Tag: romance

This Chick Read: The Ultimatum (The Guardian #1) by Karen Robards

Spoilers ahead!

The Ultimatum starts off quickly as we find our heroine Bianca in the midst of a caper to steal money out of an Arab Prince’s vault. When she discovers somebody beat her team to the money, the robbery turns into an escape for their lives and we get a hint of what is to come in this book; action, romance and danger. Essentially all of the ingredients  I have come to expect from a romantic suspense novel by Karen Robards.

Bianca St. Ives is an interesting heroine. She has been brought up as a con artist. Definitely not your typical upbringing. She was raised in boarding schools with a father who only visited when he needed her for a con, and didn’t show affection.. She has only ever had one friend, not letting people get too close because she has to hide who she really is- someone who isn’t sure of her own identity.

Even though I enjoyed Bianca’s take charge attitude and strength of character, she was a little cold. I could understand her need to keep her livelihood private, but her actions didn’t carry a lot of warmth making it really hard to see her as three demonsional even coming across as a little robotic. When she meets Mickey, who is an undercover agent protecting the Arab Prince’s money from being stolen, he was easily identifiable as her love interest. They had instant chemistry, however, when they came face to face later on in the book they don’t get beyond that surface chemistry again reinacting the same type of scene as their first meeting. I found that a bit frustrating and confusing wanting their relationship to become more established and expecting a romantic suspense novel. You know, with a couple becoming romantic. Unfortunately, the book ended before they established anything other than a flirtation, leaving us and the plot hanging in limbo until the second book is written. Even though the writing was good, the plot interesting, that lack of connection left a bad taste in my mouth. If the next book resolves this plot point, All will be forgiven, but will I want to take the chance and read it? Still undecided.

❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review, and it was honest.


Click the link to purchase! The Ultimatum (The Guardian Book 1)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Cake-A Love Story by J. Bengtsson

If you are a fan of RockStar romances you are going to really enjoy Cake. This debut novel by J. Bengtsson had depth, humor, and a ton of emotion. Our rockstar Jake McKallister has the reputation for being close mouthed and a bit of a loner. He has good reason to be, you see, when he was a child he was kidnapped by a serial killer and endured abuse and torture before escaping. That dark past would make you think that this romance would be dark and disturbing, and at times it is, but from the moment our heroine Casey Caldwell gets paired up with Jake at his brother’s wedding, I found myself laughing out loud at her antics.

Casey is not shy, isn’t in awe of Jake, other than at his handsomeness, and most importantly is the perfect foil to his more serious nature. Reading about their courtship was a lot of fun. However, with every romance novel our couple must overcome obstacles, and in this novel the biggest obstacle is Jake’s past abuse. Those scenes were deftly told and had an emotional punch. I was reaching for the box of kleenex on my nightstand and quietly blowing my nose not wanting to wake my husband.

One of my favorite scenes from the wedding was when Casey started trying to come up with their famous couple moniker. Hers were hilariously outrageous and clearly a joke, but just as Jake walks away from her door and looks back at her he says ” I think our name should be Cake.” That statement, quietly said, had Jakes buy in, and it was that moment that J. Bengtsson had mine. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Click the link to purchase! Cake: A Love Story

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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This Chick Read: Any Day Now (Sullivan’s Crossing #2) by Robyn Carr

Finally, the second installment in Robyn Carr’s Sullivan’s Crossing series! This novel does have a romance plot but it was Sierra’s journey of sobriety and need to finally lay down roots, build relationships and a home, that rang true for me and struck an emotional chord. Robyn Carr builds great family relationships and Sierra’s relationship with her brother Cal strengthened and grew into a relationship that all readers would want to have with their siblings.

Connie, Sierra’s love interest, had a previous relationship that ended poorly but didn’t spoil him for love. He knew almost immediately that there was something special about Sierra, and truly, Sierra doled out her issues to him a little at a time, which enabled him to see her strengths instead of those problems overshadowing her uniqueness. He was a rock, telling her that nothing she told him would scare him away. Who wouldn’t love that?

The added plot of a possible stalker gave this novel a sense of urgency that sped up the slow pace of the relationship stories. I enjoyed the psychological thriller, but more so because it helped bring Sierra together with her brother and gave him the chance to stand by her and be that older brother that she needed to have in her youth.

This series is becoming one of my favorites of Robyn Carr’s. Sullivan’s Crossing sounds like it’s an ideal place to “come to Jesus” with the difficulties of life and find love, but even more importantly to find yourself. I may need to take a trip!

❤️❤️❤️❤️


Click the link to purchase! Any Day Now (Sullivan’s Crossing)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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This Chick Read: A Court of Wings and Ruin (Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Slight spoilers ahead!

It was hard to not read all of the reviews of this book before actually reading it myself. They were everywhere! All of my fellow bloggers gushed and sighed, exclaiming over Feyre and Rhys’s love story. Oh those Tamlin fans quickly became Tamlin haters, much preferring Feyre and Rhys. I don’t disagree, Tamlin has some serious control and anger issues, but I was happy to see that in A Court of Wings and Ruin, he was able to redeem himself, if only slightly. Rhys as Prince Charming is almost too good to be true, but the fairy tale prince continues his reign and can do no wrong in this book.

This book was a little more political in nature with all of the High Lords coming together to save humankind from King Hyberns reign of terror. I found the interactions between all of the High Lords, their relationships to each other and to Rhys to be infinitely fascinating. This book was so much more than the love story we read in the second book. Sure, there was a ton of passion between Feyre and Rhys, and it was a great love story, but the real story was about love   within a family, both new and old. Their fight against evil and how that love for family and each other is all that matters.

I thought this was the third and last book in the series but apparently Maas is not done with this storyline. I’m really looking forward to the next installment but I wonder how she is going to outdo this outstanding piece of fiction. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ (no gushing, sighing or crying involved in this review!)


Click the link to purchase! A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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The Chick Read: Rejected Writers Take the Stage (Southlea Bay #2) by Suzanne Kelman

As I started this book I prepared for another madcap caper by the ladies in the Rejected Writers Book Club and I was not wrong. It starts off much like the previous novel with Librarian Janet Johnson getting roped into another startling adventure by alpha book club leader Doris. However, this caper is for a very good cause. Book club member Annie, who runs a kennel for dogs without homes on her family farm, is behind on mortgage payments and has to come up with a large sum of money quickly or her farm will go into foreclosure. Doris and the other ladies of the book club are determined to hold a theatrical fundraiser to help her come up with the sum of money needed. Janet gets hoodwinked into directing a hilarious musical production. As you can imagine with this zany cast of characters this production does not go smoothly, but it is fun entertainment and great reading.

I like this cast of characters a lot. Although everyone seems to be afraid of Doris, she has a big heart and is always helping out others, even if she is bulldozing over them while doing so. I enjoyed the continuation of the love story started in the first book between Flora and Dan, but did get a little frustrated that Flora continued to have such little self esteem when facing the very annoying Marcy who was also vying for Dans love, when it was really clear that he only had eyes for Flora. Janet, as the straight man in this group of crazies, seems to have finally accepted her role and even as she grumbles to her husband about all of the silly things she has to do, you can see that being a part of this group has allowed her to have fun and that was something she needed in her life. Fun.

If you like women’s fiction with a crazy cast of characters then this is the book for you. Read the first in the series called The Rejected Writers Book Club as it will explain a lot of back story and I think you will enjoy this book more for having read it. I did enjoy the adventure a bit more in the first book but this was a solid follow up. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

I was given an ARC of this book through NetGalley for my honest review, and yep, I was honest.

If you’d like to read my review of The Rejected Writers Book Club click HERE.


Click the link to purchase! Rejected Writers Take the Stage (Southlea Bay)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Take Me Back by Meghan March

Read at your own Risk-slight spoilers ahead.

I have never read a Meghan March novel and didn’t quite know what to expect. The synopsis sounded like your typical second chance romance. They meet on a beach vacation, fall in love and get married. After their marriage the communication stops and they are barely speaking to each other anymore. They make one last ditch effort and go on another beach vacation in the tropics. They are re-kindling the romance and then this second chance romance story becomes a romantic suspense novel. WHAT?!!!  I was totally blindsided! In a great way!

Second chance romances are not my favorite, but I am a HUGE fan of romantic suspense novels and this one captured my attention, lock, stock and gun barrels!

Part of the fun with this novel was the fact that I was completely snookered! I mean, I thought it was turning into a swinger book or something, and i was starting to get really uncomfortable. (Blushing while writing) Swingers, threesomes, bondage, etc. are not really my thing, so thank god I was completely wrong! Our heroine in peril, struggles to find her inner Rambo, and was failing horribly at that, when our hero turns into hot commando guy and saves the day! Woo-Hoo!

Ok, I didn’t give away the plot, but did give away a little bit of the surprise in this book, because it was that surprise that I enjoyed so much. How could I write a review without revealing a little of my shock and awe?  This book was fun, and a light read. No heavy lifting needed. The perfect vacation book, unless you’re taking a beach vacation. You may want to pack a gun, instead of a book! ❤️❤️❤️❣️


Click the link to purchase! Take Me Back

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Run to Ground (K9 Unit #1) by Katie Ruggle #giveaway

(Congrats to the winner of this Giveaway!!)

I have been eagerly anticipating this new novel by Katie Ruggle. In her previous Search and Rescue series I really enjoyed her unique characters and thrilling storylines.  Run to Ground, the first in her new K-9 Unit series did not disappoint. Our heroine Jules Jackson, rescued her siblings from an abusive step parent and skipped town. She’s understandably nervous, expecting cops to break down her door at any minute. So, when Theo, a cop, shows an interest in her she tries to avoid catching his eye. Theo is slightly suspicious of her twitchiness but his inner demons are calmed when she’s around and so he ignores his instincts and doesn’t investigate her too deeply. Theo’s been very depressed since his previous partner committed suicide. He inherits his deceased partner’s K-9, Viggy, who has also been extremely depressed since his death. The two of them are a sad pair but  when Viggy meets Jules’s brothers and sisters he starts acting like a normal dog and Theo is drawn even more into Jules’ orbit.

For a girl who had the balls to steal her siblings away from a bad situation I was a little disappointed that Jules was so timid. It was a little annoying, but the fact that she liked Theo despite those fears, and didn’t try too hard to avoid him helped me get over that annoyance pretty quickly. Her brothers and sister were charming and their interaction with Viggy was so sweet it helped balance Theo’s rather anti social personality. When Jules’ life is in danger, we see both Theo and Viggy in a heroic light, overcoming their fears.

This novel was a little different than her previous books, but I still enjoyed the connection these characters made with each other. If I was disappointed at all it was because it took me a little longer to identify with these characters. However, the book was still filled with action and suspense and made for an enjoyable weekend read. I look forward to her next novel which will continue with Jules’ runaway family storyline as a subplot to our next romantic duo.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received an ARC of this book for my honest review, and I was honest.

GIVEAWaY

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Click the link to purchase! Run to Ground (Rocky Mountain K9 Unit)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: An Extraordinary Union (Loyal League) by Alyssa Cole #Giveaway

This Giveaway has ended. Congrats to the winner!

An Extraordinary Union gives us a glimpse of Civil War era south through the eyes of Elle Burns, a former slave who is an undercover spy on a plantation, working for the Union. I am used to reading historical novels through rose tinted glasses. Caucasian lady, Duchess or lower class girl catches the eye of her also caucasian Duke, Viscount, or sometimes club owner. They meet, don’t want to fall in love, but lust after each other. An Extraordinary Union was a refreshingly honest interracial historical romance. Elle as a spy, is undercover in the role of slave. It was seriously disturbing to read about how slaves were treated as property and animals. How slave women were abused by owners, mistresses and guests, and how their voices were not heard. It also gave impetus to Elle’s character, and why she would put herself back in this subjugated position to fight for others freedom.

Malcolm, her love interest, is an undercover Pinkerton detective, also working for the Union. He is a guest in Elle’s household, there to try to retrieve information from the plantation owner about soldier movements in the area. He and Elle meet, and there is an immediate attraction. However, they both struggle against that attraction because of society’s mores. Elle’s self hatred for being attracted to Malcolm, a white man, made this book ring true and those honest feelings invested the reader in the outcome of that relationship. Rooting for them against all odds. The fact that Malcolm’s background as an immigrant from Scotland, where his family was forced to flee for their lives gave them a commonality that added to his character and gave the reader an understanding of why they would risk their lives for each other. An Extraordinary Union, indeed.

There was more to this book than the interracial relationship. It was also part suspense, mystery and action thriller. Overall, a very good story. However, for me, it was the love story that was told with such honesty that made me enjoy it so much.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

GIVEAWAY- A copy of An Extraordinary Union signed by the author! (US only) expires 6/5/17

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click the link to purchase! An Extraordinary Union (The Loyal League)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Shadow Reaper (Shadow #2) by Christine Sheehan

Warning-explicit photos below. Continue at your own risk.

Shadow Reaper continues the story of the Ferraro family, and in this case playboy race car driver Ricco Ferraro. Ricco, recovering from a horrible racing accident has realized that he has nothing to live for. His reputation as a playboy is a sham, and he can’t seem to care for anyone or anything anymore. When looking for a model to practice the art of Shibari (more on this later), he meets Mariko and his shadow immediately connects with hers and he knows he finally has finally found someone worth living for. He also knows that she has come to kill him and his past has caught up with him and his family and the women he now cares deeply for may be in danger.

As with the first book, Shadow Rider, Christine Feehan creates a really interesting dark and dangerous world. One I can’t help but feel fascinated by. The Ferraro family, although mafia like as a comparison, may be more super hero. They fight for the unprotected and underprivileged, and kill to make their people safe. The Ferraro’s  use a particular skill, shadow riding, that enables them to use shadow’s as a means of traveling quickly from one place to another. Also using those same shadows to hide in and step out to fight or kill when necessary. It’s really a neat creation and I wish the author had not gotten sidetracked into the art of Shibari because to me that was a distraction from an otherwise good storyline. Part of the distraction was in trying to figure out the descriptions I was reading. I’ll admit to stopping while reading and googling Shibari, looking at photographs, reading about it and internally going “huh”. Then skipping those pages which were supposed to be a dramatic romantic hook to the storyline just to get to the good parts where the Ferraro’s were fighting for their brothers honor, Mariko’s life and their own lives.

Now, on to Shibari. In layman terms  and skipping the history lesson, Shibari uses rope to create erotic imagery and is considered an art form. In some cases, I’ll agree, it can be quite lovely, but also kind of scary. Because I found the visuals helpful, here are a couple of pictures on either end of the spectrum.


You can tell by these photos that I was a little confused by what I was supposed to be visualizing when Ricco was tying up Mariko. Although she did seem to like it, it just wasn’t my thing. However, I am positive that there will be huge fans of what Ms. Feehan was trying to achieve in this book. In fact I bet there are a few of you who will google Shibari right after your done reading this blog. You’re welcome! However, it just kind of got lost in the translation for me. I did enjoy the other portions of this book. The storyline was great and I love the imagery of shadow riding. As I stated in my review of Shadow Rider, I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this book. It was a tough one for me to review!

I received an ARC of this book for my honest review, and it was honest!

❤️❤️❤️❣️

Read my review of Shadow Rider- click HERE


Click the link to purchase! Shadow Reaper (Shadow Riders Novel, A)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Echoes in Death (In Death #44) by J. D. Robb

Eve and Roark, just back from vacation are on the way home from a charity event when a bloody, naked woman steps out in front of their car. They rush her to the hospital and that quickly, she’s back on the job and Eve’s next investigation begins. This investigation revolves around a man who dresses up like a horror flick, invades homes and ties up the husband making him watch while he rapes the wife. Not an easy thing to read about, and for Eve, it once again brings back the ghosts from her troubled past. Continue reading “This Chick Read: Echoes in Death (In Death #44) by J. D. Robb” →

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