Tag: book reviews

This Chick Read: The Taellaneth Series by Vanessa Nelson

This series was recommended to me but I could never remember the author in order to look it up. It just so happened that it was recommended to me AGAIN and I was getting ready to look for my next book. It’s a Kindle Unlimited series, which I do subscribe to, so I thought “no harm no foul” if I don’t like it I’ll just close the book and send it back. Little did I know that I would read non-stop, with only breaks to go to work, eagerly reading this fun series until I turned that last page in book #5.

Our hero Arrow is half human and half Erith, a race that is magical with elf-like physical traits. Having been determined to have magical talent at a young age she is entered into an Academy where she overcomes the odds and becomes a war mage despite all sorts of discrimination from the Erith for her half-human blood. As we get to know Arrow she is oath-bound to the Taellen to solve any task she is given. In the first novel she is given the task of investigating the death of the mate of the highest ranked shape-shifter, traveling to human lands to complete her task.

In Concealed, Arrow eventually solves the mystery but reveals an even bigger dilemma that all three races need to work together to solve, each book leading to Arrow becoming a stronger mage, important ally of the shifters, and eventually free from her ties to the Taellen- the committee of law-makers among the Erith. Her identity is also revealed in stages that keep the reader fascinated and the plot draws you in deeper until you have to read until the end to see how Arrow and the mystery resolves.

If you, like I, have never heard of this author then you are in for a treat! This series is fantasy-candy. There is only a hint of romance, it is pretty much straight up magical-fantasy. There are some very likable characters and you’ll certainly have your pick of who you want to follow but there is no better than our heroine Arrow. Misguided, misunderstood, and straight-up bad-@$$. I loved her to death and hope that this author’s other series are just as addictive. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase the first book!* Concealed

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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: Trouble with the Cursed (The Hollows #16) by Kim Harrison

Synopsis:

Rachel Morgan, witch-born demon, has one unspoken rule: take chances, but pay for them yourself. With it, she has turned enemies into allies, found her place with her demon kin, and stepped up as the subrosa of Cincinnati—responsible for keeping the paranormal community at peace and in line. Life is . . . good? Even better, her best friend, Ivy Tamwood, is returning home. Nothing’s simple, though, and Ivy’s not coming alone. The vampires’ ruling council insists she escort one of the long undead, hell-bent on proving that Rachel killed Cincy’s master vampire to take over the city. Which, of course, Rachel totally did not do. She only transformed her a little. With Rachel’s friends distracted by their own lives and problems, she reaches out to a new ally for help—the demon Hodin. But this trickster has his own agenda. In the end, the only way for Rachel to save herself and the city may be to forge a new understanding with her estranged demon teacher, Al. There’s just one problem: Al would sell his own soul to be rid of her. . . .

I was mulling over how to write up my own short synopsis without giving away every intricacy in the plot and decided ‘the hell with it’ and quoted it off the back of the book. Trouble with the Cursed is the sixteenth novel in the Hollows series with my favorite heroine and witch-born demon, Rachel Morgan. Rachel is back living in the church with Jenks, but that’s the only thing that seems slightly normal. Her roommates are the demon Hodin, and her friend Stef. Hodin has driven a wedge in between Rachel and the demons, a wedge that gets more complicated as this story unfolds. Rachel, as the sub-rosa for the demons, has the tough job of keeping the peace in Cincinnati. Something that she’s been able to do with the help of vampire scion Pike, but it all seems to be getting out of hand. The demons are in disarray, her boyfriend Trent’s business deal has gone awry, and Jenks is developing feelings for a new pixie. Plus Ivy is headed back to town with a DC vamp named Finnis who needs to be convinced that Cincinnati’s master vampire, Constance is still alive (she is but she’s now a mouse). Rachel is a people pleaser and wants everyone to be happy, but she may have bitten off more than she could chew with this one!

Trouble with the Cursed ties up a LOT of loose ends and I’m wondering where Kim Harrison is going to take my favorite heroine next? The “is he or isn’t he” on Rachels side when it comes to the much maligned demon Hodin comes to a head and everything quite literally hits the fan in the most wondrous and fascinating way. Rachel’s version of “I’ve got this!” does not follow a straight line and the fireworks that follow light up the city and paranormal world. This book ends with a big bang and I can’t help but think that the world as our heroine knows it will be much different in the next novel. The only things that I’m completely confident in is that Rachel’s friends have her back and she would absolutely die for them as well. I can’t wait to find out what happens next. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Trouble with the Cursed

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend by Penny Reid

Public school science teacher, Winnifred Gobaldi, loves to spend her free time on her blog helping women see how cool science can be and has achieved a modest following. Her roommate’s work just received a grant that would provide dollars to bloggers who help promulgate women in STEM and she thinks Winnie would be the perfect candidate if she only had a few hundred thousand more followers. She comes up with an idea for Winnie to diversify her blog with other topics, such as makeup tutorials and trendy blog topics. She convinces Winnie to do a #bestfriend challenge with one of their male friends. Byron Visser is a bestselling author and eschews all things social media. He’s antisocial, abrupt, and is always giving an unwanted opinion. When an accidental visit on Winnie’s blog goes viral they find themselves faking a #bestfriend challenge and makes them face the truth about their feelings for each other.

I’m not sure why I was surprised by this book, because Penny Reid surprises me so often but Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend was not the book I was expecting to read. I mean this in the best way possible! It was a wonderful surprise. Winnie and Byron were such interesting characters. There was great thought and depth to their actions and as each insight was revealed it was an aha moment not just for the character but also for the reader. I felt like I was truly on the journey of discovery with the both of them.

Winnie was a fun character. She was smart, dedicated to her science and students, and also beautiful and into clothes and makeup. I thought she was an interesting mix of surface and down-deep beauty. Byron was gorgeous and surly. He had no verbal boundaries and didn’t think twice about giving his opinions, thinking he was being helpful, but instead being taken as having a superiority complex. Once Winnie started doing this challenge with Byron she had to speak up and tell him how his thoughts made her feel and his reactions gave her and us insights into Byron. He was completely clueless that that was how his words were being taken, but we also saw how much he tried to address his problems and work on speaking to Winnie the way she needed to be spoken to. Winnie herself, had issues in how she communicated as well, and we saw her character evolve in a somewhat similar way as the story went on.

I thought Ten Trends was a totally unique love story. The new trend of women in STEM romance novels is very appealing. Why wouldn’t smart women also be attractive and fall in love??? It wasn’t only the STEM portion of this book that was unique however, Byron’s character and personality issues were also not something you’d usually find in a romance novel. The two together made this novel original and very interesting. I loved their story! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book! Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend

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This Chick Read: Beard in Hiding (Winston Brothers #4.5) by Penny Reid

Diane Bonner, business woman and upstanding citizen of Green Valley, is tired of living life by the rules. Newly divorced, she wants to take chances and live on the edge. This is why she decks herself out and heads to the local biker bar, where she meets dangerous criminal and biker, “Reaper”. Wanting to keep her out of worse danger Jason “Reaper” Doe, takes her back to his room and gives her a night to remember. One night may not be enough for either of them.

I have grown to love Penny Reid’s novels. Her characters are quirky but sometimes her motives for writing about certain ones are mysterious. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read a romance novel about two such hated characters. Even if Diane has just started redeeming herself in Cletus and Jennifer’s story, she still didn’t treat her daughter very well, and well Reaper is a criminal. Even if seeing things from their side leads me down the path to enlightenment, I just couldn’t see how it could happen. What did I learn? Never doubt the talent of Penny Reid.

Seeing through Diane and Reaper’s eyes was very enlightening. I could forgive Diane because she was married to a really bad guy who twisted her thoughts until she believed his bull pucky. I felt bad for her, but did I feel bad enough to care about her story? I guess the same could be said of Jason. He was ready to move on from his gang and the path to evil they were taking. If it wasn’t for his daughter living in the area he’d of left long ago. I don’t think there was anyone else in the city of Green Valley who could’ve been written in as his matched pair, except someone who was also hated but trying to find her way back to the light.

Full disclosure, I did not care for how this story ended. It’s the only one of her novels that didn’t reach a conclusion that I’ve liked. I also don’t see how else she could’ve ended the book, so there is that as well. LOL. All of this back and forth is probably making you wonder if I actually liked this novel. Well, I did and I didn’t. I think Penny Reid did a good job of making two despicable characters likeable enough for me to finish the novel. That’s not saying a lot because I’ve finished a lot of novels I didn’t care for but I will give this author props, she did make me care a little. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Beard in Hiding

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

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

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

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

Click this link to purchase!* Infamous

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

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

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

JUST FINISHED

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

JUST STARTED

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

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

Have a great Monday!

Deb

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

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

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

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

❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase!* All the Feels

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

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This Chick Read: Places We’ve Never Been by Kasie West

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

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

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

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

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

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Spoiler Alert

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This Chick Read: Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Bloomsbury Girls

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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