Tag: reading

This Chick Read: The Seven Rings (The Lost Bride Trilogy #3) by Nora Roberts

Sonya had inherited the grand house in Maine from her dead father’s twin brother. A brother he never knew he had. In the previous two books Sonya eagerly moves into this home along with her best friend and finds out that, surprise!, it’s haunted by an evil witch. A curse was laid on the Poole family’s brides, each one dying in that home with the witch collecting their seven wedding rings. In this third installment Sonya, her boyfriend Trey, and their two friends battle this evil witch and banish her from their home, giving those brides a place to remain or move on from.

These types of novels are among my favorites to read by Nora Roberts. A good vs. evil theme, two besties who are determined to stick it out and best the big bad, and a little romance as a side dish. In this series we also get to know some of the ghosts who inhabit the mansion, especially Sonya’s grandmother, a young boy, and a young maid. The author does a great job of weaving spookiness with humor and love to give the reader an enjoyable story with a little bit of everything to get them involved.

What set this novel apart for me was that Sonya, who is a Poole by blood, but was raised under another name could travel through mirrors to see the brides stories. She had a guest on these journeys and it wasn’t her boyfriend Trey, but her own cousin Owen, another Poole, who came along for the ride. It was an interesting way to tie family together, but also the two couple’s who were developing romances. I’ll admit to finding Cleo and Owen’s love story a bit more interesting becauses Cleo was kind of a wacky character and Trey was kind of pedantic. However, all in all the book did it’s job. I was entertained, invested in the story and characters, and felt good at the plot resolution. You can’t ask for much more than 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 Seven Rings

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Turns of Fate (Isle of Wyrd #1) by Anne Bishop

Words have power. Intension matters.

As you’re reading Turns of Fate, those two sentences, above gain traction and as the characters learn have meaning when you are on the Isle of Wyrd. Most people come to Destiny Park for entertainment but some come to the Arcana to make a bargain- to change their fate. Some people come to the park for dark reasons. Detective Beth Fahey is the newest member of the police department who has direct contact with the Arcana of the Isle of Wyrd. When she goes to the park to investigate a “ghost gun” it’s the start of a journey where she learns to navigate the Arcana’s unforgiving laws while at the same time learning secrets about her own past. As tensions rise between the Arcana and their human neighbors across the river Beth makes decisions that alter her own future.

Anne Bishop is one of those authors who I eagerly anticipate a release from, but am never sure what kind of book I’m going to read. I LOVE the Others series but I couldn’t get into her Black Jewel series at all. I’ve tried to read that first book three of four times and never got past the first couple of chapters. When I read the synopsis for Turns of Fate I got excited. It sounds like it has similar elements to the Others series but the added bonus of a main character who is a Detective. I was picturing a Mystery/Fantasy hybrid and I was not disappointed. There were a lot of little mysteries to be solved, but the overall story was definitely urban fantasy.

Beth is a mysterious character. At first she seems very straightforward, but as the story progresses we notice that although we (the reader) love Beth, she’s not understood by her fellow detectives and people just don’t click with her and vice versa. She’s a conundrum, not just to her co-workers and neighbors, but also to herself. This is the mystery that I relished solving and boy was that story fun! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Turns of Fate

Copyright 2025 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: Reproduction (Hypothesis Series #8) by Penny Reid

The second part in the three part serial, and yes it’s #8 in a larger series, Samantha Jarlsten finds herself living with her childhood best friend Andreas Kristiansen. Faking an engagement while he adopts her (yep!) to undermine his two brothers from inheriting her father’s ex business that they swindled her out of, Sam is understandably confused. As am I after reading that previous sentence! Although her confusion is more to the fact that she’s in a fake engagement but is developing feelings for Andreas. She continues to work in the STEM field, with a new boss who hits on her all the time, and he is a chess master world champion- or something to that effect. For two very smart people, they are being kind of dim-witted.

So, they agree to a friends with benefits scheme that is surely going to bite them in the behind. As the reader in this relationship, I say thank goodness! It moved the plot forward a bit beyond the two brothers being threatening and her boss being a jerk. I enjoyed getting to know them as a kind of real couple- although it was still fake.

This being a serial and having one more book left that will be released next week, the reader will finally get a resolution to the story. This one again ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. So, will Sam and Andreas find happiness? Will Sam take control of her father’s company? Will Andreas’ two brothers stop threatening her and give up? We’ll find out all this in the next book. Whew!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Reproduction

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

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This Chick Read: The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

Owen Mallory is a failed soldier, historian, and son of a rather anarchical father. Owen’s grey life has been filled with imagery of the Dominion’s greatest hero, Sir Una Everlasting. Una’s life was similarly grey, until as a young orphan she is swept away by the Queen, given wars to win, and tasks to fulfill. Her life becomes the Queen’s, until one day she meets Owen, who has fallen through time in order to write a book about Una. Immediately, the two are connected. By fate, by their journey, and by chemistry. They are tangled together in time and as Owen writes and rewrites Una’s story their fates too are entertwined.

Excited by all the five star ratings, I was really eager to read The Everlasting. However, I turned the first page with a little trepidation. I read Alix E. Harrow’s acclaimed novel The Ten Thousand Doors of January and I had trouble connecting with the main character. I thought the prose elegantly written, but that elegance created a barrier that made it hard to identify with the main character. The Everlasting is also very elegantly written, but this story reminded me of my classes in college where I would fall into the epic tails of Gawain, Sir Lancelot, and even Beowulf. Instead of creating a barrier where I had trouble identifying with the characters, Harrow’s lyrical words opened doors into a world I had zero trouble falling into.

I think what hooked me the most about this story was that the author combined several tropes seamlessly. First, the obvious, Good vs. Evil, and the reveal of that character happens slowly which makes their evilness so much more delicious. So, yes, I was drawn in by that first trope, but it was the fairy-tale elements to the story that secured that hook. The lyrical writing, which bothered me in her other novel worked perfectly in this setting and the pace and thoughtfulness in developing these characters fully was beautiful. I’ll also admit that I love a good romance and the slow build of Owen and Una’s relationship and love for each other was both breathtaking and heart-breaking. Normally, being captured by a story I would breeze through a book, but The Everlasting was methodical and I didn’t want to ruin the pace of her writing because of my own impatience to see what happens at the end. I’m glad I took my time because that ending was just fabulous. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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 Everlasting

Copyright 2025 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: Mate (Bride #2) by Ali Hazelwood

Serena Paris is orphaned, pack-less, and one of a kind. Coming forward as the first Human-Were hybrid was supposed to heal a centuries-long rift between species. Instead, it made her a target, prey to the ruthless political machinations between Weres, Vampyres, and Humans. With her enemies closing in on her, she has only one option left—if he’ll have her.

As Alpha of the Northwest pack, Koen Alexander commands obedience. His authority is so absolute, only a fool would threaten his mate. It doesn’t matter if Serena doesn’t reciprocate his feelings, nothing will stop him from keeping her safe.

But power-hungry Vampyres and Weres are not the only threats chasing Serena. Sooner or later, her past is bound to catch up with her—and Koen might be the only thing standing between her and total annihilation…

This world is quite a departure for this author, but after devouring Bride, the first novel in this series, I’ve totally bought into this Human, Vampyre, Were world. Each species is so distinct and separate, so when it becomes known that Serena exists she becomes a tool to be used. Serena not only doesn’t want to be used, but she doesn’t have time to be used as a political tool. However, she’s willing to be a red herring so that little Ana will not have any of the focus on her that is now on Serena. This act of self-sacrifice puts her back into the hands of her mate, Alpha- Koen Alexander. It is only with Koen that she feels safe. It is only with Koen that she wants to find a way to survive and thrive.

Serena and Koen’s love story is fraught with political tension, not just inter-species, but also just among the Were’s. Not everyone wants their alpha to be mated to a hybrid. There is also a lot of sexual tension- neither of them are willing to give in to this attraction which creates a lot of frustration. Then something from Serena’s past is revealed that brings a whole new level of danger to the Northwest Were’s. Luckily her mate is alpha enough to face this new danger, but when Serena uses herself as bait it just might be Koen’s breaking point. I loved this danger trifecta in Mate! This book had all the tension! This was a slow burn romance of the best sort, ending with some very satisfactory togetherness. Ahhh, Were love. LOL.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I would recommend reading Bride first as there is some sub-plots that will make more sense if you read this series in order. Enjoy!

Click this link to purchase this book!* Mate

Copyright 2025 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: Inheritance (Hypothesis Series #7) by Penny Reid

28 year old genetics researcher, Samantha Jarlston, isn’t interested in rehashing her past. She only has time to run sequencing experiments, grade lab reports, and avoid handsy assistant professors. When she receives a wedding invitation in the mail between her and her childhood friend chess grandmaster Andreas Kristiansen, she tries to shrug it off. Instead it sets off a series of events that finds her signing a contract to be in a passionless relationship with Andreas, setting in motion revenge against the people who destroyed her family fifteen years ago.

First thing you should know is that despite this being the seventh book in a series, it’s actually the first book in a three-parter about Sam and Andreas. You don’t need to have read the previous six books, but it is set in a world that includes those characters. I’ve read the previous six and I think these stand alone.

As stated above Inheritance is the start of Sam and Andreas story. We learn all about their being best friends as children and Andreas’ slight obsession with Sam. She hasn’t seen him in years, but you can bet he’s been keeping tabs on her. Sam wasn’t as obsessed with Andreas, but she did care for him a lot so when he approaches her with this strange story she listens to him. She now has her own life and goals and doesn’t want to be dragged back into the craziness of their families problems, but something happens that changes her mind and causes her to agree to his crazy plans. I liked the tension the author creates between these two ex-best friends and pitting the two of them against a common enemy is a great way to get my buy in, so I didn’t have a problem eating this book up.

Note- if you, too, are going to read this book you should also know that this three story arc will have each book end in a cliffhanger that will make you angry with the author. The good news is that the second episode in the story comes out pretty quickly after the first, but what should’ve been one book being split into three kind of blows. Having read the first six, this was not unexpected, but I thought you should know.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Inheritance

Copyright 2025 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: Happily Never After by Lynn Painter

Maybe I didn’t care for this book because Sophie and Max, the two main protagonists whose love story I’d be reading, were objectors at weddings. No, that wasn’t it. I actually kind of liked their meet-cute, and how Sophie really got into helping out someone who needed out of their relationship at the wedding, kind of like how Max helped her. Maybe I didn’t care for it that much because Sophie argued a little too sternly over how she didn’t believe in love, even though she had this great guy who was obviously interested in her, and who she had amazing chemistry with? Maybe I also didn’t care for how long it took for Sophie to take those I hate love blinders off? Maybe it was because Max let Sophie keep up that barrier between them, again despite their great chemistry?

I don’t know exactly what bothered me, but for some reason, for the very first time in my experience, as a Lynn Painter fan, I didn’t care for one of her books. At first I did. I thought it started off different and cute, but Sophie and Max were too jaded about love. Both of them fought so hard against having these feelings for each other that I kind of gave up on them. Well, I did finish the book, but it was really hard to finish a book that I lost my “like” for. You know what I mean, when you push yourself to just finish the book already. That was me with Happily Never After. I just really didn’t care for it. That’s the thing though, just because I didn’t like it doesn’t mean you won’t! ❤️❤️❣️

*There was still some great dialogue that I’ve come to expect from this author so it wasn’t a total losss.

Click this link to purchase this book! Happily Never After

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: An Unwanted Heir (Fractured Conclave #4) by Vanessa Nelson

Hallie has always wanted to travel and when she’s invited to join an investigation by Conclave investigatory, Girard Abbott, to help with a murder out in the country she jumps at the chance to join the group. The murder has happened at the estate of Cotovatre, one of the most powerful people in the world, but also someone whom Hallie has a personal connection. This is her chance to get to know Cotovatre a bit better and to use her magic to help solve the case.

This is the fourth novel in the series and it is recommended that you read this series in order, because there are parts to the story that are a continuation from earlier books. Also, reading all the books in order will give you a great appreciation of how this author has built this world, and how these characters connect and have grown since the first novel. In An Unwanted Heir, we are seeing a Hallie that is very different than the person we met in the first novel.

At Cotovatre’s estate one of the members of the Conclave have been murdered in a gruesome manner and Hallie, Girard, and their team are snowed in with a group of the most powerful people in the country, one of whom may be the murderer. As they investigate Callie’s own relationship to Cotovatre becomes more clear adding another element of tension to a situation that was already extreme. As readers, we have seen the evolution of Hallie and her magic and finally we get the reveals we’ve been waiting for!

Vanessa Nelson, in all of her series, gives our female main character a love interest, but her books are mostly focused on the investigations of her characters, not on romance. This series is a bit different as Hallie and Girard become even closer and “gasp!” even reveal their feelings for each other. I’m a romantic fantasy fan, so this gave me hope that the fifth novel will lead to not only a great mystery but a happily ever after for these two characters. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* An Unwanted Heir

Copyright 2025 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: Fake Skating by Lynn Painter

Dani grew up an army brat, moving around constantly and never making great friends. The only constant in her life was she and her mom’s trips back to Minnesota every summer where she would hang out with her mom’s best friend’s son, Alec who was kind of nerdy and a little soft. They promised they’d always stay in touch, until they didn’t. Five years later and Dani and her mom are back in Minnesota. Her parents are going through a divorce and they will be living with her grandpa for the final few months of her senior year in college. Here she is the new girl again but at least she’d have her friend Alec, right? Only that nerdy little friend has turned into ‘Zeus’ the semi-god who is taking their high school hockey team to the finals. They meet again as strangers and everything is super awkward. When an unlikely series of events has them fake dating they finally face what happened to their friendship and if they can overcome hurt feelings and face the truth.

Lynn Painter sure knows how to paint a great back story for her characters. Dani’s emotional journey from loner who doesn’t want to trust anyone to gradually entrusting her heart to Alec again was really well done. This young adult novel had all the feels of an adult romance without the spice. Dani had all the emotions of an adult and none of the stupid behaviours that come from being a teenager. Alec, was the more juvenile of the two, but that seems par for the course on where young girls and boys are emotionally at that time in their lives. I think Dani also had so much more to forgive and move on from- not just her past with Alec, but the divorce of her parents, and reconnecting with her once close grandfather. The author portrayed all of these things beautifully and I bought into all the plots and sub plots.

Not to say that Alec was one dimensional, because he wasn’t. However, he held onto his grudges much more than Dani so it was easier to get caught up in her journey versus Alec’s. I do love a great hockey story though, so his push to win a championship and move on to college or go pro created conflict for his character that was separate from his feelings on what happened with Dani in the past. I do wish he hadn’t been given the nickname Zeus though, I just hated that moniker. No high schooler is god-like, no matter their athletic prowess.

I really enjoyed this story and Lynn Painter has quickly become a favorite author. No matter if it’s YA or an adult romance, her story’s deliver, and her characters are always real. She’s become a must-buy for me. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Fake Skating

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*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: Tears of the Wolf (Wrath and Weaping #1) by Elisabeth Wheatley

After the murder of her child, Brynn seeks approval for a divorce from her cousin, the king. Heartbroken and still grieving, the king grants that divorce but immediately marries her to Cenric, a warrior from the North. Brynn will be his wife, but also sorceress to his kingdom. With ties to the king, Brynn is too powerful to stay unmarried for long. Cenric needs a sorceress in order to bring legitimacy and security to his homeland but with Brynn comes a lot of political machinations. There are factions in the kingdom that would choose to have a different king, and those factions want to use Brynn to take the crown.

Brynn has been treated horribly by her previous husband and is still grieving her child. Despite her predilection to not trust Cenric his gentleness and honesty start to win her over. She sees that this warrior from the North is a different man that her previous husband and as the story moves forward his honesty starts to win her trust. She starts to believe that happiness might be within reach. Of course, it wouldn’t be romantic fantasy if there weren’t a little conflict. Needless to say, she and Cenric have to fight for their freedom and any happiness that might come their way.

I found this novel to be very well written, easy to read, and the characters well developed and easy to like. I don’t think anyone with a hint of empathy wouldn’t feel badly for Brynn and when she gets her bad @$$ moment to fight for her right to live free, wouldn’t root for her to find happiness with Cenric. I felt like this story was pretty complete, so I’m not sure where a second book would take us, but when it comes out I’ll certainly give it a read and see what kind of journey this author will take me on.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Tears of the Wolf

Copyright 2025 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