Tag: book reviews

This Chick Read: Lead (Stage Dive #3) by Kylie Scott

I am usually more invested by the third book in a series because your hero/heroine have been slowly introduced through the first couple of books. This was definitely the case for Lead, since some of the previous drama for the band Stage Dive, centered on our hero Jimmy, the lead singer. We knew he’d been through rehab because we went through the emotional roller coaster with his brother’s story in Lick, the first novel in the series. For some reason though, I hadn’t been really interested in Jimmy’s story. Not until I started reading and got to know our heroine, Lena.

Lena was hired as a companion for Jimmy to keep him sober and on the path of resistance. She has a take charge, no nonsense persona, and I took to her instantly. In fact, I actually saw a little bit of myself in Lena and loved her awesomeness (go me!). What fell a little flat for me was how enamored she was of Jimmy. She wasn’t a big fan of the band, like Anne was in Play, but somehow she loved the hard rock a$$hole that Jimmy really was. Sure, he had that inner gooeyness, but honestly he had some serious issues! It’s hard for me to imagine falling for a guy that has been dependent on alcohol since he was 12. It’s a sad story, for sure, but one that was hard for me to engage myself in.

I did really like that actual story though. How hard Jimmy fought for his sobriety. How she stood by him and helped him feel better about himself. I think this says something more about me, actually, than it does about the actual book. This was a good solid love story, but not one that I wanted to live myself. That was the difference maker between it being good and great in my eyes. I do totally like this author and her style of writing. Kylie Scott gives her characters depth, and she did such a great job of it in this novel even though I couldn’t dive off that stage with Jimmy. So, even though this was a solid story in my book, I didn’t love the romance aspect of it.

I will totally read the next novel in the series though. Kylie Scott has won my admiration and she’s on my auto buy list because of her skills in character development.

If you love rock star romances, you’ll probably love this book. It’s a tortured look at addiction, which is harder for some people to read about (me) than others. I loved the heroine in this book and definitely think she deserved the love and admiration of the hero she wanted in love. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Lead: A Stage Dive Novel (Stage Dive Series Book 3)

Copyright 2020 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: Spells For the Dead (Soulwood #5) by Faith Hunter

Nell, now a rookie for PsyLED, is called out to the home of a famous country music star where she and her team find the dead and rapidly decomposing bodies of the star and a few members of her staff. What looks to be an aggressive form of magic turns the situation dangerous not only to them but to the general public. Nell and her team need to quickly solve this mystery but local law enforcement prejudices make investigating difficult and her team becomes the center of a magical fire storm.

A few months have passed since the previous novel Circle of the Moon has ended and it seems that Nell’s life has moved forward rapidly. Her sister, Mud, is still living with her and going to school in town, but now her other sister Esther has also come to live with them. Esther’s advanced pregnancy has made her true nature come out and her husband divorced her in front of the church, ending his support and opening her up to abuse by their elders. Nell has always wanted to provide a safe haven for the women in her family but the bickering between her sisters has caused a lot of tension in the house, something that she’s trying to find the energy to resolve. Another relationship that has changed is with her boyfriend Occam. Now, completely enmeshed in their love for each other, that added emotional bond creates an interesting dynamic in their working relationship. I loved how Occam has helped Nell stay true to herself but to also evolve past the strictures of her upbringing. He may be an alpha male but he keeps to his promise of letting her make her own decisions and I loved how that dichotomy amped up the tension in his reactions to her doing her job.

Living in Nashville, I’ve always loved the East Tennessee setting for this series. I can hear the accents I’m reading on these pages because I’ve heard them spoken in my daily life. Throw in our murder victim’s occupation as a country singer and I knew I was going to enjoy how Faith Hunter would add in that paranormal twist. The magical phenomenon when combined with this murder’s “ick” factor really made me hold my breath through a great portion on this novel. This one is not for the faint of heart, folks, but the emotional tale underlying the mystery really makes up for the sticky subject matter.

If you’re a fan of Urban Fantasy and you haven’t read a Faith Hunter novel I’d have to say, ‘where have you been!’ Followed quickly by pick up the first book in this series! You don’t have to read the Jane Yellowrock series first, but I know you’ll want to after the first couple of books. These characters stand on their own, but there are a couple that you’ll want to find out more about and you’ll find those answers in the very lengthy Jane Yellowrock books. Spells for the Dead is a wonderful story on all it’s own but my feelings for it are enhanced by the fact that I’ve read the other books in the series and I’ve witnessed the journey of this fascinating woman named Nell. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest results and they were honest.

Click this link to purchase!* Spells for the Dead (A Soulwood Novel Book 5)

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (7/27/2020)

It’s almost August! I feel like that needs to be shouted to the world because even though life seems to be at a crawl at the same time it’s flying by. The heat has definitely hit Nashville and I’m spending more time indoors in the cool air conditioning catching up on my reading. This last week I slowed my reading down so I could thoroughly enjoy the novel I just finished. Let’s get to it so I can tell you a little bit more!

This post originated over on Book Date, so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion about what books I am reading.

JUST FINISHED

A series that has quickly become a favorite, I was excited to sit down and read this urban fantasy novel. Do you know how there are some books that you read quickly and others where you slow your pace wanting to live in all of those anticipatory moments? This series is one of those for me. It’s so intricate, the emotions so real, I spent one week reading this novel. It comes out Tuesday and I’ve already purchased the audiobook so I can read it again!

JUST STARTED

I’m changing pace again and picking up this interesting sounding women’s fiction novel. I’m looking forward to reading a novel about a woman who may be a little closer to my age, still learning things about herself, and may possibly find a bit of romance.

What book are you reading today to help you get through this week?

Happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads13 Comments

This Chick Read: Rules of Redemption and Age of Deception (The Firebird Chronicles books 1 and 2) by T.A. White

Ex war hero, Kira Forrest lives a solitary life with her robotic pal Jin as they scavenge the star system for parts to sell. While on planet, hoping to make that sale she saves the lives of two Tuann children which brings her in the path of their warrior leader Graydon. He immediately identifies her as one of their lost children and makes a political play with the human military to take her home to her Tuann family. Kira begrudgingly goes to Tuann with the intent to escape quickly and find her way back to her ship.

Ok, the above synopsis does not even begin to tell the nuances and emotions that fill this novel. Kira is an unlikely heroine. She see’s herself as a freak because of her skills during the war, and her military pals also have trouble seeing her as human which sets her apart from the rest of the human characters in this story. As she learns more about the Tuann people she realizes that her “traits” are inherited and not totally uncommon. This insight helps her self confidence, but she still fights against finding a home among those people. After all, she was raised as human.

Kira is one of those characters who is altruistic, always jumping in either with her mouth or with her body, and it’s hard to dislike sass and heroism. Graydon, see’s that same likability, and doesn’t have a human upbringing to compare her actions, like she does to herself. He just see’s her as bad@$$ and bides his time before making his move. He reminded me a bit of Curran in Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series, and I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed that humor/alpha combo.

Rules of Redemption sets the scene with such skill. The world building is detailed and yet extremely easy to follow, the characters are varied from friends, to possible enemies, to possible mentor like relationships. Underneath it all is a great plot where we get to follow Kira as she explores her new culture in a way that allows her to be aggressive, show her street smarts, and reveal her level of problem solving skills. A true action fantasy novel!

The second novel, Age of Deception, continues where Rules of Redemption left off. Kira leaves her first Tuann family and travels to Roake to meet her fathers side. Here she decides to take a warrior’s path by undertaking the Trial of the Broken. A warrior like boot camp that only a few survive. This novel follows the same action adventure style, yet we get to see Kira grow as a character. Two of her military (ex) teammates travel with her and through their interactions we understand why she has separated herself from her friends. That loyalty gives her character depth and makes her budding relationship with Graydon real. This is a girl who is unerringly loyal, but doesn’t lean towards trust. He has his work cut out for him!

If you’re a fan of romantic fantasy a la Ilona Andrews, you will eat these books up and will rip through the rest of T.A. White’s novels as well. Once you finish these, check out her Pathfinder series!

Rules of Redemption ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Age of Deception ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click these links to purchase! * Rules of Redemption (The Firebird Chronicles Book 1) and Age of Deception (The Firebird Chronicles Book 2)

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads4 Comments

This Chick Read: More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn

Vada Carsewell’s music knowledge serves her well working at the Loud Lizard and writing her reviews of bands on their music blog. What she really wants is to get into Berkeley’s music program and become a writer for Rolling Stone magazine. Luke Greenly, podcaster and son of an aging punk rocker, doesn’t factor into her life until they get paired up on an assignment at school and she finds out they share a love for lyrics and music trivia. When his brother releases one of Luke’s songs on their podcast, and it goes viral, she can’t help but dream that the song is about her, but is it?

When I read this author’s debut novel, You’d Be Mine, I knew I was going to keep an eye out for her next release. I wrote in that review about “my love for the poetry in her lyrics” and she again captures those same emotions with her lyrics in More Than Maybe. However, More Than Maybe has a completely different tone and got to the heart of the love story sooner which made me love it just a tad bit more.

What can I say about these characters? I can’t help but start with their names. Vada Carsewell and Luke Greenly sound like they should be the hero’s in a Cassandra Clare novel wielding magical swords, instead of magical lyrics. Despite those otherworldly names, I found these characters very down to earth. Vada’s vast knowledge of music and lyrics was fascinating to a woman (me) who can’t remember the titles of her favorite songs. I loved how she and Luke used song titles and lyrics to hint at their emotions and level up the tension to their romance. Luke’s shy charm and interest in composing rather than performing only made him an even more perfect fit for Vada. They were a very easy pair to fall for and from their first text exchange I was all in.

The title ‘More Than Maybe‘ coincidentally was exactly how I felt as I settled into this novel. I had medium expectations from having read Erin Hahn’s first novel and some hesitations over whether she could follow up such a great debut with another hit. My hope for a ‘More Than Maybe’ story quickly changed as I got caught up in this music themed YA novel. Maybe this author should re-title the book ‘Better Than Good’? Or Much Greater Than Average? Just kidding, the title is more than apropos for what happens in the story, but my feelings upon finishing it were “Much Greater Than Expected” and I was very pleased with that discovery. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase!* More Than Maybe: A Novel

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (7/20/2020)

It was a really hot weekend in Nashville which means I stayed inside and read a book. (OK, I also got hooked on a reality show on the History channel called Top Shot, but that’s another story.) I trolled through the hundreds of books I had on my Kindle because I am ahead on my Arc’s and had time to read something for pleasure. That is always a great feeling!

This post originated over on Book Date, so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion about what books I am reading.

JUST FINISHED

I bought this book back in 2018, which is probably the last time I’d read a Suzanne Wright novel. I had forgotten that her books centered on the physical relationship, then gave you a side of story. If you like sexy paranormal then one of her books has probably crossed your path. There are six books in this series, so if you like demons and don’t mind a LOT of sex scenes this book may be the right one for you.

JUST STARTED

It’s back to the ARC schedule for me, and this is one I’ve been totally excited about reading. Spells for the Dead is the next installment of Faith Hunters Soulwood series. One I’m a HUGE fan of! Excuse me while I go and read for a bit.

I’d love to hear what book is tempting you away from your work this fine Monday. Share in the comments!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads18 Comments

This Chicks Audio Review: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

What do you do when you’re on a road trip with your husband and have hours in the car in front of you? You try to pick a book that the two of you will enjoy together, in this case Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology, and hit play. Narrated by the author himself, Norse Mythology tells of some of the myth’s surrounding Thor, Loki, and Odin. Characters we think are familiar to us because of the very popular Avenger’s franchise, but in actuality Gods who were flawed and maybe not quite so heroic.

A quick word about the narration. Read by Neil Gaiman’s accented voice, he brought the characters to life imbuing them with a humanity that those Gods would probably dislike. That humanity held a wealth of emotions; humor, anger, mischievousness, stupidity, and even evil. I forgot at times that this was the author himself speaking because the characterizations were read so well.

What I found most interesting about listening to these myth’s is how much the popularization of these characters in current movies has shifted from the truth, or at least the truth as it was passed down through stories. Marvel gave us handsome actors in Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and a stout grandpa like figure in Anthony Hopkins as Odin. When Mr. Gaiman’s voice spoke the first chapter it was those actors who filled my head, but by the third story I realized those faces didn’t fit the characters actions in this book and I soon came up with faces from my own imagination. Although, it was quite funny to picture Chris Hemsworth as a more stupid, beefy version of Thor. How did Marvel stray so far from these truths? Strike that question, we know why. Chris, Tom, and even a more elderly Anthony Hopkins sell tickets because of their pretty (cough) faces.

Despite a couple of dull stories, my husband and I were entertained for 6+ hours, laughing at Thor’s obtuseness, and Loki’s mischievous nature, but I’ll admit to being more surprised at Odin’s true character. In Norse Mythology, Odin, the father of all humans, was actually a rather evil guy. As Loki played tricks on other Gods, Odin played tricks on humans which seemed a lot worse. Gods given their all powerful nature should be able to take care of themselves but the scale seems imbalanced when you pit a god against a human.

Even though I’d had Norse Mythology on my TBR I probably would never have gotten around to reading it because mythology sounds interesting but the reading of it, even fictionalized, can be a little dry. I’m glad the opportunity arose to listen to the audiobook in a time when their tales seemed relevant. What I mean by that is that this year, in 2020, it feels like a book could be written about our current gods (imaginary or real) playing tricks, getting angry, or being completely obtuse about the goings on of their humans. It strikes me that in Norse Mythology there wasn’t a very benevolent god in the bunch which doesn’t bode well for this humans future. Gods help me.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this audiobook!* Norse Mythology

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

This Chick Read: What You Wish For by Katherine Center

Samantha Casey is the school librarian at a small school that focuses on diversity, learning, and creativity. She has thrived in this environment and is now completely different than the once mousy woman she was. When their beloved principal passes away the newly hired principal, Duncan Carpenter, resurrects from her past. She had quietly been in love with him and he is in part the reason she left her last job. However, the Duncan that shows up for the first day of school is not the happy go lucky guy she used to know. This Duncan is a suit wearing, straight-laced, security conscious man and he proceeds to turn their lives upside down.

I loved the community of people that surround Sam Casey in this novel. A with previous insecurity and shyness issues, Sam has blossomed in the “safe” environment of this small town in Galveston, Texas. As the novel moves forward we learn more about just how much Sam has changed and why, especially as she faces her past crush and is deeply disappointed at his new demeanor. The old Sam would’ve run away, but this new Sam ends up leading the charge, fighting for their rights while at the same time searching for the man she used to know.

Duncan was pretty easy to understand. Based off Sam’s memories he’d obviously done a bit of growing up, but there was something bigger behind his actions. I loved how Sam picked away at his armor to find that more fun loving man underneath. What You Wish For was the perfect mix of quirkiness, drama, and I especially loved the heart in which this author embued in her characters. From the start of the book I was invested in Sam, and then when Duncan entered the scene and his demeanor was a direct contradiction to how Sam had described him sealed the deal. I along with Sam wanted to solve the mystery and truly enjoyed the journey of finding out all of these characters secrets.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase this book!* What You Wish For: A Novel

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

This Chick Read: Hands Down by Mariana Zapata

Possible SPOILERS Ahead! Read at your own risk.

Zac Travis and Bianca Brannen used to be best friends but ten years have gone by since the last time they spoke. When her brother Boogie, the third leg in their friendship, asked her to swing by Zac’s house to give him a message about his grandpa she sucks it up and does the right thing. When he doesn’t recognize her? It’s devastating. Now that she’s back in his life, Zac is determined to not let her leave.

I was beyond thrilled that Mariana Zapata was releasing a book about one of my favorite side characters, Zac “Big Texas” from the Wall of Winnipeg and Me. I’ve read Winnipeg about 8 times, so Zac is a very familiar character. His aw shucks attitude and sweet charm makes him super easy to like, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to a main character hero. For me, that usually depends upon the leading lady, which in this case is also a side character but one that barely blipped on my radar. Bianca was the receptionist at the Maio House gym in The Best Thing. She was pretty minor but as I was reading Hands Down I admired how Mariana Zapata, again, tied the characters from her books together.

As I was reading this novel I found myself getting restless. For me, that’s never a good sign and meant I had some reservations about these characters love story. What was it that bothered me? I believe in love at any age, so the age difference between Zac and Bianca wasn’t that big a deal (it’s an 8 year difference). After all, I married a man 5 years my junior and it’s the maturity of a person that matters, not the age. Part of Zac’s charm in Winnipeg was his aw shucks attitude, which was on overdrive and may have been a bit overused in Hands Down. His nicknames of “sugar” and “darlin” were part of his identity, but there was one nickname that he used with Bianca specifically that I disliked. Well, at first I was ok with it, but after their feelings developed my feelings changed. Zac called Bianca “kiddo”. If this was a story about a brother and sister I’d think that was sweet, but at the end of the book he was still saying “I love you kiddo” and well, I found it kind of creepy. Why didn’t the author change that nickname like he did when he started calling her Bibi? I felt like that would’ve been an easy resolution. Insert “Bibi” wherever he says kiddo as his feelings had started to change. This may seem like a very small point but for me it’s one that would’ve made a huge difference in how I felt about the characters.

I love a strong female protagonist and Bianca had moments of strength but those moments were interspersed with quite a lot of insecurity. I get that she felt like Zac dumped her for his successful career but the number of times she said something like “if you want to” or “if you don’t have anything better to do” or spoke down about herself, got kind of frustrating. It actually frustrated Zac too as he addressed it quite a few times in the book, but when it starts getting on a readers nerves it’s like that tickle in your throat that won’t go away. When attention is drawn to it, it just itches even more. I was never allowed to get past it because it was brought up too often. Would I have felt differently if Bianca had started feeling more secure about herself a little sooner? Possibly.

Despite those two things, I did enjoy reading Hands Down. There’s a safety in reading a Mariana Zapata novel. You know you’re getting a great story, you look forward to seeing how these characters connect to past novels, and when they finally reveal their love for each other after that long build-up to it, it’s just so satisfying. Despite being let down on that last point just a smidge, it was still a nice get away from the stresses of my everyday life which is a win in my book.

❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Hands Down

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey

After the success of her debut novel, Waiting for Tom Hanks, Kerry Winfrey gives us a follow up featuring the two people her heroine, Annie, wrote her screenplay, Chloe and Nick. Chloe seems like she has it all with her positive attitude, unique style, and never-ending charm, but in actuality she’s got a load of stress balanced on her small shoulders. She’s approaching thirty and is still working in a coffee shop, her father’s in a facility because of his Alzheimer’s, she’s helping Annie plan her wedding, and she’s taking online classes to try to get a degree so she can one day have her dream, opening a bakery. When Annie’s screenplay based on Chloe’s life gets made into a movie it seems the world wants a piece of her that she can’t afford to give away and the one constant in her life, Nick, her boss and friend, starts looking very very good. How will her life change if Chloe starts seeing him as more than a friend?

Not Like the Movies had the charm of Kerry Winfrey’s first novel, but had an underlying depth that took the story beyond the fluffy love story into a well written piece of fiction. Don’t get me wrong, Ms. Winfrey still wrote some great rom-com banter and had all of those movie comparisons as she did in Waiting for Tom Hanks, but Chloe and Nick’s story had a layer of insecurity and uncertainty hidden beneath the artful disguise of Chloe’s exterior. If it weren’t for the love story aspect of this novel the color of Chloe’s tale would have been muted grays and greens instead of the bright technicolor red of her favorite lipstick.

What about our hero Nick? He was the perfect complement to Chloe in that he was steady, safe, and sweet. Truthfully though, he kind of got a little lost in all of her drama although I think that was done purposefully by the author to show Chloe how he was her perfect match. I am a reader that likes a more obvious approach to love, so the will they or won’t they was frustrating for me and I’ll admit to skimming over a few scenes to get to the meat of the romance a little quicker.

As a comparison to the first novel, which I loved, I thought Not Like the Movies was a solid sequel but lacked the optimism and charm that made me root for Annie and Drew. Not to say that I didn’t like Nick and Chloe, because I did, their story was just a different piece of fiction. Chloe and Nick had their own smoldering fire and I adored Nick’s steadiness because it was exactly what Chloe needed to make her happy. They had me rooting for them just as hard just in a more quiet way. If you didn’t read Waiting for Tom Hanks, it will be easier for you to like Not Like in the Movies because you won’t have the same expectations and I’m sure you’ll fall in love with this couple in the end, just like I did. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase!* Not Like the Movies

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments