Tag: romance

This Chick Read: Tattered (Lark Cove #1) by Devney Perry

I love romances where the girl comes from a poor background, improves on her own and then finds a man to love. The problem with those types of novels is that if not done correctly I have trouble liking the main heroine. Tattered, thank goodness did not go down that road. Thea Landry had a rough beginning, growing up an orphan in New York. She meets and has a one night stand with way out of her league, Logan Kendrick. They hit it off, do the deed, and they both move on. He, remembers their night together, and she can never forget. When he shows up in the bar she owns in Montana on a business trip, she finally gets to deliver some news. They have a child.

The most important thing about this romance trope is that you LIKE the characters. Thankfully, I did! Thea was doing well, loved being a mother and had moved to a place that was good for she and her child. I liked Logan too! He was floored by the news, but he’d never forgot about Thea and took to being a dad pretty easily. I’m not sure why I didn’t like this book more than I did? The love story was pretty solid, and there was even an element of danger thrown in that made it almost a suspense novel. Actually that might have been the problem! Tattered teetered between a contemporary romance and a romantic suspense, but it didn’t go all in on either genre. So, I was left feeling pretty ambivalent.

I’ll repeat. I did not hate this novel, but I didn’t love it either. It was ok. This was my first novel by this author and I’d heard great things, so I was a little disappointed. However, what is one reader’s perfect book is another reader’s so-so novel. I think you know on what end of the spectrum I fell on.

I did really like the surrounding cast of characters Thea had to lean on. I believe the next book in the series features Jackson, her “brother” figure. He intrigued me, so I may give this author another shot at reeling me in. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“This was just FEEL GOOD romance! You get a hero that was fighting to keep the family he never knew he had and a strong heroine that was secure enough to love herself and put the needs of her daughter first. I highly recommend you pick this one up!” Book and a Blanket

“The real beauty of this story is that both Thea and Logan put their daughter Charlie first…. Logan really embraced his role as father and you could tell that regardless if things worked out between Thea and him he was going to be there for the long-haul… loved the development of the relationship between Logan and Thea… loved the character development in Thea throughout the book… and absolutely loved every minute these two spent with their adorable daughter, it was quite touching!” Audio Killed the Bookmark

Tattered

Click this link to purchase!* Tattered (Lark Cove Book 1) (Lark Cove Series) (Volume 1)

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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This Chick Read: Wild Like the Wind (Chaos #6) by Kristen Ashley

MC romance novels are not my typical fare, but when a novel comes out by Kristen Ashley I always pre-order. This one didn’t sit too long on my virtual shelf because Tack, the leader of the Chaos motorcycle club is one of my favorite characters, he and Tyra’s story, Motorcycle Man is my go to Alpha male/sassy chick read. I did get a little of Tack and Tyra in Wild Like the Wind, but the couple this book focus’s on is Hound and Keely. Now, Hound is a pretty familiar character. He’s been involved in quite a few of our other Chaos novels, but Keely has not entered this realm. Or so I thought! Keely is actually the widow of Black, the Chaos member who died years ago and who all of the members have tattooed in memorandum somewhere on their body. As an ex-Chaos members wife, Keely should be off limits to another brother, but Hound has been in love with her since he set eyes on her. For that reason their story was pretty tenderhearted. (Key the sound of cars crashing and tires squealing. Yes! It was tenderhearted, in an Alpha biker kind of way!)

The story of Hound and Keely’s love blooming is sweet and gentle, but those sex scenes. Wow! I was a little, ummm, uncomfortable with some of these details? Yes, we are talking biker babe and grunting not very emotive biker guy. I assume they have hard core sex, but somehow my vision of their love story and Ms. Ashley’s didn’t travel the same path. I was a little disappointed! Look, I am a huge fan and I know what you get when you read a KA novel, but I don’t know. I had a problem with the sex scenes getting in the way of the story in this novel. So, I skimmed through most of them, which was about 200 pages of this novel. The actual love story was really sweet though, and I loved their story!

Soooo, if you took out those 200 pages of miscellaneous sex scenes and stick to the story of how Hound and Keely overcame their Chaos brothers objections, fell in love and got their HEA, it was pretty damned good. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Wild Like the Wind

Click this link to purchase!* Wild Like the Wind (Chaos Series) (Volume 6)

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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This Chick Read: Emerald (Red Hot Love #2) by Elle Casey

I love the premise of this series. Amber, Emerald, and Rose grow up with their mothers in a hippy commune as sisters. One day, a lawyer shows up at their house with an offer of 30 million dollars from the band Red Hot as recompense for not knowing their daughters were alive. Their mothers were groupies for that band and the bandmates are their fathers. They don’t know who has fathered whom and are happy being group fathers. Each daughter gets her own story, and this novel is about Emerald, the shy, sweet, hippy.

