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This Chick Read: Mr. Nice Spy (My Spy #2) by Tiana Smith

After fireworks designer, Andee Paxton takes an online DNA test she finds out that her biological father is none other than Holt, an international arms dealer. The CIA shows up at her door where she meets very handsome CIA analyst officer Adam Chan. When Chan lingers over coffee they find themselves knocked out and kidnapped by her father’s men. Waking up in a bunker as boyfriend and girlfriend Andee and Chan play their parts while her very scary father tries to get to know her and sell her on the family business as well as get her help in creating a very nasty bio weapon. Chan and Andee’s fake relationship is the only thing keeping her sane as they try to figure out their escape plan and save the world.

What a fun rom-com/spy novel! Tiana Smith has a very easy style of writing that made this story a joy to read. Lots of action, great dialogue, and a few scary bits for conflict made for a complete escape from reality and an enjoyable weekend of reading. I haven’t read the first novel in this series but I’ve found it at the library and have it on my TBR.

Besides the great action series, Andee and Chan were both really interesting characters and their immediate chemistry gave the romance some heat. Andee is one of those smart heroine’s that I love to read about- go STEM romance leads! her degree in chemical engineering makes her a great sidekick for a spy. She didn’t let her emotions get the better of her and was doing her part to find a way out. Chan, too, was an interesting guy. Yes, he was a CIA analyst, but he is also hearing impaired. I liked how his “weakness” became a strength in the story. The fact that the descriptions of him as well as Andee’s immediate attraction made him eye candy for my imagination didn’t hurt either. Really, this story was just 100% enjoyable and I can’t recommend it enough.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Mr. Nice Spy

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’s Audio Review: The Road of Bones (The Ashen #1) by Demi Winters

Synopsis: Silla Nordvig is running for her life.

The Queen of Íseldur has sent warriors to bring Silla to Sunnavík, where death awaits her. When her father is killed, his last words set Silla on a perilous quest: travel the treacherous Road of Bones—a thousand-mile stretch haunted by warbands, creatures of darkness, and a mysterious murderer—and go to Kopa, where a shield house awaits her.

After barely surviving the first stretch of road, a desperate Silla sneaks into a supply wagon belonging to the notorious Bloodaxe Crew. To make it to Kopa, she must win over Axe Eyes, the brooding leader of the Crew, while avoiding the Wolf, his distractingly handsome right-hand man. But the queen’s ruthless assassin has other plans and hunts Silla obsessively.Will Silla make it safely to Kopa? Or will she fall prey to the perils of the Road of Bones?

Narrated by Islay Jacobs in a charming English accent, The Road of Bones follows Silla on her journey to get to Kopa with the help of the Blood Axe Crew, led by Reynir, or as she refers to him, Axe eyes. He is a viking-esque warrior who slightly terrifies Silla when she hides away in their wagon as they start their journey on the Road of Bones. When she’s found out, her life is threatened, but it’s her charming nature, and the fact that she can cook that lands her a semi-permanent position with their crew at least to the next town. All the while she has the Queen’s warriors hunting throughout the countryside for her as well as an agent of the queen who has a magical ability that is frankly terrifying but also really useful in getting information out of the people she questions.

This novel is filled with loads of adventure, lots of killing, comradery, and a side of romance. Things that are common in epic tales of heroism and adventure. Silla herself starts off as a young 20 year old girl, but ends the novel a slightly stronger woman who has learned a lot about life’s lessons, evil, and heartbreak. I’ll admit to finding her younger self slightly annoying because she was so naive, and still kind of annoying when she lost that naivete yet still refused to embrace her true self. However, I loved the camaraderie, and tales of adventure. I’ve never read a book by this author but I’ve already checked out the second novel in the series because after 25 hours of listening (truth!) I need to know that Silla is going to embrace her future and become the woman I know she can become.

If you are a fan of epic fantasy novels you may like this series. This first novel has given me hope that a female author can write an epic tale that has a strong female lead that can conquer, kick butt, fall in love and remain someone that I can root for until the end. Fingers crossed that book #2 delivers! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Road of Bones

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: a bunch of Nora Roberts!

You know when you are sick and you just want some comfort food? For me that food is usually a grilled cheese sandwich or a frozen chicken pot pie. These things just make my heart warm and help me feel just that small bit better. Well, Nora Roberts books are grilled cheese sandwiches for my spirit. I needed a hit of comfort food and happened upon her backlog of books when I was surfing my digital library. She has been so prolific that there are some books from 20 years ago that I know I read when they came out but honestly didn’t remember and thought, why not? I was surprised at how much I loved this venture down memory lane (or lack of memory as the case may be).

The book I read had a much older cover than this newer version, but as the book came out in 2001 I’d imagine it’s had a few variations. As noted by this cover, this book centers around the Giambelli family and Sophie, specifically. Her grandmother in a rather machiavellian way maneuvers, she and her step-son into swapping positions in the family business. Tyler MacMillan runs his grandfather’s vineyard and when he’s told Giambelli is merging with MacMillan and he has to give up running the vineyard to learn marketing and promotions, he is not pleased at all. Especially as he’s paired with the energetic and very attractive Sophie. Attraction ensues and when you add a little danger in the form of someone using their wine to poison people, voilâ! You get a wonderfully written romantic suspense novel that still holds well over time. I’ll admit that I did look up what cell phones looked like in 2001 for entertainment value, but that’s neither here nor there. The story held my interest and gave me that comfort I needed. Plus I liked Sophie and Tyler’s unusual and kind of begrudging love story. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Next up!

Yeah, I couldn’t just read one book I had to read one of the Irish trilogy’s! I didn’t remember this series at all and was immediately drawn into the magic of Ireland and the beloved Gallagher family. Jewels of the Sun was written in 1999, so it’s an oldie but goodie, but again since these novels had a bit of fantasy in the story my mind wasn’t diverted by technology and I easily fell into the story. This first novel follows Aidan Gallagher, who runs the local pub with his brother and sister. Gallaghers is filled with light, love, and a bunch of Irish characters who add a lot to the plot and give the story some charm. Jude Murray is the heroine, has some Irish heritage, and moves into her great aunt’s (I think?) fairie cottage, which is right above Prince Carrick of the fairies castle (as in below the earth). Her cottage is haunted by the love of Prince Carrick’s life and their story is the reason for the trilogy. They need three couples to find true love to have their curse broken so they can be together. The other two couple being Shawn and Brenna, and then Darcy and Trevor. The thing I love about these trilogy’s is that when they are good, you get lost in them and you just want to keep reading. The great thing about reading books this old is that they are all available to read!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Some Nora Roberts books are better than others, of course, but all four of these were pretty solid! If you are like me and read too many books in a year to remember the plots of books you’ve read over 20 years ago, then you may want to go to your nearest library and pick up a virtual copy! Or you can purchase your copy at the links below.

Click this link to purchase The Villa!*

Click this link to purchase The Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy!*

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Somewhere Along the Line by Mallory Thomas

Piper Paulson and James Newhouse ride the same train in to work every day. He’s in a suit, she’s in retro t’s and jeans. They are complete opposites, yet their eyes connect, then look away until one day when the Elvis convention is in town and the only seat available is next to each other and they take a chance and talk. One conversation that leads to their being connected during a freak incident on that train. Neither one of them is looking for a relationship but circumstance and chemistry keeps bringing them together. Will this connection turn into something more?

I liked this opposites attract romance. Piper and James are drawn to each other in large part because they remind each other of their past. She reminds him of his mother and he reminds her of a previous relationship. Both add conflict to their reaching their happily ever after and make for some interesting story arc’s that held my interest and kept me reading. Were there problematic moments? Yes, but the positive outweighed the negative and these problems didn’t slow the story down or take me out of the story so I was able to stay “in the moment” and move past those brief moments.

I looked up the author and didn’t see any other books in her bio so I believe this is her debut novel. In this reviewers humble opinion I think she did a solid job, gave us interesting characters to read about, and created a plot that was simple but had some dynamics that were unexpected and gave the reader that element of surprise that keeps us reading. Nice job! ❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Copyright 2024 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux

Margaret Arden wants more from life than the existence she’s known. She dreams of becoming a successful writer but after she takes a brutal set-down from a publisher she fears that she might have to give up that dream and marry to support her family. Bridger Darrow is back from the war and hopes to build a successful career as a publisher. The future looks grim until he stumbles upon some loose pages of a fantastic novel and realizes that the author is none other than the young woman he told off at a party earlier that week. Bridger must publisher her book and he fights to regain her trust, sparks fly, and they find themselves embroiled in a mystery that they must solve in order to help their friends.

I haven’t read a book by this author but and was so pleased when I found the characters to be interesting, the dialogue fun, and the story easy to read. Despite Margaret and Bridger’s disastrous first meeting the chemistry was undeniable and their passion for books something that most romance readers share. I loved these characters and rooted for their happiness, especially in light of all the chaos surrounding them.

A pretty typical story about a young woman reliant upon her relatives for survival, Margaret knows her only chance at not marrying an old geezer to pave the way for her younger sisters in society is to sell her novel and make enough money to launch them into society. Despite this story of a woman’s plight being told again and again the love for writing and stories was a refreshing take on this historical novel. What really added originality was the fact that a male publisher saw enough in a woman’s story to stand by her and publish the novel. That might have been a bit of a historical stretch for the time but it made for a great way for this couple to have a bit of conflict and fall in love.

If you’re like me and you like to dip into the historical romance genre as a palate cleanser I think this one will hit the right note for you. Not too serious and not too silly, for me this one was just the right fit. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Much Ado About Margaret

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: How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn

Storee Taylor never thought she’d go back to the small town where she spent Christmas’s with her great-aunt, but after she falls and breaks her hip, she packs her bags and heads back to the town where Christmas never sleeps. Seriously, the town is Christmas themed 365 days of the year. Her aunt Cindy was determined to win the Christmas Kringle contest this year and if she can’t do it then she can make Storee enter the contest and run. Cole Black and Storee were friends when they were kids but then Storee disappears for 10 years on the night his parents died and Cole has never forgiven her for leaving in his time of need. When he finds out that Storee has entered the Christmas Kringle contest he decides to also compete and out Kringle Storee.

When I read the synopsis I thought that this sounded kind of cute and the cover was charming. I’m also a fan of Meghan Quinn’s rom-com stories, so color me surprised when I found myself seriously disliking this story. I’m used to reading Christmas stories out of season so I don’t think it was the holiday cheer in October. It just felt like the story was forced, the enemies to lovers plot (normally my favorite romance trope) overdone, and the kooky town characters that I usually find charming were just kind of annoying. Bah humbug, right?!!! I hate to hate on an author I normally like a lot, but this book was just not for me.

Now, I don’t want to go into any detail because I know those serious Meghan Quinn fans aren’t going to care what this one book reviewer thinks and can only say, please read it for yourself and discover if you agree or disagree. For me, it was just overdone. ❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* How My Neighbor Stole Christmas

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: Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn

Maren Laughlin’s life just took a left turn. When she rejects her boyfriends proposal, she quits her decades long job as a park ranger and moves back to her childhood playground to check in on her inheritance, a decrepit bait shop in Northern Wisconsin. Josiah Cole runs the resort that abuts Maren’s bait shop. A childhood best friend of her brother’s they used to hang out as children but life moves on and he’s now divorced, with two great kids. He’s happy with his life but when Maren moves in next door he starts catching feelings. She’s beautiful, funny, and his kids love her and their friendship is just so easy. Despite her brothers warnings, Joe and Maren are in the middle of a relationship without even trying.

I love these adult novels by Erin Hahn. She describes Joe and Maren’s relationship as just so easy to fall into, and this book was exactly the same. I started reading, and before I knew it I had developed feelings for these characters in part because of the easy flow of the story, but also because of the setting and the kids. This story was a joy and I relished reading Maren and Joe’s story.

There isn’t a great romance novel if there’s not a hint of conflict and we do have a couple of storylines that create that dynamic for our duo. Maren’s brother is Joe’s best friend, and he doesn’t hesitate to warn Maren off of catching feelings for Joe. He’s also a bit of a dope to Maren and gave the reader a person to get frustrated at that wasn’t our hero or heroine. Joe also isn’t the swinging single guy, he comes as a package with his two kids who added a lot to the story- as well as a dumb ex- spouse that the reader could also focus some energy on hating. It was only Maren and Joe’s feelings that were easy breezy, these conflicts gave the story a lot of heart in their conclusions.

I’ve read the other two novels in this stand alone series. I say stand alone and series in the same sentence because Maren’s two best friends were the heroines from the previous two adult novels by this same author. It’s always nice to see how other characters you’ve read have advanced their storylines and I welcomed that brief peek. Despite their reoccurance, you can read this novel as a stand alone and not miss a thing but I bet when you’re done, if you hadn’t read the other two novels you’re going to want to pick them up and catch up!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Catch and Keep

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner

Math Professor, Catherine Lipton has a plan for everything but when she starts a new job and her identity disappears she doesn’t even know where to start to get her documentation put back into the system. She reluctantly accepts help from her frustratingly laid-back doorman Luca Morelli. With his help she finds herself breaking the rules, meeting mysterious strangers, and generally having a great time. As she unravels the truth behind her identity disappearance she realizes that she may have been missing for a lot longer than she realized.

The publisher has described this book as being for readers who are fans of Sophie Cousens and Ashley Poston, and you know what? They were exactly right! I like both of those authors and I really enjoyed reading this novel about Catherine’s journey with the help of her very charismatic doorman Luca. Melissa Wiesner did a great job of showing Catherine’s growth from straight as an arrow professor to a more open to anything lady who is drawn to someone who seems to be her complete opposite.

This novel had one of my favorite things that I usually only find in small town romances. A fun, quirky cast of characters. I think because a lot of the story involves the building that they live in that building became the small town and each of those residents were fun, funny, and just plain lovely. Of course, they were all geriatric, so no chance of a second book in the series about one of the other characters in the book, but they added such joy to the novel. It’s funny because in real life young people don’t seem to tolerate the aging generation but in the best romance novels some of those older folks become my favorite characters. There were quite a few in this book.

The romance between Catherine and Luca wasn’t without its frustrations, but the story is what pulled this book together and gave it the gravitas needed to feel complete. The romance was just kind of a side note so please don’t think this is going to be a steamy novel. It’s not, but Catherine and Luca do provide enough sizzle to bring a romantic feel to the pages. That part of the story in my eyes isn’t the most important it was the sense of family and feeling like you belong that struck home for me. I liked this novel and hope this author will continue to write and give us a second book to look forward to! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Wish I Were Here

Copyright 2024 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: Encore in Death (In Death #57) by J.D. Robb

A glittering party full of A-list stars hosted by acclaimed actors Eliza Lane and Brant Fitzhugh at their New York apartment ends in tragedy. Brant Fitzhugh dies by cyanide poisoning and there are plenty of witnesses. Eve Dallas hates a spectacle and knows that this case is going to be a media circus but she and her team are focused on investigating the many suspects ranging from a fired assistant, stalker, and bitter rival. Eve has her job cut out for her on figuring out who would kill in the middle of a crowd and bring them to justice.

I’m a little bit behind in this series as the newest Bonded in Death (#60?), will be coming out in February. I’m a huge fan of Eve, Roarke, and the whole cast and crew of the In Death series and have enjoyed seeing how they’ve changed and grown in the three years (and 60 books) that this series has taken place. This story in particular had the glitz and glam of Hollywood and was fun to read. The characters they were investigating were mostly actors so it was hard to tell who was honest and who was lying. Although, I had my eye on the murderer pretty much from the start.

Set in a futuristic New York with zip gliders and blimp billboards the author has done a great job of setting the stage for each books mystery making New York both a background character and a setting. Encore In Death spends most of the time with Eve and Peabody, the surrounding characters only being involved in the investigation and even Eve’s husband Roarke taking a step back and not getting really involved in the outcome. He didn’t own any buildings or know any of the suspects except as acquaintances so he kept his distance. I liked how it felt more like an old fashioned mystery with the twists and turns mostly taking place on Eve’s white board and in her head. Sometimes simple is a nice change!

If you already read this series even if you haven’t read every book, this is a fun mystery and very easy to read. If you haven’t yet gotten involved in the series then you will miss some of the background histories between characters and the growth that those characters have made over 57 books. I do think that this one could be read as a stand alone because of the more simplistic nature of the investigation and the side characters not being as involved. It may be a good taste test of if you want to go back and start from the beginning! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Encore In Death

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: Primal Mirror (Psy-Changeling Trinity #8) by Nalini Singh

Auden Scott is not the child her Psy parents wanted, especially after her brain injury. Her thoughts are scattered and her memory is fuzzy or just blank. The only thing she knows is that she must protect her unborn baby, a baby she has no recollection of conceiving. Leopard Alpha, Remi Lenier’s instinct is to protect, his pack, his allies, and his new neighbor. Her eerie eyes and changing scent confound the man and intrigue his cat. Nothing about Auden is as it seems and when she asks for his help Remi can’t help but respond.

Primal Mirror is the 8th book in the series, but this Psy-Changeling world is over 20 books in. I’ve read a few across both Psy series and I feel like if you’re familiar with the details of this world you can jump right in mid series. That’s what I’ve done when I chose to read Primal Mirror, the newest novel in this world. It didn’t matter that a few characters may have had recurring plots, I was intrigued by Remi and Auden and wanted to read their story, not the backlog of other novels. It was easy to immerse myself in this world again and get wrapped up in this intriguing and kind of eerie story.

After reading the synopsis of Auden Scott and her memory issues and pregnancy I knew the plot could be slightly uncomfortable and without going into too many details that might spoil the plot, I will say that this was the case. If you can’t remember getting pregnant, chances are that the how’s and what-for’s are probably not going to be all sunshine and rainbows. As the plot surrounding Auden’s mystery is revealed it was very easy to root for the good guys, which is a great transition to the subject of Remi. As an Alpha, his instinct is to protect, but that doesn’t explain why he is drawn to someone that shouldn’t intrigue him, but he is a cat and cat’s are curious. Once he unveils the mystery he is all in to help Auden and keep her baby safe. I liked their interactions with each other, despite their personality differences. It certainly helps that Auden doesn’t seem to be interested in being removed from emotion as are most Psy. This makes their meld into a couple not seem so forced.

I’m not usually drawn to read Nalini Singh’s books, although I do like the mysteries she has started to write, but for some reason I was drawn to this book. It could be that the promotional tour did it’s thing and I seemed to cross paths with this book more than her others, but I’m not sorry that I did pick it up. Maybe because I’ve only read a few of these novels, but I found this one interesting, easy to read, and easy to get into. All in all, a solid weekend read! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Primal Mirror

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads