This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Most Anticipated Book Releases-April’24

Who knew April was going to have so many great romance releases? I surely did not! It was kind of tough to pick out only five but here goes. My Top 5 book I am most anticipating reading when they come out next month.

This is the first book in a series that’s spinning off from the Rock Chick series which is one of my faves by this author. I’m waiting on pins and needles and have already purchased this book. Yay!

Synopsis:

Rachel Armstrong has a burning need to right the world’s wrongs. Thus, she becomes the Avenging Angel.And maybe she’s a bit too cocky about it. While riding a hunch about the identity of a kidnapper, she runs into Julien “Cap” Jackson, who was trained by the team at Nightingale Investigations in Denver. Now he’s a full-fledged member at their newly opened Phoenix branch. It takes Cap a beat to realize Raye’s the woman for him. It takes Raye a little longer (but just a little) to figure out how she feels about Cap. As Raye introduces Cap to her crazy posse of found family and his new home in the Valley of the Sun, Cap struggles with his protective streak. Because Raye has no intention to stop doing what she can to save the world. But there’s a mysterious entity out there who has discovered what Raye is up to, and they’ve become very interested. Not to mention, women are going missing in Phoenix, and it seems like the police aren’t taking it seriously. Raye believes someone should. So she recruits her best friend Luna, and between making coffees, mixing cocktails, planning parties and enduring family interventions (along with reunions), the Avenging Angels unite to ride to the rescue.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Avenging Angel

I really enjoyed this author’s previous novel Mrs. Nash’s Ashes. It was quirky and humorous and I’m hoping for a similar feel with this very different sounding novel. You read this synopsis and tell me that it doesn’t make you curious?

Synopsis: Fake spirit medium Gretchen Acorn is happy to help when her best (read: wealthiest) client hires her to investigate the unexplained phenomena preventing the sale of her bridge partner’s struggling goat farm. Gretchen may be a fraud, but she’d like to think she’s a beneficentone. So if “cleansing” the property will help a nice old man finally retire and put some much-needed cash in her pockets at the same time, who’s she to say no?

Of course, it turns out said bridge partner isn’t the kindly AARP member Gretchen imagined—Charlie Waybill is young, hot as hell, and extremely unconvinced that Gretchen can communicate with the dead. (Which, fair.) Except, to her surprise, Gretchen finds herself face-to-face with Everett: the very real, very chatty ghost that’s been wreaking havoc during every open house. And he wants her to help ensure Charlie avoids the same family curse that’s had Everett haunting Gilded Creek since the 1920s.

Now, Gretchen has one month to convince Charlie he can’t sell the property. Unfortunately, hard work and honesty seem to be the way to win over the stubborn farmer—not exactly Gretchen’s strengths. But trust isn’t the only thing growing between them, and the risk of losing Charlie to the spirit realm looms over Gretchen almost as annoyingly as Everett himself. To save the goat farm, its friendly phantom, and the man she’s beginning to love, Gretchen will need to pull off the greatest con of her life: being fully, genuinely herself.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Happy Medium

The Cheat Sheet and Practice Makes Perfect were both great, so who wouldn’t want to try out Sarah Adams newest book release? I will be first in line!

Synopsis: Nora Mackenzie’s entire career lies in the hands of famous NFL tight end Derek Pender, who also happens to be her extremely hot college ex-boyfriend. Nora didn’t end things as gracefully as she could have back then, and now it has come back to haunt her. Derek is her first client as an official full-time sports agent and he’s holding a grudge.

Derek has set his sights on a little friendly revenge. If Nora Mackenzie, the first girl to ever break his heart, wants to be his agent, oh, he’ll let her be his agent. The plan is simple: make Nora’s life absolutely miserable. But if Derek knows anything about the woman he once loved—she won’t quit easily.

Instead of giving in, Nora starts a scheme of her own. But then a wild night in Vegas leads to Nora and Derek in bed the next morning married. With their rule book out the window, could this new relationship save their careers or spark the romance of a lifetime?

Click this link to purchase this book!*

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I know the weather is turning for the better when there’s an Emily Henry release on the horizon. I need to plan my vacation because this book is going to be perfect reading when I sit beachside!

Synopsis: Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.
 
Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.
 
 Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads —Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?
 
But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

Click this link to purchase this book!* Funny Story

I love me some Abby Jimenez and I can’t wait to read her newest novel. Funny enough this will be the second book I’ve read recently with this kind of plot but I’m still looking forward to this author’s spin on it. Enough to give her the #1 spot!

Synopsis:

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work. 

Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

Click this link to purchase this book!* Just For the Summer

I’m not kidding when I say there are so many great books coming out next month. Give a shout in the comments if there are any you are looking forward to reading!

Happy reading!

Deb

This Chicks Audio Review: The Exception to the Rule (The Improbably Meet Cute Collection) by Christina Lauren

It starts with an email sent to the wrong person on Valentine’s Day and continues on through 10 years of Happy Valentine’s emails. T and C were very young when the first email was sent and set up ground rules; no names, places, or personal information that could tie them back to their real lives. This sweet short story written by one of my favorite romance author duo’s quickly sets the stage of strangers to friends to lovers through cute emails.

I loved listening to this short story! Narrated by Marli Watson and Andrew Gibson who imbued T and C’s characters with life, humor, and well, life! I was hooked right from the beginning. If you have a short-ish commute you may get through this story in a day, it took me two and I enjoyed every minute. Sorry this review is short on details but I don’t want to give anything away. Enjoy! I did! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Exception to the Rule

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.

This Chick Read: Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

The universe has a plan for Daphne Bell. When she meets men, the universe leaves her a note with the man’s name and the length of time that their relationship will last. Knowing when the relationship will end allows Daphne to relax and enjoy their time together, but it also leaves her skeptical that she’ll ever find “the one”. Then, on a blind date, she receives the note ‘Jake’ with no date. Does not having an end date mean that Jake is “the one”?

I found the premise of this story to be really interesting and wondered how the author could get the reader to buy into the notion that there is a time limit on love. As I was reading through the flashbacks of Daphne’s past relationships because I knew the ending before the story began I didn’t get too invested in that partner for Daphne. But that was kind of the point, right? I was feeling Daphne’s own ambivalence. This created a great contrast to the emotions Daphne felt when she received the slip of paper with no date for Jake.

I always love these little hints of magic that this author puts into her stories. They elevate the mundane, and in this case built up hope that fate is real and that we all have that chance to find our one true love. This is actually what I loved about this book the most. That after an existence filled with deadlines our heroine was given hope and after a couple of life’s twists and turns, would be allowed her own happily ever after.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Expiration Dates

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.

This Chick Read: The Last Dragon King (Kings of Avalier #1) by Leia Stone

The Dragon King is looking for a wife. He must produce a child in order for his people to retain their magic and his sniffers are sweeping the kingdom for women of childbearing age who have enough magic to bear his children. Arwen lives in one of the smallest villages in the kingdom and when the Kings guards arrive in town the eligible ladies are excited. Arwen’s mother packs a bag and urges Arwen to leave, telling her a secret about her heritage. No surprise that she’s caught at the gate and found to bear magic and is hustled off to the Dragon King.

The Last Dragon King was a refreshing, easy to read, romantic fantasy novel with an interesting plot and some great world building. Drae and Arwen had great chemistry, fun dialog, and there were plenty of action sequences to hold my interest. It felt like reading a fairy tale story with a curse of sorts put on the kingdom that only the right girl/woman could cure. Arwen doesn’t want anything to do with saving the world. She only wants to get back to her small village and her mom and sister.

Drae’s “curse” is actually the really interesting part of this tale. Imagine having to procreate to keep your kingdom healthy and magical. It’s an interesting twist on the poisoned apple in snow white. Drae, of course, is the handsome, physically fit hero and is pretty tempting to our heroine, but it’s the sword fighting and saving the kingdom bits that really draw Arwen. A fun story to while away a weekend afternoon! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Last Dragon King

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.

This Chick Read: A Grave Robbery (Veronica Speedwell #9) by Deanna Raybourn

Lord Rosemarren purchases a wax figure of a beautiful woman reclining and asks Stoker to install a clock mechanism to give the Rosemarren Collection its own Sleeping Beauty, a la Madame Tussaud’s. When Stoker cuts into the woman he makes a gruesome discovery. This woman is not a wax figure but a perfectly preserved body. Who is this woman and why would someone preserve her like this? As Veronica and Stoker investigate the scientific community they find themselves pursued by someone who wants the Beauty back and will do anything to make that happen.

I love the uncommon pairing of Veronica Speedwell, lepidopterist and illegitimate child of the Prince royal, and Stoker, her lover and friend. His knowledge of taxidermy and the preservation of beings is stretched to the limit in this investigation and while the discovery of the preserved woman is gruesome, they both want to do right by her, find her family, and give her a proper burial. Unfortunately for them, an obsessed scientist wants her back for their own which puts them, once again, in peril.

Despite the setting of Victorian England, this novel reads more regency romance, with an investigation by day and fade to black love scenes at night. Despite, or maybe because of the romance I enjoyed this novel more than the previous couple of books in this series. More so because of the eccentric side characters, but also because the two main protagonists are just so interesting to read about. Neither of them are perfect, nor do they want to be. Although at times they are too smart for their own good. A Grave Robbery was a refreshing addition to this somewhat steady series. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* A Grave Robbery

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.

This Chick Read: The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead

When librarian, Alexis Stone gets dumped by her boyfriend for being boring in bed she decides to prove something to herself. She puts on a stunning outfit and goes to a sophisticated bar in a hotel to have a one night stand. When she is harassed at the bar by a drunk patron, Logan, a rather abrupt and brash man in a suit, comes to her rescue. They strike up a conversation and Alexis goes for it.. and Logan takes her up on the offer. Their chemistry is off the charts but unfortunately someone pulls the fire alarm just when things start to get interesting. Twisting her ankle on the way down the stairs, Logan carries her down, right into a crowded parking lot. He drops her with an EMT, but when he spots the press he takes off without getting her number.

Logan ended up being a candidate for Governor and of course their photo gets taken. When his team tracks her down they offer her a deal. Her image is just what he needs- a beautiful and sweet librarian who might help his brash reputation. In return she can have a favor. This was a cute premise with a charming main characters. They were total opposites but you know what they say about opposites attracting!

Logan and his political team get more than they asked for when Alexis decides to use her new notoriety to help teachers and librarians get better pay. I loved how she jumped out of her comfort zone and came out guns blaring. Logan seemed to love it as well. In politics he may have been brash but in a romance novel he was all alpha male and I loved their pairing. They were sweet and salty and watching them fall for each other under the premise of dating was really fun to read. For those of you who like to know the heat factor, the intensity was certainly there but this was a slow burn novel. This author knows how to build tension! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Boyfriend Candidate

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.

This Chick Read: Scandalized by Ivy Owens

Investigative journalist Georgia Ross is stranded in an airport while trying to get home after an exhausting overseas trip. The airline can’t rebook her until the morning and the person before her got the last room available in the hotel. When Gigi realizes that he’s the older brother of a childhood friend she strikes up a conversation that leads to her using his shower and then drinks in the lobby of the hotel. Alec Kim is handsome, intelligent, and they have amazing chemistry and Gigi does something she never does. She has a one night stand that is unforgettable. When morning comes Alec is distant, but treats her to a first class ticket home. When she sees flight attendants flutter around him, and fans with signs in the airport she realizes he was not only her childhood friends older brother but a very famous actor. She feels ridiculous, until he tracks her down…

This book was riveting. Then tension between these two was palpable. Gigi’s story that she was investigating was incredible, and Alec was almost too good to be true. I was hooked from the very first scene and was amazed at this “first time author’s” debut novel. I did find out that this author is actually Lauren Billings of the duo Christina Lauren and then wasn’t so surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. It was very different than a Christina Lauren novel though. It was filled with tension and I wasn’t sure if there was going to be an hea for our couple. It really read more mystery-fiction than romance, but regardless it was sooooo good!

What did I love about it? Well, the story Gigi was investigating was jaw-dropping and horrifying. Alec’s acting persona was interesting and added more drama to a drama-filled story. Their chemistry was page on fire type of chemistry. Their romance was emotional, connected, and did I say emotional? I was so caught up. I know I’ll be getting the audiobook soon just so I can see if I like it as much the second time around. I’m not sure I’ll live through those heat the sheets scenes though.

I love Christina Lauren novels, but you know what? I hope Ivy Owens has another riveting novel drop because I loved her solo writing style too. The bio said she wrote it during the pandemic but I hope she carves out the time to go solo again soon. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Scandalized

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.

This Chick Read: Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

Finding her dream man is harder than Annie Walker thought it would be. When she accidentally hears her blind date ask a friend to call and bail him out because she’s “so unbelievably boring” she figures she needs to practice being more exciting. Who better to teach her than tattooed bodyguard to the stars, Will Griffin. Will is back in Rome, GA to guard her soon to be sister-in-law while she plans her upcoming nuptials. When he finds himself tasked with helping Annie out, he knows he’s in trouble. He has always had a soft spot for the shy, flower shop owner, but a few “practice” dates shouldn’t be too hot to handle. Or are they?

I found this novel on a Best of 2023 romance book list and thought I’d give it a try. The plot was pretty simple but I was intrigued by this guy who doesn’t want to put down any roots and how a small town girl was going to rope him in. I’ll admit that they had a bit of chemistry and some of their practice dates were cute, but I thought there was a lack of depth in our heroine that made it really hard for me to connect with them as a couple.

I will back off a bit and say that I haven’t read this author before and it could be that not having read Annie’s brother and soon to be sister-in-law’s romance might have provided a back story that could’ve helped me like Annie a bit more. Maybe. However, this novel isn’t a second in a series and is said to be ok to read as a stand alone, so I think it just didn’t fit what I needed when I picked up a book to read. Sometimes that happens, right? ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Practice Makes Perfect

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.

This Chick Read: Iron Flame (The Empyrean #2) by Rebecca Yarros

A much anticipated sequel to the bestseller Fourth Wing, I chose to listen to the sequel as I did the first book despite it’s length at 808 pages. The first novel caught me by surprise. I love fantasy novels, especially if there be dragons, so was immediately swept up in the fervor for Fourth Wing. Because I was late to the party, I didn’t have to wait too long for the second book, Iron Flame, to come out. I was eager to see how it would start as the preceding book left us hanging on a huge plot point. Luckily it started off right where we left all the characters and I anticipated immediate action sequences and lots of romance. I got a bit of one and not much of the other for a good length of the book.

Violet and Xaden had to regain trust in each other and it took a really long time for Violet to forgive him. A long, long time. Now, if I had been reading this book I could’ve skimmed through a hundred, or two hundred pages, and still got the set-up to the main plot for Iron Flame. However, I was listening to this novel and I don’t really know why but the story wasn’t grabbing me without that love interest side plot. When looking at it, I think my emotions followed what was happening with Violet. She was protecting her friends so she became a bit of loner and that lack of camaraderie which was so fun in the first novel was not around to carry chapters in Iron Flame. At least not for a while. Xaden, was also absent as he was of a different rank and was now on active duty. It wasn’t until a key pivotal plot where Violet has to come clean with her friends and that core group is back together that I started to enjoy Iron Flame. I’m unsure how far into the book that was but it felt like 50%. It just took too long for the momentum to start building.

Needless to say, I thought this story wasn’t as solid as the first, but there were still some great action sequences, Violet was still a worthwhile and interesting heroine, and Xaden was still the flawed hero who will do anything to keep her alive. Plus the friend group expanded, more interesting characters were brought into the story and Violet was put to the test in different ways. I guess I just preferred the quickness of the first novel. For that reason I’m not giving this a five rating but it still gets a solid four from this lover of fantasy novels. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Iron Flame

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.

This Chick Read: Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Chandler Cohen has never felt more dissatisfied with her job as a ghostwriter than when she attends the book signing of her most recent book and the author doesn’t even recognize that she helped her write her book. A drink at the bar is just what she needs and connecting with the handsome man sitting next to her has her doing something she never does… have a one night stand. Unfortunately for her, despite their connection, it didn’t translate to good sex. She thinks she’s better off forgetting the night entirely until she sits across from him the next day and finds out actor, Finn Walsh is her next client. Wanting to keep things professional she admits to the imperfection of their night together. He is distraught at this news. She is still intrigued by this interesting man who she likes outside the bedroom so she agrees to a deal to “tutor” him on a few things that would help his technique, but only when they aren’t working on the book.

This was such an original premise! The hero isn’t good in the bedroom? That scene was hilariously done and the tutor sessions certainly added heat that was missing in their initial interaction. Chandler and Finn were both great characters. They had interesting back stories, conflicts, and personalities. I loved them both. It’s been awhile since I’ve connected with two characters so easily and enjoyed watching them find their way to each other. I think because of how the book started imperfectly, it just helped it all feel so real.

I’ll admit to that fantasy of attracting a famous actor and while Finn is famous it’s for a part he played in his early 20’s in a paranormal show- think werewolves and vampires. Finn’s dissatisfaction with his career, personal imperfections, and even actors from that show just made him more interesting. Chandler’s job as his ghostwriter gave her insights into all of those things and his hopes and dreams. It made it so easy to like the two of them and root for their hea. Something I did from the get-go. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Business or Pleasure

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.