Sylvie Fairchild and Dominic De Vere first met on a television cooking competition. No they weren’t both competing, Sylvie was, but Dominic was one of the judges. They loathed each other at first sight. When Sylvie opens up her bakery right across the street from Dominic’s they can’t help but be competitive, each striving to win the next big account. When Sylvie gets cast as one of the judges on the same cooking show where she met Dominic its the first time she see’s more than a few minutes of him. When the palace announces a royal engagement they end up working together to unravel a mystery. The more time Sylvie and Dominic spend together they see another surprising side to the person he/she thought they knew.

Full disclosure! I am a HUGE fan of both Lucy Parker and the British Baking Championship which their show is based off of, so I knew going in that I was going to either hate this novel or LOVE it. Lucy Parker’s writing chops wins again and I ended up falling for both of these characters. Battle Royal was “brilliant” as the British say, but it was also a ton of fun.

Sylvie Fairchild is all glitter, sparkles, and colors, and Dominic is staid, neutral, and elegant. Who would have thought that the two of them would strike a match? When they start researching a mystery about the royal house, they get glimpses of something in the other that strikes a chord in what they’ve missed through their entire lives. I really liked these two as a couple and even though they had a long journey it was totally worth the happy ending.

This novel had all of the fun themes of a fast paced story. A competition, evil characters, a historical mystery, and the behind the scenes drama of a baking show. A lot of characters had emotional journeys, not just our two main protagonists, and I really got involved in every sub plot. This novel was so much fun.

If you haven’t read Lucy Parker’s London Celebrities series, please check them out. I think I read each one a few times over the last year because they made me feel good when I needed that jolt of happiness. Battle Royal is my newest addiction and you can bet I’ll be getting a copy in every format.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase!* Battle Royal: A Novel

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

If you’re a fan of this series then you’ll remember that Sabrina Carlton and Nick Davenport are rival anchors on competing networks in London and at the end of the previous book Nick had reported news that tore Sabrina’s family apart. So, at the beginning of Headliners when they are both told they would be anchoring a morning show together for one month I knew that the sparks would be flying! When they start the show and realize someone is out to sabotage their chances at making this show a success they band together to find the culprit and all of a sudden there are other kinds of sparks flying.

Just as with the previous novels in this series Lucy Parker really knows how to write great dialog, characters who are not perfect but that a reader can care about, and sizzling romance. I loved that Sabrina and Nick were an interracial pair yet all of the issues they had stemmed from non racial issues. In fact, despite the saboteur at work, this was a “normal” romance…and that is how it should be. Maybe it’s not realistic to talk about issues others may have with their pairing, but truthfully? All I cared about after starting to read was that they were interesting characters and had some great dialog, and most importantly HEAT. Enough said.

So, despite seeing Nick as the bad guy in the previous novel, that one act was all we knew about him. This book allowed us to see his regrets over how that story played out. That insight totally helped me get past him screwing Sabrina and her sister Freddy over. I moved on from dislike to enamored rather quickly, exactly as the author intended. It also helped that in this novel Sabrina and Nick had a common enemy to fight. There’s nothing like banding together to fight evil that makes you think of sex! LOL.

Headliners was a ton of fun to read and I hated that it had to end. I’m trying to think of someone that this series could continue with, maybe Nick’s brother Iain? A single dad who is slightly gruff, but loves his daughter? Hmm. From my lips to the book gods (ok authors) ears in New Zealand… fingers crossed! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase!* Headliners (London Celebrities)

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

Actress Freddy Carlton has been cast in a live action televised production of The Austen Playbook. A theatrical mash-up consisting of Jane Austen characters and a who dunnit a la the game Clue. Think Emma murdered Mr. Darcy in the library with a candlestick. The live television audience gets to pick how the play will be “played” out. Excited to spend what she thought would be a quiet few weeks on a country estate turns into a stressful production and an investigation that turns very personal.

Lucy Parker once again strikes gold with The Austen Playbook. Freddy Carlton is all grown up from the young ingenue we’ve met in previous novels and when she matches wit’s with curmudgeonly J. Ford-Griffin, theater critic and owner of the country estate where the Austen Playbook will be televised, the pages alight with sassy dialog filled with wit, humor and sexual energy. Their back stories of her grandmother and his grandfather having a grand affair ties them together in a unique way, also adding tension to their investigation of their grandparents romance.

As with the other books in this series, Lucy Parker’s setting of a West End play is completely enjoyable and I loved how the country setting added a different spin to the first two novels in the series. Griff was a little reminiscent in temperament of both Luc Savage and Richard Troy from books one and two, but I’ll admit that I love a curmudgeon who finds love and found Griff just as charming. Freddy’s uplifting and adorable personality make it hard for him to resist and their fall into love is irresistible.

There is plenty of story to go along with the love in this novel. The cast of characters are full of hijinks and Freddy and Griff’s own family provide plenty of dysfunction for our lovebirds to unite together against. This series has quickly become one of my favorite’s and this author is now on my auto-buy list! If you haven’t had a chance to read them, they can each be read as a stand alone, but past characters do pop up here and there and it’s fun to know their back story when they do. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“This book is a mixture of drama, swoon romance and great friendships (and relationships in general) that are not perfect but complicated in a way that we can all relate to. ” Ravings of a Book Lover

“…the dialogue was en pointe, the characters were varied and entertaining, the story developed consistently. I was drawn into their world completely. It was so vivid. This is a series I recommend again and again.” I Love Romantic Fiction

Click this link to purchase!* The Austen Playbook (London Celebrities 4)

Copyright Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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Trix Lane, circus acrobat extraordinaire, has put her bad relationship in her past and is focused on giving the best high wire performance on the West End. When the leading lady has a bad fall, Trix is thrust into the spotlight at the same time as her old nemesis Leo Magasiva is hired as the makeup artist for her troupe. She and Leo grew up together and were once friendly, but that tension has long since turned into antagonism. Can they get past their hate for each other? Of course!

We saw a bit of Trix’s bad relationship in Pretty Face, as Dan, her ex, showed off his mean streak to Lily on her opening night. Trix’s self confidence took a beating and she is not ready to start a relationship and build that trust with someone else. She and Leo’s relationship takes a turn for the better but the actions of her past still dictate her future. I liked Trix a lot and especially liked the inside look at circus acrobatics. I grew a little tired of her insecurity and fear. For me, it went on for just a touch too long.

Leo was also introduced in the previous book as Lily’s make up artist, turning her into Queen Elizabeth in the play she was in. Mostly quiet, it was his looks that jumped off the page. I was glad to see the man beneath the exterior come to life in Making Up. If I had a choice between our two main characters, Leo was definitely my favorite of the two. He has also gone through some tough times, but he rose above his circumstances, or is trying to, and while he strives to over achieve his professional goals he does this with confidence and even a little bit of humility. He was just a little bit more likable than Trix.

This is my least favorite book in this series but that’s only because the first two were so fabulous! It would be hard to keep that high of an average. I did really like the change in scenery to a circus rather than a play again, but enjoyed the glimpse we were given into the lives of previous characters I’d grown to really like. I think when I read this one again, I’ll like it more than I did this time. I started it immediately upon finishing Pretty Face, which was my favorite in the series. I think it couldn’t help but lack a little in comparison.

I highly recommend this series if you are looking for a new voice in contemporary romance. It’s a fun setting, the characters have a ton of depth and show a lot of growth, and the romance is spot on. I’m still obsessed with this author and can’t wait for the next book to release in April. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Opinions from around the Blogsphere

“For fun, sexy romantic comedies I highly recommend all the books in this series, and can’t wait to see what other romances Ms. Parker has up her sleeve!” Harlequin Junkie

“Making Up has easily become one of my favorite reads for this year and I swear the book gods heard all of our pleas because this series is not over yet! I can’t wait to see what story Lucy Parker brings to the West End world next and hopefully we get a chance to catch up with some of my favorite West End performers in the books to come.” The Romance Corner

Click this link to purchase!* Making Up (London Celebrities)

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

To director Luc Savage nothing will compromise his new West End production. Even when one of the board members tries to pull rank and cast soap opera star Lily Lamprey as Elizabeth I. After viewing one reel of her Marilyn Monroe-esque acting, he refuses to consider her for the part until his casting director asks him to take another look. When Lily tries out in person he see’s a glimmer of Elizabeth and is intrigued, despite her breathy delivery.

Pretty Face could very easily gone the way of My Fair Lady with Luc trying to re-make Lily into his perfect Elizabeth. He does get her a voice coach and he is reluctantly attracted to the ingenue but thankfully that is where his Henry Higgins likeness stopped. Once Luc decided that he was going to stop fighting his attraction to Lily he went all in, despite what getting involved with her could do to his reputation and career. He, in fact, put love first before what had been the most important things in his life. You’ve got to love that attribute in a man!

Even though Lily had the body and voice of Marilyn Monroe, her personality was anything but Monroe-like. She knew her soap opera background didn’t do her any favors and she worked hard to overcome those expectations. I really enjoyed Lily’s sass and fire and in fact was pleasantly surprised at the depth to her character. I shouldn’t have been though, as Lucy Parker gives her characters great back stories which make them jump off the pages in 3-D and put her readers through a riot of emotions. Pretty Face was no different, I was caught up, hook line and sinker!

I think I wrote on Goodreads that I am now obsessed with Lucy Parker novels. I really am. Her stories could so easily be fluffy romances, but they aren’t! They are well written, her characters are rock solid and the build up in the romance is riveting to read. Her dialog isn’t too shabby either, it’s actually really fun! Growing up in Southern California, I love the London West End playhouse setting and the fact that these are also slow burn romances. The build up from enemies to friends to lovers has you gripping your book until your fingers hurt, the tension only unwinding when the characters deliver their HEA. Yeah, Lucy Parker is a new favorite and I will be recommending this book and series to everyone I know. Consider yourself recommended. 🙂 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Pretty Face (London Celebrities)

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

When Richard Troy’s temper makes him front page news again, his team wants him to fake a romance with one of his leading ladies, golden girl Lainie Graham. Lainie has had her share of bad press after her most recent romance with another actor was played out in the headlines, so agreeing to “play” leading lady to Richard’s growly leading man, umm no way! When his team offers to make a donation to her favorite charity she shrugs off her misgivings and gives in, then is surprised that underneath his surly facade is a not so bad person, and their chemistry catches fire.

Act Like it takes place in London’s West End theater district which is a fun change in scenery for a slow burn romance. There is plenty of great dialog and I really enjoyed Lainie’s sassy personality. She isn’t the pushover either Richard or I were expecting! When he gives her a tough time she gives it right back and he comes to respect that he can’t push her around. As the story progresses their chemistry ignites yet it isn’t just their hormones that get involved. They come to actually like each other and I really started to root for them to get past the pretend relationship and get down to the real thing.

This could easily have played out like a cheesy Hallmark Channel romance movie, and I’m not really sure why it didn’t strike that chord with me. Maybe it was their fun dialog, the villain to root against in Lainie’s previous boyfriend (who is also a star in their play), or Richard’s lone wolf persona. I do really like that Alpha male attitude! This one hit all of my triggers and I just really enjoyed it while I was reading it. It’s a simple as that! So, if you are looking for a fun romance with great characters then I recommend you pick up Act Like It. It’s the first in the series and I bet, like me, you’ll immediately pick up the second! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“As a through and true theatre kid who has always been obsessed with British pop culture, this book may have been written for me. I adored the characters and their gradual, effortlessly written romance. ” Flying with Books

Click this link to purchase!* Act Like It: A Slow-Burn Romance (London Celebrities Book 1)

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate