Tag: contemporary romance

This Chick Read: It Starts With Us (It Ends With Us #2) by Colleen Hoover

Co-parenting with her ex Ryle is finally moving along smoothly and although he still holds out hope for getting back together Lily is ready to move forward in her life. When she accidentally bumps into Atlas on the street it seems like fate is pushing them together. It’s something she wants but introducing him back into her life will make waves with her volatile ex and she has her little girl’s future to take into account.

It Ends With Us is the conclusion to the best-selling It Starts With Us and I’ll admit I was eager to give Lily her happily ever after, so why do I feel a little let down? Atlas was everything he needed to be. He had her back, was emotionally available, stable, and an all around likable character. Lily and her baby certainly needed that after her rocky first marriage. Colleen Hoover even gave Atlas a sweet story arc that gave her readers a reason to care for him besides his love for Lily. I did really like him, but didn’t love this story. It felt a little bland after the volatility and emotional impact in the first novel.

What did I like about this book? I really liked how Lily had such a great support group, including Ryle’s own family who took her side against his actions. They were there for her and continued to be there for her and truthfully if this were a real life situation, they were the only reason why Ryle didn’t continue with his horrible behavior. They stood by her and made him face the consequences for his actions. I loved that!

If there was a reason to write this novel it was to give fans of It Starts With Us the happy ending that they felt like Lily and Atlas deserved. This novel does that for these characters. It’s well written, but a little safe and steady. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if it was a stand alone novel where I needed only the words on these pages to identify with these characters I wouldn’t be giving this as good a rating as I did.

❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* It Starts With Us

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This Chick Read: Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

Sally Milz is a sketch writer for The Night Owls (TNO), a comedy show that airs every Saturday night. With several broken relationships behind her Sally has given up on love, which is reflected in the scenes she writes. When her average looking male co-worker at TNO falls for a famous actress guest and asks her to marry him, Sally writes a sketch called the Danny Horst Rule about how beautiful accomplished women will date/marry average men but gorgeous accomplished men don’t date/marry average women. That weeks host and musical artist is musician, Noah Brewster. Sally and Noah work on several sketch’s together and it feels like they have a connection, but do they really?

This novel was brilliantly written. The backstage relationships of the cast and crew of TNO were interwoven with a sense of realism that I wondered if Curtis Sittenfeld hadn’t wandered backstage at SNL. It certainly seemed like a few of the characters in this novel were based on some of those famous faces we’ve seen on TV. So that immediately grabbed my interest. The way the week progressed on the show gave the story a sense of urgency that progressed to that climactic Saturday night show. I loved, loved, loved this portion of the novel.

When Sally and Noah first interact, in her office when he asks for her help in writing a sketch that he’s written you feel that immediate connection between the two of them. What I loved about it was that it was their intellect that connected. Yes, Noah was a hot musical artist, but what they had in common was how writing a sketch and writing a song were kind of similar and his appreciation for her art form was genuine. As the week goes on her curiosity over this amazing looking man and whether he could have any interest in her hooked me right in. But this was just the beginning of the book and there was more to their story, right? You bet!

I’ve read a number of novels who have tried to write the pandemic into the story and sometimes they hit the right note and other times they miss the mark entirely. Romantic Comedy was in the former category and used the pandemic to move the plot forward. It also introduced us to examples of Sally’s amazing wit and writing style, and gave Noah a chance to show his own skills in interacting with kind of awkward individuals. Sally was a two steps forward one step back kind of woman. I LOVED this section of the novel.

Needless to say, this was a romance novel, so the ending wasn’t a huge surprise but how this author took the readers on a journey through the landmines of Sally and Noah’s budding relationship was extraordinary. A truly funny, emotional, and wonderful story to read. I enjoyed this one tremendously. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Romantic Comedy

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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: The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon

Jess Reid is a freelance editor giving up a big city job to work from home form her small town of Redford, Oregon. Staying close to her dad and best friend was an easy decision to make even though life in her small town is slow and steady. When Jasper Wilhelm, the town’s eccentric benefactor, dies, he leaves an inheritance available to the town that they have to compete in a contest to win. Carter Barclay, nephew of Jasper, is the only non-Redfordian able to compete in this contest something that causes the townspeople to eye him with suspicion. Everyone but Jess Reid who welcomes him in with her quirky smile and personality. For financial analyst Carter Barclay, Jess is a breath of fresh air and this contest is a chance to learn what made his grandfather love this small town so much.

The Only Game in Town was a welcome change from the usual small town romance. I think this was because of our heroine, Jess. She was so charming in her quirkiness, just living life with a sunny disposition, not really letting anything get her down. When she’s paired with her arch nemesis in the contest, she struggles to find a kernel of good in Nikki’s hard core and manages to keep her sunny disposition. It’s not surprising that Carter can’t resist Jess because I couldn’t either! I wanted to transplant myself into that town and/or find my own Jess best friend in my own town because she is just irresistible and good.

Did I believe that Carter’s more stoic nature and Jess’s rainbows and butterflies personality would be irresistible to each other? YES! As the book went on and more kooky scenes unfolded he loosened his tie and found himself smiling at her antics and looking forward to her personality. There’s something about a straight-laced man loosening up that is also hard to resist and in the end I think they were perfect for each other.

There was, of course, a lot of conflict in this novel. It wasn’t just a fluff contest and a small town romance. There was death, alcoholism, and rivalries to overcome, but it was all told in a way that touched my heart and made me want to keep turning the pages to see how that storyline would end. Truly, this was a well crafted novel with great characters. What’s not to like about that? ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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 Only Game in Town

Copyright 2023 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 Love Wager by Lynn Painter

Hallie Piper is working the bar at a wedding when a cute guy, Jack, requests a beer and they strike up a brief conversation. That one moment leads to his date accusing him of cheating and a broken relationship. Back at the bar, Jack and Hallie start drinking, ending up together for the evening. Hallie wakes up the next morning and after sneaking out of his room, turns over a new leaf. She joins a dating app and starts looking for “the one”. What she finds is Jack, on the same dating app. They strike up a conversation and a bargain. The first one who finds love wins the wager. What they quickly realize is that they may have already found that person.

After reading ‘The Wrong Number’ by this same author, I knew that this novel would be rom-com at its best… and I wasn’t wrong! Hallie was such a unique character. She had this easy-going personality that oozed friendly charm. Her chemistry with Jack was so smooth. Their clever conversations and growing friendship was fun to read and I couldn’t wait until that moment when that heat that they had that one night returned for their forever future. I thought Jack was kind of a unique character too because you don’t usually see a ‘hero’ in a romance novel who is desperate to be a couple. It was an interesting perspective and personality quirk that easy breezy Hallie helped him overcome. They were a fun, cute couple!

The plot was entertaining to read and the fun dialog kept it move forward fairly quickly, a formula that is my particular favorite because I can read the novel in a day or over a weekend. If you are in the mood to read an easy breezy rom-com, this would be a good pick!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

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

Copyright 2023 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: How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

Margaret Jacobsen seems to have it all. Promising new job, adoring boyfriend, and a brand new condo- her life is stretched out in front of her and her future is bright. Until an accident finds her in the hospital- no job, a boyfriend who has fallen apart, and a new world that is filled with physical therapy and building a new life with her new body. This was not the life that Margaret thought she’d be living. Faced with new limitations, Margaret’s life revolves around the next 5 weeks in the hospital and gaining the mental and physical strength to live her new life. She meets Ian, a physical therapist who is brutal in his regard, and unfriendly in attitude. Despite all that’s going on in her life, Margaret does everything she can to bring him out of his shell and while working with him, builds a connection.

First of all, wow. At first I had a really hard time reading Margaret’s story. What happened was so brutal and her boyfriend/fiancé was an absolute turd. Her mother seemed to be a controlling nightmare too and I was ready to give up-but then her sister Kit showed up and the sisterly support propped me up until I saw beyond everyone else’s issues and Margaret’s strength became the heart of the story. Kit was a godsend, not just to poor Margaret, but also me who was looking for something to love about this story that was so hard to read. Don’t get me wrong, it was well written, but it was also pretty brutal. Kit added some much needed humor. Then there was Ian- he seemed to be a bit of a jerk, but underneath that gruff exterior he was solid gold.

This story had so much strength and heart. Yes, it was sometimes hard to read but each page I turned showed a different side to this kind of crazy family that I started to look forward to seeing what else was going to be revealed. This family had skeletons, hard feelings, and lots and lots of love. Family drama at its best.

The one thing I was slightly disappointed in was the love story aspect between Ian and Margaret. Ian was pretty closed off for most of the book and I just wish that the reader could’ve made a bigger connection with him. I loved him for Margaret (I can still hear him calling her Maggie in his Scottish accent), but the ending would’ve had a greater impact if I liked him as much as I did Margaret. Although, it was humdinger of an ending. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* How To Walk Away

Copyright 2023 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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It’s Monday, what are you reading? (2/27/23)

Hey guys, happy Monday! If you’re like me, you’ve been reading some great books lately. I’ll admit that the book I just finished was soooo good! I didn’t want to put it down, even for my day job. 🙂

JUST FINISHED

For me, Romantic Comedy checked off all of the right boxes, making this one of my favorite books so far this year. Our heroine is a sketch writer on a show called TNO, think SNL, and our hero was a guest host/musician. The intricacies in this plot, great dialog (so funny!), and throw in some pandemic references, and this book had it all. If you don’t read anything else, read this book!

