Tag: books

This Chick Read: Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

When Samantha finds a kitten in distress she takes him to the closest veterinarian clinic. When Xavier Rush walks in the door, Samantha is gobsmacked by his Greek god vibes, until he opens his mouth proving himself to be a surly SOB, delivering his professional opinion about the cat and the entire human race. Samantha loves nothing better than proving an SOB wrong, unless he can admit his mistake. They go on one date, and it is absolutely perfect, but Samantha has some family issues and is moving back home to Los Angeles the minute their date ends. Only neither one of them can forget the other.

Abby Jimenez is the queen of delivering romantic comedies with a lot of heart and this novel definitely had both. I laughed out loud at the great dialog, and felt emotional stirrings about all of the difficulties Xavier and Samantha had to overcome. Sounds great, right? So why was I left feeling slightly disappointed? Stop reading here if you don’t want some small spoilers.

This story had all the things, it really did. Romance, good looking girl, great looking guy, lots of chemistry, comedy, but what it didn’t have was our two main characters in the same city for the majority of the book. I thought the author did a great job of showing how a long distance relationship has been proven to break up couples. It was frustrating for me as a reader to not have them holding hands in the evening over a good meal or tv show, I can only imagine how it would feel in real life. So, I spent a great deal of this story, in between brief chuckles and heart tugs, feeling frustrated. That’s not really how I want to feel when I’m reading a romance novel. Hence the disappointment.

The good parts of this novel were really great. I loved both characters, I liked their back stories, I LOVED them together. I just didn’t get enough of that togetherness. Despite that frustration it was still a well written book by an author I love, it just wasn’t a five star read. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Say You’ll Remember Me

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Crossing Paths (Beneath the Wild Sky#2) by Katie Ruggle

Norah Pax works with her sisters in the family bail bond business as their researcher. She works completely behind the scenes but when one of their skips hacks into her computer and starts taunting her she decides to up her game and takes personal defense lessons from an ex-MMA fighter and very grumpy Dash Porter. Taking those lessons with Dash become the highlight of her week and he very quickly becomes someone she trusts. When he realizes the danger she’s in he takes the opportunity to stick close to her side.

I can always count on Katie Ruggle to write a good women in jeopardy story. Norah is strong of heart, but she’s not the most physical or athletic Pax sister. With Dash’s help she grows in confidence both physically and mentally and that is a very attractive trait in a romance novel. Dash himself is very physical, both in fitness and mental agility. He’s attracted to Norah from the start and as soon as he realizes she’s in trouble he’s all in. You got to love that in a hero!

Just as with Katie Ruggle’s other novels there’s a lot of action and adventure which makes this a very quick moving fun novel to read. I love the interactions between Norah and her sisters. There’s a lot of love on these pages, not just between the romantic leads. If you haven’t read any of Katie Ruggle’s other books, you really don’t need to read the series in order. This and all the other books can be read as stand alone’s, but you might get a little more enjoyment if you’ve read the other books first. Either way, you’re going to enjoy Norah and Dash’s story. Get ready for a fun ride!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: The Woman Left Behind (Misted Pines #4) by Kristen Ashley

Sheriff Harry Moran has a stack of files on his desk of cases that the inept sheriff before him may have messed up. When a gun in a double homicide gets traced back to one of those files, Harry makes the decision to head to the woman left behind. When Lillian Rainier opens the door, Harry is jolted by feelings he hasn’t felt since his wife died. As far as Lillian’s feelings, she’s had a crush on Harry for years but with this cold case mystery pending they take the time to not only investigate the murder but also to investigates they both are starting to feel for each other. When a witness turns up, they realize the killer is cleaning up his past mistakes.

Kristen Ashley’s Misted Pines series are good old fashioned romantic suspense novels and I’ve enjoyed getting to know all of these characters. A few of these characters make an appearance in The Woman Left Behind, a couple of whom help Harry with some out of town investigating. Otherwise, this story really centers on two characters who have not really been in any of the previous novels. Harry on the periphery, but only just. I enjoyed the lack of distraction as it read like a stand alone more than a part of a series.

The mystery in this story was quite good. It was a cold case regarding the disappearance of Lill’s parents when she was 18 years old. I liked the use of this case as a back story for the difficulties Lill had faced in her life and the obstacles she’s had to overcome. As Harry was the Sheriff and privvy to these details it allowed them to jump forward emotionally a little more quickly than would in real life, but then all of this author’s novels have a bent of a jump in time element speeding the romance along. Their emotional connection didn’t suffer from any insta-love backlash for the reader, but more of a whiplash reaction to all the emotions Lill was going through because of the appearance of that weapon being tied to her missing family.

Was this the best novel in this series? No. I still enjoyed the first book the best but I did think this was a solid romantic suspense novel and enjoyed getting to know these characters and their stories. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Woman Left Behind

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: One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

When Alice was seventeen she spent a summer at the lake with her Nan. It’s where she took a photo of three teenagers in a yellow sailboat. A photo that changed the trajectory of her life. Now, a photographer, Alice is struggling to find that magic she felt when she first started taking photos. She has a successful career making her clients happy, but she is searching for that happiness for herself. When her Nan needs to recover from hip surgery, Alice decides to take them back to that cottage on the lake hoping that they’ll both find that magic that will put them back on track. What she doesn’t count on is Charlie Florak.

When she and Charlie meet there’s an instant connection, but deciding to be just friends, they fill their days in each others company. He’s one of the teenagers in the sailboat, still flirtatious and charming, but there’s something holding him back from the feelings that are growing between he and Alice.

I relish a great Summer beach read novel and Carley Fortune delivers every year when I’m jonesing for a vacation when I can spend time immersing myself in a delicious setting, and complicated characters that make you want to root for them. One Golden Summer captures that feeling so well. Alice’s journey to find herself while capturing the love for photography while having a summer “friendship” with Charlie was easy breezy reading. It made me feel warm with happiness while at the same time tense with nervous anxiety. Just as with any good romance, there is a hiccup to happiness that they must overcome. I’ll admit I shed a few tears reading this novel but that’s a sign of a strong connection to the characters. I was hooked and stayed up until late in the early morning hours to finish this novel because I just couldn’t put it down. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* One Golden Summer

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: Same Time Next Summer

Sam is taking her fiancé Jake to her family’s summer home at the beach in Long Island to look at a wedding venue, but as soon as she arrives she senses something is off. She hears guitar music playing and realizes that Wyatt, the boy that broke her heart, has returned to his house next door. She hasn’t seen him since she was seventeen and doesn’t want to see him now. Unfortunately he’s everywhere and all of those memories from long ago come flooding back. Sam remembers who she used to be, and as Wyatt reenters her life their connection is as undeniable as it always was. She will have to make a choice.

This was the last of Annabel Monaghan’s books that I hadn’t read and I was excited to get a copy from the library. The weather is turning and I’m in the mood for a summer beach romance and this one looked to be a perfect fit.

I liked Sam a lot. She was conflicted over bringing her fiancé to her summer home because she was a different person at the beach then she was in the city. There she was buttoned up and had closeted all of her feelings behind a safe wall, but at the beach she let her feelings come alive. Her true person came out and because of the heartache she faced when she was young she was afraid to let that person come to the surface. A little unfair to her fiancé because he didn’t know the real her, just the person she wanted to show him. When she was faced with Wyatt again and all of those old feelings surfaced, as well as her connection with Wyatt she was faced with the choice to stay in her safe world or take a chance and face her true self. That was what I loved about this story. She didn’t allow herself to hide away anymore, of course, she needed a good reason and that was the love of a good man. Unfortunately for her fiancé it wasn’t him.

These summer romance novels have such a warm, golden feel to them. I love that easy, relaxed fit that a beach read brings to my heart and this book was no different. Was it my favorite book by this author? Nope. It was probably my least favorite, actually, but it was still enjoyable and I loved the journey it took me on. Now that I’m caught up with her books I’ll need to find another new to me author with a backlist of novels to read and love.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Same Time Next Summer

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 Chicks Audio Review: What the Devil Knows (Sebastian St. Cyr #16) by C. S. Harris

In 1811, two entire families were viciously murdered in their homes. A suspect–a young seaman named John Williams–was arrested. But before he could be brought to trial, Williams hanged himself in his cell. The murders ceased, and London slowly began to breathe easier. But when the lead investigator, Sir Edwin Pym, is killed in the same brutal way three years later and others possibly connected to the original case meet violent ends, the city is paralyzed with terror once more. 

Was the wrong man arrested for the murders? Bow Street magistrate Sir Henry Lovejoy turns to his friend Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, for assistance. Pym’s colleagues are convinced his manner of death is a coincidence, but Sebastian has his doubts. The more he looks into the three-year-old murders, the more certain he becomes that the hapless John Williams was not the real killer. Which begs the question–who was and why are they dead set on killing again?

I’ve listened to Davina Porter narrate sixteen novels in this series and I’m nervous about starting number seventeen because she’s retired and I’ll have to hear my favorite characters voiced by another narrator. I’m sure it will be fine, but sixteen books is a commitment! I think I’ve been trying to play catch-up on this series for four or five years- at least! Davina Porter does such an amazing job with accents and portrays men and women equally well. She is truly an artist and will be missed. I do wish her well in her retirement.

What keeps me coming back to these Sebastian St. Cyr stories? Despite the talented Davina Porter, it’s my love for these characters, their development, and especially the mysteries. The Viscount Devlin with his penchant for disguises and ability to not only interrogate his peers, but also the classes beneath him makes his character real allowing the reader to become a part of his thought process. What the Devil Knows was a little slower than some of the previous novels, but not because of a lack of action. I think Devlin survived two or three attempts on his life but never gave up his desire to find out the truth behind the malicious killings of these families. Very honorable!

If you love historical mysteries and are looking for a series to dive into, please give this one a try, but start with the first book! These characters grow and evolve and that has been a large part of why I’ve stuck with them and have continued to enjoy the characters. Enjoy! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* What the Devil Knows

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: Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

Ali Morris organizes people lives for a living but when her mother dies and her husband leaves her, her own life starts to spin. She hasn’t worn pants with a zipper in a good long while. One day, she takes a big step, puts on semi-structured overalls and takes her dog to the dog park where her dog pees on a man named Ethan who looks at her like she has her act together. He looks at her like she’s her much younger self. There’s no harm in a little summer romance is there?

I have come to love this authors’ summer romances. The characters are always a bit messy but with the heat and beach humidity a little anxiety and disorganization seems to fit just right. What I liked about this novel was that Ali’s messiness was caused by grief and self discovery while learning how to live through that grief. This story felt very real, especially with how her two children coped with a mother who kind of stopped living for awhile. Ethan brought a little fun and laughter to this woman who hadn’t felt those emotions in quite a long time and you could almost feel that exhalation of grief and inhalation of life in each scene he was in.

An interesting side plot was how Ethan dealt with his own messiness. In this small town they were both from, he had a bit of a crazy reputation that people had trouble seeing past. Everyone but Ali, who saw the man he had become vs. the troubled youth he once was. I liked the dichotomy of his past and current lives and how he needed to overcome his own anxiety. I like when both characters have a bit of work to do to make it to their happily ever after. Their journey felt like the breeze wafting in from the water, whipping around slightly before settling down. Refreshing.

Click this link to purchase this book! *Summer Romance

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: Casket Case by Lauren Evans

Due to an unexpected tragedy, Nora finds herself back in Rabbitown, Alabama running the family’s casket business. There are not many choices for a single woman living in a tiny town, so when a handsome stranger walks into her store and asks for directions, then asks her out, she accepts. Garrett seems like an ideal guy, even though he’s kind of vague about what he does for a living. When a few residents die, and Nora figures out Garrett was with them right before they died, she is worried he’s a serial killer, but never believes he’s a logistics coordinator for Death. Is it weird that they both deal with death for a living? Is that something she can live with?

I picked up this book because of the obvious, of course! It’s a romance about a woman who sells caskets and a man who works for Death! Who wouldn’t be curious about that plot? I wasn’t sure how it was going to work but I knew that I definitely had to see if this debut author could tempt me to read it from start to finish. Yes, I did! Although it definitely was not your normal romance!

We learned a lot about Garrett and his previous relationships, all of which failed because of his job (of course!). His explanation of “logistics” and all of the travel he does for a living wasn’t enough for his past girlfriends, but he thinks Nora, who sells caskets for a living might understand him better than any else could. What he doesn’t take into account is that Nora grew up in a family business that dealt in death. A stigma that she’s always had through grade school, high school, and even as an adult. Death, as a way to make a living just makes people uncomfortable. So when she starts to piece it all together, it’s no wonder that she might have trouble seeing a future with Garrett. It’s how they overcome that big objection that could make or break this story. Right?

I actually enjoyed this book, but found the pacing to be a bit slow. I appreciated the build up and getting to know each character and truthfully probably needed to in order to grow to like where the story was going. The problem was that all of the thoughtfulness really slowed down the story. I almost gave up, but I soldiered on and finished this kind of bizarre but likable novel. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase!* Casket Case

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: Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy #1) by Callie Hart

Saeris Fane has lived in the Queen’s third ward living off ounces of water a day, stealing to survive. When she starts a chain of events by stealing the wrong item she is taken prisoner and the Queen orders her death. Fighting for her life, Saeris uses the powers she has kept secret her whole life and opens a gateway between realms and death comes walking through it’s door. Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior kills her enemy and sweeps her into this other realm filled with ice and snow. Unknowingly Saeris ties herself to Fisher and he uses her magic to achieve his own agenda.

I saw this on a best Fantasy of 2024 list and boy did this one NOT disappoint. I really don’t understand those reviews that gave it one and two stars where those people said they couldn’t finish the novel. What??!!! Despite the page count (615 pages), I thought this story was fast-paced, the characters were really interesting, and the romance riveting. I do love a good romantic fantasy and Quicksilver was all I’d hoped it would be.

Saeris is the type of heroine I just love. She struggles out of love for her family, and when she finds herself in this untenable position she fights to return to them, despite the horrifying way they live and how much better her situation is in this new world. When she meets Fisher, she hate him with a passion. He obviously has an agenda, which she doesn’t really understand, and is pretty awful. However, there are unguarded moments where the reader is given a glimpse into his own horrible past that lead you to believe that if these two got their act together they’d make a pretty amazing team. Despite their immediate sexual chemistry it does take them a while to like each other but I, unlike some other reviewers, reveled in that hate to like and like to hate reality.

The story’s fast pace was driven by a lot of action, fighting, and changes of scenery. I have to say the world building was pretty amazing and very easy to follow. We were left with some question marks at the end of the story so I can’t wait for this author to complete the next novel. I’m ready to jump back in!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Quicksilver

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: The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez

Don’t you just love it when an author has the skill set to create a full rounded story in 82 pages? This short story by Abby Jimenez is exactly that- a story with a beginning, middle, and end AND has fully fleshed out characters. When I read a short story as good as this one I do have that moment of “oh I wish” that this author had written their entire story, but you know what? The Fall Risk didn’t leave me hanging. I felt their connection, understood the nuances to their characters, loved their love story. What more can you want, right?

Charlotte and Seth are neighbor’s. They live on the second floor and share a small deck that runs between their apartments, as well as an outside staircase connecting them to the ground below. When some construction workers mistakenly remove their staircase, Charlotte and Seth find themselves grounded, at home, for the weekend- with only each other for company. Charlotte works out of her house and doesn’t let people get too close but this situation calls for her to live her life differently, if only for a weekend. Over the weekend the two of them share food, stories about their lives, and their hopes and dreams for the future. They make a connection that has to live beyond that weekend, doesn’t it?

Trust me guys, this is a short story filled to the brim with content. If you like Abby Jimenez, then you know what you’re getting and I’m sure have already picked this one up. If you don’t know this author this is your chance to try her out and see what her style is like. I think, like me, you’ll become a big fan!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Fall Risk

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