Tag: amazon

This Chick Read: Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

Ali Morris organizes people lives for a living but when her mother dies and her husband leaves her, her own life starts to spin. She hasn’t worn pants with a zipper in a good long while. One day, she takes a big step, puts on semi-structured overalls and takes her dog to the dog park where her dog pees on a man named Ethan who looks at her like she has her act together. He looks at her like she’s her much younger self. There’s no harm in a little summer romance is there?

I have come to love this authors’ summer romances. The characters are always a bit messy but with the heat and beach humidity a little anxiety and disorganization seems to fit just right. What I liked about this novel was that Ali’s messiness was caused by grief and self discovery while learning how to live through that grief. This story felt very real, especially with how her two children coped with a mother who kind of stopped living for awhile. Ethan brought a little fun and laughter to this woman who hadn’t felt those emotions in quite a long time and you could almost feel that exhalation of grief and inhalation of life in each scene he was in.

An interesting side plot was how Ethan dealt with his own messiness. In this small town they were both from, he had a bit of a crazy reputation that people had trouble seeing past. Everyone but Ali, who saw the man he had become vs. the troubled youth he once was. I liked the dichotomy of his past and current lives and how he needed to overcome his own anxiety. I like when both characters have a bit of work to do to make it to their happily ever after. Their journey felt like the breeze wafting in from the water, whipping around slightly before settling down. Refreshing.

Click this link to purchase this book! *Summer Romance

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This Chick Read: Casket Case by Lauren Evans

Due to an unexpected tragedy, Nora finds herself back in Rabbitown, Alabama running the family’s casket business. There are not many choices for a single woman living in a tiny town, so when a handsome stranger walks into her store and asks for directions, then asks her out, she accepts. Garrett seems like an ideal guy, even though he’s kind of vague about what he does for a living. When a few residents die, and Nora figures out Garrett was with them right before they died, she is worried he’s a serial killer, but never believes he’s a logistics coordinator for Death. Is it weird that they both deal with death for a living? Is that something she can live with?

I picked up this book because of the obvious, of course! It’s a romance about a woman who sells caskets and a man who works for Death! Who wouldn’t be curious about that plot? I wasn’t sure how it was going to work but I knew that I definitely had to see if this debut author could tempt me to read it from start to finish. Yes, I did! Although it definitely was not your normal romance!

We learned a lot about Garrett and his previous relationships, all of which failed because of his job (of course!). His explanation of “logistics” and all of the travel he does for a living wasn’t enough for his past girlfriends, but he thinks Nora, who sells caskets for a living might understand him better than any else could. What he doesn’t take into account is that Nora grew up in a family business that dealt in death. A stigma that she’s always had through grade school, high school, and even as an adult. Death, as a way to make a living just makes people uncomfortable. So when she starts to piece it all together, it’s no wonder that she might have trouble seeing a future with Garrett. It’s how they overcome that big objection that could make or break this story. Right?

I actually enjoyed this book, but found the pacing to be a bit slow. I appreciated the build up and getting to know each character and truthfully probably needed to in order to grow to like where the story was going. The problem was that all of the thoughtfulness really slowed down the story. I almost gave up, but I soldiered on and finished this kind of bizarre but likable novel. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase!* Casket Case

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

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This Chick Read: Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy #1) by Callie Hart

Saeris Fane has lived in the Queen’s third ward living off ounces of water a day, stealing to survive. When she starts a chain of events by stealing the wrong item she is taken prisoner and the Queen orders her death. Fighting for her life, Saeris uses the powers she has kept secret her whole life and opens a gateway between realms and death comes walking through it’s door. Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior kills her enemy and sweeps her into this other realm filled with ice and snow. Unknowingly Saeris ties herself to Fisher and he uses her magic to achieve his own agenda.

I saw this on a best Fantasy of 2024 list and boy did this one NOT disappoint. I really don’t understand those reviews that gave it one and two stars where those people said they couldn’t finish the novel. What??!!! Despite the page count (615 pages), I thought this story was fast-paced, the characters were really interesting, and the romance riveting. I do love a good romantic fantasy and Quicksilver was all I’d hoped it would be.

Saeris is the type of heroine I just love. She struggles out of love for her family, and when she finds herself in this untenable position she fights to return to them, despite the horrifying way they live and how much better her situation is in this new world. When she meets Fisher, she hate him with a passion. He obviously has an agenda, which she doesn’t really understand, and is pretty awful. However, there are unguarded moments where the reader is given a glimpse into his own horrible past that lead you to believe that if these two got their act together they’d make a pretty amazing team. Despite their immediate sexual chemistry it does take them a while to like each other but I, unlike some other reviewers, reveled in that hate to like and like to hate reality.

The story’s fast pace was driven by a lot of action, fighting, and changes of scenery. I have to say the world building was pretty amazing and very easy to follow. We were left with some question marks at the end of the story so I can’t wait for this author to complete the next novel. I’m ready to jump back in!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Quicksilver

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez

Don’t you just love it when an author has the skill set to create a full rounded story in 82 pages? This short story by Abby Jimenez is exactly that- a story with a beginning, middle, and end AND has fully fleshed out characters. When I read a short story as good as this one I do have that moment of “oh I wish” that this author had written their entire story, but you know what? The Fall Risk didn’t leave me hanging. I felt their connection, understood the nuances to their characters, loved their love story. What more can you want, right?

Charlotte and Seth are neighbor’s. They live on the second floor and share a small deck that runs between their apartments, as well as an outside staircase connecting them to the ground below. When some construction workers mistakenly remove their staircase, Charlotte and Seth find themselves grounded, at home, for the weekend- with only each other for company. Charlotte works out of her house and doesn’t let people get too close but this situation calls for her to live her life differently, if only for a weekend. Over the weekend the two of them share food, stories about their lives, and their hopes and dreams for the future. They make a connection that has to live beyond that weekend, doesn’t it?

Trust me guys, this is a short story filled to the brim with content. If you like Abby Jimenez, then you know what you’re getting and I’m sure have already picked this one up. If you don’t know this author this is your chance to try her out and see what her style is like. I think, like me, you’ll become a big fan!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Fall Risk

Copyright 2025 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: Fun For The Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith

Endicott siblings, Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude used to be inseparable. Their absentee mother would sweep into town every summer and steal them away for a few weeks of driving around the country with a goal of seeing every state in the United States. Decades later, it’s been a few years since these siblings have seen each other when Jude texts them out of the blue to meet her in North Dakota. Their lives have drawn them away from each other and each of their future seem uncertain, but they can’t resist the chance to reconnect. Jude’s life seems to be the most together but she has been holding onto three secrets and has decided it’s time to share them with her brothers and sisters.

I have read one other book by this author and loved it, so despite my usually avoiding family drama books I decided to give this one a try. I am so glad I did! These characters were unique and each of their stories interesting. I didn’t mind with the point of view changed from character to character. Although I’ll admit having four POV’s AND flashbacks was sometimes frustrating.

Three of the Endicotts were “extraordinary” becoming famous in their chosen profession, but it was Gemma’s point of view – the normal sibling- that was the easiest to identify with as well as who I found the most interesting. Her inner journey as she struggled with in-vitro and her love for her husband Mateo felt the most real and touched my heart the most. All that being said when the family got together it was not boring and in fact touched on all my emotions. They were kind of messed up, but also funny, loving, and well acted like the siblings they were. If you like heartfelt family drama’s this book will be right up your alley. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Fun For the Whole Family

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

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This Chicks Audio Review: Misdirected by Lucy Parker

Hattie Murton’s journey to acting was the stuff of any actresses dreams. A chance encounter with a casting director leads to her landing a role in what she thought would be a one-off for a show called Leicester Square, a bodice ripping romance. She doesn’t count on the audiences need for romantic dramas and now finds herself a household name. After four seasons of working in this cutthroat industry Hattie is thinking about trying something new but she has to finish out her current season. A season where her character has a mad affair with the shows villain, where she’ll have some very close, revealing scenes with the Anthony Rafe, A-lister, and absolute prat.

Narrated by Nicola Coughlan of Bridgerton fame, and English actor Gwilym Lee, Lucy Parker delivers a story that is reminiscent of her London Celebrities series, which I’ll admit to loving dearly. Our heroine, Hattie, is just out of a high-profile breakup and has had the papps hounding her for weeks. She just wants to finish out her season when she’s given this new storyline. She doesn’t have much to do with Anthony on set as their characters really never cross paths, but her best friend Jake went to school with him and has talked poorly of him to her for years. With those words spinning around in her hear, Hattie is not overjoyed to have been paired up with him for an on-set romance. Their close proximity and amazing chemistry start to make Hattie see through Anthony’s on-stage persona seeing the individual beneath and that is where the story starts to get interesting.

Lucy Parker’s novels typically have a quicker pace and I’m unsure if it was the narration or the pace of the story itself, but this read as more of a slow burn romance than it did a true romance. It took a long while for Hattie to see the man beneath the facade. I’ll admit to being a little impatient that it took so long for the two protagonists to find their feelings for each other, but when they did it was worth the long wait. The release of all that tension was definitely an oh-my moment but it was the personal revelations about their families and their future that really gave that yank on my heart. This wasn’t my favorite of her novels, but I know I’ll go back and read it when the book is released so I can catch those moments I may have missed in the audiobook version. I’m looking forward to it!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this audiobook!* Misdirected

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

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This Chick Read: The One Month Boyfriend by Roxie Noir

Kat and Silas have a past. As a student in college she taught a class that he took and they did not have a good experience with each other. Flash forward a few years and Kat and Silas now live in the same small town. Silas is liked by everyone and has a lot of friends, but Kat has just moved to town and has only her best friend from college living nearby. Needless to say, they are not excited to be living near each other. When Kat’s ex-boyfriend’s business buys out the company where she works he comes to town to evaluate her office. Their relationship ending badly and Kat wants him to know she’s moved on so she makes up a fake boyfriend, who just happens to be Silas- who also happens to be frenemies with her ex. It’s a circuitous situation fraught with tension but Kat and Silas both want to show up her ex and agree to a one month plan.

I saw this book recommended on social media and as it was a Kindle Unlimited novel I decided to give it a try. It sounded like the plot would be fun if a bit fluffy, but I love the enemies to lovers trope and will always give that kind of plot a try. What I didn’t expect were characters who were much more than their surface and a plot that I actually ended up enjoying tremendously. There were a few funny moments too, but these were not perfect people and I found this story to be more serious than funny as the characters had a lot to work through to find their happily ever afters.

Sometimes it’s totally worth it to try out a new to me author and this was one of those instances. I was sold on the trope and even though I went into the story thinking it was going to be light-hearted, I enjoyed the depth to these characters and their growth with each other. They started out enemies but they found someone they needed in each other and truly became each others better halves. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The One Month Boyfriend

Copyright 2025 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: Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance (The Legacy Series #3) by Melissa K. Roehrich

After how dark the last novel in this series got, I wondered if I’d ever be in the mood to pick up the third book. At 672 pages you not only have to be in the mood, but also be invested in these characters to tackle the story and give it the time it needs to live in your head. The book came out in October and I broke down in February and read it. So, I guess I wasn’t too disturbed by how that last book ended.

I’m going to assume that if you are reading my review for a book #3 in a series that you’ve read the previous novels and not give you a recap, which would be very exhausting. Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance starts off pretty much where the last one left off. Tessa is living in the Achaz Kingdom away from Theon, who despite her conflicted feelings, she believes she’ll one day have to kill. They are still tied together, but now she has given him a mark that makes him bound to her as she is to him. So she has access to his powers and can use them as needed, just like he can with hers. Luka has been sent by Theon to the Achaz Kingdom to guard and train Tessa in the use of her powers. As he lives and resides with her their already close relationship gets even closer. She is haunted by nightmares and he seems to provide her with a peace so she can sleep, so she is now sleeping in his bed. He seems much more conflicted by this than she does, but she trusts him and as he’s also bound to she and Theon they have a triad type of dynamic that adds an interesting diversion to an otherwise pretty dark story. She is still the biggest threat in Devram and everyone seems to either want a piece of her or to kill her. It’s a toss up.

I still love the strength in Tessa’s character, but in this book she seems to be slightly off her rocker. She talks to herself, can’t control her power, and has this depth of hate for pretty much anyone. I’m actually surprised that she hasn’t continued to try to harm herself, but she feels like she’s in this situation for a purpose, even if that purpose is skewed and crazy, she’s going to carry it out. Theon has backed off from the threats to Tessa and has now become a softy. He seems to have come to grip with his feelings, realized he had the wrong approach with her, and has switched to a long game in trying to rebuild trust. I really like that in him and like him much better in this book than in the previous novels. Luka has taken the romantic lead which is conflicting for him, but not really for anyone else. Curious, right? There are all sorts of sub plots, sidebars, and ulterior motives in all the rest of the cast. All of interest and help bring the story together so that by the end the reader is left with the feeling that Tessa, Luka, and Theon are more of a cohesive unit than they’ve been since the beginning. I actually was left with a more positive feeling than the last novel and am curious how the author will move this story forward and am almost looking forward to it!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

Copyright 2025 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: Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood quickly became one of my favorite authors with her debut release of The Love Hypothesis back in 2021. Her heroines are typically STEM themed doctors, scientists, biologists, mathematic geniuses, etc. and her hero’s are in that field but also broody, good looking, and at the top of their game in their chosen field. Deep End’s characters are a bit younger, in college at Stanford, but otherwise they fall into the same characterizations. Scarlett Vandermeer is in med school and Luka Blomqvist is also in that field. What makes this story unique from the others is that Scarlett is on the dive team at Stanford and one of the top divers in the country, and Luka is an Olympic gold medalist on his way to the next Olympics. Obviously at the top of that field as well. These two characters share the pool and have been in each other’s world for a few years, but it’s not until Luka and his girlfriend (also a diver) break up that Scarlett starts to notice him as a person. When his ex Penny let’s slip one of Luka’s secrets, Scarlett can’t stop noticing him, and Luka notices right back.

Just as with this author’s prior novel Not In Love, she seems to be veering away from the slow burn romance and veering towards more of a mild erotica feel to her novels. If that’s not your thing than you may not enjoy this novel which plays on control in a sexual relationship. Unlike other novels which may use this theme as an excuse to have slightly kinky sex, in this novel with two characters who are competitive in their sports, and in a high level field like medicine it somehow added to the narrative and didn’t detract from the story. In my opinion it added to their characters and explained emotional conflicts, which I appreciated.

Despite liking how their sexual relationship added to the growth of their relationship and revealed emotional problems I do like a slow burn romance and I miss the old Ali Hazelwood style of writing. I love the enemies to lovers trope and while Deep End had dark and broody Luka, they were never enemies, more forbidden lovers. I hope this author trades off and her next novel returns to a slow burn style, but you know what? I love this author and will be reading any book she writes so she can really ignore my protestations and just get on with writing!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Deep End

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This Chicks Audio Review: Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan

Romance channel screenwriter Nora Hamilton knows the formula for romance, at least writing the screenplay for one, but when her own marriage ends in a long-time-coming divorce, she write the best script of her life. When it’s picked up part of it is filmed in her backyard and the very sexy actor Leo Vance is cast as her dead beat husband and her life is changed forever. The day after filming wraps she finds Leo on her porch asking to stay. He’ll pay $1000 per day for a week to just hang out in the back cottage. Seven days is enough time to get to know someone, love them, and break their heart.

Well, this novel was a complete surprise! I found it on a Best of 2022 list and I bought the audiobook a while ago because it sounded like a light read. It was and it wasn’t light-hearted. It certainly had moments of joy, frivolity, and heart but it also held a lot of depth, emotion, and heart break. I truly did not know where this book was going at times and wasn’t sure how it would end. It held quite a sucker punch and I felt everything Nora felt and cried my cold dark heart out. LOL.

Nora was one of those characters that is kind of hard to get to know at first, but slowly the authors lets you into their mind and then their heart. She is not looking for love at all- after all she just got rid of the dead weight husband and is trying to raise her kids as a single parent. Under all of that constancy, Leo plants a seed of hope. At first she is confused by his presence and kind of annoyed that he foisted himself on her family, but she needs his money and is willing to put up with his presence to have that security. He inserts himself into not only her life but her kids lives too. She teaches him how to grocery shop, make dinner, pick up the kids from school, etc. He’s charming, sexy, and good looking and is interested in her? It makes for a very compelling story. Yes, there’s a bit of that famous person loving an ordinary woman fantasy element, but this author makes it feel very real, not fantasy-like at all. Maybe hearing it voiced helped make that connection to these characters feel immediate too. I need to give a shout-out to the narrator, Hillary Huber, who really made everyone come to life and helped me fall in love with them.

I love novels with young kids. Which I find pretty funny because I don’t have children myself and mostly find them annoying. However, in novels they are used as a construct to add humor, emotions, sadness, and help move a plot along. Nora’s children give life to this story. They provide a connection with Leo and Nora that really give heart and push the momentum forward. I loved that Nora’s son was in a school play and Leo just kind of took over coaching him giving her child that father son relationship that he needed. Moments like this create joy and in this case gave a roundness to the story. Sometimes it doesn’t work but in this case it worked so well. In fact, I think I loved this love story more for the family unit than I did for Nora and Leo themselves. If you’ve not read this one, please give it a shot. I’m so glad I finally did! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this audiobook!* Nora Goes Off Script

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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