After Amber ends up moving to NY to work for the band, she twists her sister Emerald’s arm to come for a long visit. Emerald really hates big cities, but loves and misses her sister so agree’s to the visit. When the band, who is touring Tokyo, has an emergency, Amber has to ditch her sister right when her boyfriend’s brother, Sam shows up on their doorstep. She enlists Emerald’s help in playing hostess to Sam and the chemistry between the two of them is immediate.

I really liked how Emerald and Sam seemed to fit so easily together. Yet, I hated that at the same time! I know, that’s a little wishy washy, but the two of them were so low key. What do you feel like for dinner, pizza? Hmmm, sounds good to me. Pizza it is! Even Sam’s tragedy back in LA doesn’t really bring any tension to a story that needed a little conflict. Not that I disliked them, I didn’t at all, it’s just that their story kind of hummed along. No grand theatrics or anything, yet somehow pleasant and enjoyable to read. Weird, I know.

I did like the progression of the story with their fathers in the band Red Hot. They are so excited to be fathers, it’s hard to not like them! Amber is now all in, working for the band, but Emerald and her sister Rose are a little more difficult. What do two hippy chicks have in common with a rock band? The series wraps up with Rose’s story and yes, I am going to read it because I’m invested in their story and want to see what happens. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Emerald

Click this link to purchase!* Emerald (Red Hot Love Book 2)

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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This Chick Read: Look the Part by Jewel E. Ann

I don’t remember which blogger had this book on their Mid Year Best of 2018 Book List but THANK YOU! Look the Part is a gem!

Lawyer Flint Hopkins leases out an office space in his building to music therapist Ellen Rodgers, not realizing what all that entails. As Ellen points out when he complains about the noise, my title is “Music Therapist”. This involves music! Immediately he tries to have her evicted because he doesn’t like the noise. However, that is pretty much the only thing he doesn’t like about her. She is energetic, lovely, musical, funny and his 12 year old autistic son, Harrison, LOVES her. After school and in between her appointments Harrison goes up to her office and plays her guitar. VERY well. Harrison also tells his dad that he is not allowed to “date” Elle because she is his friend. Even after his son basically called dibs on her, Flint is drawn in to her vibrant personality and their sizzling chemistry.

The premise of Look the Part is fun, funny, and sweet. However, inside both Flint and Elle are deep, dark, emotions that they are hiding from. Elle, who is always straightening Flints tie and touching his clothes, needs a physical connection. Flint, keeps his connections impersonal and only occasionally physical. I liked how she wanted to draw him closer and he only wanted her close briefly. It was a yin and yang that created a tension that their comic actions played well with. As the story evolves and the reader is brought into why they each have these fears we can see how their fears are actually tying them together instead of keeping them apart.

Harrison was a really cool addition to the story. His autism was pretty mild but a challenge for his father and when Harrison spoke his mind it generally rocked everyone’s world. His words were a great mix of kids speaking what everyone is thinking and his autism letting him say exactly what was on his mind without his emotions becoming involved. Elle’s connection with Harrison as well as Harrison giving his father a reason to live was an integral part of why I liked this novel as much as I did. The connection between the three of them felt real.

As far as the romance, I totally bought into the relationship between Elle and Flint. It’s rare when I read a contemporary romance and I don’t get antsy or irritated while waiting for the story to reach it’s conclusion. I was immersed in this novel and incredibly patient with these characters letting the story build up in what felt like a natural ending with all the I’s dotted and the T’s crossed. Look the Part is an apt title because not only did Flint look the part of Elle’s man and Harrison’s father, but this novel Looked the Part of a rock solid romance. I have never read a novel by Jewel E. Ann, but am excited to discover her and can’t wait to read her whole library!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Look the Part

Click this link to purchase!* Look the Part

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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Friday YA: Love, Life and the List by Kasie West

Do you ever start off reading a book thinking it’s about one thing, but your own experience with the words on the page make your experience something entirely different? That’s what happened to me with Kasie West’s Love, Life and the List.

Abby is seventeen years old and in love with her best friend Cooper. As if that’s not bad enough, she is trying to enter her art into an exhibit to help her chances of getting into art school but her mentor tells her that she hasn’t lived through enough life experiences to portray art with feeling. Abby is pretty destroyed, but determined to live life to the fullest by following a list she creates. What’s on the list? Things like facing your fear; watch a life end; experiencing unrequited love, etc. and her painting changes as she does with each life event she faces.

