Tag: romantic suspense

This Chick Read: Identity by Nora Roberts

Morgan Albright is finally putting down roots. She’s working two jobs, has purchased her own small house, and lives with her friend Nina. She’s right on track to start that new business she’s been hoping to start up. When she meets IT Specialist, Luke, at the bar where she’s working on a rare night off she cooks him dinner at her home with her roommate and her boyfriend. Soon after, her house is broken into, Nina is murdered, and her carefully planned life is gone. All her money and identity stolen. Devastated and broke, Morgan returns home to live with her mother and grandmother in Vermont and slowly starts picking up the pieces of her life. Until the con-man who took away her comfortable life decides to fixate on the woman who got away and her new life is threatened.

Nora Roberts writes a great romantic thriller. I was immediately wrapped up in the safe world of Morgan Albright and was devastated right along with her when her life was stolen and her friend murdered. Rooting for her world to get better, when Morgan meets Miles, while working in his families resort the author gives the reader something solid to hold onto while diverting our attention with brief chapters from the murderers perspective. The back and forth from happiness to uncertainty keeps the reader on the edge of their seat waiting for Morgan’s life to get ripped out from underneath her again. That’s Nora Roberts at her best.

Another thing I love about her novels is that she writes great friendships and families. Morgan’s mom and grandmother are both strong, vibrant women, and models of strength for Morgan to tie herself to. I loved reading their scenes and getting to know these characters that were so loving and loved. Miles too had a great family and their dinners showed Miles off as warmer than his taciturn nature in public represented. Thank goodness. Otherwise I’d have wondered about Morgan’s attraction. He wasn’t surly or anything, he was just a quiet, strong hero. A little harder to like than Morgan, but as a duo they were a good fit.

If you’re like me and you look forward to Nora Roberts romantic suspense novels, I think you’ll enjoy this one. It definitely hits the right notes- danger, heartbreak, and love. You can’t ask for much more than that! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Identity

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Deep Tide (Texas Murder Files #4) by Laura Griffin

Leyla’s two brothers are on the police force of their small town, Lost Beach, so she is not ignorant that crime is on the rise. She doesn’t expect to find her murdered employee in the alley behind her café. When a friend of her brother’s, law officer Sean Moran, starts asking questions Leyla realizes that this death may be linked to more trouble close to home. She uses her business connections to ask a few questions and finds herself at the center of the case. A case that soon consumes both she and Sean’s lives and creates a connection that binds them together.

Leyla’s café has been a meeting place in previous novels and Leyla herself an acquaintance of other characters stories, so I was excited to see that she is getting her own book. Leyla is an interesting character in that she’s a business owner and sister to a couple of officers on the police force. She’s not a stranger to murder since both her brothers are on the force, but she is normally a supporting character. During the opening chapter when she meets Sean Moran at her brothers wedding there was an immediate connection that I found interesting despite a lack of a mystery at that point in the novel. As soon as the murder lands on her back door? This story twisted into a romantic thriller, and one that I was thrilled to be reading.

Laura Griffin has a great style of writing that makes her stories very easy to read and immerse myself in. At the same time her characters are relatable and the reader can easily like them. Leyla has always been a likable character and because I already knew her I was two steps ahead emotionally by the end of the first page. What was going to happen to Leyla? Was I going to like Sean for Leyla? What kind of danger would Leyla involve herself in? So many questions! Laura Griffin quickly moved the story forward and those questions eventually were answered in a way that helped me connect and like her even more. Sean was a little harder to figure out because he was a new character, but I liked his immediate connection and the mystery that revolved around why he was in town.

Each of the books in the Texas Murder Files series can be read alone, although you’ll see characters from previous novels pop up. They don’t really have anything to do with the current mystery and I feel like their presence doesn’t detract or confuse the reader, so feel free to pick up this book, even though it’s numbered four in the series. I really enjoyed Leyla’s spirit and Sean’s efforts in taming it. It was a good mystery too!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Deep Tide

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton

Mystery, danger, and love collide in this historical novel set in 1934 on a cruise ship sailing from New York to Havana Cuba. Recently engaged heiress Catherine Dohan is traveling with her fiancé and young daughter when someone tries to kill her by pushing her over the railing of the ship. Elena Palacio is traveling in disguise back to her homeland after surviving an attempt on her own life back in New York. Wanting revenge on the man responsible these two women join forces in order to change both of their destinies.

The Cuban Heiress was an enjoyable thriller set in the 1930’s when men had all of the power and women were commodities used for their looks and/or their wealth. The author didn’t take long to enmesh the reader in the stories of these two women whom at first didn’t seem to have that much in common but as the book moved forward we saw that their circumstances forged that connection. The setting of the cruise ship, as well as the destination of Havana certainly added to the Noir-esque vibe of the story and the opening chapter started quickly and the story never lost its pace.

Each woman’s story arc gave the reader more reasons to root for them and the feeling of danger escalated so that I was turning the pages rapidly wanting to reach that final outcome with no delay. This historical thriller was a fun, glamorous excursion into the dark waters of the Atlantic. I wasn’t sure how it would end, but wasn’t disappointed in the least. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Cuban Heiress

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chicks Audio Review: Marriage and Murder (Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries #2) by Penny Reid

Marriage and Murder, while the second book in this series, falls after book #4.5 in the Winston Bros. series. Cletus is a Winston and Jenn is his baked good champion fianceé who have spinned off their own mystery series set in the same world and in the same timeline as these other Winston and Folk Tales series. In Marriage and Murder we are a little closer to their upcoming nuptials and in fact the heart of the story revolves around their engagement party and the murder of a family member. If you’ve read Beard in Hiding you will already be familiar with this tale, but from Diane Bonner’s point of view (Jenn’s mom). This story is more of a murder mystery with Jenn and Cletus using all of their devious (Cletus) and naive (Jenn) skills to find out who, what, and why. There are many perils, pitfalls, and reveals revolving around this whodunnit that was surprisingly emotional and super sinful.

I listened to this book and was again skillfully led along by narrators Joy Nash and Chris Brinkley. Both of whom are very talented and have their characters Tennessee accents voiced spot on. Despite the talent of these narrators, I was a little let down by the repetitiveness of this story with Diane Bonner’s own version in Beard in Hiding. Other than some romantic moments between Cletus and Jenn and a few other added scenes leading up to their marriage I got a little bored. Oh, I know that I said that I was disappointed in Beard In Hiding’s ending because of all the unanswered questions, and those questions were definitely answered in this book, but there were too many repeated scenes leading up to those answers. Maybe if I had been reading the book it would’ve been easier to skim and skip, but in listening to the book I was held hostage by the slower moving audio. Admittedly, this did hamper my enjoyment of this novel so that I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first in this series.

What did I like about this novel? Well, Jenn is a fabulous heroine and while she lays on the sweet a little too much, she also has a sassy side that comes out when she’s around Cletus. Cletus also is devious and brilliantly written. This novel just didn’t have enough original content until about 2/3’s of the way through the book to hold my interest. It’s only because of my love for all things Penny Reid that I listened to this novel all the way through. This story felt pretty wrapped up so I’m unsure if there will be another book in the series, but despite my lukewarm feelings over this one I will most likely tune in to a third. Although, I think I may read the next novel instead of investing my hours in listening. ❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Marriage and Murder

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (3/27/23)

When a favorite author releases a new book I typically have it on pre-order and eagerly starting digging in. I did both of these things with Kristen Ashley’s new book. Check and check! Are you ever disappointed after all of that anticipation? Me too! I’ll let you know how I feel in the review and a hint of it below.

JUST FINISHED

Book #2 in the Misted Pines series. This series is a departure for this author in that these books are really romantic suspense. I loved the first novel (5 stars!), but had trouble getting into this one. Was it because it was written from the male perspective? I need to mull this one over before I write this review, for sure!

JUST STARTED

I feel the need to genre swap and a fun historical is just what I’m in the mood to read! I haven’t yet started this book so I don’t yet have an opinion but I’m really looking forward to reading it! Check back for a review soon!

Have a great Monday and happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Desperate Acts (Pike, Wisconsin #4) by Alexandra Ivy

As a teen, Lia Porter sees a woman running in terror in the woods then jumping off a bridge in the middle of the night. She searched briefly but never found her and forgets the incident until fifteen years later when a woman’s body is found. Nobody wants to hear her story until Kaden Vaughn shows up in town searching for his brothers fianceé who also disappeared at that time. After they each receives threats they join forces to investigate this cold case that nobody wants re-opened.

It’s been awhile since I’ve read an Alexandra Ivy novel and I’d forgotten how quickly she ropes you into the story. We get to know Lia first, and I found her fascinating. On the surface she looks like she owns a rundown market in this small town of Pike, but as the novel goes on we find out that she’s actually an investor with resources that allow her to run this store and stay a part of this community, not needing to make a lot of money. When Kaden Vaughn shows up, he’s immediately recognized for his TV show, but there’s a determination to find this woman that’s a contrast to his Hollywood good looks and persona. I liked how these two connected not only on the surface level, but they both also cared about finding out the truth and that truth was really interesting.

I don’t want to give away any of the mystery but I do want to say that boy, there is a lot of action packed into this novel. I feel like every chapter had a moment that propelled the story forward as well as gave back story that made me care about these two main characters and this small town. It held my interest, which nowadays seems quite the feat! There are too many distractions and if a book doesn’t grab me I tend to give up. Not this one!

Desperate Acts was a quick moving, easy read. Perfect if you’re going on a short vacation or have a weekend where you can relax on the couch and sink into the story. I have read mysteries that are more detailed but I tend to like quick moving over descriptions and that’s what I got in Desperate Acts. The perfect read at the right time for me! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Desperate Acts

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Nightwork by Nora Roberts

When Harry Booth was twelve he stole for the first time. His mother had been diagnosed with cancer and the bills were piling up. He eventually graduated from picking pockets to identifying a target and specific item and breaking into a home to steal. He never took more than was needed, greed not being the reason he stole. When he was eighteen he went to college and fell in love with Miranda Emerson. He worries about giving too much of himself away but he should be worried about his past. Someone he once came in contact with wants his talents for his own use and he isn’t afraid to threaten those that Booth loves. Booth cuts ties with Miranda and runs to Europe trying to lose himself but he never forgets the girl he left behind.

Years later Booth runs into Miranda in the small town where he’s teaching high school, on hiatus from his “night work”. He’s still in hiding but finds that his love for her is still strong.

I can always rely on a romantic thriller by Nora Roberts to be an easy read, enjoyable, and have great characters. I’ll admit, when Nightwork started and I realized that the point of view was through Booth’s eyes, I was hesitant about it, but despite his occupation, Booth was incredibly easy to like. I think it’s because he was a thief with a code of honor. He researched what to steal and only took that item, never falling prey to greediness. It also helped to have a serious bad guy in LaPorte as a comparison. Booth’s escapades were the lesser evil for sure! I liked that we met Miranda pretty far into Booth’s story. I really needed to know him for the obvious reason that he is a thief, but also because he was male. I don’t read too many novels with a male protagonist, which I’ll admit is totally happenstance and kind of weird. Once Miranda entered the story, I really liked him, felt for his circumstances and wanted to see him settle down- which of course didn’t happen. They were both super smart and perfect for each other, more as adults than teenagers.

I really liked the Ocean’s 11 aspects of this book. This is a novel about good vs. evil and I’ll pick good every time. I’ll admit, this good was a bit tarnished but pairing Booth with Miranda gave them a luster that might have been absent if it were only Booth trying to overcome the odds against LaPorte. There were some other great characters in this novel, Booth’s aunt Mags was a gypsy-ish new-ager was a fun addition and his Creole friends added additional color. Friendships are something else that Nora Robert does well and I’m always eager to visit with a new cast of characters.

If you love heist novels with a bit of romance I think you’ll really enjoy Nightwork. There’s some drama, romance, and mystery all rolled into one adventurous package. It was a great book to read on my beach vacation- I read it all in one day! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Nightwork

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Uncharted (Survival Instincts #2) by Adriana Anders

Hot-shot pilot Leo Eddowes is asked to evacuate a man from the wilds of Alaska and eagerly jumps at the chance, despite some bad guys on her tail. Crash landing near his cabin, Leo realizes that she was led astray for the man she’s rescuing is non other than most wanted ex-agent Elias Thorne. Needing to rely on each other to survive they help each other outwit and out-survive the men who want to find them… dead or alive. While on the run Leo finds that Elias isn’t the dangerous man she’s been led to believe and she’s determined to help him rebuild the life he’d left behind. As soon as they get out of the Alaska wilderness.

It’s been a couple of years since I read the first novel in this series but what I did remember is how fast-paced the story was, and how each chapter held my interest. Uncharted was no different. It started off with a plane crash and even as our two main characters were getting to know each other they were doing it while running for their lives. Leo was a really great character. Not only was she a great pilot but she had a lot of hidden depths that were revealed as the novel moved along. Despite her own fears she had so much empathy for Elias that she let her emotions take over and went with her gut in allowing herself to develop feelings for him.

Elias surprised me as well. He had been living by himself for the last decade and had pretty much lost his way, living inside his own head about all that had gone wrong in his past. He saw Leo as too good to be true, but he didn’t fight his feelings very hard either and let the mountain man take charge. He was going to get her out of the wilderness even if it killed him. I loved how the two of them connected emotionally and just totally went for it. The danger of the moment pushed them a bit and probably because of that it didn’t seem too far-fetched.

Uncharted was a fun book to read. I really loved how they fought their enemies, feelings, and their environment and despite the danger you just knew they were going to come out on top. If you have not read Whiteout, the first novel in the series you don’t need to although the underlining story crosses through both books. I think you can get the gist by reading this novel as a standalone. However, Whiteout was really good too so if you have the time pick it up first. I promise that the time will fly by while you read these books! The stories are action-filled and the characters full of a passion for life and for each other. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Uncharted: A Scorching Hot Forced Proximity Romance (Survival Instincts, 2)

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (8/16/21)

This past week saw my first foray back into an office environment. Although my company has opted for a hybrid setting, two days in the office and one day at home. It was good to see everyone face to face, although really we only see people’s eyes nowadays since we’re all masked up in person, but that camaraderie is hard to replace over a Zoom call. LOL. I don’t know about you, but I must be one of the few who enjoy working at home more than I do in the office. I relish the quiet and being able to make a business call without having 20 people listen in on my phone conversation. What does this have to do with what I read this week? Well, I used my audiobook to cut out the conversation around me and finished up a fun science fiction novel. Let’s get to discussing books!

JUST FINISHED

I previously read this novel but listening to it was a lot of fun too. It’s very fast-paced and our main character is troubled but has a great heart. She grew a lot in this novel, but having read the series I know that her future also has a lot of person growth which I love. There is also a romance component to this series, which adds some sizzle, but honestly the action scenes were what I loved about these novels the most. Check it out if you haven’t read it, this series is a blast!

JUST STARTED

This novel is falls into the romantic suspense genre, which was a perfect sequé from the action-packed fantasy novel I had just finished. I’m about 40% into it and the story starts out fast which our heroine under fire. I have recently discovered Adriana Anders with the first novel in this series and really enjoy her quick and easy style of writing! This is book two so look up the first “Whiteout” if you want to jump into the series. It’s good!

You can see I’m all about the action this week! What genre of book has caught your attention this week? Is it good? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Under Currents by Nora Roberts

Zane and his little sister grow up privileged in a small town. To everyone outside the doors to their house it looks like they have the perfect life. Socialite mom and popular doctor dad. No one would guess at the abuse he and his sister were going through. After one night where that abuse was taken too far Zane and his little sister fight back. With the help of their aunt, a neighbor, and sheriff they can finally have their lives back and the childhood they deserve. Grown up Zane returns to their small town as a lawyer protecting the rights of the underprivileged. Charmed by his small town he may even open up his heart to love.

Under Currents showed up in my Little Library last year and I had been holding onto it until I had a long vacation. Knowing that a good Nora Roberts book would only enhance that feeling of being away from all stresses. Little did I know that this romantic thriller would have me riveted and on the edge of my seat for the entire book! I can honestly say she outdid herself with this story.

This novel takes place during Zane’s childhood and then again when he is an adult. The abuse his parents handed out to he and his sister was truly horrid and I was glad there was a true villain for me to root against. The grown up Zane is finally able to enjoy his family and his life in his hometown. When Darby, a landscape artist extraordinaire moves into town he is immediately hooked. She is the yin to his yang. Of course, Darby is also running from her past. The way their two pasts collide is interesting and thrilling. Their love story gets on a roller coaster and the excitement never subsides!

I guess you can say that I enjoyed this Nora Roberts book alot. Under Currents is the perfect novel to take you away from your own messy life but beware! It enmeshes you into the characters messy lives. It’s no vacation reading this novel but it is the perfect novel to take on your vacation. This is my first 5 star Nora Roberts novel in quite awhile and I highly recommend you read it. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this novel! Under Currents: A Novel

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a cent or two.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads