Tag: book reviews

This Chick Read: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Theoretical physicist, Elsie Hannaway, is an adjunct professor who hates teaching and just wants to finish her research project she’s been toiling on between teaching a million courses to undergrads and working for Faux, a fake-dating service. Being a fake girlfriend helps pay the bills but her lives are about to intersect when the brother of one of her favorite clients turns out to be the experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and rules the physics department at MIT, where there’s a job opening for her dream job. When Jack meets Elsie the theoretical physicist when he’s known her as Elsie the librarian, her two lives are about to collapse. However, the Jack she comes to know isn’t the same horrible tyrant who ruined the lives of theoretical physicists everywhere.

I love these women of STEM romance novels of Ali Hazelwood’s. Not only are they cleverly written, but the characters are flawed, real, and go through all of the self confidence issues that regular folks like you and I face on a daily basis, but perhaps even more so! Elsie had a great back story that captured my heart immediately. Diabetic since her youth, she’s always felt like she was a burden to her parents and because of this kind of lets the world walk all over her. When she meets Jack, the person who she thinks is her arch enemy, she is shocked that he doesn’t appear to be what she’s always believed. As we read further into the story, we understand Jack more and more and find him very easy to love as well. Both characters have had things shape their lives and mold them into who they are today. Totally flawed individuals who have to grow to connect with this other individual who certainly seems to be their soul mate. Their story was certainly swoon worthy!

Romance novels have certainly evolved over the years and Ali Hazelwood’s have helped that evolution by writing about a segment of our female population that aren’t usually the heroine’s in romance novels. Kind of like the first “Wallflower” books in the historical romance genre (now totally overdone btw), these women of STEM are certainly intellectual, but Ms. Hazelwood does a great job of showing how these women of STEM have the same insecurities and messed up youths as the rest of us. Underneath those white lab coats are women who just want to be loved, just like you and I. I have a Bachelor’s in English and by no means am proficient in science, math, etc. but I LOVE reading these novels and identifying our likenesses. I also love the surly men who come to love these great women. If you’re looking for a different kind of romance novel, please give this book a try.

Love, Theoretically is an exceptional romance novel. Not only does it have my favorite trope, enemies to lovers, but it has a little mistaken identity and rom-com thrown in as well. What isn’t funny about a young woman who has to fake-date men for a little extra cash to survive? Those scenes make for some great storytelling! Jack is a beast of a physicist and a prime specimen of a man and their interactions have great chemistry and heat. His direct stares followed me into my dreams and haunted me. Really!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Love, Theoretically

Copyright 2023 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: Borrow My Heart by Kasie West

Wren is sitting in her favorite coffee shop sipping a brew when she sees two cute boys and overhears their conversation. One of them, Asher, has been communicating with a girl online and his friend is telling him he’s being catfished. Totally going outside her comfort zone, Wren decides to pose as this girl and save Asher from an embarrassing decision. The problem is that she never gets the chance to tell him that she isn’t that girl and ends up really liking him. How will she finally confess the truth?

Borrow My Heart was typical Kasie West with interesting characters and a story that has a huge heart. Wren’s back story made her someone who protects her heart against hurt living by a set of rules she’s made that puts a wall between she and anyone who tries to get close. On the flip side, Asher is an open book. He’s sweet, easy to talk to and seems to prop her up when her insecurities make her want to hide her heart. The perfectly complemented each other and it was easy to see how they would work as a couple. I was totally on team Wrasher!

The reader is in on Wren’s secret the entire time she’s developing a relationship with Asher which amps up the tension because we know that train wreck is coming. Although, truthfully, Asher seems like such a sweet guy that I can’t believe he wouldn’t be understanding. What actually happens, I did not see coming. Which made this story totally fun to read.

This is a young adult novel that has a lot of heart and a considerable amount of angst. It surprised me, which made me like it more than I had initially thought I would. Never underestimate this author, it’s rare that she doesn’t deliver a great story. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Borrow My Heart

Copyright 2023 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: Finally Mine (Benevolence #2) by Lucy Score

Gloria has taken control of her life after ten years of being in an abused relationship. Leaving her boyfriend and getting her first job in a florist shop. Aldo has always been in love with Gloria, but used his National Guard tours as a way to remove himself from seeing her get hurt if he were to confront the man who was hurting her. When Gloria’s finally free Aldo promises them both that they will explore their future together as soon as his last tour is done. Unfortunately, he gets hurt, losing a limb and spends time recovering his strength and overcoming insecurities until he’s ready to put them back on that path together.

This is a re-release of a book Lucy Score released in 2018 and since I’ve read more recent books of hers, I have to think she’s improved as a writer A LOT since she wrote this book. Gloria’s tale and happily ever after definitely needed to be told. I love stories about women empowering themselves, and this was a classic tale of an abused woman. Aldo’s story also needed to be told. We have men and women who go on tour who come back both mentally and physically injured. I would’ve loved to have seen a fresh story about these two survivors and how they found love with each other. We got a little bit of that but I will admit to being disappointed in how this story was told.

As this is the second book in the series, you’d expect a little bit of referencing of things that had happened with the previous novels characters. Finally Mine takes this referencing 200% further, recapping huge portions of the story- in fact, I feel like the author cut and paste large chunks of the last story and included those bits into this book. I don’t know if it’s because I read these books only a few weeks apart, but there was so much repeating of what I’d already learned in the first novel that I started to not care about Gloria and Aldo’s tale. I spent my time skimming and looking for new portions of their story and then trying to piece those chunks together. I feel like the author did the reader a huge disservice in the style of writing she chose for Finally Mine. I think there are ways we could’ve learned their history where it would’ve felt fresh, or maybe picked up at some point in their plot and wrote some new content. As it stood, it felt like about 60% of this novel was re-capped. That is just not enough new content for me to develop feelings for these characters. The re-capping actually ended up being more annoying than helpful. I so wish this author hadn’t done that to these wonderful characters.

No surprise that I had trouble with this book. I think the characters should’ve been given a chance to have their own story instead of just re-telling what we’d learned in the previous novel, or shown the same plot from a different perspective. Because of that lack of new content I wasn’t able to care for these characters as much as they deserved. Maybe some day this author will re-write this novel so that these characters are allowed a chance to shine. ❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Finally Mine

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: The Sweetheart List (Sunrise Cove #4) by Jill Shalvis

After a bad breakup and needing a life change, Harper Shaw heads back to the last place she was truly happy, Sunrise Cove in Lake Tahoe. Renting a storefront, Harper wants to live her dream by opening a bakery and making her family’s recipes. When she arrives in Sunrise Cove, the place isn’t quite ready for her to inhabit, but with the help of a teenage runaway and the handsome yet grumpy bar owner next door, Harper is soon on her way to living the dream. If only she could found out the secret Ivy is keeping about why she ran away from home, and figure out what makes Brodie tick her life would be pretty sweet.

It’s funny how picking up one of Jill Shalvis’ books always makes me let out a breath of relief and relax into what I know will be a good story. The Sweetheart List’s easygoing pace and Harper’s determinedly sunny outlook plus the delicious Bodie made it so easy to relax and enjoy a great story. I wasn’t wrong, this one was a charmer!

As with all of this author’s series, the main character is a little lost, but her quickly found group of friends become a lifeline back to happiness. The Sweetheart List is a familiar plot but I never tire of reading about great friendships, quirky relationships, and finding out who you are while surrounded by people who feel like family. Harper, Bodie, and Ivy were easy to love and easy to root for…what more do you want out of a weekend of reading? ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Sweetheart List

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chicks Audio Review: Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck

After seeing Small Town, Big Magic on Amazon’s Best of 2022 list I thought I’d give the audiobook a try and you know what? I liked it!

Emerson Wilde is the youngest President of the Chamber of Commerce her small town of St. Cyprian’s has ever known. What she lacks in age she makes up for in big personality and her can-do attitude, helping local business owners and checking items off lists. When she is attacked one evening by creatures that shouldn’t be real, she discovers she has magic abilities and that memories of her previous magical life have been wiped away. With the help of her also magical group of friends and long-time love Jacob, they make a plan to fight the evil in their small town. Will they succeed? Well, you’re going to have to read this book to find out!

Small Town, Big Magic is one of several witchy novels I’ve read over the past year, some good, some bad. This definitely falls on the right side of that line. The narrator is Natalie Duke, whose voice I’ve enjoyed previously. She voices Emerson well giving her that plucky-determined heroine vibe that matches the way Hazel Beck has written this character. I also enjoyed her male voice-work for Jacob and Emerson’s cousin, Xavier. There’s nothing worse than a narrator that can’t make a realistic voice for a man. Drives me crazy! Thank goodness she has that talent, so the narration was seamless.

I always enjoy a good vs evil plot. Small Town, Big Magic has a clear winner for bad guy, and gives us an edgy side character in Nicholas, who will be our hero in a follow up novel, out later in 2023. If I had any constructive criticism to give I would say that Hazel Beck leaned a little hard on the plucky heroine persona for Emerson. She was strong, but had some narcissistic qualities that often overshadowed others opinions. It got a little annoying at times, but Jacob, her love interest, smoothed her out a bit he was so even-keeled.

I enjoyed this story much more than I thought I would. Although the story ran along traditional lines, it was fun, had some great characters, and was easy to read. The perfect long weekend read!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Small Town, Big Magic

Copyright 2023 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’s Audio Review: Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

Writer Chani Horowitz is tired of writing puff pieces when her friends are getting book deals. She is offered the chance to interview the hot, high profile action star Gabe Parker, who just got cast as the first American James Bond. Hoping she can get info from this very private actor that will help catapult her career, she arrives at his home and is struck dumb. By his good looks, but also because he sticks to the answers about his life that everyone already knows. She is ready for failure when he invites her to accompany him to a movie opening that night that then stretches to spending the weekend together.

Ten years later, she is offered the chance to interview Gabe Parker again. This time she is a well known writer and has something different to prove, but also, does he ever think of that weekend they spent together?

I saw this novel on a “best of 2022” romance novel list and had added it to my audiobook TBR. Narrated by the very talented Kristen Sieh whom I have enjoyed listening to before, I was quickly dropped into Chani’s story, liking her character right from the start. Her inner narrative on meeting a very attractive movie star funny and very real. I mean, who wouldn’t stumble their sentences? Gabe, too, was really easy to relate to and his secretive moments made me more curious about what he was hiding. As the story moves forward and you can see their personalities click you want to jump to those moments in the future and find out why they ended up married and divorced to other people. Elissa Sussman did a great job of casting that lure because I was caught and was looking for more info on my new favorite characters.

I don’t want to give away any of this plot because it was written so well, dropping moments on the reader that all added up to a wonderful conclusion, but I will say that the story is told with flashbacks to what happened in the past and when they meet up again in the future. I usually hate flashback stories but there was something about this narrative that really captured my interest. More than likely it was the fantasy that all women have about meeting their favorite movie star and catching their eye. This story goes a step further and gives us amazing dialog that is both funny and heartbreaking, and a cast of characters who support our main protagonists with humor and love.

The problem with listening to a great book is that you never want to take out those earbuds and get back to your real life (hello job!). This novel was so good that I found myself plugging myself back into it at every free moment, waiting for that slow burn romance to reach its conclusion so that these two characters I’ve grown to love finally (finally!) have their satisfying happily ever after. Guys, if you haven’t read/listened to this book yet, you need to give it a go. It is wonderful!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Funny You Should Ask

Copyright 2023 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 Chicks Audio Review: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Mika Moon meets with other witches only once every few months because of the rule that when too many witches gather together there can be a magical backlash that might out their society to regular folks, and as history has shown, people are not kind to witches. As witches are always orphans, her life has been very lonely. She keeps herself from getting attached to people by moving locations every few months. When she is contacted to tutor three young witches at Nowhere House she is extremely surprised. Three young witches are not supposed to be living together, so she goes to the home to check them out. What she finds is a group of people who have formed a family, one that they will allow her entry into if she will help them keep their secret.

Narrated by Samara MacLaren in a lovely accent, this novel immediately swept me into the story of this young lonely witch who dreams of belonging to a family. When she arrives at the isolated Scottish estate, she meets the motley crew who are watching over the young ladies, including the handsome and surly librarian, Jamie. Mika signs on to help the young girls for a few months and see’s how wonderful they have it, safe behind some magical wards, being raised by a group of people who care for them, something she and other witches have not had. Wanting to preserve their upbringing she does everything she can to teach them about their magic and hold reality at bay.

This was such a wonderful story. I loved Mika and how finding these people, and Jamie, made her dream of a life where she could be safe and have the family that she’s always wanted. She does, of course, have some obstructions in her way, one of which is her love interest, Jamie. His over-protective nature gives way a little to a gentleness with Mika that created all of the romantic vibes. The other adults at Nowhere House were lively, fun, and if not completely believable, at least they added to the family atmosphere this author was trying to create. I would call them quirky and eccentric for sure. Everything wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine as Mika soon discovers and she has to choose whether to support their decisions or go on with her life as it was before landing at Nowhere House and meeting Jamie.

This novel was on the best of 2022 lists on both Goodreads and Amazon and after listening to this story, I would have to agree that it was certainly enjoyable! If you have the time to listen to it, the Scottish accents were dreamy and totally understandable. LOL.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Copyright 2023 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: Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler

Milli promised her elderly best friend on her deathbed that she’d reunite her ashes with the woman she fell in love with many years ago. When flights are cancelled across the country she accepts a ride to Florida with a friend of her ex’s. Novelist, Hollis Hollenbeck is on his way to Florida for a hookup that will help him shake his writer’s block. What he gets is a comedy of errors in Milli Watts-Cohen, a beautiful woman who intrigues him with her naiveté, and annoys him with her can-do attitude. This road trip novel proves that opposites attract and that the story of your own life might be worth more than the story you put down on paper.

This novel was an unexpected pleasure. The synopsis drew me in with the elderly woman having had an affair with a woman back in WWII (well told in flashbacks throughout the novel), and that Milli and Hollis would be taking a roadtrip, but I didn’t know what else I was going to get. The story was unique, charming, and although I didn’t get Milli at all, nor have ever really meet anyone like her, she was really likable and well, I loved Hollis and his gruff exterior. They were an imperfectly perfect fit.

Milli is an ex child actor who is approached by people for autographs, personal stories, etc. alot, like a LOT alot. She had gone through a bad breakup with Hollis’s friend who is more of an acquaintance, but she thinks they’re friends- so she doesn’t really want much to do with him. Milli is a bit of a mess, but she also has a kind heart. Hollis interprets that kind heartedness as being an easy target for others to take advantage of her. Begrudgingly he offers her the ride to Florida and over those next few days she talks at him and he takes it all in. There is of course, great conversations, dialog, bonding, etc, but the kind of people they are, she talks and he listens. BUT, every single tweak of his lip that indicates a smile is meaningful and the subtle shading of their conversations shapes their advancing relationship. I loved how I started out the book thinking one way about these characters but had done a 180 by the time I finished. Subtle yes, but really, really good.

If you like quirky small town romances, you will love Mrs. Nash’s Ashes. It had moments that were so tender and sweet, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the characters and their 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!* Mrs. Nash’s Ashes

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: The Garden of Lost Secrets by Kelly Bowen

Stasia finds a haven in France when she visits her grandparents every summer outside the small town of Rouen. She meets a young man, Nicolas, and as they get older they look forward to spending their summers together. When the war breaks out she is back home in Holland, her father is killed and she barely survives the bombing of her hometown. Stranded, she joins a resistance to help steal paperwork for Jewish families who need to leave the area. She soon becomes one of the most hunted resistance fighters in Holland.

In current time, sisters Isabelle and Emilie purchase the Chateau de Montissaire near their home town of Rouen. They find demolished WWII communications devices and some paperwork of names of German military men along with the name “Briar Rose”. While hunting down this heroine’s story they come upon a drawing that looks remarkably similar to one that was drawn by their own grandmother. Could they be the same person?

This historical drama is two stories, one told through flashbacks, and the other in current time. The story of Stasia and Nicolas during WWII was the more striking and dramatic. From the moment they met to their separation by the war, to their reunion after both of their lives had changed so dramatically it was more historical than romance, but I was still drawn to the outcome of their story and invested in seeing it through to the end. I liked how Kelly Bowen wove Isabelle and Emilie’s journey into Stasia’s. There weren’t any surprises from the reveals but I did think it was deftly told and I liked the characters emotional travails. This was a well written story that entertained on every page.

I like the new direction Kelly Bowen has taken with her novels. The Paris Apartment, her last novel, was similar in style and content and The Garden of Lost Secrets delivered in creating an entertaining story for the readers. If you like historical novels you may want to pick this one up! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Garden of Lost Secrets

Copyright 2023 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: Famous For a Living by Melissa Ferguson

When social influencer Cat Cranwell’s life implodes in a business scandal, she escapes to her favorite uncle in Kannery National Park, Montana. Her world shifting from Louboutins to snowshoes, Cat is a fish out of water, but willing to help her uncle out in revamping their social media and earning them some followers. Sharing a run-down cabin with an eager 19 year old roommate, Cat’s life couldn’t be more different. As she gets to know her new co-workers, including the handsome and rugged Zaiah, Cat is determined to use her followers to help build Kannery National Park’s numbers and help save her uncle’s job.

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book by Melissa Ferguson, and I was pleased that I really liked how she built this story! We’re introduced to Cat in her old life, which serves as a great contrast to her new life in the rugged mountains working for the park service. Time is spent showing that she is out of her element but Ferguson spends a lot of the novel showing the reader, through Cat’s eyes, the wonders of this area. I think we all feel the need to reach for our phones and check email and social media, so it was easy to relate to Cat and her addiction to the adrenaline she received with each like and comment. I thought her recovery and setting rules for that side of her life was so interesting! We all read about the dangers of social media and how it affects children, and in this novel the impression was made that it affects more than just kids and adults need to make changes too. I loved that.

What can I say about Zaiah. He was the bearded mountain warrior who won over Cat with his quiet persistence and won over this readers heart too. He was definitely a part of this story and he was a big reason for the changes Cat made in her life, but he was also not a character that drew attention. He was quiet, calm, and kind of subtle in his affection for Cat. I liked how his past was a big part of the story, but it was her need to make a change that overcame any conflict in the story. This romance really made me think and then it made me feel. Which is the reverse of how I usually feel when reading a romance.

If you like to laugh, smile, and get an adrenaline rush over silly mountain activities, this is the novel for you! If you like a quiet hero and charming heroine, than again, this is the novel for you! I turned the last page while smiling and that’s the best feeling when you’ve finished a book. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Famous for a Living

Copyright 2023 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