Tag: romance

This Chick Read: The Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting

Lilah and Ethan have been best friends since they were six years old. High school sweethearts, Ethan goes off to college on a hockey scholarship with plans for Lilah to join him when she graduates the following year. Instead, he gets drafted by the NHL and dumps Lilah over the phone and they never see each other again. Eight years later, Ethan’s dad has a stroke and is in the hospital where Lilah is a nurse. Ethan takes this chance to be close to Lilah again, now that he’s been transferred to her hometown hockey team. In his eyes they were so good together and he wants that magic back, but does he want it for them? Or to make his hockey career successful again?

Helena Hunting really knows how to write sizzling scenes, and the Good Luck Charm has a ton of them. She is also great at emotional encounters, and it’s those that stick with you after you finish reading this romance. It was so easy to love Lilah. When she see’s Ethan for the first time in eight years on the same day her divorce papers are signed she is floored. Ethan was the love of her life and he broke her heart. She is not quick to forgive him and he has to work really hard to win her back.

Ethan has also had a tough time, but well, he’s in the NHL so how hard could that be? It is tougher to like him as he was the one that wronged Lilah, but when he reveals everything that was going on at the time and the pressure he felt you kind of understood. The problem was that he wanted to go back to the way things were, and Lilah was not that person anymore.

I really enjoyed this book but it was also kind of hard to read. I’ll try to explain. I understood both of these characters, but they wanted things to be the way they used to be and to make up for all that lost time that it shaded my feelings for them as a couple. They were both kind of desperate for each other and that was the hard part to read. When the conflict happened, I thought finally! Let’s get some resolution to that plot line. Which doesn’t mean I didn’t like the book, I did. I just didn’t want all of that handsy glomminess. LOL. I still gave it a four rating though. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“The book above sounds kind of cute (and I know this shouldn’t matter but the cover is adorable). The blurb is the reason that I put it on my TBR and requested it from the library….What I got instead was a shallow, plot-less novel that has practically nothing at all to do with hockey & just seemed to me to be boring scenes interspersed with a lot of doing it.” Velvet Spade Reads

“The Good Luck Charm was a sweet and feel good second-chance romance and fans of Helena Hunting definitely won’t be disappointed” The Romance Corner

Click this link to purchase!* The Good Luck Charm

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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This Chicks Sunday Commentary (Yes, I know it’s Wednesday!): April ’19 Wrap Up!

I feel like I just did my March wrap up, the days are just flying by too fast. April was a solid month for reading. I finished 17 books, including a few audiobooks and feel like I’m making progress on my stack of ARC’s. Do you ever feel like you’ve overcommitted yourself? Me too! I hate it when my favorite authors all have books coming out on the same day. Yet, I love it at the same time. It’s a love hate thing. LOL. Anyhow, here is what you missed if you haven’t been keeping track of The Reading Chick!

GREAT APRIL READS!

Pretty Face (London Celebrities #2) by Lucy Parker

I blew through the rest of this series in the month of April, but this book was my favorite!

“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!”

Full Tilt by Emma Scott

I actually read this book a couple months ago but had to clear my thoughts before writing the review. It was soo good, yet emotionally wrenching.

“I have never read a novel by Emma Scott, but after reading Full Tilt I know I will definitely be looking through her backlog for my next fix. Full Tilt was heavy, dark, desperate, uplifting, sad, and joyous. By the third chapter I was all in and I think I must’ve gone through a box of Kleenex while rooting for this couple to overcome the odds.”

Love Hacked (Knitting in the City series #3) by Penny Reid

Every time I read a book in this series I say, THIS is my favorite! I definitely chanted that mantra after reading 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.”

BLOGGER TO BLOGGER SERIES

We all met a few interesting bloggers this month on my series Blogger to Blogger. If you haven’t had a chance to read their interviews, please check them out!

Tina @ Reading Between the Pages

Kyle and Hannah @ But, First, Fiction

I am mulling over putting my Blogger to Blogger series on hiatus. If you would like to be featured, please contact me and let me know, and I’ll fit your blog in before I take a break.

THIS CHICKS SUNDAY COMMENTARY

Part of the reason I want to take a break from Blogger to Blogger is to spend more time coming up with topics for my Sunday discussion posts. I’ll admit, with a full time job it’s hard to find the energy, but I want to do better. Here are my posts from last month. If you missed any please click the links below to check them out.

March’19 Wrap Up!

My May’19’s Most Anticipated Releases

Happy Easter from the Reading Chick!

MAY’S TBR PILE

OH, Boy! I know I mentioned above that I’m backed up a little bit on my ARC’s. As you can see from this NetGalley snapshot, there are several releases that are all on the same day! Usually I try to space them out, but either I wasn’t paying attention or was overcome with greed at the thought of reading all of these great novels. I have read Romanov already (review to come this week!), but need to start on Finale to stay on track.

THEN you have the books on my Kindle that I’ve purchased, like Kristen Ashley’s FREE and Slow Burn, and my library books that are about to expire like Daisy Jones and the Six, and well, you get the problem!

On top of that my sister and I are going to the Booklovers Con in New Orleans 5/15-5/19! Woo-Hoo! Expect to see a daily post from me regarding all of the authors I will see and the fun activities to be had! I’m excited about that trip, but conventions don’t leave a lot of time for reading. LOL. Oh well, c’est la vie!

May looks to be a much more exciting month than April, and I can’t wait to read ALL of these books! LOL. (yeah right!)

Are you sitting on a big pile of ARC’s too? Give me a shout in the comments section and let me know I’m not the only one in this boat!

Until next Sunday, (or Wednesday, Tuesday or Saturday…)

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? (5/6/19)

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

Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox (Amaranthine series #1) by Forthright

First Sentence Read: “There must be some mistake.” Tsumiko finished the solicitor’s letter of introduction and checked the name of the firm embossed on the heavy gray envelope- Watanabe, Wada, & West.

JUST STARTED

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

First Sentence Read: “The key to success is to visualize it.” The soothing voice commands my attention, mostly because I’m wearing earbuds and it blocks everything else out.

Yep, I gave you guys two sentences, but I feel like the spoken works weren’t enough! LOL. I cheated.

It’s the start of a new week and that means more books to read! What are you reading this fine Monday? Let me know in the comments below!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? (4/29/19)

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

In Her Sights (Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters #1) by Katie Ruggle

First Sentence: “I’m headed to the park,” Molly said as she let the screen door slam behind her.

JUST STARTED

Romanov by Nadine Brandes

First Sentence Read: My blood is my crime.

I’ll admit, I’m a huge fan of Katie Ruggle. Her new novel came out last month and I had pre-purchased it and it got lost on my kindle. It’s a really cute romance, this time the leads are all sisters which I love!

Another topic I love is the Russian revolution. Did Anastasia really die? It’s always a fabulous fantasy and to mix magic into the tale? Perfection! I can’t wait to immerse myself in it.

Don’t you love starting a new book? It’s better than starting a new work week! What are you reading this fine Monday?

Deb

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Friday YA: Off the Ice (Juniper Falls #1) by Julie Cross

Claire O’Connor’s back in Juniper Falls because of an all hands on deck family emergency. Helping get her family’s restaurant and sports bar back on solid footing after her father’s stroke is more important than being at school. Tate Tanley was her best friend’s little brother and when she catches sight of him she wonders where that little boy that she shared a secret with the night before she went to school went. Now he’s the goalie of their high school hockey team and all grown up and that secret brings them back together.

I recently read the third book in this series, On Thin Ice, when I got an ARC through NetGalley and was rewarded by reading a really good story! I immediately went to my local library to take a look at the other books in the series. Off the Ice is the first and it also didn’t disappoint. These characters are dealing with so much more than a high school romance. The stories are packed with emotional plots and Off the Ice’s is another doozy.

There were so many things I liked about Clair and Tate. Even though Claire always dreamed of a life outside of her small town of Juniper Falls, her family was the most important thing in her life and she dropped following her dreams to come home and help out when her father grew ill. I did struggle a little bit with her waffling over whether she should give Tate a chance but then we’d have lost a little bit of the tension that kept the story moving forward. Tate was a fabulous character. He was dealing with a dud of a father, pressure as the new goalie on the team, and a recent break up with his long time girlfriend. He was singleminded in his pursuit of both Claire and his game that you couldn’t help but admire how he was dealing with all of this pressure. I really liked how he helped Claire see her future both at school but also with him. They were well matched.

I love contemporary novels with a hint of romance that revolve around sports. Especially if they are actually playing the game! This novel had quite a bit of hockey being played which made it even more enjoyable to me. If that’s not your thing, I think you’ll really appreciate how these characters grow and become each others anchor through some of the crappy things that are happening in their lives. Either way, it’s a book to enjoy and I’ll be reaching for the second in the series next. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Off the Ice (Juniper Falls)

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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This Chick Read: American Witch by Thea Harrison

Molly Sullivan has had the strangest things happening lately. Lights have been fizzling out, her car keeps breaking down, and when she’s angry she see’s little white sparks in her vision. That last gets tested when she finds out her husband has cheated on her… again. When she confronts him, she let’s her anger take reign and her power manifests. Josiah Mason, local DA and a powerful witch in his own right, witnesses this manifestation and offers his help to Molly, which she begrudgingly takes. When she finds something hinky in her husbands finances she turns to Josiah for help.

American Witch is set in the world of the Elder demesne and Thea Harrison’s previous series the Elder Races. Being totally familiar with this realm, I eagerly anticipated reading this novel. I liked Molly’s character a lot. She is getting out of marriage that ends up having a few more surprises than her own manifesting magic. The mystery of her marriage and what her husband was up to was interesting, but I’ll admit that I was disappointed in the lack of focus on Molly’s magic. If I learned that I was turning into a witch and had this amazing power I would have wanted to know everything about it! I thought she was a little disinterested in the beginning and that made it hard for me to connect with her character.

Josiah Mason is driven by revenge. Not the best attribute of a leading male but he could’ve overcome that flaw if he had been a little more empathetic towards Molly. I didn’t believe their connection and didn’t really like how long and more importantly why it took him so long to put her first. Thea Harrison is a great storyteller but I thought she should have pulled the trigger on his emotions a little sooner when it came to his feelings for Molly.

I fought against my ambivalence and really wanted to love this book. I didn’t hate it at all, but thought it could’ve been so much better with only a few tweaks. It’s because of this that I’m giving this novel a 3.5 rating. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Click this link to purchase!* American Witch

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe the Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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Happy Easter from The Reading Chick!

Spring is here, the flowers are blooming and even though today was 50° and I am wearing a sweater you can tell by the smiles on everyone’s faces that winter is over. Unless you’re a fan of Game of Thrones, then Winter is Coming. I couldn’t resist, sorry!

For those of us who celebrate this time of year for religious reasons, may you have a blessed holiday!

For those of us who are looking forward to seeing what kind of candy is in our Easter baskets… what number from the graphic below is your favorite Easter candy? Feel free to share your favorite from your own country if these aren’t familiar!

I am a Cadbury mini eggs gal myself!

May your Easter basket be filled with the blessings of your season, and chocolate! Happy Easter from the Reading Chick!

Deb

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This Chick Read: The Austen Playbook (London Celebrities #4) by Lucy Parker

Actress Freddy Carlton has been cast in a live action televised production of The Austen Playbook. A theatrical mash-up consisting of Jane Austen characters and a who dunnit a la the game Clue. Think Emma murdered Mr. Darcy in the library with a candlestick. The live television audience gets to pick how the play will be “played” out. Excited to spend what she thought would be a quiet few weeks on a country estate turns into a stressful production and an investigation that turns very personal.

Lucy Parker once again strikes gold with The Austen Playbook. Freddy Carlton is all grown up from the young ingenue we’ve met in previous novels and when she matches wit’s with curmudgeonly J. Ford-Griffin, theater critic and owner of the country estate where the Austen Playbook will be televised, the pages alight with sassy dialog filled with wit, humor and sexual energy. Their back stories of her grandmother and his grandfather having a grand affair ties them together in a unique way, also adding tension to their investigation of their grandparents romance.

As with the other books in this series, Lucy Parker’s setting of a West End play is completely enjoyable and I loved how the country setting added a different spin to the first two novels in the series. Griff was a little reminiscent in temperament of both Luc Savage and Richard Troy from books one and two, but I’ll admit that I love a curmudgeon who finds love and found Griff just as charming. Freddy’s uplifting and adorable personality make it hard for him to resist and their fall into love is irresistible.

There is plenty of story to go along with the love in this novel. The cast of characters are full of hijinks and Freddy and Griff’s own family provide plenty of dysfunction for our lovebirds to unite together against. This series has quickly become one of my favorite’s and this author is now on my auto-buy list! If you haven’t had a chance to read them, they can each be read as a stand alone, but past characters do pop up here and there and it’s fun to know their back story when they do. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

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

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“This book is a mixture of drama, swoon romance and great friendships (and relationships in general) that are not perfect but complicated in a way that we can all relate to. ” Ravings of a Book Lover

“…the dialogue was en pointe, the characters were varied and entertaining, the story developed consistently. I was drawn into their world completely. It was so vivid. This is a series I recommend again and again.” I Love Romantic Fiction

Click this link to purchase!* The Austen Playbook (London Celebrities 4)

Copyright Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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This Chick Read: Love Hacked (Knitting in the City #3) by Penny Reid

The Knitting in the City series by Penny Reid follows a group of friends in Chicago who have formed a knitting group. They meet every Tuesday to drink, laugh and talk about each others lives, often solving problems and giving great advice (and sometimes not so great…). Love Hacked is Sandra’s story. In this group Sandra is always the level head, picking through everyone’s thoughts to find what drives them. Sandra is also trying to find love. Every other Friday she meets a new man at her favorite Indian restaurant hoping this guy will be the one and every Friday she is disappointed. Until one Friday after her latest date leaves in tears her waiter, Alex, sits down at her table.

Every time I read a Penny Reid novel I say to myself, this is my favorite novel of hers! Well, yes, this is my favorite novel to date. I’ve read every Winston Brothers novel (including Ashleys story which falls after this one in the Knitting series and is a prequel to the Winston series) and am making my way through this series, with luckily a ton of other books to mine of Penny Reid’s. They are all great books so why do I connect so much with Sandra and Alex’s story? I think all women have put themselves in Sandra’s shoes. At one point or another we’ve all wanted to find that special man that we’d live the rest of our lives with, hopefully fulfilled and loved. Of course, I didn’t have her talent for getting men to reveal their inner soul and leave the table in tears, (which was hilarious while at the same time kind of sad), but I could certainly put on those I want to be loved shoes. Really, it was her interaction with Alex that walked me over the line into loving this book so much.

Alex was an enigma wrapped in a conundrum and completely fascinating. His interactions with Sandra weren’t your normal interactions between a man and a woman who were attracted to each other. Sandra may have been the psychotherapist, but Alex was doing his own analysis of Sandra right back but at the same time throwing up walls to protect himself. Watching them tear down each others walls while coming to care for each other in a totally unique way was enthralling, gripping, and heart wrenching. And I ATE IT UP.

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. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!*Love Hacked: A Reluctant Romance (Knitting in the City) (Volume 3)

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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It’s Monday! What are you Reading? (4/15/19)

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

Playing for Keeps (A Heartbreaker Bay Novel) by Jill Shalvis

First Sentence Read: ‘Sadie Lane walked through the day spa, closing up for the night, alone as usual.’

JUST STARTED

Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson #11) by Patricia Briggs

First Sentence Read: ‘” So what did YOU do, Mary Jo?” Called Ben in his crisp British accent.’

Ahh, a new week! Monday’s are great because you can start over, get rid of all the bad things that happened the previous week and START A NEW BOOK!

What are you reading this fine Monday?

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads9 Comments