Tag: book reviews

This Chick Read: The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren

Carey Duncan met Melissa and Rusty Tripp when she was sixteen. She applied for a retail job in their store in her small town. When they were discovered by a home design network, Carey continued to work for Melissa as her assistant. She has helped them build their empire, but just as their launching a book tour, their marriage is on the rocks. James McCann was only recently hired by the Tripp’s as an Engineer on their show but has ended up being Rusty’s executive assistant. His career trajectory is reliant upon the Tripp’s making a success of their book and the second season of their new show. When it all starts to plummet, he and Carey team up to try to hold their bosses relationship together, while at the same time starting their own.

This novel came out a couple of years ago and has say on my library wishlist ever since. I’m not sure why I pressed pause because it was such a great romance. OK, yeah, Melissa and Rusty’s relationship was definitely on the skids, but when James and Carey banded together the became each others support system and their own story was sweet and funny. This story was a perfect example of using two relationships to show the contrast in healthy vs unhealthy which skewed the reader to loving James and Carey event more. Boy those Tripp’s were a mess!

I really enjoyed learning about Carey’s disability and how it made her life challenging. Especially when trying to keep designing furniture and other ideas for the Tripp’s. He story especially tugged on your heartstrings. I’ll admit to using Google to learn a little more. One of my favorite moments was James suggestion of using his engineering skills to design her a tool to use to make it easier for her to use her tablet. So sweet! This was a couple that I really rooted for from the start.

There were a lot of hijinks in this novel, just as there are in many of Christina Lauren’s novels. I’m not really fond of watching a marriage implode but I think the contrast of watching a new relationship being built helped provide the positive feeling the reader was left with at the end of the story. Well done! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Honey Don’t List

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: The Happy Ever After Playlist (The Friend Zone #2) by Abby Jimenez

Two years after the sudden death of her fiancé and Sloan Monroe can’t seem to get her life back on track. Once a talented budding artist she is barely making ends meet working for a mass production company painting cat astronaut paintings. On the anniversary of her fiancé’s death she is driving down the road when she finds a stray dog. She takes him home and calls the name and number on his tags. She leaves messages for over two weeks, but in the interim she keeps feeding the dog and taking him out on walks which help her come out of her funk. When the owner finally calls back and says he’s out of the country, she offers to keep watching him, sending him texts and pictures daily. As those texts with Jason turn flirty she finds herself looking forward to the time when they can meet face to face, while at the same time feeling guilty for moving on. When she finds out he’s a famous musician she wonders if she can survive another heartbreak.

I read The Friend Zone when it first came out and even though I liked it I sat on this second novel. Who knows why, because as soon as I started reading it I knew that I was going to love it. It was so easy to read and I really loved both Sloan and Jason. Jason, despite his superstar status was so down to earth, calm, and charming. He knew that what he found in Sloan was something special and he pursued her with a steadiness that was sweet and smooth. Sloan was a bit more of a mess because of her fiancé’s sudden death but then who wouldn’t be? I loved how it was Jason’s dog, Tucker who brought her out of her slump, playing a great wingman for his missing owner. By the time Jason arrived on the scene Sloan’s heart was on the mend and she was more open to a new relationship. Was this book perfect? No. I had issues with the conflict that arose when Sloan joined Jason on tour. It was pretty manufactured but I had trust in the author to get us back on the trail to our happily ever after, and she did.

I seem to be drawn towards books that have solid friendships, and Sloan’s and Kristen’s was pretty much perfect. I can’t say I remember Kristen too much from The Friend Zone since I read it quite a few years ago, but she was a pretty funny foil to Sloan’s more subdued demeanor. Her antics created the perfect comedic foil to push Sloan into action on a few pivotal scenes. I smiled through her craziness and enjoyed their friendship. Every Thelma needs a Louise and that was who Kristen was for Sloan.

If you are in the mood for a quick romance that is surprisingly sweet with characters who have quite a bit of depth, this may be the perfect book for you! I am still wondering why I waited so long to read it, but hey, the third in the series is out already and now I don’t have to wait at all before diving in to another book that I know is going to bring me pleasure. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book! The Happy Ever After Playlist

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: The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa

Solange Perreira is helping out her wedding planner cousin at an event when she accidently spies the bride in a situation that makes her believe this wedding just isn’t meant to be. When the minister makes the announcement about anyone objecting, Solange finds herself speaking out, saving the groom from a lifetime without love. What she doesn’t know is that Dean Chapman, the groom, didn’t want a loving marriage, he wanted a bride to help him make partner in his law firm. Back at work the next week, Dean finds himself in need of another “partner” and calls on Solange to be his pretend girlfriend. She agree’s, with rules, but those rules are bound for breaking because their chemistry is hard to resist.

I liked this story, but there was something that was holding me back from loving it. I loved Solange, her family, culture, and personality. She was someone who I’d definitely want in my own friend circle and I couldn’t imagine anyone not being bound by her charm. Dean was a little harder to like, which I think was the point of the novel, truthfully. He was driven by his career and wanted a partner in life, but not a love match. Of course, this is a romance novel, so I knew where it would lead me but I got a little frustrated at how hard he fought his feelings for Solange. There was definitely attraction between them, and the book had plenty of heat, but I like a little more buy in from the love interest and I didn’t get that until the end of the book.

I loved, loved, loved Solange’s family and culture. Her Brazilian heritage was warm, wonderful, and family was at the center of her life. I’m not Brazilian but this story and Solange’s character painted such a pretty picture of what family means to that culture, and it made me want to read more. Dean’s white bread lifestyle paled in comparison. That might have been another reason he was harder to warm up to.

The Wedding Crasher had moments of humor and was easy to read but it was the warmth this author brought to Solange’s character and her hilariously vibrant family) are the reasons why I gave this novel a four rating. I was happy that she brought that light to Dean because his character needed a shot of life. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book! The Wedding Crasher

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: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

Rosie Graham wrote a startlingly popular romance novel and quit her full-time job to give focus to writing her second novel. Is it going well? No. She has a horrible case of writer’s block. When her apartment ceiling caves in she packs her bags and heads over to her best friend’s empty apartment (The Spanish Love Deceptions heroine, Lina) and tries to not freak out about her bad luck. That bad luck continues when she calls the cops on her friend’s cousin Lucas, who is also there to take advantage of his newly married cousin’s empty apartment. They decide to share the space while they both try to get their lives back together, Lucas offering to help her out of her writer’s block by setting the stage for some “friendly” experimental dates and the sparks fly. Needless to say, it’s not just her writing that catches fire.

Elena Armas debut novel, The Spanish Love Deception, was one of my favorite romances from last year so I was super excited to finally read The American Roommate Experiment. While the previous novel had my favorite enemies to lovers trope, I was certain this novel would be just as cute. I was right and I was wrong. I really liked both of these characters and enjoyed their story. Lucas was completely adorable and while going through his own identity crisis brought the Latin heat to this story. Rosie, also was sweet and her crush on Lucas was adorable to read so I don’t understand why it didn’t hit the same note as The Spanish Love Deception. Maybe if felt slightly safe and was a story that has been told before and this one didn’t differentiate itself from the pack.

What could’ve helped make this novel great? Both characters didn’t open up to each other until the very end, and there wasn’t enough of a journey towards that moment of realization. Lucas was avoiding his own issues while Rosie was trying to face hers so there was a disparity that held them back and that felt a little disjointed. I know this is totally minor and like I said, I liked them both as well as a lot of moments in the story but with a couple of tweaks, I think this could’ve been as great as her first novel, instead of just good. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The American Roommate Experiment

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’s Audio Review: Secrets Bound by Sand (Dragon Ridden Chronicles #4) by T.A. White

Tate’s dragon goes on an uncontrolled rampage claiming the emperor’s treasury as her horde and get Tate cast out of Aurelia, if only temporarily, sent on a mission to negotiate a treaty. On her way she is kidnapped twice, each time learning more about her past and the people who claim her as savior. Can she find her way to defeat the big bad that’s still trying to kill off everyone she’s grown to love? Only if she opens her mind and heart to the future, learning from what has happened in her past.

After a great second and third novel in the series, I’ll admit that Secrets Bound by Sand was kind of a convoluted mess. While I still love these characters, all narrated by Natasha Soudek, I’m getting a little restless with the author’s inability to reach a conclusion. You know how some longer series have that book that falls in the middle that just moves the character forward but not much else happens? For me, this was that novel. The only thing new we learned was from Tate’s past and while it was revealing it didn’t really help what was happening in her life today, it just explained how she was sent to sleep thousands of years ago. Interesting but not the conclusion I was looking for out of this novel.

We did learn a bit more about Knight (Night? I’m listening, not reading the book remember!) and his bearcat race. On this journey, Tate, Knight, and Dewdrop meet up with the Vela (sp?), a sentient race who can shift from bearcat to a human-like figure on two legs. This interesting development actually provided more for Knight’s character than the entire book did for Tate!

Did my ho-hum attitude keep me from reading the fifth book? No. I immediately got the audiobook. I’m invested in the series and hope that it reaches its conclusion in this fifth book. I’m over the character insight and want a conclusion so I can move on. Not really what you hope to feel after reading five books from an author you love, but there you have it. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Secrets Bound by Sand

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’s Audio Review: Destruction’s Ascent (Dragon Ridden #3) by T.A. White

I went back and read my reviews of books one and two and had to chuckle to myself. I lamented the fact that the author had let so much time go by between writing books one and two, and yet book three came out one year after book two, in 2018, and I let four years go by before picking up the series again. Not for lack of liking it because I love this author and I really did like the first two books, but because time just flew by and I had too many other books step in front of this one. Here are my reviews of the first two books if you, like me, need a catch up.

Dragon Ridden

Of Bone and Ruin

Destruction’s Ascent opens with Tate, now in the dragon corps, and going through training. Of course, Tate is not like other dragon ridden since she and her dragon were asleep for generations, but also because she and her dragon speak to each other, something that the others fear lead to insanity. She may be called insane because of the situations she gets in, but Tate’s sanity is pretty normal. Speaking of situations, one arises when Tate touches a mirror in her dragon mentor’s office and an evil creature comes through it and tries to kill everyone in the room. See what I mean about crazy situations? Dragons are as curious as cats, and Tate wants to explore this world on the other side of the mirror. When she finally walks through one, she finds the children who have gone missing throughout Aurelia, and the big bad who have taken them. Destruction’s Ascent is about solving the mystery as well as figuring out a few things about her past.

With a name like Destruction’s Ascent, you better start the story off fast and never stop and that is what T.A. White delivers to its readers. I listened to this book and found myself putting off the more important things in my life (hello job!) and finding moments to keep listening to this story. The narrator is Natasha Soudek, who also narrates the Aileen Travers series, and does a fine job even if the voices she gives the characters aren’t quite what I’d imagine them to sound like in my head. Her characterization of Tate evolves through the story as Tate finds out things about her past but the snarkiness that I love is voiced spot on, so I’ll give her props. She rocked Tate’s voice.

Four years after reading the last book and I’m reminded why I love this author’s novels so much and this series as well. Her heroine’s are always everywomen. Yes, they do heroic and selfless things, but they don’t typically have magical powers. Yes, Tate can turn into a dragon but that is more species related than it is her being magical. The way she processes what’s going on around her and then takes action gives her character a relatability that makes her an easy character to like and root for. If I had one complaint it would be that the novel needs a little more romance between she and Ryu. He is slowly stalking that relationship when is building the tension nicely but I’m ready for some heat, and not of the dragon fire variety.

If you’re a lover of fantasy like I am, please give this series a try. I think, like me, you’ll get into it and won’t want to put it down. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Destruction’s Ascent

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: Well Traveled (Well Met #4) by Jen DeLuca

Louise Malone is a high-powered attorney and in North Carolina to get a witness deposition. The witness is unavailable so Lulu goes to the Renaissance Festival, something she’s done in the past and has enjoyed tremendously. Avoiding calls from her boss and having fun re-connecting with an old friend, Lulu realizes that she’s in a dead end job and hating her life. When her boss calls again she quits and runs away to the Renaissance Faire. For a month anyway. What she doesn’t expect is to re-invent herself while falling in love with a kilted musician.

I’m such a fan of the Well Met series and have run away to the Renaissance Faire, at least in my own mind, every time I pick up one of these novels. I connected so easily to the story in Well Traveled and to Lulu, a character I can really identify with. Lulu has always been driven to make partner and become the success that her parents have always wanted her to be, but all the long hours she’s working at her company isn’t leading to the success that she’s always hope to find. When she gets drunk and quits angrily on a call with her boss, it’s actually the best thing for her. This is something that many of us have dreamed of doing but never seem to find the guts to make happen. It was so fun to dream along with Lulu and read her story while she finds her way in love and life.

Dex, the kilted lead singer of the band Dueling Kilts, has been in the previous books and wasn’t cast in a very good light. He’s the Romeo of the faire circuit, or so it seems. We see a different side to him in Well Traveled. A side that has me liking him for our Lulu. His creative personality is the perfect foil to straight laced Lulu, but is he the type to make a commitment? I’ll admit that I was skeptical but I ended up liking his mellow attitude and subtle ways he sought out Lulu’s company. He lacked the funny quips of previous hero’s but his soulful gaze and man bun more than made up for those laugh out loud moments.

You do not need to read any of the previous novels to enjoy Well Traveled, but reading the third novel would explain a little back story that does come up and explains a couple of characters actions. Other than that, enjoy a fun, light-hearted romance. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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!* Well Traveled

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: Ascension Day (Ageless Mysteries #6) by Vanessa Nelson

The final novel in the Ageless Mysteries series, Thea March finds herself investigating another murder, or a series of them. The city is preparing for Ascension Day a day to celebrate the Archon, one of the most powerful beings in the world. As Thea investigates she uncovers a revolt that she and her friends need to stop before the Archon destroys their city.

There are so many things I’ve loved about this series. I love how Thea starts off hating the Ageless and wanting to stay beneath their notice, but then she develops a relationship with her father that makes her see that not all was as she thought, but that ageless came in both good and evil, just as humans did. Thea’s self also evolves. She knows now, that she is an Ageless, as her wings made an appearance in past novels at pivotal moments and in this novel the appearance makes it impossible for her to pretend she is human anymore. This series is not a romantic fantasy, but there are hints of a romance between she and Niath. I’m a sucker for those moments between the two of them. The last thing I like is that this series is a classic trope of good vs. evil. For most of the series the evil is unknown, but in this novel the plot is revealed and it’s quite a doozy.

Ascension Day was everything I wanted from the final book in a great series. The mystery was well-written and the final reveal was awesome and vicious. Our heroine proved herself to be selfless, and honorable. Fighting for the good of others and not for her own self interests. She wasn’t superhuman at all but in the end proved herself to be something pretty special.

If you are looking for a quick reading fantasy series, the Ageless Mysteries are a lot of fun and rewarding to read. Start with the first book because the development of the characters are crucial to your enjoyment of these novels! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Ascension Day

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: Flirting with the Beast (Modern Love #2) by Jane Porter

Widower, Andi McDermott, decides to spend her holidays in Lake Arrowhead after a last minute cancelation by her son-in-law. She hasn’t been there in years because of a feud her husband had with their neighbor, Wolf Enders. Wolf is gruff, ex-military, alpha, and unarguably gorgeous- but all of that should make little difference since she doesn’t plan to see him at all. Until a snow storm hits and she gets trapped on the mountain with no one to turn to but her neighbor. What she finds out is that she needs to add kind to the above list about Wolf, and that he makes her blood sizzle.

I have only just discovered Jane Porter and am thrilled to be reading romances about couples in their fifties! Andi was such a wonderful character and a women who I can only ascribe to be. She was warm, understanding, and used her brain before reacting to uncertain situations. I loved how she handled the more volatile Wolf. He was a loner who didn’t want a woman to upset his solitariness, but he’d always found Andi attractive and their chemistry was too much to ignore. Being ex-military his character was definitely more rigid and he made many missteps in his treatment of Andi. However, she reacted like a mature woman, thinking through her own actions before reacting. While reading through her inner monologue I kept thinking “Wow, I wish I could be more like this!”. Well, she is a fictional character after all and not a real woman but I felt myself liking her so much.

These characters have great backstories which gave them a depth that they needed. Their insecurities and needs turned them from two dimensional to full technicolor and the story was filled with an emotion that felt real and not fabricated. There were moments where I definitely wanted to kick Wolf in the knee and shake him a bit, but he was the perfect foil to Andi’s more calm demeanor. It would’ve been super boring if both partners were too much alike. The conclusion was also satisfying, with Andi showing some fire in fighting for what she wanted.

Flirting with the Beast is a wonderfully mature adult romance. Yes, these characters weren’t perfect, but then, who is? I sped through this book forgetting about all of the other things I needed to do and spent four hours relishing this love story. I hope this book will hit the right note for anyone who picks it up, regardless of their age, but for this older broad, it was sublime. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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!* Flirting with the Beast

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? (11/28/22)

I love long weekends with no agenda. Just relaxing, maybe doing a little Christmas shopping, and definitely reading some of the books. I’ve been mixing genres again switching back and forth from a fantasy series I’m slowly getting through and some romance novels that have piqued my interest. In between, I’m watching a ton of World Cup soccer (go USA!) and eating a ton of leftovers. I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and are enjoying or maybe have enjoyed the bounty that’s been in your refrigerator for days. Here’s what my brain has been noshing on…

JUST FINISHED

This one has been on my TBR for a couple of years and I finally pulled the trigger and read the first page. I was immediately grabbed by the story and spent a wonderful few hours enmeshed in the characters and story. This was a good one!

JUST STARTED

This book has been in my library wishlist and when I read the synopsis again I immediately remembered why I put it on there. A Reese’s book club pick, with rave reviews, I started it last night and can tell you that I am loving it so far. It is SO well written!

Did you spend your long weekend with a good book or out shopping? I

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads