This Chick Read: By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate

Lanie is a romance editor in a publishing firm who’s biggest client is the super popular Noa Calloway. Lanie loves Noa’s books and has based her entire relationship with her fiancé on a romantic list on the back of one of Noa’s bestsellers. She’s been lucky enough to develop an online friendship with Noa, exchanging edits and quips. When her boss retires, Lanie is given her job as the exclusive editor of Noa Calloways with the caveat that she has to have her next book in hand in three months or the job is not hers. Lanie sets up her first meeting (in person) with Noa and discovers she’s Noah Ross, and yes he’s a man. Lanie heads into a tailspin, thinking everything she’s done in her life was based on this lie. Somehow she has to get past it… and get Noah to write that next bestseller.

What would you do if Nora Roberts turned out to be a man? This is what I thought when I realized Noa Calloway wasn’t who Lanie thought she was, and in fact, was a he. If I were a romantic like Lanie I would probably be upset, shocked, angry, etc. and eventually also realize that I love my job regardless and needed to focus on helping Noah get over his writer’s block. Lanie goes all in, showing Noah her favorite places in New York and helping inspire him on his next story. What she doesn’t realize that this real life plot shift also brings to life some imperfections in her own relationship. In this way, she grows from her youthful expectations of love to realize a more adult outlook on both love and life.

This friends to lovers romance was sweet and very satisfying! Despite the bad feelings, these two cared too much about their friendship to let that one thing stand in the way of their relationship. There was a LOT of initial tension but there’s nothing I like better than when that tone shifts from anger to begrudging respect, adoration, and even love. These two had such great chemistry it would’ve been a crime if they hadn’t found a way to be together.

If you love friends to lovers slow burn romances, this is the perfect book for you. Set in New York, this story felt like a fairytale, and their slow growing romance was fun, sweet, and led up to a fabulous conclusion. What more could a romance reader want? ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* By Any Other Name

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

This Chick Read: The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

Indie rock star, Greta James, breaks down on stage after the death of her mother, the world catching it on camera and making her grief go viral. Pushing back the launch of her sophomore album, Greta takes her mothers place on a 40th anniversary cruise to Alaska with her father, a man that she loves but that she’s always had a rocky relationship. Maybe this trip will help bridge the gap and keep her from losing both of her parents. While cruising she meets Ben Wilder, a guest speaker about a novel he’s written based upon The Call of the Wild. Ben is also going through personal loss, his broken marriage and missing his two little girls. In each other they find something that connects them and may help them overcome their trauma.

I have read two other books by this author and have loved them all. She balances drama and happiness so deftly and takes me on a journey that stays with me for awhile. Greta was an interesting character. Her first love is playing the guitar and everything in her life has taken a back seat to her commitment to be the best. Her father has spent her life worrying that she is choosing something that is doomed to bring her heartbreak, and despite her success he can’t help but lecture and push her to take a safer route. It’s actually kind of sweet if you think about it, but super frustrating as well. When she meets Ben, he becomes a safe place for her to escape from her complicated emotions surrounding her mother’s death and her feelings for her father but as the days pass she realizes that he is going through his own mixed up life and their vacation romance may be just that.

One of my favorite side characters is a young girl on the ship who idolizes Greta. She makes a great contrast to where Greta was in her childhood and where she is now in her own life. By helping this girl with her own guitar playing she gives her something that she never received in return. I thought that was a really neat circle of life moment that tied the drama in the book together really well and added moments of joy that I can’t say were missing but were only sprinkled sparingly through the book. It’s funny how having those brighter moments makes the contrast that much greater, isn’t it?

This was a very well planned, well executed novel. I really need to go back and read through Jennifer E. Smith’s backlog of books. I bet there are quite a few other nuggets of gold to be discovered.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Mr. Wrong Number

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.

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (2/28/22)

Good morning! Have you ever requested too many books and realized that you need to read and review several in the next five days in order to honor your commitments? This girl right here! Despite the weather being glorious, I sat this weekend out and read a few really good books! Seriously, not a stinker among them. (Thank goodness….) Truthfully, it was kind of nice to have the excuse to sit around and read. LOL Curious? Here is what I’ve been reading.

Thanks to Book Date who started this theme for bloggers to share what’s on their shelves. You can read her post here.

JUST FINISHED

I remember reading Lauren Kate’s Fallen series ages ago and was surprised to see that she had an adult contemporary romance novel. I scooped it up and was so glad I did! Unsurprisingly, her writing was still awesome, and the story was a slow burn romance, my favorite! This book is too cute you all, you need to give it a shot.

JUST STARTED

It feels so good to be back in the world of the Others! Someone decides to play a trick on Vicki and her guests at the Jumble, dressing as Crowbones, the boogeyman of the Crow Guard. Do the indigene have a sense of humor? Not really, but they do know how to protect their own. This is one fabulous Urban Fantasy novel and I can’t wait to find out who dunnit.

Are you reading a book that you just can’t put down? It’s the best feeling in the world, isn’t it?

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Most Anticipated Book Releases- Mar’22

I know February is a short month, but seriously? Time is flying by this year! In already looking towards the March book releases I’m feeling like I’m falling seriously behind. There are too many books out there and too little time to read them. March has some amazing book releases, so I’m just going to add the five that are on my own radar.

#5 BOOK RELEASE

There is something about this synopsis that is drawing me in. It helps that the author is Lauren Kate because I know she will not let me down. By Any Other Name probably should be higher on my list except for a couple of much anticipated by me novels that are filling the top 2. Is this novel on your own radar?

Synopsis: What she doesn’t know about love could fill a book.
 
With a successful career as a romance editor, and an engagement to a man who checks off all ninety-nine boxes on her carefully curated list, Lanie’s more than good. She’s killing it. Then she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to work with world-renowned author and her biggest inspiration in love and life—the Noa Callaway. All Lanie has to do is cure Noa’s writer’s block and she’ll get the promotion she’s always dreamed of. Simple, right? 
 
But there’s a reason no one has ever seen or spoken to the mysterious Noa Calloway. And that reason will rock Lanie’s world. It will call into question everything she thought she knew. When she finally tosses her ninety-nine expectations to the wind, Lanie may just discover that love By Any Other Name can still be as sweet.

Click this link to purchase this book!* By Any Other Name

MY #4 BOOK RELEASE

Rebecca Serle’s novels touch my heart and boy One Italian Summer looks like it could be a tear jerker. I’m a big fan of this author and am eagerly looking forward to reading this novel.

Synopsis: When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.

But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.

And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.

Rebecca Serle’s next great love story is here, and this time it’s between a mother and a daughter. With her signature “heartbreaking, redemptive, and authentic” (Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Serle has crafted a transcendent novel about how we move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.

Click this link to purchase this book!* One Italian Summer: A Novel

MY #3 BOOK RELEASE

From Rebecca Serle’s mother-daughter novel in my #4 spot to a young lady who travels on a vacation with her parents, trying to understand her relationship with her father. I love this author and she often touches my heart with her novels. I’m anticipating another great read.

Synopsis: Right after the sudden death of her mother—her first and most devoted fan—and just before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing, her career suddenly in jeopardy—the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always predicted; the kind he warned her about when he urged her to make more practical choices with her life. 
 
Months later, Greta—still heartbroken and very much adrift—reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, and for Ben Wilder, a charming historian, onboard to lecture about The Call of the Wild, who is struggling with a major upheaval in his own life. As Greta works to build back her confidence and Ben confronts an uncertain future, they find themselves drawn to and relying on each other.

It’s here in this unlikeliest of places—at sea, far from the packed city venues where she usually plays and surrounded by the stunning scenery of Alaska—Greta will finally confront the choices she’s made, the heartbreak she’s suffered, and the family hurts that run deep. In the end, she’ll have to decide what her path forward might look like—and how to find her voice again.

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Unsinkable Greta James: A Novel

MY #2 BOOK RELEASE

Mercy Thompson is one of my favorite urban fantasy characters. She never thinks twice about sacrificing herself for others, and in this novel she could be sacrificing herself for someone who has been stalking her. I can’t wait to see what Patricia Briggs does with the characters in this universe. She never disappoints.

Synopsis: Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, must face her greatest fears in this chilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

The vampire Wulfe is missing. Since he’s deadly, possibly insane, and his current idea of “fun” is stalking Mercy, some may see it as no great loss. But when he disappears, the Tri-Cities pack is blamed. The mistress of the vampire seethe informs Mercy that the pack must produce Wulfe to prove their innocence, or the loose alliance between the local vampires and werewolves is over.
 
So Mercy goes out to find her stalker—and discovers more than just Wulfe have disappeared. Someone is taking people from locked rooms, from the aisles of stores, and even from crowded parties. And these are not just ordinary people but supernatural beings. Until Wulfe vanished, all of them were powerless loners, many of whom quietly moved to the Tri-Cities in the hope that the safety promised by Mercy and Adam’s pack would extend to them as well.
 
Who is taking them? As Mercy investigates, she learns of the legend of the Harvester, who travels by less-trodden paths and reaps the souls that are ripe with a great black scythe. . . .

Click this link to purchase this book!* Soul Taken (A Mercy Thompson Novel Book 13)

MY MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE FOR MARCH’22

I have read, listened to, and read again Anne Bishop’s novels that take place in the perfectly terrifying world of The Others. Crowbones finds us back in The Jumble with resort owner Vicki DeVine where she is faced with having to solve a couple of murders before the Others decide humans are more trouble than they’re worth. These novels are eery, creepy, and fantastically fun. I…. can’t…. wait…..

Synopsis: In this engrossing and gripping fantasy set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Others series, an inn owner and her friends must find a killer—before it’s too late.…

Crowbones will gitcha if you don’t watch out!

Deep in the territory controlled by the Others—shape-shifters, vampires, and even deadlier paranormal beings—Vicki DeVine has made a new life for herself running The Jumble, a rustic resort. When she decides to host a gathering of friends and guests for Trickster Night, at first everything is going well between the humans and the Others.
 
But then someone arrives dressed as Crowbones, the Crowgard bogeyman. When the impostor is killed along with a shape-shifting Crow, and the deaths are clearly connected, everyone fears that the real Crowbones may have come to The Jumble—and that could mean serious trouble.
 
To “encourage” humans to help them find some answers, the Elders and Elementals close all the roads, locking in suspects and victims alike. Now Vicki, human police chief Grimshaw, vampire lawyer Ilya Sanguinati, and the rest of their friends have to figure out who is manipulating events designed to pit humans against Others—and who may have put Vicki DeVine in the crosshairs of a powerful hunter.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Crowbones (World of the Others Book 3)

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

There are so many other great books coming out in March that it was seriously hard to choose my top 5. I hope my choices helped bring some on your radar, but if you think I missed anything feel free to shout out your most anticipated book! There’s always room on my TBR (LOL!).

Have a great month of reading!

Deb

This Chick Read: Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter

Olivia Marshall has had some truly bad luck, most recently catching her fiancé cheating on her with a co-worker she partnered him up on a work project with, and her apartment burning down after she burned his love letters on a barbecue. Having to move back home into an apartment with her brother and his roommate she thinks she’s hit rock bottom. Until she gets a “What are you wearing?” wrong number, an exchange that lifts her mood and turns her life around. An ongoing exchange that improves her self-worth, she starts to look forward to these texts from Mr. Wrong Number.

Colin Beck has always looked at Olivia as his best friend’s messed up little sister until he realizes she is Ms. Misdial and he has been sexting his best friend’s sis. Now he can’t help but see her through different eyes, eyes that no longer see her as a little sister, but as a grown up woman who he is coming to admire.

Mr. Wrong Number was an absolute hoot! Olivia was a hot mess but she had a joie de vivre that was hard to resist and even staid and studly Colin couldn’t help but see it. Their text exchanges were so funny I swear I had trouble keeping from laughing out loud. Lynn Painter does a great job inserting humor and emotion into every word. This was a well written rom-com!

Of course, disaster in the wake of Olivia finding out the truth about Mr. Wrong Number can’t help but happen but the story turns really sweet as Colin tries to woo her back. For a novel that I mistakenly took as shallow (albeit funny!), it had some hidden depth and those emotions kind of slapped me upside the head. I should know better than to judge a book by it’s cover and sassy title. This book was fun, but it also had heart, and the witty banter continued even after the texting was done.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Mr. Wrong Number

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

This Chick Read: The Deepest of Secrets (Casey Duncan #7) by Kelley Armstrong

It’s hard to keep the peace in Rockton when all of its citizens have secrets. When those secrets threaten to be revealed, it’s Casey’s job to find out who is the culprit. When it becomes clear that that person may also cause harm and possibly murder people, solving the mystery becomes imperative. With the help of her boyfriend Sheriff Eric Dalton, Casey navigates the secrets of Rockton, against a deadline that may split them up forever.

Set in the isolated forests of the Yukon, Rockton was a city that was built for one reason. To make money from people who are desperate enough to want an escape from their real life. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a resort town, this is a town that survives because its inhabitants work to make it survive. They arrive in Rockton with no past, their lives scrubbed clean. However, the reasons they’ve left the world behind may not be easily wiped clean, coming out in their habits and personalities. When the committee starts accepting people who are no longer escaping bad situations but are bad themselves, the community begins to change and Casey’s life investigating crimes becomes much busier, but the one thing that stays consistent is that no one knows anyone’s history. In The Deepest of Secrets, that ideal is threatened. The first to have his secret revealed is fellow officer, Will Anders, one of Casey’s best friends.

This series has been so enjoyable because of the complicated characters, their bonds with each other, and the city and location. It’s mysterious, eery, and the perfect setting for a fantastical mystery series. These flawed people have worked hard to make a community, made friends and built connections all while a mysterious committee has the power to change their lives. That fear of not knowing what comes next is a huge theme in this book. Casey is solving a mystery, but she’s going against their rules and running out of time. This sense of urgency is prevalent throughout the novel making my stomach churn with an uncertainty. Is this the last novel in the series? I am sad that it may be over, but boy, it was a fantastic ending. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Deepest of Secrets: A Rockton Novel (Casey Duncan Novels Book 7)

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.

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (2/21/22)

After some wild weather last week, this weekend was cold and clear. Perfect to be out and about doing errands and having lunch with friends. Of course, it was also the perfect weekend to lay low and read that book you’ve been eyeing. What did I do? I a little bit of both!

Thanks again to Book Date for starting this fun post where we can share what’s on our shelves and what books have captured our attention.

JUST FINISHED

I have had this audiobook in my list for a couple of years and decided to give it a listen. What I didn’t expect was to be captured by the story immediately and love the narration by Lucy Price-Lewis! Oh my lord those French accents! The story of a young woman hired to look into the artwork found in an apartment that hasn’t been opened in 70+ years was thrilling and romantic. Give this audiobook a listen, it’s fantastic!

JUST STARTED

I just started this one last night but I’m loving Lynn Painter’s style of writing and the humor has me laughing out loud. I can’t wait to get back into this fun novel!

I hope you were able to enjoy your weekend with a little time spent outside, but also were able to settle down at the end of the day with a good book. Share what you’re reading! I’d love to hear.

Happy reading and have a great Monday!

Deb

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: Goodreads 64 Favorite Romances…

Putting aside a few hours this morning to write some blog posts I made the mistake of clicking on the banner at the top of my Goodreads feed titled “It’s romance week at Goodreads!”. Click HERE. Curious to see how many of these top romance novels I’ve read I quickly got sucked in by how many I have NOT read. What???!!! I read many genres but my top two are Romance and Fantasy and I really thought I would’ve read a LOT more on this list! There are some pretty popular novels but there are also some that just never got on my radar. How can I be a book blogger without having at least tried to read some of these? Well, to give myself a bit of a break, there is only so much time in a day and I do have a full time job.

I also noticed that some authors had multiple books on this list. Good for them, but seriously bad for me. Once you fall behind with an author who is that prolific, it’s hard to keep up! Christina Lauren and Jasmine Guillory I am talking to you!

Just to be fully transparent, I have read the Soulmate Equation and The Unhoneymooners which were both fantastic, but seriously, how do you keep up with all of this talent?

Ok, so you know I’m missed quite a few, but how many novels have I read on this list? 24! I think that’s pretty good! So, there are only 40 books left that I haven’t read. There are quite a few authors on this list that I’ve never heard of, which doesn’t scare me at all! I love finding new, talented authors and have done that quite a bit recently. There are 14 that I’ve never read, which explains my numbers a bit. Unless my fellow book bloggers have talked up an author or book, they may not hit my radar at all.

I’m going to confess something that I know many of you will find shocking. I have never read a Colleen Hoover book before and she has two books listed. I know, I know, they are excellent, blah, blah, blah. I’m a big chicken when it comes to sob story synopsis’! If it sounds like it will make me cry, I probably won’t read it. Shocking I know. So these two are out. Not gonna happen. Feel free to try to convince me.

There are some FANTASTIC books on this list. 5 star reads for sure. Which are my favorites? The two Mariana Zapata novels are really good.

I read Emily Henry’s Beach Read a year ago and fell in LOVE with the characters. I also read her novel People We Meet in Vacation and even though my visceral connection to the characters wasn’t the same as Beach Read, I still really liked that novel. I’ve read Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis twice, and The Spanish Love Deception is devine. So many emotions.

There are a few novels that are on my TBR already. All the Christina Lauren’s and Jasmine Guillory’s obviously, but also these:

There are just too many! So how do I lessen this list.

I’ll admit to not liking a couple of the authors listed. I won’t name them, but one in particular has struck out for me a couple of times and I just don’t have the time to give her another shot. The synopsis’ always sounds great and try to pull me in but every time, I read the novel and find it wanting. So, no can do. Not going to go there again. Is that bad? Again, there are 40 books on this list of great novels that I haven’t read! Just trying to cull them down.

I think my best bet is to just do what I always do. Find a list like this and start adding them to my wishlist on my Overdrive app for my local library. Hopefully, I’ll be able to fit them in here and there, in between the new books coming out, the ARC’s I’m committed to, and you know, life. But, boy do they tempt me! I want to start a couple of them right now.

If you didn’t see the link at the top of this post, please scroll back up. Check out the books on this list and let me know, how many of these books have you read? How many have you missed? How many do you think you will read? Come on, don’t stress out, this was kind of fun.

Happy reading!

Deb

This Chick Read: A Perfect Equation (The Secret Scientists of London #2) by Elizabeth Everett

Six years ago, Miss Letty Finley made the ultimate mistake, she entrusted herself to a man who wooed her and damaged her reputation beyond repair. Shunned from society, Letty turns to her other love, math. Currently she is a member of Athena’s Retreat where scientific women gather to further their learning in a safe environment. When their leader leaves town on vacation, she is asked to run Athena’s Retreat along with the Viscount Greycliff. A man whom she can’t stand and who carries an extreme dislike for her as well. As they work together they start to understand each other better and their budding friendship turns into a sizzling attraction.

A Perfect Equation does a great job of grabbing the reader right away with interesting characters. It’s not often in a historical romance where our heroine is a mathematician and actually gets lost in her mathematical formulas. Furthering her learning in Athena’s Retreat introduces the reader to a cast of wonderfully quirky and real characters that provide diversity and a feeling of realness to this historical romance novel. These women are striving towards equal rights and a better future for women and the reader is given a real feel for their struggle in live and in love.

Grey also has interesting aspects to his character. Not your normal “Lord” he has epilepsy and fears having seizures and appearing weak in front of his peers. He was taught from an early age that if he controls his emotions he can control his seizures and he’s a bit of a cold characters. HIs place in charge of the ladies of Athena’s Retreat allows him broaden his horizon in regards to equal rights, but it also introduces emotion into his heart. How does he handle the fear of having emotions which may cause him to have seizures? You’ll need to read the story and find out!

I hadn’t read the first novel in this series and although I don’t think I mentioned a thing, it did make me curious enough to look for it in the library and check it out. You don’t need to read it though, to enjoy A Perfect Equation, never fear! ❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* A Perfect Equation (The Secret Scientists of London)

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.

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (2/14/22)

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! If like me you have to work today and can’t spend it with your sweetheart, at least you can put in your earbuds and listen to your favorite book boyfriend! Admit it, we all do that at work once in awhile. Sometimes it makes that long day just a little more bearable. Here is what I’ve been reading this week!

JUST FINISHED

I just finished the audiobook for the fifth book in the Iron Druid Chronicles series. This is such a fun irreverent series and I’m enjoying the ride. My favorite character? Atticus’s dog, Oberon. Voiced by Luke Daniels he sounds a bit like a smarty Scooby Doo. So funny!

JUST STARTED

The seventh book in the Casey Duncan series, these mysteries are so enjoyable and the characters wild and weird. Casey is once again trying to solve an investigation in the city of Rockton. Will it be her last?

I’ll admit that in addition to these books I’m also listening to one of my favorite romance novels called From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata. About two figure skaters who partner, go to the Olympics, and fall in love. It’s an enemies to lovers and so, so good! The Olympics got me in the mood!

Are you reading a romance novel for Valentine’s Day? Let’s hear it!

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb