Tag: book review

This Chick Read: Infamous (Rebels of the Ton #3) by Minerva Spencer

I have been pleasantly surprised by some of historical romances I’ve read lately and I am adding Infamous to that list. Our heroine, Celia, was the belle of the ton with every gentleman vying for her hand. Her beauty was incomparable, but her behavior was not as sweet. When she plays a trick that goes wrong she becomes Lady Infamous, a name that does not do her any favors. When her father’s gambling debts turn society against her she finds herself deserted by both her father and society. She is forced to work as a companion to the peers where she once reigned. When the lady she works for attends a country party Celia finds herself among the peers where she once reigned and with the gentleman she once ruined and his brother whom the trick had been intended to serve. Trying to get through the visit unseen she instead finds herself finding an unlikely friendship with the one she had once hoped to hurt.

It’s not often that you read a historical romance where the heroine is unkind and sympathetic all in one book. I found myself not really liking Celia at the beginning of the novel but when she got to the country and found herself with her old group of not very nice peers she was much nicer in comparison! Her love interest is Richard, the gawky brother of the man she once used to want, who has grown into an attractive man although his interest in science still makes him somewhat geeky. Surprisingly or really not that surprisingly, Richard is somewhat accomplished at the art of love as his analytic view has made him experiment from a very young age. Celia doesn’t really stand a chance against his charms. I thought their romance an interesting change from a young ingenue who falls for a Duke as we usually see in this category of romance.

There wouldn’t be much of a romance without a little conflict and I have to say that this novel had quite a bit of dark mixed in with the light. She has reparations to make against those she harmed in the past as well as an evil past that comes back to haunt her. Infamous was a real page turner! I found this book on a list of great romances to look forward in 2022 and I have to agree, it was really good! I’m curious enough about this author to go back and pick up books one and two in the series. Never fear though, I don’t think you need to read those before this novel. I didn’t miss a thing! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Infamous

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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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It’s Monday, what are you reading? (6/6/22)

It’s vacation time and I’m ready to read! I’m heading to the beach tomorrow and am looking forward to sitting on a beach with a book and just chilling. I’ve got a few books on my radar, but need to finish the fantasy novel I’ve just started before I dig in. Here’s the scoop on what I’ve been reading lately.

JUST FINISHED

I have been listening to this fantasy series. It’s one that I’ve read when each book initially came out. I’ll admit that circumstances made this novel a tough one to get through. I caught Covid in the middle of listening to the book and it took me over three weeks to finish it. It was no fault of the book and when I finally got the time I got back into it just fine.

JUST STARTED

Elise Kova’s novels are so addictive! This novel is supposed to be a stand alone novel so I thought I’d read it quickly. I’ve gotten sucked into series of this author’s in the past where I read one book directly after the other until finished. This novel feels like a fairy-tale re-telling but with a twist. Cinderella meets Beauty and the Beast. I like it a lot!

It’s a fantasy week of reading for me, what books are on your own tbr?

Have a great Monday!

Deb

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This Chick Read: All The Feels (Spoiler Alert #2) by Olivia Dade

Carefree leading man, Alexander Woodroe, seems to have it all, good looks, charm, and the wealth that comes from a leading role on hit tv show Gods of the Gates, but he seems to always find trouble. Or trouble seems to always find him. His producers land him with a keeper in the form of former ER therapist, Lauren Clegg. Lauren’s job is to keep him in line and not allow him to embarrass his bosses. Lauren is used to all kinds of behavior from working in an ER and as she gets to know Alex she thinks that her dirty rat cousin and producer of said show has got it all wrong. Alex has just been misdiagnosed! As they get to know each other they are aware that there’s an attraction, but is it only one-sided?

Olivia Dade strikes again! I was so overwhelmed with joy at reading Alex and Lauren’s story. As with Spoiler Alert, Lauren is not your typical pretty or girl next door heroine. She is short, round, and has a hawkish nose from an ER accident. She is also very calm, soothing, and is filled with a charming good sense. Alex while being kind, handsome, and also charming is pretty much a mess when she meets him. He’s ADHD needs to be managed and sometimes he acts without thinking of consequences, but Lauren sees that he’s not the selfish jerk that her cousin made him out to be, his actions are always in the defense of others. He is one of those rare guys that don’t even see someone’s looks, he judges people by their actions and Lauren’s actions are very attractive indeed.

This is the second story in the series about a hot guy who falls in love with an atypical woman. I say that only in a Hollywood-esque meaning. Our heroine’s are not your typical starlets, they are women like you and me, which as a reader is oh so attractive. Alex and Lauren have so many triggers that they have to overcome to let themselves be with each other. Their story is emotionally overwhelming at times, but oh so worth it! I fell in love with Alex and Lauren, and I know you will too!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase!* All the Feels

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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: Places We’ve Never Been by Kasie West

Norah and Skyler used to be best friends until his family moved away. They tried to stay in touch but over the last couple of years their friendship was reduced to an occasional comment on social media. When their mother’s (also best friends) plan a three week RV road trip Norah is thrilled! Finally, she and her once best friend can pick back up where they left off only Skyler basically ignores her when their families see each other again. Now it’s looking like this is going to be the road trip from hell.

When Skyler moved away Norah floundered not knowing her place in the cliques at school and having to make new friends. She finds herself a new best friend, Willow, who helps this awkward gamer girl find a place in “the popular group” at school. A place she’s not very comfortable inhabiting. This trip is a chance for her to be herself and not “play” at being this cool girl she really isn’t. Skyler has also changed a lot. His once gawkiness has now changed into a buffer more attractive guy. Facing each other as they are now, or who the other believes they are, isn’t the easiest relationship to navigate. I liked how this novel took the ‘everything is not as great as it seems on social media’ approach and made them face that head on. They both have misconceptions that they’ll have to overcome before they can become friends again, and maybe something more.

One of the things I love about Kasie West’s novels is that they are so truthful and her characters are easy to identify with and like. Places We’ve Never Been was so easy to read and our two main protagonists were so easy to like. Heck, their families were awesome and the dialog was so witty I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times. Skyler’s little sister especially had some great one liners. This novel isn’t all LOL’s though, there is quite a lot of teenage and adult angst but this author has a talent for portraying life very accurately without being overdramatic. I bought into the story 100%.

Are you looking for a book you can dive into? Do you like an occasional young adult novel? Places We’ve Never Been is a clean, easy to read, very enjoyable escape. I highly recommend reading it! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase!* Places We’ve Never Been

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

April Whittier works in a field dominated by men and she is used to smothering her personality and femininity behind a steady, solemn demeanor. When she accepts an offer in a new company she is pleased that her new co-workers share their personalities, hobbies, and weekend fun. April, too has a secret life filled with her love of a popular television program and in fact she writes fanfiction and has quite a large following. She decides to take the leap and post her homemade Lavinia cosplay costume… with her in it. She gets a HUGE reaction but not all of it’s good. There are fat-shaming comments that she deletes, not letting those haters get her down. There is one surprising comment from Marcus Caster-Rupp one of the actor’s on the show saying how gorgeous she is and asking her on a date. Knowing it’s probably for publicity purposes doesn’t stop April from accepting and she’s totally surprised that there’s more hidden behind his beautiful persona that she may just want to know better.

I am not familiar with the fanfiction world at all but each chapter starts with a story from that world and I have to admit that I’m curious! As April and Marcus both write in that world, the reader gets plenty of insight into their characters in that fantasy world as well as the real life they live in. The tv show is kind of like a Game of Thrones but using Greek mythology characters, and while that was slightly confusing the fanfiction definitely helped clarify what and who these popular tv characters had been and were becoming. It was entertaining as well as helpful! These quick chapter prologues also gave the reader insight into what was happening inside April and Marcus’s heads, rather than using an internal monologue.

I loved many things about this book but what I loved the most was that the characters were so real. April was a big girl who was happy with who she was and was not going to change herself to fit someone else’s wants and needs. Marcus was an exceptionally fit man who looked to be not so bright, but was in fact very smart. Both characters were dealing from trauma from their childhoods and had triggers that the other person walked sensitively around. Can avoiding topics last a lifetime? No, so you know there are some situations that arise in this book that make both characters face those triggers. Each situation was very well written by Olivia Dade, making me emotionally react and involved. I love romance novels but sometimes they are not story driven. Never fear, Spoiler Alert has heat but more importantly there is a lot of story!

Our two main characters were so likable but really, so were all of their friends. There were some great chapters giving us hints into the second novel of the series revolving around Alex and his keeper Lauren that put it at the top of my TBR. Olivia Dade has scored a winner with this series and I am definitely taking a look at her backlog to see if there are any others that may be just as good. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Spoiler Alert

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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This Chicks Audio Review: Seatmate: Love Lines #3 by Cara Bastone

Gwen and Sam sit next to each other in what must be the worst seats on the bus. The aisle seats next to the bathroom. Sam’s a handsome guy with a streak of blue in his hair who visits his mother once a month in Boston by bus. Gwen is on her way to NY for an interview that could change her life. She has exactly 5 hours and 10 minutes to get there. Surely this 3 hour bus ride will be on time? This is the hilarious story of two people who meet on a bus trip gone awry.

Seatmate is written strictly for audio and is free with your audible subscription. It has all of the sound effects of a movie with different voices for every character, sounds from the road, toilets flushing, we hear it all and it’s so much fun. I forgot I was listening to a book and enjoyed myself immensely, laughing along and rooting for Gwen and Sam to find their HEA’s, despite everything that happens to prevent that.

The only good thing that seems to happen to our main characters is the fact that they sat next to each other on this bus. Their seats stink, his mom sets him up on a blind date to pick him up from the bus stop, the bus gets a flat tire, they save a litter of kittens from the middle of the freeway… There is a LOT packed into this five hour audiobook. I’ve never read anything by Cara Bastone, but I immediately downloaded the first and second books from this series. Seatmate has been the first really feel-good audiobook that I’ve listened to in a while. The narration was spot on, the movie sound effects add to the tension and fun, and I literally laughed out loud at all of the “is this really happening” scenarios. If you love audiobooks, you shouldn’t miss listening to Seatmate!

Disclaimer- Yes, this is a love story, but it’s all about the meet cute! The story leads up to the relationship and has a ton of charm and tension, but no love scenes. If that’s going to disappoint you, then I suggest you don’t take a listen, but if you love laughing out loud, then this is the audiobook for you! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Seatmate

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (5/23/22)

When you’re out sick for a week you watch a lot of TV and read a LOT of books. I’m still quarantining from my husband who is now sick, so still reading and watching tv. I’m definitely jumping genre’s since I’m getting bored a little easy and trying to find something good that will stick. Here are the most recent books that are landing on my virtual bookshelf.

JUST FINISHED

Kelley Armstrong has written so many great novels I just had to give her new series a try. A time travelling detective? This definitely checks the box for historical mystery, one of my favorite genre’s.

JUST STARTED

A new to me author, I ran across someone talking about this series and thought it sounded really interesting. A group of women who vet future husbands and make sure their future wives have rights and aren’t taken advantage of? Umm, yes please! It’s off to a great start so far and I may have found a new author to look out for!

I’d love to hear what books have caught your interest this week. Share in the comments!

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner

It’s post WWII England.The town of Bloomsbury is filled with boutique shopping, quiet cafe’s and Bloomsbury Books. Open for 100 years, and owned by Lord Basking, it’s an institution resistant to change, or at least the men who run it are resistant. London is certainly eager to move on from the war. Bloomsbury Girls follows three women who work in the store and who want to make changes in their lives. Vivien is tired of men holding all the power and making all of the decisions. She has a vision for a bookstore that features female authors. Grace is married with two small boys and has taken a job at Bloomsbury Books to get away from a controlling husband and her worsening circumstances. Evie has finished her education at Cambridge but was beaten out for an assistant position in large part due to her being a woman despite better grades and higher intelligence. One night after a successful female author’s event Bloomsbury Books becomes the centerpiece for gathering women and the impetus for change.

While Bloomsbury Books is not the second in a series if you’ve read Jenner’s The Jane Austen Society, you’ll recognize quite a few of the characters. Evie was one of the six in that society in Chawton, England who found and helped evaluate Jane Austen’s library in her home. Now, after graduating, we see an older, yet still slightly naive Evie navigating a large city filled with different cultures and societal expectations. She was certainly the most shy of the three women yet grew the most throughout the novel. I loved her love story, but also how she started the novel naive and learned a little gamesmanship by the end.

Vivien was opinionated, outrageous, and super talented. She was an aspiring writer, but also saw how changes would make their bookstore grow. The men who managed the store were only interested in maintaining things the way that they’d always been done. Vivien was that strong wind of change and her wind was a hurricane gale force.

Grace, like a lot of women of her time found herself in a marriage that no longer gave her what she needed. She and her husband were on different paths and Grace’s journey throughout the book was a voyage of discovery and bravery. Would she or wouldn’t she take that chance to make a change.

Bloomsbury Girls had a methodical pace that allowed the reader to engage with each of the characters in the story and and feel for their circumstances, even if the time we live in has made some inroads into equality on the job and in the household. I really enjoyed the evolution of these characters and loved the conclusion to this novel. It might just be because I’m a woman but it was so satisfying! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Bloomsbury Girls

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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This Chicks Audio Reviews: Under One Roof and Stuck With You (The STEMinist Novellas #1 & #2) by Ali Hazelwood

The Love Hypothesis was one of my favorite romance novels of 2021, so when Ali Hazelwood came out with novellas featuring women of STEM (Scientist, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) I had to read them and see if she could repeat her magical formula in short form. Part of what worked for me in The Love Hypothesis was the geeky humor and witty dialog. Also, the complete obtuseness (is that a word?) when it came to attraction and love that our main character betrayed. The STEMinist novella heroines definitely followed this same format. Super bright but when it came to their own love lives, they needed some great advice from their friends. It’s always easier to pick apart your best friends behavior than it is to figure out your own, right? This novella series follows three best friends who are all women of STEM and certainly have an opinion on each other’s love lives but aren’t so great at figuring out their own.

Under One Roof is book one in this short story series. Environmental Engineer, Mara, inherits half a house from her mentor and needs to move in asap. Inhabiting that house is big-oil lawyer Liam. They say opposites attract and you know when that front door opens that this is definitely the case but it takes a while for our duo to put aside their differences and take a chance on each other. It’s not often when I read a novella that feels like a full-length book but Ali Hazelwood does a great job of making that happen in Under One Roof. Mara and Liam fulfill that tension that I love in an enemies to lovers story! This book was narrated by Emma Wilder who did a great job voicing both characters and injecting humor, anger, angst, and attraction into every word. Bravo! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Stuck With You is the second book in the series and is the story of Civil Engineer, Sadie, who is slightly neurotic but ultimately adorable. She meets the hot, tall (to her very short) Viking, Erik at the local coffee shop. She is desperate for her lucky croissant and he just purchased the last one. This absolutely charming novella spends one wonderful day with the two of them as they get to know each other, not bothering to fight their attraction. Of course, it doesn’t all go smoothly but rights itself in the end with a little help from her friends. I’m saying less about this novella but I actually liked it a little bit more. The narration by Meg Sylvan was spot on. Her slight accent for the Dutch-born Erik is just amazing. You totally forget it’s a woman voicing his character! Sadie is a genius, but neurotically superstitious and her quirks made this short story a ton of fun. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I can’t wait for the third novella, Below Zero, to come out in July! The third and final STEMinist’s story looks to be a charmer. Each of these audiobooks runs just over three hours, so if you have a short car trip or are cooking something complicated on a weekend it’s the perfect amount of time to spend with these characters. The novellas both read like a full-length novel and don’t leave you hanging.

Click these links to purchase! Under One Roof and Stuck With You

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

Persephone Fraser spent six idyllic summers on the lake at Barry Bay with her next door neighbors Sam and Charlie. Percy was the same age as Sam and as two awkward 13 year olds they formed an immediate bond and friendship. As the years passed their friendship changed but only spending the summers together they each had nine months living their “normal” lives before they were together again. Percy was a horror movie lover and want-to-be writer while Sam wanted to be a doctor after seeing his father pass away at a young age. Despite all obstacles and differences the two of them knew they had each other until one summer when Percy made a life-changing decision that severed their relationship. It’s now 12 years later and Sam’s mom has died of cancer and Percy decides to go to the funeral and face the past, and the boy she once desperately loved.

Every Summer After is the debut novel by Carley Fortune and wow does this novel pack an emotional punch! I am so impressed with the intricacies of the plot and how this author wove flashbacks to their childhood with current time holding the reader captive and in suspense. You know from the synopsis that something huge will happen, and she keeps the reader on the edge of their seat waiting for that explanation. It’s been awhile since I was so captivated by a story that I stayed up reading way past the time I should’ve put the book down. I just had to finish it in one night. Despite my lack of sleep and having to get up and go to work, I am not disappointed in my decision at all.

I loved both Sam and Percy. Meeting as 13 year olds, Percy had just gone through a difficult year at school being cast out of her group of friends and kind of floundering. Sam immediately became the person she could rely on the most. Even when she went back to Toronto, school, and making up with her clique of friends, no one took Sam’s new place in her heart. Sam was an old soul. Having his dad die not only changed the trajectory of his life but also made him super responsible. This sense of responsibility and seriousness drew Percy in but also contributed to their separation. I can’t talk about the characters in this book without mentioning Charlie. He’s Sam’s older brother by two years and is the complete opposite of Sam. He’s a charmer with the ladies, and is the character with one liners who always lightens the mood. Although he’s also Sam’s brother and causes a bit of conflict by association. I loved all three of them!

As I stated before, you know that something happens and since it’s been twelve years since Percy has seen Sam and the story is told through flashbacks, you have to wait awhile to find out what and why. Carley Fortune does a great job of building that relationship up so that the reader is completely invested and wants to see that happily-ever-after that we know is waiting for us on the last page. In this book, I’m not really bothered by the wait because the characters keep me vastly entertained.

This book is coming out just in time for summer vacation and is the PERFECT beach book. My hope is that someone else will read this book, or has read it so that I have someone to talk to about it. So please, put it on your TBR’s, it’s an easy bet that you’ll like this story. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Every Summer After

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads