuseness (is that a word?) when it came to attraction and love that our main character betrayed. The STEMinist novella heroines definitely followed this same format. Super bright but when it came to their own love lives, they needed some great advice from their friends. It’s always easier to pick apart your best friends behavior than it is to figure out your own, right? This novella series follows three best friends who are all women of STEM and certainly have an opinion on each other’s love lives but aren’t so great at figuring out their own.

Under One Roof is book one in this short story series. Environmental Engineer, Mara, inherits half a house from her mentor and needs to move in asap. Inhabiting that house is big-oil lawyer Liam. They say opposites attract and you know when that front door opens that this is definitely the case but it takes a while for our duo to put aside their differences and take a chance on each other. It’s not often when I read a novella that feels like a full-length book but Ali Hazelwood does a great job of making that happen in Under One Roof. Mara and Liam fulfill that tension that I love in an enemies to lovers story! This book was narrated by Emma Wilder who did a great job voicing both characters and injecting humor, anger, angst, and attraction into every word. Bravo! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Stuck With You is the second book in the series and is the story of Civil Engineer, Sadie, who is slightly neurotic but ultimately adorable. She meets the hot, tall (to her very short) Viking, Erik at the local coffee shop. She is desperate for her lucky croissant and he just purchased the last one. This absolutely charming novella spends one wonderful day with the two of them as they get to know each other, not bothering to fight their attraction. Of course, it doesn’t all go smoothly but rights itself in the end with a little help from her friends. I’m saying less about this novella but I actually liked it a little bit more. The narration by Meg Sylvan was spot on. Her slight accent for the Dutch-born Erik is just amazing. You totally forget it’s a woman voicing his character! Sadie is a genius, but neurotically superstitious and her quirks made this short story a ton of fun. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I can’t wait for the third novella, Below Zero, to come out in July! The third and final STEMinist’s story looks to be a charmer. Each of these audiobooks runs just over three hours, so if you have a short car trip or are cooking something complicated on a weekend it’s the perfect amount of time to spend with these characters. The novellas both read like a full-length novel and don’t leave you hanging.

Click these links to purchase! Under One Roof and Stuck With You

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase these books through the above links I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Third year PhD candidate, Olive Smith needs to convince her best friend Anh that she should ask out her ex boyfriend on a date. Yes, Olive’s ex not Anh’s. As both of them are scientists, Anh needs irrevocable proof that it will not bother Olive so Olive kisses the first guy she finds (in front of Anh). That guy just happens to be professor Dr. Adam Carlsen, hot shot scientist and total @$$. Totally flummoxed by this kind of good kiss, he lets Olive drag him into a fake relationship that consists of meeting for coffee once a week and slowly getting to know each other until they develop a friendship. The problem with these two scientists is that neither of them know how to go after more. The Love Hypothesis is the first novel by Ali Hazelwood, and it is a potent formula of intellect, heat, and humor. A combination I can’t seem to resist.

What can I say, apparently I have a love for geeky science love stories! Although truthfully, neither of these characters are geeky but they do seem to be overly patient and sometimes clueless. I love grumpy hunks and Dr. Adam Carlsen is definitely more than a lab coat. When Olive locks lips with him he engages albeit very subtly. I can’t really blame Olive for being clueless that he’s attracted to her because he barely makes a move. Olive needs him to hit her over the head with his lack of subtlety before she catches on that they just might have feelings for each other. I loved each indecisive humor-filled moment. I was also shocked at the heat that I (the reader) felt at each very slight touch. When they finally got together? Holy Moly!!! They were on fire and those love scenes, were written so well.

Although I am not a PhD candidate this novel feels very authentic. I loved that the premise was so simple yet the silly plot was being portrayed by super smart characters. I loved the juxtaposition that just because you are brilliant in life doesn’t mean your choices are always spot on. I also really liked how all of the characters with their multi-ethnicities, gay, bi, whatever, were so natural. There wasn’t a big deal being made about their representation. It was refreshing!

What I liked the most though was the romance between Adam and Olive. It was a true slow burn romance and just before I got to the point of wanting to kick them into motion, they did it themselves. Whew! I felt relief, overjoyed, and overly emotional. It was truly Fab-u-lous.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

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

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads