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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: Hunt on Dark Waters (Crimson Sails #1) by Katee Robert

Evelyn is a witch with questionable decision-making skills. When she decides to steal from her vampire ex she escapes through a portal into another dimension and lands right in the middle of the ocean. Rescued by pirates, she’s told she must join the crew who work for the Cwn Annwn, or die. She of course chooses life, figuring she’d find a way out of this mess and this dimension. What she doesn’t count on is being attracted to Bowen, the captain of the ship and her mischief making causes him to question the rules he’s always followed.

I usually love fantasy novels but I’ll admit, I had a really hard time liking this one. I’ve never read a novel by this author and from what I’ve heard, this is very different from the novels she usually writes. Kudos to her for trying something new, but for me it just fell flat. I couldn’t connect with Evelyn, and kind of disliked her too. That’s a problem because it affected my response to the rest of the book. The romance then felt unrealistic, Bowen wasn’t heroic enough, and the world-building felt a bit undefined. I did finish the book, but it was a struggle. I hoped it would get better but the writing never elevated the characters and setting to something that would keep my interest.

I do believe that our own life experiences, likes, and dislikes, mean that each one of us is different and will like different books. Please read this one and decide for yourself if it’s the right book for you. It just wasn’t for me. ❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Hunt on Dark Waters

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: The Beautiful and the Wild by Peggy Townsend

Liv Russell is being held hostage in a shipping container turned storage shed by the man she once loved, and the father of her child, her husband Mark. After faking his own death, Liv happens upon a clue that makes her think her husband Mark is still alive. Leaving their home behind, Liv packs up the car with her belongings and her son, Xander and drives to Alaska to the small town of Cohut where she finds Mark shacking up with a young woman. Confronting him, he tricks her into the storage container and locks her in, where she remains for days, trying to figure a way out.

The pace of this novel is very slow and methodical, which fits with the actions taking place. There is a bit of set up and flashbacks to Liv and Mark’s previous life, but in present time, locked in a container, there isn’t a lot of action. This may bother some people but I must’ve been in the mood to read a psychological thriller because this pace helped me settle in and get into these character’s heads. While Liv isn’t the heroine that I normally root for, her situation of being trapped and separation from her special needs child, Xander made me curious to see where this author was going to take this story. I will admit, I didn’t expect it to head in the direction it did.

Usually flashbacks annoy the heck out of me, but it was a great tool to show the difference between Liv as she was when she and Mark met, and the woman who came to Alaska and found herself in this situation. The flashbacks also showed contrasts between what Liv thought of as charm but should have been warning signs in the man she came to love. Mark’s slow dissolution from loving husband to what he becomes later in this novel was deftly written and if you have the patience, I think worth the slow build up to the conclusion.

This was not the type of thriller where people are in chases, fights, etc. This is a true psychological thriller that was slow paced and very well written. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Beautiful and the Wild

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

End Game (New York Stars #1) by G. A. Mazurke

Hockey runs in the Bukowski family’s blood. All three sons play professional hockey and growing up their family billeted other young hockey stars. Then there’s Gracie, who knows more about hockey than anyone but is set aside by everyone, including her family. Liam is one of the hockey players that grew up living with Gracie’s family. When he was younger they were best friends but as he got older he became friendly with her brother Kow and slowly dropped Gracie. Now that he’s playing pro he realizes she is the one that he let get away and now that he’s been transferred to the New York Stars where Gracie lives he’s determined to get her back.

This book came on my radar through an article or blog about great sports romances and I have to say that I would have to agree. There is a lot of sports in this romance, mostly because that’s part of Gracie’s personality. Growing up in a hockey household, she has the eye of a coach and gives her brothers, including Liam, tips about their playing that has helped them tremendously throughout their careers. Unfortunately for them, she delivers the news in a brash, blunt manner. That is Gracie. She doesn’t hold her punches and her family doesn’t really understand her. This has caused problems with her three brothers, but not the billeted players like Liam who’ve lived in her household. Liam in particular, loves this about Gracie. I love that about him- he sees her as she is and loves her despite these characteristics.

There is an interesting plot point that causes psychological conflict for Liam. He was kidnapped off the streets, tortured, and held for ransom because of his high profile status. This kidnapping has made him suspicious, paranoid, and uneasy about life. If this is a trigger for you, you may want to avoid this novel, but I thought this was a really interesting aspect to his character that I wanted to know more about. How would Gracie handle this quality? Does this make him crazy or is he still a lovable guy? All of these things ran through my head while reading making this a rather unique read.

Needless to say there is a lot of emotional drama due to the kidnapping, and Gracie’s relationship with her own family, but the bond between Liam and Gracie is the important one and that felt pretty special. With the exception of the drunk scene at the beginning of the novel, I really enjoyed this story. That first scene just didn’t fit the feel of the rest of the novel and I wish it had been thrown out in edits. The rest of the story was great. I’ll definitely be looking for a book #2 in this series and will be looking at this author’s other novels under the name Serena Akeroyd. If they’re all like this one, I’ve got a bit of reading in front of me! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* End Game

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: Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

Kenna Rowan returns to town after serving five years for a tragic mistake. Wanting the chance to be near her daughter she is shut out by everyone except bar owner, Ledger Ward. Ledger sees Kenna’s trying to start a life and wonders if the way she is being treated by everyone would hurt Scotty, who had loved her, but if he cracks that door open Ledger could lose the trust of those he loves, including her daughter.

This was such a simple story, but Colleen Hoover’s ability to create complex characters and draw readers into the intricacies behind their actions, made this simple story simply spellbinding. The reader is kept dark about why Kenna went to jail and given only glimpses. Her regret and love for Scotty kept alive by the journal entries she writes to him daily, revealing small pieces of their story. At the same time we see her everyday life, interactions with Ledger, the folks around her in the apartment complex where she lives and we draw our own conclusions that this is a young woman who may have done wrong but was also wronged and deserves forgiveness and trust. The moment when Ledger finally realizes that their perception of what happened was actually incorrect and he finds forgiveness for her, is absolutely gripping. I realized at that moment the talent in this author’s writing.

There’s something to be said for an author who can make the reader love not only a current love interest but a past one too. Through everyone’s eyes, we see what a great guy Scotty was, the cruelty in the fact that he died too young, and also how Ledger has tried to stand in for him with Scotty’s parents and daughter. Ledger too showed qualities that made me feel like it was ok that Kenna moves on from her lost love to this new one. It’s only because the author made that connection that allowed the reader to move forward with Kenna. I think a lesser author would’ve left the reader going, what? She’s moving on already? After all those feelings? Somehow I was ok with it all, and then of course Ledger’s relationship with Diem, Kenna and Scotty’s daughter, was the final piece that made the puzzle whole.

This story was angst filled, but had an honest and real feel. Life can change in a moment and one mistake should not identify who that person is for the rest of their life. I loved the message of love and forgiveness that this book told. That was the real story.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Reminders of Him

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 Audio Review: House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City Book #2) by Sarah J. Maas

After saving Crescent City Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar want to enjoy a normal life. When they get drawn into the mystery of finding a little boy who’s in danger they discover a rebel faction who is fighting against the very tight leash the Asteri hold over Midgard. Normalcy was never their thing, right? They get drawn into the war of good against evil only the bad guys don’t seem so bad anymore and the good guys? They may not be so good.

Narrated again by Elizabeth Adams, who does a danged good job, this 28 hours went a little slower than the first novel in the series. I think I spent a month getting through all the plots, conflicts, heartbreak, and romance that I really only wanted to fast forward to find out how the book ended since I spent so much of my life dedicated to listening to this story. It wasn’t all bad though, seriously. There were a couple of exciting moments, interesting character developments, and romantic entanglements but I think this book could’ve once again been cut by one-third. There were a lot of laying the groundwork chapters that just made the book seem too long, but the last few chapters almost made up for the boredom I felt earlier in the novel. The conclusion was great!

One of the best plot lines was bad boy Fae Prince Ruhn’s turn as a secret agent and his telepathic relationship with the mysterious Day. I know a lot of people guessed who she was but I was totally surprised and this is one plot that I can’t wait to see how it turns out. I’m kind of interested in Ethan’s werewolf princess but that was dragged out and didn’t reach a conclusion in this novel so I’m left feeling ho-hum, but Bryce’s character arc at the end is one of those cliff-hanger’s that will make you read that third book even if you stumbled half brain dead to your bed after trying to get through this beast of a novel. It was surprisingly good!

I like Hunt and Bryce ok as a couple. I like that they are two different races but I feel like they’ve gone full circle and I’m not sure what else is out there for the two of them. Yes, they are mates, but are they doomed for failure like everyone believes? I almost hope so. I am looking for something different out of that third book so we’ll have to wait and see if we get it.

Did I like this book? Yes. Did I love it? No. It was a typical second book in the series that moved the plot forward but took too long to do it. I am invested enough after 54 hours of listening to read the third book when it does come out. When is that again? Next month? I have time to fit in a few books before my calendar fills up with the next beast of a novel.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to order this book!* House of Sky and Breath

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: The Last Close Call by Laura Griffin

Detective Jack Bruner has been investigating the West Campus Rapist for the last decade when a new case makes him think it’s connected to that cold case. He calls on forensic genealogist Rowan Healy for help in track the DNA back to his suspect. Rowan had given up tracing violent criminals and now investigates family trees but she has a personal tie to the West Campus Rapist and agrees to take on Jack’s case. When her DNA research gives him a new lead they must beat the clock to find him before he picks his next victim.

I’m really enjoying Laura Griffin’s romantic suspense thriller novels. Just as with her others, The Last Close Call starts with a jolt and the reader is immediately enmeshed in the characters and plot. Rowan’s job researching dna and family trees was a new, interesting view point for a main protagonist and I liked where that line of the story led. The connection between Jack and Rowan did feel a little abrupt, but it matched the quick storytelling and fast-paced investigation so I was able to easily move on from that quickly built relationship.

This was a quick read, which I like when I have only a few hours to read on a weekend filled with errands and activities. The mystery and atmospheric setting of back woods lots gave my imagination full rein to provide a few moments of jolts and thrills. I liked the brooding hero, but I’ll admit that Rowan was what made this book a success for me. Her line of work was really interesting and I liked that she she had skin in the game from her past personal connection 10 years ago. The romantic bits were just icing on the cake of an already interesting story. Each book I pick up by this author just cements a reason to pick up the next 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!* The Last Close Call

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: Friends Don’t Fall in Love by Erin Hahn

Lorelei Jones was a Country superstar when she chose to sing a song at a concert that offended the country music industry and her fans and fiancéturned against her. The only person who stood by her side was her friend Craig Boseman, ex-bassist for her ex-fiancé. Craig “Huckleberry” Boseman had always had a soft spot for Lorelei especially after their one night together. After a five year absence, Lorelei comes back to Nashville and asks her friend Huck, now a music producer, to listen to some of her new songs and they reconnect in life and love.

I’ve always enjoyed novels by Erin Hahn. Her writing is so easy to read, the rhythm and flow of her words totally appealing, especially in a book with music at its center. Lorelei was a character who was also very easy to like. She and I have the same politics, so that helps, but she’s also someone who took a stand even though she lost everything by doing that. Craig or “Huckleberry” as Lorelei calls him, is just an average guy with a lot of talent for writing hit songs. He was one of Lorelei’s best friends and it was easy for them to pick up where they left off, but both of them had feelings for each other that couldn’t be ignored. Their transition from friends to lovers was not without its hiccups but it too had an easy flow that fit with the style of writing by Ms. Hahn.

Living in Nashville and reading novels set in Nashville are always kind of fun. It’s interesting to see someone’s take on my city and in this case I think the author viewed downtown through slightly roses tinted glasses, but you could tell she loved what she was writing and I really appreciated that. I also really loved the romance that was told through lyrics a wonderful way of styling this novel and really making it feel authentic. I really didn’t find a note wrong with this novel and if I could sing a lick, I’d be howling at the moon. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Friends Don’t Fall In Love

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: Let’s Get Quizzical by Kelly Ohlert

Charlotte’s dream of competing on her favorite quiz show has finally come true and hopes to pay off some family bills might be a reality. When she gets to the show who does she see but her high school love who betrayed and ghosted her. Eli, too, has high hopes to win some money to solve his own family problems and when he initially sees Charlotte his heart jumps. He has always regretted how he’d treated her in school and sees this as his chance for redemption. Can they find a way to forgive and move forward, possibly in a new relationship?

I thought the premise of this novel sounded like fun and sometimes it was, especially when Eli and Charlotte first reconnected on air on the game show. The audience found their interactions riveting and as a reader, I did too. Where this novel fell flat for me was when they weren’t on the show. Over ten years had gone by and for them to still be in love after all that time didn’t seem very believable and all of the excuses, complaints, and family drama just didn’t seem to be all that interesting. Some of my books have complex characters with family drama but there was also a sidekick or group of friends that provided comic relief or gave the reader another way to connect to the main characters, and these two protagonists were very isolated. Neither had friend groups, just family issues that although rang true, just seemed sad and not very interesting.

It’s rare, but I just didn’t feel that connected to anything in this story. I do wish that the game show was more central to the plot. I mean, it kind of was, but for me it was overshadowed by the more depressing aspects of the story and lacked any kind of fun, other than the moment they first saw each other on set. Sorry, this one just didn’t do it for me.

❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Let’s Get Quizzical

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: The Way I Hate Him by Meghan Quinn

Hayes Farrow, my brother’s arch nemesis, is back in town. When I decide to leave a box of his belongings (stolen by my ex) on his doorstep, I don’t plan to stick around very long. Until I’m caught by the man himself and blackmailed into working for him as his assistant. Did he offer me the job just to bug my brother? Probably, but I don’t have anything else to do and I need the money. What I don’t count on is the fact that he’s actually a nice guy, and very good looking.

A simple plot of a conflict caused by a misunderstanding, add in the big brother’s ex best friend AND rock star romance trope and that simple plot goes slightly off the rails. I’m kind of used to that from a Meghan Quinn novel. Hattie is anything but a normal romantic lead. Her sister just died, her brother and other sister are shutting her out of their grief, and her boyfriend dumps her. So it’s not really surprising that she turns to the one person who isn’t currently ignoring her. What is surprising is that he turns out to not be the horrible person her brother has told her he was, he’s actually pretty decent. She is pretty awesome as well so the outcome was destined to happen.

Would you go after your much beloved older brother’s old best friend who is not his enemy and not expect any fallout? Of course not, and there is a lot of conflict over those actions. There is also comforting, companionship, friendship, and the big L- lust. OK, yeah, love, but you get a lot of the other stuff first. Like a lot, a lot and also very explicit. So beware if that’s not your thing!

The Way I Hate Him had a LOT going on, at times a bit too much, but I liked Hattie and Hayes. They were a surprising couple who looked like they weren’t a fit who actually fit really well. That was nice, but I would’ve liked a bit more story because it seems like if you have all of these things going on in your life, like Hattie did, that we’d feel those things along with her, and there was a little bit of that but for me, not enough. I could’ve traded in a few of those sizzle scenes for some more heart and story. This one’s trending on Amazon right now so it could be I’m the only one who feels like this, so you’ve got to read it to form your own opinion! ❤️❤️❤️

This one’s on Kindle Unlimited right now but if you’d like to purchase it, click this link!

The Way I Hate Him

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