Tag: book reviews

This Chick Read: Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work. Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

Just as with other Abby Jimenez novels, Justin and Emma are well thought out, fully fleshed characters. Justin, after agreeing to raise his three siblings after his mother’s jail sentence doesn’t have a lot of time to date Emma, but he knows she is THE one. Despite what they set out to do, he has fallen for her. I love Justin’s caring nature and willingness to be there for Emma despite his own troubles. Emma after a tumultuous upbringing has created a lifestyle as a traveling nurse that makes it almost impossible to set down roots. Her baggage is real and it’s pretty heavy. It’s sad to say, but as I was reading this I was waiting for her to take her bags and run. I don’t relish feeling that about one of my romantic leads. It made it really hard for me to commit to trusting her character which affected my enjoyment of the book.

Were there some positive moments in this book? Absolutely! Was there great dialog and humorous moments? You bet! I laughed and felt all the emotions. I just held myself back from fully committing. Kind of like Emma did actually. Hmmmm.

❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Just For the Summer

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This Chick Read: Wild About You by Kaitlynn Hill

Natalie Hart is struggling to pay her college tuition when she sees a casting call for a very popular outdoor reality show called Wild Adventures. She cares about her skin care routine too much to have much camping experience but she submits and application and wins a spot on the cast. She’s up for the adventure and the chance at the winning prize that will help her pay her bills. When she’s partnered with the surly, outdoorsy, Finn Markum she is determinedly cheerful and hopeful that his experience and her social media charm will help them make it to the final. Along the way, maybe there’s the chance at building some friendships.

Wild About You was a fun, very easy to read young adult adventure style novel with two completely likable main characters. Kaitlynn Hill did a very good job at contrasting her easy breezy style of writing with some real-life problems such as anxiety, panic attacks, and parental issues. The game show format made it easy for the reader to connect to all of the cast of characters while at the same time rooting for our favorite main character duo.

There were several things I liked about Wild About You. These young characters had real-life issues that a reader could easily identify with, the growth of Natalie and Finn’s relationship was steady and sweet, and the competition. Actually that last thing was probably my favorite because I’m a reality show competition fan. All of these things made this story interesting, light, but with a bit of depth- adding character to the right parts of the story. I thought it was very well done! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Wild About You

Copyright 2024 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: Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio

Orie Lennox has graduated from college but life just isn’t what she thought it would be. She’s a social media influencer with her sister, is dating someone she doesn’t love, and is having trouble figuring out what she’s going to do with her life. When she sees a casting call for a Survivor-like television show, she decides to submit an application and within months is off to Fiji as one of ten contestants. If she’d read the fine print on her contract she’d have realized that there was a chance that she would actually be in a spin-off and finds herself in a Survivor-ish speed dating reality show with no showers, deodorant, or makeup and literally attached at the hip to another contestant. When she finds that first contestant is her high school crush, Remy she thinks it’s her chance to get her life back on track.

I love discovering a new author that can balance the “rom” with the “com”. Christine Riccio had me laughing out loud at Orie and the other contestants antics. Orie was so easy to like and her alliances in the reality show were a lot of fun to read. I kind of wish this program was real because I’d totally be watching it every week and Orie would’ve been who I’d be tuning in to see. She was a mess in her real life, but has an addiction for Survivor that makes her the perfect contestant. Remy was a good foil for Orie, and truthfully there wasn’t a character in their game I didn’t like. I appreciated that every person Orie interacted with made her grow as a character and helped her determine her life’s goals. Seeing her grow was really what made this story so successful.

There were so many favorite moments in this book that it’s hard to pinpoint a few, but here goes. Look for the tree episode for a great bit of comedy and sweet interactions, the secret handshake between new friends, and pretty much any time Orie surprised people by kicking their butts. LOL This was a really fun read and I’m curious how it will sound as an audiobook so I’ll probably go back and give it a re-read and listen to it.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Attached at the Hip

Copyright 2024 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: Liar’s Point (The Texas Murder Files #5) by Laura Griffin

It’s par for the course when a murder cuts short the first date Nicole Lawson has had in months. A body has been discovered at Light House point and a yoga instructor called it in. When Nicole interviews the woman she feels as if their only witness is holding something back. Lead investigator, Emmet Davis, has been Nicole’s rival and secret crush but when another body turns up she needs to set aside those feelings and work with Emmet to find out who is targeting their hometown.

I’ve enjoyed The Texas Murder Files series and have watched Nicole and Emmet tip-toeing around each other through four other books. I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure how Laura Griffin was going to pull off a mystery and a romance between these two, but Liar’s Point had an ease to it that gave the story a casual feel that fit the beach setting. The only tension, really, was the kind of high strung Nicole. As the only female detective in her department she feels like she’s fighting for position among the men but really she is the best detective they’ve got and her instincts are spot on.

The mystery itself wasn’t difficult to follow and I enjoyed the interactions between the characters, but I’ll admit it was the dynamic between Emmet and Nicole that I looked forward to reading. Readers have been waiting a long time for these two to get 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!* Liar’s Point

Copyright 2024 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: Unsteady by Peyton Corinne

Ever since Rhys Koteskiy took a brutal hit during the Frozen Four he’s suffered panic attacks every time he steps on the ice and is getting little sleep at night. The only time he feels calm is when Sadie Brown’s brand of chaos hits the ice. After witnessing one of his panic attacks during an early morning skate, Sadie and Rhys start a friendship. He feels too much and she feels too little but together they create the calm that each other needs.

I came across a review for this book that made me curious. A hockey player with panic attacks and the chaotic ice skater with behavioral issues? How will this author convince the reader that these two are the perfect match? Rhys’s problems were easy, a concussive hit that blinded him temporarily would scare anyone. I think we can identify with that, but Sadie’s back story could easily have painted her in the wrong light. Drunk father, caretaker to her two brothers, working multiple jobs to help pay bills, uses casual hook-ups to take the edge off, and is on Waterfell University’s ice skating team? Hmmm. How was this author going to pull over this Cinderella story? Sadie’s reputation was in tatters, but this hardworking college kid was in an untenable situation and her love for her brothers just shone through all of the grittiness of her character. After a while that light is what I saw. Mission accomplished.

I always enjoy stories that include children, especially if they are cute and add humor or heart. Sadie’s brothers both created tension but also gave the plot a release of sorts with their heart tugging moments. Rhys’s parents were also great side characters and their non-judgemental attitude was refreshing in a novel that is geared towards a younger reader and those characteristics were a great contrast to Sadie’s own deadbeat dad. Their involvement in the story created a roundness that made this novel feel more complete and not just a new adult college romance novel. I’ll admit I’ve been on a bit of a college hockey binge lately so these things set this novel apart from a lot of the others I’ve read. This was a well done and well thought out story.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Unsteady

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

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This Chick Read: The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

A few years ago Anna Green married Liam “West” Weston for access to the subsidized family housing at UCLA. When they split up two years later she thought the paperwork she’d signed were divorce papers. When West shows up on her doorstep almost five years later, it’s to inform her that they’re still married, and that he needs her to come with him to his sister’s wedding to be his wife in front of his family. Oh, and they needed to stay married until September so that he can receive his 100 million dollars inheritance. Anna is no longer the med student he new but a starving artist who is trying to sell her artwork in order to help pay for her fathers doctors bills. After he offers Anna money to maintain this charade for his family she packs her bags for a trip to Fiji and hopes she can convince his uber-wealthy family that they’re on their way to a happily ever after.

I think it would be really hard for me to dislike a Christina Lauren novel. I can always count on some fun dialogue and our two main characters chemistry to be off the charts. The Paradise Problem definitely hit those notes, so why did I feel a little dissatisfied? It could be that I don’t typically buy into the Billionaire romance genre, and this novel has elements of that but just skirts the edges. West could’ve been seen as “saving” Anna with his money, but in fact she ends up saving him. So I don’t think that’s it. Their relationship felt pretty equal. Maybe it was that his family was truly unlikable? Even his brother who was the person to introduce them to each other back when they first got married was a bit of a turd. His father was certainly no prince charming and his mother seemed to be the stereotype of a wealthy mother. I don’t know for certain, but call me surprised, this novel is probably the one I’ve liked the least in this author duo’s repertoire in a good long while.

Despite my feelings, above, it was a brief escape from reality, so in that manner it did what it was supposed to do. I just didn’t feel as entertained as I normally would by one of their stories. However, their writing skills were still superb and there were a couple of characters that I truly liked, including Anna. So not totally a throw away and one that I think more people will like than dislike. Such a recommendation, right?

❤️❤️❤️❣️

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 Paradise Problem

Copyright 2024 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: Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau

As the last unwed daughter out of five, Emily Hung is getting tired of her mother’s attempts at setting her up with the perfect man. Her newest attempt is Mark Chan. When they meet at her sister’s wedding Emily is not impressed with this boring engineer. At her mother’s second attempt at tricking them into a date Emily decides to fight back and convinces Mark to fake date her, but her mother has spies everywhere so they have to step it up. They start going on real fake dates and Emily finally see’s behind Mark’s sweater vest wearing persona. Maybe mother does know best?

This author has a great sense of humor! Emily’s inner dialogue often had me laughing and her characterization of Mark, before she got to know him, was quite spot on. Until she saw behind the sweater and could read his slight facial expressions. This stoic engineer had a sense of humor but found it hard to open up to people. Well, everyone except Emily it seemed. Their cute interactions and made them easy to root for but it was their idiosyncrasies and the way that they supported each other that sold me on the story.

As you got to know these characters the reader was given insights into their characters, making these sweet and funny moments more poignant. Both of them were fighting against insecurities and challenging family dynamics giving the story some much needed conflict so it wasn’t just about a fake dating scheme. As with most of our own lives Emily and Mark’s were balancing acts and throwing “finding love” into the mix caused ripples both good and bad. The author’s spin on this story was fun and cute, but the real-life problems resonated for me and I think it will for other readers as well. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie

Copyright 2024 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: This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune

The first time Lucy met Felix, she was grabbing a bite to eat alone while waiting for her friend to arrive on their island vacation. She spent an amazing night with Felix and the next morning put the pieces together that he was her friends brother, Wolf. Each year when she escapes to the island, she vows to stay away from Felix and every year ends up in his bed. Despite their intense connection, Lucy always kept her heart out of it until the week before her best friends wedding, when Bridget asks her to come out to the island.

Carley Fortune writes wonderfully emotional beach-centric novels. Or lake-centric, but the local always involves sand, water, and great seafood. Those things certainly set that laissez faire mood which I think is required for a great beach read. This Summer Will Be Different felt, well, different, more intense and kind of frustrating.

Lucy, our heroine, is dealing with the trauma of losing her aunt and trying to make a go of the flower store her aunt left her. She is also harboring the secret of a years-long vacation relationship with her best friends brother. Felix, or Wolf, is on the island going about his life but you just know that he’s living for those moments with Lucy that are few and far between. This novel had boat-loads of conflict to work through and despite my impatience to get to that final conclusion, it was done really well and my turbulent feelings were worth the experience. But it was exhausting, truly. I needed a vacation after reading my vacation book!

Every year I look forward to Carley Fortune’s newest book release and this year is no different. There were so many great moments in this book (the chemistry! the great best friend relationship!) but there was something holding me back from an all in five star rating. I liked it a lot, but I’ve liked other books by this author more. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* This Summer Will Be Different

Copyright 2024 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: The Boy Who Cried Bear (Haven’s Rock #2) by Kelley Armstrong

Finally at home in their new Haven’s Rock, Casey and Eric are sheltering a family from the Witness Protection Program that includes two children, one a ten year old names Max. While on a nature walk through the woods Max spots a bear trailing their group. When he later goes missing they are fearful that they have a predator tracking their group, but is it of the animal variety?

I’m a big fan of Casey Duncan, the main protagonist in this series. A very smart investigator and interesting human, I’ve watched her character grow, fall in love, deal with family issues,find murderers, etc. in both the Rockton series and now this spin-off of Haven’s Rock. In this novel we dig even deeper into Casey’s psyche opening up some of her secret fears to the reader. She was already pretty humanized, but I love these additional glimpses into her person. She and her husband Eric are still together, in love, and now in a new environment. They are no longer sheriff and investigator but they continue to act in that capacity and this mystery is especially intense because it involves a missing child.

We are still getting to know some of the newer characters in Haven’s Rock and not all of them are respectable. The group of miners not too far from Haven’s Rock adds an eerie, dangerous vibe to the story. Their interactions are fraught with tension and the developing drama between them and Haven’s Rock is setting us up for future transgressions. I love it.

If you like somewhat dark relationship novels, I think you’ll love the quirky landscape that is Haven’s Rock. I’d start with the first book in the series, but this one carried on in the mysterious tradition and I know I’ll keep following where this author leads me. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Boy Who Cried Bear

Copyright 2024 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: Happy Medium by Sarah Adler

Gretchen Acorn’s fake spirit medium business is going well so when her most lucrative customer asks for her help for a friend, she agree’s to go off to the country to “help” vacate a ghost from a farm. What she doesn’t expect is to actually see that ghost, hear why he is haunting the farm, and stick around in the country for a month to try to convince the cute, young, farmer why he can not sell his farm and move to the city.

It’s kind of unconventional to have your heroine be a con-woman. I’ll admit that have a fake medium business is probably on the low end of the con spectrum, but I did have a little trouble buying what she was selling. Of course, so did the young farmer, Charlie. He however because charmed by her good looks and spirit whereas I remained skeptical that a romance between the two of them would ever be believable.

I’ve enjoyed Sarah Adler’s books in the past so I was somewhat surprised I was having so much trouble with Happy Medium. The redeeming character was Everett, the ghost. He was a quirky character but added some much needed humor and was a foil to Gretchen making her seem reliable and “normal”. He was a ghost with questionable morals after all.

Happy Medium, for me, was just an ok story. As I mentioned, I had trouble with the main character and if I can’t love the heroine I’m not going to love the story. I’m sure there will be plenty of other readers who will adore this story, but I have to go with my gut on this one and give it a three rating.

❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book! Happy Medium

Copyright 2024 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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