Tag: books

This Chick Read: The Things We Water by Mariana Zapata

Nina Popoca needs help. She has adopted a magical puppy and the only place that they’ll be safe is on a sprawling ranch in Colorado. It’s a place where a community of magical beings can live in safety and peace. And if that ranch is owned by her best friend’s handsome cousin? There are worse things than having to live next to Henri Blackrock.

Mariana Zapata normally writes slow burn contemporary romances and The Things We Water definitely had hints of her usual format. A pleasant heroine who has a traumatic family back story- check, a large somewhat surly romantic love interest- check, even the adopted child, this time in the form of a magical puppy- check, then there’s the romance itself and this instance definitely slow burn- double check. What makes this story unique for this author is the fact that it is her first attempt at the fantasy genre. I’m all for author’s trying new things and will never say that they should stick to the tried and true. If I were the writer I’d probably get bored doing the same format all the time too. So I was pleased to hear about her shift into romantic fantasy, but I was also a little fearful after the last disappointing novel (When Gracie Met the Grump).

What did I like about the novel? I loved Nina’s relationship with Duncan, her adopted magical dog. Duncan’s love for Nina was so sweet and beautiful. She was his mommy and you felt that from their bond to each other. As with all of MZ’s books, there are nicknames that you’re going to either love or hate. I found them charming, and was reminded of all of my own nicknames for my dog. They might have been used a little too much, but gosh, I called my dog Nashburger or Doodlebug more than I did his own name “Nash”. I can’t fault her for using Duncan Donut or donut.

I thought Henri was pretty obvious about his feelings for Nina pretty early on and so her insecurity in reminding him constantly that she asked him to marry her and he said he wouldn’t was a little annoying. However, how often have we seen this relationship question used from this author in a book that we have loved? I can think of two right off the bat- Luna and the Lie and Wait for It. It’s repetitive but not a make or break character default for me. In fact, it just reminded me of how much Henri had been showing her that he was all in, pretty much right from the beginning and made me like him for it. He was quiet but his actions showed his true feelings.

Let’s talk the fantasy elements of this novel. There was minimal world building which I was not a fan of, however, this world that Nina and Henri lived in was not unfamiliar to us. It was the modern world but all of the creatures that we’ve heard of before, werewolves, sasquatch, gnomes, etc. all presided in it. I didn’t have to learn what a werewolf was, I already knew. What I did need to know that might’ve been different in this world, the author shared with the reader. The history of the ranch was something the reader needed to know, and we learned that as we read the book. I wasn’t bothered by the minimal world building although I do think the story would’ve felt rounder with a little more detail.

I enjoyed reading this novel. I did think it was a little long, but I think that about all of her novels so wasn’t surprised at the length. I thought it was a solid first attempt at a romantic fantasy and if she does another one I know it will be even better. This author learns and grows with each novel she writes, I’m hopeful that we’ll get another from her a little sooner than the three years we had to wait for The Things We Water. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Things We Water

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On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver

Charlie Francisco saw his screenwriting career die along with his divorce and inherited his father’s talent agency. His first job is to find someone to act the job of a romance author for a book that is about to be released. Kate Elliott hasn’t had an acting job since she was a teenager, but now that she’s recently divorced she needs to find work. She sends a letter to her old agent but it lands in the hands of his son, Charlie. When Kate walks in the door for her interview he knows she’s the perfect person to play this unusual role. She’s act as this author, who doesn’t want anything to do with the book or launch, and help the book become a success. What they both don’t count on is for her to go viral, sending the book to the top of the bestselling list.

This was quite an unusual premise and I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about a main character whose job is to act like an author. When Kate was introduced, however, I immediately loved her. She was sad, sassy, a bit of a hot mess, and totally irresistible. She made her job totally believable that I couldn’t help but like her. Charlie, too, seemed to find her zaniness attractive. The two of them had immediate chemistry but their relationship leaned towards friendship more than a hot romance, at least at first. When things started to become difficult he was the shoulder she leaned on and the slow burn romance began.

Kate was really the star of this book. She had some great monologues, her relationship with her sister is one that any family of girls would want to emulate, and we can all bond over her terrible ex. He was really kind of horrible. Most importantly, we got to read a great redemption arc. Kate overcame adversity and we were lucky enough to bear witness to her comeback. I love those types of novels! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Slow Burn Summer

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

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This Chick Read: Dire Bound (The Wolves of Ruin #1) by Sable Sorenson

This debut fantasy novel did not read like a debut novel at all. I can’t wait to find out who the mysterious writing duo is that makes up Sable Sorenson and fully expect to read a couple of recognizable names. The world building was amazing, the characters well developed, and the action kept me turning the pages. I knew after the first few chapters that this would be a five star rating from me and crossed my fingers the author wouldn’t disappoint, and she didn’t!

Meryn Cooper helps her family survive by training and fighting in the underground arena and as a side job, teaching the kids in her neighborhood how to defend themselves from the “Nabber”. Someone who sneaks into their rooms at night and steals them and gives them to immortal monsters, never to be heard from again. Meryn is one tough cookie but she can’t save her sister Saela from her fate of being kidnapped. Knowing the only way to save her is to fight in the war at the front, Meryn enlists in the army. What she doesn’t realize is that the enlisted will be put through the bonding trials- bond with a direwolf or die trying. Meryn has never imagined being one of the Bonded but when she bonds with a direwolf, she also doesn’t expect that direwolf to completely ignore her. She and Anassa will have to learn to communicate or they will be seen as weak and be culled from the pack.

Meryn was such a great character. She had to learn to be hard in order to survive the poverty in her neighborhood, but her feelings for her sister, her boyfriend, and her mother showed different facets to her personality. As she was going through the Bonding Trials, her loyalty and honor also became apparent and it was hard not to like her. The one critique I’d give is that she had a one track mind and sometimes that became annoying and didn’t allow her to see the whole picture. She had tunnel vision and despite her need to save her sister, that tunnel vision became a weakness. Could I over look that? Sure! This world she was living in was really fascinating, her bond with Anassa was difficult but I couldn’t wait for them to connect and kick butt, and although I had doubts, the romance was also sizzling. What’s not to like?

If you liked the Fourth Wing series, you will love this book. No there aren’t any dragons, but there are Direwolves! They are huge, deadly, and have interesting personalities. I found them just as fascinating and really enjoyed learning all about this new world. I’m going to guess that if you love fantasy novels, you will too. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Dire Bound

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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

This Chick Read: Spark the Flames (Secret of the Syphon #1) by Ivy Asher

I haven’t loved all of Ivy Asher’s books, but this one hit all the right notes. It’s an epic fantasy with a strong female protagonist, the characters shift into dragons, the male lead is kind of quiet but strong and hot, and did I say there are dragons? The book starts off super fast. Ever has escaped from a stronghold where she’s tortured for her blood, the bad guys are after her and she chooses jumping off a cliff to a certain death instead of ending up back in her cell. Instead of dying she wakes up in a hospital where she’s told that the Horde has been called to retrieve her and again she must escape her fate. She’s been taught that the Horde (also dragons) killed her family and is her enemy, but when she comes face to face with them she sees a unit that acts loyal to their leader, is snarky, and makes her curious. The leader is Aeson Noctis, the King’s second son and he is fascinated with Ever.

The fast paced action and quick-witted dialogue kept me turning pages, but it was the mystery of Ever’s origin story that I was really curious about. She’s a kind of dragon called a Syphon, and her brand was supposedly wiped out with the killing of the previous king’s reign. Her identity as a Syphon is mysterious, as is Ever’s mission, to kill the people who took the Syphon powers away from them. As a plot, it’s not a bad one, but everything Ever thinks she knows about what happened to her family is not necessarily as she believes it, which throws a big kink into her revenge. Oh, and then there’s the love interest, Aeson- she doesn’t count on falling for one of the Horde.

As with most of Ivy Asher’s books, there are some great side characters, some of whom we want to know more about and don’t get to, but they do certainly add some much needed warmth and color. If the plot were only going to be about Ever’s need for revenge it would be kind of boring, but she develops some feelings for the people around her which makes her plotting even more tremulous. The reader is left hoping she knows the truth and her plans will be a redemption arc instead of Ever turning into an anti-hero. We’ll have to wait for the next book to find out which side of the coin she lands on. I can’t wait!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Spark the Flames

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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: Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts

Natural Resources police officer Sloan Cooper had just arrested three men taking down hikers in the Western Maryland mountains with her partner, when they stopped at a convenience store. Sloan walked right into a robbery in progress and got shot in the chest almost losing her life. She was shocked back to life on the operating table and took some time off to recover at her family’s home in Heron’s Rest. Having a hard time not working, when Sloan hears of a woman who goes missing leaving her car behind in a grocery store parking lot she searches through the database for similar cases. She finds a lot of cases matching the description but nothing ties the victims together. The new man in her life, Nash, proves to be a great sounding board for her theories and with his help she soon finds that missing connection.

There’s just something about the comfort of reading one of Nora Roberts romantic suspense novels. Her pacing is steady, allowing her to build the characters back stories and allow the reader the time to really connect with and care for the characters, but she also develops the romance at that same pace. The two plots don’t outdo each other but rather complement each other so that moving from the romance to the mystery doesn’t distract from the other but rather adds to it. I loved that especially about Hidden Nature.

Sloan’s rehab from her wounds gives the reader a great gage of her head space. She’s exhausted, then frustrated, then angry, then resolved and we’re along for the ride with each of those feelings. When she’s finally ready to embrace those romantic feelings for Nash the reader is brought along seemlessly into those new emotions and is ready for Sloan to feel better, so begins to root for their romance and for Nash to jump on the we love Sloan bandwagon. Of course, he does, and that part of the story feels very natural.

The hardest part for me to read was from the killer’s point of view. Of course, it’s natural to feel uncomfortable, but I kind of wished for a little less of them and more of Sloan and Nash. That’s my only criticism of a really solid novel.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book! Hidden Nature

Copyright 2025 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: It’s A Love Story by Annabel Monaghan

Jane Jackson has built her adult life on the mantra ‘Fake It Until You Make It’. Her childhood was spent on a sitcom as the sidekick “Janey Jakes” but now she’s trying to make it as a Hollywood Executive. When she claims to be able to talk a popular musician, Jack Quinlan, into writing a track to help them launch a movie she’s pitching Jane has to ask for help from her one-time crush Dan Finnegan. Jack is playing a festival in Dan’s hometown and she needs Dan’s connections to help her, well, connect with Jack. A week in close quarters with Dan is Jane’s idea of hell, but stranger things have surprised her.

I recently discovered this author when I finally listened to an audiobook that I’d purchased of one of her other books, and fell in love. I love her style of writing, her lovable yet flawed characters, and most of all that slow burn romance. Annabel Monaghan believes in that big build-up in tension and I just love how that makes me eagerly turn the pages. It’s a Love Story had me feeling all that pent-up emotion that I remembered from the first novel of hers I read, Phoebe Goes Off Script. When combined with humor, charm, and an emotional punch you are left with one stand-up novel that’s just really easy to sit back, read, and enjoy.

Dan was set up to be this kind of co-worker jerk who had stood in Jane’s way on another project but by the end of this novel he was the sweet misunderstood hero that every woman wants to meet. On the flip side, Jack Quinlan is the trauma from Jane’s past that serves as a tool for the conflict Jane’s character needs to overcome to believe in love. The juxtaposition of her past and present with the men from her present and past really gave this novel a punch of feeling. I loved Jane’s journey but especially when she and Dan finally work things out. I can’t wait to listen to this book on audio because I think a great narrator could make me love it even more the second time around.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* It’s a Love Story

Copyright 2025 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: Not So Fast by Karen Booth

Mia Neal has a love for F1 racing and when a friend suggests she starts her own podcast she thought it would be her little side gig. When her comments about struggling racer, Xander Bishop, goes viral her podcast gains popularity. When Xander’s rival invites her to the Miami Grand Prix she accepts his invitation and meets Xander for the first time. Sparks fly during a confrontation and he invites her to the next race as his guest. Will her new fans understand her relationship with Xander?

What’s not to like about this story? First, I, like many of the US, has gotten to know and love F1 racing and reading a story set in that world intrigued me. Second, podcasts are just the thing in romance novels right now, so combining those two things seemed a smart strategy. Mia and Xander were totally likable characters, with both being surprisingly down to earth and normal. Xander didn’t throw his money around, was a family man, and his struggle to succeed in the F1 world was an interesting take. Mia, too, had a great back story and a struggle to overcome and her need to stay true to herself and her fan base gave her character a truthfulness that you just couldn’t turn away from. I liked them both!

The only thing missing for me was that the author toned down the glitz and glamour in order to make the characters real and easier for the reader to connect with. I would’ve actually liked to read about the behind the scenes world in F1 racing including the money and fashion. However, what we got was still fun and made for a great weekend read. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Not So Fast

Copyright 2025 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 Love Haters by Katherine Center

Katie Vaughn’s life has gone up in flames. She’s ended a bad relationship and now her job is facing lay-offs. In order to save her own, she take a job producing a video in Florida about a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, despite not being able to swim. Something she hides from her coworker, Cole- who is also Hutch’s brother. That’s just the first lie she ends up telling. When she gets to Florida and meets Hutch, who’s possibly the most handsome man she’s ever met, she gets caught up in a few more lies, the least of which is not being able to swim. As she faces some of her fears, and gets to know Hutch and his aunt Rue, Katie realizes she needs to take this chance to really be brave at last.

Katherine Center’s novels come out every year just as Summer is about to start. I look forward to reading her books because I know I’m going to love the characters and the fears and/or obstacles they are always trying to overcome. She writes with a tongue in cheek sense of humor but also with a lot of heart, which makes her books lovely to read. The Love Haters had all of these things. Wonderful characters who weren’t perfect and needed a little smoothing over, and obstacles that they needed to overcome before finding their happily ever after. This story wasn’t any different, so why didn’t I connect with it as much as I usually do?

Katie and Hutch were interesting, their lifestyle choices understandable, and the conflicts in their lives emotional. Each of them separately were amazing. I think I didn’t feel a huge connection between them as a couple. Katie had a tendency to hide herself behind some of her phobia’s and Hutch had learned from a young age to hide his feelings. These walls each of them had built kept the reader, or at least this one, from that connection that I’m always looking for between the romantic couple. For me, that was problematic and I felt a little like I was reading a synopsis of a therapy session. Hoever, the story was great, their situations relatable, and they were both lovely, nice people and you couldn’t beat the sunny setting.

Maybe it’s just me, but because of these little things I held back on my rating by one star. Nothing huge, this one is still a four out of five rating, but normally I go all in with five stars for this author, so it’s a bit of an anomaly for me. You may feel completely different! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Love Haters

Copyright 2025 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: Slipstream by Madge Maril

Documentary filmmaker Lilah Graywood never thought she’d be producing a film on F1 racing but when her co-owner and boyfriend of their business convinces her to spend their summer doing this she doesn’t have the heart to say no, until he dumps her and tries to fire her from her own company. As revenge she and back-up race car driver Arthur Bianco decide to create a secret partnership where she will film his comeback and take control of Max’s documentary. When she and Arthur have to fake a relationship she gets to know the real Arthur, and his hidden vulnerabilities. Their chemistry soon makes it hard to pretend and Lilah has to face her true feelings.

F1 has certainly become a popular subject in romance and as an F1 fan I was worried that this novel wouldn’t portray it well, but you know what? Madge Maril did the sport justice, AND gave us really likable characters in an interesting romance. When Lila got dumped I was all in for the revenge plot, and her relationship with Arthur seemed like it would lean towards a friends to lovers, which is my favorite trope. What I didn’t expect was for their to be so much depth to these characters! I loved Lilah’s love for documentary filmmaking, but also how she began to love this sport that she at first thought was ego-driven and dumb. When she began to see how she could create this great story about Arthur’s comeback and then also began to let herself fall for him while filming it? Wonderfully written.

If you love F1 this book is a no-brainer and you need to read it. If you love romance novels and don’t know anything about F1? Still read this book! The characters are well written, the pace of the story is fast (as it should be when about racing!), and the chemistry is fab-u-lous! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Slipstream

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Rules for Ruin (The Crinoline Academy #1) by Mimi Matthews

Just outside of London lies an institution with a secretive aim, to train young women to distract, disrupt, and discredit the patriarchy. When a powerful lord’s systemic attacks on young women’s rights in Parliament, the Academy sends for one of their best pupils to infiltrate the lord’s inner circle. If she brings down the viscount she earns her freedom. Betting shop owner Gabriel Royce has different plans for the viscount. He needs his support to help him rebuild the rookeries of St. Giles and Effie’s plans completely stand in his way. Effie and Gabriel engage in a battle of wits and wills that’s complicated by a blossoming desire.

Mimi Matthews delivers another really great historical romance. This time with the theme of women’s rights. Although I got the feeling that Effie was more interested in her freedom at first, but as the story moved forward you could feel her shift to believing that what she was fighting for was in fact what was best for her. Her attraction to Gabriel was immediate and their conflict gave a really great tug and pull of both their developing feelings but also where they stood in the fight for womens rights. Gabriel had his own interests he wanted to protect, but it ended up being the love of a good woman that won him over in the end.

This author has always shown us different sides of London society and this novel was no different. Although Effie was passing herself off as a lady, she had a mysterious background that was a sub-plot and gave insight into her actions. She and Gabriel ended up having a lot in common which drew them together as well. With the addition of a truly reprehensible bad guy to add more conflict to an already great story this one you shouldn’t miss reading. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Rules for Ruin

Copyright 2025 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