Tag: contemporary romance

This Chick Read: Emerald (Red Hot Love #2) by Elle Casey

I love the premise of this series. Amber, Emerald, and Rose grow up with their mothers in a hippy commune as sisters. One day, a lawyer shows up at their house with an offer of 30 million dollars from the band Red Hot as recompense for not knowing their daughters were alive. Their mothers were groupies for that band and the bandmates are their fathers. They don’t know who has fathered whom and are happy being group fathers. Each daughter gets her own story, and this novel is about Emerald, the shy, sweet, hippy.

After Amber ends up moving to NY to work for the band, she twists her sister Emerald’s arm to come for a long visit. Emerald really hates big cities, but loves and misses her sister so agree’s to the visit. When the band, who is touring Tokyo, has an emergency, Amber has to ditch her sister right when her boyfriend’s brother, Sam shows up on their doorstep. She enlists Emerald’s help in playing hostess to Sam and the chemistry between the two of them is immediate.

I really liked how Emerald and Sam seemed to fit so easily together. Yet, I hated that at the same time! I know, that’s a little wishy washy, but the two of them were so low key. What do you feel like for dinner, pizza? Hmmm, sounds good to me. Pizza it is! Even Sam’s tragedy back in LA doesn’t really bring any tension to a story that needed a little conflict. Not that I disliked them, I didn’t at all, it’s just that their story kind of hummed along. No grand theatrics or anything, yet somehow pleasant and enjoyable to read. Weird, I know.

I did like the progression of the story with their fathers in the band Red Hot. They are so excited to be fathers, it’s hard to not like them! Amber is now all in, working for the band, but Emerald and her sister Rose are a little more difficult. What do two hippy chicks have in common with a rock band? The series wraps up with Rose’s story and yes, I am going to read it because I’m invested in their story and want to see what happens. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Emerald

Click this link to purchase!* Emerald (Red Hot Love Book 2)

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Look the Part by Jewel E. Ann

I don’t remember which blogger had this book on their Mid Year Best of 2018 Book List but THANK YOU! Look the Part is a gem!

Lawyer Flint Hopkins leases out an office space in his building to music therapist Ellen Rodgers, not realizing what all that entails. As Ellen points out when he complains about the noise, my title is “Music Therapist”. This involves music! Immediately he tries to have her evicted because he doesn’t like the noise. However, that is pretty much the only thing he doesn’t like about her. She is energetic, lovely, musical, funny and his 12 year old autistic son, Harrison, LOVES her. After school and in between her appointments Harrison goes up to her office and plays her guitar. VERY well. Harrison also tells his dad that he is not allowed to “date” Elle because she is his friend. Even after his son basically called dibs on her, Flint is drawn in to her vibrant personality and their sizzling chemistry.

The premise of Look the Part is fun, funny, and sweet. However, inside both Flint and Elle are deep, dark, emotions that they are hiding from. Elle, who is always straightening Flints tie and touching his clothes, needs a physical connection. Flint, keeps his connections impersonal and only occasionally physical. I liked how she wanted to draw him closer and he only wanted her close briefly. It was a yin and yang that created a tension that their comic actions played well with. As the story evolves and the reader is brought into why they each have these fears we can see how their fears are actually tying them together instead of keeping them apart.

Harrison was a really cool addition to the story. His autism was pretty mild but a challenge for his father and when Harrison spoke his mind it generally rocked everyone’s world. His words were a great mix of kids speaking what everyone is thinking and his autism letting him say exactly what was on his mind without his emotions becoming involved. Elle’s connection with Harrison as well as Harrison giving his father a reason to live was an integral part of why I liked this novel as much as I did. The connection between the three of them felt real.

As far as the romance, I totally bought into the relationship between Elle and Flint. It’s rare when I read a contemporary romance and I don’t get antsy or irritated while waiting for the story to reach it’s conclusion. I was immersed in this novel and incredibly patient with these characters letting the story build up in what felt like a natural ending with all the I’s dotted and the T’s crossed. Look the Part is an apt title because not only did Flint look the part of Elle’s man and Harrison’s father, but this novel Looked the Part of a rock solid romance. I have never read a novel by Jewel E. Ann, but am excited to discover her and can’t wait to read her whole library!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Look the Part

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Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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This Chick Read: The Hot Shot (Game On #4) by Kristen Callihan

Chess Copper is photographing players from her local pro football team naked for their annual charity calendar. Tough job but someone’s got to do it! When she meets Finn, the QB for the team there is instant chemistry, but a miscommunication gets their relationship off on the wrong foot. As she tries to make him more comfortable with the shoot, she see’s that he’s actually just a bit nervous and through their conversation realizes that behind that pretty face is a really nice guy that she might want to get to know better. There’s one problem. Chess is looking for a relationship and Finn is a no strings attached kind of guy…at first.

I loved the slow build up of Chess and Finn’s friendship. I am a firm believer in being friends before becoming lovers and Kristen Callihan hit that trigger for me. Finn is a self described one night stand man and even though Chess finds him attractive she determinedly put him in the hands off category and Finn has his work cut out for him to make her see him in another light. When tragedy hits and Chess needs a place to stay their close quarters help speed things along from friendship into love.

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve read one of the Game On books, but when a couple of characters showed up in this novel I could easily remember their story. It helped a bit that this novel’s timeline paralleled Dex and Fiona’s from the Game Plan. It was kind of fun to listen to Dex talk about his budding relationship when we already knew how that relationship turned out.

If you are a fan of this series you will like The Hot Shot. Was it my favorite? No, I still like The Game Plan the best. However, I liked Finn and Chess together and really rooted for them to find their happily ever after and was happy when they did.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

The Hot Shot

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Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: The Air He Breathes by Brittainy Cherry

Elizabeth is still reeling from the loss of her husband a year before. She is trying to keep her sanity intact because she has their young daughter to raise and she doesn’t want her to continue to see her sorrow. Tristan Cole is the loner next door. When Elizabeth arrives back in town after a year away, all she hears is that Tristan is scary, violent, a loser, and not to let him get close, but there’s something in his eyes that calls out to her and draws her in.

Tristan is pretty much what all of her friends say. He, too, is dealing with tragedy, but he has let it break him down. Even when Elizabeth reaches out to him he doesn’t know if he can handle the responsibility without it tearing him apart. So the two of them make an agreement to “use” each other. Their relationship is meant for them to not feel so alone, but it doesn’t help them get over their pain, it actually enhances it. It’s only when they stop that they realize their feelings had changed.

This was one dark and emotional novel and at times I was worried that it wouldn’t ever lighten up. The surprise for me was that it was Tristan who saw the light first and helped Elizabeth find it. I read so many novels where the woman “saves” the man and I think if The Air He Breathes had taken that route I would’ve disliked the novel. Thank goodness Brittainy Cherry took me down a different path. It’s really hard to read a book where your hero and heroine are in so much emotional pain, but Ms. Cherry seems to relish these kinds of stories and she is very good at delivering a satisfying conclusion. If you love hardcore, dark, emotional romances you will love this novel. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

The Air He Breathes

Click this link to purchase! The Air He Breathes (Elements)

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am an Amazon Associate and receive a small stipend if you purchase through the above link.

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This Chick Read: Friends Without Benefits (Knitting in the City #2) by Penny Reid

Elizabeth Finney has come a long way since her shy, skinny days in high school. She’s now a well respected doctor in Chicago and her looks are decidedly different. As soon as she see’s Nico Manganiello in her emergency room she slides right back into old bad habits. The two of them grew up together and had always  antagonized each other. Nico was the best friend of the boy she had loved who had died tragically in high school. When she see’s him all of those old feelings come back, including the back and forth bickering. What she doesn’t realize is that Nico has always been in love with her and he’s determined to show he’s worth her love in return.

Most of the Penny Reid novels I’ve read are more relationship building than sex and this novel is no different. The chemistry between these two characters is off the charts and you almost feel like you’ve been reading sex scenes after finishing an emotional exchange between these two characters, it’s that sizzling. Nico is a famous underwear model turned talk show host. He’s hot with a capital H and makes Liz feel small by comparison. Seeing him again drums up old feelings, including Liz feeling bullied by Nico in her youth. His past behavior was the typical tease the girl you love behavior, but Liz never got the message. She is gobsmacked when he reveals he’s always been in love with Liz and reluctant to let him back into her life.

This was not my favorite Penny Reid novel. It did have all of the humor and relationship building I’ve come to expect, but that hint of childhood bullying threw me off Nico a little bit. When Liz finally realizes her love for Nico I went all in on my feelings for them as a couple because I liked her character so much. I just wish I had liked Nico just a little bit more! I still really enjoyed reading this novel and love Penny Reid’s quirky characters and fun dialog. Reading her novels are always worth my time.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Friends without Benefits

Click this link to purchase! Friends Without Benefits: An Unrequited Romance (Knitting in the City) (Volume 2)

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am an Amazon Associate and receive a small stipend if you purchase through the above link.

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This Chick Read: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

The Kiss Quotient is one of the most talked about contemporary romance novels to date this year. It’s the story of a young woman, Stella Lane, who has Asberger’s, a form of autism that makes it really difficult for her to interact socially. Her mother wants to be able to stop worrying about her living on her own and pushes blind dates on Stella constantly hoping she’ll find a match. This makes Stella feel awkward and a failure, but she really wants to please her mom by finding a boyfriend, and even more she wants to alleviate the feeling of being “different” by doing something so normal. However, her approach is a little abnormal. She hires an escort to teach her how to have sex and be in a normal relationship.

Michael Phan is half asian, half Swedish and 100% gorgeous. Every Friday night he moonlights as an escort, who, yes, sleeps with strange women. Never the same one twice. However, there is something about Stella that draws him in. She is obviously awkward, but they have a chemistry that intrigues him. Stella asks to hire him for a few weeks and he breaks his rule and accepts.

THE LOVE STORY: I really enjoyed their relationship with each other. Stella was charmingly awkward and even though she managed her Asberger’s very well, she had obvious tells; the rhythmic tapping, the affinity for numbers and formulas, and the problem with hearing multiple sounds at the same time, just to name a few. Michael was somewhat oblivious to all of those tells, being too caught up in his surprising feelings for someone who had hired him. He also had his own secrets and issues, but those are a really big turning point in the story and I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that even though on the outside he seemed to have it all, there was a reason he was hooking. Yes, I am going to call it hooking because if he was a woman that is what he would be called.

MY CONFLICT: It was so hard for me to overlook that Michael slept with other women for money. That’s not a romantic trait. At all. He was charming, sensitive, good looking and very caring towards Stella and that did go a long way towards taking away that hooker taint, but still…

I loved Stella. She was so human with all of our frailty’s and issues. Why did her hero have to be so flawed? Why couldn’t an autistic woman be loved by a “normal” man? These were the thoughts that ran through my mind as I was reading this book. I know I am in the minority on this one, but these were my feelings and those thoughts took me out of the story and lessened my enjoyment.

MY CONCLUSION: I had to sit on this one for a couple of weeks before writing my review and I’m glad I did. Looking back on my feelings I realized that in the end I really did like these two characters and did root for them to fall in love. He was the person she needed and it didn’t bother her one bit that he’d slept with hundreds of women. (just an estimate!) He was IT for her. It’s only a fictional novel, but if this were someone in my family I think I could overlook that for her. So, I gave this novel a four rating. It was very well done and really made me think.

The Kiss Quotient will probably not fulfill most women’s fantasy’s but it is striking a chord for a lot of people who may or may not have eccentricities and character traits that make them different. It was a story well told.

IMG_2531 (1)

Click this link to purchase*! The Kiss Quotient

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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This Chick Read: Every Little Kiss (Sequoia Lake #2) by Marina Adair

It’s been two years since the death of her husband and single mom Liv Preston is ready to live again. She does have some challenges, her six year old son hasn’t talked to anyone since he was rescued with his father from a mountain cave. Liv is ready to prove life is worth living to her son, but in order to do that she has to start living it. Up for a promotion at work Liv’s boss gives her a challenge. Show that you are committed to our community and you’ll be considered for this job. Liv jumps in head first and with the help of Search and Rescue leader Ford Jamison takes the first step to proving to her son and herself that life is full of challenges, but also it’s full of rewards.

There’s something about romance novels with children and dogs that always touches my heart. Liv’s son Paxton is so shy and disconnected from everyone, but when the dog that rescued him off the side of a mountain shows back up in town he gains confidence. Those two were a dynamic du0 and a great tool to help the reader connect with this story.

Ford has his own baggage, haunted by not knowing what happens to those he saves. He see’s Liv and Paxton struggling and can’t help stepping in to lend a hand. The attraction he feels for Liv has his head spinning and even though he knows it’s a bad idea he lets their connection deepen. This novel deals so well with the struggle of loss, life and moving on. You can’t help but root for everyone to overcome their sadness, grow and live life to their fullest. Of course, this is a romance novel, so you know it will end happily, but they do have some hills to climb and conflict to overcome. Marina Adair has a deft hand at building characters that really connect with the reader and Every Little Kiss was no different. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Every Little Kiss

Click this link to purchase! Every Little Kiss (Sequoia Lake)

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am an Amazon Associate and receive a small stipend if you purchase through the above link.

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Release Blitz! Young Love by Alyson Santos

Young Love by Alyson Santos IS NOW AVAILABLE!

“I never wanted to come up for air. Alyson Santos is a master at painting the pages with emotions. This one is a must-read!” – Ginger Scott, Bestselling Author

Amazon ➜ https://amzn.to/2LmfOgd
Amazon Universal ➜ mybook.to/YoungLoveAlysonSantos
FREE with #KindleUnlimited

ADD TO YOUR TBR ➜ http://bit.ly/2JABiGj

Sometimes you need to let yourself fall…
Recently divorced Sienna Porter has the life she’s supposed to. A house, career, even a hot young contractor working upstairs to distract her. At thirty-eight, she’s entitled to a little fun (according to her best friend, anyway).

Pain, though— it’s so clever in the way it infects hope and poisons happiness.

Jace Beckett should be flying high. Talented, driven, and disciplined, he’s far beyond his twenty-three years. He’s used to the game, the attention his looks and highly-trained body get from women. Doesn’t mean he likes to play.

Doesn’t mean his own secrets aren’t intent on tearing him down.

It’s just a fling. Sexy. Temporary. It’s not supposed to last. It’s not supposed to transform into love. It’s certainly not supposed to become the air you breathe and everything worth fighting for.

About the Author:
I’m a writer, musician, and cat lover. I also have an alternative music obsession. Seriously, it’s a real problem.
I write what needs to come out, whether it’s pain, tears, or laughter. I write people and relationships, about the beauty and horror of what we do to ourselves and each other. I write Love. Vengeance. Compassion. Cruelty. Trust. Betrayal. Forgiveness. Darkness, and the incredible way humans destroy and heal each other.
I like to eradicate barriers, refusing to be confined by the laws of physics or limitations of reality. I will befriend a vast population of possibilities and introduce them in ways that might surprise you.

Connect with Alyson!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralysonsantos/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorAlySantos
Join her group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AlysBreakfastClub/
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2E57FWM

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This Chick Read: The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert

This book has been on my radar for a couple of years. I have a sweet tooth and the cover spoke to me and I’ll admit to purchasing her Luck, Love and Lemon Pie book for the same reason. What can I say, coconut cake and lemon pie are two of my favorites!

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake was aptly named as our heroine, Lou, is the chef/owner of restaurant Luella’s in Milwaukee. She has just baked the titled coconut cake to deliver to her fiancee’s house for his birthday. As she was walking to his house, she run’s into our British hero, Al, on the street. He is struck by her smell of vanilla and coconut, and fondly remembers her as he goes about his every day. Lou doesn’t have quite as good a day because she delivers the cake to her fiancee who is caught with a co-worker in their underwear. Dropping the cake, she rushes back to her restaurant and has the absolute worst day of cooking/service ever. Of course, this is the day that Al, the food critic for the local paper, chooses Luella’s to critique. Needless to say, he was pretty brutal. Drowning in her sorrows at the neighborhood pub that night, tipsy Lou, meets charmed Al, not knowing he was “the” food critic and offers to show him around Milwaukee.

This is the set-up for this love story. Through showing Al what the locals love about Milwaukee, she rejuvenates her restaurants vision and also opens Al’s eyes to the charm of this city. The reader is in on who Al truly is, while the two of them are completely ignorant of the fact she is the owner/chef and he the critic that has tanked her restaurant. These two characters were completely likable, the setting original, and the food explored really yummy making this a really light, enjoyable weekend read. A perfect vacation book!

The food references in this book just about killed my resolve. Sweets and cheese being two of my absolute favorites. The city of Milwaukee also needs to put this book in all of the hotels as a guide for what to do and where to eat. Assuming they are all real events and places, I may have to plan a trip to Milwaukee myself. The city was as charming a character as Al and Lou.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Coconut

Click this link to purchase! The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved.

I am an Amazon Associate and receive a small stipend if you purchase through the above link.

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Blog Tour! Why Stars Chase the Sun by C.R. Ellis

Why Stars Blog Tour

Why Stars Chase the Sun Synopsis:

JADE

Twenty-four hours.

A no-strings-attached adventure with the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen—this was my alcohol-slash-lust-fueled proposal, and given before I could consider the potential ramifications. While his looks alone are enough to make a girl swoon, it’s the rest of him—a perfect balance of mysterious, sweet, and effortlessly charming—that draws me in. Through his cryptic comments and half-answers, he’s quickly become an enigma I’m determined to solve.

 One way or another, this adventure promises to snap the stagnant, lackluster pattern my love life has been locked in lately.

Is it naïve and a little reckless to think this won’t blow up in my face? Probably.

But the bigger question is the only one I need to answer…

Is the chance to soar among the stars worth the risk of being burned when the sun eventually rises?

 EMMETT

Love is a mistake I won’t make again.

My rules are simple. Keep things surface-deep. Don’t make plans. And never, ever get attached.

One look at her is all it takes for me to break my first rule.

One conversation with her is all it takes for me to question everything.

Which means accepting her proposal is bound to be a mistake.

She has no idea who I am or what kind of demons I live with, so I tell myself there’s no harm in spending one day with her. But the more I lose myself in her, the more she brings me out of the darkness and into her light, the harder it’ll be to let her go.

When reality comes crashing down on us in the worst way possible, I have to decide between walking away…or risking everything for the woman who breaks all of my rules.

REVIEW:

Two people who were damaged by their previous relationships and don’t want to take a chance on love again, decide to indulge in each other for 24 hours. It sounds pretty simple, right? Why the Stars Chase the Sun did have a simple premise, but it would’t be a romance novel without a little conflict and our two main characters deciding to throw caution to the winds and fall in love. Usually this kind of novel bores me a little. There is only so much indulging I can take before I think, where’s the story? Luckily, C. R. Ellis gives us a lot of back story for Jade and Emmett and makes it really easy to read to the finish to see them get their happily ever after.

Both Emmett and Jade were truly nice people who had bad things happen to them in their previous relationships. Jade is finally ready to have another relationship and when she bumps into Emmett she knows she wants it with him. Unfortunately, Emmett is not in the same place but doesn’t want to let her go either. Why anyone would think 24 hours would be enough time to get over some serious chemistry, as well as serious like, I don’t know. After their 24 hours was over this romance novel turned into a bit of a thriller, creating some conflict that brings the two of them back together and give Emmett a reason to overcome his previous convictions. I liked this turn in the novel because it added a little heat to the flirty story giving it a little more meat and the ending a bigger impact.

This was my first novel by C.R Ellis and I enjoyed the journey!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review and it was honest!

Why Stars Blurb

Giveaway Details:

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Why Stars

About the Author:

C.R. Ellis is a Texas native who writes contemporary romance novels with plenty of drama and humor, and just enough heat to ignite e-readers and paperbacks everywhere. She can almost always be found attached to her laptop with coffee nearby and her two trusty canine sidekicks by her side. When she’s not writing or plotting, she enjoys going to concerts with her sweet husband, dragging him along to see rom-coms at any theater that serves booze, checking off the next destination on her ever-growing travel bucket list, and trying new recipes.

 Her passion for writing stems from her lifelong love of reading, and she often binge-reads entire books in a day. She’s an unapologetic book hoarder, and her paperback collection is rivaled only by her massive shoe collection.

Buy Links:

Amazon

 Links:

Website | Facebook | Instagram

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