Tag: contemporary romance

This Chick Read: Playing to Win (Brits in Manhattan #2) by Laura Carter

Playing to Win quote 1

Izzy is in New York to promote her new diet and fitness book when she crosses paths with gym owner Brooks Adams at his gym. They seem to have nothing in common, from their totally different approaches to fitness and health to their opposite end of the spectrum upbringings. Izzy’s snobby British background rubs Brooks solid middle class Manhattan personality the wrong way and sparks fly. When Izzy attacks him in her blog, they get a lot of press and decide to switch fitness regimes for two weeks to declare whose works the best. Living, eating and working out side by side for two weeks these adversaries start to enjoy the barbs they are throwing at each other and frustration turns to romance.

We got a hint of Brooks’s history in the first Brits in Manhattan novel, Balancing the Scales. Brooks, a single father who fought against the prejudice of his pregnant girlfriends parents as a teenager easily put that same stamp on Izzy’s socialite turned fitness expert. His trust was not easily gained and he was rather hard on Izzy. However, knowing his history made it easier for me to overlook his boorish behavior. Izzy was more two dimensional. She did come across as the Prada wearing fitness princess and even though in her late twenties acted pretty childish towards Brooks. I’ll admit, I got a little impatient with both of their shenanigans until they finally decided to act on their pent up frustrations. When they realized their feelings for each other I enjoyed their game playing a lot more.

Izzy’s insecurity held me back from feeling more empathy for her and I think that hurt how I felt about the two of them as a couple. I liked Brooks’s character and had been looking forward to reading his story. He was a guy that certainly deserved a happily ever after, but I didn’t have complete buy in that Izzy was that person for him. Laura Carter’s writing style is full of sweet charm and British wit which translated well in the writing of Izzy’s personality. Solid writing was a huge part of why I gave this book a three rating. I just wish that sweetness had hit the pages a little sooner so I could’ve loved Izzy a bit more. ❤️❤️❤️

I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

Playing to Win cover

Click this link to purchase! Playing to Win (Brits in Manhattan)

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: The Hookup (Moonlight and Motor Oil #1) by Kristen Ashley

Izzy has had some hard knocks in her life so when she finds out her one night stand is in love with someone else she is ok with taking what he will give her. After all thats probably all she deserves. (Her thoughts not mine!) Johnny’s head is messed up from his previous breakup and when that woman moves back to town, even though he knows he’s not getting back with her, he lets Izzy out of his life. One night he runs into Izzy eating alone at a restaurant and finds out about some of her past troubles and decides immediately to get back involved and make sure she is safe.

Izzy is one of those characters that seems a little unreal but you can’t help but like. She’s all rainbows and butterfly’s, sweet, nice and girly. Her place is shabby chic. Johnny is your typical Kristen Ashley male. Very alpha and masculine but with a warm heart that beats for one woman. What Johnny comes to realize is that that woman is now Eliza and he will do anything to keep her safe and happy. When her sister moves to town, bringing trouble with her too, Johnny opens his arms to Izzy’s family, wading in to insure their safety too. What’s not to like about this guy? Ok, his last name is Gamble. Johnny Gamble is kind of a silly non Alpha sounding name but I got over it pretty quick.

I really enjoyed this novel. It reminded me of the older KA novels like the Burg series or even some of the stand alone novels like Play It Safe. Those are some of my favorites. A good old fashioned romance of boy meets girl, gets to know and love her and wants to be with her forever. There’s a tiny hint of danger thrown in for conflict which hits just the right note keeping the novel from being too sweet. The heat level is not sweet though, it’s very spicy!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

DA387576-CC73-4243-AC9C-C62510921CD0 Click this link to purchase! The Hookup (Moonlight and Motor Oil Series Book 1) Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Wrong Number Right Guy (The Bourbon Street Boys #1) by Elle Casey

May Wexler receives an urgent text from her sister from a dive bar downtown called Frankie’s. Responding to the urgent nature of the text, she grabs her mini Chihuahua and rushes out the door. Dressed inappropriately for a biker dive bar in her pink espadrilles and Ann Taylor clothes, she braves the biker element in search of her sister and her three kids. Needless to say, her sister isn’t there. The text was sent in error, and before she figures that out, she’s in the middle of a shoot out and a burly bearded gorilla grabs her and hustles her out the door.

This was the first of the fish out of water scenes in Wrong Number Right Guy for May. She was not the brightest bulb in the bunch, however she was plucky! and damned funny actually. There were a couple of scenes where I was laughing out loud and wiping tears from my eyes. Normally I abhor stupid women in books, but there was more to May than met the eye and I can only think that Ozzie saw right through that Ann Taylor facade before I did. Even though he was mostly the strong silent type, he seemed to like her shenanigans and actually gave her credit for having more brains than I’m convinced she had. He was the perfect stoic foil to her beard jokes and took her teasing very well.

The best thing about this novel, besides the humor, was the fact that even though May was kind of nutty, she wasn’t a victim. This girl seemed terrified of everything, but when push came to shove, her instincts were on fire and she’d kick butt. Sometimes by accident, but she didn’t need a man to save her, she always ended up saving herself. This is why this book ranked so high. Well, that and the humor. My god, I laughed! I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the series to see if they are just as funny. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Wrong Number Click this link to purchase! Wrong Number, Right Guy (The Bourbon Street Boys) Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Amber (Red Hot Love #1) by Elle Casey

Amber’s life is peaceful if not a little boring living on a hippie commune in Maine with her three mothers and two sisters. She and her sisters lives get flipped upside down when a lawyer shows up on their doorstep representing a famous rock band offering a $10 million settlement each to their three daughters. Not only are they shocked that their father’s may be alive, but also that their mothers had been groupies for the band Red Hot, gotten pregnant at the same time, and retired to a commune to raise them and never telling them that their fathers were alive.

I’ll admit, this premise was a new one for me! Groupie moms, now hippies on a commune raising their daughters? When hippie chick Amber arrives in NY, a little heated about these fathers trying to buy their daughters off, she is a duck out of water. Ty, new lead guitarist for Red Hot, meets her at the airport, but she takes the old adage “Never talk to Strangers” very seriously and although cute, she ditches him. The hijinks between Ty and Amber begin. They have some serious chemistry and Amber soon can’t resist this tortured musician.

Yes, this was a love story that I really liked, however the real conflict is between Amber and this band of possible fathers. When she gets past her anger, she starts to build relationships with the band and those scenes are written so well, the pain on both sides heartbreaking. I really liked how her feelings for them and learning how they loved her mothers really added depth to the story and as a comparison made the love story between she and Ty real. Amber was different than other Elle Casey novels, but I really enjoyed it!  I will definitely be reading her sister Emerald’s story when it comes out in April 2018! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I was given an ARC of this novel through NetGalley for my honest review, and it was honest!

Amber

Click this link to purchase! Shiver

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Lingus by Mariana Zapata

Kat is your average ordinary twenty something young woman. She teaches grade school, has had a few boyfriends, has a group of very close girlfriends, and has a wonderful relationship with her father. She also loves porn. Yep! You got it, porn. Kat gets dragged to a porn convention by one of her best friends, and although she is constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure no one she knows see’s her, she is having a blast. While waiting for her best friend to get her favorite male porn star’s autograph, she meets Tristan. Beautiful Tristan who is just sweet as can be. They strike up a funny conversation and inadvertently end up eating lunch together. While he is gorgeous with a capital G, it doesn’t occur to Kat that she is at a PORN convention and that Tristan could be a porn star. Not until she see’s him signing his own autographs at a table later on that same day and he beckons her over asking if he can see her later.

Except for the porn aspect of this novel, this is your typical Mariana Zapata friends to lovers novel. (I would’ve said “typical slow burn” novel, but porn and slow burn, ewww!) Tristan wants to be Kat’s friend. He doesn’t have girlfriends because he doesn’t think it’s healthy to be doing porn and trying to have a relationship. Well, ok, that makes a ton of sense! However, Tristan and Kat have this incredible energy together and even though it takes a while to get there, they do end up together. What makes this novel so different is that this crisis of sorts is well, porn. That is what is keeping them apart. Told entirely from Kat’s perspective, she agonizes over his job. We see that, we hear her feelings, and we know how knowing what he does disrupts her peace of mind.

Tristan through Kat’s eyes is perfect. Beautiful, great personality, fun, and a really really nice person. His explanation for why he does porn doesn’t really ring true for me, but then I’m not a guy and don’t have guy sexual thoughts, so who knows! Maybe it’s that easy to get into porn! Knowing what he did for a living would be a deal breaker for me, but Kat and Tristan are just friends, and one of her other best friends is in that industry. So, even though it’s kind of common to Kat, it’s still strange to me, but I kept reading. LOL.

I’ll give the author some kudos for making me like her writing enough to pick up a novel where the lead characters meet at a porn convention. The friends to lovers story rang true and their friendship did not revolve around porn. (thank God!) I loved both Kat and Tristan and rooted for them to find their happy together. They were quirky, the dialog was fun and just as with her other novels, Ms. Zapata delivered! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Lingus Click this link to purchase! Lingus Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

When Alexa and Drew get stuck in an elevator together at the Fairmont Hotel during a power outage they pass the time by flirting and eating the cheese and crackers she brought to share with her sister. When the elevator starts moving they are both slightly disappointed. Arriving at their floor Alexa gets off the elevator but Drew stops her with a question. Would you be my date to a wedding and rehearsal dinner this weeken? Alexa, normally shy and insecure feels somehow confident in his company and agrees to this kind of strange blind date. When she shows up for the rehearsal dinner they totally click and she helps him navigate what could be a rather uncomfortable event. He’s a groomsman in his ex girlfriends wedding.

The Wedding Date quote

There were a lot of things that I really liked about this book. Alexa and Drew were a bi-racial couple. Seeing things through Alexa’s eyes while navigating the relationship were eye opening. Something as simple as going to a backyard barbecue can be difficult as the only black person at the party. I cringed in horror at some of the things Alexa had to endure. Crude talk from drunk white men hitting on her was normal to her, and it just shouldn’t be. Her job as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Berkeley was a highly qualified position. She had a law degree and was beautiful and personable, but was denigraded by men because of her race. It pissed me off for her. How did Drew handle this? Extremely well. He was mad on her behalf and tried to save her from these unsavory characters, but being a part of a bi-racial couple was not something he was used to navigating. Although to give him credit, the mistakes he made in the relationship were normal man-woman mistakes and didn’t have anything to do with race.

Drew was also an adult with a big job. He was a pediatric surgeon, used to making life altering decisions in the blink of an eye. However, when it came to women Drew was a man-child. His only long term girlfriend being the bride whose wedding he was in. Both characters had their insecurities, but Drew’s were about his failure to make a commitment. It took having to fight for Alexa and for them as a couple to make him grow up.

The topics I talked about above make this sound like a serious book. There were moments that were eye opening and serious. But really, this was a fun romance. Drew was charming, as was Alexa. Their courting song and dance was similar to other books I’ve read, but it was the topics above that gave this book heart and these characters something to overcome to fight to be together. It didn’t take long for me to be charmed into reading the whole novel. Really, I think it was by page 3.  These two characters had great chemistry and the sex scenes (NC-17 rated) didn’t get in the way of a very good story.  This is Jasmine Guillory’s debut novel and boy did she hit a home run. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

The Wedding Date Jasmine Guillory is a graduate of Wellesley College and Stanford Law School. She is a Bay Area native who has towering stacks of books in her living room, a cake recipe for every occasion, and upwards of 50 lipsticks.

Jasmine Guillory Click this link to purchase! The Wedding Date

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Score (San Francisco Thunder #1) by Victoria Denault

When Zooey was a teenager she rebelled in all ways. The daughter of a minister, she liked to cross the line. Now, going through a hellish divorce, Zoey runs into the sisters of a childhood crush, Jude Braddock. Jude hearing about his sisters run in with Zoey, immediately flashes back to that one night… the problem is, Zoey is no longer the same girl and Jude is not the same boy.

Jude is a professional hockey player and gets all of the benefits that go along with that role. Tons of one night stands have given him a rotten reputation in the news. When he finds Zoey again, he spends hours of time trying to get her into bed. However, Zoey is going through a divorce, and while she is definitely attracted to Jude she is not going to break those vows before the papers are signed. Her dedication gives the two of them time to settle down and actually get to know each other again. Jude finds himself in a new role of supporter and friend. A role that does not come very easily to him.

I have to admit, I struggle with reading about sluts, whether they are male or female. Spending time in Jude’s head as he strategizes on how he wants to get Zoey in bed only annoyed me, but also being inside his head while he struggled with how to be a good friend to Zoey while she was fighting feelings of insecurity over her failed marriage, redeemed him a little. There was more to his storyline than just sex; trust issues with his teammates, sisters who were too much into his business, and his own feeling of low self esteem even though he was a pro hockey player. All of these things added to the story giving it more of a plot than he trying to sleep with Zoey, but unfortunately that was still the overriding theme.

Zoey was really forgiving of all of Jude’s sexual shenanigans and in fact was kind of turned on by his aggressiveness. Totally not my thing.  I found myself overlooking and skimming through all of the sexy scenes trying to find heart.  I did really like Zoey’s character. The contrast between a wild teen and a conservative adult who struggled with her identity and self esteem was interesting. The Jude who helped her find herself again, I liked. I just wish that we didn’t have to dig through so much of slutty Jude to find that guy. Zoey was the girl that got away for Jude, and the fact that she still meant so much to him after all of these years was sweet. Together as a couple, they did seem to bring out the best in each other and that was why I stuck with the book.

I do love sports romances and find it interesting that a lot of authors go the slutty male character route. Is that attractive to women? I guess?  Maybe some women like the fantasy that a good woman can tame him? I like the fantasy of “this couple brings the best out in each other” and that’s why I gave it ❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!  Score (San Francisco Thunder) Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Survive the Night (Rocky Mountain K9 Unit #3) by Katie Ruggle

Survive the Night is the third installment in the Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series and Sarah is my favorite heroine of the three. Sister to a wanna be mob boss she has been locked behind doors and abused for her whole life. That may sound like Sarah would be a victim but she has a bit of steel in her spine. After escaping her brother she moves in with Jules and Grace (heroines from books one and two)and starts to practice what she has been internally preaching…she wants to live a normal life. When she sets eyes on K9 cop Otto she isn’t scared by his size, she is captured by his sweetness watching as he rescues animals and rehabilitates them with a soft touch.

Of course, this is a Katie Ruggle novel so you know trouble is coming and Sarah needs to gear up for a fight. Sure enough, when her brother tracks her down it affects Grace too as their reasons for being in Monroe are tied together. There are some great action scenes that really drive the story. Sarah, separated from her friends when the trouble starts does not hide until its all over. She takes the bull by the horns and seeks out her friends showing she has spunk and is a fighter even after being beaten down for years.

If there was one thing missing for me it was with Otto. He was a big sweet lug who loved animals and took in strays. He was pretty one dimensional and I would’ve liked to have made more of a connection with him. After all he was in the previous two novels, unlike Sarah so I should’ve felt more for him than I did. His purpose was to be there to help save the day and win his girl. He got to do both in a very satisfying way. I enjoyed reading this book on an overcast Saturday afternoon and it hit the spot. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase! Survive the Night (Rocky Mountain K9 Unit) Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved.

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This Chick Read: Holiday Wishes (Heartbreaker Bay #4.5)

If you are a fan of Jill Shalvis’s Heartbreaker Bay series, then you’ve been waiting for Sean O’Riley’s story and Holiday Wishes. We have seen Sean grow over the first four books. He has always been the hearthrob that girls throw their panties at, but in this book we see a more mature Sean. He is in charge of throwing a co-ed bachelor weekend at a B&B in wine country for his brother and is determined that everything is going to be perfect. Of course, there are a couple of wrenches thrown into his plans. When they arrive at the B&B he’s surprised to see Lottie, a girl he liked in high school.  After losing their virginity to each other as teenagers she moved away and Sean, being a typical young doofus, didn’t keep in touch as he said he would. When Lottie sets eyes on Sean her first reaction is why now? She’s had a tough time of it lately and isn’t about to risk her heart again to someone who’s already disappointed her.

Sometimes a novella isn’t long enough to do the characters justice. This is definitely not one of those times. The reason why this story works is because we knew Sean. We’ve watched him change and mature over four books. We’ve loved his relationship with his brother Finn, and that same warmth is given to Lottie. It’s no wonder she didn’t stand a chance against him!

You MUST read the other novels in this series before reading Holiday Wishes. I wish I could say it wouldn’t matter if you didn’t, but as I said above, the reason why it works is because we already have a relationship with Sean. We only needed to love him with Lottie, which was an easy thing to do. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Holiday Wishes Click this link to purchase! Holiday Wishes: A Heartbreaker Bay Christmas Novella Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Reviewed Novels of 2017 by Genre (Adult)

Reading through all of my fellow bloggers 2017 In Review blogs inspired me to create my own. However, looking back through all of my reviews for 2017 and picking the top books is almost an impossibility! I decided to try for a more organized approach hoping it would help me narrow things down a bit. I chose to separate by genre. I had to! There were too many great books!

Here are my Top 5 books of 2017 by Genre. Please click each title to read my review!

Contemporary Romance:

Some Kind of Magic by Mary Ann Marlowe

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“I picked out this book because of a fun cover, and got so much more! Depth, emotion, story, and characters I genuinely liked. I cared for these characters and rooted for them to find happiness, and when they did, It Was Some Kind of Magic!”

Kulti by Mariana Zapata

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“Sal was so surprised at their relationship, and the fact that this man wanted to be her friend that she wore blinders to the fact that he was deeply in love with her. Totally clueless and I loved her for that.  And him. After a rough start Rey ended up being my dream guy too.’

The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman

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“I couldn’t believe this was Abbi Waxman’s debut novel. Lili’s voice was solid, funny, exasperating, sad and sarcastic. I laughed out loud multiple times and also cried softly as Lili struggled to find her way after the loss of her husband in a tragic accident. The fact that Lili finds that path while taking a gardening class is a great analogy for how each moment in life starts with a seed.”

Lost and Found Sisters by Jill Shalvis

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“I loved this novel. Allowing Quinn to work through her emotions about her sister Beth’s death while finding a new sister who would not replace but help bring out those feelings of love and belonging again was balanced so well. Added to the slow pace of her growing feelings for Mick complemented the other half of the plot. Well, it all just struck a perfect note for me.”

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

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“This book is so much more intricate than the premise leads you to believe. The tension is unbelievable and Josh is just YUM. To think that this is Sally Thorne’s first novel is pretty surprising. This book may not have been on your radar and I certainly never heard of it before, but I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for a new release from this author. If you love enemies to friend stories-read this book, it is great! “

FANTASY- (adult)My favorite genre to read, and I read some awesome fantasy books this year. It’s so hard to narrow down my favorites, but here goes! Continue reading “This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Reviewed Novels of 2017 by Genre (Adult)” →

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