JUST STARTED

Lucy Score writes really great romance novels and I’m looking forward to digging into the dialog and getting to know these characters. If it’s as good as the first I’ll be delighted!

I hope you have the best Monday and happy reading!

Deb

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This Chick Read: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

I think I must be the only person who has never read a Colleen Hoover novel before, or at least that’s the way I feel. It Ends With Us has been on the bestseller list since it was released in 2016 and now that it’s been announced that a movie will be made starring Blake Lively as our heroine Lily it is back at the top again. I received this book and it’s sequel, It Starts With Us as a Christmas present from my mother. A good choice because I had looked at this book over and over again, but hadn’t yet picked it up. Why? Well, it looked like it would be a drama filled piece of fiction and that’s not usually the kind of book I like to read. However, I have been trying to broaden my comfort zone so I was determined to give it a go.

There may be a few spoilers, so please read at your own risk.

Lily Kincaid had a tough childhood. Her family life was rough and she protected herself by not building relationships with anyone at school so she was a pretty solitary child. One night when she’s looking out over her back yard from her upstairs window she sees a boy (Atlas) she goes to school with entering the abandoned house behind hers. After watching for a couple of days she realizes that he’s living in that home. She leaves him food and a friendship is started. Years later she is living in Boston, dating a gorgeous neurosurgeon (Ryle), when she bumps into Atlas at a restaurant while Ryle is meeting her mother for the first time. All of the things from her childhood come to the surface and her happy life implodes. It was at this moment that I realized how difficult it was going to be to read this book and not be totally invested in these characters.

Colleen Hoover was genius at building Lily’s character. We knew exactly who she was because we had her childhood as a reference. We knew she was smart and had fortitude, wanting to build and achieve her dreams. We also know life sometimes throws things in the path that makes achieving those dreams difficult. When the reader is introduced to Ryle, he is everything you’d hope for Lily. As we get to know him, we see that there’s something holding him back but we want him for Lily so much. He seems just perfect, but of course, he is also one of the obstacles in Lily’s way to happiness. It’s amazing how well this author made us believe in that happiness, and even made us feel bad for him as well as her when it all fell apart. That’s talent!

Atlas was more of a romance novel leading man. He was all big, handsome, and alpha in a protector kind of way. Once he and Lily reconnect, he does let her live her life- but he’s there when it all falls apart. I’m curious to see what’s behind this alpha male wall that will make him different and also as beloved as Ryle once was. That’s in the next novel though. In It Ends With Us, he is relegated to catalyst for everything that happens between Lily and Ryle, but he also steps back and waits- allowing Lily to decide what direction her life will take. I admired that about his character. It was a smart choice by the author because I’m now more than invested in their future story.

As I stated in the first paragraph, this was not my usual choice for a quiet evening read. There was a lot of love, angst, and pain in Lily and Ryle’s story. It was not easy to read, yet the story was interesting and kept me hooked. I think this is the type of novel that is subjective to what the reader’s own experiences are and have been- that will determine if they like or don’t like the novel. I enjoyed it but I don’t think this is a story that I would go back and re-read. I’m debating whether I’ll even see the movie. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* It Ends With Us

Copyright 2023 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: End of Story by Kylie Scott

Inheriting a cute fixer upper from her aunt means a fresh start for Susie Bowen, but when her contractor shows up it’s none other than her ex’s best friend Lars. Wanting to avoid him yet also wanting to use the most trusted contractor’s in town means she needs to suck it up and play nice. When he finds someone’s divorce paperwork in the wall of a room he’s renovating and the people listed on the document are none other than she and Lars things become kind of weird. It also opens both of their eyes to an attraction that is too powerful to ignore. Is fate playing with them? Is this paperwork for real? Does it even matter?

I have loved Kylie Scott’s Stage Dive series, her Dive Bar series and pretty much any one-off novel that she’s written. So, when I saw this cute cover and read the synopsis I knew I wanted to get my hands on a copy of this novel.

I immediately connected with Susie. After a disastrous previous relationship, she isn’t very trusting, but Lars easy-going personality and eye-candy good looks go a long way towards convincing herself to not give up on love. Being together is more difficult than being apart yet they are determined to be friends if not anything else and it’s through that friendship that Susie starts to trust in Lars. He’s solid and steady, which is just what her more high-strung self needs. Opposites attract, and they are definitely opposites. Yet, there’s something that I loved about watching them move towards each other and building that bond.

Kylie Scott knows how to build great characters so I wasn’t surprised that I loved both Susie and Lars. What I was surprised about was the more mystical side of this plot that centered around a document from the future. It was a sweet note to a rather hearty romance. I liked that the story circled back around to it, keeping it involved in the plot.

If you’re like me and love Kylie Scott’s writing, it’s not going to take much from me to get you to pick up this book and read it. If you have never read one of her novels, I think this is a really sweet entrance into her writing. Enjoy! I know I did. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* End of Story

Copyright 2023 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’s Audio Review: Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan

Successful audiobook narrator Sewanee Chester once had dreams outside the sound booth but has been happy with her career. Spending a quick weekend filling in for a friend on a romance audiobook convention Sewanee does something out of character and has a wonderful, romantic one night stand with a handsome stranger. Once back home she gets word that one of her author’s who is now dead wants her to narrate a serial that she wrote pairing her voice up with one of the most popular male narrators in the business. Although she no longer narrates romance novels she does this for an old friend and ends up re-discovering her love for romance, builds a connection with Brock McNight, and learns that being fulfilled means taking chances in both love and life.

I am so glad that I listened to this novel iinstead of reading it, although I’m sure that would’ve been wonderful as well. However, Julia Whelan has voiced over 500 novels and now has written two books, doing her own narration. I immediately recognized her voice and looked at her backlist and saw some of my favorite novels listed. This is one multi-talented lady! Thank You For Listening, about two audio narrators who find love was fabulous and I’m sure even though it’s the beginning of the year will be on my top 10 list for 2023. It was soooo good!

What did I like? The characters were fabulous. Swan and Brock had an easy chemistry that had you chuckling but also wanting them to go that next step. Swan’s best friend and famous actress was the perfect foil for Sewanee’s long-lost dreams. Her grandmother Blah Blah’s story was both sweet and sad. There were too many great characters and moments that kept me enthralled and wanting more. Most of all though there was Brock. Julia Whelan voiced his character and built his back story so well that he just seemed so real. I listen to a ton of audio books, including narrations by some great male narrators and will admit to having a crush on one or two as they read my favorite books and could totally understand his need for anonymity. Some female readers are crazy women and his anonymity made complete sense to me!

I could go on about the different aspects of this book but won’t spoil it for the rest of you who haven’t read this one yet. Just know that it’s a complete novel with drama, romance, giggles, and tears. It was the perfect book to listen to while on a journey (which is what I did) but I can also see spending time with these characters at the gym or on my drive to work. I think my day wouldn’t have been very proactive but I’d have enjoyed a hell of a book! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Thank You For Listening

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

Driving home from a funeral through the countryside, ER Doctor Alexis Montgomery avoids a deer and ends up in a ditch. Luckily for her super cute and ten years younger Daniel Grant drives by and stops to help pull her out. Later that night when she walks into the dive bar where he and his friends are sitting he has a chance to make an impression. She accepts his offer of a grilled cheese sandwich and ends up spending the night. What was meant to be a one night stand turns into her weekend escape and carpenter/B&B host Daniel starts finding his way into her heart.

Part of Your World was a breath of fresh air. A younger man-older woman romance that didn’t feel at all forced, I loved Daniel’s small town and quirky nature. Alexis obviously did too since she snuck away from her fast paced life, pushy family, and super annoying ex-fiancé in order to breathe a little easier. She never intends for her two lives to cross but their feelings for each other override her cautious nature and make her take risks in order to find her own happiness.

I was so surprised by this novel. I mean, I’m not sure why I was because I love this author and have yet to be disappointed by one of her novels yet the quirky setting and characters made me fall in love. Not just with our two main characters but for the whole town, pigs, goats and all. Alexis was a woman who needed saving from herself. Coming from a well-known family of doctors she feels the pressure of falling in line and doing as her parents want- becoming uber successful and continuing the good family name. She doesn’t want the same things they want but it’s not until she ends up in the ditch and meets Daniel that the direction of what she wants out of her life really changes.

There were many magical moments in this novel and all of those happened in the small town of Wakan. There seemed to be some sort of “true love” mystical bond between Alexis, the town, and Daniel. While slightly silly, it did give a “it was meant to be” vibe to an already sweet story which I’ll admit I fell for – no problem. It helped that Daniel was charming, funny, and just absolutely adored Alexis- I can buy into the magic of the moment if it means these two would get together. After all, if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be!

If you love small town romances with a hint of magic and a whole lot of charm, you will love Part of Your World. Pick up this book and give it a read! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Part of Your World

Copyright 2023 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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