Tag: fiction

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: Behind the Scenes (Apart from the Crowd #1) by Jen Turano

Ms. Permilia Griswold is a wallflower. For those of you who don’t read historical romances a wallflower is a lady designated odd, old, or just unpopular who sits on the sidelines at societies balls, her dance card empty, always. Asher Rutherford is considered one of the most eligible bachelors despite being in trade as the owner of a very successful department store. The fact he comes from a good family lets gold digging mothers overlook his businessman title. Permilia is a very attractive young lady, but she was brought up by a single father who taught her to speak her mind, forgetting that one day she’d have to find a husband. Oh, the good old days!

Permilia uses her title of wallflower by writing a gossip column, using her position in society to give details about dress styles and behind the scenes home decorations. Pretty banal, but it subsidizes her pocket money which she uses to support a home for underprivileged women. While snooping about a ball, Permilia overhears a couple of men talk about killing Asher Rutherford. She is determined to warn him and when he ignores her warnings she follows him around town undercover in order to help save his life. There is a little slapstick comedy in these scenes which is old fashioned but fits perfectly into the mood of this novel.

I really enjoyed Permilia’s spirit! She has a good head on her shoulders, uses her place in privileged society to help women below her in rank learn a trade so they can find jobs. She is honorable in her reporting, only giving details that wouldn’t hurt anyone and not using names. She is outspoken, but not rude, well at least not to strangers. When she and Asher meet he is fascinated by her. He shouldn’t have been because she’s not the usual young miss that is thrown his way. He keeps trying to treat her as such and she just steamrolls right over his good manners and breeding with a matter of fact charm and good humor.

The two of them have great chemistry, but even more important you could see them as being great friends. Jen Turano’s dialog paints a picture of a suffrage woman and a rather old fashioned young gentleman matching wits, while being charmed by each other. I couldn’t help but be charmed as well.  If you like historicals, you’ll want to add this book to your TBR. This is a PG rated historical romance appropriate for any age reader. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase! Behind the Scenes (Apart From the Crowd) Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Light Years by Emily Ziff Griffin

Luisa Ochoa-Jones see’s the world in landscapes of color, smelling emotions and tasting sounds. Sometimes she gets lost in the colors and has to ground herself by tapping her foot three times or digging her naked feet into an image of a sandy beach. When the world gets rocked by a virus killing thousands it’s these same sensory visions that could end up saving the world.

The author’s bio states that she’s in film and in fact along with Philip Seymour Hoffman produced the Academy Award winning film Capote. Light Years was written with a very visual theme and the language she uses could easily be transported into a movie. I’ll give you an example:

” The sound of the city dissolves into a hum. I stare up at the gleaming glass tower and a torrent of blue pours down. The building’s edges blur against the cloudless sky–nature and the man-made becoming one. Blue always tastes like chocolate when I’m nervous, and I’m nervous.”

I was fascinated by this use of color and tastes to portray emotions and thought Luisa totally unique. However, I also felt that her inability to feel emotions like we do held the reader back from being able to feel for her as a character. As the story evolved, Luisa’s fate became intertwined with the virus running its course and those bursts of color ended up having little impact on my own emotions making the climax of the novel ho hum. I was disappointed!

The story had such potential. An apocalyptic virus, a love story, and a heroine who journeyed to self discovery while dealing with personal loss. All very emotional themes that just lacked the emotion to give the book impact. ❤️❤️❤️

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

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This Chick’s YA Book #Giveaway!

Hi fellow book bloggers! I have really enjoyed reading your reviews, recommendations, and bookish lists over the last two and a half years! Thank you so much for your comments and support! I have cleaned out my YA/NA TBR pile and am offering the books pictured above in a giveaway open to all US, European and Canadian bloggers. I will pick THREE bloggers to receive three books, and ONE blogger will receive four books.

Here is what you have to do!

1) In the comments section please let me know one of your favorite YA books that you read in 2017. Why did you like it so much? Why would you recommend it to me? The book doesn’t have to have been released in 2017 just read last year.

2) Let me know which three books in the above picture you’d prefer to receive. I won’t guarantee that you will get those three if you are chosen, but I’ll do my best.

Sunday January 7th at 9pm cst I will let you know on your comment if you are a lucky winner. I’ll give you my email address so you can send me your address and I’ll get your books shipped out next week. Easy!

My goal is to learn some great new books, have a friendly discussion about your recommendation and clean out my bookshelf!

Book List

Wake the Hollow by Gaby Triana

Under the Lights by Abbi Glines

Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima

The Darkest Lie by Pintip Dunn

Beyond Your Touch by Pat Esden

A Hold On Me by Pat Esden

City Love by Susane Colasanti

The Novice by Taran Matharu

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Chasing Truth by Julie Cross

The Protector Project by Jenna Lincoln

Nexis by A. L. Davroe

Good Luck!

Deb

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This Chick Read: Everything All At Once by Katrina Leno

The prologue for Everything All At Once immediately showed me that there were going to be some surprises in this story, because in what should’ve been a very sad scene I laughed out loud at this family’s heartbreaking homage. Lottie Reaver’s favorite Aunt Helen has died and  left her 24 letters to be opened after she has completed each task listed in the letter.  Lottie’s Aunt Helen is a famous author of a children’s book series, kind of equivalent to J.K Rowling and Harry Potter in popularity. It is hard for her to grieve for her aunt when the world wants to stop you and give their condolences. Everyone loved her aunt and her Alvin Hatter series. This novel is about Lottie learning how to grieve, but the bigger story is Lottie’s self discovery and dealing with her anxiety.

Lottie and her aunt shared these anxiety attacks and as the book goes on we realize that the tasks Helen has left Lottie are multi-purpose. They are to help her gain confidence, allaying her anxieties, but also teaching her how to live and take courage in the living of her life. The letters also lead up to a big personal secret of her aunt’s that is mind blowing and takes this novel in a direction I didn’t foresee.

I loved this novel! It had such heart, and the more I came to know Lottie, the more I really liked her and wanted to see her overcome her fears of life and of death. Her aunt’s letters revealed a lot about Helen’s personality giving the reader insight into why Lottie and her family were so overwhelmed with grief. This author did such a great job of adding subtle depth to each character that their quirks made them interesting and added to their real-ness. There was only one plot point that made me stop in my tracks and go “what??”. You’ll either love it or hate it, but I loved it and didn’t want the story to end where it did.

This was my first novel by Katrina Leno and if they are all this good and quirky, I’ll be a fan forever. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Everything All At Once Click this link to purchase! Everything All at Once Copyright 2018 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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This Chicks Sunday Commentary: 2017 Top 5 Book to Movie (or tv show) Adaptations

A pretty common topic of conversation among book bloggers is whether a book is better than the movie they make about that book. I’m a book junkie, so my opinion is always going to sway towards the book being better, however there were some outstanding attempts in 2017. I don’t see every movie ever made, nor do I read every book written, but I think this is a good representation of what was popular in 2017, according to IMDB.

5) Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

A teenager who’s spent her whole life confined to her home falls for the boy next door.

I gave this book a 5 rating because of the emotions packed into his story and the big twist revealed at the end of the book. I have not seen the movie because I didn’t want to be disappointed.

4) A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

A dog looks to discover his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes and owners.

I heard more about this movie than I did the book, mostly because of the video that was released about a scene with a dog in it that may have treated the dog poorly. This didn’t have anything to do with why I didn’t see the movie. I have a rule. No movies or books with dogs. They tear my heart out and leave me bleeding.

3) Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.

I didn’t read or see the movie, however the promotional department did a great job with this movie and book. I have a Little Free Library in my front yard and they used those LFL’s to spread word of mouth about the book, and had a movie premier giveaway contest attached. Very clever!

2) It by Stephen King

A group of bullied kids band together when a shape shifting monster, taking the appearance of a clown, begins hunting children.

I remember when this book was made into a mini series years ago and it scared the bejeezus out of me then. I have not read the book recently and did NOT see this movie. However, it was supposed to be great!

1) Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

The apparently perfect lives of three mothers of first graders unravel to the point of murder.

I did read this book and it was fabulous! I tried to watch the series and just couldn’t get into it, however several Golden Globes and another season says that I may have been in the minority!

What did you think of my Top 5? Did I miss one of your favorite book to movie (or tv show) adaptations? Shout it out in the comments and let’s talk!

Until next Sunday,

Deb

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This Chick Read: Wait for It by Mariana Zapata

I’ll admit that I’m a pretty recent convert to Mariana Zapata’s style of writing. She believes in the build up of a relationship more than the outcome, the cake more than the frosting if you will. Her strength is in character development and this novel Wait for It delivers because by the time Diana and Dallas get together, we are so enmeshed in their strengths and weaknesses, so taken with their feelings, that we are sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for that moment to happen.

Diana’s story was unique. It wasn’t until about a 1/3 of the way into the novel that we finally realize that she is raising her brothers two sons and not her own. I mean, I know enough Spanish to know Tia is Aunt, so I got that clue, but I didn’t know the story of why she was raising these two boys, and when we find out, it is devastating. Diana, isn’t very old, maybe 26 if I’m remembering correctly? To raise two kids, juggle her life and job, as well as getting them to school and practice is an amazing feat that a lot of single parents face. Score one for Ms. Zapata in reaching into our hearts and giving it a good squeeze and also for humanizing Diana, making her easily identifiable.

Dallas is pretty similar to some of Ms. Zapata’s other male characters. Stoic, kind of surly and very good looking. A true Alpha male. However, in Wait for It, the author uses those traits as a shield for Dallas to protect himself just as much as that wedding ring on his finger. When he finally decides to go all in. that shield expands to protect not only himself, but Diana and the boys. Score two for Ms. Zapata! I love to read about a man protecting his woman, even if its from catty remarks and not gunfire!

I don’t want to give away any more of this story because it is deftly told and even though long, the pivotal moments are intertwined so that I would fear giving one moment away would unravel the mystery of how they fall in love. I will say that their story made me laugh, touched my heart and made me feel. What more do you want in a love story?


Click this link to purchase!  Wait For It

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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An Interview with Mary Ann Marlowe author of Some Kind of Wonderful and A Crazy Kind of Love #Giveaway


Mary Ann, thanks so much for letting me read your novel A Crazy Kind of Love. I love how your main characters Jo and Micah are not only fun, charming, and quirky, but they have backgrounds that give them depth and grit. That combination makes it easy to care about them but it also makes me think about those characters long after I finished the book.

ME: A Crazy Kind of Love started off really quick with Jo and Micah’s first meeting. As I read it I thought of how, as a woman, you just relish the “how did you meet your boyfriend/husband” question if you have a great story. Jo and Micah certainly have that when he literally sweeps her off her feet to get that perfect shot. Did you find inspiration for Jo and Micah from your own “how did you meet story”? If so, would you share? If not, was it someone elses?

Mary Ann: That’s a really great question. But no, I’ve never been in quite the same situation Jo and Micah find themselves in at the start of this novel. While I do tend to draw details from my own life to weave into my writing here and there, most of my plot derives from pure wish-fulfillment of an overactive imagination. However, I will confess to some odd meet-cutes, and I have toyed with one as potential fodder for a novel, but none of them ended up in a long-term relationship, so they’d make better fiction than anecdotes.

ME: After reading the first novel Some Kind of Magic and seeing how much Eden, Micah’s sister, wanted a normal life after growing up with her vagabond parents. It was interesting to see that Micah was unfazed and in fact drew inspiration from that same vagabond background. Which character was more fun for you to write? Eden’s straight arrow or Micah’s happy go lucky dreamer?

Mary Ann: You know I have to say I love them both, right? Eden’s the cool girl I could imagine myself being if I were actually cool. I loved putting on her skin and watching her react to all the shocks she had to navigate to find herself, but I think I had more fun with Micah. (I’ve actually written Micah fan fiction with a friend.)

Micah’s so different from me. He’s got such a great optimistic perspective on life, but he’s also a bit of a brat, and that always makes me laugh. I honestly don’t know where he even came from, but from the minute he materialized in Some Kind of Magic, I knew he would be a blast to hang out with.  I hadn’t started out intending to give him his own story, and at first, I wasn’t sure he could even be a serious contender for a romance hero. But when I dove in, he surprised me in so many ways.

ME: I found Jo fascinating! She was of mixed heritage, yet was brought up by her very American single mother. She has a famous, long distance Indian father, who is culturally very different from her. Yet, except for some very understandable daddy issues, she is very well rounded! How difficult or easy was it to write and develop a character who was desperate to learn more about her Indian heritage but also be so secure with who she wants to be? Where did you draw your inspiration for Jo?

Mary Ann: When I started writing Jo, I was thinking a lot about what identity means, or specifically what it means to have an identity that nobody can see unless they know to look. Her main identity is that she’s from Atlanta, so she’s thoroughly American, but she has this buried heritage she can choose to show or hide, and it’s fraught with more significance than anyone will ever understand. I don’t think this is uncommon as we all have deep mines of intersectional identities that may or may not all be visible.

As for inspiration, quite honestly, I do not know. I start writing characters and then let them develop on their own and tell me who they are. I didn’t even realize Jo was diabetic until l’d written several chapters. When she nearly passed out, it came as a total shock to me, and I wasn’t sure what was going on with her. Then I went back to re-read what I’d written, and it was all there in subtle behavioral clues.

ME: Social media played a big part in A Crazy Kind of Love. Jo and Micah connected through Twitter, her fellow papparazzi stalk their celebrities on Twitter in current time so they know where to find them to take their photos. Jo, more than Micah struggles with issues of privacy and boundaries. If Jo and Micah were real people in todays world how would their views of using social media change? Or wouldn’t it?

Mary Ann: I want to say Micah’s views wouldn’t change, but I think they’ve already begun to shift when the crosshairs point to someone he loves. Micah has typical millennial views on privacy, figuring it’s all out there anyway, so why bother hiding? Jo, on the other hand, would have her Facebook page locked down to friends only (how else would she talk to Mom?), and she’d never set foot on Twitter again. With a boyfriend like Micah, I suspect she wouldn’t be spending much time online anyway.

ME: I saw changes in both characters that made them stronger as a couple. Who do you think had to develop and grow more? Why?

Mary Ann: Such a great question. Ideally, they both matured in the course of the book, but as much as Micah needed to grow up and take life more seriously, I think Jo went through the bigger transformation, redefining big concepts like happiness and success. Unlike Micah, Jo had some heavy issues in her history to confront and resolve before she could trust someone as carefree as Micah.

ME: Hopefully, you are writing your next novel. Can you tell us a little bit about your next project? Will it be in this same series?

Mary Ann: The book I’m working on right now isn’t in the same series exactly, but it’s loosely in the same world. It’s called Dating By the Book and was pitched as “An unlucky-in-love author begins corresponding with the book reviewer who criticized the romance in her latest novel and challenges her to find love herself before writing about it.” It’s basically a love letter to books, bookstores, readers, reviewers, and authors. And it’s filled with so many tropes. So very many tropes.

I have drafted another book in the Flirting with Fame series about a behind-the-scenes character you might remember as Pumpkin from the fan forums.  I thought it would be fun to see what would happen if I pulled her out from behind the computer screen and plopped her in the middle of a band she worships. And as usual, it wasn’t what I expected.

Mary Ann, thanks again for stepping away from your writing desk to take a few minutes to answer some questions about Jo and Micah from A Crazy Kind of Love! I really enjoyed your answers!

To purchase Some Kind of Magic click here!  Some Kind of Magic (Flirting with Fame)

To purchase A Crazy Kind of Love click here!  A Crazy Kind of Love (Flirting with Fame)

Mary Ann has provided one signed copy of each of her books, Some Kind of Wonderful and A Crazy Kind of Love! I highly recommend both of these novels. Enter the Giveaway by clicking the link below! US only!

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This Chick Read: Chasing Christmas Eve (Heartbreaker Bay #4) by Jill Shalvis

I have been intrigued by Spencer throughout this series and was excited to finally be able to read his story! He has always been somewhat of a mystery. He is a millionaire, owns a businees and invents things, but in the previous novels we’ve only learned as much as those characters story arc’s brought us in contact him, and that was usually as supportive friend and sometimes troublemaker. In Chasing Christmas Eve we finally get the skinny on Spence, his background, how he made his money, and why he seems to be kind of a loner. 

Colbie Albright is new to Heartbreaker Bay and happens upon their charming courtyard fountain and is about to make a wish into it when she gets pushed into it by a wayward dog. Spencer comes to her rescue and is immediately charmed by her and feels that tug of interest. The chemistry between these two is explosive and pretty soon it makes Spencer forget his reasons for holding back from relationships. Colbie, although running away from her problems seems to find her muse, and true love in Spence. 

I love these Heartbreaker Bay novels. I mentioned before that as each story is written and we learn a little bit more about this group of friends, they become our friends. I’m totally invested in living through each of their stories and building that relationship with them even more. 

❤️❤️❤️❤️


Click this link to purchase!  Chasing Christmas Eve: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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