Tag: contemporary romance

This Chick Read: Golden Trail (The Burg #3) by Kristen Ashley

Tanner Layne and Raquel Merrick fell in love when they were young. Happiness reigned supreme until Rocky left suddenly without any explanation, moving back in with her family. Heartbroken and drunk, Tanner makes the mistake of sleeping with a woman who then becomes pregnant and doing the right thing, he marries her. They go on to have another boy before he divorces her and moves across country to get away from his memories. After many years he moves back to be close to his kids and becomes shot while undergoing an investigation. This incident brings Rocky back into his life. At first he’s not sure he wants her there, but then he sees her goodness and holds tight. This time, willing to fight her demons with her to keep her in his life.

I am re-reading the Burg series, and recalling why I’m a fan of this author. Tanner and Rocky’s story is good old fashioned Kristen Ashley. Full of emotional angst, drama, romance, laughter, and tears Golden Trail still has the KA sizzle, but it also has a great story intertwined with all of that heat. For a few years this author was trying new things and I’ll admit, they just weren’t for me. Golden Trail reminds me of her more recent books like Still Standing where the men are alphas and their actions were filled with emotions.

Reading a novel like Golden Trail, after not having read it for years was like coming home to one of my favorite stories. I did remember the emotional trauma that filled this story but it didn’t tint my memories with anything but gold. This is a really good book folks and if like me, you haven’t read it for awhile I would recommend picking it up again soon. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Golden Trail (The ‘Burg Series Book 3)

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This Chick Read: The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

When Vivienne Jones had her heartbroken at 19, she acted as any young witch her age would, she drank vodka, ate ice cream, took a bubble bath, and with the help of her BFF cursed the man who had just broken her heart. Nine years later and Rhys Penhallow is back in town to re-charge her town’s ley lines and from the moment he gets close the curse kicks in and everything starts to turn wrong. Having to fess up to her actions, Vivi works with Rhys to try to break the curse. Surprisingly their chemistry and feelings haven’t really changed and they quickly fall back into old habits.

I was surprised at the hidden depth in this light and fluffy Halloween inspired love story. Don’t get me wrong, it did not stray far from the light and fluffy but the story was really well written and I was able to fall into huge like with the characters and was interested enough to see how their love story would end.

These quirky and fun characters were easy to like but I also loved the side characters. Rhys’s surly brother, and Vivi’s cousin and best friend helped add depth but also were part of why the book came to life. It might be interesting if these two characters somehow got connected? Possibly at a wedding in Wale? Hmm, my from lips to this authors ears!

If you’re looking for a fun, light, romance than give this one a chance. Despite the witchy plot I think it can be read and enjoyed on any holiday, or just a plain old weekend. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Ex Hex

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This Chick Read: Dream Keeper (Dream Team #4) by Kristen Ashley

Single mom Pepper has always been attracted to Auggie Hero, but her plan is to provide a solid home for her daughter Juno and that means no men. Her daughter has other plans. She’s seen all of her moms friends meet the loves of their lives and she wants that for her own mom and she knows it’s not going to happen with her dad. Pepper and Auggie both have a LOT of baggage but what they could have with each other makes working through their problems worth it.

I really liked the characters in this book! Auggie and Pepper had a lot in common including a messed up family life. What Pepper has built with her daughter Juno is something that Auggie never had for himself and reading their story really touched my heart. As with a lot of Kristen Ashley’s men, Auggie was very alpha. He was a tough hombre, with very few words, but when he spoke he had important things to say. KA did a really good job with his internal thoughts because without those I wouldn’t have an inkling on what type of guy he really was, but those emotional rivers ran deep and he felt a LOT for Pepper and Juno. It was truly sweet.

As with my favorite Rock Chick novels, this novel is a woman in jeopardy novel. Pepper’s jeopardy was a little more emotional than physical but there was one moment that we got to see Auggie’s commando skills come into play and that made the book. I love KA’s retro Rock Chick-ish novels and this series as an offshoot of that series definitely plays on that vibe.

Do you like the older Kristen Ashley novels like I do? If so, you will really enjoy Dream Keeper. It’s the fourth in the series and while it can stand alone, I think you’ll like it more if you’ve read the others first. Pepper was supposed to be the last of Lottie’s friends to be set up but the reader is led to believe that there will be three more and we were introduced to three additional commando’s that need ladies to help make the man. I’m looking forward to seeing where this author takes this series and can’t wait for the next book. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase!* Dream Keeper (Dream Team Book 4)

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This Chick Read: The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

Anna Sun is burned out. A violinist, she achieves fame when a YouTube video of her playing goes viral and the instant fame has created expectations that she’s not sure she can live up to. A people pleaser, Anna puts aside her own needs making others more happy than she makes herself. When her boyfriends decides he wants an open relationship before settling down she gets mad and decides to have her own one night stand with someone totally inappropriate. The problem is that she doesn’t know how to go about having a one night stand and her nerves keep he from seeing it through. Luckily Quan Diep, the man she’s chosen, has his own insecurities, and their innocent hook-up turns into a lasting friendship and something more.

Helen Hoang’s debut novel, The Kiss Quotient, gave her instant fame in the contemporary romance genre. I had mixed feelings about that novel but liked that one of the main characters was autistic and it was her love story. The Heart Principle draws on some similarities but like it’s title, I felt that this story had more heart and it’s characters touched me emotionally.

Anna is going through a crisis and is seeing a psychologist who is trying to help her but she has subjugated her own needs to make others happy her whole life and doesn’t know how to put herself first. Quan is the first person where she can be herself and not “put on a face” to make others feel better. Quan is also going through his own crisis having just recovered from an emergency surgery. Anna is the first person he’s dated since his health has improved and he really likes her, but can also see that she’s a different person with her than she is with everyone else. They each seem to be the perfect fit for the other and it’s so easy to care and root for this couple.

I don’t want to get into too many details about the plot because most of the emotional climaxes are tied specifically to a reveal about each character and I don’t want to take that moment away from your enjoyment of this novel. I will say that these moments are intrinsically why I like this book the most out of the three that Helen Hoang has written so far. There are nuances to these characters that created a depth in their characters that cracked my emotions wide open.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Heart Principle

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This Chick Read: Just Haven’t Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens

Laura is a hopeless romantic who works for a lifestyle magazine that focuses on love stories. When she travels to Jersey, the place where her parents met, she accidentally trades bags with a man on her plane and after looking inside decides her may be the one, her perfect match. She hires a local cab driver named Ted to ferry her around to all of the sites of her parents infamous love story, and also to help her find the man who has her bag, she learns a lot about life, love, and what she wants for her own happily ever after.

Sophie Cousens has quickly become one of my go to authors for quirky, fun, and emotional love stories. Just Haven’t Met You Yet sounded sweet and it was! It also exceeded my expectations. Laura was a driven romantic. I say driven because every accidental moment becomes a sign of love and well, most of us don’t live like that. At first it was annoying, but I quickly got into the rhythm of her character and let myself believe in the spirit of her character. I also fell in love with her driver Ted.

Ted and Jasper were Laura’s two love interests. One was the man she was destined to meet, the one whose bag was packed with all of the signs that they were meant to be. Ted, as the grumpy and cynical cab driver, quickly grew to be my favorite character. His unruly appearance and sad story were meant to tug at the readers heartstrings and he tugged the hell out of mine. As Laura searches for her parents love story she is also trying to find herself and her own true love and Jersey may just be the place that she’ll find it.

There were some really lovely moments in this novel. Hanging with the neighbors by the fire on Ted’s dad’s last day before going into a home, making the jewelry with sea glass, the list goes on and on. If you can’t find something in this novel to love then, well, you shouldn’t read romance novels. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Just Haven’t Met You Yet

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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: Love for Beginners (Wildstone #7) by Jill Shalvis

Emma Harris wakes up from a coma and learns that her best friend and her fiancé are now a couple, she broken most of the bones in her body, and her insurance bills are adding up. The doctors told her that she’d never walk again but with the help of her physical therapist she is finally able to move out of her apartment that she shares with her ex-BFF and into her own place. No one will hire her because she hasn’t had a job in a year when the pet store that she trains dogs in goes up for sale. Unable to get a loan she ends up with an unlikely partner. Her frenemy from high school, and Simon’s cousin, Ali Pratt. Love for Beginners is a tale about perseverance, falling in love, and making new friends.

Emma, as the main protagonist, was completely likable and easy to root for. Out jogging when hit by a car seems like pretty bad luck but it brought the delicious physical therapist, Simon into her life and it changed her from a person who may have let people walk on her to learning to have a backbone and to stand up for herself. Something she probably should have done a long time ago. I loved her inner voice that always reminded her that she wasn’t the old Emma but the new Emma 2.0. Her budding romance with Simon while lacking heat (at least for me) did help Emma grow as a character. I looked at it as part of her healing process. Sex with hot PT- check! Of course, there were feelings involved but their romance wasn’t really what this novel was about. It was about Emma’s challenges and how she was facing them.

Ali’s story was secondary but I found it just as interesting. She too needed to grow but it was in the reverse of Emma. From an early age Ali has put a wall up, not letting anyone get close. She always considered Emma a rival. Probably because from the outside Emma’s life seemed charmed but just like what you see on Facebook, nothing is as it seems on the surface. Their partnership allowed them both to see the other side of each other. I thought Jill Shalvis did a good job of showing the growth of a female friendship!

I’m a big fan of Jill Shalvis’ novels. She always writes great secondary character and/or groups of friends that you always want to get to know. Love for Beginners was no different. I do wish the romance had brought a little more sizzle to the page but upon reflection it kind of fit. Simon had his own story that made him a little distant too. Luckily, he had Emma and his cousin Ali to help him work through his emotions and give him a kick in the butt.

If you’re in the mood for a good friendship novel I think Love for Beginners is certainly that. If you want a romance, there is some of that too but I really feel like that was secondary to all of the other stories that were being told in this novel. It wasn’t what I expected but I did like it! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Love for Beginners: A Novel (The Wildstone Series Book 7)

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This Chick Read: Chasing Serenity (River Rain #1) by Kristen Ashley

Chloe PIerce, daughter of famous Tennis player Tom Pierce and Hollywood icon and actress Imogen Swan, is beautiful, fashionable, and fierce. Judge Oakley works for her mother’s new boyfriend and old love Duncan Holloway at his outdoor retail empire in the philanthropic division. He loves to hike and camp, but he also loves women in spike heels who have sass and Chloe PIerce is all of that and more. When they meet, sparks fly, and when she lets him in her life he sees that she has a world of hurts that she hides deep inside and that he’s the man to see her through.

There was so much depth to these characters. As the oldest child to famous parents, Chloe has always tried to hold her family together. When her parents divorce Chloe is obviously upset but she puts on a good face and stays strong because that’s what’s expected. When her beloved Uncle Corey kills himself and his lies are revealed she again stays strong but inside she is unraveling. Judge is there when she breaks and it is his strength that holds her up.

Chloe is similar to other Kristen Ashley female protagonists but Judge is a different kind of hero. He has moments of alpha, definitely, but was also sensitive and empathetic. It was so refreshing and unexpected for a Kristen Ashley hero. The second half of the novel was all Judge’s story and it was Chloe’s turn to be strong. These two balanced each other so well.

Next up is Rix and Alex and the author spent a good bit of time setting up their story. What do we know so far? There is a big misunderstanding that will be standing in their way. I can’t wait for the book to come out in November. KA is on a hot streak and I hope she keeps up with this great writing! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Chasing Serenity: A River Rain Novel

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This Chick Read: Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau

Baker, Lyndsay McLeod, just finished baking a specialty batch of donuts when the whole tray is knocked to the floor by the bakery door opening by a handsome man. Irritated at the loss Lyndsay doesn’t have an issue with giving Ryan Kwok an earful, not realizing that he’s an up and coming hearthrob and actor. When he reaches out for private baking lessons she can’t help but notice his charms. Is this slightly famous actor really as nice as he seems to appear?

Donut Fall in Love has a pretty simple premise- gorgeous actor meets slightly shy baker and hit it off, but there is a lot of depth under that layer of pretty frosting. As an Asian-American actor, Ryan feels like he represents all Asians and the sub-par reviews for his starring role in a recent rom-com could be used as a reason to hold back himself and other Asians for top roles. Both of our main characters also had family issues, some of which were quite funny, and added layers to these characters that a “baking and hot actor romance” may not normally see. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased.

What I did find lacking were the jokes about Ryan’s looks, his abs, and just general handsomeness. I thought this author had done a good job at setting this novel up as being relevant and different, and I thought those mentions lacked the sensitivity that the other topics brought to this novel. On the flip side, I loved all of the baking details! Those baking classes created a nice visual and made me want to run out to the closest cupcake place and snack on a dozen. Yum!

Despite the plethora of baked goods that inhabited my dreams the night I finished this novel or maybe because of them, I decided I enjoyed Donut Fall in Love more than I was scared away by Ryan’s slight cheesiness and self-aggrandizing. I liked the message the author was trying to deliver in both Ryan and Lyndsay’s characters and enjoyed their love story more than I had imagined I would. So, if you are immune to baked goods and want to spend time with a hot actor and a sweet baker, check out this novel for a light-hearted romance with some hidden depths. It may surprise you as it did me!

❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Donut Fall in Love

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: Well Matched (Well Met #3) by Jen DeLuca

Single mom April Lane is used to doing things on her own. With her daughter going to college soon she decides to fix up her home to sell and asks her friend Mitch for some help. He says yes, but only if she’ll help him in return. He needs to bring a girlfriend home for a family reunion and her help would really get them off his back. What April doesn’t realize is that such close proximity has consequences and she and Mitch develop a new kind of friendship that makes her re-think her plans to leave Willow Creek.

Mitch is the brawny kilted character during the Renaissance Faire and best friend to Simon, the hero from the first novel in the series. He has always come across as a charming rogue with a twinkle in his eye, but in Well Matched we learn that while he is a pretty happy guy, there is a lot of depth to his character. He is so easy to like it was going to take a special woman to be his match and I wasn’t sure April was that woman. April has also been in the previous two books but she’s always been conservative, and well, kind of boring. Her identity was always tied to being a mom, but in Well Matched that identity was changing. Her daughter is graduating from high school and April realizes that she hasn’t had time to make lots of friends and put down roots. When she finally take a look around, she realizes that without meaning to those roots grew anyway. I really liked seeing April open up to emotions, having fun, and getting a little action! Mitch has such a big personality and is so well liked that it makes sense for his match to be a little older, more mature, and settled.

In Well Met the Renaissance Faire played a large part in my enjoyment of the novel and I was glad to see Jen DeLuca make the faire a central part of the story again. It made a perfect contrast to April’s more conservative nature and in the end worked it’s magic on her too.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Well Matched

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: Totally Folked (Good Folk: Modern Folktales #1) by Penny Reid

Hollywood actress, Raquel Ezra, is used to being judged by the Hollywood scene so when she meets Sheriff Jackson James while in Green Valley for a wedding she finds his good manners, and lack of being awestruck refreshing. So refreshing that she leaves the wedding early in order to spend some time along with him. Years later, burned out from her fake life, she returns to Green Valley dreaming of finding the same man still waiting. However, despite feeling that same instant attraction, he’s not interested in quick fun. He’s ready to settle down and she doesn’t know if she’s that person. Totally Folked is a totally cute tale about two people who don’t seem to know what they want except to somehow find their way back to each other.

This series is an off-shoot of Reid’s Winston Brothers series and I’ll admit, Jackson James was not my favorite side character. As the sheriff he was always so straight, but seeing what goes inside the mind of that man was really insightful and if I’ll admit, kind of made me sad. His initial connection to Raquel Ezra was a mix of being a gentleman and being slightly naughty. That dichotomy was really confusing, in a good way, and I knew I had to keep reading so I could figure him out. Raquel on the other hand was pretty much what she seemed, albeit much smarter than her persona. A Hollywood ingenue, she was a rising star that was quickly burning out from all that she had to do to make it rise. She didn’t know what she wanted out of life and because of that she fixated on how perfect that one evening was with Jackson James. What bothered me the most out of her character was that when things got difficult she didn’t make a plan and see it through she would start to run. That’s annoying! Luckily, fate seemed to throw the two of them together (as well as some other well meaning characters) and I saw some other sides to Raquel that helped me like her and root for she and Jackson as a couple.

One of the things I really admire about Penny Reids’s stories besides that they are quirky fun, is that the characters are flawed in a way that strikes an emotional chord. This novel was no different. Both Jackson and Raquel had insecurities that ran deep and formed them into the people they were today. Reid opens up her characters so that the reader can see what drives them and forms that connection with the reader and helps us build empathy. Yes, I thought Raquel needed to face her problems and stop running away but that feeling is driven by my own insecurities, not hers. Which kind of makes my point. By reading about these flawed characters we see things in ourselves that we may identify with or something we find shameful within ourselves that we want to change. The resolution to that character flaw is the reason why I came to care for the characters so much and that was certainly the case in this novel.

Totally Folked was the first novel in a new series and just as with all of Penny Reid’s other novels, they are a must read. This one was sweet, painful, joyful, and funny. All of the things I like from a great novel.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Totally Folked: A Small Town Romance Folktale retelling (Good Folk: Modern Folktales Book 1)

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

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