Tag: romance

This Chick Read: Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Cassie Hanwell is a decorated firefighter with a plan of rising through the ranks. She gets a call from her estranged mother who wants her to move up to the Northeast because she has recently lost sight in one eye and needs help navigating her new world. After a surprise incident lands Cassie in hot water at work, her work plans derail and she decides to start anew in Maryland with her mother. Unfortunately the firehouse family she is joining is nothing like the one she left behind and she has to prove herself as well as live with a woman she hasn’t had a relationship with since she was sixteen.

There was a lot going on in this book but Katherine Center did a great job of not overwhelming the reader and somehow tying all of the plots together into a cohesive story and a really solid novel.

At first I thought Cassie was never going to warm up. She had an awful back story and didn’t seem willing to forgive her mother. If it hadn’t been for the change in firefighter houses and how she tried so hard to prove herself to the guys I may not have been able to wait her out. Fortunately her interactions at work helped make the pages turn quickly, THEN she finally warmed up to her mother! Whew! Throw in the side love story and by the second half of the book I was all in.

This was a novel about relationships. Cassie’s relationship with her mother, the guys at work, her attraction to the rookie, her relationship with her father. There were some heartwarming and heartbreaking moments and even though there were a few different sub plots I liked how they all added to Cassie’s story and didn’t work against each other. All in all, I liked this novel, it was easy to read and made me feel good at the end. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“I loved every minute of this book and was sorry to turn the last page. A wonderful, humorous story of love and forgiveness with a strong and endearing main lead, ‘Things you save in a fire’ is a book you won’t forget.” Happy Tonic

“I loved this book- at times it has a light touch- but Katherine also provides some meat in the situations Cassie must face- and decide how to handle them.” Traveling with T

Click this link to purchase!* Things You Save in a Fire: A Novel

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chicks Sunday Commentary: Top 5 Most Anticipated Releases- Mar’20

Although I have not read a ton of books this month I’m still eagerly looking forward to new books to add to my TBR. March is always a big month for fiction releases and looking at this year’s list I can honestly say that there are more than 5 that will be added to my reading list. I don’t want to bore you with all of my favorites, so I am staying inside my little box of Top 5 most anticipated releases. I’d love to hear if yours matches mine!

#5 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

A magical historical novel about a Mozart brother and sister? You know I can’t pass this one up!

Synopsis:

Two siblings. Two brilliant talents. But only one Mozart.

Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish–to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she’ll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age–her tyrannical father has made that much clear.

And as Nannerl’s hope grows dimmer with each passing year, the talents of her beloved younger brother, Wolfgang, only seem to shine brighter. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true–but his help may cost her everything.

In her first work of historical fiction, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu spins a lush, lyrically-told story of music, magic, and the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister.

Click this link to purchase!* The Kingdom of Back

#4 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

I LOVED The Dinner List and this novel sounds like it will have the same fantasy element that I really enjoyed about in the last novel. Can’t wait.

Synopsis:

Where do you see yourself in five years?

When Type-A Manhattan lawyer Dannie Cohan is asked this question at the most important interview of her career, she has a meticulously crafted answer at the ready. Later, after nailing her interview and accepting her boyfriend’s marriage proposal, Dannie goes to sleep knowing she is right on track to achieve her five-year plan.

But when she wakes up, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. The television news is on in the background, and she can just make out the scrolling date. It’s the same night—December 15—but 2025, five years in the future.

After a very intense, shocking hour, Dannie wakes again, at the brink of midnight, back in 2020. She can’t shake what has happened. It certainly felt much more than merely a dream, but she isn’t the kind of person who believes in visions. That nonsense is only charming coming from free-spirited types, like her lifelong best friend, Bella. Determined to ignore the odd experience, she files it away in the back of her mind.

That is, until four-and-a-half years later, when by chance Dannie meets the very same man from her long-ago vision.

Brimming with joy and heartbreak, In Five Years is an unforgettable love story that reminds us of the power of loyalty, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of destiny.

Click this link to purchase!* In Five Years: A Novel

#3 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

The first novel didn’t quite live up to my expectations but I think these two characters will bring the heat. At least I hope so!

Synopsis:

Liv Papandreas has a dream job as a sous chef at Nashville’s hottest restaurant. Too bad the celebrity chef owner is less than charming behind kitchen doors. After she catches him harassing a young hostess, she confronts him and gets fired. Liv vows revenge, but she’ll need assistance to take on the powerful chef.

Unfortunately, that means turning to Braden Mack. When Liv’s blackballed from the restaurant scene, the charismatic nightclub entrepreneur offers to help expose her ex-boss, but she is suspicious of his motives. He’ll need to call in reinforcements: the Bromance Book Club.

Inspired by the romantic suspense novel they’re reading, the book club assists Liv in setting up a sting operation to take down the chef. But they’re just as eager to help Mack figure out the way to Liv’s heart. . .even though she’s determined to squelch the sparks between them before she gets burned.

Click this link to purchase!* The Bromance Book Club

#2 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

Yeah, yeah, I know I’m not the target for these YA books but when I was doing research for writing my own I really came to love them, and Kasie West is one of my favorites. Her books will always land on my TBR. This one looks too cute!

Synopsis:

At sixteen, Hadley Moore knows exactly who she is—a swimmer who will earn a scholarship to college. Totally worth all the hard work, even if her aching shoulders don’t agree.

So when a guy dressed as Hollywood’s latest action hero, Heath Hall, crashes her swim meet, she isn’t amused. Instead, she’s determined to make sure he doesn’t bother her again. Only she’s not sure exactly who he is. 

The swim meet isn’t the first event the imposter has interrupted, but a little digging turns up a surprising number of people who could be Heath Hall, including Hadley’s ex-boyfriend and her best friend’s crush. She soon finds herself getting caught up in the mysterious world of the fake Heath Hall.

As Hadley gets closer to uncovering the masked boy’s identity, she also discovers some uncomfortable truths about herself—like she might resent the long shadow her late brother has cast over her family, that she isn’t as happy as she pretends to be with her life choices…and that she’s falling for the last guy she ever thought she would like.

Click this link to purchase!* Moment of Truth

MY TOP BOOK RELEASE FOR MARCH ’20!

This series gets better with every book in part because the tension between Veronica and Stoker is still unresolved and smoldering. This one sounds like a great historical mystery. I’ve already pre-ordered it from my local independent bookstore. This series is a keeper!

Synopsis:

Autumn 1888. Veronica Speedwell and her colleague Stoker are asked by Lady Wellingtonia Beauclerk to stop a potential scandal so explosive it threatens to rock the monarchy. Prince Albert Victor is a regular visitor to the most exclusive private club in London, and the proprietress, Madame Aurore, has received an expensive gift that can be traced back to the prince. Lady Wellie would like Veronica and Stoker to retrieve it from the club before scandal can break. 

Worse yet, London is being terrorized by what would become the most notorious and elusive serial killer in history, Jack the Ripper—and Lady Wellie suspects the prince may be responsible.
Veronica and Stoker reluctantly agree to go undercover at Madame Auroreʼs high-class brothel, where a body soon turns up. Secrets are swirling around Veronica and the royal family—and it is up to Veronica and Stoker to find the truth, before it is too late for all of them.

Click this link to purchase!* A Murderous Relation (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery)

These are the books I am most looking forward to being released next month but there were so many to choose from! What’s the book you are most looking forward to adding to your TBR next month? Come on, I won’t tell!

Deb

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase a book through one of the above links I may receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: A Wicked Kind of Husband (Longhope Abbey #1) by Mia Vincy

Cassandra and Joshua DeWitt have been married for two years and haven’t seen each other since their wedding day. When Cassandra shows up at their London house and her husband is in residence she convinces herself that the house is big enough for the two of them. When her husband is accused of betraying her in her marriage, she leaps to his defense and all of a sudden they are forced to portray a happy union. Of course, spending all of that time together leads to grumbling tension and intense attraction.

When your favorite writing duo speaks out about enjoying this novel you just have to take a look. I was pleasantly surprised at this historical romance. Joshua was a different kind of hero. Once part of the peerage until his father’s bigamy was discovered he has made his fortune in business. His frenetic energy made him seem rather ADHD but Cassandra’s soothing influence gave him a more mischievousness that I’m not sure the author intended.

Cassandra, also was something other than she appeared. Smart and confident on the outside, she was actually desperate for the love and affection of her family who have blamed her for their rather dire straits and boredom. Cassandra and Joshua were an interesting pairing and I enjoyed this quick paced love story very much.

There were plenty of antics and bickering, as well as a bit of a mystery for them to solve together that paired them off rather quickly. If you like sassy historical romances this one is just different enough to elevate it to a 4.5 rating, but then a little humor always gets an extra .5 from me! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase!* A Wicked Kind of Husband

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

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This Chick Read: How to Love Your Elf (Embraced by Magic #1) by Kerrelyn Sparks

Synopsis: Sorcha knew the mission was dangerous. Leaving the safe grounds of her brother’s kingdom and parlaying with the elves across their border . . . well, treachery seemed at least as likely as true peace. But to support her sister, Sorcha would brave far more than the underhanded ways of the elves. Or so she thought, before she was taken hostage.
 
Of course, her captors didn’t count on her particular abilities—or on the help of the Woodsman, the mysterious thief who made his home in the forest. He saw the battle from the trees, saw the soldier attacking against incredible odds to save a comrade—and then saw the valiant fighter revealed as Princess Sorcha of Norveshka. He can’t tell if he wants to kidnap her or kiss her. But despite Sorcha’s stubbornness, his inconvenient honor, and a rebellion on the cusp of full war, something burns between them that neither can let go . . .

REVIEW: The series name Embraced by Magic #1 implies that this book is the first in the series, doesn’t it? Foolish me! As I was reading this novel I quickly realized this was not the first novel. There were clearly a few couples already covered in a previous series which normally would make me mad. I kept reading because I had to, as I was given an ARC of this novel to review. At this point you’re probably thinking that I got lost in the story and soon forgot that the publisher misled me….you’re wrong! I only got more mad because this novel was so poorly written! Even though I’ve never read a Kerrelyn Sparks novel before, I know this is an author who has written a whole bunch of novels and well, this novel felt like it was a first attempt by a high schooler. If it had been? Well, maybe I would be a little less harsh, but it wasn’t. So, how did I feel about this book? Disappointed would be putting it mildly.

I’m not a reviewer that normally writes scathing commentary. It’s not worth my time unless I feel like I need to take a stand on behalf on women for a horrible topic like romanticizing sexism or rape. This novel didn’t have any of those topics, it was a fantasy romance about a bunch of elves in a forest. It should’ve been fun, but was really just bad. That happens. I get it. That’s why I usually just choose to pass on the review. However, I feel like I need to make a point about how putting this novel, which was clearly the third or fourth in a different series and titling it as #1 in a new series clearly misleads the reader. Added to that is that it was just poorly written and juvenile and well, you’ve got one really unhappy reader and I got this book for free!

Setting the publisher’s intentions aside, why didn’t I like this book? This story was in 2-D. The character’s weren’t developed, the love story was contrived, and the sex scenes truly awful. The dialog was pretty comical. Our hero was a wood elf and our heroine Sorcha jokes about his wood-like erection. Yeah, it was really bad and I found myself rolling my eyes and skimming the pages hoping it would get better. It didn’t. So, despite our hero’s wood-like penis, I was left totally unsatisfied.

Maybe this style of writing is what Kerrelyn Sparks is famous for and I’m going to anger a bunch of fans of this author, but I hope it’s just one bad book in her catalog and I just chose the wrong one to test the waters.

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and, well, it was honest!

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved.

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This Chick Read: Aurora Blazing (The Consortium Rebellium book #2) by Jessie Mihalik

As the third oldest child in House Von Hasenberg, Bianca has always been the dutiful daughter. Marrying for a political alliance instead of love, now widowed she’s vowed to live life by her own rules. When her house comes under attack and her brother is kidnapped, Bianca’s underground informants give her a lead on his kidnappers. She’s determined to go after them alone, but the Head of Security for her house is fast on her trail and they have to come to an agreement about how to investigate the situation. Action, danger, and romance, all rolled into one, Aurora Blazing was exactly as I’d hoped. Even better than the first novel in the series.

Bianca was so fascinating! A horrible marriage changed her both physically and mentally. A fact that she’s hidden from her family and friends. Ian Bishop knows there’s something different about her but it’s not until they go on the search for her brother together that he’s given the chance to get close and see the consequences her disastrous marriage had on her psyche. He’s determined to protect her from both herself and from her enemies.

I thought Polaris Rising had a lot of promise but it left me feeling a little disappointed. Aurora Blazing lived up to that first book’s promise and then some! The characters were fully fleshed out, the mystery detailed and enthralling, and Bianca and Ian’s relationship was full of tension and burned slow. A Sci-Fi fantasy novel full of heat, heart, and heartache.

I get the feeling as this series moves forward and every little detail of the Von Hasenberg’s are revealed I’m going to love the series even more. Bianca’s back story was pretty horrible and really really interesting. I can’t imagine how any other character could be as interesting but in Aurora Blazing we are given little hints into a couple of future novels that may live up to my expectations. I hope this author is writing fast and furious because I want the next novel out soon! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Aurora Blazing: A Novel (The Consortium Rebellion)

Copyright 2020 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: Alone in the Wild (Casey Duncan #5) by Kelley Armstrong

While on a camping trip with her boyfriend Detective Casey Duncan here’s a baby crying. With a foot of snow on the ground Casey searches out the sound and finds a baby lying in the arms of a dead woman buried in the snow. Casey and Eric take the baby back to the safety of Rockton determined to investigate. Was the dead woman the baby’s mother? Or had she taken the baby from it’s mother. Alone in the Wild shows us a different side of Casey and pushes she and Eric into making an emotional decision.

I really enjoyed how Alone in the Wild was this great mystery but it was also a self discovery novel that pushed Casey and Eric into making decisions about their future. Which one was more interesting? Truly they were both great. The mystery was excellent and it each discovery gave a little more information about this world and some of it was eye opening.

This series is now in it’s fifth installation and my interest in the town of Rockton and Casey and Eric in particular has not waned at all. The two of them keep getting more interesting and as their romance becomes more emotional I want to learn even more about them. While taking care of a baby we see a softer side of both Casey and Eric and I kind of liked it. They are both so tough that it’s nice to see that they can have deeper emotions, not just for each other, but for someone that needs their care and support.

I was really looking forward to this novel and it lived up to my expectations. It was not just a mystery it was a look into the souls of our two main characters. Luckily, the depths of these two characters held up and made this novel even stronger. I’m really looking forward to what their future holds and can’t wait for the release of the next novel!

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!* Alone in the Wild: A Rockton Novel (Casey Duncan Novels)

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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This Chick Read: Connections in Death (In Death #48) by J.D. Robb

Once again Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her gorgeous billionaire husband Roarke’s lives cross closely with murder. Dr. Rochelle Pickering has just been hired as psychologist at their youth shelter when her brother Lyle is found dead by an apparent drug overdose in their apartment. As Eve investigates his troubled past as a gang member emphasizing the reasons their shelter is being built.

There have been sooooo many In Death books that after 47 you would think it would be hard for the author to come up with an original mystery. I really felt Connections in Death delivered! I could be wrong, but I don’t remember Eve investigating gangs in any of the previous novels. I found this brought a grittier feel to the mystery. The bulletproof vests were on and doors were being broken down, it was similar to an episode of Law & Order! The contrast between that gang lifestyle and Lyle’s rehabilitated world made the reason for his murder even more sad.

I enjoyed this novel more than quite a few others in the series because the detectives felt more like cops than investigators. Yes, Peabody in her pink coat and boots is adorable and brilliant, but I enjoyed seeing her pummel a gang member and get physical.

This was a fast paced story that I easily read in a few hours and enjoyed tremendously. The characters didn’t advance any storylines further it was just a straight mystery with no sidebar distractions, and I really liked it! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Connections in Death: An Eve Dallas Novel (In Death, Book 48)

Copyright 2020 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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This Chick Read: Whiteout (Survival Instincts #1) by Adriana Anders

In her final day as cook at a remote Antarctica camp, Angel Smith is making her last meal before heading back to the mainland when their camp is attacked. Angel escapes but is stuck alone on this base with no power and no way to contact anyone for help. Ford Cooper, glaciologist, was out in the field during the attack and when he returns to an empty base he finds Angel locked into a sub basement cavern, almost frozen. Despite their differences and the obvious tension between them, they work together to get themselves out before their enemy returns to finish the job.

Adriana Anders does a great job of turning up the heat in this atmospheric, ice cold thriller. As a setting, the Antartica seems to be the antithesis of a hot romance, but she does such a great job of creating tension between Angel and Ford that you can’t wait for that moment when they are both warm enough to strip off all of those layers and create their own heat. Angel and Ford also seem to be the complete opposite of the other with Angel beaming in good nature a direct contrast to Ford’s glowering disapproval. Yet as they work together Angel’s good humor seems to rub off on Ford and his scowl turns upside down. Not that he ever gets comfortable showing his emotions but you can feel him thawing out and warming to her until they become partners in surviving the elements and the dangerous situation.

I don’t believe I’ve ever read a romantic thriller set in the Antarctica before and loved how the setting became as big an integral part of the story as what happens between our characters. The Antarctica and the low temperatures became another evil character to survive and I really liked that they could conquer or be killed by the land as well as the bad guys. Because the novel started off with the bad guys taking over, you knew who they were the entire time so the Antarctic and its elements added the mystery to the story.

I really enjoyed Whiteout and this story of a mysterious virus found in the ice in the Antarctica. Even more than the mystery, I enjoyed how the characters worked with and conquered their time in the elements and loved how much the tension sizzled even though they wore clothes (a LOT of them) through much of the story. Angel and Ford had completely different personality types but as a couple they became whole. I loved that because I think for a large part that’s how it works in real life too. Opposites attract! This novel was a quick, fun ride and I’d recommend it if you’re in the mood for an exciting action adventure novel. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase!* Whiteout (Survival Instincts)

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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This Chick Read: Headliners (London Celebrity #5) by Lucy Parker

If you’re a fan of this series then you’ll remember that Sabrina Carlton and Nick Davenport are rival anchors on competing networks in London and at the end of the previous book Nick had reported news that tore Sabrina’s family apart. So, at the beginning of Headliners when they are both told they would be anchoring a morning show together for one month I knew that the sparks would be flying! When they start the show and realize someone is out to sabotage their chances at making this show a success they band together to find the culprit and all of a sudden there are other kinds of sparks flying.

Just as with the previous novels in this series Lucy Parker really knows how to write great dialog, characters who are not perfect but that a reader can care about, and sizzling romance. I loved that Sabrina and Nick were an interracial pair yet all of the issues they had stemmed from non racial issues. In fact, despite the saboteur at work, this was a “normal” romance…and that is how it should be. Maybe it’s not realistic to talk about issues others may have with their pairing, but truthfully? All I cared about after starting to read was that they were interesting characters and had some great dialog, and most importantly HEAT. Enough said.

So, despite seeing Nick as the bad guy in the previous novel, that one act was all we knew about him. This book allowed us to see his regrets over how that story played out. That insight totally helped me get past him screwing Sabrina and her sister Freddy over. I moved on from dislike to enamored rather quickly, exactly as the author intended. It also helped that in this novel Sabrina and Nick had a common enemy to fight. There’s nothing like banding together to fight evil that makes you think of sex! LOL.

Headliners was a ton of fun to read and I hated that it had to end. I’m trying to think of someone that this series could continue with, maybe Nick’s brother Iain? A single dad who is slightly gruff, but loves his daughter? Hmm. From my lips to the book gods (ok authors) ears in New Zealand… fingers crossed! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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!* Headliners (London Celebrities)

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: If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins

Jenny Tate is moving her wedding dress store back to her home town for two reasons. The first is to be closer to her sister and her three nieces and the second is to be further removed from her ex-husband, his wife and their new baby. It’s hard to move on with her life when they (Rachel and her ex) are still so involved in each others lives. Rachel is thrilled her sister Jenny is moving back to town, but when it seems her marriage is on the rocks she has difficulty seeing the truth behind the lies. If You Only Knew is the story of two sisters who are navigating through difficulties leaning on each other but also learning their own inner strengths.

Jenny’s marriage slowly falls apart with her husband eventually leaving her saying he just wants something more. He finds that just three months later and then immediately has the baby Jenny had wanted with him. He remains friends with Jenny, calling her his best friend, and she lets him even though it makes her miserable. When she moves the shop to her hometown she moves into a small complex and meets her downstairs neighbor Leo. He is devastatingly gorgeous and closed off keeping her at a distance with a friends with benefits status. Jenny dreams of a relationship with Leo that may never come. The good thing about their story is that she’s finally weaned off from her ex and didn’t really even notice it happening.

Rachel tries so hard for the perfect life and marriage. She deftly raises her three children and when her husband comes home everyone is spotless and lovely for him to kiss goodnight. When she discovers he’s cheated the walls come crumbling down on her perfect life and she wonders why she tried so hard to keep the love and passion in her marriage. If there was one character I hated in this book I’d say it was her husband. He acted entitled and I just loathed him for how he treated Rachel.

The two sisters have a wonderful relationship, so supportive and are each others champion through life. Even with their problems their love for each other was so apparent, it was lovely. If You Only Knew was filled with angst, pain, and rebirth. It was deftly told and at the end the reader is left with a feeling of completion if not happiness for each sister. Their lives may go through good and bad, but I felt like if they had each other in their lives they could pull through almost anything. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* If You Only Knew: A Women’s Fiction Novel (Hqn)

Copyright 2020 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

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