Tag: overdrive

This Chick Read: The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey

Octogenarian Duffy Sinclair is living in what he hopes is his final residence Centennial Assisted Living. His roommate Carl and he are a bit of an odd couple with Duffy the gruff and surly character to Carl’s straight-laced Oscar. Or so Duffy thinks. One night a young woman in her 20’s sneaks through the window of their bedroom and claims she’s Carl’s granddaughter Josie. It’s a surprise to Duffy as Carl has claimed he didn’t have any children. AS the story unfolds their secrets are revealed and neither is who the other thought he was and Josie? She’s exactly who she says she is but her story creates a need, in Carl to finally be a grandfather, and in Duffy, a chance to redeem himself by helping this young woman through a difficult time.

OK, I’ll just say that this novel is a total departure from my normal reading. When I described the book to my husband (briefly) as a book about two old guys in an assisted living facility he asked me if it was a love story. Ha! Nope, or er, well, maybe? But not between Duffy and Carl, although there was a deep friendship and love did live in that relationship.

I really loved Duffy. He was so surly and not apologetic about it at all. However, when Josie enters his life he see’s in her a soulmate of sorts, and his chance for redemption for a life he felt he’d wasted. Interestingly enough, Josie was also drawn to Duffy, rather more so than Carl. Understandably so when you realize that Carl’s faults contributed to Josie’s problems- in a big way. As Duffy navigates through life in Centennial, helping to hide Josie during her visit, and and his issues with his roommate Carl you realize there’s a lot more to this old man that seemed at first. Those little details are why I loved him so much. He had so much heart!

The cast of characters in the assisted living facility were what brought life to this novel. Alice’s gentle beauty, Mrs. Zimmerman’s confused meanderings, and Sharon’s evil selfishness. All added depth and meaning to Duffy’s character adding a realness that the thought of him not accomplishing his goal of helping Josie wasn’t insurmountable. The humor and life that filled Centennial really opened my eyes to the life within our elderly. Yeah, I know this was fiction, but their problems were real and I just didn’t want to think that their days were slowly coming to an end.

I can’t help but wonder what brought this story into Brooke Fossey’s mind. In today’s world the elderly are almost forgotten, but Ms. Fossey has done a very good job of bringing them back into the light in a really positive heart-rending way. Even at the end, when I was quietly shedding tears, I has really happy that I’d read this novel and gotten to know these characters. Somehow through Duffy’s trials and tribulations I learned something about myself as well. This is a story I’ll reflect on for a while. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase!* The Big Finish

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved.

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (4/13/2020)

Ahh Monday, another week where I’m working from home. Does anyone else actually miss going to work like I do? Anyway, it was a nice weekend celebrating Easter with the family, all while staying six feet apart. The new normal. I was able to escape into my apartment to escape from reality by reading another romance novel. It’s funny, but romances seem to be one of the things helping me get through this social distancing. There’s something about knowing there’s an HEA at the end of the story that makes life a little brighter. Let me tell you a little bit about what I’m reading.

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

JUST FINISHED

I’ve had The Proposal on my shelf for awhile but still hadn’t gotten around to reading it. It’s a lighthearted rom-com and fit my mood to a T. Review to come!

Synopsis:

When someone asks you to spend your life with him, it shouldn’t come as a surprise—or happen in front of 45,000 people.

When freelance writer Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, his man bun, and his bros, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. Saying no isn’t the hard part—they’ve only been dating for five months, and he can’t even spell her name correctly. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans…

At the game with his sister, Carlos Ibarra comes to Nik’s rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He’s even there for her when the video goes viral and Nik’s social media blows up—in a bad way. Nik knows that in the wilds of LA, a handsome doctor like Carlos can’t be looking for anything serious, so she embarks on an epic rebound with him, filled with food, fun, and fantastic sex. But when their glorified hookups start breaking the rules, one of them has to be smart enough to put on the brakes…

Click this link to purchase! The Proposal

JUST STARTED

Don’t tell anyone but I haven’t actually started this one yet. However, I have the ARC and the book comes out on Tuesday. It does look really cute and I’m hoping it hits the right note for me!

Synopsis:

ogether, they’re going to learn it’s never too late—or too early—to change your ways.

For Duffy Sinclair, life boils down to one simple thing: maintaining his residence at the idyllic Centennial Assisted Living. Without it, he’s destined for the roach-infested nursing home down the road—and after wasting the first eighty-eight years of his life, he refuses to waste away for the rest. So, he keeps his shenanigans to the bare minimum with the help of his straight-laced best friend and roommate, Carl Upton.

But when Carl’s granddaughter Josie climbs through their bedroom window with booze on her breath and a black eye, Duffy’s faced with trouble that’s sticking around and hard to hide—from Centennial’s management and Josie’s toxic boyfriend. Before he knows it, he’s running a covert operation that includes hitchhiking and barhopping.

He might as well write himself a one-way ticket to the nursing home…or the morgue. Yet Duffy’s all in. Because thanks to an unlikely friendship that becomes fast family—his life doesn’t boil down the same anymore. Not when he finally has a chance to leave a legacy.

In a funny, insightful, and life-affirming debut, Brooke Fossey delivers an unflinching look at growing old, living large, and loving big, as told by a wise-cracking man who didn’t see any of it coming.

Click this link to purchase!* The Big Finish

I hope you all had a great weekend and have read a ton of great books. Fill me in if you have!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads5 Comments

This Chick Read: You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Ogle

Naomi Westfield meets and falls in love with her now fiancé Nicholas Rose pretty quickly. They’re so in love, never fighting and agreeing on everything. When they move in together Naomi feels as if something has shifted. They never do anything together anymore and barely speak when they’re home together. They’re getting married in three months and her future MIL has planned and paid for everything and it’s no longer the wedding that Naomi wanted. Actually, she kind of doesn’t want to get married anymore and sets out to make her fiancé call the wedding off. After all, if he cancels it, he’ll have to pay for all of those bills. However, she quickly realizes that he’s not that happy either, and soon they are one upping each other in trying to get the other to leave. A weird thing happens, they start to have fun.

You Deserve Each Other is being compared to the much admired, and one of my favorite enemies to lovers stories, The Hating Game. Did I think it deserved that comparison? Kind of? There were definitely similar elements. Naomi and Nicholas did seem to hate each other, once the gloves came off their snark was spectacular, and when they took off the blinders their love for each other was glorious. For me there was just a small difference; Lucy and Joshua’s attraction for each other gave their bickering an underlying heat that was fun and made you eager to turn every page. Naomi and Nicholas strived for that same heat, but during their hate period it was more War of the Roses than The Hating Game. I just didn’t feel that connected. At least until closer to the end.

Naomi and Nicholas made such an unlikely pair. He was a successful dentist, handsome, and smart. She was pretty but wasn’t book smart and only held small time jobs. There was an unbalance that was really hard for me to get past. It made their snark a little uncomfortable. How do you laugh at someone who doesn’t have a college education and is a little sad in life? Nicholas was obviously not a bad guy, so how do you buy Naomi’s hatred? It wasn’t until Naomi finally opened her eyes and allowed herself to open up to hurt that this book really took a turn for the better. That moment gave these characters heart and allowed the reader to see what motivated them to act the way they were acting towards each other. It allowed us to move on, and again, fall in love with them.

If you are looking for the next The Hating Game, I don’t think you’ll find it in You Deserve Each Other. I also think you shouldn’t be comparing one book to another because it doesn’t give You Deserve Each Other a chance. This was a very good book that could stand on it’s own. Naomi and Nicholas were NOT Lucy and Joshua, they were their own brand of insecurities and snarkiness. In the end I liked them for their own story and invested myself in their HEA. What more can you ask for?

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase!* You Deserve Each Other

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

This Chick Read: Kind of Famous (Flirting with Fame #3) by Mary Ann Marlowe

Layla Beckett has a big secret. One that might conflict with her new job running the social media for The Rock Paper, a music magazine. On her first day she meets Jo, the wife of an on the rise rock star, and through her she meets Jo’s friends, including drummer Shane Morgan. As she and Shane get closer, it quickly becomes apparent that her secret of running the top fan sight in the country may stand between their happiness.

I’ve read both of the other novels in this series and was really looking forward to this new installment. This is a rock star series, and yes, there’s plenty of eye candy and sizzling action between our heroes and heroines, but what I like the most is that each story has an underlining plot that brings a more serious tone to what would normally be a light hearted subject. In Kind of Famous, Layla’s secret is part of the main story and it definitely added a huge conflict, even if most of it was inner conflict for the majority of the book. As the book developed I realized there was an additional conflict in their relationship and that was Shane’s insecurity. How can a hot drummer in a rock band be insecure? Good question, and Kind of Famous does a great job of delivering the answer.

When Layla and Shane meet there’s this instant connection and energy. He’s surrounded by these god-like characters in his band but he stand out because of his adorkableness (yes, this is now a word!). He’s cute, has a rockin’ bod, but he’s totally shy. Layla, too, is kind of awkward. She has this online life that allows her to be bold, but in person she’s quiet and let’s face it, pretty stunned to be standing in the same space as people she’s idolized. Her awestruck scenes were totally believable and also added some conflict to she and Shane’s developing romance. I really liked them together and loved the obstacles I could clearly see ahead of them.

When you read a series it’s always great fun to see where the characters in previous books lives are now. Eden, Adam,Micah, and Jo are all integral characters in Layla and Shane’s story and I like how they were true to my memories of them and liked even more that I was given a glimpse into their futures. Next up in this series has to be Noah as he was given a rather sinister light and there is definitely more to his story than we’ve been told so far. Kind of Famous did a good job of moving all of their characters forward in my mind, as well as letting me fall in love with Layla and Shane all on their own. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I wish this author wrote a little faster and hopefully (?) we may have another Flirting with Fame story by the end of the year. From these words to Mary Ann Marlowe’s ears… keep those fingers typing!

I received an ARC of this book from the author for my honest review and it was honest!

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“Deeper than it seems on the surface, Kind of Famous explores the treacherous natures of fandom, friendship, and love–and the explosions that can result when those three things collide. Author Mary Ann Marlowe‘s book is a sweet coda of a love song to the rocker universe she created in Some Kind of Magic and developed further in A Crazy Kind of Love. If you loved those books, you’ll cherish this one as well.” Dreaming in Character

Click this link to purchase!* Kind of Famous (Flirting with Fame)

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Sweep With Me (Innkeeper Series #4.5) by Ilona Andrews

During Treaty Stay, Innkeeper’s are not allowed to turn away any guests. Although Dina has been an Innkeeper for a few years, her new boyfriend Sean is just beginning to wear in his Innkeeper’s robes and although in love, they are still feeling out their duties as co-Inkeeper’s. When a Drifan asks to stay during Treaty Stay, Dina must accept and hope that this super magical being is not looking for trouble during their stay. With the addition of a group of Koo-ko, who need a suite to continue their very heated debate, and a Medamoth, a tracker, this Treaty Stay may be a doozy!

Even though Sweep With Me is a novella, I got a real feeling of where Dina is at since the last novel featuring she, Sean, and Gertrude Hunt. Still struggling with the loss of the seedling Inn, Dina is trying to regain her strength and learn to co-partner with Sean in their new relationship. Ilona Andrews does a great job of giving us a full length story in a short form novella and I felt totally satisfied when I ended this novel.

I love it when new species drop in to Gertrude Hunt and this world expands and grows. Hopefully Ilona Andrews has many more stories to tell in this series because I’m not done watching these characters grow and evolve in their relationships. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“It was over way too quickly, and seemed very much just holding material, a way to pass time to get to something better. Don’t get me wrong, it was fun holding material, but the last book was so very good, I guess I really wanted more with a return to Dina’s story.” The North Wind and the Sea

“I know it’s going to be quite some time before we see another Innkeeper novel. Since we know what Ilona Andrews will be working on in the meantime, I’m totally okay with that. But I will admit that I love this series, and will miss it in the meantime. I think I’m going to have to go back and reread the entire series again, to help cope with that bit of loss. But it’ll be worth it!” Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks

Click this link to purchase!* Sweep with Me (Innkeeper Chronicles)

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (3/30/2020)

This week a new month begins and we can only hope it brings more positive news than negative regarding the Covid-19 outbreak. If you’re tired of all the bad news, you may be escaping into a good book. If you’re looking for one, maybe you’d like to read one of these.

This post originated over on Book Date, so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion.

JUST FINISHED

I am a huge fan of this author’s and love this series! Kind of Famous is the third in the Flirting With Fame series. If you like rock star romances, you’ll love this book!

JUST STARTED

I love this historical mystery series and can’t wait to see what kind of trouble Veronica Speedwell and Stoker get into!

These are the perfect escape! What books are you escaping into this Monday?

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: Top 5 Most Anticipated Book Releases- April ’20

Usually I say “Wow, time has flown by and I can’t believe it’s already…”, but this month I have to say I feel like the days are crawling. I’m working from home, “social distancing”, worried about my job, and trying not to spend any money. So, I kind of wish the days would speed by quicker. Let’s get this curve flattened so I can get on with my life, whatever life is left to live at that point. I don’t mean to be a downer, but I, like many others am feeling discouraged. So, when I thought of putting together this post about what books I’m looking forward to in April, I’ve decided to actually look forward. Live for the future, not the present, right?

So, here are my Top 5 book releases for the month of April. I know my Top 5 will not be the same as your own, so feel free to chime in and let me know what books I’m missing and/or should be reading next month.

#5 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

I just started this novel and it starts quick, cute, and I’ve already fallen in serious like with my characters. yay!

Synopsis:

In this fresh and hilarious historical rom-com, an estranged husband and wife in Regency England feign accidents and illness in an attempt to gain attention—and maybe just win each other back in the process.

Five years ago, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love, and got married. Four years ago, they had a fight to end all fights, and have barely spoken since.

Their once-passionate love match has been reduced to one of cold, detached politeness. But when Violet receives a letter that James has been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious at their country estate, she races to be by his side—only to discover him alive and well at a tavern, and completely unaware of her concern. She’s outraged. He’s confused. And the distance between them has never been more apparent.

Wanting to teach her estranged husband a lesson, Violet decides to feign an illness of her own. James quickly sees through it, but he decides to play along in an ever-escalating game of manipulation, featuring actors masquerading as doctors, threats of Swiss sanitariums, faux mistresses—and a lot of flirtation between a husband and wife who might not hate each other as much as they thought. Will the two be able to overcome four years of hurt or will they continue to deny the spark between them?

With charm, wit, and heart in spades, To Have and to Hoax is a fresh and eminently entertaining romantic comedy—perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Julia Quinn.

Click this link to purchase!* To Have and to Hoax: A Novel

#4 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

The beautiful cover caught my eye and then the synopsis drew me in. This one looks good!

Synopsis: A trio of second-born daughters sets out on a whirlwind journey through the lush Italian countryside to break the family curse that says they’ll never find love, by New York Times bestseller Lori Nelson Spielman, author of The Life List.

Since the day Filomena Fontana cast a curse upon her sister more than two hundred years ago, not one second-born Fontana daughter has found lasting love. Some, like second-born Emilia, the happily-single baker at her grandfather’s Brooklyn deli, claim it’s an odd coincidence. Others, like her sexy, desperate-for-love cousin Lucy, insist it’s a true hex. But both are bewildered when their great-aunt calls with an astounding proposition: If they accompany her to her homeland of Italy, Aunt Poppy vows she’ll meet the love of her life on the steps of the Ravello Cathedral on her eightieth birthday, and break the Fontana Second-Daughter Curse once and for all.
 
Against the backdrop of wandering Venetian canals, rolling Tuscan fields, and enchanting Amalfi Coast villages, romance blooms, destinies are found, and family secrets are unearthed—secrets that could threaten the family far more than a centuries-old curse.

Click this link to purchase!* The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

#3 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

The publishers got me with the comparison to Bridget Jones. I am so curious about this one!

Synopsis:

Meet Roxy. She’s a sometimes vegan, always broke artist with a heart the size of Texas and an ex living in her spare bedroom. Her life is messy, but with the help of a few good friends and by the grace of the goddess Venus she’ll discover that good sex, true love, and her life’s purpose are all closer than she realizes.

Bridget Jones penned a diary; Roxy writes letters. Specifically: she writes letters to her hapless, rent-avoidant ex-boyfriend—and current roommate—Everett. This charming and funny twenty-something is under-employed (and under-romanced), and she’s decidedly fed up with the indignities she endures as a deli maid at Whole Foods (the original), and the dismaying speed at which her beloved Austin is becoming corporatized. When a new Lululemon pops up at the intersection of Sixth and Lamar where the old Waterloo Video used to be, Roxy can stay silent no longer.

As her letters to Everett become less about overdue rent and more about the state of her life, Roxy realizes she’s ready to be the heroine of her own story. She decides to team up with her two best friends to save Austin—and rescue Roxy’s love life—in whatever way they can. But can this spunky, unforgettable millennial keep Austin weird, avoid arrest, and find romance—and even creative inspiration—in the process?

Click this link to purchase!* The Roxy Letters: A Novel

#2 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

I love books about re-igniting love, or even better enemies to lovers. This one intrigues me and I like this author.

Synopsis:

When your nemesis also happens to be your fiancé, happily ever after becomes a lot more complicated in this wickedly funny, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy debut.

Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They’re preparing for their lavish wedding that’s three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.

Naomi wants out, but there’s a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.

But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they’re finally being themselves–and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.

Click this link to purchase!* You Deserve Each Other

MOST ANTICIPATED APRIL’20 BOOK RELEASE!

I’m so excited a third book was written for this series!

Synopsis:

Layla Beckett has a secret. For the past ten years, she’s run the most trafficked fan site on the Internet for her favorite band—under an alias, naturally. When she lands a job at the prestigious New York City music magazine The Rock Paper, she’s suddenly thrust into the world she’s only observed from the cheap seats. Now that she’s brushing elbows with sexy guitarists and hot frontmen, she wants to play it cool and keep her superfan status on the down low. Although she’s dying to gush on her forum, posting her insider adventures online could expose her real-life identity and blow her cover.

And that’s all before one of those sexy musicians becomes a fan of her.

From the minute he meets Layla, Shane Morgan’s heart beats a heavy metal rhythm, but his head is full of doubt. Since only the most hardcore fans could pick the drummer out of a lineup, he’s resigned to groupies using him to get closer to the more famous guitarists. But he doesn’t want to be Layla’s passthrough.

As Layla gets to know the real people behind the music, she’s drawn to the less-than-flashy drummer’s sweet charms, fascinating mind, and banging hot body, but she worries about his insecurities. She needs to convince Shane she’s moved beyond fandom before he discovers her online history and loses all faith in her intentions. But the Internet is forever, and secrets have a way of getting out.

Click this link to purchase!* Kind of Famous (Flirting with Fame)

As I’ve written this post I’ve gotten a little more excited about reading some books. I hope I’ve put a book on your radar that maybe you might have missed? Please let me know which books you’re most looking forward to next month.

Happy reading and stay safe!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

The Reading Chick Also Bakes: Bouchon Bakery- Chocolate, Praline, and Cocoa Nib Tart

This week I went back to the Tart chapter. Why did I break from my scheduled plan of taking on one recipe per chapter? When I made the Paté Sucrée crust for the Caramel Nut Tart (read that post here) it said the dough was only good frozen for one month, so since then I’ve been gathering all of the ingredients for this tart. Remember, when I priced all of the ingredients out for this tart on Amazon it would cost $133.00? I ended up substituting a few things and got that cost down to about $80.00, but I still spread out the purchases over a few weeks. Last Sunday, I was just over that four week in the freezer mark, got the last ingredient needed, and decided to celebrate “Social Distancing” with my attempt at this Chocolate, Praline, and Cocoa Nib Tart. Seriously, couldn’t they have come up with a shorter title?

I was very excited to have an already prepared Paté Sucrée for my crust because there were quite a few steps to making this tart and that saved a LOT of time. First up, making the praline! I bought, on Amazon this amazing Hazelnut-praline paste. It’s the closest thing I could find to what was called for in this recipe. It doesn’t have any almonds in it, but in order to check this recipe off I needed some sort of paste so I purchased Love’n Bake’s Hazelnut praline paste and OMG. I could eat this with a spoon! I have an intense dislike for hazelnuts, but this stuff? Pure heaven!

Cost: $23.97. Yep. Kind of crazy expensive!

You combine this totally yummy paste with .5 ounces of Valhrona 40% chocolate (cost around $13.00 for ONE bar!), some feuilletine, and a little cocoa butter. What is feuilletine? Good question! As I also, had no idea. According to amazon, it’s a specific kind of cookie crumble. (see pictures below)

Note to self, in future use a much less expensive bar of chocolate for this .5 oz ingredient! Although there’s good news in that I have 95% of the bar left.

Substitution note: I didn’t have cocoa butter in the house and googled cocoa butter substitutions. Google suggested coconut oil, which I had! I didn’t notice any change in how the praline tasted or looked, so if you don’t want the additional cost and have coconut oil, try it!

The above pictures of feuilletine are mine on the left and Amazon’s much better photo on the right. Anyway, you mix those ingredients together to get a crunchy paste that kind of reminded me of a brown rice crispy treat and roll it flat and then freeze for four hours. You’ll size this to your tart, cut it into a circle (those are my hubby’s helping hands below) and place it on the top of your crust for your first layer.

My next step is to make a chocolate dentelle. I know you are thinking, what the heck is a chocolate dentelle? Me too! It is a mixture of crushed hazel nuts, cocoa nibs, cocoa, butter, sugar, and a little corn syrup. You mix it together, spread it on a pan and let it bubble and then turn solid. Kind of like one of those lace cookies? It caramelizes and solidifies. This will be my decorative touch on the top of my tart. The extra’s are also a tasty snack as I make my chocolate ganache filling.

Are you wondering what a cocoa nib is? Yeah, I didn’t know either until I ordered them but cocoa nibs are basically crushed cocoa beans. They taste a little chocolatey but have a very subtle flavor. Think espresso beans. When you eat those they taste like coffee but are chalky and crunchy? Same with cocoa nibs, although they taste like chocolate, not coffee.

Substitution note: I used Hershey’s cocoa powder instead of Valrhona. I’m sure that would’ve cost me a lot more, but I decided to save those dollars and go with what was in the house.

The above is a picture of some cocoa nibs.

The last step is to make a chocolate ganache. At their direction I used 64% chocolate (Valrhona again!), heavy cream, trimoline, glucose, and butter. Thankfully I had glucose left over from the Caramel Nut tart, but had to purchase another $13.00 bar of Valrhona chocolate. (Thank you Sur La Table!)

Substitution note: I didn’t have trimoline on hand, but had purchased caster sugar for another recipe which is similar from what I’ve read so I used the small amount needed in this recipe. Same taste as far as I could tell!

My ganache was silky smooth and….. I forgot to take pictures of it. LOL. However, it looked as it should so I poured it over the praline and let it set for four hours. Just before serving I added the chocolate dentelle and voilá!

The Reading Chick’s Chocolate, Praline, and Cocoa Nib Tart!

It turned out well!

Would I make this one again? No. My family thought it was VERY good, but I don’t like hazelnuts enough to take three hours to make this tart. I’m glad I did make the attempt! Also, as I said with the Caramel Nut Tart, I would definitely make this Paté Sucrée again, it is so yummy! I’d eat it alone, or maybe dunk it in hot fudge sauce or something. OMG.

What did I learn from making the Chocolate, Praline, and Cocoa Nib Tart? A lot actually. I had never made a chocolate dentelle, praline, or a real chocolate ganache that didn’t go over a Boston Cream pie. 🙂

I may end up jumping recipe’s again soon if I can gather all of the ingredients from what’s already in the house. I’m making do with “social distancing” and I hope you all are as well.

Take care, stay healthy, and WASH YOUR HANDS!

Deb

Click this link to purchase the cookbook! Bouchon Bakery (The Thomas Keller Library)

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads5 Comments

This Chick Read: To Have and To Hoax by Martha Waters

What was once a love match between Lady Violet and Lord James Aubrey has become four years of polite conversation at breakfast and sleepless nights in separate bedrooms. Yet, when Violet receives word that her husband is unconscious after falling from a horse at their country estate she rushes to make sure he is well. When they meet up by accident at a country inn she realizes that he wouldn’t have told her he was well. She decides to get even in a scheme where she pretends to be ill just so he would know how he felt. When he catches on to her game he decides to see just how far she’ll take it.

When I read the synopsis I thought this sounded like a cute story. I like historical romances and an enemies to lover trope is always one of my favorites. To Have and To Hoax started off fun, but unlike Violet, I didn’t have to fake my approaching headache. Violet and James’s pettiness tried my patience pretty quickly.

To Have and To Hoax wasn’t all bad. The writing was very good, the side characters were really interesting, and the hero and heroine weren’t completely unlikeable. The game playing was just about 50 pages too long. I would’ve liked more chapters of the early days of their marriage so that I’d be more invested in them as a couple before they had their big argument. Unfortunately that was where the story started. It didn’t give me a lot of time to care and so I had little patience.

I tried very hard to not hold a fake illness against the author since this was written quite awhile before we got stuck in “quarantine” and took that into consideration in how this may have affected my enjoyment of this novel. I gave it a half star higher than I would’ve if I’d had the same feelings on a different day of reading this novel. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase!* To Have and to Hoax: A Novel

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments