Tag: romance

This Chick Read: The Awakening (The Dragon Heart Legacy #1) by Nora Roberts

Breen Kelly’s father left she and her mom when she was a little girl, but she remembers the fanciful stories he told about a land filled with magic. When she discovers her mother has been hiding an account in her name filled with millions of dollars she quits the job she hates, unburies herself from her student loans and travels to Ireland, hoping to find the father who left her behind. Instead, she finds a land filled with magic, and a home that she’d always dreamed of having.

Nora Roberts never lets me down. She is consistent, and even when writing fantasy, I enjoy the yarns she spins. The Awakening was no different. In a world where I’m now having difficulty concentrating on a story, I was so happy to be able to immerse myself and step into a land just as Breen steps into her new world.

Let’s talk about these characters. Breen has been overwhelmed by her mother, told she wasn’t good enough, and led to believe that she couldn’t have the things she dreamed of having. Oh, I hate reading about those kinds of mothers! When Breen went off to Ireland she developed a confidence that was fun to read. I enjoyed seeing her gain her strength and a spark of sassiness. Her best friend Marco was a really fun character. He was her strength when she was weak, but became her biggest champion as she found her voice. I’m hoping he is a bigger part of the second novel in the series. He deserves his own story! Keegan, is the leader (I’m not going to try to say the Gaelic or Fey term that Ms. Roberts used and I stupidly didn’t write it down) of the Fey in Talamh (pronounced Tala). He was arrogant and well kind of not nice. I wondered when he would turn into the hero and felt kind of let down by how he was portrayed. His is another character I hope we see flesh out in a more positive manner in the second novel. Especially since he is Breen’s love interest.

I would call this series romantic fantasy, but only in the sense that Ireland, the Fey, Elves, etc. are romantic to read about. I felt a little bit let down in the romance department, but if I threw out any notion that this was supposed to be a romance I would say I enjoyed this fantasy novel. So that is the reason why I’m giving this novel a 4.0 rating. I wasn’t really sure if there was supposed to be a romance between our two main characters. I mean the kind of romance that ends in a happily ever after instead of uncertainty. This novel definitely ended in a cliffhanger, so beware the abrupt ending! I rather liked it because it led me in an unexpected direction, but if cliffhangers are your thing, I thought I’d give the warning. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase! The Awakening: The Dragon Heart Legacy, Book 1 (The Dragon Heart Legacy, 1)

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: The Boy Toy by Nicola Marsh

After a failed marriage Samira Broderick left Australia and started a succussful new life in LA. When her cousin needs her help in her clinic, Samira offers to come back for six months and pitch in. Being back in Australia after years away, Samira is happy to re-connect with her mother, Kushi, but doesn’t miss the busy bodies in her Indian community. Her mom is always trying to marry her off to a traditional Indian man, but Samira doesn’t want that again. She connects with Rory, an Australian stunt man and starts a secret relationship that’s just supposed to be fun. When feelings start to develop she wonders if she’ll be able to leave after her six months is up.

What about the above sounded interesting? I’m not sure except that I have really found novels that include Indian culture very interesting. Samira is of mixed heritage with a caucasian father and traditional Indian mother. Despite her father being against setting up her first marriage, Samira went along with her mother and married a man that she thought she fell in love with, but it fell apart. Scared of committing to anyone Samira has focused on her career and pushed love aside. When Rory saves her from an unwelcome pickup in a bar, they connect and have a sizzling attraction to each other. Thinking she’d keep this just as light-hearted as her other relationships she is surprised when Rory sneaks under her skin.

Rory was a big surprise. His description sets him up to be a good looking Aussie and not much else, but the author spent a lot of time giving him a back story. He has stuttered since childhood and his self-consciousness is the reason for his insecurity. Like Samira, he’s not looking for a serious relationship either because he’s afraid to pass along her stutter to a child. I think this is the first time I’ve read where stuttering is hereditary and I thought that was really interesting!

I liked these two characters a lot. The author did a good job of making them feel real. I also loved (again) the peak into Indian culture and Samira’s family dynamic. I’m not sure if I was Indian in a past life or what, but I love reading about this culture even in a romance novel. This was a fun novel with a bit of serious undertones. A nice solid romantic drama that ended well and left me feeling good about these characters and their happily ever after. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase! The Boy Toy

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.

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It’s Monday, what are you reading? (11/16/20)

Happy Monday! We are approaching the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US. People are putting up their tree’s and Christmas lights very early this year and I’ll admit that it’s made me feel a little more cheerful. I love the holidays! This last weekend was beautiful and we took advantage of it with a long walk, some chores outside, and a little hot cocoa next to the fire pit. I also made time to read. As my husband said, he hasn’t seen me immersed in a book this much in months! It felt good! I’ll tell you a little bit about it below.

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

Despite this author’s personal belief’s, I was really looking forward to reading this book because this series has become so good! I was not disappointed at all. The mystery was so well written that it kept me guessing until the end and the main character arc progressed forward just a tad solidifying their great friendship. This was a long one folks, and this type of book requires concentration. I didn’t want to miss a thing.

JUST STARTED

I admit, I haven’t started this one yet, and may change my mind yet. It’s an ARC that I need to read and I’ve been looking forward to it. Originally set to come out last spring the release date was pushed to November so I’ve had this one a little while. Has anyone read it? I’d love to hear what you think.

What book will help get your week kickstarted? Is it a romance? A mystery? Historical? Let me know in the comments.

Happy Reading!

Deb

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This Chick Read: Daring and the Duke (The Bareknuckled Bastards #3) by Sarah MacLean

Grace Condry, along with her adopted brothers, lived on London’s streets as children after running away from their abusive father. They toughed it out, fighting for money and eventually becoming powerful on their own and as adults fight for a different cause. The betterment of their neighborhood. When Ewan, the Duke of Marwick terrorizes their home, the brothers band together to protect Grace, his one time love. They’ve never forgiven Ewan for his betrayal, but Grace never forgot their long ago love. Can she forgive Ewan for her broken heart?

I’ve really enjoyed this series about these bastard children of a Duke and the hardships they’ve overcome to build a life in one of the deadlier neighborhoods in London. The first two novels told the story of the brothers, and Grace only had a small part in those so I never felt I really got to know her. In Daring and the Duke we finally see the culmination of this hatred between the three brothers who were ripped apart while fighting for a Dukedom. They’ve hated Ewan pretty viciously so I didn’t really know what to think about this love interest for Grace and was really only mildly curious. I was intrigued with how Sarah MacLean would tell their story and make me care for a heroine who had always lived in the darkness.

Grace was not your typical regency heroine. She is a madame of a brothel where the roles are flipped. This is a place where gentile women can go to live out their fantasies choosing from a bevy of men. Kind of an interesting job for a heroine of a novel, right? The author did a good job of portraying her role in a female empowerment kind of way so that it felt different but not disreputable. Well, maybe only slightly. Who was this woman who wore pants, managed a brothel, and held a sword as well as a man? It turns out, she was a pretty interesting one! My question was, what would this Duke be like and how would he hold her interest?

Secrets were finally revealed about the truth behind Ewan’s role in their betrayal and it turns out he had a very good reason for his behavior when they were children. Don’t worry I won’t spoil the plot, but needless to say when Grace hear’s it she doesn’t find it difficult to forgive Ewan. How though, does a brothel owner and a Duke maintain a relationship? For me, that was the real conflict in this novel and one I would think would be a doozy! The author creates a very interesting and surprising resolution! Is it realistic? Nope! But, this is a historical romance so realism kind of gets thrown out the window.

I had never read a Sarah Maclean novel prior to reading this series and I have to say I was impressed. The characters are very non traditional and feel real because they weren’t a complete fantasy. Their situations didn’t feel as real, but like I said above you kind of have to let reality slide when you choose to read a historical romance. She created a great fantasy world and is an author I’d turn to when wanting to escape my own bit of reality.

Click this link to purchase!* Daring and the Duke: The Bareknuckle Bastards Book III

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

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It’s Monday, what are you reading? (11/8/20)

What a glorious weekend! The weather in Tennessee was in the mid 70’s, the election is over (although they’ll have to remove the man who has chained himself to the desk), and I have caught up on writing some posts. Yay! I’ve just started a novel I was relishing reading and all is good in the world. Despite it being Monday and I have a full work week ahead.

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

OK, I didn’t say I got a lot of reading done, did I? LOL. I finished this one last week and the review has gone out. I enjoyed it! It was the best in the series to date and gives me hope that the author may be able to build some emotionally driven plot into the next book.

JUST STARTED

Despite this author’s views and personal belief’s (which I don’t agree with) I was looking forward to reading this book. I love these characters and the mysteries are so well done. This is a long book so hopefully I can give you some feedback soon!

What book are you starting your week reading? Let’s hear about it!

Deb

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This Chick Read: Crazy Stupid Bromance (Bromance Book Club #3) by Lyssa Kay Adams

Alexis Carlisle has PTSD from being sexually harassed by a former boss, and instead of acting on her attraction to her friend Noah she has put him firmly in the friend zone. When a young woman approaches her in her coffee shop and claims she’s her half sister her life spins off it’s base and she turns to Noah to help her through, especially when she find out her father needs her kidney to live.

The premise for this series is that a group of men use romance novels to help them learn about themselves and the women they love. A fun premise that so far hadn’t lived up to its expectations, however Crazy Stupid Bromance comes the closest. Noah and Alexis are quite the pair. He is an ex hactivist who as a teen had angrily hacked into a government property after his father dies in Afghanistan with faulty equipment. Alexis came to fame because she charged a celebrity chef with sexual harassment and hasn’t trusted a man since. These two shouldn’t have been a likely couple but they somehow worked and I think it was because they had the basis of a solid friendship before moving on to anything heavier. Their story wasn’t rushed like a lot of romances are and the pace was pretty perfect.

Alexis was the catalyst to Liv and Mack’s romance in Undercover Bromance so I felt like I knew her a little bit, but Noah’s character hadn’t really been explored yet. He was the computer nerd of the group and that’s about it. I loved that he had this kind of rebel background and an anger that he still hadn’t overcome. It gave he and Alexis a little conflict that seemed more natural that sneaking around and spying on a Chef as the previous novel had done. So the story felt real and not fabricated.

Alexis’s newly found father (and his family) also created some conflict, so this story wasn’t all puppies and butterflies. In fact, I shed a couple of tears at her heart-wrenching decisions about her family and really enjoyed how this author wrapped up that story. All in all this has been my favorite of the three Bromance Book Club novels. I think the Russian may be up next and I’m not sure I’m ready to read his hairy, gross story, so this series may be put on pause on my TBR. We’ll see what that synopsis looks like. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it is honest!

Click this link to purchase! Crazy Stupid Bromance (Bromance Book Club)

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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It’s Monday, what are you reading? (10/26/2020)

The leaves are changing, the weather is so nice, and I didn’t read that much this last week. I did finish one audiobook and one novel. That’s a little slow for me! The romance novel I did finish was excellent and I recommend it to everyone who likes sports romances and current events. My review went out Sunday if you’d like to read about my thoughts.

JUST FINISHED

When your star quarterback decides to take a stance on racism and poor treatment of NFL players by kneeling for his first game with the team, Strategic Communications Manager, Elliott Reed, is thrown into the deep end on her first day of work. I liked this one a lot.

JUST STARTED

The premise to this series is that a men’s book club read romance novels to understand women and help them in their relationships. Totally cute premise and the first novel in the series was pretty good. I’ll admit that I’ve been a little disappointed but am hoping this will be the book that will knock it out of the park!

Yep, it’s still light-hearted romances for me. What are you reading this fine Monday?

Deb

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This Chick Read: Snapped (The Playbook #4) by Alexa Martin

Elliott Reed has found her dream job as the Strategic Communications Manager for the Denver Mustangs when their brand new star quarterback Quinton Howard Jr. slaps a piece of black tape on the football logo on his jersey and kneels during the national anthem of their opening football game. When Elliott is given the task of “handling” him she finds herself battling her feelings of respect for the cause he’s fighting and her need to keep her new job. The job that she feels her dead father would have loved for his daughter.

Alexa Martin’s forward states that this is very loosely based upon her own experiences as the wife of a player in the NFL but is also influenced by Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling for the national anthem that started that protesting movement, but that the relationship story is all fiction. I thought she did a GREAT job relaying the story and describing the feelings that her characters, and people of color feel at being treated in the way they were treated in this book. I could never put myself in their shoes, but I felt the hurt, confusion, and anger these characters felt at their treatment and that goes a long way towards helping me understand. I appreciated and welcomed that lesson even if it was just in a fictional romance novel.

Elliott’s mother was black and died when she was a baby. She was raised by her white father and so had conflicted feelings about race, how she should feel and react in certain situations. She has always hidden her feelings and just tried to fit in so when Quinton’s stance made her face her own tendencies to brush things under the rug, it was eye opening and upsetting for her. The fact that she so admired him for what he was doing and was even helping him set up his foundation while at the same time feeling uncomfortable at bringing her feelings out into the open was, I thought, very realistic for how a lot of people may be feeling towards the Black Matter movement and protesting that is ongoing today. It made the point this author was making more relevant and real for me to have her main character so conflicted in the beginning.

With such a serious subject at the center of the love story as a reader you can’t help but feel that the romance took a back seat to the stance on racial inequality and how football players from before 1993 are being mistreated with a lack of benefits and healthcare. You know what? I didn’t miss the romance at all. I still felt the sizzling attraction and the pain of difficult conversations that helped move the relationship forward. The story had a more serious tone than the previous novels but with the help of her friends also brought touches of light and funny. At the end I felt totally satisfied and when I looked back on the book realized how much I enjoyed the story and their romance.

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! Snapped (Playbook, The)

Copyright 2020 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: Simmer Down by Sarah Smith

Nikki DiMarco and her mom Tiva run a food truck in Maui called Tiva’s Filipina Kusina. It was her father’s dream to run this food truck and after his death Nikki moved to Maui to make that dream come true with her mom. Struggling to make ends meet they finally get a great spot along the beach when another food truck run by Finn and Callum James, tries to hone in on their spot. Nikki and Callum take an instant dislike to each other and become social media famous for their escalating arguments. Does this dislike cover up a hot attraction? You bet!

After reading Sarah Smith’s last novel, Faker, I hadn’t planned on reading another but I’m so glad I did! Unlike Faker, Simmer Down didn’t have any of the awkward descriptors and instead relied on a great plot and plenty of attraction to reel the reader right in. I’ll admit, I’m also a sucker for romance novels where food is the third character. I’m not that familiar with lumpia’s but after reading all about them in Simmer Down I want to run out and try some Filipino food!

Nikki’s heart was broken by her father’s death and she hesitates to let anyone get close. Callum’s disagreeable facial expressions hide his true feelings and when they sit next to each other for 9 hours on a plane Nikki realizes that he’s actually as charming as he is hot and has a hard time keeping her heart out of the relationship. I don’t think it’s a secret that my favorite trope is enemies to lovers and this was a really good one. The only reason why it didn’t get a 5 rating is because the ending seemed a touch too predictable. I did like their characters and the food. OMG! I need to find me some lumpia’s quick! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this ARC through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

Click this link to purchase!* Simmer Down

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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It’s Monday, what are you reading? (10/12/2020)

I am blaming my lack of reading on discovering the program Schitt’s Creek on Netflix. My husband and I have been binge watching and enjoying this hysterical comedy. I can understand why it swept the Emmy’s this year, the show is hilarious! So, I have only read one book this week. Let me catch you up on it!

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

A fantasy novel that felt both historical and relevant to my time. In this fantasy world Sorceresses are denied their right to their magic, forced to wear a collar that inhibits their abilities when they marry. The fear is that their children will be possessed with horrible consequences to this possession. I can’t help but make comparison’s to so many things. This year’s 100th anniversary of the women’s right to vote and the black lives matter movement immediately come to mind. I was eager to read it and wasn’t disappointed by what I read.

JUST STARTED

I haven’t actually started this on yet, but it’s up next. It’s a rom-com set in the Miami food truck/restaurant world and sounds adorable. Can’t wait!

What are you all going to be reading to get your week off to a great start?

Deb

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