This Chick Read: Dating-ish (Knitting in the City #6) by Penny Reid- Audio Review

I am in love with the Knitting in the City series! Each time I read a book, I think ‘this is my favorite’! Until I read the next book in the series, which quickly surpasses the previous and becomes my favorite book in the series. This time, instead of reading, I decided to try out my new Romance Audible package on Amazon and listen to Dating-ish, narrated by Joy Nash. Boy was that a delight!

Marie, our heroine, is just about to cancel her subscription to an online dating service when she gets a notification that she has a PERFECT match! Excited at the prospect of meeting her perfect match, Marie eagerly meets this date at a local coffee house and proceeds to have the most confusing and weird first date she’s ever had before in her life! This strange man is her perfect match? After doing a dump and run, Marie runs into him again when her knitting group next meets. It’s a surprise to find that he’s the next door neighbor and childhood friend of her knitting buddy Fiona, but even more surprising is the fact that their date was part of a research project on what women want in a man. As it turns out, Matt is a scientist and is working on a project to create an compassionate AI (artificial intelligence) that will provide a person with all of the emotions they need from a mate. Marie is upset, horrified and angered that her perfect match was a fake! To get even, she blackmails Matt into letting her read his research for an article she’s going to write about how there are services available to facilitate emotional fulfillment. Think professional cuddlers, not hookers!

As Marie and Matt hang around each other, an undeniable chemistry is sparked, but as this is a slow burn novel, the two of them have plenty of hilarious emotional hijinks before their feelings become their reality. In typical Penny Reid fashion, these two odd ducks have found their perfect match, but they really have to work at the happy in their ending.

Part of the reason I love this series is because these characters are not new to us when we start the novel. Marie, as part of the knitting group is known as the level headed, organized friend. In fact, as a professional journalist, she can compartmentalize with the best of them, and we’ve seen her do this in the past. Matt, as Fiona’s neighbor, is also a familiar character. Although I didn’t quite realize how much of an emotional oddball he really was from our previous interactions. Joy Nash reads his character so well! Kind of aloof and very sciency in a nerd-voice. You’d have to listen to it to figure out what i’m talking about, but she does a great job! Marie’s narration is also spot on, and Joy Nash acts out the narration so that I feel as if I’m listening to a movie rather than someone reading from a book. She is seriously good!

Each book in the Knitting in the City series can be read as a stand alone. Be warned though, previous characters sometimes have big parts in our main characters romance, so it may be better to start at the beginning so that you don’t miss out on any subtle character arc’s. Although Marie and Matt’s romance is brilliant enough on its own merit. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“I would have never thought a book about robots would be sexy but Penny Reid makes being smart sexy! Matt and Marie have an amazing love story. It is defiantly a slow burn kind of love story and it is so much fun to read. ” Cup of Tea Book Blog

“The book is full of computer and AI jokes and banter that should make you laugh. Marie and Matt are both complex characters with their own issues to deal with. And the cast of secondary characters, which has grown as the series has progressed, is charming as usual. ” Kat Vinson

Click this link to purchase!* Dating-ish (Knitting in the City) (Volume 6)

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? (7/29/19)

Happy Monday everyone! I ran across this post on Book Date and liked the idea of sharing what I’m currently reading, so here goes!

JUST FINISHED

First Sentence: “Late June in Seattle sometimes delivered the heat.”

JUST STARTED:

First Sentence: “I wouldn’t have been caught dead in here a year ago.”

I met Marie Harte at the Booklover’s Convention in May and her publisher sent me the first novel in this series, ‘Veteran Movers’. I read it and thought the premise was really cute. Ex-Vet brothers start a moving company and only hire Veterans. The two brothers are completely different. One was more business minded and conservative while the other was beefier and crass. I’ve now read both of their stories, and they were as different as the men’s personalities. Smooth Moves is the second novel about Cash, a musclebound Marine with heart. I liked his story even if I didn’t really identify with either character.

I saw Hate Notes listed in an article about great audiobooks and had to give this one a try. I found it on Kindle Unlimited and surprisingly enough the audio came along with the membership! Yeah! I’m reading a listening and like the two main characters story so far!

Now that you know what I’m reading…

What are you reading on this fine Monday?

Blog Tour- Cover Reveal! The Kissing Game by Marie Harte

Today we are sharing the cover for an upcoming standalone title from Marie Harte. THE KISSING GAME is a fun, contemporary romance title you won’t want to miss! Be sure to follow Marie for exclusive updates about the book and preorder your copy now. The Kissing Game releases February 4, 2020.

Join Marie’s Reader Group for Exclusive News!

The Kissing Game by Marie Harte 

PREORDER NOW   |   RELEASING 2.4.2020

Amazon  |  B&N  |  Google  |  BAM

Add THE KISSING GAME to Goodreads

PREORDER NOW

Amazon  |  B&N  |  Google  |  BAM

————————-

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit http://marieharte.com and fall in love.

FIND MARIE:

Join Marie’s Reader Group

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Instagram | Bookbub  |  Goodreads

It’s Monday! What are you reading? (7/22/19)

Happy Monday everyone! I ran across this post on Book Date and liked the idea of sharing what I’m currently reading, so here goes!

JUST FINISHED

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

First Sentence: “Imagine you’re a bird.”

JUST STARTED

Butterface by Avery Flynn

First Sentence: ” Gina Luca knew one thing down to the very marrow of her wedding -planner bones: brides were the devil.”

Abbi Waxman strikes again! A poignantly sweet and funny novel that I totally enjoyed misting up over. Switching directions to try a new to me author I started Butterface, an adjective I absolutely can’t stand but with a heroine I think I’m going to like a lot. A great first line too, right?

You know how I’m starting my week, so now I must know… What are you reading?

Happy Monday!

Deb

Friday YA: Heartache and Hope (Heartache Duet #1) by Jay McLean

Ava Diaz needs saving.
She just doesn’t know it yet.
Just like she doesn’t know a thing about the boy she sits next to on the first day of senior year.
He thinks she’s a brat.
She thinks he’s entitled.
Maybe first impressions don’t always last… 
Because Connor Ledger’s about to save her.
He just doesn’t know why.

When Connor starts at his new school and gets seated next to Ava in Psych class he immediately wants to get to know her. Unfortunately, Ava’s checked out. Her mother’s home from Afghanistan with a severe injury and Ava is trying to hold it all together. She doesn’t have time to care anymore about friends, boys, or any social niceties. Connor breaks through her barriers and becomes the person she doesn’t want to need, but needs too much.

Connor is struggling to keep all of his own responsibilities in line. Moving to this new school with the purpose of getting noticed by college scouts is his father’s main concern. He’s not too thrilled with Connor’s infatuation with Ava, and when he hears about all of her problems? His son doesn’t have the time for a girl with all of that baggage.

Heartache and Hope had an interesting premise and two main characters who had really interesting, conflicting back stories. I was curious to see how all of their drama would fit into a high school setting. Ava’s situation with a mother who has PTSD was so adult and yet her love story with Connor was kind of youthful it provided an interesting contrast in her character. Connor was also struggling with adult decisions about his future that when he acted out as a normal teenager it was a little jarring. I had to remind myself that this is actually a YA novel.

I can’t say I was riveted to every page in this novel, but it did have moments that captured my interest and kept me reading. If I’d known it ended in a cliffhanger I don’t think I’d have picked it up at all because now I’ve been left a little dissatisfied. Luckily I don’t have to wait very long for the next novel because it comes out only three weeks after the first novel. This bait and switch seems to be a kind of new way to entrap readers to continue on with the series and gains the author a couple extra bucks. However, in this case I’m not sure if I will remember these two characters and give them four or five more hours of my valuable reading time. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“At the end of Heartache and Hope, readers will absolutely be emotionally drained because while the hope is still hanging on in the final pages of book one, the heartache seems far more overreaching and far more tangible…” Fairest of All Book Reviews

“This book packs that punch. Connor has been through something awful, Ava is pretty much living her own personal nightmare, but somehow they manage to find peace within each other. There’s something so beautiful and powerful about that.” Romance Book Binge

Click this link to purchase* Heartache and Hope: Heartache Duet Book One

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

This Chick Read: Polaris Rising (The Consortium Rebellion #1) by Jessie Mihalik

Ada Von Hasenburg is on the run from the political machinations of the Royal Consortium and an arranged marriage into House Rockhurst. When she is captured by some bounty hunters she finds herself locked in a room with Marcus Loch, the Devil of Fornax. When an opportunity comes to escape they join forces and a rollicking fun space pirate adventure begins.

When a book is recommended by one of your favorite fantasy authors you just really can’t pass up the opportunity to read it can you? I love a great science fiction romance novel and this one had all of the characteristics of a great story.

Ada and Marcus were complete opposites. Ada came from one of their planets elite houses. Growing up privileged, yet struggled against playing a role against her will. Marcus joined their armed forces as a teen and was turned into a super soldier. They seemed an unlikely pair at the start of the novel but you soon saw that each gave the other person what had been missing in their lives up to that point a partner that would put the other first before all others.

The highlight of this novel is the antagonist or villain Richard Rockhurst, Ada’s erstwhile fiance who is a not so very nice guy. I really liked the history between Ada and Richard, a man who was actually a friend from childhood who turned into a very different man as an adult. That history added conflict to a much needed romance between Ada and Marcus. A common enemy for them to fight. Without that character the story would have been a little stale.

I thought this novel started out so great so quickly! I easily bought into the potential of the story and romance and eagerly read through each page. The middle of the novel did slow down but it would be really hard to keep that fast pace through the whole novel. Both characters needed to show growth and the story needed to slow down just a little to give them an emotional conflict to overcome. It did and they did and the pace sped back up for a quick ending.

Luckily this is the first novel in the series because I’m not ready to let this couple go yet and the political plot is just ramping up! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“Overall, I enjoyed this book but it’s not my favorite. So, will I pick up the next book in the series? Definitely! The next book is about Ada’s eldest sister Bianca and I  really want to read her story.” Dreamy Addictions

“Overall, I had a really good time with Polaris Rising. Admittedly, the romance genre is still not something I can take in large doses, but I love throwing a book like this into my reading repertoire whenever I feel like I need a change. Like a rich, fluffy, decadent dessert, I can only read these types of novels once in a while, but whenever I do, it’s always oh so satisfying and delicious.” The Bibliosanctum

Click this link to purchase!* Polaris Rising: A Novel (The Consortium Rebellion)

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? (7/15/19)

Happy Monday everyone! I ran across this post on Book Date and liked the idea of sharing what I’m currently reading, so here goes!

JUST FINISHED

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

First Sentence: “Absolutely not. What an utterly harebrained idea, Annabelle.”

JUST STARTED

The Queen’s Gambit by Jessie Mihalik

First Sentence Read: “I lowered my spaceship’s cargo ramp and slipped in the night with the ease of long practice.”

I went for a mood changer with the switch from historical romance to romantic sci-fi. Bringing Down the Duke was so fabulous that I had to switch it up to try to carry that great book glow into the next novel. I haven’t gotten too far into The Queen’s Gambit to decide if this was the right choice. I’ll let you know!

Now that you know what I’m reading, feel free to catch me up! It’s Monday! What are you Reading?

Thanks!

Deb

The Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag 2019

I can’t believe it’s already time (well, kind of past time!) for the Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag! This year I was tagged by Jill at Jill’s Book Blog. If you want to check out Jill’s tag please click the link below.

Jill’s Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

I really like this tag because I get to take a look back at all of the books I’ve reviewed since January and remind myself of all of the great books I’ve read. Side not is that it also reminds me that time is just flying by and there are so many more books to read and things to do ahead of me!

BEST BOOK OF 2019 (JAN-JUNE)

I am in a Rom-Com phase and couldn’t pick between these two great book’s. Lucy Parker’s London Stage series and Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City series are both wonderful and I’ll be re-reading these over and over.

Pretty Face – “I think I wrote on Goodreads that I am now obsessed with Lucy Parker novels. I really am. Her stories could so easily be fluffy romances, but they aren’t! They are well written, her characters are rock solid and the build up in the romance is riveting to read. Her dialog isn’t too shabby either, it’s actually really fun! ” Pretty Face (London Celebrities)

Love Hacked- “Needless to say, I loved this novel. I had picked it up so many times and put it down. I’m not sure why and am kicking myself for not enjoying their story before now. However, sometimes those novels that surprise you with their strength and your emotional impact to them are read when you need to read them. This was the perfect time for me. ” Love Hacked: A Reluctant Romance (Knitting in the City) (Volume 3)

BEST SEQUEL OF 2019 (JAN-JUNE)

Oh, boy. Sequel implies there are only two books in the series and after looking, I didn’t read any two book series. So, I’m going to interpret this question as Best Book in a Series (2019).

“The mystery was fabulous. I’d imagine if I had kept pace with the Jane Yellowrock series I may have been just a little more informed over Rick’s background but I really didn’t care. I was caught up in the action, the characters, and the resolution of this case. It was great reading and I enjoyed it thoroughly! ” Circle of the Moon (A Soulwood Novel)

FAVORITE NEW RELEASE THAT IS STILL SITTING ON YOUR TBR

It only came out on 7/1/19, so I’m not too far behind. I’ve purchased my copy and still haven’t found the time to read it. Soon! Protect the Prince (A Crown of Shards Novel)

MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE OF THE SECOND HALF OF 2019

OK, I’ll admit, I’ve already read this novel but I can’t wait for the audiobook to be released! This series is one that I read, listen to, repeat. Again and again. Sapphire Flames: A Hidden Legacy Novel

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF 2019 SO FAR

This novel was definitely my least favorite of the three. I didn’t hate it but it took too long to get to the conclusion. Then when it got there? I felt like I do after eating that huge piece of chocolate cake I’d been craving. Great anticipation and then a slightly sick feeling after I’d finished. Finale: A Caraval Novel

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2019 SO FAR

Surprise! This is a spin off of the Dark Elements Series. No wonder that main character sounded familiar!

FAVORITE NEW AUTHOR

I read these two books not too far apart. They were totally different but the similarity between the two was that they used historical facts built into a fictional novel. I loved that! I’ll be keeping an eye out for new releases from both of these authors.

‘Dead Queens’- “The Dead Queens Club cleverly names all of it’s characters after their true life namesakes and incorporates familiar places from Tudor history into this small town. I’ll admit to once again using Wikipedia to give myself a quick history lesson on each wife (and if they kept their head or not) and found that I relished watching the mystery unfold more because of that knowledge. ” The Dead Queens Club

‘An Assasin’s Guide’- “I really enjoyed Kit’s evolution. As Katherine she was restricted to a woman’s life but as Kit so many things were available to her. I think this combined with her feelings for Toby helped her to make the decision revealed at the end of the book. No spoilers here, but the line between life and death was trod very closely and the conclusion was just as dramatic as one of the plots in a Shakespeare play.” An Assassin’s Guide to Love and Treason

NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH

Alessandro Sagredo. Ummm, Yummy!

NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER

“Olive is kind of a beautiful mess, but that mess is mostly in her own head. Written mostly from her POV, we get to see how her adorableness contrasts with how she views herself. That dichotomy really made me root for Olive!” The Unhoneymooners

BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY

The Unhoneymooners for the win, Alex! I laughed my way through this book. It was just awesome.

BOOKS TO READ BY THE END OF THE YEAR

I have pre-ordered both of these items. One comes out this month (July) and the other isn’t until October. Both of these authors are on my auto buy list. I’m really excited about these releases, so they shouldn’t sit too long on the virtual shelf.

FAVORITE POST YOU’VE DONE SO FAR THIS YEAR

AN ODE TO MOM- MOTHER’S DAY 2019

I enjoyed thinking back on what memories I have from childhood about my mother. This one has always stuck with me.

I’m not going to tag anyone to do this Mid Year Freak Out tag because I think I’m one of the last bloggers to do it! LOL. However, if you haven’t looked back at your own year and would like to share, please do! Tag me if you do so I can read your responses.

Thanks and happy reading!

Deb

Friday YA: Twisted Palace (The Royals #3) by Erin Watt

SPOILERS AHEAD

Finally back together, Ella and Reed can be happy. Wait, what? No of course they can’t! Book 3 and the final episode of the love story of Ella and Reed has so many more obstacles to overcome.

Living in the same house doesn’t seem to create any challenges for Ella and Reed. The biggest surprise is that Ella has retained her virginity. Yep, you heard it right! I’ve informed you of all of the sexually explicit scenes, and boy, there certainly are some doozy’s, but Ella and Reed have not done the actual deed itself. Kind of a nice surprise, right? But a good part of this book seems to be about how they will go about solving that problem and where. The more interesting part of that scenario is that Ella’s returned from the dead father does not want her dating Reed and creates all sorts of obstacles for them- one of them being moving her out of the Royal house. Ah the good old days of out smarting your parents. Fun!

Reed’s brutal nature of getting into fights down at the wharf and keeping the kids at school in line comes back to bite him in the butt. Despite having tons of money, Reed seems to be going down for the fall of a murder he may not have committed although he certainly wanted to at times! Ella, desperately trying to keep him out of jail investigates on her own and what she finds out is pretty shocking and makes for some great reading and a rather remarkable ending.

I really enjoyed these first three books in The Royals series. Paper Princess was still my favorite, but Twisted Palace did a good job of wrapping up some loose ends. I know the series continues but it shifts focus to Easton in book 4 which I’m really looking forward to. Hopefully his story matches his funny personality and is a little lighter. So far it’s been a pretty dark, drama filled ride!

If you haven’t read these books, be warned! There are some very sexually explicit scenes that I think aren’t appropriate for some YA readers. If you’re a mature reader, love soap opera’s, and romance- you will have a ton of fun reading these books! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Twisted Palace: A Novel (The Royals)

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

This Chick Read: Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

Working as a clown at children’s parties brings her a joy she doesn’t find elsewhere, but Georgie is often overlooked by the adults and is still sitting at the kids table. When her older brother’s best friend Travis Ford retires early from the pro’s due to an injury and comes back home, Georgie knows two things. One, she’s not going to allow her childhood crush to sit and stew about his failures, and two she’s going to start being viewed as an adult and follow her life’s passions. One of which is Travis Ford.

Georgie is a really fun heroine. She’s witty, fun, and serious about being taken seriously. When she throws and old carton of ice cream on Travis’s MLB worthy behind I knew I was going to like this girl! She is the only person in town who isn’t afraid of telling it like it is and Travis needs that slap upside the head to get out of bed and start finding a new focus in his life. Pretty quickly, Georgie becomes that focus.

The brothers best friend trope is always tension filled. That hint of forbidden fruit in finding your best friends little sister sexy adds a dangerous element to their romance that is super fun to read. Stephen, Georgie’s older brother, is surprisingly stoic about the whole thing, especially since his buddy Travis is known for being a man-whore. His nickname is two bats for Pete’s sake! However, Travis has hints of vulnerability that help us connect with him beyond his hot exterior.

I love the current trend in cartoonish romance novel covers but I think they may misrepresent the adult nature of some more ‘romantic’ novels. Georgie and Travis’s sexy fun times are very adult and at times kind of naughty. Be warned I’d rate this heat index 10+! Sometimes a super sexy scene might annoy me by distracting from the story, but these scenes actually added to the growth of the characters (no pun intended!) and moved the story forward. Georgie was finding her independence and self confidence and Travis was showing a vulnerability (even while being kind of domineering).

If you hadn’t guessed, I really enjoyed Fix Her Up. I’m a sucker for women finding their inner power and Georgie was right in my wheelhouse. Her growing relationship with Travis was hot, but I also really liked how sweet he was with her and how he learned that needing people, and Georgie particularly, wasn’t a weakness it was a strength. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Fix Her Up: A Novel

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate