Tag: fiction

This Chick Read: Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Morgan is haunted by her ex. Seriously, his ghost is following her around and basically making her life hell. It wouldn’t be so bad if she knew him, but they only went out one time and she can’t figure out why she’s the one he’s haunting. Sawyer’s fianceé turned ghost is starting to fade and he’s not ready to let her go. At a support group for humans and their haunters Morgan and Sawyer meet and although they face opposite problems they decide to work together to solve their problems. As Morgan and Sawyer work towards figuring out their ghosts unfinished business, they start to develop feelings for each other, feeling more alive than they’ve ever felt.

This was a surprisingly sweet and funny story. Morgan’s ghost, Zach, tends towards poltergeist shenanigans while Sawyer’s ex-fianceé is just getting more sad as the days go on. Sawyer keeps trying to live their lives like she’s alive, but has actually stopped living, afraid to move on because he’s not ready to lose her. When they meet up at the support group Sawyer doesn’t really want to have anything to do with Morgan, but for some reason he allows her to move into his studio rent free while they sort out their ghosts unfinished business. I really enjoyed the friendships that Zach, Sawyer, and Morgan created. Zach was mischievous in death, and as they got to know what he was like in life their feelings for him became bittersweet. Yes, this was a little bit of a love story between Morgan and Sawyer, but truthfully, I liked the friendship trio that Zach’s ghostly presence created. He was such a quirky individual and added a lot of heart to this story. Without Zach I think this story would’ve been two dimensional.

If you’re looking for a ghost story, well, there are ghosts in the plot but it’s not spooky at all. It was a story about holding your loved ones close, but also it was a story about it being ok to let go and keep living. I liked that theme a lot!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Seeing Other People

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This Chick Read: Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder

Merritt Valentine has escaped her career as a famous singer-songwriter in LA after a much published breakdown, and is now living with her sister in Crested Peak, Colorado. Trying to keep her life together and heal her wounds, she hasn’t written or sung a song in years. When she buys a house that needs some work, she hires Niko Petrakis, a too good looking and kind-hearted handyman, someone she’d chew up and spit out. Despite everyone’s warnings to steer clear of each other, Niko and Merritt are drawn together. Niko can’t shake his fascination with Merritt and as they spend more time together their mutual attraction sparks a deeper connection.

Some Kind of Famous was not a light-hearted romance. Merritt had a ton of baggage that she’s still working through. Her traumatic past is almost too much for her to get past. Niko moved to Crested Peak for another woman doing and he hasn’t had a true relationship since she left. Neither of them trusts love but his job of fixing up her house brings them together and gives them a chance to get to know each other without giving in to their romance. At times the heavy subject matter made me pause and reflect on if I wanted to keep reading, but for some reason I was curious as to how these two people, who didn’t have a lot in common and had very disparate backgrounds, would find their happily ever after.

I’ll admit that I also like to root for an underdog and both Merritt and Niko seemed to have a lot weighing things against them. Merritt needed to overcome her past and get her head on straight, and Niko needed to be happy living life the way he needed- utilizing his skills as a wood worker and artist despite his lack of a formal education. Everyone wanted them to stay away from each other, but they ended up being each other’s best friends and helping each other find their inner strength. So, ever though it was heavy reading, I really liked the story and how these characters fought for everything they had together.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Some Kind of Famous

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: Overdue by Stephanie Perkins

29 year old librarian, Ingrid Dahl and her boyfriend Cory have been together for 11 years. When her younger sister announces she’s getting married, Ingrid and Cory decide they need to experience more life and agree to separate for one month to experience dating other people. Neither has been with anyone else. Ingrid even has someone in mind that she’d like to date, her co-worker at the library, Macon Nowakowski, whom she has secretly crushed on for years. Things don’t go as they seem and at the end of the 30 days, Ingrid and Cory need more time.

As I was reading this novel I kept saying to myself, well, this is a different kind of love story, isn’t it? It’s kind of a love story for Ingrid, or really, a story where Ingrid discovers herself and what she needs to feel loved. I really connected with her journey because it’s something all young women in their 20’s go through at some point or another, right? Even if you end up married to your high school sweetheart there are moments where you want to or wish you could explore your options to make sure your decision is what you truly want. Through this journey for Ingrid to “explore her options”, she was really exploring who she was and who she wanted to be. That journey was very satisfying.

Ingrid’s love life was a little more frustrating, more so because it brought back all of those memories of when I was single and remember how bad those days were but also how funny some of those dates were too. Ingrid’s journey away from Cory and towards Macon was at times frustrating, but in the end it ended up being warm and wonderful. Macon was grumpy, kind of irritating, but oh so kind, and in the end, very loving. The second half of the book was an ode to falling in love, and I was so on board with that story. Fair warning though, it did take a bit to get to the happily ever after Ingrid was seeking. Because of the journey, I did appreciate the outcome more than I would have if Ingrid had left Cory and immediately got what she wanted from Macon. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Overdue

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved.

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

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This Chick Read: The Sisterhood (Lady Emily Mysteries #19) by Tasha Alexander

Dropping into a series at book 19 should’ve been more difficult, but it was surprisingly easy to catch up on the character arc’s and any back stories I may have missed. In fact, I was pleased that the story moved quickly and I wasn’t completely lost. Lady Emily and her husband are brought in to investigate the death of an acquaintance. Victoria had just gotten engaged and was dancing at a ball with her fiancé when she dropped dead- poisoned by yew leaves. As Emily investigates and interviews the various suspects she finds that there’s a group of young women who have a mysterious link to an ancient Britain queen, and Victoria was one of those women.

The author tells two stories side by side. The first is the story of Vatta, an ancient Britain woman who becomes friends with the famous queen Boudica. The story of her trying to find her place during a Roman occupation provides a juxtaposition of the investigation into Victoria’s death and her belonging to this group of young liberal women who want to fight for their rights as women. I’ll admit that I felt a little lost while reading Vatta’s story, but when the connection was made it became clear the connection the author was trying to make. The investigation itself, was a little more interesting and I did wish the author had stuck to that story line instead of providing the back and forth.

Reading this nineteenth book in the series, I could see that Lady Emily had led quite an interesting life. I think I’d go back and start at the first novel just to see how she broke into investigating murders and how she moved from husband number 1 to husband number 2! If you’re worried that you shouldn’t start a book this far into a series, I think you’ll be ok and in fact you may find that you too want to see where it all started!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Sisterhood

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming

Wildlife biologist, Dorothy Valentine is out in the field when she’s attacked by a lion. In a good news bad news kind of way, she doesn’t die but she and the lion are abducted by alien’s. Waking up on the ship Dory freaks out and ends up escaping in a pod, with the lion- named Toto. They land on a planet where dinosaurs run rampant, and she meets not one, but two alien hotties who help her navigate her new home. As she explores this new land with Sol, Lok, and Toto she learns more about how and why they’ve all ended up together and whether she even wants to try to get back home or create a new home with her two new mates.

A cute cover, seeing this novel on a bunch of “best of” lists for 2025 romance, and my own curiosity about how this synopsis can possibly lead to a great romance had me picking up this book and giving it a chance. You know what? It was kind of cute. I’m not really into threesome romances, so that aside, the plot was actually really interesting, the heroine sassy, and the hero’s a mix of alpha and intellectual. Toto’s storyline was probably not really needed, but hey, all gal’s need a best friend, even if that friend is in lion form. Overall it kind of worked!

There were a few plots making this novel more intricate than the comic book style cover would lead you to believe. An inter-species war, genetic manipulations, and talking lion’s who are falling in love with a local sabre tooth tiger aside, it held my interest and was an enjoyable, easy read. I’d recommend this novel for the more adventurous reader!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com

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This Chick Read: The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

Every summer for the past ten years, six awe-struck bakers have descended on the grounds of Grafton, the leafy and imposing Vermont estate that is not only the filming site for “Bake Week” but also the childhood home of the show’s famous host, celebrated baker Betsy Martin. The author of numerous bestselling cookbooks and hailed as “America’s Grandmother,” Betsy Martin isn’t as warm off-screen as on, though no one needs to know that but her. She has always demanded perfection, and gotten it with a smile, but this year something is off. As the baking competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it’s merely sabotage—sugar replaced with salt, a burner turned to high—but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect.

This book was released in 2023 and has been on my radar for one reason only- the theme! As a lover of baking competition shows, how could I not be drawn to a mystery set during one of those same shows? This one is not in England, but in our own backyard- Vermont. Each chapter gives the reader the point of view from the perspective of a different character, so once I get them all straight in my head, the insights that POV provided into their reasons for being on the show got the plot rolling right along. They weren’t all captivating, but together it painted the picture very well. One of the most interesting characters was the host, Betsy Martin. In front of the camera she portrayed one persona but was she that person in private?

Each chapter led us through a mystery that read more like an Agatha Christie novel than Stephen King, so if you’re faint of heart, no worries. There wasn’t too much blood spilled between these pages. This was a very fast paced, easy to read mystery with very few moments of boredom or drudgery. This was a fun read! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Golden Spoon

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This Chick Read: Heart Marks the Spot by Libby Hubscher

Every summer Stella and her childhood friends travel to search for hidden treasure. During an expedition in Iceland a chance encounter with best-selling novelist Huck Sullivan, has Stella thinking maybe her luck has changed. Huck has a horrible case of writer’s block and when he joins Stella and her friends on an adventure it seems to be the distraction he needs. Stella and Huck’s chemistry is undeniable and their night on the black sand beach in Iceland is everything dreams are made of, except for Huck isn’t there when Stella awakes. She vows to put him behind her, but a year later his most recent novel is again a bestseller and Stella looks to be his muse. Stella throws herself into the next treasure hunt but doesn’t expect an unexpected treasure hunter. Huck is determined to create his second chance with Stella and hopefully help her find the treasure she’s always seeked.

This is an author that does not write formulaic romances. At least in this reader’s humble opinion I’m surprised by the originality of each book and how different her novels are from each other. Heart Marks the Spot, about two people, Stella and Huck, who have had childhood trauma’s that have shaped the adults they have become. In Stella’s case, she’s always searching for a treasure that will gain the attention of her parents who both left her when she was a child. In Huck’s case, he is always battling that internal voice of his father who is tellling him he’s never going to be good enough, despite the many books he’s written that have landed on the bestseller list. In each other, they find an ease and friendship, then again a love that secures those wants and feelings for them, but of course, not without the trials and tribulations that all great romance novel heroes and heroines have to overcome. Libby Hubscher does such a fine job at building thier back stories that I’m truly rooting on this couple so that they can each get that happy ending they deserve.

As Stella says in this novel, treasure hunting is pretty boring, but it seems that Huck might be her good luck charm because with him around it doesn’t seem very boring at all. This group’s penchant for finding the goods is a little bit of fantasy, I’m sure, but it makes for very good reading. I enjoyed getting to know the crew and seeing the parallels between the constantly changing structure of that group of friends and the changes in the ocean with the ebb and flow of tides, shifting of topography, and movement of the treasure they are hunting. The author took her time helping us to understand the intricacies and interconnections of these friendships. Stella and Huck’s story wasn’t the only one I was invested in which made this a really well rounded bit of fiction that lives up to its name. This book drew me in with the story but kept me around because of its heart. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Heart Marks the Spot

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman

Lauren Parker has gone through a few iterations in her life. Teenage hell-raiser, sister to a movie star, and tragically widowed single mother. When she and daughter take a trip out to California to visit with her brother on his movie set she meets actor Ben Walsh. They have instant chemistry and Lauren takes that chance to have that moment for herself and be seen. When their sexy encounter becomes something more Lauren has to decide if there’s room in both their lives for this relationship. He star is rising and she lives in a small town in Minnesota.

Elissa Sussman uses flashbacks about Lauren’s relationship with her childhood friend/husband Spencer as a way to show the reader Lauren is still working through her grief, while at the same time explaining a spirit within that never truly died out, even as she had settled down with her husband and started a family. This “explanation” helps the reader make that jump into how a small town mother can hook up with a beautiful movie star who is more than ten years her junior. That rebellious nature hasn’t completely died out despite her being a single mom raising a teenager who is quite spirited herself.

The relationship between she and Ben was lovely and not to take anything away from the romance of it, stands on its own. However, it’s what she learns about herself as she’s exploring that relationship is the heart of the story. Her grief is balanced by her will to live a full life. She and Ben’s exploration of each other and a possible future relationship is a way to move on from the very loving marriage she had with Spencer. The dual nature of this author’s storytelling was deftly written and really showed Lauren’s growth in all aspects of her life.

I haven’t read all of this author’s novels, but as I was reading I was reminded about how much I enjoy her style of writing. I need to go look at her backlist and see what I’ve been missing out on! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Totally and Completely Fine

Copyright 2025 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: Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist. She’s still searching for her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer Prize winning grump. They are both on Little Crescent Island on a one month trial to write the biography of the octogenarian who claims to be THE Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress from one of the most storied families in modern history. Despite the odds, Alice is keeping her head in the game, because Hayden is looking at her like she is the competition. The problem is that neither she nor Hayden are getting the whole story, only the pieces that Margaret chooses to share with them and they’ve signed NDA’s and despite their yearning for each other, they aren’t allowed to share any information they’ve learned. Margaret’s biography could be anything, a romance, a mystery, or a tragedy depending upon which one of them tells it.

I look forward to Emily Henry’s novels every year and this year I was lucky enough to have a vacation planned when it was released. A slight departure from her usual the more romantic genre, this novel told two sets of stories, the one that Margaret chose to share with Alice, and the relationship that was developing between Alice and Hayden. Each of them were interesting but I’ll be honest and say that I’m here for the romance and both stories had an abundance.

Alice was all bright colors, smiles, and charm and Hayden was serious, quiet and just slightly grumpy. He was charmed by Alice even though she was a talking whirlwind. Emily Henry did such a great job developing their friendship through the huge amount of chemistry they were feeling. The reader felt how much they liked each other, not just how much they wanted each other. For me, that’s the best kind of romance. I couldn’t forget that they were competing for the honor of writing this legend’s story. The reader only got the conversations between Margaret and Alice so I was definitely team Alice, but as the novel went on you could tell that they may not have been getting the same kind of information. It was intriguing and interesting and I wanted to learn more- so I kept reading and the tale just got more riveting.

I don’t want to give away even one bit of this story more than what I’ve already said but I do want to say that if you love old Hollywood glamour then you’ll also love Margaret’s story and won’t be bored with those flashbacks. She was a bit of a wild child and came from a family with a lot of loaded history so you never knew what you were going to get from one chapter to the next. Despite my love of romance and Alice and Hayden, I really wanted to learn the mystery that was Margaret too. The author did a great job of giving the reader just that little bit more in every chapter to keep them reading to find out the next tidbit.

Even though this was a different kind of Emily Henry novel, I wasn’t disappointed in the least. I know I’ll be grabbing the audiobook soon becauses the estimable Julia Whelan is the narrator and she will give these characters even more life than the author. I can’t wait! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Great Big Beautiful Life

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This Chick Read: Fun For The Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith

Endicott siblings, Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude used to be inseparable. Their absentee mother would sweep into town every summer and steal them away for a few weeks of driving around the country with a goal of seeing every state in the United States. Decades later, it’s been a few years since these siblings have seen each other when Jude texts them out of the blue to meet her in North Dakota. Their lives have drawn them away from each other and each of their future seem uncertain, but they can’t resist the chance to reconnect. Jude’s life seems to be the most together but she has been holding onto three secrets and has decided it’s time to share them with her brothers and sisters.

I have read one other book by this author and loved it, so despite my usually avoiding family drama books I decided to give this one a try. I am so glad I did! These characters were unique and each of their stories interesting. I didn’t mind with the point of view changed from character to character. Although I’ll admit having four POV’s AND flashbacks was sometimes frustrating.

Three of the Endicotts were “extraordinary” becoming famous in their chosen profession, but it was Gemma’s point of view – the normal sibling- that was the easiest to identify with as well as who I found the most interesting. Her inner journey as she struggled with in-vitro and her love for her husband Mateo felt the most real and touched my heart the most. All that being said when the family got together it was not boring and in fact touched on all my emotions. They were kind of messed up, but also funny, loving, and well acted like the siblings they were. If you like heartfelt family drama’s this book will be right up your alley. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Fun For the Whole Family

Copyright 2025 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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