Tag: book review

This Chick Read: Still Standing (Wild West MC #1) by Kristen Ashley

Clara was married to who she thought of as the man of her dreams when the rug was pulled out from under her. He was arrested for embezzling life savings from the elderly to pay for her home and in a gated community and the Mercedes she drove. Duped by her husband and castigated by the general public, Clara retreated to a slum-like apartment trusting only her childhood friend. Except for that friend was married to a low-level gangster. Good intentions went bad when Clara agree’s to run errands for her friend’s husband, bringing her to the attention of some rather unsavory low-life’s. Which is how she meets Buck, President of the Aces High MC. He takes one look at Clara and decides it’s the beginning of them. Clara somehow misses that message until she runs into trouble again and Buck and his MC bail her out.

I feel like I’m on a roll with Kristen Ashley novels. I’m really enjoying them lately. Still Standing is a woman in jeopardy trope, which Kristen Ashley in her earlier novels did so well. Clara is a good girl that just doesn’t understand how and why she got herself into this position. Buck, as the president of an MC, is not the man she ever thought she’d end up with, but then look how her last husband turned out. On the surface he was bright, shiny, and clean but underneath he was dirty. Buck is kind of the reverse. On the surface he is rough and dirty, but he actually lives by a code and that code is brotherhood and honor. Clara see’s that and wants to be good enough for him. Unfortunately, she feels dirty and doesn’t see herself as being good enough for him. It’s a really interesting twist on the usual MC novel. I’ll admit I liked this pair as a couple. I also liked the way Kristen Ashley told the story. It really reminded me of what I loved so much about Mystery Man, Tyra and Tack’s story from long ago. Also, one of my favorite KA novels. Another good girl with a slightly unsavory MC President. This one not quite so clean as Buck and his brothers, but just as fascinating.

I have really high hopes for this newest MC series. There was some great physicality, but there was also a lot of story packed into this novel as well. It had a nice even balance and I didn’t find myself skimming through sex scenes to get to the plot. If you want to read a Kristen Ashley series from the start, I’d read this novel. As I said above, it has the feel of the Chaos novels, and if you like it you have 8 of those to go back and read. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Still Standing (Wild West MC Series Book 1)

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Beth Fremont and her friend Jennifer work in the newsroom of a newspaper. They know that their emails are being monitored by corporate but they still conduct private conversations that might be thought to be inappropriate to the powers that be. Normally and email is sent to the writers if they are misusing their emails, but they never receive one, so they continue their discussions thinking that maybe that “monitoring” isn’t actually happening. Lincoln O’Neill is the guy whose job it is to monitor those emails. Every night when he gets to work he goes through the notification file and see’s Beth and Jennifer have again been tagged. The problem is that their emails are just so interesting!

The majority of this novel are the email exchanges between Beth and Jennifer. They talk about everything under the sun. What’s going on in their lives, marriages, relationships, etc. Their exchanges are engaging, funny, and insightful. If I were Lincoln, I’d want to keep reading them too. The problem is that Lincoln starts to fall for one of them. They are both in relationships, Jennifer is married and Beth has a long term boyfriend. Lincoln is dying to see what they look like but most of the time they work during the day and he works at night, but he can see pictures on their desks. Beth’s boyfriend is a good looking guy who is in a band and Lincoln through their emails knows that it’s not the perfect relationship and he gets his hopes up.

This novel is the perfect mix of voyeurism and hilarity. You learn a lot about these characters through their writing but you also learn a lot about Lincoln. He is a big part of the story. I was surprised by how invested I got in both of the girls stories because I really on learned about them through emails. This was a very different kind of love story but I enjoyed it a lot. It was actually quite funny and I can see why Lincoln didn’t want to stop reading those emails, for the most part they were really funny!

This is not a new novel, it was released in 2011 and takes place in 1999 as the year is turning to 2000. Technology is a small part of the story because Lincoln is essentially in the IT department and in 2000 everyone was worried what would happen to their technology when that year turned over. As I lived through all of that I found it funny to remember how we were all so worried and then nothing happened. That added to the humor for me in this novel. If you are in the mood for a slow burn romance that is truly different, I’d give Attachments a chance. It’s more story than romance and I loved the humanity in these characters. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase!* Attachments: A Novel

Copyright 2021 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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It’s Monday, what are you reading? (3/22/21)

The weather was beautiful this weekend, I got my first vaccination shot, and I read a couple of good books! All is right in the world, LOL. I hope you had a wonderful weekend too. Mondays are always tough to get through but sometimes knowing you have a good book waiting to read at the end of the day helps. I’d love to know what you’re reading!

This post originated over on Book Date, so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion about what books I am reading.

JUST FINISHED

Sometimes your in the mood to read a regency novel and this one hit the spot. An frenemies to loves story, I thought this novel had an interesting twist. I also liked that I’d read the first novel in the series and knew the back story of the other characters, I think otherwise I would’ve found them annoying. The two main protagonists were fun though!

JUST STARTED

I haven’t started a book yet. However, I do have these two books checked out from the library so I’m leaning towards picking up one of these. Has anyone read one of them? Love & Olives is a YA novel and I’ve read the other books in this series. I haven’t read any Alex Brown novels but this premise looks pretty good.

Thanks for the help! Now, let’s hear what books are on your nightstand!

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

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Friday YA: How to Fall Out of Love by Emily Martin

Aubrey’s parents do not get along. Always fighting, she’s been stuck in the middle wondering why they stayed married if they hated each other that much. When a new neighbor moves in next door Aubrey befriends him and Webster Casey becomes not only her second best friend, but she thinks they could be something more. Going out on a limb despite not believing in love Aubrey asks Webster to Homecoming but when the night comes he stands her up. When she finds out he’s at the dance she figures there was a misunderstanding and drives to meet him there just to be humiliated in public, destroying her hope that love actually does exist. Fast forward a year later and she meets this cute guy at a party who just happens to be Webster’s cousin AND Webster becomes her lab partner for a year. Does she take a chance again on love?

I liked this premise and Aubrey. I can remember also living in a house where my parents fought but unlike Aubrey I didn’t let their relationship taint all of my own. As the book starts a year after the incident Aubrey and Webster are NOT friends, in fact they go out of their way to antagonize each other. I was kind of surprised that she was willing to give his cousin Holland a shot because she was so down on romance. As her relationship with Holland progresses I was surprised that she tried so hard to not like him too much. In fact it became apparent that she wasn’t going to allow herself to really like anyone. This is when I started to get a little tired of her character. Aubrey was a big downer and it took her entirely too long to come face to face with her little problem.

At first I really didn’t like Webster. I mean he was not a very nice guy to Aubrey, and when I still cared about her character it was hard to overlook him standing her up. However, I quickly realized there might be a little more to this story. Aubrey had just too many problems. Granted, they were both pretty immature, hello they were in high school, but he seemed to be so much more together. He was bi, had come out to everyone at school, and seemed to have a good relationship with his mom and friends. Other than Aubrey. Needless to say there was another reason, which I won’t spoil for you all if you’d like to read this book.

Now, I will say the book wasn’t all bad. The story entertained me and I enjoyed some of the side characters. I also think there were some great lessons Aubrey learned by the end of the book that slightly redeemed her down on love attitude. For that reason I gave this novel a 3.0 rating. I never gave up on it despite it making me mad at times and I did like how the book ended. Do I think everyone will feel the same way I do? No. So, please, if this book looks good give it a shot and make your own judgement. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Five Ways to Fall Out of Love

Copyright 2021 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: Wild Sign (Alpha & Omega #6) by Patricia Briggs

When a “camp town” goes missing in the woods of northern California the FBI delivers the news to the owner of that land, the Marrock’s pack. That land is tied to the origin story of Bran and Leah and that story has always been shrouded in mystery. Bran sends his enforcer and son, Charles, and his mate Anna to investigate, warning them that there is something mystical in those mountains. When they arrive they find that the camp was empty with no signs of struggle but some mysterious carvings lead them to believe that magic was involved in their disappearance.

I have waited a while (3 years!) for another Alpha and Omega novel as Charles and Anna are one of my favorite paranormal couples. Each novel in this series reveals more about this pair that intrigues me and keeps me wanting to find out more. Burn Bright, the last novel in the series, centered around its own mystery but as they were investigating that mystery Anna became more determined to find a way to have a child. As a female werewolf carrying a baby to term wasn’t possible and at the beginning of Wild Sign we find out that Anna and Charles are exploring adoption and Anna is frustrated at the length of the waiting list. This storyline has me looking differently at Anna and Charles individually, or more aptly, as a couple. Anna, as an Omega has a nurturing personality unless she’s backed into a corner, but mostly she’s a peacekeeper and it’s easy to see her as a mother. It’s Charles evolution that is the most interesting to me. As the pack’s enforcer Charles must wade in where others fear to go, often being called upon to kill wolves who may cause danger to their packs or society in general. This conflicts with the thought of Charles as a father, however, through Anna we see Charles the nurturer. Through their relationship he’s had to be very calm and patient with his mate creating a sense of safety for her after her abuse at the hands of her previous pack. As time has passed, now into book #6, we see Charles in a different manner. He’s still the enforcer and is called upon to do the difficult things that need carrying out, but he is also a man who wants to be loved, who wants to nurture, who wants his own family. I love this contrast in his character because it creates so much more meaning when he does react to situations, laying aside that man and giving over to his wolf who is the darker side of himself. Why do I bring all of this up? This theme continues in Wild Sign and becomes a defining factor in the mystery they are trying to solve.

OK, let’s talk about the mystery. Yes, there is a big bad magical being in the woods. One that has been there for eons capturing and captivating the people who happen upon it. Without giving away the details of the book I think I can say that this being is part of the legends of that area and as with most legends you don’t truly believe, the locals also make sure to stay away. So, why did the people of this missing town set up right in the midst of it’s territory? As with any story of this nature, it was hubris.

I like the balance of puzzling out the investigation with the powerful moments of outsmarting the baddies with smarts and brute strength. As with any story involving werewolves, there is a lot of action in this novel, but sometimes the more meaningful moments are when the story is quiet and they are deliberating through the facts. Those quiet moments of reflection often more their characters forward in their own story. As we are in book six if they aren’t moving forward in their relationship I think I would be let down and that’s something Patricia Briggs has not done so far in this series.

Wild Sign was as good as the cover makes it look. Seriously, what a fabulous cover! We find out a lot about some characters who have been a bit of a mystery which was fun, and that ending? Wow, Ms. Briggs, please don’t wait another three years for the next installment in this series. I don’t think I can wait that long! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase!* Wild Sign (Alpha and Omega)

Copyright 2021 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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It’s Monday, what are you reading? (3/15/21)

Do you ever look forward to spending a long weekend reading? Me too! I took off a couple of days and will admit, despite the wonderful weather outside I hunkered down with a couple of good books. It was wonderful! I’m just going to get right to telling you what I read.

This post originated over on Book Date, so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion about what books I am reading.

JUST FINISHED

I know last week I was waffling about whether to read this book, but once I picked it up I was sucked into Nesta and Cassian’s story. It was soooo good! Maas did such a great job of making Nesta an easy character to dislike that I just couldn’t see how she was going to turn that around. It was done in the most wonderful way! Cassian, was awesome as expected. If you’re a fan of this series and haven’t read this one, pick it up. It is so good!

JUST STARTED

I literally just finished the above book, but this is the one I think I’ll pick up next.

This novel is being released on Tuesday. A young adult story about a girl who has been disappointed by love and is determined to stay single. Of course, as with most novels, her life isn’t going the way she expects. I’m looking forward to this light read after the heavier Maas novel I just finished.

What are you starting your week off with? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

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This Chick Read: High Voltage (Fever #10) by Karen Marie Moning

Dani O’Malley has always been an integral part of the Fever series. As a young girl she acts as an energized sidekick and little sister to Mac, who this series has always revolved around. We have seen her grow up, quite suddenly when she gets lost in the Silvers and returns to Dublin older and with a new identity- Jada. She is a protector of the people of Dublin, as is Mac, but for her it’s retribution for the horrible things she did as a child used at the hands of Rowena. Assassin, murderer, and innocent are all descriptors that can be used for Dani O’Malley. In High Voltage, she gets her own book. Mac has become the Queen of the Fae and is out of the picture trying to become accepted. Barrons has disappeared with her. At the beginning of the novel Ryodan and the 9 who all run Chester’s and who have become part of Dani’s group of accepted frenemies also leave Dublin. Her boyfriend Dancer died in the last novel. With the exception of her Hel-cat, she is alone for the first time. Or since she was lost in the Silvers for two years. She flounders emotionally, but puts all those insecurities in a box and moves on. Still trying to keep Dublin safe, when she see’s things change and a new enemy comes to life. The Gods are back and they seem to have her in their sights.

I admit, I like Dani as the sidekick but was not eager to read her story. This is why this one say on my shelf since it’s release. I LOVE Mac and Barrons. I like Dani and Ryodan, but was never that curious about where these two would end up. Ryodan spent too much time as an anti-hero, dating and sleeping with many and holding Dani at a distance. Dani was too busy growing up, hiding her insecurities and feelings, and well I got tired of it all. It took me finding out that the next novel was coming out next month for me to go ‘uh oh’ and decide that I needed to get past my own feelings and read this novel.

High Voltage helped me understand this character a little bit more. Unlike Mac who wanted to be good, be liked, and who was secure in herself, Dani knew that she wasn’t normal. She didn’t want to be good per se, but she wanted to do good things. She see’s herself as a protector, a superman of sorts whose role was to help the helpless, as she once was. We saw a little bit more of her back story and in this novel saw her morph into a different being. I think everyone leaving made her undergo this emotional change and the novel was better for it. When Ryodan returned, (yes he doesn’t leave her forever. shockers!) she is ready to take their relationship to the next level. But this novel isn’t just about her emotions, it’s also another novel that moves forward the evolution of Dublin and all of the beings who have made it their home. The Fae, the Sidhe-seers, and humans are all affected by the Gods return and they mystery of why and how is really interesting!

I love complex books and characters and High Voltage continued to deliver on why I like this series so much. It’s dark, magical, gross, riveting, and sexy. Who wouldn’t like all of those emotions mixed into one novel? LOL. Yes, I did add gross because honestly some of these beings are truly the big ick and are really hard to read about. These stories get your imagination going, grab you by the throat, and make you invested in the outcome. High Voltage was no different. So, even though I Dani is not my favorite character, this author still did a really good job of making me care what happens, and that is a reason enough to read this novel. It moves the story forward and I know the next novel which features Mac and Barrons again, will deliver.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* High Voltage (Fever)

Copyright 2021 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: Threshold of Annihilation (The Firebird Chronicles #3) by T.A. White

Picking up exactly where Age of Deception (book #2) left off, Kira finds herself back on her ship heading towards Jettie and the other children. Instead of being able to get on the planet undetected she finds that it’s the host of the quorum, a sort of Olympic planetary games and you can only be on the planet if you are competing. Having competed before under an Alias, Kira signs up hoping to lie low and avoid the Tuann. Unfortunately they are also planetside and although wanting to remain hidden Kira isn’t very good at flying under the radar. She is wanted by not just the Tuann and Graydon, but also the Haldeel empress and her Tsavitee enemies. This makes for an action packed novel that I really couldn’t not put down once I was enmeshed in this story.

Why are these books so good? Kira is a strong heroine who has a sad background which makes the reader root for her on every level. We want her to find friends, family, love, kick enemy butt, and have her heroism revealed for all because she is just that awesome. T.A. White’s world building is fantastic and once again I’m looking around through Kira’s eyes and soaking it all in. Her writing is very descriptive and despite the alien landscape you can very easily identify and “see” everything. It is so easy to lose yourself in a novel filled with great characters and vibrant worlds.

Kira is still playing cat and mouse with her love interest and fellow Tuann, Graydon. The most awesome thing about their relationship is not their amazing chemistry, it’s that this man allows her to be who she is and although he’s protective he doesn’t try to shelter her from danger. He see’s her for the person she is and although her actions make him nervous he encourages her growth instead of inhibiting it. You can’t help but love a guy like that.

We learn a lot more about Kira’s character and background because of her foster parent role to her “niece” Elena, the daughter of another lost Tuann child. Her role as mother reveals interesting aspects of her character that I really didn’t expect to see. No, she’s not the most nurturing woman but she is loving and shows that through her mentorship and guidance. Seeing that side of her added depth to her character that surprised me again. Be prepared for quite a few surprises to be revealed in this novel, the plot is now moving along pretty quickly and I can’t wait to see where the next book leads us.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Threshold of Annihilation (The Firebird Chronicles Book 3)

Copyright 2021 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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It’s Monday, what are you reading? (3/8/21)

This weekend I got caught up on a late ARC and am looking forward to a week where I can read a book I want to read instead of a book I have to read. I have two choices in front of me for my next book. Let me know which you think I should read?

This post originated over on Book Date, so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion about what books I am reading.

JUST FINISHED

This sixth in the series, I’ve enjoyed watching these characters grow close. The mystery in this one didn’t catch my interest as much as usual but it was still a solid story.

JUST STARTED

I haven’t yet started either of these but I think I’m going to choose one. Which one do you think I should choose?

Fantasy or a romance? Well, the fantasy has a bit of romance too… Let me know what you think!

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This Chick Read: An Unexpected Peril (Veronica Speedwell #6) by Deanna Raybourn

While putting together an exhibit for a female mountain climber who died mysteriously. Veronica comes to the attention of the royal retinue of a visiting foreign country. When their princess goes missing, Veronica is asked to step in and take her place. The resemblance to each other is strong enough to fool people from far away. Veronica and Stoker accept so that they can investigate the death of the mountain climber, a woman whom Veronica had met before and felt a kinship with. Of course, dangerous plots ensue and the duo finds themselves again in peril. Will they discover who killed pushed their friend off a mountain and also why the princess went missing?

What I love the most about this series is that Veronica is an independent woman living during a time in history when women weren’t independent and had to fight for every extra freedom. Stoker, her best friend and lover, as he fallen her who was once part of the English nobility, knows how different Veronica’s life could have been. He adores her for her strength of character, even though at times that same character makes him want to tear his hair out. We’ve seen through this series how their relationship has evolved from adversaries, to friendship, to being in love and how those feelings have changed who each of them are; an interesting evolution during normal times but fascinating in the Victorian era. It is these two characters that keep me coming back to this series, not the mysteries they find themselves solving, although those are also interesting.

I think this mystery was probably the least interesting for me. I think because it didn’t help reveal anything new about these characters beyond a little hint of familial want in Veronica. Otherwise, it was just two characters I seriously like solving a somewhat interesting crime. I wasn’t enraptured, but I was captured by the plot.

If you love historical mysteries, this series is truly a fun one. As I said above, these two main characters have a lot of heart and their involvement with each other has been a long time coming and it’s fun to see them in a romantic relationship. If you haven’t read any of these novels, I’d start with the first. I don’t think these should be read as a stand alone novel.

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

Click this link to purchase! An Unexpected Peril (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery)

Copyright 2021 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