This Chick Read: Magic Tides (Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years #1) by Ilona Andrews

Kate, Curran, and their young son Connor have moved away from Atlanta to start fresh in Wilmington, NC. Their aim is to build their home and live a quiet life, with a low profile, and stay out of trouble. When one of their contractor’s family members is kidnapped that quiet life gets upended when Kate decides to involve herself and make sure his young nephew is returned to his family safe and sound. Needless to say, her low profile is blown. Magic, sea monsters, and gods, OH MY!

This short novella was a great fix for fans of the Kate Daniels series, but dare I say it? It was not long enough! Kate Daniels is one of my all-time favorite heroines and reading a brand new story with her bad-@$$ attitude? Needless to say, I was all in and launched into my 6th re-read of her series to prepare myself for this four hour re-immersion. It was so wonderful (sigh).

What starts off as your basic recovery of a small child turns into an epic Kate adventure. We travel from the dregs of Wilmington, to the local vampire base, and Kate tries to stay undercover. In the meantime, Curran is waiting at home for all those she’s pissed off. Fun! Sorry, this is a totally biased review, but I’m a huge fan of this author duo and will read and re-read everything they release. Speaking of which, I read on the authors website that Wilmington #2 will be out in June so you don’t have to wait too long to get your next fix, and these two books will be released as audiobooks together. This year is going to fly by with so much to look forward to. 🙂 ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Magic Tides

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.

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (3/27/23)

When a favorite author releases a new book I typically have it on pre-order and eagerly starting digging in. I did both of these things with Kristen Ashley’s new book. Check and check! Are you ever disappointed after all of that anticipation? Me too! I’ll let you know how I feel in the review and a hint of it below.

JUST FINISHED

Book #2 in the Misted Pines series. This series is a departure for this author in that these books are really romantic suspense. I loved the first novel (5 stars!), but had trouble getting into this one. Was it because it was written from the male perspective? I need to mull this one over before I write this review, for sure!

JUST STARTED

I feel the need to genre swap and a fun historical is just what I’m in the mood to read! I haven’t yet started this book so I don’t yet have an opinion but I’m really looking forward to reading it! Check back for a review soon!

Have a great Monday and happy reading!

Deb

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Most Anticipated Book Releases – April’23

I don’t remember April as being such a big book release month, usually that’s saved for June, but wow, there are some great book releases. A LOT more than the five I’ve chosen to highlight below. Please make sure you review your own list because this list is based upon my own reading preferences. Here are my top 5!

#5 BOOK RELEASE

I really enjoy Laura Griffin’s style of writing and this romantic suspense series is a lot of fun to read. I can’t wait to get my hands on this novel- it’s sure to be a good one!

Synopsis: An undercover FBI agent and a coffee shop owner who values her independence must team up when a local barista is found dead in their coastal Texas town in this new romantic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.
 
With two brothers on the police force, Leyla Breda is well aware of the rising crime in her small beach town, but she never expected it to show up on her doorstep. When Leyla finds one of her employees murdered in the alley behind her coffee shop, she’s deeply shaken, and as a new law enforcement officer in town begins to circle her place of business, her instincts only sharpen.

Sean Moran is on an undercover mission: The seaside community of Lost Beach may look like a picturesque postcard, but his team suspects it’s a point of intersection for several crime syndicates that the FBI has been investigating for years. Even so, when the brash and beautiful Leyla Breda starts bossing him around, he’s immediately intrigued. He knows her brothers want him to back off, but every time he sees her, he feels more of a spark.

Leyla’s connections in the local community and Sean’s skills allow them to go deeper into the case together than they would be able to go alone. But when a single crime spirals into something much darker, Sean’s carefully planned mission takes a deadly turn.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Deep Tide

#4 BOOK RELEASE

A fictional novel based upon the life of Esteé Lauder? Sold! This cosmetics icon deserves to have her story told in a way that connects with fiction lovers. I think this novel sounds fabulous!

Synopsis:

In New York City, you can disappear into the crowd. At least that’s what Gloria Downing desperately hopes as she tries to reinvent herself after a devastating family scandal. She’s ready for a total life makeover and a friend she can lean on—and into her path walks a young, idealistic woman named Estée. Their chance encounter will change Gloria’s life forever.

Estée dreams of success and becoming a household name like Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, and Revlon. Before Gloria knows it, she is swept up in her new friend’s mission and while Estée rolls up her sleeves, Gloria begins to discover her own talents. After landing a job at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York’s finest luxury department store, Gloria finds her voice, which proves instrumental in opening doors for Estée’s insatiable ambitions.

But in a world unaccustomed to women with power, they’ll each have to pay the price that comes with daring to live life on their own terms and refusing to back down.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl

#3 BOOK RELEASE

I’m a sucker for this young adult writing duo’s novels. They are always fun to read while on vacation or over a much needed break from reality weekend.

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old volleyball star Kaylee Jordan lives a life of player rankings, constant training, and a carefully curated social media full of followers watching to see if she’ll go pro out of high school like her famous mom. Her one refuge, and the thing she looks forward to every summer? The vacation her family spends in Malibu with the Freeman-Yus. This year, there’s only one problem: Kaylee and their son, Dean, dated for the past three months, and Kaylee just unceremoniously dumped him. Hoping to spare them the worst summer ever, Kaylee comes to Dean with her unconventional solution: she’s going to walk him through her rules for getting over an ex. When Dean grudgingly cooperates, Kaylee’s got her work cut out for her. But helping Dean follow her own rules starts becoming difficult when the pressures of Kaylee’s family legacy and perfect life start to feel less like a plan and more like a prison…and amid warm California nights and stolen laughs, Kaylee feels herself falling for Dean for the same reasons and some new ones. With their trip coming to an end, Kaylee has to make the complicated choice between doing what’s expected and taking a (second) chance on love.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Never Vacation With Your Ex

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase one of these books through a link on this page, I’ll receive a small stipend.

#2 BOOK RELEASE

I was lucky enough to get a copy of this novel already and you guys, it is just fabulous! Set in a Saturday Night Live type late night show, this novel gives great behind the scenes scenarios and sets us up for an amazing pandemic romance.

Synopsis: Sally Milz is a sketch writer for The Night Owls, a late-night live comedy show that airs every SaturdayWith a couple of heartbreaks under her belt, she’s long abandoned the search for love, settling instead for the occasional hook-up, career success, and a close relationship with her stepfather to round out a satisfying life.

But when Sally’s friend and fellow writer Danny Horst begins dating Annabel, a glamorous actress who guest-hosted the show, he joins the not-so-exclusive group of talented but average-looking and even dorky men at the show—and in society at large—who’ve gotten romantically involved with incredibly beautiful and accomplished women. Sally channels her annoyance into a sketch called the Danny Horst Rule, poking fun at this phenomenon while underscoring how unlikely it is that the reverse would ever happen for a woman.

Enter Noah Brewster, a pop music sensation with a reputation for dating models, who signed on as both host and musical guest for this week’s show. Dazzled by his charms, Sally hits it off with Noah instantly, and as they collaborate on one sketch after another, she begins to wonder if there might actually be sparks flying. But this isn’t a romantic comedy—it’s real life. And in real life, someone like him would never date someone like her . . . right?

With her keen observations and trademark ability to bring complex women to life on the page, Curtis Sittenfeld explores the neurosis-inducing and heart-fluttering wonder of love, while slyly dissecting the social rituals of romance and gender relations in the modern age.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Romantic Comedy

MOST ANTICIPATED APRIL 2023 BOOK RELEASE

Emily Henry is one of my favorite authors and I will never fail to read one of her books the week it releases. I am so looking forward to this one!

Synopsis: Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.
 
They broke up five months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.
 
Which is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blissful week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.
 
Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best?

Click this link to purchase this book!* Happy Place

Have a great time searching out your own book release reading list. There are some amazing books coming soon!

Happy Reading!

Deb

This Chick Read: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

It’s the early 1960’s and chemist Elizabeth Zott has fought her way into a position at the Hastings Research Institute on an all male research team. Needless to say, she is faced with sexism and misogyny every day. When she meets brilliant fellow scientist Calvin Evans they strike up a very non-traditional (for its day) relationship, having a romantic relationship and living together without being married. They each work on their own projects and Calvin supports Elizabeth in everything she strives to be. Several years later Elizabeth is “discovered” by a television producer and she launches a new role as the reluctant star of ‘Supper at Six’, where she teaches housewives how to use chemistry to cook and opens their eyes to the possibility of life beyond the doors of their home.

Lessons in Chemistry is a very clever novel about a woman’s struggle in an age of inequality, to be seen as an equal. That just because she was born a woman doesn’t mean that her life’s purpose is to serve men. Elizabeth is much too clever to let misogyny and gender create her identity. Reading this novel, I realized how fortunate I was that my entry into the workplace wasn’t filled with men who were trying to hold me down, and that I lived in an age, while not equal was at least not filled with illegal actions. In Elizabeth Gott’s world she wasn’t quite as fortunate.

I was so interested in Elizabeth’s persona. She wasn’t your average woman, in fact her intellect was way above average, a fact that her boyfriend and lover Calvin Evans found very attractive. I found her fight for independence and equality interesting despite that fight putting her at odds with happiness in love. Poor Calvin was ecstatic to have this amazing, beautiful woman as his, yet she was so untraditional that she’d never let him put a ring on her finger. It made for a really interesting reading! When she was cast as the chef on tv, her life views horrified her bosses, yet found an audience with the women of America. She was such an interesting character!

This novel had a little bit of everything. There was a hint of romance, but it was Elizabeth’s fighting spirit that drew me to keep turning the pages. Elizabeth’s voice was strange and wonderful, and despite my living in a world where equality is much closer to reality, I looked forward to reading how Elizabeth would out smart and out fight the men who lived in the world around her. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Lessons in Chemistry

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.

This Chick Read: The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon

Jess Reid is a freelance editor giving up a big city job to work from home form her small town of Redford, Oregon. Staying close to her dad and best friend was an easy decision to make even though life in her small town is slow and steady. When Jasper Wilhelm, the town’s eccentric benefactor, dies, he leaves an inheritance available to the town that they have to compete in a contest to win. Carter Barclay, nephew of Jasper, is the only non-Redfordian able to compete in this contest something that causes the townspeople to eye him with suspicion. Everyone but Jess Reid who welcomes him in with her quirky smile and personality. For financial analyst Carter Barclay, Jess is a breath of fresh air and this contest is a chance to learn what made his grandfather love this small town so much.

The Only Game in Town was a welcome change from the usual small town romance. I think this was because of our heroine, Jess. She was so charming in her quirkiness, just living life with a sunny disposition, not really letting anything get her down. When she’s paired with her arch nemesis in the contest, she struggles to find a kernel of good in Nikki’s hard core and manages to keep her sunny disposition. It’s not surprising that Carter can’t resist Jess because I couldn’t either! I wanted to transplant myself into that town and/or find my own Jess best friend in my own town because she is just irresistible and good.

Did I believe that Carter’s more stoic nature and Jess’s rainbows and butterflies personality would be irresistible to each other? YES! As the book went on and more kooky scenes unfolded he loosened his tie and found himself smiling at her antics and looking forward to her personality. There’s something about a straight-laced man loosening up that is also hard to resist and in the end I think they were perfect for each other.

There was, of course, a lot of conflict in this novel. It wasn’t just a fluff contest and a small town romance. There was death, alcoholism, and rivalries to overcome, but it was all told in a way that touched my heart and made me want to keep turning the pages to see how that storyline would end. Truly, this was a well crafted novel with great characters. What’s not to like about that? ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Only Game in Town

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.

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (3/20/23)

I have gone down the rabbit hole of previous season’s “best of” book lists and have recently added to my already overburdened TBR. BUT, I’ve also knocked off a couple of these new, wonderful books from that list already. I’ve had an awesome week of reading and listening to some great audiobooks. Here’s what’s on my nightstand.

JUST FINISHED

I’ll admit to having looked at this book quite a few times, but I’d never picked it up because I’d read a couple of average “witchy” books last fall and didn’t want a repeat of mediocrity. However, I was sent a ‘best of 2022’ romance books list by an audiobook company and this book fell into that list. I took a look at it again, had an extra couple of credits and downloaded it to my Libro.fm app. I adored the English narrator, and loved the story. This book was so much more than a romance, it was really about an outcast finally finding a place where she belonged. Who can’t get behind a story like that? The narration was seriously good too.

JUST STARTED

This is a new one for me. I haven’t read the other books in the series, nor have I read any books by this author. However, it has a ghostly-mysterious feel and I was in the mood to switch up my genre’s and felt like reading a mystery. I literally just started it, so I’ll let you know how it goes!

The above two books are different choices for me but I feel really good about spending my time with these characters. How is your current book treating you?

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

This Chick Read: The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher

Madeline Hathaway is home-schooled and lives on the road with her parents, traveling from one city to the next on the Renaissance faire circuits. When her mother dies, she and her father soldier on despite her mother being the glue that kept their family talking. She knows her father loves her, but Madeline finds that she’s mostly on her own once they hit a new town. While checking out the changes at one of she and her mom’s favorite fairgrounds she meets Arthur, a lute playing young bard, and son to the King’s of the castle. He talks her into being the Princess of the Faire, and challenges her to be his partner on a few road-trip adventures. She is out of her comfort zone but Madeline (who he insists on calling Gwen) decides to take fate into her own hands learning some things about herself that might change her future.

This was a really sweet young adult novel about two kids who are going through personal struggles while also feeling insecure about how they fit into their teen world. Arthur is a totally sweet boy being raised by two dad’s, and despite their strong parenting he’s insecure about his looks and how he fits into his high school clicque. Madeline, who’s never gone to high school, doesn’t have that same issue, but she does have insecurity about her weight and whether she can ever live up to the beautiful free spirit that was her mother. She is also mourning her mom and struggling to communicate with an also mourning father which adds to her issues. The two of them find each other when they need each other the most and you can’t help but feel charmed by the mystical, fun Renaissance Faire setting.

I like how Madeline has so many sides to her. She is talking to a therapist, trying to hold her family together, keeping her mom’s memory alive, and also trying to be a teen age girl with her first crush- although she fights that almost to the bitter end. Despite all of her issues, her character is strong, opinionated, and funny. She was an easy girl to identify with and like, for sure. Arthur was a little bit more of a caricature, with his two gay dads and his charming personality, but once you read further you realized that despite seeming like he’s got it all he’s kind of a mess as well and you can’t help but hope he and Madi get their act together and realize they can be stronger with each other than without.

I love the whole Renaissance faire vibe. It’s a great setting for a young romance! Turkey legs, costumes, and joust’s oh my! There were moments of absolute delight mixed in with the more serious subjects that gave this story a well-roundedness that made it a delight. If you’re in the mood for a young adult novel with some depth, but is still fun, give this one a try! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway

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.

This Chick Read: The Love Wager by Lynn Painter

Hallie Piper is working the bar at a wedding when a cute guy, Jack, requests a beer and they strike up a brief conversation. That one moment leads to his date accusing him of cheating and a broken relationship. Back at the bar, Jack and Hallie start drinking, ending up together for the evening. Hallie wakes up the next morning and after sneaking out of his room, turns over a new leaf. She joins a dating app and starts looking for “the one”. What she finds is Jack, on the same dating app. They strike up a conversation and a bargain. The first one who finds love wins the wager. What they quickly realize is that they may have already found that person.

After reading ‘The Wrong Number’ by this same author, I knew that this novel would be rom-com at its best… and I wasn’t wrong! Hallie was such a unique character. She had this easy-going personality that oozed friendly charm. Her chemistry with Jack was so smooth. Their clever conversations and growing friendship was fun to read and I couldn’t wait until that moment when that heat that they had that one night returned for their forever future. I thought Jack was kind of a unique character too because you don’t usually see a ‘hero’ in a romance novel who is desperate to be a couple. It was an interesting perspective and personality quirk that easy breezy Hallie helped him overcome. They were a fun, cute couple!

The plot was entertaining to read and the fun dialog kept it move forward fairly quickly, a formula that is my particular favorite because I can read the novel in a day or over a weekend. If you are in the mood to read an easy breezy rom-com, this would be a good pick!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Love Wager

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.

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (3/13/23)

You know when you have finished a great book and it resonates with you for a day or so after you finish it? I’m having one of those moments about the below “just finished” novel. So, I’ll admit I’m having trouble coming up with my intro at the moment. I’ll get right to it.

JUST FINISHED

I just listened to the audiobook of this novel and it is still resonating deeply with me. Set in a rural Vermont boarding school, our protagonist re-lives the four years she went to this school and especially the year her roommate died. It reminded me a lot of listening to the podcast of Adnan Syed’s case of an innocent man going to jail for the murder of his high school girlfriend. I Have Some Questions for You, also revolves around a podcast and an innocent man going to jail, but as you can with fiction, delves deeply into the psyches of those teens 20 years ago, and their lives today. I’ll be writing a review, but this was a good on folks!

JUST STARTED

I really enjoyed Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After and am looking forward to digging into the heart of this novel. Even though I’m reading this in March, I know this will be a beach read recommendation, for sure.

What great novels have you gotten yourselves involved in?

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

This Chick Read: How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

Margaret Jacobsen seems to have it all. Promising new job, adoring boyfriend, and a brand new condo- her life is stretched out in front of her and her future is bright. Until an accident finds her in the hospital- no job, a boyfriend who has fallen apart, and a new world that is filled with physical therapy and building a new life with her new body. This was not the life that Margaret thought she’d be living. Faced with new limitations, Margaret’s life revolves around the next 5 weeks in the hospital and gaining the mental and physical strength to live her new life. She meets Ian, a physical therapist who is brutal in his regard, and unfriendly in attitude. Despite all that’s going on in her life, Margaret does everything she can to bring him out of his shell and while working with him, builds a connection.

First of all, wow. At first I had a really hard time reading Margaret’s story. What happened was so brutal and her boyfriend/fiancé was an absolute turd. Her mother seemed to be a controlling nightmare too and I was ready to give up-but then her sister Kit showed up and the sisterly support propped me up until I saw beyond everyone else’s issues and Margaret’s strength became the heart of the story. Kit was a godsend, not just to poor Margaret, but also me who was looking for something to love about this story that was so hard to read. Don’t get me wrong, it was well written, but it was also pretty brutal. Kit added some much needed humor. Then there was Ian- he seemed to be a bit of a jerk, but underneath that gruff exterior he was solid gold.

This story had so much strength and heart. Yes, it was sometimes hard to read but each page I turned showed a different side to this kind of crazy family that I started to look forward to seeing what else was going to be revealed. This family had skeletons, hard feelings, and lots and lots of love. Family drama at its best.

The one thing I was slightly disappointed in was the love story aspect between Ian and Margaret. Ian was pretty closed off for most of the book and I just wish that the reader could’ve made a bigger connection with him. I loved him for Margaret (I can still hear him calling her Maggie in his Scottish accent), but the ending would’ve had a greater impact if I liked him as much as I did Margaret. Although, it was humdinger of an ending. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* How To Walk Away

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.