Tag: J. Bengtsson

This Chick Read: Grace Note (Cake #7) by J. Bengtsson

Grace is the seventh child in the McCallister family. Famous for the musical talent of two of her older brothers, but mostly famous because of the kidnapping of one of those same brothers. Jake McCallister found his freedom by killing his abductor and abuser. That kidnapping changed the lives of every person in her family, and despite her young age, Grace, too was affected. When Grace is in high school she happens upon Rory, a street kid who survives by making money playing drums on some old paint cans and buckets. In him she sees her soulmate, but also someone like her brother who might need saving. Separated by circumstances they meet again seven months later and their adolescent love blooms. Until his past catches up to them and he disappears for five years.

Grace and Rory’s story was told in two different time frames. The first reads like a very hot young adult novel. All chemistry and feelings, but not a lot of depth. Rory was hiding a huge secret and terrified that anyone would find out. Grace, growing up in her dysfunctional yet loving family, knew all about secrets and was playing the long game hoping he’d eventually trust her enough to reveal his. Unfortunately he disappears for five years. I’ve always thought J. Bengtsson does a really good job at writing young love that is realistic and this portion of the novel felt true to that style, which she’s done in several of her novels. It felt real, I was sold on the story, and loved young Grace and Rory. The transitions from the characters younger storyline to the current timeline just wasn’t as interesting to me. I knew the end result would be them as adults but that timeline just lacked the urgency and finesse that she wrote into their younger selves.

I also need to talk about the darkness in this novel. All of the novels in this series go through dark moments because of what happened to Jake as a child. Each sibling deals with trauma, self reflection, etc. in individual ways. Usually the person they are paired with helps them overcome and not move on, but feel better about where everyone is in their lives. This story felt different for me because Rory had his own trauma too. It was really a dark novel, which affected how much I may or may not have liked the story. Not to say there weren’t moments of laughter and fun. The McCallister crew is really very funny. The scenes that included them included a lot of joy and mushy emotions, I just wish that there had been a little lightheartedness included between Grace and Rory too. Their romance was all urgency and darkness.

Now, saying all of that, it was not a bad novel at all. It was good. It just wasn’t my favorite novel of J. Bengtsson’s in this series. There are others I like better. However, it’s not one to be skipped. All of these novels add to the overall story and as the last sibling in the crew, this novel felt like a good conclusion. I’ve read that the parental units are getting their own romance, which I will definitely be reading immediately. They are a truly unique couple and knowing where they end up and how they helped their children through all the trauma, will give their characters an added depth. I can’t wait! ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Grace Note

Copyright 2023 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 Chick Read: Ripple Effect (Disaster Flick Romance #2) by J. Bengtsson

SPOILERS AHEAD.

Retired boy bander RJ Contreras is hiding out in a sub-par apartment in LA licking his wounds after his solo career tanked. Living under the name Chad Woodcock he spends his days growing a beard, working out, and playing loud music. Dani is a grade school teacher who loves following the rules and when the guy next door starts getting annoying she doesn’t have a problem dropping hints and leaving post-its about how to be a good neighbor. Chad Woodcock doesn’t care if he’s a good neighbor at all and deliberately antagonizes her, pushing buttons and hoping to make her snap. Until one day when a disaster strikes and all they have is each other.

I tend to auto-buy books by my favorite authors and then forget about those books for a little while until I’m in the right mood to pick it up. Generally I do this without re-reading the synopsis, which is what happened with Ripple Effect. Guys, I had no clue this book was going to take me into a natural disaster romance! I know, it says it in the title, and this author doesn’t shy away from difficult subject matter, but wow was I surprised!

The author and I have something in common. We are both from Southern California, and in fact I grew up in the town where she now lives, so I love to catch “California-isms” in her novels. Even if it’s just small things like the weather, or a SoCal/NoCal reference. Ripple Effect draws on a topic that all Californians are familiar with… earthquakes. When you grow up with them you learn to gage the strength of one and decide instinctively if you need to get up and move or if you are good hanging on your couch through the trembler. The earthquake in this novel took me completely by surprise. Again, yes I know it’s a disaster flick romance novel, but I wasn’t expecting to flashback to my own experiences with the Northridge quake, which I can only think Ms. Bengtsson drew from for this novel. Without giving too much away, I’ll just say that our two main characters get trapped in their complex and need to rely on each other to get out.

Life-changing moments like a natural disaster create a bond and needless to say, our two main characters who started off hating each other ended up together. This seems like a fait accompli, but through witty dialog, snarky humor, and heartbreaking moments, the transition from enemies to friends seemed seemless. A truly huge feat when you take all of the angst and pain that are built into this story. The funny moments were a great balance for the more emotionally charged which made this a really great novel. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Ripple Effect

Copyright 2022 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 Audio Review: Next in Line (Cake #6) by J. Bengtsson

The driving force behind Quinn McCallister, the youngest brother of rock star Jake McCallister, is that he is determined to be better and more famous than his older brother. Kind of hard to do when your older brother was a kidnap victim who escaped after a month of captivity only by killing his captor. Then there’s the fact that he’s uber talented. Quinn grew up in Jake’s limelight, wishing for his attention but not getting it. No surprise because his brother has some horrible trauma to work through. As Next in Line begins, Quinn is a candidate on a singing competition show and despite promises from the producers not to use his family to garner ratings they, of course do. In return Quinn sings a heartbreaking song that goes viral, and walks off and out of their lives. Enter Jess, the uber/Lyft driver who picks him up as he’s being chased down the sidewalk by one of said producers. He gets in the car and her sass immediately gets him out of his own head. Who is this girl who he has told to take him someplace fun, but not too much fun?

I am a big fan of the Cake series. J. Bengtsson’s witty dialog always keeps me reading despite knowing she’s going to make me relive Jake’s torture for the sixth time. Next In LIne, while still dealing with the trauma the McCallister family went through because of what happened to Jake and subsequently them, does seem slightly watered down. Maybe in part this is because Quinn was only six years old when his brother was kidnapped. Just as with the other McCallister kids, they use humor to hide behind and Jess, who also has a difficult childhood does the same. This means I chuckled, laughed, and cried my way through their interactions.

There was one point in the book where I turned to my sister, who had already read the book, and asked if Quinn and Jess’s stories will twine back together again because i was reading this for the romance, not for Quinn’s journey into rock and roll. I did stick it out, but I really wish I’d been reading the book instead of listening to it because I could’ve skipped over some of the less interesting (to me) parts and gotten back to the romance. The narrator’s BTW did an amazing job. Andi Arndt should read all contemporary books and as much as I love Zachary Webber normally, I think she outshone him in her interpretation of the characters, even Quinn’s. She was incredible.

I bet you’re trying to figure out if I liked this book. I’ll admit, I waffled a bit. Yes, I did like it but I wish it was more Quinn and Jess, and less Quinn the rock star. I wish that Jake didn’t have to relive his trauma every time one of his brothers or sisters fell in love. I feel bad for the guy! I also wish that Andi Arndt had more audio time. However, if I break it down, this series is one that I’ll keep coming back to read and listen to again and again. Yes, I do have my favorite books (Kyle’s and Emma’s), and Quinn’s probably falls at the bottom of the list but it was still good. Some Others were just better. I’m sure you have your own favorite too.

❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase the audiobook!* Next in Line: A Cake Series Novel

Copyright 2022 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 Chick Read (Audio Review): Like the Wind by J. Bengtsson

Bohdi Beckett is pretty laissez faire for being a pop star in one of the biggest boy bands in the world. One night after a show he receives a letter from a woman claiming to be his mother. One problem, his dad told him his mother was dead. Feeling betrayed good guy Bohdi goes off the deep end getting drunk publicly and flashing the Paps. His father rents him a home in the Southern California hills, hoping he’ll cool off. Little does he know the heat is about to get turned up. Literally! It’s fire season in Southern CA and Bohdi’s house is right in the path of a large fire. Breeze is pet sitting in those same hills when she’s told to evacuate. She can’t leave behind her charges, so she packs up, gets the dogs on leashes, the fish out of the tank, and the cat in the cat carrier and hauls off the property in her car. When a falling tree blindsides her she and her crew are rescued. By pop star Bohdi Beckett.

I grew up in So CA myself and am very familiar with their change of seasons. This author painted a very accurate picture of the hillsides burning around Bohdi and Breeze as they tried to escape. I thought the real setting was a great contrast to Bohdi’s stage persona and Breeze’s casual lifestyle making their experience seem even more dangerous and real. When Breeze offers up her place for Bodhi to stay it’s their chemistry that catches fire but when they lean on each other for support, the story really gets going and I’m all in.

There were a lot of emotional ups and downs in this book. The revelation that Bodhi’s mom wasn’t dead, the fire, pop star mania, Breeze’s crazy ex boyfriend situation? A LOT was going on! Somehow it all tied together for a really good book. I will admit that Callie Dalton and Zachary Webber are two of my favorite narrators and their characterizations seemed spot on. They imbued Breeze and Bodhi with life making it really hard to dislike these characters.

I’m a fan of J. Bengtsson’s dialog and Like the Wind had some really humorous moments mixed in with the serious. She gives her characters such depth that I was lost in the story, forgetting that I actually had to stop listening and get back to work. Like the Wind is a stand alone novel so there is nothing to stop you from picking up this book and starting your journey with Bodhi and Breeze.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“A pop star, a quirky pet sitter and a wildfire made for one the best listens I have all year when combined with Callie Dalton and Zachary Webber’s amazing narration.” The Red Hatter Book Blog

Click this link to purchase!* Like the Wind

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

The Chick Read (audio review): Cake-The Newlyweds (Cake #4) by J. Bengtsson

Narrated by Andi Arndt and Joe Arden, Cake: The Newlyweds continues Jake and Casey’s love story from marriage to newlyweds. As one of the biggest rock stars in the world it would seem that they’d have wedded bliss but their otherwise smooth road had quite a few potholes to fill before they truly found happiness.

Each novel in the Cake series has revolved around the horrific incident in Jake’s past when he was kidnapped and had to murder his kidnapper to escape after one month of captivity. In Cake, the first novel where Jake and Casey meet and fall in love, Jake’s mental challenges are revealed but he seems to want to battle those challenges for Casey’s love. In Newlyweds, Jake is still fighting those battles and it’s much harder than he thought it would be, because the world doesn’t revolve around only him and Casey soon has her own battles to fight when she loses someone very close to her. I really liked the realistic way that J. Bengtsson dealt with both of these subjects combining humor with humanity.

For those of us who love continuation stories, following Jake and Casey’s story through their nuptials is a dream come true. However, I read a couple of these novels out of order and I think this may have been the one novel that was affected by my having insight into later plot reveals in the McKallister family. This spoiled the rising tension a little for me, a I knew from the next novel (which I’d already read) the happy outcome. Although, truthfully, it’s a romance so there was always going to be a happy ending, right? However, I really came to love the other McKallister’s and was ready to move on from Jake and Casey sooner that I would’ve thought.

I listened to this novel, narrated from a dual perspective by Andi Arndt and Joe Arden, both of whom did a wonderful job. They acted out their parts rather than read them, which makes a huge difference in my enjoyment. In fact, I’ve gone on to search for these narrator’s because i liked their portrayal so much. Kudos!

Cake: The Newlyweds was a solid second act. I’m glad to have witnessed Jake’s resolution to his kidnapping because having that hanging out there would have been a black spot on this great series. I liked also how Casey was given her own blackness to overcome. It gave her character more depth than the happy cheerleader she’d been up to this point. I’ve already read Rogue Wave which spoiled a few things for me in this novel, so don’t read that one before this book, but it was also fab. I’m ready for the next novel, will it be Grace or Quinn? I almost feel like if it’s Quinn it might undercut Grace’s story? If you’ve read these novels, let me know what you think! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Cake: The Newlyweds (Cake Series) (Volume 4)

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read (Audio Review): Fiercely Emma (Cake #3) by J. Bengtsson

Fiercely Emma tells the story of not only Emma and Finn’s budding romance, but also how Emma’s life was shaped after the kidnapping of her brother Jake when she was just sixteen. This situation at such a young age put Emma in the position of mother to her two younger siblings and the post trauma when Jake was recovered shaped all of her siblings albeit in different ways. Emma’s self preservation came in the form of a wall that she built around her heart. Finn is the guy that broke down that wall and their story is heartbreaking and heart mending.

After having read Rogue Wave recently which is the fourth book in this series, I went back and listened to the audiobooks for the first three. I had previously read books one and two, but for some reason stopped with Fiercely Emma came out. Emma hadn’t been my favorite character and I think because I wasn’t drawn to her I put off reading the book. I’m going on record to say that I made a bad decision. Whereas Emma is still a tough nut, I LOVED Finn and the two of them together are such good awesome sauce! So I’m now spreading the love for Fiercely Emma and advising everyone to listen to the audio books for this series. The narration by Andi Arndt and Zachary Webber is done so well and the humor comes through and made me laugh out loud.

Finn has his own difficult back story and J. Bengtsson uses his story as a comparison to Emma’s to show the reader how someone can overcome their tough beginnings. Finn uses humor to hide his pain and that humor while funny at times broke my heart. Emma also uses humor to hide, but hers is not warm, until she meets Finn who becomes the bright light shining through the cracks in her wall. It is because of Finn and how his relationship changes Emma that she is able to mend her relationships with her own family, which is essentially what these books are all about.

Fiercely Emma really needs to be read as it stands in the series. Each book is uniquely tied to the kidnapping of Jake and I’d love to say it can stand on it’s own, but really, it can’t. This is a family saga, and each novel re-tells the story from a different viewpoint and as you read each book you see scenes from different perspectives and each perspective really sheds new light and makes for an aha moment that would be lacking otherwise. I will say that I skipped this book to read Rogue Wave first and I don’t think I messed up the flow of the series too much, but it would’ve been better for me (the reader) to have read them in the order they are released. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

On it’s own this was a great book. How it ties to the series makes it outstanding. Loved.

Click this link to purchase!* Fiercely Emma: Cake Series Book Three

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Rogue Wave (Cake Series #5) by J. Bengtsson

Synopsis: A love story that survives the test of time.

Keith McKallister is the king of the stoners. You know the type. Every school has one – the hot, fun, dopey guy beloved by the student body but despised by, well, just about everyone else. He spends his early mornings in the ocean and his days trying to get to class on time. Life is as easy as it gets until one poor choice too many catches up with him and he’s forced to reevaluate his path. 

Samantha Anderson sits in the front row. You know the type. Every school has one – the quiet, faceless, studious girl who fears the taunts of her peers and fades into the background. Life has never been simple for Samantha, and it’s about to get a little more complicated when Keith slides into the seat beside her with a partnership plan designed for his benefit only. But what Keith brings to the table is more than either of them could imagine. 

Sometimes the person you least expect to make a difference will change your life forever. Sometimes the person you love the most might be better off without you.

REVIEW:

Rogue Wave tells the story of Keith and Samantha, but in two parts. The first half taking place in High School before Keith’s brother Jake is kidnapped and has a very young adult feel, and the second half of the novel takes place after Jake’s kidnapping and is most definitely a second chance adult romance novel. The combined story takes the reader on such an emotional journey. We’ve read about the kidnapping from Jake’s view point (Cake), but now we see how it affected Keith and how his choices drew him further from happiness.

I don’t recall ever reading a romance that 1) revolved around a main character who was a stoner and 2) where I really liked him. Even though Keith made bad choice after bad choice, he was so dang likable! Typically, I’m not comfortable with stories that revolve around drugs, drug problems, et. al. However, there was just something about Keith that made me want to see his story to its conclusion and root for him. Another surprising element was that even though Sam was the love of his life, she was not written in the role of savior. That made me like this story even more because it made it so real. Just as in real life, for them to finally be happy Keith would have to find his own way out of addiction and do it for himself. The question was, did I want to read that story? Yes, I really did.

Sam also had a lot of growing up to do. Not quite in the same way as Keith, as she wasn’t fighting an addiction to drugs, but she was fighting insecurity, problems at home, and the sudden suicide of her older brother. Also serious subjects! The fact that they found each other and could see through their outer shells to the good people within was pretty amazing. Sam had a very strong moral compass despite her difficult upbringing and that was a strength Keith needed in his life. Did he always choose to follow the right path? Well, you need to read the book.

There are some really great characters in the Cake series. Obviously Jake and Casey are fan favorites but Keith and Sam have found a special place in my heart. If you haven’t read the previous novels don’t read Rogue Wave until you’ve at least read the first novel, Cake. You need the background story of Jake’s kidnapping even though you get Keith’s side of it in Rogue Wave. I just think the emotional impact is stronger if you’ve read at least that first novel. BUT, if you choose not to pick up Cake I think you’ll enjoy reading about Keith and Sam. If you have triggers for drugs, suicide, mental illness, or kidnappings of small children, avoid this one. It’s a pretty emotional journey, but a very good one. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Goodreads: http://smarturl.it/RogueWaveGR 

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/RogueWaveAmazon 

About the Author

A professional stay-at-home-mom for twenty-one years, Jill started her writing career in 2016 after reading a really bad rockstar romance. Although she had no previous writing experience and no desire to become an author, Jill was convinced she could write a better story.

And so began Cake: A Love Story. She wrote the novel for fun and added every single thing she’d ever wanted to read in a romance. Embarrassed by her newfound hobby, Jill kept her writing a secret from her family.

When the story was complete, she turned to Amazon to get the feedback she desired. Not thinking the book would ever sell, Jill planned to pull Cake off Amazon once it got a review or two but that never happened because, within a week of its release, Cake began to soar up the bestseller charts. Not only was Jill shocked by Cake’s success but now she had a whole new burgeoning career on her hands…and some explaining to do. Needless to say, the news of Jill’s secret book bay came as a complete shock to her husband and three children.

Jill is now a full-time writer.

Website: https://jbengtssonbooks.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jbengtssonauthor/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CakeALoveStory 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j._bengtsson/ 

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, What are you Reading? (3/18/19)

Happy Monday everyone! I ran across this post on Book Date and liked the idea of sharing what I’m currently reading, so here goes!

JUST FINISHED

Gimme Some Sugar (Southern Eclectic #6) by Molly Harper

Last Sentence Read: “Lucy sat back on the seat, watching her son laugh into the wind, and knew that no matter what the future brought, they were going to be just fine.”

JUST STARTED

Rogue Wave (Cake series #5) by J. Bengtsson

First Sentence: My hands jammed safely in my pockets, I kept my head down as I made my way across the quad on legs as spindly as sticks.

Have you read either of these books? What did you think?

If not, what are you reading today? It’s Monday! Give me a shout!

Deborah

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

Cover Reveal! Like the Wind by J. Bengtsson- an Audible Original romance!

We are thrilled to be sharing with you the cover for LIKE THE WIND by J. Bengtsson, a new Audible Original romance coming January 2019. Be sure to pre-order your copy exclusively from Audible today!

About LIKE THE WIND

Prepare to laugh, cry, and fall in love with this enthralling new romance from J. Bengtsson – available in audio first! When a letter from his supposedly deceased mother finds its way into his hands, life changes in an instant for international pop star Bodhi Beckett. Reeling from the deception of those closest to him, Bodhi spirals out of control and is sent to a secluded mansion in the coastal mountains of Southern California for some rest and relaxation. But the retreat proves to be anything but relaxing when a raging wildfire sets the landscape around him ablaze.

While escaping the flames, Bodhi rescues Breeze, a quirky, pet-loving woman, and together the two fight their way to safety. In the aftermath of the fire, Bodhi and Breeze hit the road to uncover the truth about his family. What neither of them expected is to forge a powerful connection that will change their lives forever…but can it survive the real world, or will it disappear like the wind?

Pre-order LIKE THE WIND exclusively from Audible!

About J. BENGTSSON

A professional stay-at-home-mom for twenty-one years, Jill started her writing career in 2016 after reading a really bad rockstar romance. Although she had no previous writing experience and no desire to become an author, Jill was convinced she could write a better story. And so began Cake: A Love Story. She wrote the novel for fun and added every single thing she’d ever wanted to read in a romance. Embarrassed by her newfound hobby, Jill kept her writing a secret from her family. When the story was complete, she turned to Amazon to get the feedback she desired. Not thinking the book would ever sell, Jill planned to pull Cake off Amazon once it got a review or two but that never happened because, within a week of its release, Cake began to soar up the bestseller charts. Not only was Jill shocked by Cake’s success but now she had a whole new burgeoning career on her hands…and some explaining to do. Needless to say, the news of Jill’s secret book bay came as a complete shock to her husband and three children. Jill is now a full-time writer. Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: The Theory of Second Best (Cake #2) by J. Bengtsson

The series, Cake, centers on an incident that happened to Jake, the protagonist of the first book Cake. Jake was kidnapped and held captive as a child until he escaped his abductor, returning to his family. These books are love stories, but this incident has shaped this families psyches and how they interact with people, including those that they love. Don’t get me wrong, both Cake and The Theory of Second Best are very funny and mostly light hearted, but the depths in these characters are often dark and deeply emotional.

Kyle, Jake’s brother, has surfed through life, letting others make his choices for him. He tours with his brother (Jake’s a rock star), and basically mooches off him, not really holding any kind of job. He decides to become a contestant on a Survivor type program, where the players live off the land and vote each other off each week. Kyle is the comic relief, and truly, he is funny. J. Bengtsson has written some great dialog! Kyle charms everyone, including the reader. More interstingly are the things Kyle learns about himself by isolating himself on an island with a bunch of strangers.

Kenzie is from a very small town in northern California. When her mother dies giving birth to her triplet siblings Kenzie was thrust into a mother type role at a very young age. She enters the show because she hopes to win the money so she can become independent from her family. When she meets Kyle, she is just as charmed and they join forces, also starting a light flirtation that is fun to read. It’s when they get back to the real world that the work in their relationship starts.

Even though the first part of this book is a recap of some of the events from Cake, but seen through Kyle’s eyes, you really do need to read this series in order. In fact, that recap to me was a time waster. I would’ve been happy if the author had just started with the island escapades because I think Kyle and Kenzie gave us plenty of insights into their characters by their reasons for entering that contest. Other than the slow start, I really enjoyed this novel. Kyle was a funny guy, and the two of them together were sweet!  ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click link to purchase! The Theory Of Second Best: Cake Series Book Two (Volume 2)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads