Tag: romance

This Chick Read: Lead (Stage Dive #3) by Kylie Scott

I am usually more invested by the third book in a series because your hero/heroine have been slowly introduced through the first couple of books. This was definitely the case for Lead, since some of the previous drama for the band Stage Dive, centered on our hero Jimmy, the lead singer. We knew he’d been through rehab because we went through the emotional roller coaster with his brother’s story in Lick, the first novel in the series. For some reason though, I hadn’t been really interested in Jimmy’s story. Not until I started reading and got to know our heroine, Lena.

Lena was hired as a companion for Jimmy to keep him sober and on the path of resistance. She has a take charge, no nonsense persona, and I took to her instantly. In fact, I actually saw a little bit of myself in Lena and loved her awesomeness (go me!). What fell a little flat for me was how enamored she was of Jimmy. She wasn’t a big fan of the band, like Anne was in Play, but somehow she loved the hard rock a$$hole that Jimmy really was. Sure, he had that inner gooeyness, but honestly he had some serious issues! It’s hard for me to imagine falling for a guy that has been dependent on alcohol since he was 12. It’s a sad story, for sure, but one that was hard for me to engage myself in.

I did really like that actual story though. How hard Jimmy fought for his sobriety. How she stood by him and helped him feel better about himself. I think this says something more about me, actually, than it does about the actual book. This was a good solid love story, but not one that I wanted to live myself. That was the difference maker between it being good and great in my eyes. I do totally like this author and her style of writing. Kylie Scott gives her characters depth, and she did such a great job of it in this novel even though I couldn’t dive off that stage with Jimmy. So, even though this was a solid story in my book, I didn’t love the romance aspect of it.

I will totally read the next novel in the series though. Kylie Scott has won my admiration and she’s on my auto buy list because of her skills in character development.

If you love rock star romances, you’ll probably love this book. It’s a tortured look at addiction, which is harder for some people to read about (me) than others. I loved the heroine in this book and definitely think she deserved the love and admiration of the hero she wanted in love. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Lead: A Stage Dive Novel (Stage Dive Series Book 3)

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (7/13/2020)

The release of Mariana Zapata’s novel Hands Down last week had me picking up a couple other of her books as got me in the mood to read an older favorite. Which then led me into an old fantasy favorite, and I went down the rabbit hole. LOL. My reading choices hit just the right note! I hope you had as much luck with your choice!

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

After reading Hands Down, which featured Zac from The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, I re-read Winnipeg which had a side character in Vanessa’s best friend Diana Casillas. So, I read her story next. Yep, the rabbit hole. Wait for It is probably my third or fourth favorite Mariana Zapata novel so it wasn’t a hardship to pick it back up.

JUST STARTED

AFter binging on Mariana Zapata and feeling great about the books I’d chosen I again chose an older book that I’d read previously and really liked. I’d last read Oracle’s Moon in 2014 and I think it was my favorite of Thea Harrison’s Elder Races. Have you read those? They are fun romantic fantasy novels. I’m looking forward to finishing this one up this week.

What books did you read this last weekend, and what book are you starting out your week reading? An old favorite? Or a brand new release?

Happy Monday!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

This Chick Read: Hands Down by Mariana Zapata

Possible SPOILERS Ahead! Read at your own risk.

Zac Travis and Bianca Brannen used to be best friends but ten years have gone by since the last time they spoke. When her brother Boogie, the third leg in their friendship, asked her to swing by Zac’s house to give him a message about his grandpa she sucks it up and does the right thing. When he doesn’t recognize her? It’s devastating. Now that she’s back in his life, Zac is determined to not let her leave.

I was beyond thrilled that Mariana Zapata was releasing a book about one of my favorite side characters, Zac “Big Texas” from the Wall of Winnipeg and Me. I’ve read Winnipeg about 8 times, so Zac is a very familiar character. His aw shucks attitude and sweet charm makes him super easy to like, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to a main character hero. For me, that usually depends upon the leading lady, which in this case is also a side character but one that barely blipped on my radar. Bianca was the receptionist at the Maio House gym in The Best Thing. She was pretty minor but as I was reading Hands Down I admired how Mariana Zapata, again, tied the characters from her books together.

As I was reading this novel I found myself getting restless. For me, that’s never a good sign and meant I had some reservations about these characters love story. What was it that bothered me? I believe in love at any age, so the age difference between Zac and Bianca wasn’t that big a deal (it’s an 8 year difference). After all, I married a man 5 years my junior and it’s the maturity of a person that matters, not the age. Part of Zac’s charm in Winnipeg was his aw shucks attitude, which was on overdrive and may have been a bit overused in Hands Down. His nicknames of “sugar” and “darlin” were part of his identity, but there was one nickname that he used with Bianca specifically that I disliked. Well, at first I was ok with it, but after their feelings developed my feelings changed. Zac called Bianca “kiddo”. If this was a story about a brother and sister I’d think that was sweet, but at the end of the book he was still saying “I love you kiddo” and well, I found it kind of creepy. Why didn’t the author change that nickname like he did when he started calling her Bibi? I felt like that would’ve been an easy resolution. Insert “Bibi” wherever he says kiddo as his feelings had started to change. This may seem like a very small point but for me it’s one that would’ve made a huge difference in how I felt about the characters.

I love a strong female protagonist and Bianca had moments of strength but those moments were interspersed with quite a lot of insecurity. I get that she felt like Zac dumped her for his successful career but the number of times she said something like “if you want to” or “if you don’t have anything better to do” or spoke down about herself, got kind of frustrating. It actually frustrated Zac too as he addressed it quite a few times in the book, but when it starts getting on a readers nerves it’s like that tickle in your throat that won’t go away. When attention is drawn to it, it just itches even more. I was never allowed to get past it because it was brought up too often. Would I have felt differently if Bianca had started feeling more secure about herself a little sooner? Possibly.

Despite those two things, I did enjoy reading Hands Down. There’s a safety in reading a Mariana Zapata novel. You know you’re getting a great story, you look forward to seeing how these characters connect to past novels, and when they finally reveal their love for each other after that long build-up to it, it’s just so satisfying. Despite being let down on that last point just a smidge, it was still a nice get away from the stresses of my everyday life which is a win in my book.

❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Hands Down

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey

After the success of her debut novel, Waiting for Tom Hanks, Kerry Winfrey gives us a follow up featuring the two people her heroine, Annie, wrote her screenplay, Chloe and Nick. Chloe seems like she has it all with her positive attitude, unique style, and never-ending charm, but in actuality she’s got a load of stress balanced on her small shoulders. She’s approaching thirty and is still working in a coffee shop, her father’s in a facility because of his Alzheimer’s, she’s helping Annie plan her wedding, and she’s taking online classes to try to get a degree so she can one day have her dream, opening a bakery. When Annie’s screenplay based on Chloe’s life gets made into a movie it seems the world wants a piece of her that she can’t afford to give away and the one constant in her life, Nick, her boss and friend, starts looking very very good. How will her life change if Chloe starts seeing him as more than a friend?

Not Like the Movies had the charm of Kerry Winfrey’s first novel, but had an underlying depth that took the story beyond the fluffy love story into a well written piece of fiction. Don’t get me wrong, Ms. Winfrey still wrote some great rom-com banter and had all of those movie comparisons as she did in Waiting for Tom Hanks, but Chloe and Nick’s story had a layer of insecurity and uncertainty hidden beneath the artful disguise of Chloe’s exterior. If it weren’t for the love story aspect of this novel the color of Chloe’s tale would have been muted grays and greens instead of the bright technicolor red of her favorite lipstick.

What about our hero Nick? He was the perfect complement to Chloe in that he was steady, safe, and sweet. Truthfully though, he kind of got a little lost in all of her drama although I think that was done purposefully by the author to show Chloe how he was her perfect match. I am a reader that likes a more obvious approach to love, so the will they or won’t they was frustrating for me and I’ll admit to skimming over a few scenes to get to the meat of the romance a little quicker.

As a comparison to the first novel, which I loved, I thought Not Like the Movies was a solid sequel but lacked the optimism and charm that made me root for Annie and Drew. Not to say that I didn’t like Nick and Chloe, because I did, their story was just a different piece of fiction. Chloe and Nick had their own smoldering fire and I adored Nick’s steadiness because it was exactly what Chloe needed to make her happy. They had me rooting for them just as hard just in a more quiet way. If you didn’t read Waiting for Tom Hanks, it will be easier for you to like Not Like in the Movies because you won’t have the same expectations and I’m sure you’ll fall in love with this couple in the end, just like I did. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase!* Not Like the Movies

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

This Chick Read: Birthright by Nora Roberts

A couple years ago I took a trip with my sister to Boonsboro, Maryland and stayed at Nora Roberts hotel Inn Boonsboro. It was a girls trip and we explored the area, including the Antietam Battlefield. On that trip my sister mentioned this book as one of her favorites that Nora Roberts had written. It’s an older book, published in 2003 and takes place in Woodsboro, a town very close to Boonsboro. When we got back home she pulled it off her shelf and gave it to me to read. I set it on my own bookshelf and then promptly forgot about it until a couple of weeks ago when I picked it up and just started reading. It totally took me back to that area of the country. A trip that I may not be able to take again any time soon, but loved revisiting in this novel.

Callie Dunbrook gets called in to investigate some bones that were discovered on a construction site. Those bones turn out to be 5000 years old and her team, including her ex-husband Jake start digging and cataloging. Their dig is interrupted by two things. A local woman declares Callie her long lost daughter, stolen from her when she was a baby, and someone is murdered on the site. With the help of her ex, who does not want to be an ex anymore, they investigate both mysteries….and more people end up dying.

That’s kind of a short synopsis for a rather long and intricate novel but I really don’t want to get too far into the plot and give anything away. Let’s talk about the main characters. Callie is a really interesting heroine, she’s direct, honest, and analytical when she finds out the woman’s tale about her being a long lost daughter is true. On the outside she remains a little unemotional, but through her investigation, you can see how hard she’s trying to do right by these people, even if she can never have the same feelings for them as they do for her. You’ve got to admire that. I really liked how Jake supported her through all of this and seemed determined to not disappoint her a second time. Despite her trying to keep him at a distance he doesn’t give up and it’s that persistent caring that makes her see how different he is from a year ago. Their relationship seemed very real despite the mysterious things going on around them. I totally bought into it.

What I liked best about this novel were the moments of history that Nora Roberts wrote into this story. You could tell she knew this area really well and those little details really added depth to a format that she’s written a thousand times. Despite this novel being written 17 years ago it really wasn’t dated at all. There was zero mention of technology or anything else to point out how long ago it was written, so if you haven’t read this one lately I’d recommend that you pick it up again to enjoy. It’s a great story, the mystery was well done, and the romance had heat and emotion. What more could you possibly want?

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Birthright

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Crushing It by Lorelei Parker

Game developer, Sierra Reed, needs to develop more confidence so her boss will send her to a gamecon in Europe to pitch their newest game. How will she overcome her fear? By entering a “most humiliating story” contest at her local pub. Her tale about a huge crush she had in college on a totally hot fellow classmate, Tristan Spencer, was well received, but more so when they announced the next contestant…. Tristan Spencer! What’s it like to come face to face with your college crush after 10 years? Crushing It does a great job delivering all of those feelings of embarrassment, hope, and passion, but are those feelings for Tristan? Or cute pub owner Alfie?

Sierra was such a fun character. A gamer, with a Japanese funky street style is totally cute, but just doesn’t see herself that way at all. Her re-introduction to her college crush goes a long way towards giving her confidence, but really it’s the admiration and friendship of the pub owner, Alfie, that makes her start to view herself differently.

This author really delivered on all of the humiliating stories, I found myself laughing along with the crowded pub, and really enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters. My favorites being the gay couple Zane and Bryce who had just the right amount of supportive snark and raunchy stories to keep the mood light.

Crushing It was a pleasant surprise! I picked this ARC completely based off of the description (and the cute cover!) and didn’t regret my choice at all. If you’re looking for a fun, light, rom-com, I think you’ll enjoy this story and the cast of characters a lot.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase!* Crushing It

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.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

VERY SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD

Lucie Churchill is in Capri for her cousin’s wedding when she meets George Zao. He is everything she dislikes in a man. Good looking, wealthy, and Chinese. When they have an instant of passion that gets caught on film she is awash in embarrassment and flee’s the scene, only to run into him in the Hampton’s five years later when she’s engaged to someone else.

Kevin Kwan is pretty famous for his over the top, ripe with excess, and really original Crazy Rich Asians. While I didn’t read the book, I did see the movie so I understand the flavor of his intent. Similar to what Candace Bushnell did for WASP’s in Sex and the City, Kevin Kwan does for Asians in the Crazy Rich Asians series. In this novel, Sex and Vanity, you have all of the above, but there’s also an underlining story that is really quite serious. Lucie is embarrassed by being half Chinese. Her father’s side of the family is all WASP, uber wealthy, and despite their good intentions and loving Lucie, racist. Lucie has been cognizant of that fact her entire life and has worked really hard to earn their praise by scrubbing everything asian from her vernacular. Unfortunately, she can’t help the way she looks, despite her beauty. So, when she meets George, and can’t look away, she’s ashamed.

George, too is part Chinese. I think one quarter? His mother is over the top in her excess and Lucie finds her appalling, despite liking her at the same time. So five years later, when George, his mother, and Lucie cross paths again, I’m surprised to find her engaged to someone who is just like what she finds most appalling. It’s no wonder George is a fascination for her, as he is all things calm and reasonable when there’s so little of that in her own life.

This novel is a bit of fun, just like Kevin Kwan’s other novels, but reading Lucie’s angst, pain, and shame over being part asian was really hard to read. Granted, I am a middle aged white woman who can’t put myself in her shoes, but I can feel the feelings the author has intended for me, and I felt myself to be one conflicted mess. Poor Lucie! The cast of characters were displayed as direct contrasts to all of the feelings Lucie had about herself. It was interesting to see those parallels and watch how Lucie unwound herself from those doubts and started living for herself.

Here’s a bit of a spoiler so STOP reading now if you plan to check out this book.

If I could change one thing about this novel, it would be that Lucie would’ve found herself a little sooner. That the book didn’t end with a series of letters that told her story instead of reading through those chapters from Lucie’s POV. I feel like I should’ve been rewarded with a couple of chapter’s of George and Lucie’s romance after having lived through the horror of she and Cecil’s. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Sex and Vanity: A Novel

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads3 Comments

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (6/29/2020)

Even though stuck at home, the time has flown and it will be July this week. Wow! I’ve quite a few upcoming ARC’s that I need to read and review so I’ve really concentrated on finished up a few books. I just finished a great one!

This post originated over on Book Date, so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion about what books I am reading.

JUST FINISHED

I just finished this book this afternoon and really enjoyed this story! It’s a historical novel that is very easy to read. Some historical novels slog down but not Her Last Flight. It was very good and I totally got caught up in our heroine’s stories.

Click this link to purchase! Her Last Flight: A Novel

JUST STARTED

As with the book above, this novel comes out this week and is next on my list. I haven’t yet started it but it looks really cute.

Click this link to purchase! Crushing It

I’d love to hear what you all are reading this week let me know in the comments.

Happy Reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads3 Comments

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Most Anticipated Book Releases- July’20

I’m a little behind in getting out my thoughts on the book releases I’m looking forward to next month. Sorry! I’ve just scanned through a few of my lists and am surprised by the titles that I need to add to my TBR! One of my favorite authors announced just last week that she’d publish her next book in July. Yay! So without further ado….

#5 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

I read the first in this series last year and thought Waiting for Tom Hanks was adorable, so I’m all on board for this one!

Synopsis:

What happens when your life is a rom-com . . . but you don’t even believe in true love?

Chloe Sanderson is an optimist, and not because her life is easy. As the sole caregiver for her father, who has early-onset Alzheimer’s, she’s pretty much responsible for everything. She has no time—or interest—in getting swept up in some dazzling romance. Not like her best friend, Annie, who literally wrote a rom-com that’s about to premiere in theaters across America . . . and happens to be inspired by Chloe and her cute but no-nonsense boss, Nick Velez.

As the buzz for the movie grows, Chloe reads one too many listicles about why Nick is the perfect man, and now she can’t see him as anything but Reason #4: The scruffy-bearded hunk who’s always there when you need him. But unlike the romance Annie has written for them, Chloe isn’t so sure her own story will end in a happily-ever-after.

Click this link to purchase the book! Not Like the Movies

#4 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

This YA contemporary sounds as cute as this authors debut novel You’d Be Mine. It also has music as a central theme, which I love. This one’s release date got pushed back due to Covid, so I’m ready for this fun novel now!

Synopsis:

Growing up under his punk rocker dad’s spotlight, eighteen-year-old Luke Greenly knows fame and wants nothing to do with it. His real love isn’t in front of a crowd, it’s on the page. Hiding his gift and secretly hoarding songs in his bedroom at night, he prefers the anonymous comfort of the locally popular podcast he co-hosts with his outgoing and meddling, far-too-jealousy-inspiringly-happy-with-his-long-term-boyfriend twin brother, Cullen. But that’s not Luke’s only secret. He also has a major un-requited crush on music blogger, Vada Carsewell.

Vada’s got a five year plan: secure a job at the Loud Lizard to learn from local legend (and her mom’s boyfriend) Phil Josephs (check), take over Phil’s music blog (double check), get accepted into Berkeley’s prestigious music journalism program (check, check, check), manage Ann Arbor’s summer concert series and secure a Rolling Stone internship. Luke Greenly is most definitely NOT on the list. So what if his self-deprecating charm and out of this world music knowledge makes her dizzy? Or his brother just released a bootleg recording of Luke singing about some mystery girl on their podcast and she really, really wishes it was her?

In More Than Maybe, Erin Hahn’s swooniest book yet, Luke and Vada must decide how deep their feelings run and what it would mean to give love a try.

Click this link to purchase this book! More Than Maybe: A Novel

#3 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

Katherine Center’s novels always serve up a lesson. I can’t wait to find out what our characters learn about themselves in this novel. It looks like just what I need to escape today’s world.

Synopsis:

Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living.
But she wasn’t always that way.
Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen.
But he wasn’t always that way.

And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before—at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him—but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the best thing that could possibly happen to the school—and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she’d known is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.

As the school community spirals into chaos, and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love—which is the riskiest move of all.

With Katherine Center’s sparkling dialogue, unforgettable characters, heart, hope, and humanity, What You Wish For is the author at her most compelling best.

Click this link to purchase this book! What You Wish For: A Novel

#2 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

The Soulwood series was my entreé into Faith Hunter’s urban fantasy world and I’m sooo excited the next novel is out! Great characters, interesting mysteries, and a budding romance. yay!

Synopsis: Nell Ingram faces a dark magic with no known origin in the newest pulse-pounding paranormal procedural in the New York Times bestselling Soulwood series.
 
Nell is a rookie PsyLED agent, using the powers she can channel from deep within the earth to solve paranormal crimes. Together with her team, she’s taken on the direst magic and the most twisted foes. But she’ll need to tap into every ounce of power she has for her newest case.
 
Nell is called to the Tennessee mansion of a country music star and finds a disturbing scene—dead bodies rapidly decaying before everyone’s eyes. The witch on her team, T. Laine, has never seen magic that can steal life forces like this. PsyLED needs to find this lethal killer fast. But when a paranormal-hating FBI agent tries to derail the investigation, and the dark magics begin to spiral out of control, they find themselves under attack from all sides.

THIS CHICKS MOST ANTICIPATED JULY’20 BOOK RELEASE!

If you’re a fan of Mariana Zapata’s then you know… Zac has his own book! One of the characters from my favorite Mariana Zapata novel, The Wall of Winnipeg, got his own novel. I will be putting all books down and picking this one up as soon as I know it’s been released.

Synopsis:

Before he was Big Texas, he was Zac the Snack Pack.

Bianca Brannen knows time—mostly—heals all wounds. Including those your once loved ones might have unintentionally given you. (Those just take longer.)

She thinks she’s ready when a call has her walking back into her old friend’s life. Or at least as prepared as possible to see the starting quarterback in the National Football Organization. Before the lights, the fans, and the millions, he’d been a skinny kid with a heart of gold.

Waltzing out of Zac Travis’s life should be easy. Just as easy as he walked out of hers.

Did I miss any? I’m sure I must’ve! Let me know which books you’re most looking forward to reading next month when they come out.

Happy Reading!

Deb

*Amazon Associate- if you should purchase one of the books their the links above, I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads1 Comment

The Duke, the Lady, and the Baby (Rogues and Remarkable Women #1) by Vanessa Riley

I was intrigued by the synopsis of the description of a West Indian heiress as a heroine in a regency romance. Patience Jordan is of mixed blood, as is her son, and despite her light skin, that difference has made living in England difficult. Her husband had kept her in the country, trying to protect her from the unkindness she’d receive in “society”, which actually put her and their son in harms way when he died. Left in the hands of his disreputable uncle, Patience was sent away to Bedlam so he could retain control of her son’s fortune. When this story starts with Repington now in charge at her former home, it allows Patience to disguise herself and infiltrate her old household in order to care for her son.

Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington was a strategist in the war and knows that there’s more to Patience’s story and bides his time in figuring her out. They engage in their own skirmishes and of course, find themselves attracted to each other. However, this isn’t a bodice ripper of a romance. The Duke, the Lady, and the Baby is written in a rather old fashioned style which was kind of refreshing, but also felt a little stodgy. I love slow burn romances where the characters get to know each other, but the old fashioned dialog made these characters feel stilted rather than warm.

I had really high hopes for this novel and the future of this series. There is a league of women who help other women in bad circumstances and future novels will surely tell those stories, but I wanted this novel to deal more with the difficulties of being of mixed blood during this time in history and felt like other than a few comments about her accent and being secreted in the country, it was glossed over. Repington didn’t seem too concerned with his future Duchess’s acceptance into society, but as an analytical man who just wanted to get back to war, I guess there were bigger issues on his mind.

The other thing that was a little out of whack for me was that Repington was portrayed as a “Rake”. Meaning, he’s had no issues with the lady’s in the past, and he certainly seems to think he’s pretty charming despite his injuries that have incapacitated him. That devil may care charm played false to me and I had trouble buying him as a cad, at least at that time in his life. I think if he had been a bit more self deprecating? It just felt kind of sad I guess, and not true to the character.

So, you can see my difficulties with this one. I didn’t hate the story. I don’t read too many romances that involve babies, so the motherly aspect was new and interesting to me. I liked Patience a lot, actually. She was smart, dedicated, sassy, and interesting. So, I guess my problem was with the hero, although I didn’t dislike him, I just didn’t like them together. I did finish the novel despite my misgivings, so I’m giving this one a 3.0 rating for a solid good, but not great. ❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase!* A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby (Rogues and Remarkable Women Book 1)

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads