Tag: book reviews

This Chick Read: Isn’t it Bromantic? (Bromance Book Club #4) by Lyssa Kay Adams

Super-sensitive pro-hockey player Vladimir Konnikov has been waiting eagerly for his childhood friend, and wife, Elena to finish her college education. His plans go awry when she tells him she wants a divorce instead of wanting to stay with him as his wife. Reeling, he lets her go. It takes his being injured during a game for Elena to commit to staying and taking care of him for them to have the time together that he wanted. But, he needs help from his bromance book club to help him figure out why they are not connecting.

Vlad was always one of my favorite side characters. The empathetic friend who makes everyone face their own issues in their relationships. It’s fun to hear his back story and face his comeuppance. Just as the other men had to face their fears, Vlad too needs to face his in order to learn how to win his wife back to him. We learn a lot about this couple that is surprising and once again miscommunication seems to be their enemy.

There were two sub plots in this novel that made it so interesting. One provides introspection into Vlad’s character and reveals his insecurities, and the other is the dangerous path Elena has chosen to follow that makes her face her past. Without both of these I think I would’ve scanned the novel and moved on. Instead through these plot devices I became more involved in both characters which made me enjoy the novel so much more.

If you haven’t read the previous novels in this series you may want to pick them up. However, I don’t think you have to read them in order to enjoy the story it may just help you understand what this group of guys are all about. If not, I think Vlad and Elena’s story can stand on their own. I do think if you read this one first you’ll go back and read the others. You’ll be too curious about this Bromance Book Club to deny yourselves the fun in reading their stories too. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase!* Isn’t It Bromantic? (Bromance Book Club)

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*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? (7/19/21)

Yesterday I seemed to have spent most of my time in the kitchen, baking a bit and then cooking for the family. I spent most of the time by myself and finished up an audiobook I’d been listening to, and blew through an Arc by Evie Dunsmore that was entertaining. I stayed up way to late reading it. Let’s just get down to it.

JUST FINISHED

I am in serious infatuation with this series. These books are technically historical romances but because they are set during the Women’s Suffrage Movement the author has enriched each story with the hardships each woman faces. In this case, Hattie was seen leaning into her Scotsman and showing interest in having a kiss. Something that tarnishes her reputation and can only be fixed by her marrying him. While her new husband now has wealth, he grew up in a coal mine town and his rise to good fortune is due to his need for revenge against the man who sired him. There is so much to this book, and I know I’ll be reading it again soon.

JUST STARTED

I am re-listening to a series that I’ve read before but not in awhile. I’ve been doing that a lot with Ilona Andrews books lately. Some of these series are tied together by characters and its fascinating to find those intertwining moments. This series has connections to their Innkeeper series, which is one of my favorites.

What books are you reading? Are they an old favorite like mine or something brand new? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Happy Monday!

Deb

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Friday YA: What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter

Halle has two personalities. Well, not really, but she does have two persona’s. She is everyday Halle who is going to start another new high school, this time while staying with her grandfather in Connecticut. She is also Kels who runs an online blog where she pairs cupcakes with book covers. Kels is much more bold and doesn’t have trouble expressing her thoughts and opinions and has a ton of online friends, including her best friend Nash. When Halle and her brother move in with her gramps and get ready to start school Halle comes face to face with her friend Nash except she doesn’t tell him that she’s Kels. She has every class with him and gets invited to sit with he and his friends at lunch and she’s terrified he will find out and be mad. Is it possible to have a love triangle when two of the people are yourself?

As a book blogger I thought One True Pastry and it’s concept totally cute. I loved the underlying story about the loss of her grandmother and how differently people handle grief. I thought Nash was adorable but thought Halle’s constant rejection of him painful. Of course, I was supposed to feel this way but if I were him I wouldn’t given up on her a long time ago. I loved her brother and his confused bi-sexuality and how to her he was just her brother regardless of how he identified. I liked Halle more than Kels because she had depth and wasn’t one dimensional like Kels. What I hated was the bashing back and forth of who should read YA. This one genre, of them all seems to have a reader identity crisis and this author tied into that. I thought it an interesting dialog within what should have been just another teen contemporary romance. It’s a dialog without a conclusion in real life, but it ran its course on these pages.

There is a reason to read ya novels, especially in the contemporary romance sub-genre. They are a quick escape from whatever is bothering you and typically contain very little depth. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of depth I found in What I Like About You. It held my interest and made me slow down and think. Think about loss, recovery, faith, best friends, love, friendship and family. What I Like About You was particularly insightful and despite my age being outside the target demo (come on, I had to say it!) I enjoyed it very much.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* What I Like About You

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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: Incense and Sensibility (The Rajes #3) by Sonali Dev

India Dashwood has been raised in a family of yoga teachers and is now one of the most sought after stress management coaches. Yash Rajes is the first Indian-American gubernatorial candidate and after is friend and body guard, Abdul, gets shot at a rally he starts having panic attacks and is questioning his life quest. Needing to regain control he seeks out his sister’s friend to help him manage his stress. First on the list is revealing the stress filled things he has buried through his entire night, including a magical night with India 10 years ago. Yash has always been the golden boy, his dream to create change for the people of California but after seeing India again his dreams have changed and include her in them, but their relationship may threaten the thing he wants most.

Another wonderful novel by Sonali Dev! Based loosely upon Jane Austen’s work, Sense and Sensibility, full of color and passion, and I’ll be honest it’s also a bit easier to read. India Dashwood as a very zen Elizabeth Bennett, is the responsible female in her family. Her mother is not annoying like Elizabeth’s own mother was, but she is a bit of a dreamer letting her insurance lapse just as she needs it, so India has filled the family matriarch shoes. Her younger sister China has found love, albeit one that seems requited only when convenient and doomed for heartbreak. India’s duty is to figure out how to pay the bills and keep her family together. When Yash, the man she has loved for the last 10 years, asks for her help, despite her misgivings she does the responsible thing and offers her help. She coaches Yash in yoga practices, helping him get through the pain and guilt of seeing his friend shot. At the same time they both have those same feelings they did so long ago.

I loved how calm and rational India was during every dramatic and heartbreaking scene. She felt so deeply yet carried on without wailing and crying like her younger sister despite having those same feelings inside. She truly was someone to emulate and didn’t get the credit she deserved. It’s no wonder Yash, who outside was the epitome of solidity but inside was a mush pot, needed India’s depth of character as his chosen mate. I could totally see her in the Governor’s mansion giving yoga instruction to her staff at daybreak.

Usually I get impatient for the couple to get together in a romance novel, but for some reason in Incense and Sensibility I had a well of patience. Maybe it was because Yash needed to work through so many different things and India would stay steadfast. I’m not sure. I am glad I had that patience because when he was finally ready his actions had so much more impact. The pace of this novel was absolutely perfect.

If you love this series, then like me, I think this may be your new favorite (I say that after reading every one of them!). Novels are a wonderful peek into different cultures and lifestyles and Sonali Dev packs her novels with a richness of scene as well as character. Your emotions will make you fall in love with the Rajes, India, and the rest of the characters in this story. You may also want to start taking up yoga. Hey, it could happen! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Incense and Sensibility: A Novel (The Rajes Series, 3)

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Death at the Crystal Palace (A Below Stairs Mystery #5) by Jennifer Ashley

While attending an exhibit at the Crystal Palace, cook and amateur investigator, Kat Holloway is approached by the Duchess of Covington who has heard of her reputation for solving crimes. The Duchess believes that someone is poisoning her and she’d like Kat to solve the mystery. As Kat steps in to negotiate, she calls on her friends to help. She sets up her friend Cynthia as a houseguest with Lady Covington to determine the dynamics of the household and receives police information from the beau of her assistant. At the same time she is drawn into another mystery by her friend and almost boyfriend Daniel to help him with a possible terrorist. When does Kat have time to cook?!!

I love these below stairs mysteries. Kat Holloway, although in service as a cook seems to have gained a reputation as a person who can solve crimes in different levels of society. Her place as a respected cook allows her to gain access below stairs while at the same time finding out all manners of things by the people living upstairs. It’s a fascinating look at the different levels of historical London society.

Her relationship with Daniel seems to have evolved emotionally yet Kat, being a single mother, is hesitant to allow anything untoward to happen. She is not the most trusting woman and Daniel’s predilection to going undercover as some sort of spy keeps her from going all in in her relationship with him. He, on the other hand, seems to be head over heels. Isn’t it nice when the man is more involved emotionally than the woman? She can take her time figuring out what she wants to do with her heart.

I’m not sure how this author switches gears from writing shifter romances to historical whodunnit’s but this series is very effective. It has charm, mystery, and a hint of romance that keeps me entertained and coming back for more. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase!* Death at the Crystal Palace (A Below Stairs Mystery)

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata

Aurora has been driving around the country searching for the perfect place to land. What she doesn’t realize until she gets there is that the small town in the mountains she grew up in would be the perfect place. Renting an over the garage apartment from the teenage son of a surly silver haired fox is just the start to her homecoming. Getting a job at the outdoors store of her childhood friend may seem like a stretch since she doesn’t know a fishing lure from a fishing hook but she wants to connect and fill the time in her day. He whole life has changed and this is the start of her new one.

When Aurora rents her place she doesn’t realize that teenage Amos did it without his father’s permission and he is NOT pleased at the surprise. Rhodes (the silver haired hotty) is uber protective about his privacy but he gives her a trial run which of course turns into permanent occupancy. Aurora wants to get along with her neighbor but the reason she’s back in these hills is because she wants to retrace her mother’s steps. She had hiked all over these hills and it gives Aurora a connection to her, something she’s needed since her disappearance many years ago. She is also using this connection as a way to hear after her break-up with her long time boyfriend and country music star.

I am a big Mariana Zapata fan and I was ultimately happy with Aurora and Rhodes story. She typically writes pretty surly unapproachable men (Zac being the exception) and her female protagonists are always uber cheerful and determined to be friends. Aurora was maybe a little more cautious than past heroines but she followed the same format that has worked so well for Zapata in the past. What I liked the most about this novel though was Amos and how he really brought out the best in his dad. He was a bridge between Aurora and Rhodes. A bridge that was only used briefly but it worked as a plot point and got their arc moving pretty quickly, thank goodness.

Ultimately I enjoyed All Rhodes Lead Here. I liked all of the characters, especially Amos. I was only a little disappointed that once Aurora’s past was revealed that her talent wasn’t left in the past as much as it was. I’m not the author and don’t know why she would have chosen to give her a talent that she leaves in the past. I would’ve wished for her music to be part of her future more than was written in the ending of this book. Other than that I was ecstatic to have a new Zapata book to read and happy with the characters and story. I’m hoping Amos gets his own future love story, he was my favorite. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* All Rhodes Lead Here

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: The Worst Best Man by Lucy Score

Maid of Honor Franchesca Baranski, with her middle class background and work ethic, may be the only person at this destination wedding who is taking their job seriously. A fish among the shark-like elite Franchesca will make sure that nothing happens to keep her best friend from getting married. Even the groom getting kidnapped. Best Man and billionaire Aidan Kilbourn, is called upon by Franchesca to find and help her rescue the groom so he can make it down the aisle on time. Aidan is fascinated by this woman who has so much loyalty and shocked by things she’ll do to accomplish her task.

Lucy Score strikes again! I don’t normally read billionaire romances, that’s not my fantasy. However, I saw a couple of reviews about how funny this novel is and funny romances, despite their trope, is right up my alley. I loved Franchesca so much and her escapades while rescuing the groom were hysterical. I was laughing out loud and happy to have given this book a chance.

Despite not liking billionaire romances, I couldn’t help but adore Aidan. He was knocked flat by Franchesca and ultimately found her as fascinating as I did. When they return to reality (New York), it’s Aidan who pursues the bewildered Franchesca, until she decides to see if their two worlds can co-exist together. I couldn’t help but root for these two, one who desperately needed to be loved, and the other who strongly needed to be needed. They were a match made in heaven and their story is one I’ll be reading again sometime soon. I may actually purchase the audiobook for my second read so I can listen and laugh while walking the dog. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase!* The Worst Best Man

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie

When Jane Quinn and her band the Breakers step in for Jesse Reid at the Bayleen Island Music Fest Jane overcomes disappointed fans and has the night of her life… up to that point. The next night when Jesse’s manager approaches her in the bar where she works and wants to sign the band to a contract Jane’s life changes abruptly. The Breakers become Jesse Reid’s opening act on their tour and he and Jane connect emotionally through their music and beyond. This novel is filled with music and fun, but it will also wrench your soul.

First and foremost this is a novel about music. Jane is a musical prodigy able to pick up any instrument and play. Her mother wrote music and Jane also has this capability, but her lyrics are always personal and at first she doesn’t want to show that much of herself to the world. It takes a tragedy for her to show all of her emotions to the world. It was at this point that Jane had my by in. Her holding back also made me hold back.

Jesse was a conundrum. He had all of this talent yet there were hints of a “troubled past” that weren’t explained until later in the book. Between Jesse and Jan he was the more immediately likable but I’ve always liked an underdog and Jesse started out the book at the top of his game and musically he stayed there. Jane’s journey both musically and emotionally was much greater and it was because of how she handled the ups and downs in this book, and evenly more importantly fought for her music that I cared what happened as much as I did.

I have only one criticism for this author. I was so invested in these characters that I felt betrayed by how she wrapped up the book. Yes, there were a lot of characters and I liked hearing their lives were fulfilled or they found a partner or whatever, but the pages may have been better spent on wrapping up Jane and Jesse’s lives in a different more emotional way. I felt disassociated from those pages like I was reading a newspaper. It was kind of a let down after the emotional ride the author had taken me on through the book up to that point.

I can’t let this review end without saying how much I appreciated how wonderful all of the song lyrics were in Songs in Ursa Major. There was truly some great poetry and songwriting skills made by this author. Even though I couldn’t hear the actual music the lyrics made me feel the emotions the author intended me to feel. Emma Brodie has loads of talent and I hope she writes another book quickly. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Songs in Ursa Major: A novel

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserve

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

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This Chick Read: A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses #5) by Sarah J. Maas

Nesta, the once human sister of Feyre, now turned HIgh Fae, is drowning her memories of the Hybern war by drinking to excess, sleeping with men indiscriminately, and living in a hovel. When her sister and her mate Rhys step in it’s to save her from herself. Now living in their old home 5,000 steps above the city she must train by day with Cassian and spend the afternoon working in the library with the Sisters. She abhors the first and decides to tolerate the second. Her relationship with Cassian has always been tumultuous to say the least and the last thing she wants to do is spend time alone with him despite their attraction for each other. Those feelings change when she befriends a priestess named Gwyn and a shopkeeper named Emerie, who together decide to train as Valkyrie’s and create a sisterhood that would give them strength and courage.

I, too, was not a big fan of Nesta’s during Feyre and Rhys’s story. What was there to care about? She was cold, heartless, and didn’t care about our heroine Feyre at all. She was also pretty brutal to Cassian, a warrior who seemed to care for her despite her bad attitude. In fact, it almost seems he cared for her because of it. In A Court of Silver Flames we finally learn what’s going on in Nesta’s head. I had wondered how SJM was going to turn this character around when legions of fans couldn’t stand her, myself included. It wasn’t the love story (if that’s what you call it) between she and Cassian, at least for me. It was the need to help the priestess’s and her friend Emerie overcome the trauma and abuse they’d taken from men. Through that friendship she rebuilt who I thought she was into the person she was meant to be. Yes, part of that person was lover and mate to Cassian, but more importantly it was the inner struggle and discovery of who she was as High Fae, instead of as human woman.

Cassian was an interesting character. He was the General of Rhysand’s army overcoming his own rotten childhood by being the best at what he was and enforcing that message to the Illyrian’s who tortured him as a child. Through this novel we learned a lot about what makes him tick and in large part that is his relationship with his bro’s Rhysand and Ash. Those three, just as Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie do in this novel. overcome all obstacles to survive and succeed. It put into strong relief the facade that he wears as charmer and brutish warrior and helped me buy into this pairing with Nesta.

As with any of SJM’s novels, there are so many intricacies. Nesta’s powers that she stole from the Cauldron, Ash’s secretive spying, the revolt by Fall, I can go on and on. Each sub-plot adding to the overall story, but also leading us towards the next novel. I won’t go into details because if you’re a fan, you should have this experience on your own. Did I end my journey with this story liking Nesta more than I did when I started? Absolutely! I’ve read some reviews where readers are still holding a grudge and in my opinion I just can’s see how they can. Nesta has more than redeemed herself in my eyes and ok, I guess she too deserves a whole lot of love and Cassian seems to fit her perfectly.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, 5)

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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? (6/21/21)

I’m going to fess up I have not actually read any books this week. I have listened to one and am listening to another. I’m not sure if anyone is still interested because both books are from Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series. LOL. Has anyone else found that when they have a stressful work week a previously read book is a great comfort? That’s what I’m going through right now. So, listening to the Kate Daniels series makes me feel good. For what it’s worth here is what’s currently on my shelf.

JUST FINISHED

Technically this book is it’s own series but it falls between book #9 and book #10 in Kate Daniels and it’s content was relevant to the series. This book is the beginning of Hugh’s story and is meant to be read before the final Kate Daniels novel. I think it’s the third time I’ve listened to this novel and it still takes me over half the book to forgive him for what he’s done in the other series. He is one seriously bad dude.

JUST STARTED

After finishing Hugh’s novel I quickly start Magic Triumphs which wraps up the series. It is so good.

What books are you finding comfort reading this week?

Happy Monday!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads