Tag: romance

This Chick Read: The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa

Solange Perreira is helping out her wedding planner cousin at an event when she accidently spies the bride in a situation that makes her believe this wedding just isn’t meant to be. When the minister makes the announcement about anyone objecting, Solange finds herself speaking out, saving the groom from a lifetime without love. What she doesn’t know is that Dean Chapman, the groom, didn’t want a loving marriage, he wanted a bride to help him make partner in his law firm. Back at work the next week, Dean finds himself in need of another “partner” and calls on Solange to be his pretend girlfriend. She agree’s, with rules, but those rules are bound for breaking because their chemistry is hard to resist.

I liked this story, but there was something that was holding me back from loving it. I loved Solange, her family, culture, and personality. She was someone who I’d definitely want in my own friend circle and I couldn’t imagine anyone not being bound by her charm. Dean was a little harder to like, which I think was the point of the novel, truthfully. He was driven by his career and wanted a partner in life, but not a love match. Of course, this is a romance novel, so I knew where it would lead me but I got a little frustrated at how hard he fought his feelings for Solange. There was definitely attraction between them, and the book had plenty of heat, but I like a little more buy in from the love interest and I didn’t get that until the end of the book.

I loved, loved, loved Solange’s family and culture. Her Brazilian heritage was warm, wonderful, and family was at the center of her life. I’m not Brazilian but this story and Solange’s character painted such a pretty picture of what family means to that culture, and it made me want to read more. Dean’s white bread lifestyle paled in comparison. That might have been another reason he was harder to warm up to.

The Wedding Crasher had moments of humor and was easy to read but it was the warmth this author brought to Solange’s character and her hilariously vibrant family) are the reasons why I gave this novel a four rating. I was happy that she brought that light to Dean because his character needed a shot of life. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book! The Wedding Crasher

Copyright 2022 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 American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

Rosie Graham wrote a startlingly popular romance novel and quit her full-time job to give focus to writing her second novel. Is it going well? No. She has a horrible case of writer’s block. When her apartment ceiling caves in she packs her bags and heads over to her best friend’s empty apartment (The Spanish Love Deceptions heroine, Lina) and tries to not freak out about her bad luck. That bad luck continues when she calls the cops on her friend’s cousin Lucas, who is also there to take advantage of his newly married cousin’s empty apartment. They decide to share the space while they both try to get their lives back together, Lucas offering to help her out of her writer’s block by setting the stage for some “friendly” experimental dates and the sparks fly. Needless to say, it’s not just her writing that catches fire.

Elena Armas debut novel, The Spanish Love Deception, was one of my favorite romances from last year so I was super excited to finally read The American Roommate Experiment. While the previous novel had my favorite enemies to lovers trope, I was certain this novel would be just as cute. I was right and I was wrong. I really liked both of these characters and enjoyed their story. Lucas was completely adorable and while going through his own identity crisis brought the Latin heat to this story. Rosie, also was sweet and her crush on Lucas was adorable to read so I don’t understand why it didn’t hit the same note as The Spanish Love Deception. Maybe if felt slightly safe and was a story that has been told before and this one didn’t differentiate itself from the pack.

What could’ve helped make this novel great? Both characters didn’t open up to each other until the very end, and there wasn’t enough of a journey towards that moment of realization. Lucas was avoiding his own issues while Rosie was trying to face hers so there was a disparity that held them back and that felt a little disjointed. I know this is totally minor and like I said, I liked them both as well as a lot of moments in the story but with a couple of tweaks, I think this could’ve been as great as her first novel, instead of just good. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The American Roommate Experiment

Copyright 2022 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 Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Most Anticipated Book Releases – Jan’23

If you’re wondering how I find out about book releases, I’ll give you my secret. There isn’t one. Ha! I look at the Goodreads list of January’23 book releases which is based upon people clicking “want to read”. I’ll admit to reading a couple of blog posts as well because some bloggers are genre specific and I’ll find more obscure books by favorite authors who may not be as mainstream, but I generally rely on Goodreads. I’m often amazed by surprise releases that I haven’t heard anything about. I have one or two of those in my top 5 this month. Let me know if you are surprised by any of my picks!

#5 BOOK RELEASE

This is the sequel novella to Rogerson’s A Sorcery of Thorns, which I loved. Despite the short length, I’m excited to see what these characters are up to.

Synopsis:

Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Now that their demon companion Silas has returned, so has scrutiny from nosy reporters hungry for gossip about the city’s most powerful sorcerer and the librarian who stole his heart. But something strange is afoot at Thorn Manor: the estate’s wards, which are meant to keep their home safe, are acting up and forcibly trapping the Manor’’ occupants inside. Surely it must be a coincidence that this happened just as Nathaniel and Elisabeth started getting closer to one another…

With no access to the outside world, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas—along with their new maid Mercy—will have to work together to discover the source of the magic behind the malfunctioning wards before they’re due to host the city’s Midwinter Ball. Not an easy task when the house is filled with unexpected secrets, and all Elisabeth can think about is kissing Nathaniel in peace. But when it becomes clear that the house, influenced by the magic of Nathaniel’s ancestors, requires a price for its obedience, Elisabeth and Nathaniel will have to lean on their connection like never before to set things right.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Mysteries of Thorn Manor

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase any books on this list from an attached link I’ll receive a small stipend.

#4 BOOK RELEASE

I’ve enjoyed Emma Lord’s novels in the past and was excited to get an advanced reader copy of this book. Taking place on a college campus, this story revolves around friendships, heartache, secrets, and love. I enjoyed it!

Synopsis: Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Emma Lord’s Begin Again is an unforgettable YA novel of love and starting again.

As usual, Andie Rose has a plan: Transfer from community college to the hyper competitive Blue Ridge State, major in psychology, and maintain her lifelong goal of becoming an iconic self-help figure despite the nerves that have recently thrown her for a loop. All it will take is ruthless organization, hard work, and her trademark unrelenting enthusiasm to pull it all together.

But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack at a time.

But sometimes, when all your plans are in rubble at your feet, you find out what you’re made of. And when Andie starts to find the power of her voice as the anonymous Squire on the school’s legendary pirate radio station–the same one her mom founded, years before she passed away–Andie learns that not all the best laid plans are necessarily the right ones.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Begin Again

#3 BOOK RELEASE

Jill Shalvis is my go-to author for feel good novels with great friendships. The Backup Plan is more Women’s Fiction than romance but it certainly checked all of my boxes that make up a great novel.

Synopsis:

When Alice receives a call about an unexpected windfall, she’s stunned to learn the gift is a falling-apart-at-the-seams old Wild West B&B she once considered home—and she’s inherited it along with two strangers. Except they weren’t always strangers. Once upon a time, they were friends. One is her ex-BFF Lauren. The other is Knox, the only guy to ever break her heart, all while never even knowing she existed.

It turns out their lives are unknowingly entangled because they once separately helped the same woman without expecting anything in return. Years later, Alice, Lauren, and Knox are broken in their own way, with their own history—and secrets— causing them to start out on the wrong foot with each other. But according to the will, they must renovate and be partners in the inn for one year or else lose their inheritance.

Stuck together, they make a list of rules to keep the peace—rules that end up doing the opposite, but by some miracle they find what they didn’t even know they were looking for—acceptance, true friendship, and in a case (or two!), true love.

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Backup Plan

#2 BOOK RELEASE

Kate Clayborn writes heartfelt poignant romance novels. The synopsis grabbed me on this one and I can’t wait for a little time off to dig in and spend a day with it.

Synopsis: Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page.  

But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path.  

Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate—Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side—if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back. 

Honest and deeply emotional, Georgie, All Along is a smart, tender must-read for everyone who’s ever wondered about the life that got away . . .

Click this link to purchase this book!* Georgie All Along

MY MOST ANTICIPATE JAN’23 BOOK RELEASE

Ninth House stayed with me for a long while, so I can’t wait to read Hell Bent. It’s hard to describe this series but it’s set in modern day but has elements of supernatural, horror, and mystery. I can’t wait!

Synopsis: Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory—even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale.

Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies’ most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.

Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Hell Bent

I’m sure my choices might be different than yours, so feel free to shout out a book you’re looking forward to reading after its release next month. OR if you are digging my list, let me know the one you can’t wait to read.

Happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

This Chick Read: Well Traveled (Well Met #4) by Jen DeLuca

Louise Malone is a high-powered attorney and in North Carolina to get a witness deposition. The witness is unavailable so Lulu goes to the Renaissance Festival, something she’s done in the past and has enjoyed tremendously. Avoiding calls from her boss and having fun re-connecting with an old friend, Lulu realizes that she’s in a dead end job and hating her life. When her boss calls again she quits and runs away to the Renaissance Faire. For a month anyway. What she doesn’t expect is to re-invent herself while falling in love with a kilted musician.

I’m such a fan of the Well Met series and have run away to the Renaissance Faire, at least in my own mind, every time I pick up one of these novels. I connected so easily to the story in Well Traveled and to Lulu, a character I can really identify with. Lulu has always been driven to make partner and become the success that her parents have always wanted her to be, but all the long hours she’s working at her company isn’t leading to the success that she’s always hope to find. When she gets drunk and quits angrily on a call with her boss, it’s actually the best thing for her. This is something that many of us have dreamed of doing but never seem to find the guts to make happen. It was so fun to dream along with Lulu and read her story while she finds her way in love and life.

Dex, the kilted lead singer of the band Dueling Kilts, has been in the previous books and wasn’t cast in a very good light. He’s the Romeo of the faire circuit, or so it seems. We see a different side to him in Well Traveled. A side that has me liking him for our Lulu. His creative personality is the perfect foil to straight laced Lulu, but is he the type to make a commitment? I’ll admit that I was skeptical but I ended up liking his mellow attitude and subtle ways he sought out Lulu’s company. He lacked the funny quips of previous hero’s but his soulful gaze and man bun more than made up for those laugh out loud moments.

You do not need to read any of the previous novels to enjoy Well Traveled, but reading the third novel would explain a little back story that does come up and explains a couple of characters actions. Other than that, enjoy a fun, light-hearted romance. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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!* Well Traveled

Copyright 2022 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: Flirting with the Beast (Modern Love #2) by Jane Porter

Widower, Andi McDermott, decides to spend her holidays in Lake Arrowhead after a last minute cancelation by her son-in-law. She hasn’t been there in years because of a feud her husband had with their neighbor, Wolf Enders. Wolf is gruff, ex-military, alpha, and unarguably gorgeous- but all of that should make little difference since she doesn’t plan to see him at all. Until a snow storm hits and she gets trapped on the mountain with no one to turn to but her neighbor. What she finds out is that she needs to add kind to the above list about Wolf, and that he makes her blood sizzle.

I have only just discovered Jane Porter and am thrilled to be reading romances about couples in their fifties! Andi was such a wonderful character and a women who I can only ascribe to be. She was warm, understanding, and used her brain before reacting to uncertain situations. I loved how she handled the more volatile Wolf. He was a loner who didn’t want a woman to upset his solitariness, but he’d always found Andi attractive and their chemistry was too much to ignore. Being ex-military his character was definitely more rigid and he made many missteps in his treatment of Andi. However, she reacted like a mature woman, thinking through her own actions before reacting. While reading through her inner monologue I kept thinking “Wow, I wish I could be more like this!”. Well, she is a fictional character after all and not a real woman but I felt myself liking her so much.

These characters have great backstories which gave them a depth that they needed. Their insecurities and needs turned them from two dimensional to full technicolor and the story was filled with an emotion that felt real and not fabricated. There were moments where I definitely wanted to kick Wolf in the knee and shake him a bit, but he was the perfect foil to Andi’s more calm demeanor. It would’ve been super boring if both partners were too much alike. The conclusion was also satisfying, with Andi showing some fire in fighting for what she wanted.

Flirting with the Beast is a wonderfully mature adult romance. Yes, these characters weren’t perfect, but then, who is? I sped through this book forgetting about all of the other things I needed to do and spent four hours relishing this love story. I hope this book will hit the right note for anyone who picks it up, regardless of their age, but for this older broad, it was sublime. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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!* Flirting with the Beast

Copyright 2022 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? (11/28/22)

I love long weekends with no agenda. Just relaxing, maybe doing a little Christmas shopping, and definitely reading some of the books. I’ve been mixing genres again switching back and forth from a fantasy series I’m slowly getting through and some romance novels that have piqued my interest. In between, I’m watching a ton of World Cup soccer (go USA!) and eating a ton of leftovers. I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and are enjoying or maybe have enjoyed the bounty that’s been in your refrigerator for days. Here’s what my brain has been noshing on…

JUST FINISHED

This one has been on my TBR for a couple of years and I finally pulled the trigger and read the first page. I was immediately grabbed by the story and spent a wonderful few hours enmeshed in the characters and story. This was a good one!

JUST STARTED

This book has been in my library wishlist and when I read the synopsis again I immediately remembered why I put it on there. A Reese’s book club pick, with rave reviews, I started it last night and can tell you that I am loving it so far. It is SO well written!

Did you spend your long weekend with a good book or out shopping? I

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Heartbreaker (Hell’s Belles #2) by Sarah MacLean

Ex-thief and daughter of one of London’s most notorious gangs, Adelaide Frampton has found herself a peer in society, living on the fringes as a wallflower in the most elite ballrooms. Using skills from her past she now deals in information and as the Matchbreaker she helps women escape from being sold into marriage. The Duke of Clayburn, Henry Carrington, finds himself on the receiving end of the Matchbreakers scheme when she tries to break up the love match between his brother and the woman he loves. They must work together to find the two lovebirds before the bride to be’s father catches up to them.

Adelaide had never been a wallflower in Henry’s eyes. He has noticed her every time their paths have crossed and he has bided his time before making an approach. He never figures that they would be on opposing sides, and works together with her in a race to find the bride and groom. As they spend time with each other, they of course discover an incredible chemistry. Nothing unusual in that except for the fact that Adelaide’s secret also become revealed making her even more interesting to the Duke.

I’m a big fan of Sarah MacLean’s historical romances. I like how she always chooses a subject, in this case how young women were used as chattel and bargaining tools for their families. Marrying them off to better the family but often putting them in the hands of men who abuse them. As a bit of a feminist myself, I find this subject appalling and fascinating and looked forward to reading how her character was fighting this in a unique and interesting way. Usually in a historical romance the plot might revolve around a woman in jeopardy but this was a woman who knew how to fight her own battles leaving Henry to find his place beside her instead of taking the lead. I enjoyed this twist in the plot. Henry had his own back story that was quite interesting and had to re-work his plans on what he had wanted his future to look like. This added a little additional tension to the story and appealed to me quite a bit. I enjoyed the direction this author took with this novel!

❤️❤️❤️❤️


Click this link to purchase this book!* Heartbreaker

Copyright 2022 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 Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Most Anticipated Book Releases- Dec’22

Surprisingly, I had a tough time coming up with my Top 5 this month. I guess typically I’ve heard of a few authors and am looking forward to their book releases. This month I mined through various lists dedicated to romance, fiction, YA, and mystery to come up with a top five that I feel good about promoting. These are different picks than my usual with the exception of one or two that are pure pleasure reads.

#5 BOOK RELEASE

I have a love-hate relationship with books about the lost Romanovs. This story has a slightly different take as Anastasia’s character, as well as others in this world, have magical abilities. I’m curious to see how this author tells her sad story.

Synopsis:

Anastasia is the princess no one needs: the fourth daughter born to an emperor without a son, and the only royal lacking a magical gift.

Until she collides with a young Cossack rebel, changing both their lives forever.

Damien is taken from everything he knows and raised as a ward of the Romanovs.

Anastasia develops a strange kind of magic shared only by the Black Monk Rasputin.

While her power grows in secret, boosted by forbidden contact with Damien, Anastasia makes a mistake with terrible consequences.

Fate grants her a single chance to set it right… but saving what she lost may cost everything she loves.

Purchase this book through this link!* Anastasia

#4 BOOK RELEASE

I’ll admit the synopsis totally drew me in and made me curious. Sex, voyeurism, and imprisonment in your own home. What?!! This could be really good or go in a direction I’m not expecting at all.

Synopsis: Jane Morgan is a valued member of her law firm—or was, until a prudish neighbor, binoculars poised, observes her having sex on the roof of her NYC apartment building.  Police are summoned, and a punishing judge sentences her to six months of home confinement. With Jane now jobless and rootless, trapped at home, life looks bleak. Yes, her twin sister provides support and advice, but mostly of the unwelcome kind. When a doorman lets slip that Jane isn’t the only resident wearing an ankle monitor, she strikes up a friendship with fellow white-collar felon Perry Salisbury. As she tries to adapt to life within her apartment walls, she discovers she hasn’t heard the end of that tattletale neighbor—whose past isn’t as decorous as her 9-1-1 snitching would suggest. Why are police knocking on Jane’s door again? Can her house arrest have a silver lining? Can two wrongs make a right? In the hands of “an inspired alchemist who converts serious subject into humor” (New York Times Book Review)—yes, delightfully.  

Click this link to purchase this book!* Ms. Demeanor

#3 BOOK RELEASE

I am very, very curious. After traveling to Amsterdam and visiting the office where Anne Frank and her family lived during WWII, I find myself drawn to stories about that time in history. This looks like a very different sort of novel, and the publisher’s comparing it to Like Water for Elephants makes me want to pick it up and hope for that magical moment.

Synopsis: When all is lost, how do you find the courage to keep moving forward?

1938. Lena Papadopoulos has never quite found her place within the circus, even as the daughter of the extraordinary headlining illusionist, Theo. Brilliant and curious, Lena—who uses a wheelchair after a childhood bout with polio—yearns for the real-world magic of science and medicine, her mind stronger than the limitations placed on her by society. Then her unconventional life takes an exciting turn when she rescues Alexandre, an orphan with his own secrets and a mysterious past.

As World War II escalates around them, their friendship blossoms into something deeper while Alexandre trains as the illusionist’s apprentice. But when Theo and Alexandre are arrested and made to perform in a town for Jews set up by the Nazis, Lena is separated from everything she knows. Forced to make her own way, Lena must confront her doubts and dare to believe in the impossible—herself.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Circus Train

#2 BOOK RELEASE

This is book #5 in a romance series that’s set around a Renaissance Faire and I am not tired of the setting yet! Jen DeLuca gives us interesting characters who search to better their lives with a brief time working the Renaissance Faire circuit. I’m intrigued, impressed, and engaged by and with her stories. I’ll admit that I’ve already read this one and thought it charming.

Synopsis: The Renaissance Faire is on the move, and Lulu and Dex are along for the ride, in the next utterly charming rom-com from Jen DeLuca.

A high-powered attorney from a success-oriented family, Louisa “Lulu” Malone lives to work, and everything seems to be going right, until the day she realizes it’s all wrong. Lulu’s cousin Mitch introduced her to the world of Renaissance Faires, and when she spies one at a time just when she needs an escape, she leaps into the welcoming environment of turkey legs, taverns, and tarot readers. The only drawback? Dex MacLean: a guitarist with a killer smile, the Casanova of the Faire… and her traveling companion for the summer.
 
Dex has never had to work for much in his life, and why should he? Touring with his brothers as The Dueling Kilts is going great, and he always finds a woman at every Faire. But when Lulu proves indifferent to his many plaid charms and a shake-up threatens the fate of the band, Dex must confront something he never has before: his future.
 
Forced to spend days and nights together on the road, Lulu’s interest in the kilted bad boy grows as he shows her a side of himself no one else has seen. The stresses of her old lifestyle fade away as she learns to trust her intuition and follow her heart instead of her head. But when her time on the road is over, will Lulu go with her gut, or are she and Dex destined for separate paths?

Click this link to purchase this book!* Well Traveled

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

MY TOP BOOK RELEASE FOR DEC’22

I’ll read any book that Penny Reid releases. Seriously. I did read the first book in this series and I know this book is centered around Cyrus and has a Christmas theme. That’s all I could find out! LOL. No one has a synopsis listed. Despite that, her novels always give me a lift and so she’s got my #1 spot.

Do any of these books make your own list? I’d love to hear what books you’re looking forward to coming out next month.

Happy Sunday!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (11/14/22)

Whelp, winter has hit Nashville. What does that mean for me? Cozying up on the couch with a good book and some hot chocolate! This is my favorite time to pick up a good book because I feel like I don’t need to be outside quite as much. No guilt! What genre’s do I like to read in the winter? Oh gosh. It doesn’t matter, as long as it holds my attention and makes me feel. That’s what counts in a good book, right?

JUST FINISHED

I had been putting off reading this one for a bit and I found it to be the perfect hot chocolate and blanket novel. Charming characters and a fun romantic plot.

JUST STARTED

I have really enjoyed this series. All of the stories are centered around a Renaissance Faire, which I find to be an absolute delight. I’ve liked some of the novels better than others and I’m curious to see which side of the romance wheel this one will fall on.

I hope everyone has a fantastic week. Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin

After her much beloved grandmother dies and leaves her the family books store, the Book Nook, Drew Young wants to honor her memory by running it as she knows her grandmother would like. Putting her life on hold, Drew, a self-proclaimed hater of reading somehow manages to keep the store afloat with the help of a group of elderly ladies who pitch in and give a hand. This same group of ladies set up an author signing with famous romance novelist Jasper Williams. When he shows up his good looks and charm sock Drew in the solar plexus. When he learns of her lack of affinity for books he makes a deal with her. Show him around Denver and he’ll build her a memory for every book she reads on a list he gives her. Jasper woo’s Drew with romance, a shoulder to cry on, and his honest charm making her start to believe that her life might be Better Than Fiction.

There are so many things I liked about this novel. Jasper was #1 on the list because of all the romance and fun, but I also really liked all of the Dirty Birds the old lady group who had Drew’s back, and her best friend Elsie and her sister Daisy. She totally had a great group of people backing her in life and love. There were some challenges she had to face in this book too, so it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but every good novel needs some conflict to overcome.

I love how this author has grown from her earlier novels. Don’t get me wrong, those novels were my introduction to Alexa Martin and are a big reason why she is a must-buy for me. Those were also the first novels this author had written and it isn’t weird to me that she is trying new things and working to find her voice. Better Than Fiction has some of the same qualities I loved in the Playbook series. Great friends who will see you through good times and bad, but also solid character development and heros who weren’t perfect but whom you could fall in love with despite their imperfections. I think Better Than Fiction is the best novel Alexa Martin has written to date and I hope she has many more stories inside her soul that need to be released to the world.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Better Than Fiction

Copyright 2022 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