Tag: women’s fiction

This Chick Read: Beach Read by Emily Henry

If you were to pick up this book based upon the title, cover, and synopsis you’d expect to get a rom-com about two authors who live next to each other at the beach, who while in a moment of writer’s block decide to challenge each other by writing a novel in the other person’s style. A meet cute that would end in happiness, and they didn’t lie, it is kind of all that. But it’s also so much more.

January, who writes happily ever after romances and Gus Everett who writes dark literary fiction take each other on research “field trips” to help the other person see into their world. As they do this, each opens up to the other about their own difficulties, insecurities, hopes, and dreams. Most importantly and not surprisingly they fall for each other. What is surprising are the emotional moments, the heart tearing fears, and heart mending, loving prose. This book was so much more than a “Beach Read” that it does a disservice to the excellence inside the story by misrepresenting (in my opinion) what the reader should expect.

I don’t think I’m going to give away any secrets by hinting at a couple of things in their back stories. One, January and Gus have a past, and two they both just had their hearts broken, albeit in different ways. These things provide so much more depth to the story than two authors who happen to live next to each other at the beach. It provides context for how they interact with each other. January’s distrust and dislike, and Gus’s frustration and fear, all feelings that don’t usually provide rom-com fodder. Yes, there are funny moments, but there were a lot more moments where I clung to my tissue. The banter between these two was bright, but it was also colored with emotion and pain. This book was so much more….

So, if you do pick up this book because the cover is cute (and it is!), or because it’s painted as a rom-com (kind of?), or the synopsis sounds like two people will fall in love (they do!), just know that this book is so much more than all of that. It’s two people who help each other through pain, build a friendship that started in misunderstanding, and fall in love in a way that will break your heart and provide you joy in an unexpected way. These characters? I am so in LOVE with them. This book? Definitely in my Top 10 so far this year. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase!* Beach Read

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads10 Comments

This Chick Read: The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey

Octogenarian Duffy Sinclair is living in what he hopes is his final residence Centennial Assisted Living. His roommate Carl and he are a bit of an odd couple with Duffy the gruff and surly character to Carl’s straight-laced Oscar. Or so Duffy thinks. One night a young woman in her 20’s sneaks through the window of their bedroom and claims she’s Carl’s granddaughter Josie. It’s a surprise to Duffy as Carl has claimed he didn’t have any children. AS the story unfolds their secrets are revealed and neither is who the other thought he was and Josie? She’s exactly who she says she is but her story creates a need, in Carl to finally be a grandfather, and in Duffy, a chance to redeem himself by helping this young woman through a difficult time.

OK, I’ll just say that this novel is a total departure from my normal reading. When I described the book to my husband (briefly) as a book about two old guys in an assisted living facility he asked me if it was a love story. Ha! Nope, or er, well, maybe? But not between Duffy and Carl, although there was a deep friendship and love did live in that relationship.

I really loved Duffy. He was so surly and not apologetic about it at all. However, when Josie enters his life he see’s in her a soulmate of sorts, and his chance for redemption for a life he felt he’d wasted. Interestingly enough, Josie was also drawn to Duffy, rather more so than Carl. Understandably so when you realize that Carl’s faults contributed to Josie’s problems- in a big way. As Duffy navigates through life in Centennial, helping to hide Josie during her visit, and and his issues with his roommate Carl you realize there’s a lot more to this old man that seemed at first. Those little details are why I loved him so much. He had so much heart!

The cast of characters in the assisted living facility were what brought life to this novel. Alice’s gentle beauty, Mrs. Zimmerman’s confused meanderings, and Sharon’s evil selfishness. All added depth and meaning to Duffy’s character adding a realness that the thought of him not accomplishing his goal of helping Josie wasn’t insurmountable. The humor and life that filled Centennial really opened my eyes to the life within our elderly. Yeah, I know this was fiction, but their problems were real and I just didn’t want to think that their days were slowly coming to an end.

I can’t help but wonder what brought this story into Brooke Fossey’s mind. In today’s world the elderly are almost forgotten, but Ms. Fossey has done a very good job of bringing them back into the light in a really positive heart-rending way. Even at the end, when I was quietly shedding tears, I has really happy that I’d read this novel and gotten to know these characters. Somehow through Duffy’s trials and tribulations I learned something about myself as well. This is a story I’ll reflect on for a while. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase!* The Big Finish

Copyright 2020 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 Reads2 Comments

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (4/13/2020)

Ahh Monday, another week where I’m working from home. Does anyone else actually miss going to work like I do? Anyway, it was a nice weekend celebrating Easter with the family, all while staying six feet apart. The new normal. I was able to escape into my apartment to escape from reality by reading another romance novel. It’s funny, but romances seem to be one of the things helping me get through this social distancing. There’s something about knowing there’s an HEA at the end of the story that makes life a little brighter. Let me tell you a little bit about what I’m reading.

This post originated over on Book Date, so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion about what books I am reading.

JUST FINISHED

I’ve had The Proposal on my shelf for awhile but still hadn’t gotten around to reading it. It’s a lighthearted rom-com and fit my mood to a T. Review to come!

Synopsis:

When someone asks you to spend your life with him, it shouldn’t come as a surprise—or happen in front of 45,000 people.

When freelance writer Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, his man bun, and his bros, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. Saying no isn’t the hard part—they’ve only been dating for five months, and he can’t even spell her name correctly. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans…

At the game with his sister, Carlos Ibarra comes to Nik’s rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He’s even there for her when the video goes viral and Nik’s social media blows up—in a bad way. Nik knows that in the wilds of LA, a handsome doctor like Carlos can’t be looking for anything serious, so she embarks on an epic rebound with him, filled with food, fun, and fantastic sex. But when their glorified hookups start breaking the rules, one of them has to be smart enough to put on the brakes…

Click this link to purchase! The Proposal

JUST STARTED

Don’t tell anyone but I haven’t actually started this one yet. However, I have the ARC and the book comes out on Tuesday. It does look really cute and I’m hoping it hits the right note for me!

Synopsis:

ogether, they’re going to learn it’s never too late—or too early—to change your ways.

For Duffy Sinclair, life boils down to one simple thing: maintaining his residence at the idyllic Centennial Assisted Living. Without it, he’s destined for the roach-infested nursing home down the road—and after wasting the first eighty-eight years of his life, he refuses to waste away for the rest. So, he keeps his shenanigans to the bare minimum with the help of his straight-laced best friend and roommate, Carl Upton.

But when Carl’s granddaughter Josie climbs through their bedroom window with booze on her breath and a black eye, Duffy’s faced with trouble that’s sticking around and hard to hide—from Centennial’s management and Josie’s toxic boyfriend. Before he knows it, he’s running a covert operation that includes hitchhiking and barhopping.

He might as well write himself a one-way ticket to the nursing home…or the morgue. Yet Duffy’s all in. Because thanks to an unlikely friendship that becomes fast family—his life doesn’t boil down the same anymore. Not when he finally has a chance to leave a legacy.

In a funny, insightful, and life-affirming debut, Brooke Fossey delivers an unflinching look at growing old, living large, and loving big, as told by a wise-cracking man who didn’t see any of it coming.

Click this link to purchase!* The Big Finish

I hope you all had a great weekend and have read a ton of great books. Fill me in if you have!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads5 Comments

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: Top 5 Most Anticipated Book Releases- April ’20

Usually I say “Wow, time has flown by and I can’t believe it’s already…”, but this month I have to say I feel like the days are crawling. I’m working from home, “social distancing”, worried about my job, and trying not to spend any money. So, I kind of wish the days would speed by quicker. Let’s get this curve flattened so I can get on with my life, whatever life is left to live at that point. I don’t mean to be a downer, but I, like many others am feeling discouraged. So, when I thought of putting together this post about what books I’m looking forward to in April, I’ve decided to actually look forward. Live for the future, not the present, right?

So, here are my Top 5 book releases for the month of April. I know my Top 5 will not be the same as your own, so feel free to chime in and let me know what books I’m missing and/or should be reading next month.

#5 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

I just started this novel and it starts quick, cute, and I’ve already fallen in serious like with my characters. yay!

Synopsis:

In this fresh and hilarious historical rom-com, an estranged husband and wife in Regency England feign accidents and illness in an attempt to gain attention—and maybe just win each other back in the process.

Five years ago, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love, and got married. Four years ago, they had a fight to end all fights, and have barely spoken since.

Their once-passionate love match has been reduced to one of cold, detached politeness. But when Violet receives a letter that James has been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious at their country estate, she races to be by his side—only to discover him alive and well at a tavern, and completely unaware of her concern. She’s outraged. He’s confused. And the distance between them has never been more apparent.

Wanting to teach her estranged husband a lesson, Violet decides to feign an illness of her own. James quickly sees through it, but he decides to play along in an ever-escalating game of manipulation, featuring actors masquerading as doctors, threats of Swiss sanitariums, faux mistresses—and a lot of flirtation between a husband and wife who might not hate each other as much as they thought. Will the two be able to overcome four years of hurt or will they continue to deny the spark between them?

With charm, wit, and heart in spades, To Have and to Hoax is a fresh and eminently entertaining romantic comedy—perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Julia Quinn.

Click this link to purchase!* To Have and to Hoax: A Novel

#4 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

The beautiful cover caught my eye and then the synopsis drew me in. This one looks good!

Synopsis: A trio of second-born daughters sets out on a whirlwind journey through the lush Italian countryside to break the family curse that says they’ll never find love, by New York Times bestseller Lori Nelson Spielman, author of The Life List.

Since the day Filomena Fontana cast a curse upon her sister more than two hundred years ago, not one second-born Fontana daughter has found lasting love. Some, like second-born Emilia, the happily-single baker at her grandfather’s Brooklyn deli, claim it’s an odd coincidence. Others, like her sexy, desperate-for-love cousin Lucy, insist it’s a true hex. But both are bewildered when their great-aunt calls with an astounding proposition: If they accompany her to her homeland of Italy, Aunt Poppy vows she’ll meet the love of her life on the steps of the Ravello Cathedral on her eightieth birthday, and break the Fontana Second-Daughter Curse once and for all.
 
Against the backdrop of wandering Venetian canals, rolling Tuscan fields, and enchanting Amalfi Coast villages, romance blooms, destinies are found, and family secrets are unearthed—secrets that could threaten the family far more than a centuries-old curse.

Click this link to purchase!* The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

#3 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

The publishers got me with the comparison to Bridget Jones. I am so curious about this one!

Synopsis:

Meet Roxy. She’s a sometimes vegan, always broke artist with a heart the size of Texas and an ex living in her spare bedroom. Her life is messy, but with the help of a few good friends and by the grace of the goddess Venus she’ll discover that good sex, true love, and her life’s purpose are all closer than she realizes.

Bridget Jones penned a diary; Roxy writes letters. Specifically: she writes letters to her hapless, rent-avoidant ex-boyfriend—and current roommate—Everett. This charming and funny twenty-something is under-employed (and under-romanced), and she’s decidedly fed up with the indignities she endures as a deli maid at Whole Foods (the original), and the dismaying speed at which her beloved Austin is becoming corporatized. When a new Lululemon pops up at the intersection of Sixth and Lamar where the old Waterloo Video used to be, Roxy can stay silent no longer.

As her letters to Everett become less about overdue rent and more about the state of her life, Roxy realizes she’s ready to be the heroine of her own story. She decides to team up with her two best friends to save Austin—and rescue Roxy’s love life—in whatever way they can. But can this spunky, unforgettable millennial keep Austin weird, avoid arrest, and find romance—and even creative inspiration—in the process?

Click this link to purchase!* The Roxy Letters: A Novel

#2 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

I love books about re-igniting love, or even better enemies to lovers. This one intrigues me and I like this author.

Synopsis:

When your nemesis also happens to be your fiancé, happily ever after becomes a lot more complicated in this wickedly funny, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy debut.

Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They’re preparing for their lavish wedding that’s three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.

Naomi wants out, but there’s a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.

But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they’re finally being themselves–and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.

Click this link to purchase!* You Deserve Each Other

MOST ANTICIPATED APRIL’20 BOOK RELEASE!

I’m so excited a third book was written for this series!

Synopsis:

Layla Beckett has a secret. For the past ten years, she’s run the most trafficked fan site on the Internet for her favorite band—under an alias, naturally. When she lands a job at the prestigious New York City music magazine The Rock Paper, she’s suddenly thrust into the world she’s only observed from the cheap seats. Now that she’s brushing elbows with sexy guitarists and hot frontmen, she wants to play it cool and keep her superfan status on the down low. Although she’s dying to gush on her forum, posting her insider adventures online could expose her real-life identity and blow her cover.

And that’s all before one of those sexy musicians becomes a fan of her.

From the minute he meets Layla, Shane Morgan’s heart beats a heavy metal rhythm, but his head is full of doubt. Since only the most hardcore fans could pick the drummer out of a lineup, he’s resigned to groupies using him to get closer to the more famous guitarists. But he doesn’t want to be Layla’s passthrough.

As Layla gets to know the real people behind the music, she’s drawn to the less-than-flashy drummer’s sweet charms, fascinating mind, and banging hot body, but she worries about his insecurities. She needs to convince Shane she’s moved beyond fandom before he discovers her online history and loses all faith in her intentions. But the Internet is forever, and secrets have a way of getting out.

Click this link to purchase!* Kind of Famous (Flirting with Fame)

As I’ve written this post I’ve gotten a little more excited about reading some books. I hope I’ve put a book on your radar that maybe you might have missed? Please let me know which books you’re most looking forward to next month.

Happy reading and stay safe!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick's Audio Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I know, I know, I’m really late to the party for this book. I always like to say, it’s never to late to read a great book and it’s certainly always ok to talk about it!

Monique Grant is a writer for an entertainment magazine when she gets called into her boss’s office and is told that the famous screen star Evelyn Hugo wants to do a feature on some gowns she’s donating for charity, and she has asked specifically for Monique to write the story. When Monique meets Evelyn, she’s told that it’s actually not a feature that she wants her to write, it’s her memoir. As she tells the story of her life, and her many marriages, she reveals many things about herself but always holds back from telling Monique why she was chosen to tell this story …until the very end. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was as good as I’d hoped and as good as the hype. Alma Cuervo, Julia Whelan, and Robin Miles did an amazing job making me forget I was listening to a book and not watching a movie.

I really don’t want to spoil the story or what each of her marriages represent and how they molded Evelyn’s future. Instead I’m going to talk about impressions the book made on me.

This novel draws on many similarities from some famous marriages, the most famous of which was Elizabeth Taylor for her many marriages. As the narrators navigated through each husband and why Evelyn married that person, some for love, some for hype, one was her best friend, I couldn’t help but think if that was really common. With the advent of the internet, social media, and of how easy it is for a star to now engage with their public and change their image (Miley Cyrus’s most recent implosion of a marriage and self control comes to mind) it was fascinating to take this journey into the past when you had to manipulate people and the press. I didn’t mean to go on a tangent but I’ve always found that era fascinating and seeing this story through modern eyes puts a spin on what women and certain groups of that era might have had to do to make their way.

Evelyn’s life from childhood to mature woman was centered around her body image and what power that body could bring to her. I never realized how powerful a pair of breasts could be, it made me a tad bit uncomfortable to think that men could be so superficial. In an age where women had to balance their sexuality with an act of innocence so they didn’t appear a whore I guess those breasts would bring you a kind of power you wouldn’t normally be able to grasp as a woman in that time. Think of how Marilyn Monroe was lauded for her figure yet played the part of an airhead. It really puts into perspective how far the women’s movement has come, yet we are still experiencing inequality. Not that I’m an actress, but the whole Harvey Weinstein powermonger rapist opened my eyes to how the movie business even 5 years ago was still controlled by men of that ilk, but back to the book.

Monique’s tale about her own life is told in smaller snippets in between Evelyn’s monologue and we see her gain her own power through her negotiations with her magazine, as well as her relationship with her husband. She learns from Evelyn and even though there’s this secret of why she’s been chosen to write this memoir hanging over her head, you can see her admiration grow. It makes the reveal at the end even more impactful. I was looking for the answer to this secret Evelyn had hanging over Monique’s head and didn’t even come close to figuring it out. The story was wonderfully told, beautifully narrated, and shockingly good. My mom always says to never rush a good thing and I’m glad I waited to read this novel until all the hype had passed and nothing could spoil my pleasure. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“I just loved this book, plain and simple. I think it would make a fantastic book group choice, as there’s so much to mull over and think about. I’m pushing this book on a few key bookish friends so I can talk about it with them!” Bookshelf Fantasies

“I was in love with the setting, moving back and forth between Los Angeles and New York. Reading about the ’50’s-’90’s and how much everything has changed since then, it was hypnotizing and alluring. Having the whole story come together and wrap up in 2017 was just the absolute perfect bow-tie on top.” Hunida’s Blog

Click this link to purchase!* The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: A Novel

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads4 Comments

This Chick Read: Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Cassie Hanwell is a decorated firefighter with a plan of rising through the ranks. She gets a call from her estranged mother who wants her to move up to the Northeast because she has recently lost sight in one eye and needs help navigating her new world. After a surprise incident lands Cassie in hot water at work, her work plans derail and she decides to start anew in Maryland with her mother. Unfortunately the firehouse family she is joining is nothing like the one she left behind and she has to prove herself as well as live with a woman she hasn’t had a relationship with since she was sixteen.

There was a lot going on in this book but Katherine Center did a great job of not overwhelming the reader and somehow tying all of the plots together into a cohesive story and a really solid novel.

At first I thought Cassie was never going to warm up. She had an awful back story and didn’t seem willing to forgive her mother. If it hadn’t been for the change in firefighter houses and how she tried so hard to prove herself to the guys I may not have been able to wait her out. Fortunately her interactions at work helped make the pages turn quickly, THEN she finally warmed up to her mother! Whew! Throw in the side love story and by the second half of the book I was all in.

This was a novel about relationships. Cassie’s relationship with her mother, the guys at work, her attraction to the rookie, her relationship with her father. There were some heartwarming and heartbreaking moments and even though there were a few different sub plots I liked how they all added to Cassie’s story and didn’t work against each other. All in all, I liked this novel, it was easy to read and made me feel good at the end. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“I loved every minute of this book and was sorry to turn the last page. A wonderful, humorous story of love and forgiveness with a strong and endearing main lead, ‘Things you save in a fire’ is a book you won’t forget.” Happy Tonic

“I loved this book- at times it has a light touch- but Katherine also provides some meat in the situations Cassie must face- and decide how to handle them.” Traveling with T

Click this link to purchase!* Things You Save in a Fire: A Novel

Copyright 2020 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads4 Comments

This Chick Read: If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins

Jenny Tate is moving her wedding dress store back to her home town for two reasons. The first is to be closer to her sister and her three nieces and the second is to be further removed from her ex-husband, his wife and their new baby. It’s hard to move on with her life when they (Rachel and her ex) are still so involved in each others lives. Rachel is thrilled her sister Jenny is moving back to town, but when it seems her marriage is on the rocks she has difficulty seeing the truth behind the lies. If You Only Knew is the story of two sisters who are navigating through difficulties leaning on each other but also learning their own inner strengths.

Jenny’s marriage slowly falls apart with her husband eventually leaving her saying he just wants something more. He finds that just three months later and then immediately has the baby Jenny had wanted with him. He remains friends with Jenny, calling her his best friend, and she lets him even though it makes her miserable. When she moves the shop to her hometown she moves into a small complex and meets her downstairs neighbor Leo. He is devastatingly gorgeous and closed off keeping her at a distance with a friends with benefits status. Jenny dreams of a relationship with Leo that may never come. The good thing about their story is that she’s finally weaned off from her ex and didn’t really even notice it happening.

Rachel tries so hard for the perfect life and marriage. She deftly raises her three children and when her husband comes home everyone is spotless and lovely for him to kiss goodnight. When she discovers he’s cheated the walls come crumbling down on her perfect life and she wonders why she tried so hard to keep the love and passion in her marriage. If there was one character I hated in this book I’d say it was her husband. He acted entitled and I just loathed him for how he treated Rachel.

The two sisters have a wonderful relationship, so supportive and are each others champion through life. Even with their problems their love for each other was so apparent, it was lovely. If You Only Knew was filled with angst, pain, and rebirth. It was deftly told and at the end the reader is left with a feeling of completion if not happiness for each sister. Their lives may go through good and bad, but I felt like if they had each other in their lives they could pull through almost anything. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* If You Only Knew: A Women’s Fiction Novel (Hqn)

Copyright 2020 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins by Katarina Bivald

Henny just had the most wonderful weekend with the man she’s always been in love with…until she gets hit by a car walking back to the Pine Creek Motel where she works. Henny’s untimely death doesn’t end with her following the light into heaven, instead Henny finds herself still among her friends and family and feels that there must be a reason that she hasn’t passed to the other side.

As she watches her friends lives go on she travels around town and see’s Proposition 9, a proposal for a law against LGBTQ’s in Oregon is fought again, 15 years after it’s inception. Through Henny’s flashbacks we re-live the original opposition and also the day her friend Mackenzie revealed she was gay. The parallels to what is happening in her town today are apparent but the difference is in how her group of friends deal with that opposition today. Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins is a look inside a small community while they are grieving, loving, fighting for a cause, and finally moving on from their grief.

Bivald pits Henny’s diverse group of friends against the ultra conservative Baptist community who are trying to convince their town that evil things are going on at the rundown motel. It’s run by homosexuals and their guests are the town rejects (and Henny’s dad), gasp! As we get to know these people we see how banding together against a common enemy helps them deal with their grief for Henny. I loved the diverse cast of characters and how Bivald showed that despite people’s differences on the outside, inside they have the same depth of feeling.

If I had one criticism it would be that I felt Henny’s personal story was left a little unresolved. That’s it. I can’t say anymore because I’m afraid I’ll give the story away. I will say that this story touched me and made me jealous of the wonderful friendships portrayed in this novel and I cried quite a few times. So, keep some tissues close at hand!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase!* Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins

Copyright 2020 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 Reads2 Comments

It’s Monday what are you reading? (1/6/2020)

After nearly two weeks off I am heading back to work today so this is a rather bittersweet Monday. However, I just finished a good book last night and will be starting a new one this afternoon, which turns that bittersweet into, well, semi-sweet at least. Lol. This post originated over on Book Date , so thanks for the idea and letting me join in the discussion!

JUST FINISHED

First Sentence Read: “My funeral begins in an hour.”

NEXT UP!

First Sentence Read: “Rosie Vega: a department store shopper’s worst nightmare.”

What book are you starting your week with?

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads8 Comments

This Chick Read: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

Nina Hill is perfectly happy with her quiet life working in a book store and occasionally hearing from her famous photographer mother. She runs several book clubs and meets her friends for their weekly trivia night at local bars. When a lawyer calls out of the blue telling her that her father died she finds out that she has brothers and sisters that live only a few blocks away her life gets turned upside down.

Since her hilarious debut with The Garden of Small Beginnings Abbi Waxman novels jump to the top of my TBR. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill had the same quirky characters and funny one liners I’ve come to love, but in Nina Hill there was a vulnerability that her other characters didn’t have. Nina was a very complex woman. Raised by a nanny, Nina never had the love of a parent or any siblings. Her life was pretty solitary and change made her anxiety skyrocket.

I loved the cast of characters in this novel! Her trivia friends, and love interest/arch nemesis Tom added depth and fun to her somewhat melancholy character. Her brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces- each added a different emotion for Nina to either embrace or overcome. Connection isn’t easy for a woman whose life has been purposely quiet and structured. All of these people force her to move and live outside her comfort zone, which I think a lot of readers could identify with. I identified with Nina’s love for books, her overstuffed bookshelves, and her need for a quiet night of reading. 🙂

If you’re a fan of quirky novels with a hint of a love story and a lot of family drama, then I think you should give the Bookish Life of Nina Hill a try. If you’ve read Abbi Waxman’s previous novels, you’ll enjoy seeing a few familiar characters again, and will like getting to know some new ones. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“I could go on and on about all the things I loved about this story but will end my review by saying Abbi Waxman has set the bar here for me by creating such a compelling, introvert, giving her conflicts, adding layers of depth to her and then letting her grow. I can’t recommend it enough!” Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee Reading

“The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is a delightful read. It’s funny, at times relatable as only bookish people would “get,” and it’s smoothly written. There’s so much to love about Nina and infinitely more to love about this story. ” Jennifer-Tar Heel Reader

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On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads4 Comments