Tag: fantasy

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (7/20/2020)

It was a really hot weekend in Nashville which means I stayed inside and read a book. (OK, I also got hooked on a reality show on the History channel called Top Shot, but that’s another story.) I trolled through the hundreds of books I had on my Kindle because I am ahead on my Arc’s and had time to read something for pleasure. That is always a great feeling!

This post originated over on Book Date, so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion about what books I am reading.

JUST FINISHED

I bought this book back in 2018, which is probably the last time I’d read a Suzanne Wright novel. I had forgotten that her books centered on the physical relationship, then gave you a side of story. If you like sexy paranormal then one of her books has probably crossed your path. There are six books in this series, so if you like demons and don’t mind a LOT of sex scenes this book may be the right one for you.

JUST STARTED

It’s back to the ARC schedule for me, and this is one I’ve been totally excited about reading. Spells for the Dead is the next installment of Faith Hunters Soulwood series. One I’m a HUGE fan of! Excuse me while I go and read for a bit.

I’d love to hear what book is tempting you away from your work this fine Monday. Share in the comments!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads18 Comments

This Chick Read: American Demon (The Hollows #14) by Kim Harrison

What do you do when your favorite series (that ended with The Witch With No Name in 2016) all of a sudden has a revival? You hit the request button on NetGalley as quickly as possible and squeal in pleasure when you’re granted that book to review. Seriously guys, this was a biggee for me.

American Demon takes place where The Witch With No Name leaves off (before the epilogue that takes them into the latter years). Trent and Rachel are outted as an item, the demons are outted into the world, and the elves magic is all screwy. When a zombie gets dropped into Rachel’s back yard it starts a chain of events that finds Rachel at the center of a Baka possession. A Baka who eats away at your soul until that person does what it wants you to do. Rachel has to avoid sleep, navigate her relationship with Trent, and find the culprit and take him down. God, it’s good to be back in the Hollows!

It’s interesting to read a book when you’ve already read the final chapter and the epilogue that foretells the future. American Demon does a great job of amping up the tension between Rachel and Trent, making you think all is not going smoothly in their relationship, even though you know they end up together in the far future. I kind of liked the security of knowing while at the same time biting my nails over whether Rachel’s insecurities about Trent were actually truth, or all in her head. Ellasbeth, Trent’s almost wife who did bear his only child, makes a big appearance and puts all of Rachels’s doubts about herself into play. Despite Trent’s actions staying true to the future storyline.

Because I hadn’t re-read all 13 of the previous novels before reading American Demon, there were some small plot points that I feel I missed. Ivy saved Nina’s soul and they seem to be a couple, but then Glenn seems to have re-entered their lives and did they have a past together? I wish I knew all of the little in’s and out’s of these characters and it hadn’t been 6 years since I read The Witch With No Name. I know I’m going to go back and re-read them now that I’ve gotten re-hooked into the series.

Not to give anything away, but it does seem as if Kim Harrison is going to continue on because she leaves a couple of leads hanging in the wind that need to be tied up. I hope she doesn’t wait 6 years to write the next one! Although by that point I may have read through all of the previous novels and would hopefully be caught up.

American Demon was all that I’d hoped and everything I never knew I wanted. I’m so happy I had this chance to jump back into this series. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed these characters and am ready for another 13 to look forward to! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this ARC through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase!* American Demon (Hollows)

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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It’s Monday, what are you reading? (6/15/2020)

HI! I’m writing to your from a cross country road trip with my husband. We had a couple of weeks off and decided to explore some areas of the US we haven’t seen before. It’s a LOT of driving, and fortunately I’ve had some time to read. This is what I’m currently reading.

This post originated over on Book Date, so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion about what books I am reading.

JUST FINISHED

Driving in the car with my husband I chose something I thought he’d be interested in. What I didn’t realize is that it’s read like a college course, although the teacher was very animated. I thought it was pretty interesting!

JUST STARTED

The Hollows series is one of my favorites and I was happy when this author decided to re-visit these characters. Since Kim Harrison had written the finale to the series already and this book takes place before the epilogue of that tale it’s a little weird because it’s like I can foretell their future, but I’m still really interested in Rachel and her inner demon.

Let me know what book is going to help you get through the next week!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Dragon Unleashed (Fallen Empire #2) by Grace Draven

In a land where magic is forbidden, earth witch Halani knows she has to be careful with her secret. When her free trader uncle purchases an artifact that’s said to be a bone from a long extinct draga, Halani feels the magic within and knows it will bring them trouble. Malachus has been searching for that same item and needs it to be able to transform from a man into a draga before his magic kills him. Their fate’s are tied together, both holding secrets, yet developing a love that will transform them and help them conquer evil.

Dragon Unleashed is the second novel in the Fallen Empire series, but for those of you who haven’t read Phoenix Unbound, this one can be read as a stand alone. I haven’t read the first novel in the series and except for meeting those characters, they weren’t involved in the plot for Dragon Unleashed so I didn’t feel at all lost. The world, however, is the same where magic is forbidden and just as in Phoenix Unbound Halani wields a magic that could make her an outlaw. It’s through her magic that the conflict for the story arises. Knowing the relic is actually the real deal means that Halani lies to Malachus right from the start. The reader being in on that lie is waiting for the hero to find out, which adds tension to what might have been a rather dull story.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a story with a dragon and I enjoyed his point of view even more than I did Halani’s. Having lived for a long time, Malachus has seen the dark side of humanity, and is pretty cynical about Halani and her people when they first meet. I liked how his view gradually changed, making Halani’s secret lie even more important to this novel. How Malachus overcomes his disdain allows his character to grow which adds impetus to the final conflict in the story. It was really well done. Halani’s POV is more predictable and because of that I found her character a little dull. Malachus definitely did all of the hard lifting in this novel.

I couldn’t end this post without saying something about the cover for this book. It’s absolutely gorgeous and really gives you a feel for the genre, although I pictured Halani a little less beautiful and more round. The author’s descriptions made me envision Malachus as sharply handsome, and Halani as softly pretty. I don’t begrudge the author this beautiful cover though, it will definitely help sell books!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase!* Dragon Unleashed (The Fallen Empire Book 2)

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: Top 5 Most Anticipated Book Releases – June 2020

Ahh summer! The season where we look forward to vacations, the beach, and reading a lot of great summer releases. Cue the sound of tires screeching! This year my vacation is delayed, I’m scared of the crowds at the beach, and will probably spend any time off in my own home where I will be living vicariously through the characters I’m reading about. The new normal, at least for a little while longer.

When I was looking at the June releases I was surprised at the number of books I’m interested in reading! I know my ARC schedule is pretty packed but there are even a few more that I didn’t realize were coming out next month that I’ve now added to my TBR. Here are my top 5 most anticipated.

#5 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

Penny Reid is giving Cletus and Jennifer from the Winston Brothers series their own mystery series! My hope is that it’s as quirky and fun as the Winston Series. I have a feeling I’m going to be surprised!

Synopsis:

Jennifer Sylvester made her deal with the devil . . . and now they’re engaged!

But all is not well in Green Valley. A chicken choker is on the loose, 61 dead birds most “fowl” need plucking, and no time remains for Jennifer and her devilish fiancé. Desperate to find a spare moment together, Jenn and Cletus’s attempts to reconnect are thwarted by one seemingly coincidental disaster after another. It’s not long before Cletus and Jenn see a pattern emerge and the truth becomes clear.
Sabotage!

Will an undercover mission unmask the culprit? Or are these love-birds totally plucked?

‘Engagement and Espionage’ is the first book in the Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries series, is a full-length cozy mystery, and is a spin-off of Penny Reid’s Winston Brothers series. This novel is best read after ‘Beard Science,’ Winston Brothers #3.

Click this link to purchase!* Engagement and Espionage (Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries Book 1)

#4 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

A romantic retelling of Jo & Laurie from Little Women’s romance. Wait, what? Yes, if Jo & Laurie had a romance, here is what Margaret Stohl and Melissa De La Cruz have imagined it to be. How can I pass this one up?

Synopsis:

Bestselling authors Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz bring us a romantic retelling of Little Women starring Jo March and her best friend, the boy next door, Theodore “Laurie” Laurence.

1869, Concord, Massachusetts: After the publication of her first novel, Jo March is shocked to discover her book of scribbles has become a bestseller, and her publisher and fans demand a sequel. While pressured into coming up with a story, she goes to New York with her dear friend Laurie for a week of inspiration–museums, operas, and even a once-in-a-lifetime reading by Charles Dickens himself!

But Laurie has romance on his mind, and despite her growing feelings, Jo’s desire to remain independent leads her to turn down his heartfelt marriage proposal and sends the poor boy off to college heartbroken. When Laurie returns to Concord with a sophisticated new girlfriend, will Jo finally communicate her true heart’s desire or lose the love of her life forever?

Click this link to purchase!* Jo & Laurie

#3 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

I’m going to let the synopsis speak for itself. It looks so good!

Synopsis:

It’s 2 A.M. on a Saturday night in the spring of 2001, and twenty-eight-year-old Cecily Gardner sits alone in a dive bar in New York’s East Village, questioning her life. Feeling lonesome and homesick for the Midwest, she wonders if she’ll ever make it as a reporter in the big city—and whether she made a terrible mistake in breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, Matthew. 

As Cecily reaches for the phone to call him, she hears a guy on the barstool next to her say, “Don’t do it—you’ll regret it.” Something tells her to listen, and over the next several hours—and shots of tequila—the two forge an unlikely connection. That should be it, they both decide the next morning, as Cecily reminds herself of the perils of a rebound relationship. Moreover, their timing couldn’t be worse—Grant is preparing to quit his job and move overseas. Yet despite all their obstacles, they can’t seem to say goodbye, and for the first time in her carefully constructed life, Cecily follows her heart instead of her head. 

Then Grant disappears in the chaos of 9/11. Fearing the worst, Cecily spots his face on a missing-person poster, and realizes she is not the only one searching for him. Her investigative reporting instincts kick into action as she vows to discover the truth. But the questions pile up fast: How well did she really know Grant? Did he ever really love her? And is it possible to love a man who wasn’t who heseemed to be? 

The Lies That Bind is a mesmerizing and emotionally resonant exploration of the never-ending search for love and truth—in our relationships, our careers, and deep within our own hearts.

Click this link to purchase!* The Lies That Bind: A Novel

#2 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

OK, I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for a good sports romance, especially if it’s the girl that’s the athlete. I’ve never read a book by Hannah Orenstein before, but the synopsis caught my interested and I’ll be reading this one sooner rather than later.

Synopsis:

From the author of the Love at First Like and Playing with Matches, an electrifying rom-com set in the high stakes world of competitive gymnastics, full of Hannah Orenstein’s signature “charm, whimsy, and giddy romantic tension” (BuzzFeed).

The past seven years have been hard on Avery Abrams: After training her entire life to make the Olympic gymnastics team, a disastrous performance ended her athletic career for good. Her best friend and teammate, Jasmine, went on to become an Olympic champion, then committed the ultimate betrayal by marrying their emotionally abusive coach, Dimitri.

Now, reeling from a breakup with her football star boyfriend, Avery returns to her Massachusetts hometown, where new coach Ryan asks her to help him train a promising young gymnast with Olympic aspirations. Despite her misgivings and worries about the memories it will evoke, Avery agrees. Back in the gym, she’s surprised to find sparks flying with Ryan. But when a shocking scandal in the gymnastics world breaks, it has shattering effects not only for the sport but also for Avery and her old friend Jasmine.

Perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jasmine Guillory, Head Over Heels proves that no one “writes about modern relationships with more humor or insight than Hannah Orenstein” (Dana Schwartz, author of Choose Your Own Disaster).

Click this link to purchase!* Head Over Heels: A Novel

MY MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

I can’t even tell you how excited I am that we have another book in the Hollows series! I don’t know how she got talked into writing another Rachel Morgan book after the series had been completed, but THANK YOU!

Synopsis:

RACHEL MORGAN IS BACK–AND THE HOLLOWS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

What happens after you’ve saved the world? Well, if you’re Rachel Mariana Morgan, witch-born demon, you quickly discover that something might have gone just a little bit wrong. That the very same acts you and your friends took to forge new powers may have released something bound by the old. With a rash of zombies, some strange new murders, and an exceedingly mysterious new demon in town, it will take everything Rachel has to counter this new threat to the world–and it may demand the sacrifice of what she holds most dear.

Click this link to purchase!* American Demon (Hollows Book 14)

These are the books I’m most looking forward to reading when they’re released next month, but gosh, there are so many more than what’s on this list! What June releases are you most looking forward to reading? Let me know!

Happy Reading!

Deb

*Amazon Associate- if you should purchase a book through one of the above links, I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads1 Comment

This Chick’s Audio Review: Night Broken (Mercy Thompson #8) by Patricia Briggs

Adam’s ex-wife Christy comes back into town to receive protection from the pack when a one night stand turns stalker. Of course, in the Mercy-universe that stalker is paranormal and it takes all of Mercy’s skills and a little help from Coyote to fight their enemy. Unfortunately, Christy also tries to usurp Mercy from inside her pack causing an already ugly situation to turn so much worse.

I’ve read all of the books in this series and have started to go back and listen to the stories enjoying the details that I may have noticed when reading. I had forgotten how much I hated Christy and the way she manipulated everyone in the pack into thinking she was this harmless human that needs protecting. Sure, with one good swipe of a paw you could probably break her neck, but her skills at undermining Adam’s authority, and his marriage to Mercy makes her a hard person to like. Even with a super bad evil guy to compare the odds were still in Christy’s favor as bad guy supreme. She is one really big B*&ch.

I liked Night Broken for the back story it brings to Mercy’s character. We know Coyote is her father but for the first time we realize she may have siblings. Gary Laughingdog is introduced and through his eyes we see how fortunate Mercy has been in her dealings with Coyote. She never really lets what he does affect her and lives her life according to her own rules. Gary isn’t as fortunate.

Adam grew up a lot in this novel. At first, with Christy’s return he falls right back into his role as Christy’s much maligned spouse, even though they are divorced. It isn’t until Mercy stands up for him that he gains strength in her convictions and that persona falls away. In fact, he becomes a better “man” with Mercy than he could ever be with his first wife. I wish his pack would see things the same way.

This was a nice re-visit of an old favorite and narrator Lorelei King does a good job at bringing all of these characters to life. She is a little more of a reader than actor, which is a shame because she could bring a lot more life to some of the action scenes if read a little more passionately, but I still enjoy her phrasing and knowing that I will get a consistent read from her.

If you are a fan of urban fantasy and have somehow missed the Mercy Thompson series, please go back and start the series from the beginning. This is a series that needs to be read in order because of underlining plots and character development. It’s one of my favorites and I can almost guarantee that you’ll enjoy each and every story.

Click this link to purchase!* Night Broken: Mercy Thompson, Book 8

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads3 Comments

Nashville Ballet’s Virtual Book Club: Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie- Chapter 6 narrated by Chef Sean Brock

Nashville Ballet’s virtual book club is on Chapter 6 of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. Does anyone else picture the Disney movie when you think of Peter Pan? I know I do and I’ve been surprised how easily their version supplanted the classic tale. Of course it’s based of the Barrie novel, but some of the less savory elements of it were Hollywood-ized. Is that a word? Maybe not, but you get the drift. It’s been fascinating to compare what I remember to what is in the actual novel.

Chapter 6 is narrated by James Beard award winner Chef Sean Brock. He is very well renowned in the southeast for his Charleston and Nashville restaurants Husk (the best Shrimp and Grits dish every!) and very nicely volunteered his time to read this chapter for Nashville Ballet.

If you haven’t been following along, please go to Nashville Ballet’s YouTube page and look for Chapter 1. Each chapter has been about 15-30 minutes and can be a nice mommy break if you plant your kids in front of your computer to listen.

Enjoy!

Deb

If you’d like to purchase the book to read along, please click this link!

Peter Pan

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This Chick Read: Starbreaker (Endeavor #2) by Amanda Bouchet

Captain Tess Bailey is one of the most wanted starship pirates in the galaxy. Rebel leader and would be Robin Hood Tess is looking out for those less in the path of their Galaxy’s dictator, her father. At her side is one time bounty hunter Shade Ganavan. Sent to capture Tess, she instead has captured his heart. Now partners in a crusade to rescue scientist Reena Ahern on Starbase 12, a prison fortress. Starbreaker continues Tess and Shade’s love story with plenty of action and a little heartbreak.

As the second novel in the Endeavor series, Tess and Shade’s story was easier to fall into, but even though I liked the novel I still felt like there were a couple of issues that left me feeling out of sorts at the conclusion.

First, Tess has a band of friends who are her crew, and look up to her for leadership and seem to have put Tess on a bit of a pedestal. For some reason, in this novel, she felt so young. Her reactions to her romance with Shade and her daddy issues I felt like I was reading a teenage sci-fi romance. I kind of expected Tess to be a little bit more, well, adult.

Second, when the narration switched to Shade’s perspective I was let down by how much the author told me how he felt. It seemed a little bit too narrated and I had a hard time falling into like with his character. I actually liked him a lot more in the first novel when he had his secret bounty hunter life yet to be revealed to Tess. Here, he was just a love struck guy. In fact, it felt a little lopsided. He seemed so mature and she seemed, well, young. It made it harder to buy into their love story.

My last point is about the prison break storyline. The book starts out with their meeting with Reena Ahern’s husband and their mission to save her. Then that plot seemed to go away for 3/4’s of the book. Then it picked back up at the end with their finally making that trip to Starbase 12 and the rescue mission. I didn’t know who this character was, and really didn’t care if they rescued her or not. I wondered why the author didn’t build in more of her back story so that saving her made sense? I’m going to assume we find out a lot more about her character in the next novel as that plot was left somewhat unresolved.

I always have such high expectations from Amanda Bouchet because of my love for her previous series and just like Nightchaser, this book just fell a little flat for me. ❤️❤️❤️ ❣️

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

Click this link to purchase!* Starbreaker (Nightchaser Book 2)

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

Amanda Bouchet is a USA Today bestselling author of Fantasy Romance and Sci-fi Romance. She was a Goodreads Choice Awards top 10 finalist for Best Debut in 2016 with her first novel, A Promise of Fire. For more about Amanda’s books with equal parts adventure and kissing, connect with her atwww.amandabouchet.com.

Author Website: www.amandabouchet.com

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Tr79gb

B&N: http://bit.ly/3an8fiU

Apple: https://apple.co/3d2CAEN

Kobo: http://bit.ly/3cWL1BA

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/33nRjpJ

BAM: http://bit.ly/2IRGse0

Bookshop: https://bit.ly/2UoMgSS

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Video: Nashville Ballet’s Read-a-long of Peter and Wendy (Peter Pan) by J. M. Barrie- Chapter 1

As we are practicing social distancing and consuming media at frantic paces to relieve stress, boredom, and honestly to just take us away from the reality we are all living it’s been wonderful to see how the arts are being enjoyed. Singers are releasing complimentary singles to help raise our spirits, publishing companies are releasing free ebooks for people to read, and actors are creating funny monologues, reading children’s books, and in the case of John Krasinski, even holding virtual proms.

I work for Nashville Ballet and we also are putting out free content with video’s of past performances, our dancers showing cooking and exercise tips on Instagram and Facebook, and our ballet classes are being held virtually. This week we launched a virtual book club to read J. M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy, aka Peter Pan. If we are able to launch our season next year, our first performance will be our version of this classic tale. A perfect choice to remind us of the magic of imagination, and adventures we all shared with friends and family in our childhoods. Nashville Ballet has partnered with Nashville “celebrities” to help us narrate this story, donating their time and filming it on their phone’s, IPAD’s, and laptops. Last night we launched the first chapter narrated by Nashville Ballet’s Artistic Director, Paul Vasterling.

I would like to share each of these chapters with you all so that you may also enjoy this story again.

Nashville Ballet Artistic Direct, Paul Vasterling reads Chapter 1

Chapter 2 will go live on Friday night and will be read by National Best Selling author Ann Patchett!

I hope you all enjoy this special reading of Peter Pan!

Deb

Click this link to purchase the book! Peter Pan

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chicks Audio Review: Mercy Blade (Jane Yellowrock #3) by Faith Hunter

After reading Faith Hunter’s Soulwood novels and LOVING them, I decided to get the audiobooks for her Jane Yellowrock series. It’s been slow going up until Christmas when my mom got me a few months worth of credits on Audible and I’ve been able to use those credits to further my fix. Narrated by the supremely talented Khristine Hvam I am now well into the darker series and finally hearing the details about Jane and Rick LaFleur that I’ve been dying to find out.

The newly outted were’s have come to town and Leo has requested that Jane deliver a message that puts her into direct contact with their pack. Of course that doesn’t go well and as she fights her way out of that dangerous situation she receives help from a mysterious stranger who, as she investigates the death of one of the were pack members keeps showing up in the middle of her investigation. Constantly embattled and in danger, Jane’s boyfriend Rick also turns up missing and somehow his disappearance is related to the tense negotiations going on between the vamps and the werewolves.

Jane and Rick’s relationship in Mercy Blade has just begun and it’s off to a rather rocky start. Jane calls Rick her boyfriend yet she still has a huge attraction to Bruiser, Leo Pelissier the Master Vampire of New Orleans’, right hand man and blood donor. In fact, it’s rather confusing because it seems as if Jane and Bruiser have more heat between them than she and Rick, yet it’s Rick who gets the title of boyfriend. When he goes undercover and hooks up with a woman, I’m right there with Jane in feeling betrayed and actually wishes that she’d go over to the dark side. Despite Bruiser’s loyalty to Leo, he doesn’t seem that bad a guy. (really!)

It’s interesting to read this earlier series and see how Faith Hunter’s writing hasn’t yet gelled. Or at least it seems so in this novel. While all of the action was intense, the relationships did seem to still be working themselves out and the conflicting emotions made Jane’s decisions kind of a confused mess. Knowing there are quite a few more books in this series and still looking for answers to what happens between she and Rick, I know I’m going to be along for the ride for a good long time. Oh, and that mysterious fellow who kept showing up in the middle of everything? His story is pretty fantastic!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Mercy Blade (Jane Yellowrock, Book 3) by Faith Hunter (2011-01-04)

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads