Tag: book review

This Chicks Audio Review: Bound by Ali Hazelwood

Surprise! The very prolific Ali Hazelwood released the audiobook of Bound in November. I had no idea this one was on the horizon but as I’m a big fan and the synopsis seemed different I thought I’d give it a listen.

Veronica “Vero” Mercer grew up with con artists as parents. In grad school for a degree in art history, Vero gets talked into doing a little forgery to keep her friends in their jobs at an art dealer. Her forgeries are so good she comes to the attention of Dr. Viktor Ashworth, a very private, British professor. He too has a little side job for her. He wants her to reproduce an ancient manuscript for him. It’s supposed to be a short term deal, but as Vero spends more time with Viktor and things become more dangerous she has to wonder. What does Viktor really want? And why can’t she seem to stay away?

As I listened to this book, I realized that this author has done it again. She’s pivoted subject matter and type of romance and given her fans a slow burn romance that takes place in a world where our heroine is very knowledgeable about art history and how to forge a books. How does Ms. Hazelwood find the time to both write a novel at breakneck speed and research a new subject matter, assuming she herself wasn’t an art history major? I never felt like I was being sold a bill of goods and found everything she wrote to grab my attention in a way where I didn’t doubt what she had written. She is truly amazing.

I need to also give credit to the two narrators. Brittany Pressley and William Macleod did a great job imbuing the characters with life and personality. Viktor was a little stuffy, but he was English, Immortal, and a professor so that modulated tone fit well. Did you catch that I threw in the word immortal? Yep! The author pivoted genre’s and has given us a paranormal species (race?) that we haven’t read before in any of her past novels. Viktor and his crew were very interesting and I wished that their past had been fleshed out just a touch more, however, I enjoyed what was written and their being immortal didn’t detract from my liking the story or where it led me.

If you’re a fan of Ali Hazelwood’s I think you’ll also like this novel. Bound is different, kind of like her other paranormal series, but not too much like them and not set in that world. I was entertained which for me is what reading or listening to a good book is all about. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Bound

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 ReadsLeave a comment

This Chick Read: Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson

Ensign Bluemage Honor Renn was serving her first post on a naval ship when they were attacked, her ship was sunk. As a Bluemage, it was her job to reinforce the magical spells of the head mage of her ship. As they were attacked, she threw spells above her seniority, and caught magical cannonballs that ate through her skin leaving her dying in the ocean. When she awoke she was on the mythical ship, Touchstone, run by a mysterious elven captain and a misfit crew. Their mission was tied to the Dreadwall, a crumbling barrier that has kept the Overland and Neversea from war for a hundred years. Renn carries in her bones, the remnants of a magic that is chimeric arcane and is slowly killing her but the Touchstone’s mission may be her only chance to survive. Her choice is to join its crew or die.

What girl doesn’t dream of joining a magical misfit crew with a handsome mysterious elven captain at its helm? If I’d have thought of it, I would have certainly had this dream. Reading Honor Renn’s journey was the closest I’ll ever come to holding magic and living the pirate life. I relished reading each page and living out a fantasy I never knew I wanted. I loved the hatred and confusion that Honor Renn felt for her captain at the beginning that soon changed to respect and admiration. There were so many things to like about our main character who held duty and honor in high esteem. She had an unusual magic, she was sassy, fearless, and had most importantly had a huge heart. The other characters were just as fascinating and added to that magical world with humor, anger, adventure, and love.

When I was a teen, I loved reading fantasy novels with an epic journey and Ship of Spells reminded me of those long ago novels that I’d get lost reading on a cloudy Saturday afternoon. What a fantastical novel. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Ship of Spells

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 ReadsLeave a comment

This Chick Read: Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Morgan is haunted by her ex. Seriously, his ghost is following her around and basically making her life hell. It wouldn’t be so bad if she knew him, but they only went out one time and she can’t figure out why she’s the one he’s haunting. Sawyer’s fianceé turned ghost is starting to fade and he’s not ready to let her go. At a support group for humans and their haunters Morgan and Sawyer meet and although they face opposite problems they decide to work together to solve their problems. As Morgan and Sawyer work towards figuring out their ghosts unfinished business, they start to develop feelings for each other, feeling more alive than they’ve ever felt.

This was a surprisingly sweet and funny story. Morgan’s ghost, Zach, tends towards poltergeist shenanigans while Sawyer’s ex-fianceé is just getting more sad as the days go on. Sawyer keeps trying to live their lives like she’s alive, but has actually stopped living, afraid to move on because he’s not ready to lose her. When they meet up at the support group Sawyer doesn’t really want to have anything to do with Morgan, but for some reason he allows her to move into his studio rent free while they sort out their ghosts unfinished business. I really enjoyed the friendships that Zach, Sawyer, and Morgan created. Zach was mischievous in death, and as they got to know what he was like in life their feelings for him became bittersweet. Yes, this was a little bit of a love story between Morgan and Sawyer, but truthfully, I liked the friendship trio that Zach’s ghostly presence created. He was such a quirky individual and added a lot of heart to this story. Without Zach I think this story would’ve been two dimensional.

If you’re looking for a ghost story, well, there are ghosts in the plot but it’s not spooky at all. It was a story about holding your loved ones close, but also it was a story about it being ok to let go and keep living. I liked that theme a lot!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Seeing Other People

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 ReadsLeave a comment

This Chick Read: Second Chance Romance (Harlot’s Bay #2) by Olivia Dade

When Molly heard her childhood best friend Karl Dean had passed away suddenly she returned to the town she never thought she’d step foot in again, Harlot’s Bay. This was the town that was closest to her heart, and where she spent her high school years. That’s where she met and became friends with Karl, someone whom she had feelings for, but those feelings were never returned. After her parents split suddenly at the end of her Senior year, she and her mother moved to California where she rooted and stayed. Now divorced, she has returned to honor Karl, but she finds that her information was incorrect and Karl is alive. He’s also still holding a torch for Molly.

I love to read Olivia Dade’s novels. They are very body positive and for those of us who are larger than a size two, it’s great to read about a character who has some similarities to themselves. Molly is not only lush and beautiful, she also makes her living narrating audiobooks, some of which are quite spicey. When she runs into Karl again, she finds out that he’s been listening to those books just so he can hear her voice. Their re-connection is fierce and has a lot of chemistry, but she agrees to stick around Harlot’s Bay until their high school reunion in one month’s time. Karl is going to use that one month and get to know her and make her fall in love with him.

Karl is our connection to the previous novel. If you read that book you’ll remember he’s the very gruff and grumpy baker who gave Athena advice. Although he’s great at giving that advice he’s not so good at taking it. This non-communicative bear of a man is a “my actions speak for how I’m feeling” kind of guy, which makes it hard for he and Molly to re-build their relationship. I’ll admit that I enjoyed their efforts though and Olivia Dade does write some great dialogue. Molly is a forthright, sassy woman, and Karl delivers those one liners right back. It makes for an enjoyable read!

Note to the reader- this is a spicey romance! Not only does Molly narrate spicey romances, but they are monster romances and there are many-penised monsters discussed and romanced. Hilarious reading but it can be a lot if that kind of language isn’t your thing. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Second Chance Romance

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: The Marriage Method (The Crinoline Academy #2) by Mimi Matthews

When newspaper editor Miles Quincey starts questioning the intentions of the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies the academy sends one of their brightest graduates Penelope “Nell” Trewlove to quell his interest. What’s supposed to be an easy task gets complicated when Nell arrives in London at the same time one of Miles’ reporters gets murdered. When Miles and Nell get caught in a compromising situation they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that lead to a man’s death.

When I’m in a historical romance mood, I immediately think of Mimi Matthews. Her novels are romances, but more importantly she really seems to research and know the period she is writing about lending her novels a lean towards historical fiction rather than romance. The Crinoline Academy touches on the subjugation of women in this period of history. The Academy where Nell resides does a bit more then enable women to launch into society, they are also training these women on how to ‘distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women’. It’s during this time that women are starting to fight for their rights, and I love that Mimi Matthews has chosen this time in history to set her stories.

Nell is a bit of a fish out of water. She’s never left the academy in large part due to her disability. She was injured as a child and walks with a cane. She tires easily, but doesn’t let her fragility stop her from pursuing the leads that draw her into danger. Miles rose in station through hard work and takes his job and place in life very seriously. When he and Nell get caught in a compromising position he offers her marriage, but it’s not until they are investigating the murder that the two of them really get to know each other. It’s during those moments that the story really becomes interesting and the chemistry takes center page. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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 Marriage Method

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: The Seven Rings (The Lost Bride Trilogy #3) by Nora Roberts

Sonya had inherited the grand house in Maine from her dead father’s twin brother. A brother he never knew he had. In the previous two books Sonya eagerly moves into this home along with her best friend and finds out that, surprise!, it’s haunted by an evil witch. A curse was laid on the Poole family’s brides, each one dying in that home with the witch collecting their seven wedding rings. In this third installment Sonya, her boyfriend Trey, and their two friends battle this evil witch and banish her from their home, giving those brides a place to remain or move on from.

These types of novels are among my favorites to read by Nora Roberts. A good vs. evil theme, two besties who are determined to stick it out and best the big bad, and a little romance as a side dish. In this series we also get to know some of the ghosts who inhabit the mansion, especially Sonya’s grandmother, a young boy, and a young maid. The author does a great job of weaving spookiness with humor and love to give the reader an enjoyable story with a little bit of everything to get them involved.

What set this novel apart for me was that Sonya, who is a Poole by blood, but was raised under another name could travel through mirrors to see the brides stories. She had a guest on these journeys and it wasn’t her boyfriend Trey, but her own cousin Owen, another Poole, who came along for the ride. It was an interesting way to tie family together, but also the two couple’s who were developing romances. I’ll admit to finding Cleo and Owen’s love story a bit more interesting becauses Cleo was kind of a wacky character and Trey was kind of pedantic. However, all in all the book did it’s job. I was entertained, invested in the story and characters, and felt good at the plot resolution. You can’t ask for much more than that! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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 Seven Rings

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Turns of Fate (Isle of Wyrd #1) by Anne Bishop

Words have power. Intension matters.

As you’re reading Turns of Fate, those two sentences, above gain traction and as the characters learn have meaning when you are on the Isle of Wyrd. Most people come to Destiny Park for entertainment but some come to the Arcana to make a bargain- to change their fate. Some people come to the park for dark reasons. Detective Beth Fahey is the newest member of the police department who has direct contact with the Arcana of the Isle of Wyrd. When she goes to the park to investigate a “ghost gun” it’s the start of a journey where she learns to navigate the Arcana’s unforgiving laws while at the same time learning secrets about her own past. As tensions rise between the Arcana and their human neighbors across the river Beth makes decisions that alter her own future.

Anne Bishop is one of those authors who I eagerly anticipate a release from, but am never sure what kind of book I’m going to read. I LOVE the Others series but I couldn’t get into her Black Jewel series at all. I’ve tried to read that first book three of four times and never got past the first couple of chapters. When I read the synopsis for Turns of Fate I got excited. It sounds like it has similar elements to the Others series but the added bonus of a main character who is a Detective. I was picturing a Mystery/Fantasy hybrid and I was not disappointed. There were a lot of little mysteries to be solved, but the overall story was definitely urban fantasy.

Beth is a mysterious character. At first she seems very straightforward, but as the story progresses we notice that although we (the reader) love Beth, she’s not understood by her fellow detectives and people just don’t click with her and vice versa. She’s a conundrum, not just to her co-workers and neighbors, but also to herself. This is the mystery that I relished solving and boy was that story fun! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Turns of Fate

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: Reproduction (Hypothesis Series #8) by Penny Reid

The second part in the three part serial, and yes it’s #8 in a larger series, Samantha Jarlsten finds herself living with her childhood best friend Andreas Kristiansen. Faking an engagement while he adopts her (yep!) to undermine his two brothers from inheriting her father’s ex business that they swindled her out of, Sam is understandably confused. As am I after reading that previous sentence! Although her confusion is more to the fact that she’s in a fake engagement but is developing feelings for Andreas. She continues to work in the STEM field, with a new boss who hits on her all the time, and he is a chess master world champion- or something to that effect. For two very smart people, they are being kind of dim-witted.