I think we’ve all lived through Abby’s emotion of loving her best friend and not having that love returned. Although mine was at a little bit older of an age, those feelings came rushing right back as she tried to deny the importance of her feelings. Thankfully she had some other things to check off to keep her busy and as she did I realized I should make my own list because even though I’m older, there is still a lot I need to experience. Kasie West’s point about your life becoming 3D by living through different experiences was poignant, and even though sometimes I’m human and want to avoid heavy emotions, reading this book made me think I may be missing something by not living them. (OK, I am mostly thinking about my avoidance of movies and books that make me cry, but even so, I may be missing something!)

Cooper was a charming leading man. He was a typical teen in that he didn’t think that far into the future and so in making a joke of Abby’s feelings he actually hurts himself as much as he hurts her. He was a really fun character to read and I enjoyed their sparring, but was thankful to see his character growth because it gave him dimension and the story more impact. I enjoyed experiencing life through Abby’s character and loved how quickly this plot moved. If you are looking for a one hanky lighthearted romance, I think this is the story for you! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Love, Life and the List

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Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas (Rocky Mountain Cowboys) by Katie Ruggle

Katie Ruggle excels at building fun characters who live on the edge of society. Those oddball characters that are slightly dorky and immediately endear you to them. Camille Brandt has always had trouble talking to people. She second guesses what she should say and do in social situations so tries to avoid them as much as possible. When Steve Springfield moves back to town with his four kids, Camille’s crush from high school immediately blooms again. Watching her face her struggles trying to speak normally made Camille so identifiable. Who hasn’t felt like that at one point in their life? I rooted for her so hard!

You may recognize Steve Springfield from the Search and Rescue series. He’s a firefighter and was always in the story but on the peripheral. It was so nice to get to know him and all of his kids! I know the Rocky Mountain Cowboy series will probably be about all of Steve’s brothers, but I want some YA books about Steve’s kids. They were so fun and unusual. Zoe is an inventor- blowing things up occasionally, Micah is the hermit artist, Will the adopted joyful oldest son, and Maya the youngest and sweetest little thing. Seriously these kids rocked and need their own stories!

Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas was a great start to this series. Katie Ruggle has proven herself again with some great characters, a solid love story, and of course she throws in just a hint of danger adding that tension that works so well in her novels. This was my first Christmas novel of the year and even though we are only approaching October, I was in the Christmas spirit right away.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I was given an ARC of this novel for my honest review and it was honest!

Rocky Mountain

Click this link to purchase!* Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas (Rocky Mountain Cowboys)

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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This Chick Read: The Hot Shot (Game On #4) by Kristen Callihan

Chess Copper is photographing players from her local pro football team naked for their annual charity calendar. Tough job but someone’s got to do it! When she meets Finn, the QB for the team there is instant chemistry, but a miscommunication gets their relationship off on the wrong foot. As she tries to make him more comfortable with the shoot, she see’s that he’s actually just a bit nervous and through their conversation realizes that behind that pretty face is a really nice guy that she might want to get to know better. There’s one problem. Chess is looking for a relationship and Finn is a no strings attached kind of guy…at first.

I loved the slow build up of Chess and Finn’s friendship. I am a firm believer in being friends before becoming lovers and Kristen Callihan hit that trigger for me. Finn is a self described one night stand man and even though Chess finds him attractive she determinedly put him in the hands off category and Finn has his work cut out for him to make her see him in another light. When tragedy hits and Chess needs a place to stay their close quarters help speed things along from friendship into love.

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve read one of the Game On books, but when a couple of characters showed up in this novel I could easily remember their story. It helped a bit that this novel’s timeline paralleled Dex and Fiona’s from the Game Plan. It was kind of fun to listen to Dex talk about his budding relationship when we already knew how that relationship turned out.

If you are a fan of this series you will like The Hot Shot. Was it my favorite? No, I still like The Game Plan the best. However, I liked Finn and Chess together and really rooted for them to find their happily ever after and was happy when they did.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

The Hot Shot

Click this link to purchase! The Hot Shot

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chicks Sunday Commentary: Uppercase Box September ‘18 Reveal!

Last week was the week that I received my surprise YA novel in the mail from Uppercase Box. I love coming home to that package sitting on my doorstep!

This month it looked kind of bulky which means it was filled with fun bookish items!

I found out that what made the extra padding in the Uppercase bag was this gorgeous cotton scarf. I love all of the stacks of books although they aren’t as large as my own TBR!

The other items in the bag are all related to the book, so Unfortunately that shortens my big reveal. Oh well, here is the book of the month!

Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan- signed!

Synopsis:

Everyone in the universe knows his name. Everyone in the universe fears him. But no one realizes that notorious outlaw Ia Cocha is a seventeen-year-old girl.

A criminal mastermind and unrivaled pilot, Ia has spent her life terrorizing the Olympus Commonwealth, the imperialist nation that destroyed her home. When the Commonwealth captures her and her true identity is exposed, they see Ia’s age and talent as an opportunity: by forcing her to serve them, they will prove that no one is beyond their control.

Soon, Ia is trapped at the Commonwealth’s military academy, desperately plotting her escape. But new acquaintances—including Brinn, a seemingly average student with a closely-held secret, and their charming Flight Master, Knives—cause Ia to question her own alliances. Can she find a way to escape the Commonwealth’s clutches before these bonds deepen?

In this exhilarating edge-of-your-seat sci-fi adventure—perfect for fans of The Lunar Chronicles—debut author Maura Milan introduces our world to a thrilling new heroine.

What a colorful box! I’ll admit this book hadn’t been on my radar at all but I like science fiction and it looks interesting!

Have any of you read this book? What did you think?

Thanks for reading my reveal!

Deb

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This Chick Read: The Hurricane by R.J. Prescott

Emily is working double shifts to make money to finish her education. Waiting tables does not come easy as Emily is so shy she can barely speak to her customers, but one cantankerous old man breaches her silence and they become unlikely friends. Through this friendship he offers her a job as the bookkeeper at his gym. A job that requires her to hold her own among a group of rowdy young men. One of those men is up and coming fighter Cormac “The Hurricane” O’Connell. He has had his eye on this sweet quiet waitress and when she lands in his path he makes every effort to be her friend.

This novel really surprised me. The cover fooled me, making me think this novel would be all “romance”. It was more of a slow burn novel. These characters were from the wrong side of the tracks, so there was some coarse language, but the pace of the novel was slow and easy, just as you’d imagine a guy like O’Connell would have to be to approach a girl like Emily. He eased his way into her heart which made this novel different and kept me engaged.

There was also some seriousness to the reasons why Emily was so gun shy. She came from an abusive background, which made her falling for O’Connell kind of unrealistic, but again, the pace of the story made me overlook that fact. As she began to trust him, I did too. He wasn’t really the hard ass he portrayed himself to be.

Another aspect of this story that I really liked was her relationship to the gym owner Danny. Although a grumpy character he was really the father she always wanted and their little one on one scenes were sweet, really adding to the depth of Emily’s character.

If you are looking for a sports romance with character depth and heart, this is a great fit. I have not read a novel by R.J. Prescott previously and didn’t have any expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised that The Hurricane had the depth and emotional impact of a Kristen Callihan or J.T. Geissinger novel. I really enjoyed this discovery and look forward to reading more. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

The Hurricane

Click this link to purchase! The Hurricane

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am an Amazon associate and will receive a small stipend if you purchase this novel through the above link.

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This Chick Read: The Air He Breathes by Brittainy Cherry

Elizabeth is still reeling from the loss of her husband a year before. She is trying to keep her sanity intact because she has their young daughter to raise and she doesn’t want her to continue to see her sorrow. Tristan Cole is the loner next door. When Elizabeth arrives back in town after a year away, all she hears is that Tristan is scary, violent, a loser, and not to let him get close, but there’s something in his eyes that calls out to her and draws her in.

Tristan is pretty much what all of her friends say. He, too, is dealing with tragedy, but he has let it break him down. Even when Elizabeth reaches out to him he doesn’t know if he can handle the responsibility without it tearing him apart. So the two of them make an agreement to “use” each other. Their relationship is meant for them to not feel so alone, but it doesn’t help them get over their pain, it actually enhances it. It’s only when they stop that they realize their feelings had changed.

This was one dark and emotional novel and at times I was worried that it wouldn’t ever lighten up. The surprise for me was that it was Tristan who saw the light first and helped Elizabeth find it. I read so many novels where the woman “saves” the man and I think if The Air He Breathes had taken that route I would’ve disliked the novel. Thank goodness Brittainy Cherry took me down a different path. It’s really hard to read a book where your hero and heroine are in so much emotional pain, but Ms. Cherry seems to relish these kinds of stories and she is very good at delivering a satisfying conclusion. If you love hardcore, dark, emotional romances you will love this novel. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

The Air He Breathes

Click this link to purchase! The Air He Breathes (Elements)

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am an Amazon Associate and receive a small stipend if you purchase through the above link.

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