Tag: romance

This Chick Read: To Kill a Badger (Honey Badger Chronicles #6) by Shelly Laurenston

Socialite, Nelle Zhao attracts attention on social media but right now she’s trying to have a low profile keeping her honey badger teammates out of trouble. She isn’t sure when that became her job but she admits, she’s really good at it. Too bad some people don’t appreciate it, like lion Keane Malone who is determined to crush the de Medici’s, another lion clan who are hurting innocent humans for fun, and killed his father. He normally doesn’t want any help, but when jet-setting Nelle, joins the fight his instincts start purring.

When you read a Shelly Laurenston shifter novel you need to take off your “based on reality” hat and put on your “it’s all about fun reading” hat. Always irreverent, Laurenston’s novels combine great dialog, strange and quirky characters, and romances that shouldn’t make sense but become believable, well, if you can change into a honey badger or lion kind of believable. Interesting and kind of exhausting because there is so much going on.

After checking reality at the door I hunkered down for some fun reading with this kind of crazy honey badger group. I’ve read the majority of these novels and some were better than others with this one ranking right in the middle. Maybe it was because I took a break from them for awhile, but Nelle and Keane’s story was crazy but enjoyable. Honey badgers in real life are known for their fierce nature, taking on creatures much larger and not backing down. In this action-packed novel Laurenston takes these traits and puts them on steroids. These honey badger ladies are crafty, crazy, and fierce with a capital F. They are also fun with a capital F.

I enjoyed Nelle and Keane’s slow building romance. She kind of snuck in under his guard until he was just used to her being there and then thought, “oh she kind of smells good” or “those legs are long and luscious” then wham- they were a couple. Again, not reality based but it was well done and kept me reading. If you like a lot of action, some violence, and a break from reality in your romances this may be the perfect book for you!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* To Kill a Badger

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: I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming

Wildlife biologist, Dorothy Valentine is out in the field when she’s attacked by a lion. In a good news bad news kind of way, she doesn’t die but she and the lion are abducted by alien’s. Waking up on the ship Dory freaks out and ends up escaping in a pod, with the lion- named Toto. They land on a planet where dinosaurs run rampant, and she meets not one, but two alien hotties who help her navigate her new home. As she explores this new land with Sol, Lok, and Toto she learns more about how and why they’ve all ended up together and whether she even wants to try to get back home or create a new home with her two new mates.

A cute cover, seeing this novel on a bunch of “best of” lists for 2025 romance, and my own curiosity about how this synopsis can possibly lead to a great romance had me picking up this book and giving it a chance. You know what? It was kind of cute. I’m not really into threesome romances, so that aside, the plot was actually really interesting, the heroine sassy, and the hero’s a mix of alpha and intellectual. Toto’s storyline was probably not really needed, but hey, all gal’s need a best friend, even if that friend is in lion form. Overall it kind of worked!

There were a few plots making this novel more intricate than the comic book style cover would lead you to believe. An inter-species war, genetic manipulations, and talking lion’s who are falling in love with a local sabre tooth tiger aside, it held my interest and was an enjoyable, easy read. I’d recommend this novel for the more adventurous reader!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com

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.

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This Chick Read: The Love Fix (Sunrise Cove #8) by Jill Shalvis

When Lexi Clark is summoned home to Sunrise Cove by her sister Ashley to help her with one of her deceased mother’s last requests she’s met at the airport by her easy spirited sister and her childhood arch-nemesis turned crush, Heath Bowman. Lexi’s life is in a downward spiral but she could never say no to her sister and finds herself delivering six letters, and learning a lot about herself.

I’m not surprised that I loved the characters in this novel because writing great characters is where this author excels. Lexi is the misunderstood older sister who has closed herself off from having any emotions for her family because they’ve always disappointed her. Heath has a self deprecating charm and easy going nature, but he always does what’s right, helps out the less fortunate, and has always had a soft spot for Lexi. Ashley is a free spirit, but deep down wants to have a relationship with her sister that she was never able to explore while their mother was still alive. It’s a novel that explores all three characters but revolves around Lexi and how she is re-building her life.

There were several aha moments for Lexi’s character that kept the momentum building allowing Lexi to grow and evolve. She and Heath’s somewhat antagonistic relationship was one of those moments and I thought the author did a great job of sharing their stories and the moments that they understood what drove each other and how that understanding drew them to each other. These moments weren’t lightning bolts but gentle understandings that were super effective in allowing the story to grow in an organic way that didn’t take your head out of what you were reading. I really enjoyed those small moments and I think that deft touch is what made this novel work so well. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

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.

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This Chick Read: For the Record by Emma Lord

I’ve read most of Emma Lord’s young adult novels but For the Record is 100% adult fiction. It’s not too spicy, but it’s a very emotional story. Sam and Mackenzie’s bands were on tour together and their schtick was to pretend like the two of them were arch enemies. Of course, their fans ate it up but at some point they actually started caring for each other. All of a sudden Sam disappears and cuts off their budding relationship. At the same time Mackenzie has surgery on her thyroid which affects her vocal chords, so she can no longer sing her own bands songs.

Two years have gone by and Mackenzie is finally singing again but under a pseudonym, and Sam wants to start up a solo career. The only way their record label will even consider backing them is if they become a duo. Old hurts and feelings make it a rocky start but of course, with trust and lots of chemistry their old feelings start to come back.

All of the trauma from what happened to each of them two years earlier makes their present situation with a lot riding on the outcome a joy to read. I loved how the author made it so easy for me to hate or like these characters. The story was great and this reader was definitely rooting for both their career and their relationship to succeed. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* For the Record

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.

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This Chick Read: Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings

Eva Kitt never expected to be the host of Sausage Talk, interviewing B-list celebrities over lukewarm hot dogs, instead of pursuing the journalism career she dreamed of. But when Eva’s impromptu public call out of her college ex goes viral, she’s thrust into the spotlight. It doesn’t help said ex is Rylie Cooper, a beloved social media personality that has built a platform on deconstructing toxic masculinity and teaching men how to be good partners.

Forced to confront Rylie on a live episode of Sausage Talk, he offers Eva a deal: allow him to take her on a series of dates to make up for his toxic behavior, then debrief them on his channel to show he’s changed. Eva refuses to play nice, but agrees to the scheme to advance her own career and continue defaming Rylie’s good name. When these manufactured dates start to feel real, Eva has to wonder if the boy that broke her heart has become the man that might heal it.

I was hooked by the cover and intrigued by the synopsis and you know what? There were moments that I really liked in this story and the easy writing style of this author made reading this book a breeze. Why didn’t I embrace it whole heartedly? Eva’s character had some traits I really liked. She overcame a difficult past, had a strong work ethic, and was doing what a lot of us do/did in our 20’s- doing something she didn’t like very much but knew it would lead to that next step in her career. All of these were parts of her personality that were admirable, but she was such a hard character to like. Her difficult past built a wall that very few people were able to scale, her strong work ethic and dreams for her future caused her to make some decisions on the job that were not in her own best interest, and the worst thing was how she treated Rylie. She was pretty brutal which admittedly was her on air persona, but in private she didn’t really give him a break either- at least for two thirds of the book. Why, if she was so hard to like did I keep reading? Rylie.

Unlike Eva’s character, Rylie was further in the process of working through his own past discretions, one of which was Eva and he’s relationship in college. He entered their on-air agreement with honesty and hope that he would be given a second chance by Eva. She was pretty horrible and snarky to him, but he seemed to like that a lot. That’s not my own thing, but I can understand that sometimes opposites attract and because I read the entire novel saw Eva’s redemption arc pay off with her gentling her interactions with Rylie. Thank goodness. By the end I respected both of their characters equally but there was a big chunk where I leaned towards team Rylie over Eva. That’s never a comfortable place to be when reading a romance where you want so badly to like both characters. I did get there though!

❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Well, Actually

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.

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This Chick Read: He Falls First (Colburn Brothers #1) by Jill Shalvis

Ryder Colburn is busy running his family business and taking care of his ailing father- a different man than the heavy-handed father from his youth. He doesn’t have time for women, but when one is in the path of a fast moving car in jumps in for the rescue. Penny has scars inside and out. Back in California living with her grandma and brother in their aging house, she’s too busy cooking for her catering job and caring for her family to spend another moment on a man she probably can’t trust. Ryder, however, keeps proving his trustworthiness, and seeping into all the cracks in her defenses.

First- I love series that are based on brothers! Especially since we get to know the quirks of those men in each book that leads up to their own novel. Second- dual POV’s can sometimes be confusing but in this novel it allows the reader to see into each character in a way that brings insight into their interactions and really, really worked. Third- I love it when the hero has patience, is gentle, and eases into the heroine’s life rather than breaks down barriers. He Falls First was exactly that- Ryder was intrigued, attracted to, and patient with the very skittish Penny. When we learn her back story we can certainly see why she was all prickly and he worked for that happily ever after and I was all in for their story- 100%.

As with all of Jill Shalvis’ novels, the surrounding characters added a ton of heart to the main storyline. Ryder’s dynamic with a father who, due to his health, is no longer the man from his youth, Penny’s interfering grandmother, her fatherless brother Wyatt who years for a male figure to her worship, and of course Ryder’s brothers. I can’t wait to read the next novel in this series to see where the author takes all of these characters. This was a good one folks! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* He Falls First

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.

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This Chick Read: Wildflowers by Kylie Scott

When Astrid Hardy wakes up in the basement of her neighbor Dean Wallace’s house she’s a little concerned. He’s determined to save her because the end of the world is coming. This all sounds like doom-prepping nonsense to Astrid, but as they watch it play out on TV and hear the gunshots in their own neighborhood Astrid starts to believe there might be something to his paranoia. How will they navigate this new world together?

I’ll admit that after living through our own pandemic I wasn’t sure about this plot, however I love this author and she is a must buy for me, so I one-clicked my way into starting this book as soon as it was released. My first thought as Astrid finds herself locked in this guys basement. Ummmm, guys, it would be hard to go from prisoner to this guys pretty cute unless there was some Munchausen syndrome action going on, but no! Kylie Scott made me believe in these two. It helped that this was a slow burn romance and Astrid didn’t fall immediately in love with Dean. It also helped that two-thirds of the world were dead and lawlessness was the rule. Dean was ex-military and somewhat of a bad-a$$. Who wouldn’t want him on your side?

This was not your normal romance, but it is a well-written apocalyptic romance. I loved not only Astrid and Dean’s characters, but the community they built and the team-work from all the characters. They were quirky and funny, but when in danger they banded together to beat the odds. This was a different novel, yes, but it held all the elements I love from a Kylie Scott romance. Quirky characters, sassy dialog and a whole lot of heart. I can’t wait to read it again! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Wildflowers

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This Chick Read: Tenderfoot (Avenging Angels #3) by Kristen Ashley

Harlow O’Neill has been waiting for Javier Montoya to make his move. She’s interested in him, he’s interested in her, but he just isn’t taking that first step. She’s read all the Rock Chick books and knows how these Alpha males claim their woman. He’s just not claiming her. One evening Harlow’s undercover on a mission for the Angel’s and Javi blows her cover and Harlow is not happy about it. That evening he says hurtful things to Harlow and she retreats, determined to just be polite and move on from her crush. Javi on the other hand goes all in, knowing he messed up. The Angels investigation turns dangerous and Javi moves Harlow in with him for “her protection”. He starts to open up about his past and Harlow learns some things in his history that explains his behavior and she starts to fall in love.

Tenderfoot is the third book in the Avenging Angels series. The Angels are a part time investigation team a la Charlie’s Angels, where they’re backed by an unknown who calls themselves Arthur. They’ve got the cars, gadgets and a cool crib to hang in while doing their investigative work. The Angels are complete amateurs but have actually solved a couple of crimes which has given them confidence which may or may not be a good thing. Harlow is the positive, girly-girl of the group- the cheerleader. She always sees the bright side of things and truly, her commentary during these investigations add a nice bit of humor to those dialogs.

This series is not War and Peace by any means, but it’s entertaining and Kristen Ashley has given it that retro KA vibe- harkening back to her roots by spinning off from the Rock Chick series, which was the series I first read of hers and made me fall in love with her writing. Admittedly, this novel, mainly due to Harlow’s positivity and Javi’s he-man alpha-ness felt a little over the top but the book was entertaining and gave me that escape from reality that I needed. If I have anything slightly critical to say it would be that although Harlow’s dialogue was sweet and sunny, there was an excessive use of exclamation points. It did build her character as the “cheerleader”, but I thought it was a little overdone. Besides, that this was an enjoyable book and I can’t wait for the next installment. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Tenderfoot

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This Chick Read: Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods

When Sadie Brooks loses her marketing job in NYC, she decides to spend the summer with her best friend in a small town in Texas. Depressed and overwhelmed about her future, she agrees to take part in his Dungeons and Dragons game with three other people who are also new to the game. In the game, she becomes Jaylie, a powerful cleric who is blessed by the Goddess of Good Luck. Something she feels she doesn’t have a lot of until she meets Noah Walker, who plays as Loren the lute strumming bardic elf. As she contributes in the game and gets to know her fellow characters she draws on those strengths to navigate and make some decisions about her real life. Will her future take her back to New York? Or will she remain in Texas and explore what she’s beginning to feel for Noah?

Even though I’ve never played a Dungeons and Dragons game in my life the way Roll for Romance was written it was very easy to follow. Sadie as herself was very easy to empathize with and wish her good luck in finding her way. When she played Jaylie we could see how as she grew confidence in the game it paralleled how she was feeling in her real life. I loved how this author used the two plots to help grow Sadie’s character and help her see the direction she might want to take as she started over.

Noah was an interesting character for a love interest. He was very laid back, charming, and easy going. There are quite a few similarities between he and his D&D character Loren. What was strange about him was that he doesn’t stay long in one city, moving as the mood hits him. Not your usual hero vibe, although he paired well with Sadie who in her NY life was structured and suited, while in TX she is more easy breezy and figuring out her future.

This novel was very easy to read and quite enjoyable! I’m a fantasy reader so it wasn’t hard to make that jump from current world to fictional world and I liked the variety of characters between those two worlds. If you like fantasy and/or D&D this one would be a no brainer for you. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Roll for Romance

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: Maid for Each Other by Lynn Painter

When professional cleaner, Abi Mariano’s house had an infestation and she needed a place to stay, she chose to stay a client’s home when they were out of town. When she woke up the next day to his parents in the kitchen they might have gotten the misconception that she was his girlfriend Abby, a girlfriend Declan made up. When Dex goes searching for his “girlfriend” he finds her at her second job ringing up groceries at the local grocer. Instead of filing charges he proposes a bargain that she pretend to be his girlfriend for a work event and she can continue to stay at his house while her’s is getting fumigated. What start off as an innocent fake dating plot turns into real-life feelings that Abi and Dex aren’t sure that they want to go away.

Lynn Painter has such a great style of writing. Her dialog is always easy and fun and her characters well-thought out and likable. While I didn’t love Abi’s reasons for staying in Dex’s house, I did love how she was clever and sassed her way into staying there for the whole week with his permission. Similarly I didn’t love Dex’s lack of care for how much money he had but I loved that he had an ulterior motive for why he thought that way, which the author delivered by the end of the story. These two were well paired and their romance was an enjoyable bit of fun.

Abi’s dislike for the uber-wealthy stems from never having enough money herself. While she never really shows Dex her true self until 2/3rds of the book is finished, the reader sees each character clearly allowing us to overlook some of their faults. Abi’s resolve to change her circumstances through education and hard work makes her worthy of the reader’s esteem. Similarly to Dex’s easy going nature and charm allow us to see him as a worthy partner for her even though he keeps trying to throw money at her to solve all their problems. It’s a fantasy world and these two are lucky enough to be inhabiting this romance novel and the author has made the fantasy believable.

If you’re looking for a fun book that will have you chuckling, I think this one is a perfect fit! I need to make sure I’ve read all of this author’s previous novels. This is the second one I’ve read recently and the second one I’m recommending.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Maid for Each Other

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads