This Chick Read: Hooking Up by Helena Hunting

Hooking Up begins at Amie’s wedding. Her brand new husband is humiliating her by cheating on her and everyone hear’s it on the sound system at the reception. Amie downs a bottle of champagne and throws herself at the first man she see’s… our hero, Lexington. This novel is off to a rocky start! However, when Lex turns down her offer, I’m intrigued and  truthfully a bit relieved. As their story continues that integrity shines through in Lexington and combined with Amie’s quirkiness, they grew into a couple I wanted to see find their HEA.

The only other novel of this author’s I’ve read is Pucked, which I liked.  If you haven’t read one of her novels, just beware. Helena Hunting’s style is pretty raunchy. Hooking Up definitely follows that format, but what makes her novels so popular are that her characters have heart and she throws them into laugh out loud situations that make these stories about the characters. I love a good sex scene just as much as the next gal, but what I really love is when I’m caught off guard by a scene and start laughing. Hooking Up is filled with these kind of moments.

OK, let’s talk characters. When I read that scene from the wedding reception, I thought, Oh No! I am not a huge fan of women as victims, however I quickly saw that there was more to Amie’s character than what we were seeing on the surface. This was a woman who had hidden depths! (Totally apparent when I read that HILARIOUS airport x-ray scene!) Lexington was actually just as swoon-worthy as you’d want your male lead to be. He was charming, attractive, honorable and very sexy.

Hooking Up was a fun, sexy, heart-warming love story. I know it’s the second in the series, so if you’re like me and you haven’t read the first, Shacking Up, you’re going to want to jump right in and read it.

Hooking Up- ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Hooking Up Click this link to purchase! Hooking Up Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

This Chick Read: Death Below Stairs (A Below Stairs mystery) by Jennifer Ashley

Kat Holloway has taken a new post as Cook for Lord Rankin an eccentric gentleman, when her kitchen maid turns up murdered in her pantry. With the help of sometime deliveryman Daniel McAdam Kat investigates and finds herself embroiled in a treasonous plot against the crown. Death Below Stairs while providing an entertaining mystery, also unveils aspects of the working class in historical London that gives the novel depth and heart.

This novel was set up previously in a novella, A Soupcon of Poison, which I immediately read upon finishing Death Below Stairs. Kat was not necessarily happy to see Daniel show up on Lord Rankin’s doorstep, this time disguised as a gentleman. When the maid turned up dead, Kat begrudgingly turned to Daniel for help, implying something had happened in their past that put him in the doghouse. The fact that Daniel was a chameleon, changing roles in her life, created a mystery within the mystery, giving their relationship a little tension adding depth to the danger of the mystery.

If you like light mysteries, Death Below Stairs will be right up your alley. As a heroine, Kat is very easy to like, and the light romance between she and Daniel added an element of romantic suspense to the already mysterious plot. An added bonus is you won’t have a long wait for the next mystery, as it comes out in July. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I was given a copy of this ARC for my honest review and it was honest!

Death Below Stairs Click the link to purchase! Death Below Stairs (A Below Stairs Mystery) Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

Release Day! The Hookup by Kristen Ashley #Excerpt

✮✮✮From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley, comes the first standalone title in the exciting, new Moonlight and Motor Oil series, THE HOOKUP! A rich, emotional love story, THE HOOKUP is available now!✮✮✮

 

Jump into THE HOOKUP and grab your copy today!

About THE HOOKUP (Moonlight and Motor Oil Series #1):

When the new girl in town, Eliza “Izzy” Forrester decides to hit the local drinking hole, she’s not ready to meet the town’s good, solid guy. She’s definitely not prepared to engage in her very first hookup with him.

Then Izzy wakes up the next morning in Johnny Gamble’s bed and good girl Izzy finds she likes being bad for Johnny.

Even so, Izzy feels Johnny holding her at arm’s length. But Johnny makes it clear he wants more and Izzy already knows she wants as much of hot-in-bed, sweet-out-of-it Johnny Gamble.

Floating on air thinking this is going somewhere, Izzy quickly learns why Johnny holds distant.

He’s in love with someone else. Someone who left him and did it leaving him broken. Whoever was up next would be runner up, second best. Knowing the stakes, Izzy will take what she can get from the gentleman that’s Johnny Gamble. And even knowing his heart might never mend, Johnny can’t seem to stay away from Izzy.

Until out of nowhere, his lost love comes back to town. He’s not going back, but Johnny still knows the right thing to do is let Izzy go.

And Izzy knew the stakes, so she makes it easy and slips though his fingers.

But that’s before Johnny realizes Eliza moved to town to escape danger that’s been swirling around her.

And that’s why Johnny decides to wade in.

That and the fact Eliza Forrester makes breakfast with a canary singing on her shoulder and fills out tight dresses in a way Johnny Gamble cannot get out of his head.

Pick up your copy of THE HOOKUP today!

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EXCERPT:“Izzy?” she answered.

“Hey, I’m home,” I told her.

“Okay, well…how are you?”

How was I?

Johnny’s behavior explained by the sad fact it was the anniversary of his father’s death, but still explained, and he was coming over for dinner the next night, not to mention, after not being affectionate (at all, unless you counted sitting me on the countertop, which I kind of did) after the last time we’d had sex, he made out with me at the door of my car for a good, long, happy while—I was great.

“I’m great,” I told her, opening Serengeti’s stall and moving in, lifting a hand to pat her jaw while she moved her nose to snuffle my neck and blow at my hair.

“Damn,” Deanna muttered.

My hand arrested on Serengeti and I focused on Deanna.

“What?” I asked.

“Damn,” she repeated.

“Damn what?” I asked.

“Well, just to say Johnny Gamble is Johnny Gamble.”

A specific area in my chest squeezed at the way she imparted that obvious but still confusing information.

“What’s that mean?” I asked.

“He’s Johnny Gamble of Gamble Garages. Did he tell you that?”

No he didn’t tell me that.

And suddenly I was embarrassed about something that I hadn’t liked all along.

But it was worse since Deanna knew more about a man I’d slept with than I did.

Serengeti was getting fidgety, so I used my hand on her to lead her out of her stall, and once in the corridor, she trotted out the open bay at the back, directly into her pasture.

I moved to Amaretto as I shared with Deanna, “No, he didn’t tell me that. I mean, we talked but we were also doing other things.” I let that lie. It did, weighty between us on the phone, before I went on, “I don’t know what that means.”

Even though it seemed like I did. Something seemed familiar about that.

“You haven’t lived here long enough,” she murmured while I opened Amaretto’s stall and moved in for some quick pats before I let him loose. Louder, Deanna said, “You know the gas station in town?”

Oh yes.

That was where I’d seen it.

“He owns that?”

“That and seven more of them across three counties. None in the city, just in the counties. Some of them are like mini-mart stores. All of them sell gas and do work on cars.”

Wow.

That was impressive.

About Kristen Ashley:Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA and nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorize and she hadn’t taken her first breath!). Her mother said they took Kristen away, put her Mom back in her room, her mother looked out the window, and Gary was on fire (Dr. King had been assassinated four days before). Kristen’s Mom remembered thinking it was the end of the world. Quite the dramatic beginning.

Nothing’s changed.

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana and has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus, she’s blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her family was (is) loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. They all lived together on a very small farm in a small farm town in the heartland. She grew up with Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing, it keeps getting better. 

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This Chicks Sunday Commentary: 2017 Top 5 Book to Movie (or tv show) Adaptations

A pretty common topic of conversation among book bloggers is whether a book is better than the movie they make about that book. I’m a book junkie, so my opinion is always going to sway towards the book being better, however there were some outstanding attempts in 2017. I don’t see every movie ever made, nor do I read every book written, but I think this is a good representation of what was popular in 2017, according to IMDB.

5) Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

A teenager who’s spent her whole life confined to her home falls for the boy next door.

I gave this book a 5 rating because of the emotions packed into his story and the big twist revealed at the end of the book. I have not seen the movie because I didn’t want to be disappointed.

4) A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

A dog looks to discover his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes and owners.

I heard more about this movie than I did the book, mostly because of the video that was released about a scene with a dog in it that may have treated the dog poorly. This didn’t have anything to do with why I didn’t see the movie. I have a rule. No movies or books with dogs. They tear my heart out and leave me bleeding.

3) Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.

I didn’t read or see the movie, however the promotional department did a great job with this movie and book. I have a Little Free Library in my front yard and they used those LFL’s to spread word of mouth about the book, and had a movie premier giveaway contest attached. Very clever!

2) It by Stephen King

A group of bullied kids band together when a shape shifting monster, taking the appearance of a clown, begins hunting children.

I remember when this book was made into a mini series years ago and it scared the bejeezus out of me then. I have not read the book recently and did NOT see this movie. However, it was supposed to be great!

1) Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

The apparently perfect lives of three mothers of first graders unravel to the point of murder.

I did read this book and it was fabulous! I tried to watch the series and just couldn’t get into it, however several Golden Globes and another season says that I may have been in the minority!

What did you think of my Top 5? Did I miss one of your favorite book to movie (or tv show) adaptations? Shout it out in the comments and let’s talk!

Until next Sunday,

Deb

This Chick Read: Busted by Gina Ciocca

When Marisa see’s her best friend’s boyfriend buying two pints of ice cream on a night where he had canceled a date she knew he was up to no good and followed him. Little did she know that taking a picture of him cheating would turn into a new investigative career. A plot that was Veronica Mars meets Nancy Drew, Busted kept this older lady’s attention. I liked it, loved it, and wanted some more of it! Seriously!

Marisa was a likable female heroine. She had sass, empathy, and was fighting her own heartbreak which gave her the courage to fight for others. When an old friend shows up and asks for her help, she can’t turn her down and ends up getting in the middle of the drama. When she i vestigates she learns not everything is as it seems. This plot had a lot of twists and turns and even though I guessed the who dunnit, I enjoyed the ride.

The cast of characters was really what made this book fun. Her brother’s adorable crush on her best friend, her frenemy’s antics, and the possibility of a new romance? All made for good reading. The high school dramatics made me reflect back on my own days where, thank god, there was very little drama and if this is what it’s like in high school now? Wow, I’m glad those days are in the past! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Busted

Click this link to purchase! Busted

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

This Chick Read: An Uncommon Honeymoon (Librarian and Spy Escapade #3) by Susan Mann

While on their honeymoon, spies, Quinn and James are asked to go undercover at a party to see if they can gather information on a human trafficking suspect. While undercover, Quinn meets two of the kidnapped children and her heart strings are tugged. She is determined to stop this ring and save these kids, with the help of her husband and fellow spy, James. As with her other novels, Susan Mann brings a human element into what could’ve been a rather mundane romantic story line. Human trafficking is a real issue and here in the state of Tennessee (where I live), you see posters in bathrooms and rest stops. I thought the balance of such a serious subject matter was relieved by the lighthearted romance between Quinn and James.

This is the third novel featuring these two main characters and we know them pretty well. Quinn’s skills are in her knowledge and researching skills. James is the more physical spy of the two, although that structure seems to have changed with An Uncommon Honeymoon. In the past Quinn seemed to know everything, spouting interesting facts and tidbits, but the Russian setting seemed to throw her off her stride, although her confidence in her budding spy skills was strong. She was firing a gun and kicking Russian butt like she’d been doing it for years.

The Indian setting was one of the things I liked best about A Covert Affair, and I missed that librarian curiosity that Quinn portrayed previously. She was more spy-ish than librarian-ish in this novel, which seemed a bit out of character. The romance between Quinn and James sizzled, as it should with newlyweds, and this novel had a lot more sexy scenes than the previous two books. Am I interested in reading and learning more about Quinn and James? I think I am, although I believe this author needs to share the growth more evenly over those two characters. Unless she wants to write a novel where Quinn becomes James’ boss?

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

❤️❤️❤️❣️

An Uncommon Honeymoon

Click this link to purchase! An Uncommon Honeymoon (Librarian/Spy Escapade)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

This Chick Read: Dragon Blood (World of the Lupi #14) by Eileen Wilks

Eileen Wilks has been setting up a showdown between Lily, Rule and The Great Bitch for what feels like eons. This is book fourteen after all. The Great Bitch is the supreme villain, although our heroes have been fighting her minions since this series started. She has focused on Lily because she wants to use Lily’s body as an avatar on Earth. Magic does not have an effect on Lily, which makes her the perfect host. As Dragon Blood begins right where Dragon Spawn left off (cliffhanger), Lily has traveled through dimensions to Dragonhome where all of the Spawn live. Her friends are still trying to save the children that were kidnapped, and this dimension may be where that standoff actually happens.

The previous novel seemed to drag a bit, so I was excited at the quicker pace at the beginning of Dragon Blood. Lily is at her best when she is solving riddles, and this novel has a couple of plot twists that kept it interesting. I was disappointed that Lily and Rule were separated for most of the book. Lily’s strengths are her clear thinking and ability to solve mysteries, but Rule is more physical. Those contrasting aspects of their characters make them more interesting together and less interesting when they are apart. Did they save the kids? No spoilers here!

I have been a huge fan of the World of the Lupi books and have loved reading about Lily and Rule’s evolving relationship, but the last few books have been just ho-hum. This series will probably be over when they fight and win (I’m going to assume that they win) against the Great Bitch, so I’m sad that I’m ready for the end of this series. Eileen Wilks has built an amazing world, but lately I feel like the story has taken too long to be concluded and the descriptive writing that I’ve loved previously is now making the story drag. The plot to save these children (including Rule’s son, Toby) may be leading up to Lily’s mental preparation to become a mother herself, and when that happens I believe this series will end. It should. I am ready for this author to start fresh with a new world and new characters and I will be the first in line to read that book! ❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Dragon Blood Click this link to purchase! Dragon Blood (A Novel of the Lupi) Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: Christmas Book Tree’s

I was in Columbia, TN this week wandering around their downtown and wandered my way into a bookstore. Funny how that happens!  What drew me in was this beautiful Christmas book tree in the window of the store. (I’ll be honest, the books did too!)

Book TreeI took a picture and turned to the guy at the counter and asked him how many books it took to make this tree. He said “I dunno.” Very disappointing answer! I can’t imagine I’m the first person to walk into the store and ask that question. Anyway, I took a picture and marveled at how high it stood, wondering if I had enough books at home to make one.  I probably do, but it would leave my bookshelves absolutely empty! As well as the thought of putting all of those books back on the shelves persuaded me to not build a tree quite that large.

I went home and started googling Christmas Book Tree’s and found that it doesn’t really matter the size. Here are some of my favorite’s.

Book Tree 2

I kind of want the big round room to put this one in, too! How fabulous!

Book Tree 3

Here is a little desktop tree. I love the look of it, but I’m cringing at bending all of those bindings!  I love the size though!

Book Tree 4

I love this idea because you don’t need a big room. Just a wall to stack your books against and a little festive garland!

Book Tree 5

Then you have your color coordinated books mini tree. It sits nicely on an end table and has a star on top. Love, Love, Love!  I’m positive I can do this one!

Off I go to create my little book tree. Have any of you created a book tree? Care to share how big, or what you picked for your theme? Did you stack? Create a circle?

I hope your holiday season is happy, festive and bright!

Merry Christmas-

Deb

postnote: I was inspired to create my own mini tree. What do you think?

This Chick Read: King’s Cage (Red Queen #3) by Victoria Aveyard

Warning! Slight spoiler ahead.

King’s Cage, the third book in the Red Queen series, starts with Mare being held prisoner by King Maven Calore. At the end of  Glass Sword, when their airplane was grabbed out of the sky and Maven’s forces threatened to kill Cal and Mare’s family she gave herself up for their freedom. Maven, surprisingly true to his word, let them go free and used Mare to convince the Red’s that the Scarlet Guard was a terrorist group. Mare, actually held captive by special manacles that inhibited her powers was helpless to stop his plans.

What is it about the villain being so fascinating? I thought the first half of this book when Mare was with Maven to be endlessly fascinating. Here was a boy king who was obsessed with this girl, yet at one point he had her! He betrayed her, but somehow he still wanted her to love him. The psychology behind that obsession, the torture at the hands of his own mother in his childhood. It was so good! I almost wish Mare had wanted him back. I think that would’ve made this book so much more interesting. Imagine if instead of hating him, she loved him and fought with his evil side to do the right thing and become who the country needed. Instead, Mare falls for the older brother, Cal, and fights against Maven’s tyranny. For The Whole Book. Tiring.

I will admit that as I was reading this book I kept thinking this was the final book in the series., and that totally threw me off. As I got to about 50 pages from the end I figured that out and I was so mad at myself.  Why? Why did I think this was the final book?  Why did I read this book before the next one came out? Oh well. Despite wishing Mare had fallen for the other brother, I felt slightly redeemed that things didn’t go quite as planned in the romance department for Mare. Not that I want her to be doomed to disappointment, but it at least made having to read one more book before finding out the resolution to the battle between the bloods and also the battle between brothers.  ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Kings Cage

Click this link to purchase!  King’s Cage (Red Queen)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

This Chick Read: The Theory of Second Best (Cake #2) by J. Bengtsson

The series, Cake, centers on an incident that happened to Jake, the protagonist of the first book Cake. Jake was kidnapped and held captive as a child until he escaped his abductor, returning to his family. These books are love stories, but this incident has shaped this families psyches and how they interact with people, including those that they love. Don’t get me wrong, both Cake and The Theory of Second Best are very funny and mostly light hearted, but the depths in these characters are often dark and deeply emotional.

Kyle, Jake’s brother, has surfed through life, letting others make his choices for him. He tours with his brother (Jake’s a rock star), and basically mooches off him, not really holding any kind of job. He decides to become a contestant on a Survivor type program, where the players live off the land and vote each other off each week. Kyle is the comic relief, and truly, he is funny. J. Bengtsson has written some great dialog! Kyle charms everyone, including the reader. More interstingly are the things Kyle learns about himself by isolating himself on an island with a bunch of strangers.

Kenzie is from a very small town in northern California. When her mother dies giving birth to her triplet siblings Kenzie was thrust into a mother type role at a very young age. She enters the show because she hopes to win the money so she can become independent from her family. When she meets Kyle, she is just as charmed and they join forces, also starting a light flirtation that is fun to read. It’s when they get back to the real world that the work in their relationship starts.

Even though the first part of this book is a recap of some of the events from Cake, but seen through Kyle’s eyes, you really do need to read this series in order. In fact, that recap to me was a time waster. I would’ve been happy if the author had just started with the island escapades because I think Kyle and Kenzie gave us plenty of insights into their characters by their reasons for entering that contest. Other than the slow start, I really enjoyed this novel. Kyle was a funny guy, and the two of them together were sweet!  ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click link to purchase! The Theory Of Second Best: Cake Series Book Two (Volume 2)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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