Tag: romance

This Chick Read: Identity by Nora Roberts

Morgan Albright is finally putting down roots. She’s working two jobs, has purchased her own small house, and lives with her friend Nina. She’s right on track to start that new business she’s been hoping to start up. When she meets IT Specialist, Luke, at the bar where she’s working on a rare night off she cooks him dinner at her home with her roommate and her boyfriend. Soon after, her house is broken into, Nina is murdered, and her carefully planned life is gone. All her money and identity stolen. Devastated and broke, Morgan returns home to live with her mother and grandmother in Vermont and slowly starts picking up the pieces of her life. Until the con-man who took away her comfortable life decides to fixate on the woman who got away and her new life is threatened.

Nora Roberts writes a great romantic thriller. I was immediately wrapped up in the safe world of Morgan Albright and was devastated right along with her when her life was stolen and her friend murdered. Rooting for her world to get better, when Morgan meets Miles, while working in his families resort the author gives the reader something solid to hold onto while diverting our attention with brief chapters from the murderers perspective. The back and forth from happiness to uncertainty keeps the reader on the edge of their seat waiting for Morgan’s life to get ripped out from underneath her again. That’s Nora Roberts at her best.

Another thing I love about her novels is that she writes great friendships and families. Morgan’s mom and grandmother are both strong, vibrant women, and models of strength for Morgan to tie herself to. I loved reading their scenes and getting to know these characters that were so loving and loved. Miles too had a great family and their dinners showed Miles off as warmer than his taciturn nature in public represented. Thank goodness. Otherwise I’d have wondered about Morgan’s attraction. He wasn’t surly or anything, he was just a quiet, strong hero. A little harder to like than Morgan, but as a duo they were a good fit.

If you’re like me and you look forward to Nora Roberts romantic suspense novels, I think you’ll enjoy this one. It definitely hits the right notes- danger, heartbreak, and love. 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!* Identity

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: The Comeback Summer by Ali Brady

Sisters Hannah and Libby inherit the PR agency their beloved grandmother built and are struggling to keep the doors open. Fired by clients, they can barely pay the bills when they are approached by self- help aficionado and author of the “Crush Your Comfort Zone” program who dangles her business in front of them with one caveat. They must complete her program in the next twelve weeks. Determined to win this client Hannah must go on twelve dates in twelve weeks and Libby must compete with her sister in a team obstacle course race. Determined to help each other succeed these two sisters spend the summer learning a lot about each other and their own selves.

More fiction than romance, The Comeback Summer is the story about overcoming insecurities, learning how to get outside your comfort zone, and fight for what you want in life. Libby is the older sister who has always suffered from body self-esteem issues, so going from couch potato to obstacle race runner is a big step but her sister helps her step by step. On the flip side, Hannah had the same boyfriend for eight years and has trouble putting herself out into the dating world. She still has trauma from being in a secure relationship to not understanding why she was dumped. Knowing this will be hard for her sister Libby steps in to help with the matchmaking apps, finding and setting up her sister on some safe dates. At the beginning of the book you really see how these sisters are there for each other, but it’s when the conflict enters their lives in the form of Hannah’s old boyfriend coming back to town, and Libby falling for one of the men on the app she is monitoring for her sister that we see that their relationship may need some work.

The romances in this book were secondary to the relationship between Hannah and Libby. A big romance fan, I thought I’d struggle with this but I actually liked how the sisters were what drove the story. Not to say there wasn’t any romance because both sisters found some and those scenes were sizzling, but there was purpose behind the timing of those scenes that moved Hannah and Libby’s characters forward towards crushing their comfort zone’s.

If you’re looking for a strong sister story, look no further than The Comeback Summer. I liked these two ladies and was happy to read about their journey of self discovery over this one summer. Yes, they also found love but the stronger plot was the familial story between Hannah and Libby. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

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 Comeback Summer

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Pretend You’re Mine (Benevolence #1) by Lucy Score

Rushing from her home with only her keys in her hand after finding her boyfriend cheating on her, Harper runs away and ends up in a bar in the small town of Benevolence, where she sees a man about to hit a woman in the parking lot. Racing straight towards danger, Harper leaps to the rescue and ends up with a bruised eye to go along with her bruised ego. She comes to looking into the eyes of Luke Garrison who rides to her rescue, allowing her to sleep at his home for the night. When his sister comes up with a crazy idea for Harper to pretend to be Luke’s new girlfriend for the month he’s on leave before shipping off to the National Guard, a plan that’s supposed to get his mother off his back, Harper hesitantly agrees. Luke’s strong protective instincts and the friendly town of Benevolence feels like the home she’s been looking for, but she’s cautious to believe in her feelings after being burned more than once before.

Pretend You’re Mine is written by the bestselling author Lucy Score and was written in 2018. Having read her more recent novels, this one does seem a little less structured and has a LOT more heat between the sheets. Harper was a pretty easy character to like. She’s had a tough life, her parents having died when she was young so she grew up in the foster care system. She wants to belong somewhere, but things never seem to work out for her. She agrees to this crazy scheme of pretending to be Luke’s girlfriend because he makes her feel safe and she is super attracted to him. Luke is just about to go back to the National Guard for a six month tour of duty. He let’s his sister talk him into this but he doesn’t really want someone in his life. He has a secret in his past that holds him back from allowing him to feel something for Harper. Of course, he does despite his best interests but he has an internal battle on his hands before they get their hea.

Lucy Score always writes great secondary characters into her novels and this one was no different. I can easily see how Benevolence will have a series of books because there are some great characters that need their stories told! I’m looking forward to reading the other books in this series. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Pretend You’re Mine

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Meet Me At the Lake by Carley Fortune

Fern’s life is not what or where she thought it would be, back where she grew up, running her mother’s lakefront resort. Her dreams of opening up her own coffee shop left behind in Toronto, along with her memories of a 24 hours she spent with Will Baxter. A 24 hours that had changed her life. Both of them young, and the timing wrong, they spend a day exploring Toronto together and agree to meet one year later at her mother’s resort. A meeting that does not end up happening until 9 years later. Will shows up at her door offering her the help she desperately needs, to fix this failing resort that her mother had loved so much.

After having read her debut novel, Every Summer After, I knew that if Carley Fortune kept writing I would keep reading her books. Her style of writing is deep, emotional, yet also has a lightness that reflects the settings that she keeps choosing- the lake. In this novel, Fern’s life has imploded with her mother’s death and her being left the resort to run. A resort that is failing and needs a new life, one that Fern isn’t sure she has to give. Until Will shows up. This 9 years older Will is much different than the artist that she fell in love with long ago. He now wears suits and runs a company, and seems to have given up his own dreams. Despite these differences their feelings for each other still lie beneath the surface waiting to be explored.

Meet Me At the Lake is one of those sneaky novels that has layers of emotions that are revealed slowly one chapter at a time. Sometimes I feel impatient when reading a slow moving novel but Carley Fortune sets a smooth pace that feels exactly right, each emotion and particular about a character revealed when it should for the utmost impact. Fern and Will’s reconnection built slowly towards that moment when they gave in to these feelings, but giving in didn’t solve all of their problems and the story didn’t end. I loved that! There were more reveals awaiting the reader and more emotions to be explored.

I’m reading this book in March but it definitely has that vacation beach vibe feel. It is the perfect novel to read when you can occasionally glance up to check the view of the ocean (or lake!) in front of you and then delve back into these fantastic characters who were meant to be together. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I was given 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!* Meet Me At the Lake

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (5/1/23)

Have you ever read a book by an author you love but that reading it is emotional torture? One of the books below was that book for me. Oh my goodness, I chose the audiobook, which can be torture in itself because you are held to the speed the narrator reads it. There is no skipping ahead without missing some of the content which I couldn’t do because I was so invested! I’ll tell you more below.

JUST FINISHED

TORTURE! OK, it was tortuously good, but it was also tortuously emotional. I balled, I mean seriously cried for four hours while listening to this book. This was a box of tissues kind of book for me. Great characters, I loved the friendships, and Wyn and Harriet? OMG.

JUST STARTED

I really like Kelly Bowen’s historical fiction novels and the synopsis for this one really drew me in. The story is told using flashback sequences between WWII and French/Dutch resistance fighters and the current story of two sisters who purchase a chateau and are fixing it up. They discover documents that reference the resistance fighters which tie the two time frames together. I’m really enjoying it so far!

Have a great Monday and happy reading!

Deb

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This Chick’s Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Most Anticipated Book Releases – May 2023

We are getting closer to summer vacations so what does that mean? Summer book release time! You bet, May is a big beach read, summer vacation releasing mega- launch time. There are a ton of good books and as usual I had a hard time picking only 5. If you don’t agree with mine, please do a Google search and find your own top 5. You won’t want to miss out on these great book launches.

#5 BOOK RELEASE

A debut novel that is both touching and funny, Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is flying under your radar, but if you love sweet romances it deserves a first, second, and third look.

Synopsis: Millicent Watts-Cohen is on a mission. When she promised her elderly best friend that she’d reunite her with the woman she fell in love with nearly eighty years ago, she never imagined that would mean traveling from D.C. to Key West with three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash’s remains in her backpack. But Millie’s determined to give her friend a symbolic happily-ever-after, before it’s (really) too late—and hopefully reassure herself of love’s lasting power in the process.

She just didn’t expect to have a living travel companion.

After a computer glitch grounds flights, Millie is forced to catch a ride with Hollis Hollenbeck, an also-stranded acquaintance from her ex’s MFA program. Hollis certainly does not believe in happily-ever-afters—symbolic or otherwise—and makes it quite clear that he can’t fathom Millie’s plan ending well for anyone.

But as they contend with peculiar bed-and-breakfasts, unusual small-town festivals, and deer with a death wish, Millie begins to suspect that her reluctant travel partner might enjoy her company more than he lets on. Because for someone who supposedly doesn’t share her views on romance, Hollis sure is becoming invested in the success of their journey. And the closer they get to their destination, the more Millie has to admit that maybe this trip isn’t just about Mrs. Nash’s love story after all—maybe it’s also about her own.

Click this link to purchase this book- Mrs. Nash’s Ashes

#4 BOOK RELEASE

I love a good romantic suspense novel by Nora Roberts! This one was edgy, dark, whimsical, and sweet. Confusing adjectives when put together, but it had a lot of moments that touched on each. Purchase this copy for your next beach vacation.

Synopsis:

Former Army brat Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her friend and roommate Nina helps her make the mortgage payments, as does Morgan’s job as a bartender. But after she and Nina host their first dinner party—attended by Luke, the flirtatious IT guy who’d been chatting her up at the bar—her carefully built world is shattered. The back door glass is broken, cash and jewelry are missing, her car is gone, and Nina lies dead on the floor.

Soon, a horrific truth emerges: It was Morgan who let the monster in. “Luke” is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets a particular type of woman, steals her assets and identity, and then commits his ultimate goal: murder.

What the FBI tells Morgan is beyond chilling. Nina wasn’t his type. Morgan is. Nina was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Morgan’s nightmare is just beginning. Soon she has no choice but to flee to her mother’s home in Vermont. While she struggles to build something new, she meets another man, Miles Jameson. He isn’t flashy or flirtatious, and his family business has deep roots in town. But Gavin is still out there hunting new victims, and he hasn’t forgotten the one who got away.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Identity

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase a book through one of these links I’ll receive a small stipend.

#3 BOOK RELEASE

I loved this author’s last novel ‘A Thousand Miles’ and this plot looks poignant and different. I’m curious!

Synopsis: When a divorced woman attends a sleepaway camp for adults, she reconnects with a man from her past—only to fall head over heels for his sister instead. 
 
Garland Moore used to believe in magic, the power of optimism, and signs from the universe. Then her husband surprised her with divorce papers over Valentine’s Day dinner. Now Garland isn’t sure what to believe anymore, except that she’s clearly never meant to love again. When new friends invite her to spend a week at their reopened sleepaway camp, she and her sister decide it’s an opportunity to enjoy the kind of summer getaway they never had as kids. If Garland still believed in signs, this would sure seem like one. Summer camp is a chance to let go of her past and start fresh.
 
Nestled into the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, Camp Carl Cove provides the exact escape Garland always dreamed of, until she runs into Mason—the man she had a premonition about after one brief meeting years ago. No matter how she tries to run, the universe appears determined to bring love back into Garland’s life. She even ends up rooming with Mason’s sister Stevie, a vibrant former park ranger who is as charming as she is competitive. The more time Garland spends with Stevie, the more the signs confuse her. The stars are aligning in a way Garland never could have predicted.
 
Amid camp tournaments and moonlit dances, Garland continues to be pulled toward the beautiful blonde outdoorswoman who makes her laugh and swoon. Summer camp doesn’t last forever, but if Garland can learn to trust her heart, the love she finds there just might.

Click this link to purchase this book!* That Summer Feeling

#2 BOOK RELEASE

Carley Fortune’s novels are the epitome of lake vacation reading. This one also has the word lake in the title so it’s a no brainer. I’ve read this book and it’s sweet, emotional, and gives you a little jolt of finding out what happens if you follow your dreams and ‘what if’s’.

Synopsis:

Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in the city. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn’t.

At thirty-two, Fern’s life doesn’t look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern’s back home, running her mother’s lakeside resort—something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend’s the manager, and Fern doesn’t know where to begin.

She needs a plan—a lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern’s going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago. Will is hiding something, and Fern’s not sure she wants to know what it is. 

Click this link to purchase this book!* Meet Me at the Lake

MY TOP BOOK RELEASE FOR MAY 2023!

Can you really pass up a Christina Lauren book during the summer? Well, I can’t at any time of the year, but especially when the weather is warm and I’m able to spend a little time outdoors with a great book. This one looks like fun!

Synopsis: Felicity “Fizzy” Chen is lost. Sure, she’s got an incredible career as a beloved romance novelist with a slew of bestsellers under her belt, but when she’s asked to give a commencement address, it hits her: she hasn’t been practicing what she’s preached.

Fizzy hasn’t ever really been in love. Lust? Definitely. But that swoon-worthy, can’t-stop-thinking-about-him, all-encompassing feeling? Nope. Nothing. What happens when the optimism she’s spent her career encouraging in readers starts to feel like a lie?

Connor Prince, documentary filmmaker and single father, loves his work in large part because it allows him to live near his daughter. But when his profit-minded boss orders him to create a reality TV show, putting his job on the line, Connor is out of his element. Desperate to find his romantic lead, a chance run-in with an exasperated Fizzy offers Connor the perfect solution. What if he could show the queen of romance herself falling head-over-heels for all the world to see? Fizzy gives him a hard pass—unless he agrees to her list of demands. When he says yes, and production on The True Love Experiment begins, Connor wonders if that perfect match will ever be in the cue cards for him, too.

The True Love Experiment is the book fans have been waiting for ever since Fizzy’s debut in the New York Times bestselling The Soulmate Equation. But when the lights come on and all eyes are on her, it turns out the happily ever after Fizzy had all but given up on might lie just behind the camera.

Click this link to purchase this book!* The True Love Experiment

I know, I know, my book choices tend to trend lighter in the summer and I’m sure there are some great literary fiction novels coming out as well. Here’s your chance to tell me what books you’re looking forward to!

Happy Reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (4/24/23)

Do you have a favorite genre or sub-genre in your favorite genre? I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for a great fantasy novel, but when it’s a romantic fantasy, I am in my dream sub-genre. Another sub-genre I love is a great sports romance. I’ll admit that a lot of times I’m really disappointed because I’m a girl who likes a little sports references in my sports romances and I don’t always get that, but I thought the book I just finished did a good job at delivering the goods. Let’s get to it and remember, feel free to chime in on what you’re reading as well!

JUST FINISHED

Surprisingly, there wasn’t a ton of angst in this Devney Perry novel. I’ve read a few and I had it in my had that there would be a lot of inner turmoil. There was a bit, but this was a solid second chance sports romance! I enjoyed the main characters and the setting. I don’t see a lot of books set in Montana on a college coaching staff. I was entertained!

JUST STARTED

An older book of Lucy Score’s that is having a re-release. Finally Mine is the sequel to Pretend You’re Mine which I enjoyed. I wish the author hadn’t spent so much time recapping a story I’ve already read. That plot device is one that drives me crazy- I don’t need to see the same plot through the eyes of another character, thank you very much. However, unless a book is horrible, which this isn’t, I will see it through to the end. I’m skimming all the bits I’ve read though.

I hope you’re Monday is off to a great start! Happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Two Wrongs Make A Right- by Chloe Liese

Bea and Jamie have a disastrous first meeting, with Bea dumping not one, but two drinks on Jamie and he grumpily staring and declaring his disinterest. However, their friends are in love and they keep pushing them together thinking they are the perfect match. When they find themselves on a blind date with each other they agree to pretend that they are in love in order to get their friends off their back. As they spend time with each other they quickly find their friends just might have been right.

I found this novel on an Amazon Best Romances of 2022 list and I am not going to disagree. Two Wrongs Make a Right has a premise that has been done a thousand times before but in this instance it’s with two characters who are so unique and original that the kind of tired trope becomes something new and refreshing. Artistic, tattooed Bea, lives with her sister who has recently fallen in love with conservative, glasses and sweater wearing pediatrician Jamie. So at first sight, they seem to be complete opposites, but Bea falls on the autistic spectrum and is recovering from a bad breakup. Jamie is a successful pediatrician but he has horrible anxiety and doesn’t do well in crowds- he also has a difficult family whose expectations are hard to live up to. They both are a bit of a mess, but find in each other the support that they need. It’s a wonderful love story that moves slowly but there are so many emotional reveals that impact the story that it gives the reader a feeling of moving much more rapidly than it actually does.

Once Bea and Jamie get past the awkwardness of seeing through their bad first-meet, they quickly come to realize that they have a friendship that can be concrete. They go from avoiding each other to seeking each other out, and that story is emotion filled and wonderful. I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed getting to know these characters and reading their story. Don’t let the cover fool you, this novel has depth that rises above the fluff of the artwork and delivers an impact that will leave the reader surprised and completely satisfied.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Two Wrongs Make A Right

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (4/17/23)

The weather is gorgeous, we can now see what plants have died over the winter and need replanting, and flowers are starting to bud. YET I’m still finding time to read. I should just start every one of these posts with “Life is moving forward and yes, I am still reading”. Truly! I will always find the time to read at some point in a week so no new surprises there. What might surprise you was that I found one of the books I read below in a New York Times article on romance novels and agree with that writer. This was a surprising book!

JUST FINISHED

Have I mentioned how much I dislike the male chest romance covers? I know there are people who love them but typically I stay away from those books. However, I saw this book mentioned in an article about good romance novels and since it was a Kindle Unlimited novel I borrowed it. I was surprised by this one folks! The characters were great, the love story had depth, and I learned a ton about raising chickens. Who’d a thunk it? If you have KU you should check this one out. It was good!

JUST STARTED

Since I literally just finished the previous novel I’m not quite certain what I will start, however after the last success I may read ‘On the Hustle’ which was also mentioned as a great romance novel in that same list. It looks cute!

If you’d like to start a conversation about your own list of books, or a novel you particularly liked, please comment below. 🙂

Have a happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (4/10/23)

It was a busy week leading up to a holiday weekend, so there wasn’t a lot of time for reading, but I did manage to squeeze in a few minutes. I mean, come on, there’s always time to read, right?

JUST FINISHED

Four ex-stars of a teen tv show are roped back into a reunion show after 13 years apart. An unexpected meltdown led to a cancellation of their popular show, leaving a lot of questions unanswered. Although not my typical choice, I thought it was an interesting story and a quick read. Made me glad that I wasn’t a child star, that’s for sure!

JUST STARTED

A re-release of a book that came out in 2018, Pretend You’re Mine is a small town romance with quite a bit of heat between our two main characters! I’m half way through the story and see glimpses of what has made Lucy Score such a popular writer. Her characters are funny, relatable, and have real life problems, making them very easy to relate to. A fun weekend of reading!

Happy belated Easter everyone! Have a great Monday and happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments