Tag: reading

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (2/22/21)

With the storms passing through last week, all I wanted to do this weekend was curl up with a good book! Did I reach for a new book? Nope! I went for the first book in a series that I hadn’t read in awhile. The 6th is coming out this week and after reading it I got curious again about the earlier days of this series. I do that a lot. LOL. Here’s what I was 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

This is the first book in the Alpha and Omega series. It’s an urban fantasy mystery series that is absolutely fantastic. Set in the same world as Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series I had forgotten how much I loved the two main characters Charles and Anna.

JUST STARTED

This one is another re-read although I haven’t read it since it initially came out a year or so ago. It wasn’t my favorite book by this author and I wanted to see if my feelings had changed. I am somewhat struggling to get myself through this one so again I’d have to say that the characters are a little challenging to love. I do love this author a LOT though, she’s one of my favorites.

These are the books that got me through my weekend into my Monday. What are you reading today?

Happy Monday!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads5 Comments

This Chick Read: Passion on Park Avenue (The Central Park Pact #1) by Lauren Layne

Naomi Powell has transformed herself from the poor daughter of a housekeeper to CEO of a Fortune 500 jewelry business but despite her success she’s had trouble putting her past behind her. She receives an invitation to interview for an open apartment in the very same Park Avenue building where she’d lived with her mother when she was a housekeeper. That job ended in embarrassment, living on the streets for a short time, and her mother’s eventual decline. Naomi has held a grudge against the boy she used to know, Oliver Cunningham and his failure to stand up for her to his father. When it is none other than Oliver himself who interviews her for the apartment she does the unexpected and accepts the offer to live next door to him. What she finds is that he and his father are not the people she expected them to be. Can she put the past behind her and take his offer of friendship seriously? Especially when she finds him so attractive?

I’ll admit a great enemies to lovers plot is my favorite romance trope, but there was something more to Passion on Park Avenue. I think it was Naomi’s background and her rags to riches story. Super private, Naomi doesn’t let a lot of people close. The series is based on a female friendship between she and two other women who all got screwed over by the same man, so her mistrust in people seems pretty apt. She does strike up a heartfelt friendship with those ladies so it doesn’t seem to far fetched for her to give Oliver a chance at friendship. Especially once she see’s that he isn’t the boy she remembers. It does take her a little while to get there though. The fact that Oliver wants something a bit more than friendship is something she isn’t ready to give, but their dance towards romance is tension filled and makes for a great story.

There is a surprising amount of depth in this novel. Not just in the premise of the three ladies who become friends when they find out at his funeral that they all were involved with the same man. That is a great way to start but once Naomi’s story gets going we see that hard as nails shell is actually a protective shield to keep her from being hurt like she was over and over by the people she counted on as a child. Her own mother included. Naomi has always had to count on herself, so it’s hard for her to let someone else in her life and doesn’t know how to lean on someone else. It does help that Oliver is taking care of his ill father and despite his strength could use someone to lean on himself. His reasons for never letting a woman get close are pretty obvious. His time is restricted by his father’s needs. Can the two of them get over their misplaced independence and come to rely on each other? Well, this is a romance so you can guess that they do, but their story is worth reading to find out how it happens.

I should mention that I read the second book in this series first, and liked it enough to go back to start the series. I actually liked this novel even better than the second one. I think I’m a sucker for great female fictional friendships. Naomi, Claire, and Audrey have that bond of betrayal that makes them become true friends. They are each totally different than each other, but somehow each of their strengths balance the others weakness. I love that their friendship is just as big a part of the story as the romance, and that story continues through each book and just keeps getting better.

If you’re looking for a light-hearted romance with some depth of character, please give this series a try. This novel was fun, but it also had some emotional moments that had me reaching for a tissue. It was the perfect balance of romance and story. I’m giving it a 4.5 rating for entertainment and striking the right emotional chord. I hope you’ll like it as well. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase!* Passion on Park Avenue (1) (The Central Park Pact)

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved.

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Free (Chaos #6) by Kristen Ashley

Rebel Stapleton’s best friend fell a victim to addiction which led her down the path to her ultimate death. Wanting revenge for her friends death Rebel goes undercover hoping to gather evidence and build a case against the people who killed her. She put her life on the line, which became unacceptable to many people, but mostly to Rush, a man that she hadn’t yet met, but who was determined to protect her.

With a name like Rebel you knew she’d be the perfect girlfriend to a biker guy named Rush. As with many of our alpha hero’s he took one look at her through binoculars no less, and decided she was the one for him. Despite her independence she quickly realized she was in over her head and seemed somewhat relieved that he swooped in to save her. Unfortunately she’d caught the eye of the bad guy who was also determined to make her his own. That was just not going to happen on Rush’s watch.

Free, the title for what might be the last book in this series. A concept that for the men of the Chaos MC means they can live their lives free and clear, having gotten out of the illegal game their predecessors had led them into. It also means that they let other people live their lives and they don’t pass judgement. I liked this concept and them for this book a lot. I just wish the story had been as simple as that theme. Free, the story was a convoluted mix of twists and turns that instead of being a series of reveals for the reader just created more conflict. I’ll admit this novel exhausted me and I’m a fan of this series.

There is always a bit of emotional drama in a KA novel. This had an overabundance of both but what it was missing was a little bit of the humor that balanced all of that dark drama. Some of her other novels found that balance which made those stories more enjoyable to read. This novel was dark after dark, only letting in a small amount of light which would be the romance of Rush and Rebel. I just wish the author hadn’t taken us on the other tangents which I felt were a little unnecessary and tainted my feelings for this book a bit.

So, I had mixed feelings for this book. ❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Free (Chaos Series Book 7)

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (2/15/21)

I’ve found my mood has changed slightly over the past week, probably because of the impeachment trial taking over our airwaves, and my reading choices changed to more intricately told stories than the romances I’d been reading. It’s interesting how my reading mood changes with what has gone on around me. It really does influence my choices. Do you feel the same way?

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 am rarely disappointed in one of JD Robb’s In Death futuristic murder mysteries. This is book #50 in the series, which I’m sure was a landmark number. I can’t think of another series that has this many novels in it. It was a solid story that held my interest, wasn’t too gruesome in gory details, and did well on leaving me satisfied and feeling vindicated at the ending. All in all a solid story for a fiftieth novel! The 52nd just came out so I’m a little behind. She writes incredibly quickly!

JUST STARTED

Written by Nalini Singh who is known for her paranormal romances, Quiet in her Bones is a departure. Set in New Zealand, it’s an atmospheric murder mystery. I just started this novel but I can already feel the sinister nature of the story and can’t wait to really dig in.

What mood have you been in this week? Are you pining for a good romance? Or like me, are you needing the gritty mystery to solve and feel redeemed? Please let me know what you’re reading in the comments. I always find new books based upon you all’s input!

Happy Monday!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads5 Comments

This Chick Read: Unleashing Mr. Darcy by Teri Wilson

I have had this novel on my wishlist at the library for-ever. I found myself gravitating towards it I think because during this pandemic I can only concentrate on lighter novels and this one sure fit the boot!

Amateur dog show enthusiast and teacher Elizabeth Scott has recently run into trouble at her Manhattan upper crust school when she fails one of her students and has a run in with his wealthy father. Instead of believing her story her school puts her on “vacation” as they investigate the situation. So, Elizabeth turns to her true love her dog Bliss and shows her in an east coast dog show judged by dog breeder and English Billionaire Donovan Darcy. Sparks go flying when she takes umbrage to his treatment of her and he’s intrigued by this sassy American woman. When she gets a part time job helping show dogs in England she ends up living across the street from Donovan Darcy. Their paths cross and the sparks become something more.

This was a fun story that was easy to read and written with a lighthearted sense of humor. I didn’t take the story seriously but it took my mind off the news cycle and helped me sleep a little better. That sounds kind of weird when I read that back but it’s true! Written in 2013 this novel could be read anytime and wasn’t dated at all. I loved the dog show aspect of the story and couldn’t help but visualize the campy movie Dog Show while I read some of those scenes.

Elizabeth was only slightly annoying in that she couldn’t seem to see past the fact that Donovan had a lot of money and she was treated horribly by a wealthy man despite Donovan being completely different. In fact, she ran really hot and cold with him. At times I wondered why he stuck around, but it wouldn’t be a romance novel if he left her and went off to do his own thing! 🙂

If you are also looking for lighter novels, try Teri Wilson’s Unleashing Mr. Darcy. It was cute and fun and didn’t take a lot of brainwaves to read. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase! Unleashing Mr. Darcy

Copyright 2020 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: A Stranger in Town (Casey Duncan #6) by Kelley Armstrong

Casey and Eric find dead tourists in the woods who look like they have been attacked. When one of that group is found alive they take her back to Rockton but have to restrain her because she is totally out of her mind hallucinating and speaking a foreign language. As the law in their small town Casey and her boyfriend Sheriff need to find out who did this and if those people will be threatening their town.

I have read every one of the novels in this series and A Stranger in Town does a great job of answering some of the many questions that readers have had about these characters and the city they live in. How did Rockton get started? Who is the “council”? How did the separate colonies split off? How did one of them go crazy? I’m not going to spoil the novel by telling you any of these answers but I will say that there were a couple of surprises and the answers are definitely worth reading.

I have enjoyed reading about these characters and watching the evolution of their relationships with each other. When Casey’s sister April became the doctor in Rockton and all of their past ill feelings towards each other was brought to light I loved how reading Casey’s inner conflict and watching her struggle to read an exchange with her sister with the knowledge she now has as an adult is fascinating. I really like how they are using this experience in being in this small town of 100-150 people to really repair their relationship. Another relationship that has kept going through an evolution is the one between Casey and her boyfriend Eric. They are most definitely in love, but that has not kept them from hurting each other by seeing situations through their past individual experiences. Of course we all do that but in their case, Eric was raised in Rockton from a small child, and Casey’s experiences are from outside. Those differences have crafted their personalities and in this novel we see them actively dis-engaging from those experiences to treat each other in a more healthy manner.

The mystery in this novel was intricate, fun, kind of gross, and turned everyone on their heads. The best kind of mystery, right? So why do I get the feeling this author might be finished with this series? I can only hope I’m wrong because i’m not done with these characters, I’d really like to see them go through another evolution perhaps raising a family or a litter of puppies.

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! A Stranger in Town: A Rockton Novel (Casey Duncan Novels, 6)

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (2/8/21)

Here is the US it’s the day after the Super Bowl and if you’re a football fan, like I am you stayed up late watching the game. Despite your feelings about the teams playing, it’s hard not to get caught up in the food and entertainment. Of course, this year it was just our family pod watching around our TV with no outside guests but we still fixed up some fun appetizer’s and watched the beginning of the game together. Despite this football excitement I did manage to finish a book last night. Yep, I watched football and read at the same time. It’s a hard habit to break. Here is what I finished and what I’ll be reading starting today.

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

The first in the Wild West MC series and it won’t be the last in the series I’ll read. I was pleasantly surprised again that this novel was again, just like the Dream Maker series, a return to this author’s older style of writing. More story than detailed romantic scenes. Thank goodness!

JUST STARTED

Well, I haven’t started a book and don’t know which one I’m going to turn to. This is kind of unusual for me as I usually have them stacked up! I do have a couple of ARC’s due in a couple of weeks so I will probably get started on the following novel. Don’t hold me to it because another cover may catch my eye and divert me!

What great book is sitting on your nightstand waiting for you to return and pick it up this evening? Please let me know in the comments. You never know, your pick could be the one that diverts me away from Quiet in her Bones!

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads10 Comments

This Chicks Audio Review: Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1) by Charlaine Harris

Sookie is a waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sounds pretty normal, right? Well, Sookie is not your average pretty blonde who serves customers for tips. Well, she does do that, but she also has to try really hard not to listen in to their thoughts. You see, Sookie can hear what people are thinking and she has to throw up walls in her head to keep them out of it. When a vampire comes in to her bar and sits at her table Sookie is completely captivated. You see, she doesn’t have to keep his thoughts out. He’s silent, and because of this he’s very attractive to Sookie. She’s not afraid of his vampirism, but once she gets to know him she see’s that there are many things she doesn’t like about the world of vampires. In this first novel in the series that birthed a popular HBO series called True Blood, we get to know the people of Bon Temps, as well as the others that live on the fringes of this town.

I read this series as they originally came out. This novel was published in 2001, 20 years ago. When the series True Blood came out, I was initially excited. However, I’m one of those people who believe that the series didn’t capture the tone of the original novels and although set in Bon Temps and having the same characters, can’t really claim to be the same series. I still have all of these books on my shelf, but truthfully, haven’t picked one up again because the goriness of that series is the image that my mind recalls instead of the original stories and the heart their characters portray. I am a huge fan of listening to some of the series I’ve read and when I saw the first two novels in this series on sale I decided to re-visit Sookie, Bill, and the characters I used to love and I am so happy I did! They were dark, but the humor and heart were exactly as I remembered and I really enjoyed Johanna Parker’s narration. She nailed Sookie’s character and read this novel with the naiveté and resolve that this character deserved. If, like me, the tv series turned you off and tainted your memories of these books, give these audiobooks a try. I truly was pleasantly surprised.

Dead Until Dark as the first novel in the series is an introduction to Bon Temps and the world Charlaine Harris created. We get to know Sookie, Bill the vampire, Sam her werewolf boss, and other fan favorite characters. Sookie stumbles upon some murders and is determined to help solve the mystery when her brother is implicated and is about to be charged. She knows he didn’t do it, because she hears people’s thoughts, but she has to help find proof. Her bright eyed optimism sets the stage for how Sookie lives and the reader can’t help but be charmed by her, but also by how she see’s the world. The secondary story of her relationship with Bill is also intriguing because he is her first boyfriend. These two stories intertwine and I am once again reminded why I loved these books originally and am so happy that fate decided to place them on sale in front of me. 🙂 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood, Book 1)

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads3 Comments

This Chick Read: Dream Maker (Dream Team #1) by Kristen Ashley

Evie Gardner is a technological genius but her family has always held her back. Always being asked to bail them out, or support them when they don’t have any cash she’s held off on her plans for her own life and taken a job at Smithie’s as a stripper. Only by showing herself off can she make enough money to save for college, if she wasn’t always having to hand it over to them. When her brothers bad choices land him in jail again, Evie expects to be called to fund his release. Instead she’s asked to meet with a sketchy guy who hands her a bag of drugs to keep safe. Thankfully she has Danny Magnussen on hand to help her deal with the fallout from that bag getting stolen. Now her family has put her life on the line and that is just not cool!

A true throw back to Kristen Ashley’s Rock Chick series, this was a fun romp that was more story than action, thank goodness! When this author started her career she mastered the women in jeopardy story, but one thing set hers apart. Her ladies had a girl clan that also rose to the occasion, not letting their alpha guys save the day and steal the show. OK, maybe those guys save the day but it’s nice to have a girl group to lean on and let loose with and the Dream Team is no different than the Rock Chick’s except they might have better heads on their shoulders.

Danny “Mag” Magnussan is not one of the Hot Guys, he’s one of the Commando’s and it was interesting to get a behind the scenes look at Hawk’s commando team and “where they are now.” Danny seems the perfect match for Evie, willing to step in and keep her safe but not wanting her to change who she is. I liked their balance of help and support they gave each other in this novel and it added a different element to KA’s normal action adventure sequence. It didn’t take away from the fun at all and added depth to their colorful life.

If you’re in the mood for an easy read, this series is a fun romp down memory lane. It was fun to re-visit characters from other series, but even more it gave me hope that this author might turn away from some of the hard core physical activity that she’s been writing more recently. This book was fun, sexy, and had a good girl gang. You can’t beat that for your weekend read! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase! Dream Maker (Dream Team Book 1)

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (2/1/21)

I have my reading mojo back! I’m not sure what triggered it but I have been able to enjoy not only books I’ve read before, but new books and I’m able to concentrate on the plots. yay! Seriously, though it’s been tough these last 8 months. I read about 60 books less in 2020 than in 2019 so it’s nice to be upping my book count again. I will admit, that I’m still reaching for old favorites, but I am reading many more new to me novels as well. Here is what I’ve been 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 love the Fever series, but I had been holding back on reading High Voltage because it focused on Dani who hadn’t been one of my favorite characters. I LOVE Mackenna and Barrons and Dani and Ryodan were just ‘eh’ for me. However, having now read this novel and like them so much more. I understand them more. Are they my favorite characters now? No. I am glad I read their story and a new book in the series is coming out next month so I needed to get this one read!

JUST STARTED

You will definitely be seeing this book on my list for the books I’m looking forward to being released in March. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this novel and jumped it ahead (which I never do!) because an Urban Fantasy mystery sounded like just what I needed to round out my reading this month. Anna and Charles are fascinating and although I just started this one, it is off to a great start!

I have mixed in some romance novels with the Urban Fantasy books you see above. What am I missing? Let me know what books you’re reading that may or may not need to be added to my TBR?

Happy Monday!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads6 Comments