Tag: romance

This Chick Read: The Love Haters by Katherine Center

Katie Vaughn’s life has gone up in flames. She’s ended a bad relationship and now her job is facing lay-offs. In order to save her own, she take a job producing a video in Florida about a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, despite not being able to swim. Something she hides from her coworker, Cole- who is also Hutch’s brother. That’s just the first lie she ends up telling. When she gets to Florida and meets Hutch, who’s possibly the most handsome man she’s ever met, she gets caught up in a few more lies, the least of which is not being able to swim. As she faces some of her fears, and gets to know Hutch and his aunt Rue, Katie realizes she needs to take this chance to really be brave at last.

Katherine Center’s novels come out every year just as Summer is about to start. I look forward to reading her books because I know I’m going to love the characters and the fears and/or obstacles they are always trying to overcome. She writes with a tongue in cheek sense of humor but also with a lot of heart, which makes her books lovely to read. The Love Haters had all of these things. Wonderful characters who weren’t perfect and needed a little smoothing over, and obstacles that they needed to overcome before finding their happily ever after. This story wasn’t any different, so why didn’t I connect with it as much as I usually do?

Katie and Hutch were interesting, their lifestyle choices understandable, and the conflicts in their lives emotional. Each of them separately were amazing. I think I didn’t feel a huge connection between them as a couple. Katie had a tendency to hide herself behind some of her phobia’s and Hutch had learned from a young age to hide his feelings. These walls each of them had built kept the reader, or at least this one, from that connection that I’m always looking for between the romantic couple. For me, that was problematic and I felt a little like I was reading a synopsis of a therapy session. Hoever, the story was great, their situations relatable, and they were both lovely, nice people and you couldn’t beat the sunny setting.

Maybe it’s just me, but because of these little things I held back on my rating by one star. Nothing huge, this one is still a four out of five rating, but normally I go all in with five stars for this author, so it’s a bit of an anomaly for me. You may feel completely different! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

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

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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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This Chick Read: Slipstream by Madge Maril

Documentary filmmaker Lilah Graywood never thought she’d be producing a film on F1 racing but when her co-owner and boyfriend of their business convinces her to spend their summer doing this she doesn’t have the heart to say no, until he dumps her and tries to fire her from her own company. As revenge she and back-up race car driver Arthur Bianco decide to create a secret partnership where she will film his comeback and take control of Max’s documentary. When she and Arthur have to fake a relationship she gets to know the real Arthur, and his hidden vulnerabilities. Their chemistry soon makes it hard to pretend and Lilah has to face her true feelings.

F1 has certainly become a popular subject in romance and as an F1 fan I was worried that this novel wouldn’t portray it well, but you know what? Madge Maril did the sport justice, AND gave us really likable characters in an interesting romance. When Lila got dumped I was all in for the revenge plot, and her relationship with Arthur seemed like it would lean towards a friends to lovers, which is my favorite trope. What I didn’t expect was for their to be so much depth to these characters! I loved Lilah’s love for documentary filmmaking, but also how she began to love this sport that she at first thought was ego-driven and dumb. When she began to see how she could create this great story about Arthur’s comeback and then also began to let herself fall for him while filming it? Wonderfully written.

If you love F1 this book is a no-brainer and you need to read it. If you love romance novels and don’t know anything about F1? Still read this book! The characters are well written, the pace of the story is fast (as it should be when about racing!), and the chemistry is fab-u-lous! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Slipstream

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

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This Chick Read: Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

When Samantha finds a kitten in distress she takes him to the closest veterinarian clinic. When Xavier Rush walks in the door, Samantha is gobsmacked by his Greek god vibes, until he opens his mouth proving himself to be a surly SOB, delivering his professional opinion about the cat and the entire human race. Samantha loves nothing better than proving an SOB wrong, unless he can admit his mistake. They go on one date, and it is absolutely perfect, but Samantha has some family issues and is moving back home to Los Angeles the minute their date ends. Only neither one of them can forget the other.

Abby Jimenez is the queen of delivering romantic comedies with a lot of heart and this novel definitely had both. I laughed out loud at the great dialog, and felt emotional stirrings about all of the difficulties Xavier and Samantha had to overcome. Sounds great, right? So why was I left feeling slightly disappointed? Stop reading here if you don’t want some small spoilers.

This story had all the things, it really did. Romance, good looking girl, great looking guy, lots of chemistry, comedy, but what it didn’t have was our two main characters in the same city for the majority of the book. I thought the author did a great job of showing how a long distance relationship has been proven to break up couples. It was frustrating for me as a reader to not have them holding hands in the evening over a good meal or tv show, I can only imagine how it would feel in real life. So, I spent a great deal of this story, in between brief chuckles and heart tugs, feeling frustrated. That’s not really how I want to feel when I’m reading a romance novel. Hence the disappointment.

The good parts of this novel were really great. I loved both characters, I liked their back stories, I LOVED them together. I just didn’t get enough of that togetherness. Despite that frustration it was still a well written book by an author I love, it just wasn’t a five star read. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Say You’ll Remember Me

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

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This Chick Read: Crossing Paths (Beneath the Wild Sky#2) by Katie Ruggle

Norah Pax works with her sisters in the family bail bond business as their researcher. She works completely behind the scenes but when one of their skips hacks into her computer and starts taunting her she decides to up her game and takes personal defense lessons from an ex-MMA fighter and very grumpy Dash Porter. Taking those lessons with Dash become the highlight of her week and he very quickly becomes someone she trusts. When he realizes the danger she’s in he takes the opportunity to stick close to her side.

I can always count on Katie Ruggle to write a good women in jeopardy story. Norah is strong of heart, but she’s not the most physical or athletic Pax sister. With Dash’s help she grows in confidence both physically and mentally and that is a very attractive trait in a romance novel. Dash himself is very physical, both in fitness and mental agility. He’s attracted to Norah from the start and as soon as he realizes she’s in trouble he’s all in. You got to love that in a hero!

Just as with Katie Ruggle’s other novels there’s a lot of action and adventure which makes this a very quick moving fun novel to read. I love the interactions between Norah and her sisters. There’s a lot of love on these pages, not just between the romantic leads. If you haven’t read any of Katie Ruggle’s other books, you really don’t need to read the series in order. This and all the other books can be read as stand alone’s, but you might get a little more enjoyment if you’ve read the other books first. Either way, you’re going to enjoy Norah and Dash’s story. Get ready for a fun ride!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

When Alice was seventeen she spent a summer at the lake with her Nan. It’s where she took a photo of three teenagers in a yellow sailboat. A photo that changed the trajectory of her life. Now, a photographer, Alice is struggling to find that magic she felt when she first started taking photos. She has a successful career making her clients happy, but she is searching for that happiness for herself. When her Nan needs to recover from hip surgery, Alice decides to take them back to that cottage on the lake hoping that they’ll both find that magic that will put them back on track. What she doesn’t count on is Charlie Florak.

When she and Charlie meet there’s an instant connection, but deciding to be just friends, they fill their days in each others company. He’s one of the teenagers in the sailboat, still flirtatious and charming, but there’s something holding him back from the feelings that are growing between he and Alice.

I relish a great Summer beach read novel and Carley Fortune delivers every year when I’m jonesing for a vacation when I can spend time immersing myself in a delicious setting, and complicated characters that make you want to root for them. One Golden Summer captures that feeling so well. Alice’s journey to find herself while capturing the love for photography while having a summer “friendship” with Charlie was easy breezy reading. It made me feel warm with happiness while at the same time tense with nervous anxiety. Just as with any good romance, there is a hiccup to happiness that they must overcome. I’ll admit I shed a few tears reading this novel but that’s a sign of a strong connection to the characters. I was hooked and stayed up until late in the early morning hours to finish this novel because I just couldn’t put it down. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* One Golden Summer

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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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This Chick Read: Same Time Next Summer

Sam is taking her fiancé Jake to her family’s summer home at the beach in Long Island to look at a wedding venue, but as soon as she arrives she senses something is off. She hears guitar music playing and realizes that Wyatt, the boy that broke her heart, has returned to his house next door. She hasn’t seen him since she was seventeen and doesn’t want to see him now. Unfortunately he’s everywhere and all of those memories from long ago come flooding back. Sam remembers who she used to be, and as Wyatt reenters her life their connection is as undeniable as it always was. She will have to make a choice.

This was the last of Annabel Monaghan’s books that I hadn’t read and I was excited to get a copy from the library. The weather is turning and I’m in the mood for a summer beach romance and this one looked to be a perfect fit.

I liked Sam a lot. She was conflicted over bringing her fiancé to her summer home because she was a different person at the beach then she was in the city. There she was buttoned up and had closeted all of her feelings behind a safe wall, but at the beach she let her feelings come alive. Her true person came out and because of the heartache she faced when she was young she was afraid to let that person come to the surface. A little unfair to her fiancé because he didn’t know the real her, just the person she wanted to show him. When she was faced with Wyatt again and all of those old feelings surfaced, as well as her connection with Wyatt she was faced with the choice to stay in her safe world or take a chance and face her true self. That was what I loved about this story. She didn’t allow herself to hide away anymore, of course, she needed a good reason and that was the love of a good man. Unfortunately for her fiancé it wasn’t him.

These summer romance novels have such a warm, golden feel to them. I love that easy, relaxed fit that a beach read brings to my heart and this book was no different. Was it my favorite book by this author? Nope. It was probably my least favorite, actually, but it was still enjoyable and I loved the journey it took me on. Now that I’m caught up with her books I’ll need to find another new to me author with a backlist of novels to read and love.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Same Time Next Summer

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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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This Chick Read: Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

Ali Morris organizes people lives for a living but when her mother dies and her husband leaves her, her own life starts to spin. She hasn’t worn pants with a zipper in a good long while. One day, she takes a big step, puts on semi-structured overalls and takes her dog to the dog park where her dog pees on a man named Ethan who looks at her like she has her act together. He looks at her like she’s her much younger self. There’s no harm in a little summer romance is there?

I have come to love this authors’ summer romances. The characters are always a bit messy but with the heat and beach humidity a little anxiety and disorganization seems to fit just right. What I liked about this novel was that Ali’s messiness was caused by grief and self discovery while learning how to live through that grief. This story felt very real, especially with how her two children coped with a mother who kind of stopped living for awhile. Ethan brought a little fun and laughter to this woman who hadn’t felt those emotions in quite a long time and you could almost feel that exhalation of grief and inhalation of life in each scene he was in.

An interesting side plot was how Ethan dealt with his own messiness. In this small town they were both from, he had a bit of a crazy reputation that people had trouble seeing past. Everyone but Ali, who saw the man he had become vs. the troubled youth he once was. I liked the dichotomy of his past and current lives and how he needed to overcome his own anxiety. I like when both characters have a bit of work to do to make it to their happily ever after. Their journey felt like the breeze wafting in from the water, whipping around slightly before settling down. Refreshing.

Click this link to purchase this book! *Summer Romance

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This Chick Read: Casket Case by Lauren Evans

Due to an unexpected tragedy, Nora finds herself back in Rabbitown, Alabama running the family’s casket business. There are not many choices for a single woman living in a tiny town, so when a handsome stranger walks into her store and asks for directions, then asks her out, she accepts. Garrett seems like an ideal guy, even though he’s kind of vague about what he does for a living. When a few residents die, and Nora figures out Garrett was with them right before they died, she is worried he’s a serial killer, but never believes he’s a logistics coordinator for Death. Is it weird that they both deal with death for a living? Is that something she can live with?

I picked up this book because of the obvious, of course! It’s a romance about a woman who sells caskets and a man who works for Death! Who wouldn’t be curious about that plot? I wasn’t sure how it was going to work but I knew that I definitely had to see if this debut author could tempt me to read it from start to finish. Yes, I did! Although it definitely was not your normal romance!

We learned a lot about Garrett and his previous relationships, all of which failed because of his job (of course!). His explanation of “logistics” and all of the travel he does for a living wasn’t enough for his past girlfriends, but he thinks Nora, who sells caskets for a living might understand him better than any else could. What he doesn’t take into account is that Nora grew up in a family business that dealt in death. A stigma that she’s always had through grade school, high school, and even as an adult. Death, as a way to make a living just makes people uncomfortable. So when she starts to piece it all together, it’s no wonder that she might have trouble seeing a future with Garrett. It’s how they overcome that big objection that could make or break this story. Right?

I actually enjoyed this book, but found the pacing to be a bit slow. I appreciated the build up and getting to know each character and truthfully probably needed to in order to grow to like where the story was going. The problem was that all of the thoughtfulness really slowed down the story. I almost gave up, but I soldiered on and finished this kind of bizarre but likable novel. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase!* Casket Case

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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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This Chick Read: The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez

Don’t you just love it when an author has the skill set to create a full rounded story in 82 pages? This short story by Abby Jimenez is exactly that- a story with a beginning, middle, and end AND has fully fleshed out characters. When I read a short story as good as this one I do have that moment of “oh I wish” that this author had written their entire story, but you know what? The Fall Risk didn’t leave me hanging. I felt their connection, understood the nuances to their characters, loved their love story. What more can you want, right?

Charlotte and Seth are neighbor’s. They live on the second floor and share a small deck that runs between their apartments, as well as an outside staircase connecting them to the ground below. When some construction workers mistakenly remove their staircase, Charlotte and Seth find themselves grounded, at home, for the weekend- with only each other for company. Charlotte works out of her house and doesn’t let people get too close but this situation calls for her to live her life differently, if only for a weekend. Over the weekend the two of them share food, stories about their lives, and their hopes and dreams for the future. They make a connection that has to live beyond that weekend, doesn’t it?

Trust me guys, this is a short story filled to the brim with content. If you like Abby Jimenez, then you know what you’re getting and I’m sure have already picked this one up. If you don’t know this author this is your chance to try her out and see what her style is like. I think, like me, you’ll become a big fan!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Fall Risk

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: Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood quickly became one of my favorite authors with her debut release of The Love Hypothesis back in 2021. Her heroines are typically STEM themed doctors, scientists, biologists, mathematic geniuses, etc. and her hero’s are in that field but also broody, good looking, and at the top of their game in their chosen field. Deep End’s characters are a bit younger, in college at Stanford, but otherwise they fall into the same characterizations. Scarlett Vandermeer is in med school and Luka Blomqvist is also in that field. What makes this story unique from the others is that Scarlett is on the dive team at Stanford and one of the top divers in the country, and Luka is an Olympic gold medalist on his way to the next Olympics. Obviously at the top of that field as well. These two characters share the pool and have been in each other’s world for a few years, but it’s not until Luka and his girlfriend (also a diver) break up that Scarlett starts to notice him as a person. When his ex Penny let’s slip one of Luka’s secrets, Scarlett can’t stop noticing him, and Luka notices right back.

Just as with this author’s prior novel Not In Love, she seems to be veering away from the slow burn romance and veering towards more of a mild erotica feel to her novels. If that’s not your thing than you may not enjoy this novel which plays on control in a sexual relationship. Unlike other novels which may use this theme as an excuse to have slightly kinky sex, in this novel with two characters who are competitive in their sports, and in a high level field like medicine it somehow added to the narrative and didn’t detract from the story. In my opinion it added to their characters and explained emotional conflicts, which I appreciated.

Despite liking how their sexual relationship added to the growth of their relationship and revealed emotional problems I do like a slow burn romance and I miss the old Ali Hazelwood style of writing. I love the enemies to lovers trope and while Deep End had dark and broody Luka, they were never enemies, more forbidden lovers. I hope this author trades off and her next novel returns to a slow burn style, but you know what? I love this author and will be reading any book she writes so she can really ignore my protestations and just get on with writing!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Deep End

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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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