So, they agree to a friends with benefits scheme that is surely going to bite them in the behind. As the reader in this relationship, I say thank goodness! It moved the plot forward a bit beyond the two brothers being threatening and her boss being a jerk. I enjoyed getting to know them as a kind of real couple- although it was still fake.

This being a serial and having one more book left that will be released next week, the reader will finally get a resolution to the story. This one again ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. So, will Sam and Andreas find happiness? Will Sam take control of her father’s company? Will Andreas’ two brothers stop threatening her and give up? We’ll find out all this in the next book. Whew!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Reproduction

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

Owen Mallory is a failed soldier, historian, and son of a rather anarchical father. Owen’s grey life has been filled with imagery of the Dominion’s greatest hero, Sir Una Everlasting. Una’s life was similarly grey, until as a young orphan she is swept away by the Queen, given wars to win, and tasks to fulfill. Her life becomes the Queen’s, until one day she meets Owen, who has fallen through time in order to write a book about Una. Immediately, the two are connected. By fate, by their journey, and by chemistry. They are tangled together in time and as Owen writes and rewrites Una’s story their fates too are entertwined.

Excited by all the five star ratings, I was really eager to read The Everlasting. However, I turned the first page with a little trepidation. I read Alix E. Harrow’s acclaimed novel The Ten Thousand Doors of January and I had trouble connecting with the main character. I thought the prose elegantly written, but that elegance created a barrier that made it hard to identify with the main character. The Everlasting is also very elegantly written, but this story reminded me of my classes in college where I would fall into the epic tails of Gawain, Sir Lancelot, and even Beowulf. Instead of creating a barrier where I had trouble identifying with the characters, Harrow’s lyrical words opened doors into a world I had zero trouble falling into.

I think what hooked me the most about this story was that the author combined several tropes seamlessly. First, the obvious, Good vs. Evil, and the reveal of that character happens slowly which makes their evilness so much more delicious. So, yes, I was drawn in by that first trope, but it was the fairy-tale elements to the story that secured that hook. The lyrical writing, which bothered me in her other novel worked perfectly in this setting and the pace and thoughtfulness in developing these characters fully was beautiful. I’ll also admit that I love a good romance and the slow build of Owen and Una’s relationship and love for each other was both breathtaking and heart-breaking. Normally, being captured by a story I would breeze through a book, but The Everlasting was methodical and I didn’t want to ruin the pace of her writing because of my own impatience to see what happens at the end. I’m glad I took my time because that ending was just fabulous. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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 Everlasting

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: Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder

Merritt Valentine has escaped her career as a famous singer-songwriter in LA after a much published breakdown, and is now living with her sister in Crested Peak, Colorado. Trying to keep her life together and heal her wounds, she hasn’t written or sung a song in years. When she buys a house that needs some work, she hires Niko Petrakis, a too good looking and kind-hearted handyman, someone she’d chew up and spit out. Despite everyone’s warnings to steer clear of each other, Niko and Merritt are drawn together. Niko can’t shake his fascination with Merritt and as they spend more time together their mutual attraction sparks a deeper connection.

Some Kind of Famous was not a light-hearted romance. Merritt had a ton of baggage that she’s still working through. Her traumatic past is almost too much for her to get past. Niko moved to Crested Peak for another woman doing and he hasn’t had a true relationship since she left. Neither of them trusts love but his job of fixing up her house brings them together and gives them a chance to get to know each other without giving in to their romance. At times the heavy subject matter made me pause and reflect on if I wanted to keep reading, but for some reason I was curious as to how these two people, who didn’t have a lot in common and had very disparate backgrounds, would find their happily ever after.

I’ll admit that I also like to root for an underdog and both Merritt and Niko seemed to have a lot weighing things against them. Merritt needed to overcome her past and get her head on straight, and Niko needed to be happy living life the way he needed- utilizing his skills as a wood worker and artist despite his lack of a formal education. Everyone wanted them to stay away from each other, but they ended up being each other’s best friends and helping each other find their inner strength. So, ever though it was heavy reading, I really liked the story and how these characters fought for everything they had together.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Some Kind of Famous

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads