This Chick Read: Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Morgan is haunted by her ex. Seriously, his ghost is following her around and basically making her life hell. It wouldn’t be so bad if she knew him, but they only went out one time and she can’t figure out why she’s the one he’s haunting. Sawyer’s fianceé turned ghost is starting to fade and he’s not ready to let her go. At a support group for humans and their haunters Morgan and Sawyer meet and although they face opposite problems they decide to work together to solve their problems. As Morgan and Sawyer work towards figuring out their ghosts unfinished business, they start to develop feelings for each other, feeling more alive than they’ve ever felt.

This was a surprisingly sweet and funny story. Morgan’s ghost, Zach, tends towards poltergeist shenanigans while Sawyer’s ex-fianceé is just getting more sad as the days go on. Sawyer keeps trying to live their lives like she’s alive, but has actually stopped living, afraid to move on because he’s not ready to lose her. When they meet up at the support group Sawyer doesn’t really want to have anything to do with Morgan, but for some reason he allows her to move into his studio rent free while they sort out their ghosts unfinished business. I really enjoyed the friendships that Zach, Sawyer, and Morgan created. Zach was mischievous in death, and as they got to know what he was like in life their feelings for him became bittersweet. Yes, this was a little bit of a love story between Morgan and Sawyer, but truthfully, I liked the friendship trio that Zach’s ghostly presence created. He was such a quirky individual and added a lot of heart to this story. Without Zach I think this story would’ve been two dimensional.

If you’re looking for a ghost story, well, there are ghosts in the plot but it’s not spooky at all. It was a story about holding your loved ones close, but also it was a story about it being ok to let go and keep living. I liked that theme a lot!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Seeing Other People

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

This Chick Read: Better Than Friends (Sunrise Cove #7) by Jill Shalvis

Olive Porter left town after an embarrassing incident and never expected to return, but her best friend needs her and she flies in from London to help take care of their family while her friends husband recuperates from a bad work accident. She knows facing the townsfolk will be daunting but at least she won’t have to face her ex Noah. Until he shows up to do the exact same thing as she- to help their friends through this tough time. Despite their still having chemistry, Olive is determined to avoid Noah as much as possible, something that’s hard to do when they are sharing a bathroom! When her parents go missing she realizes that she may need her ex and his investigative skills to help her find them.

I know I’m repeating myself but this is how I feel about reading a Jill Shalvis novel. When you read one of her books you know you’re going to get a novel about great friendships, overcoming obstacles and learning a life lesson, and some kooky people in town that will stick their noses into your business- all with good intentions! Better Than Friends certainly has all of the above, with the addition of a story written from two perspectives, so you really understand where each character is coming from and their intentions, way before the characters in the story. Her books are steady, loving, and funny and Better Than Friends is also all of these things.

Olive Porter’s reasons for leaving town seem pretty minor and well, kind of juvenile, so it’s nice to see that she seems to be the only person who really cares about all of these “embarrassing” things that made her pack up and leave. Despite Noah’s reservations over seeing the woman who broke his heart he doesn’t turn his back on her when she needs him and as they solve the mystery of her missing parents they also solve their unresolved feelings. I love a well developed, quickly resolved romance. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Better Than Friends

Copyright 2025 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (5/1/23)

Have you ever read a book by an author you love but that reading it is emotional torture? One of the books below was that book for me. Oh my goodness, I chose the audiobook, which can be torture in itself because you are held to the speed the narrator reads it. There is no skipping ahead without missing some of the content which I couldn’t do because I was so invested! I’ll tell you more below.

JUST FINISHED

TORTURE! OK, it was tortuously good, but it was also tortuously emotional. I balled, I mean seriously cried for four hours while listening to this book. This was a box of tissues kind of book for me. Great characters, I loved the friendships, and Wyn and Harriet? OMG.

JUST STARTED

I really like Kelly Bowen’s historical fiction novels and the synopsis for this one really drew me in. The story is told using flashback sequences between WWII and French/Dutch resistance fighters and the current story of two sisters who purchase a chateau and are fixing it up. They discover documents that reference the resistance fighters which tie the two time frames together. I’m really enjoying it so far!

Have a great Monday and happy reading!

Deb

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Most Anticipated Book Releases – Jan’23

If you’re wondering how I find out about book releases, I’ll give you my secret. There isn’t one. Ha! I look at the Goodreads list of January’23 book releases which is based upon people clicking “want to read”. I’ll admit to reading a couple of blog posts as well because some bloggers are genre specific and I’ll find more obscure books by favorite authors who may not be as mainstream, but I generally rely on Goodreads. I’m often amazed by surprise releases that I haven’t heard anything about. I have one or two of those in my top 5 this month. Let me know if you are surprised by any of my picks!

#5 BOOK RELEASE

This is the sequel novella to Rogerson’s A Sorcery of Thorns, which I loved. Despite the short length, I’m excited to see what these characters are up to.

Synopsis:

Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Now that their demon companion Silas has returned, so has scrutiny from nosy reporters hungry for gossip about the city’s most powerful sorcerer and the librarian who stole his heart. But something strange is afoot at Thorn Manor: the estate’s wards, which are meant to keep their home safe, are acting up and forcibly trapping the Manor’’ occupants inside. Surely it must be a coincidence that this happened just as Nathaniel and Elisabeth started getting closer to one another…

With no access to the outside world, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas—along with their new maid Mercy—will have to work together to discover the source of the magic behind the malfunctioning wards before they’re due to host the city’s Midwinter Ball. Not an easy task when the house is filled with unexpected secrets, and all Elisabeth can think about is kissing Nathaniel in peace. But when it becomes clear that the house, influenced by the magic of Nathaniel’s ancestors, requires a price for its obedience, Elisabeth and Nathaniel will have to lean on their connection like never before to set things right.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Mysteries of Thorn Manor

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase any books on this list from an attached link I’ll receive a small stipend.

#4 BOOK RELEASE

I’ve enjoyed Emma Lord’s novels in the past and was excited to get an advanced reader copy of this book. Taking place on a college campus, this story revolves around friendships, heartache, secrets, and love. I enjoyed it!

Synopsis: Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Emma Lord’s Begin Again is an unforgettable YA novel of love and starting again.

As usual, Andie Rose has a plan: Transfer from community college to the hyper competitive Blue Ridge State, major in psychology, and maintain her lifelong goal of becoming an iconic self-help figure despite the nerves that have recently thrown her for a loop. All it will take is ruthless organization, hard work, and her trademark unrelenting enthusiasm to pull it all together.

But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack at a time.

But sometimes, when all your plans are in rubble at your feet, you find out what you’re made of. And when Andie starts to find the power of her voice as the anonymous Squire on the school’s legendary pirate radio station–the same one her mom founded, years before she passed away–Andie learns that not all the best laid plans are necessarily the right ones.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Begin Again

#3 BOOK RELEASE

Jill Shalvis is my go-to author for feel good novels with great friendships. The Backup Plan is more Women’s Fiction than romance but it certainly checked all of my boxes that make up a great novel.

Synopsis:

When Alice receives a call about an unexpected windfall, she’s stunned to learn the gift is a falling-apart-at-the-seams old Wild West B&B she once considered home—and she’s inherited it along with two strangers. Except they weren’t always strangers. Once upon a time, they were friends. One is her ex-BFF Lauren. The other is Knox, the only guy to ever break her heart, all while never even knowing she existed.

It turns out their lives are unknowingly entangled because they once separately helped the same woman without expecting anything in return. Years later, Alice, Lauren, and Knox are broken in their own way, with their own history—and secrets— causing them to start out on the wrong foot with each other. But according to the will, they must renovate and be partners in the inn for one year or else lose their inheritance.

Stuck together, they make a list of rules to keep the peace—rules that end up doing the opposite, but by some miracle they find what they didn’t even know they were looking for—acceptance, true friendship, and in a case (or two!), true love.

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Backup Plan

#2 BOOK RELEASE

Kate Clayborn writes heartfelt poignant romance novels. The synopsis grabbed me on this one and I can’t wait for a little time off to dig in and spend a day with it.

Synopsis: Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page.  

But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path.  

Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate—Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side—if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back. 

Honest and deeply emotional, Georgie, All Along is a smart, tender must-read for everyone who’s ever wondered about the life that got away . . .

Click this link to purchase this book!* Georgie All Along

MY MOST ANTICIPATE JAN’23 BOOK RELEASE

Ninth House stayed with me for a long while, so I can’t wait to read Hell Bent. It’s hard to describe this series but it’s set in modern day but has elements of supernatural, horror, and mystery. I can’t wait!

Synopsis: Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory—even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale.

Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies’ most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.

Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Hell Bent

I’m sure my choices might be different than yours, so feel free to shout out a book you’re looking forward to reading after its release next month. OR if you are digging my list, let me know the one you can’t wait to read.

Happy reading!

Deb

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (5/2/22)

Happy May everyone! This is the month where so many great books are coming out and I have once again over-asked for ARC’s. I’ve been trying to read ahead but at the same time read for pleasure. I only ask for books I’m looking forward to reading (with a surprise thrown in everyone once in awhile) so it’s tough to choose what’s already on my kindle. I am thrilled that I got a copy of Ilona Andrews upcoming release and despite it not coming out until August, I went ahead and picked it up last night. Let’s get to it!

JUST FINISHED

A debut novel by Carley Fortune, Every Summer After hit all of my hot buttons, making it the perfect beach read. If only I’d been on a beach! Seriously good with a lake setting, this romance made me feel EVERYTHING. I loved it!

JUST STARTED

I literally just started this so don’t really have an opinion yet, but this is one of my favorite writing teams so I’m sure I’m going to enjoy it!

Are you reading a favorite author right now? Who is it? Let me know if it’s a great book.

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Most Anticipated Book Releases- Mar’22

I know February is a short month, but seriously? Time is flying by this year! In already looking towards the March book releases I’m feeling like I’m falling seriously behind. There are too many books out there and too little time to read them. March has some amazing book releases, so I’m just going to add the five that are on my own radar.

#5 BOOK RELEASE

There is something about this synopsis that is drawing me in. It helps that the author is Lauren Kate because I know she will not let me down. By Any Other Name probably should be higher on my list except for a couple of much anticipated by me novels that are filling the top 2. Is this novel on your own radar?

Synopsis: What she doesn’t know about love could fill a book.
 
With a successful career as a romance editor, and an engagement to a man who checks off all ninety-nine boxes on her carefully curated list, Lanie’s more than good. She’s killing it. Then she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to work with world-renowned author and her biggest inspiration in love and life—the Noa Callaway. All Lanie has to do is cure Noa’s writer’s block and she’ll get the promotion she’s always dreamed of. Simple, right? 
 
But there’s a reason no one has ever seen or spoken to the mysterious Noa Calloway. And that reason will rock Lanie’s world. It will call into question everything she thought she knew. When she finally tosses her ninety-nine expectations to the wind, Lanie may just discover that love By Any Other Name can still be as sweet.

Click this link to purchase this book!* By Any Other Name

MY #4 BOOK RELEASE

Rebecca Serle’s novels touch my heart and boy One Italian Summer looks like it could be a tear jerker. I’m a big fan of this author and am eagerly looking forward to reading this novel.

Synopsis: When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.

But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.

And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.

Rebecca Serle’s next great love story is here, and this time it’s between a mother and a daughter. With her signature “heartbreaking, redemptive, and authentic” (Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Serle has crafted a transcendent novel about how we move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.

Click this link to purchase this book!* One Italian Summer: A Novel

MY #3 BOOK RELEASE

From Rebecca Serle’s mother-daughter novel in my #4 spot to a young lady who travels on a vacation with her parents, trying to understand her relationship with her father. I love this author and she often touches my heart with her novels. I’m anticipating another great read.

Synopsis: Right after the sudden death of her mother—her first and most devoted fan—and just before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing, her career suddenly in jeopardy—the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always predicted; the kind he warned her about when he urged her to make more practical choices with her life. 
 
Months later, Greta—still heartbroken and very much adrift—reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, and for Ben Wilder, a charming historian, onboard to lecture about The Call of the Wild, who is struggling with a major upheaval in his own life. As Greta works to build back her confidence and Ben confronts an uncertain future, they find themselves drawn to and relying on each other.

It’s here in this unlikeliest of places—at sea, far from the packed city venues where she usually plays and surrounded by the stunning scenery of Alaska—Greta will finally confront the choices she’s made, the heartbreak she’s suffered, and the family hurts that run deep. In the end, she’ll have to decide what her path forward might look like—and how to find her voice again.

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Unsinkable Greta James: A Novel

MY #2 BOOK RELEASE

Mercy Thompson is one of my favorite urban fantasy characters. She never thinks twice about sacrificing herself for others, and in this novel she could be sacrificing herself for someone who has been stalking her. I can’t wait to see what Patricia Briggs does with the characters in this universe. She never disappoints.

Synopsis: Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, must face her greatest fears in this chilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

The vampire Wulfe is missing. Since he’s deadly, possibly insane, and his current idea of “fun” is stalking Mercy, some may see it as no great loss. But when he disappears, the Tri-Cities pack is blamed. The mistress of the vampire seethe informs Mercy that the pack must produce Wulfe to prove their innocence, or the loose alliance between the local vampires and werewolves is over.
 
So Mercy goes out to find her stalker—and discovers more than just Wulfe have disappeared. Someone is taking people from locked rooms, from the aisles of stores, and even from crowded parties. And these are not just ordinary people but supernatural beings. Until Wulfe vanished, all of them were powerless loners, many of whom quietly moved to the Tri-Cities in the hope that the safety promised by Mercy and Adam’s pack would extend to them as well.
 
Who is taking them? As Mercy investigates, she learns of the legend of the Harvester, who travels by less-trodden paths and reaps the souls that are ripe with a great black scythe. . . .

Click this link to purchase this book!* Soul Taken (A Mercy Thompson Novel Book 13)

MY MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE FOR MARCH’22

I have read, listened to, and read again Anne Bishop’s novels that take place in the perfectly terrifying world of The Others. Crowbones finds us back in The Jumble with resort owner Vicki DeVine where she is faced with having to solve a couple of murders before the Others decide humans are more trouble than they’re worth. These novels are eery, creepy, and fantastically fun. I…. can’t…. wait…..

Synopsis: In this engrossing and gripping fantasy set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Others series, an inn owner and her friends must find a killer—before it’s too late.…

Crowbones will gitcha if you don’t watch out!

Deep in the territory controlled by the Others—shape-shifters, vampires, and even deadlier paranormal beings—Vicki DeVine has made a new life for herself running The Jumble, a rustic resort. When she decides to host a gathering of friends and guests for Trickster Night, at first everything is going well between the humans and the Others.
 
But then someone arrives dressed as Crowbones, the Crowgard bogeyman. When the impostor is killed along with a shape-shifting Crow, and the deaths are clearly connected, everyone fears that the real Crowbones may have come to The Jumble—and that could mean serious trouble.
 
To “encourage” humans to help them find some answers, the Elders and Elementals close all the roads, locking in suspects and victims alike. Now Vicki, human police chief Grimshaw, vampire lawyer Ilya Sanguinati, and the rest of their friends have to figure out who is manipulating events designed to pit humans against Others—and who may have put Vicki DeVine in the crosshairs of a powerful hunter.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Crowbones (World of the Others Book 3)

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase one of these books through one of the above links I’ll receive a small stipend.

There are so many other great books coming out in March that it was seriously hard to choose my top 5. I hope my choices helped bring some on your radar, but if you think I missed anything feel free to shout out your most anticipated book! There’s always room on my TBR (LOL!).

Have a great month of reading!

Deb

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (2/21/22)

After some wild weather last week, this weekend was cold and clear. Perfect to be out and about doing errands and having lunch with friends. Of course, it was also the perfect weekend to lay low and read that book you’ve been eyeing. What did I do? I a little bit of both!

Thanks again to Book Date for starting this fun post where we can share what’s on our shelves and what books have captured our attention.

JUST FINISHED

I have had this audiobook in my list for a couple of years and decided to give it a listen. What I didn’t expect was to be captured by the story immediately and love the narration by Lucy Price-Lewis! Oh my lord those French accents! The story of a young woman hired to look into the artwork found in an apartment that hasn’t been opened in 70+ years was thrilling and romantic. Give this audiobook a listen, it’s fantastic!

JUST STARTED

I just started this one last night but I’m loving Lynn Painter’s style of writing and the humor has me laughing out loud. I can’t wait to get back into this fun novel!

I hope you were able to enjoy your weekend with a little time spent outside, but also were able to settle down at the end of the day with a good book. Share what you’re reading! I’d love to hear.

Happy reading and have a great Monday!

Deb

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (8/9/21)

I was on vacation last week and had a chance to catch up on a lot of reading. I just finished an ARC for a book being released next month and also got in quite a bit of personal reading. It’s nice to choose my own books every once in a while! Today, I’m heading back to the office to start a hybrid office-home situation. Two days in the office is a great option but I’ll admit to being slightly nervous after spending a year and a half working from home. Wish me luck!

JUST FINISHED

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Alexa Martin’s new book Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes. This one falls firmly into the Women’s Fiction genre and is about the friendship between two women. Guys, it was so good! I really like how Alexa Martin writes, her characters feel so fleshed out. I’ll be putting out a full review on this in the next few weeks.

JUST STARTED

This is a novella from the Elder Races series by Thea Harrison. Every once in awhile she puts out stories about the two characters that started the whole series, Pia and Drago. This novel is about their moving to an alternate universe. I just started it so can’t really tell you how I feel about it yet but they are usually light-hearted and fun.

I hope everyone has a great start to their week today! I’d love to hear if you are still working from home or are back at work. What book is waiting on your nightstand for you when you finish your work day?

Happy Monday!

Deb