40 something reader of romantic fiction, YA, Paranormal and any other book that might strike my fancy.
Lover of music and photography and travel even if it is only in my local area.
In accordance with FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, A Chick Who Reads would like to let everyone know that books featured on this blog were either provided by the publisher or author or were purchased by A Chick Who Reads. The books received by A Chick Who Reads from publishers and authors were provided for review and no payment was received by me and did not influence my opinion of the material.
Nothing is more important to prim, colorblind Dolors Posa than family and living down the shame of her illegitimate birth, but when the sudden onset of fantastical visions threaten her sterling reputation, she must search for answers before the inhabitants of the tiny village of Cadaqués brand her as demente-- crazy like her mother. In a quest to stop her hallucinations, she befriends a beautiful, intoxicating fortune teller and her handsome anarchist brother, as well as becoming a reluctant muse for thirteen-year-old Salvador Dali. In a summer that changes everything, Dolors must choose between her family's reputation and a life filled with adventure, friendship, rapturous color and the possibility of love.
Set against the political upheaval of 1917 Spain, Dali Summer captures the fierce spirit of Catalonia, the generosity and stubbornness of its people and the blossoming promise of a woman who thought life was bland and empty and had long ago had passed her by.
Review: 1917 Spain is the setting and all I can think of is the pandemic that follows the next year. This is how stressed out I am right now.
This book is so beautiful though. Dolors is a woman of illegitimate birth and she's trying to live down that stigma. Her family is the most important thing to her. Her life is not an easy one, and when she starts having visions, well that threatens her reputation as well as her family's.
Art fans will love the glimpse we get of a young Salvador Dali. Dolors was one of his muses. Reading this book made me long to find out more about her and more about Salvador Dali.
This was the perfect read to start the summer.
Rating: 5 flowers
Social Media
Please use the hashtag #dalisummer, and tag @tlcbooktours.
Well behaved women rarely make history. Teri Brown lived that quote way before she ever even heard it. The two things she is most proud of, (besides her children), is that she jumped out of an airplane once and she beat the original Legend of Zelda video game. She is a novel writer, head banger, pet keeper, math hater, cocktail drinker, booty shaker, book reader, city slicker, food fixer, French kisser, rule breaker, wine sipper and word scribbler. She loves her husband, kitties and chocolate.
Ousted
Princess by Tasha Lewis is a contemporary story inspired by the
History of Pocahontas. Fans of second chance romance and friends to
lovers will enjoy this new adult romance. The next installment of the
Modern Princess Collection is now LIVE!
After a humiliating
end to her freshman year, Veronica Solis wants nothing more than to
just focus on her studies and avoid her former friend and love her of
life, Sean Courtright.
Veronica was doing just fine on
all accounts until her favorite professor asked her for a favor:
tutor the boy who broke her heart, shattering it to a million
pieces.
If the request had come from anyone else, Veronica
would have turned it down, but she couldn’t say no to her favorite
person.
But she should have… Being cramped in the same room
each day and their relationship slipping back into familiar patterns,
Veronica begins to wonder if her heart and her head will ever get on
the same page. Sean still makes her heart pound and her blood sizzle
with want.
When Sean raises the stakes and offers Veronica a bet
she’s sure to lose, she must decide if
this game of cat and mouse with
the boy who broke her heart will destroy what’s left of it or give
them a second chance at love.
Review: Ousted Princess is the 6th book in the Modern Princess collection. Its a retelling of the Pocahontas story. Let's use that term "retelling" lightly, because don't expect it to be too much of one, and really Pocahontas doesn't really have a love story
So lets talk about Veronica and Sean. This is a friends to lovers story. These are childhood friends who aren't quite friends anymore. Both are attending Camelot U. Veronica is there studying something to do with nature. She's an outdoorsy girl and a smart one. Sean is a football player who may or may not be losing his scholarship and his shot at the NFL.
There's also a little bit of a love triangle with a grad student named Dax. I really wish that area of the story would have been explored a little more. I found myself liking Dax from the beginning, whereas Sean was a hard one to like, what with the things he did to Veronica from the very start.
These two have a wonderful chemistry. I love Roni's loyalty to Sean, even though he really doesn't deserve it. (And its not as if there aren't other guys that are interested)
There's a little bit of drama at the end, that really proves how loyal Veronica really is too.
I enjoyed this addition to the series.
Rating: 5 flowers
About Tasha
Lewis
Tasha Lewis is a romance author who grew up with her
head in the clouds. Her passion for life has always kept her dreaming
and moving forward. She believes in fate and is a true romantic at
heart. Tasha is certain that anything can be solved with a good cup
of coffee and a dog or two at your side.
When she isn't reading, which
isn't often, she is usually working on a craft or three - she can
never just stick with one. Join her on her journey of publication,
crocheting, and any other craft she is working on.
Once upon a kiss, a modern romance becomes a
fairytale.
The prestigious Camelot University comes fully
equipped with elitist guys, a castle, and a Glass Ball, but these
self-proclaimed princesses don’t need crowns to prove their worth.
They’ve taken love and life into their own hands and written their
own fairytale.
Follow
seven of your favorite fairytale heroines as they find their happily
ever after, in these standalone,
contemporary romance novels. The ladies of Cam U are a dangerous
combination of cute and badass, full of attitude and imperfections,
and an innocence only fairytales can convey.
Want to
keep up with all the Modern Princess Collection news? LIKE the
Rewritten
Fairytales Facebook page!
From the author of The Green Phoenix comes a riveting tale of female friendship, honor, and sacrifice for love, set in 17th Century China and featuring the intertwined stories of three of the era's most renowned courtesans, escorts skilled in music, poetry and painting who could decide themselves whether or not to offer patrons bed favors.
Inspired by literary works and folklore, Tales of Ming Courtesans traces the destinies of the three girls from the seamy world of human trafficking and slavery to the cultured scene of the famously decadent pleasure district of the city of Nanjing, evoking episodes in Memoirs of a Geisha.
The girls all existed - Rushi was a famous poet, Yuanyuan became the concubine of a general who changed the course of Chinese history by supporting the Manchu invasion in 1644 and Xiangjun challenged the corruption of court officials to try to save her lover. Rushi's daughter, Jingjing, gradually pieces together the stories of the three from a memoir left to her by her mother.
Betrayal, tenacity and hope all come together in a novel that brings to life an important era in China's history, and particularly highlights the challenges faced by independent-minded women.
Praise for Tales of Ming Courtesans
"In Tales of Ming Courtesans, Alice Poon masterfully brings to life three fascinating women who had a lasting impact on China's culture and history. This beautiful telling of their turbulent lives and devoted friendship is a reverential testament to their memories." - Kelli Estes, bestselling author of The Girl Who Wrote in Silk
"Tales of Ming Courtesans is a poignant and captivating exploration of the lives of three extraordinary women.... Ultimately an enduring tale of the power of sisterhood and the bonds between women." - Jeannie Lin, USA Today bestselling author of The Lotus Palace
"Tales of Ming Courtesans is a brilliant, 'own voices' alternative to Memoirs of a Geisha....An exquisite reading experience. Highly, highly recommended." - M. H. Boroson, author of The Girl With Ghost Eyes
"Alice Poon's excellent Tales of Ming Courtesans follows the intertwined lives of three seventeenth-century courtesans..... Poon's real achievement is to create believable depth to her characters' known histories....She has clearly written Tales from the heart." - David Leffman, author of The Mercenary
About the Author Born and raised in Hong Kong, Alice Poon steeped herself in Chinese poetry and history, Jin Yong’s martial arts novels and English Literature in her school days. This early immersion has inspired her creative writing.
Always fascinated with iconic but unsung women in Chinese history and legends, she cherishes a dream of bringing them to the page.
Her new historical novel Tales of Ming Courtesans will be released by Earnshaw Books on June 1, 2020.
She is the author of The Green Phoenix and the bestselling and award-winning non-fiction title Land and the Ruling Class in Hong Kong. She now lives in Vancouver, Canada and devotes her time to writing historical Chinese fiction.
Review: Years ago I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan with a friend who was reading it for her book club. I loved it.
Tales of the Ming Courtesans ranks right up there was that book for me. Like that book, I was instantly pulled into the story and the trials and triumphs of the characters and they do have both and like Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, the lives of the characters are filled with much heartache. In fact, I'd say most of these women spent more time down than up. Such was the case of women in China during that time period.
The things that happened to Rushi, Yuanyuan and Xiangjun will hurt your heart. Yet their friendship is what helps them rise up.
The ending was not as I thought when it came to Liu Rushi's daughter and her paternity.
Its a story to be read at a leisurely pace. Each word should be savored though you will want to devour them.
This was a perfect change of pace read for me as I had been reading more than my share of new adult fiction lately. It was great to go back in time for a "meatier" story, one that made me think.
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of Tales from Ming Courtesans! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on June 12th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
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– Only one entry per household.
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– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
We are excited to share the cover for CHERISH by Evelyn Sola! Readers who love the unlucky in love trope will enjoy this diverse, light, and steamy romance. Keep reading for more details about this upcoming read!
Alexandra
I thought I finally had my life figured out. Fate? Destiny? I know mine. But one afternoon questioned everything I thought I knew.
Then it happened. Dr. Jason Dupree crashed into my life.
His eyes linger on me longer than they should in polite company. You see, there is nothing polite about him.
He’s arrogant and overconfident. His touch? It’s my undoing.
I let him know in no uncertain terms that he is not the man for me.
He is not my destiny.
And his reaction? Totally unexpected.
Jason
The things in my life that matter to me? It’s a short list. My career, a handful of family and friends. To call myself unlucky in love would be a gross understatement. Hence my list. It’s how I keep it all figured out.
Then one morning, that safe little list collides with my future.
Her eyes follow me everywhere, and they see through me like a soul x-ray. But it’s her touch that nearly brings me to my knees.
She doesn’t see it, though.
She’s full of denial and sass, and her stares are indignant. She’s a liar too. Telling me she’s interested in another man.
My reaction? Let’s just say she never saw it coming.
A Boston native, wife, mother, and wine enthusiast. If she’s not writing, thinking about writing, you will find her with a book in her hands. While a new publisher, she’s been writing for years, and she will continue to write for many years to come.
Evelyn is obsessed with assertive and confident men who will stop at nothing to get their woman. Her stories are filled with love, passion, and humor.
She currently lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two daughters.
Bookish Princess by C. Lesbirel is a contemporary Beauty and
the Beast. Fans of enemies to lovers and angsty love stories will devour this
new adult romance. The next installment of the Modern Princess Collection is
now LIVE!
Desperate to escape
the responsibility that came with her gypsy roots, Bella buries her head in
books and does everything she can to hide her true identity.
Hunter was born to
fight and win, but fighting for Bella is a losing battle from the very
beginning.
When she is forced to marry a monster,
will she take a chance on love and see beneath the beast, or will she run away
and turn her back on everything she knows?
If you enjoy angsty love stories and need
to know what happens when love is unrequited, you’ll love this new adult,
Beauty and the Beast retelling.
Review: Bookish Princess was probably the story I was most looking forward to reading. I wish I could say it lived up to its expectations for me, but it didn't. I'm not saying that its a bad story, but it didn't do justice to "Beauty And the Beast" the tale that it is retelling.
For me Hunter wasn't a beast..and Bella/Imogen wasn't the Belle I imagine. To be perfectly honest, I hated Bella/ Imogen and her secrets. I couldn't quite wrap my head around it. It takes part of the original Beauty and the Beast and melds it with the Disney version in some aspects. Basically it goes Belle and her love of books, meets Beauty who must marry a man not of her choosing. In the modern world?
I was confused at first by Hunter. His profession made me think he was going to be the "Gaston" of the story. He was really in no way a "Beast." Mostly he was the typical romance novel "alpha male."
Then there's Addy, who is an absolute jerk. I can't imagine why Bella even went out with him, bff dating his friend or not.
I kept on, because I couldn't figure out how the love/hate thing with Bella and Hunter was going to play out. I wanted something romantic. It didn't deliver there either.
I'm not saying its a bad story, because it did have its moments, or I wouldn't have finished it. It just didn't work as well for me, especially as I have loved almost all of this series.
Rating: 3 flowers
About C.
Lesbirel
Clare Lesbirel is a lover of
all things pink and fluffy with a huge obsession for Happy Ever After's. This
includes most romance novels, country songs, and Hallmark movies. She lives in
England where she spends most of her time reading or dreaming up new love
stories. She first published with her best friend under the pen name, Autumn
Ruby in 2018 and won a handful of indie author awards. It is the love and
support of the friends she has made along the way that has led her to follow
her dreams of publishing sweet, sexy stories that celebrate the relationships
of the perfectly imperfect.
Clare loves to
befriend those who are equally as obsessed with hot alpha’s as she is, so be
sure to catch up with her on social media.
Once upon a
kiss, a modern romance becomes a fairytale.
The
prestigious Camelot University comes fully equipped with elitist guys, a
castle, and a Glass Ball, but these self-proclaimed princesses don’t need
crowns to prove their worth. They’ve taken love and life into their own hands
and written their own fairytale.
Follow seven
of your favorite fairytale heroines as they find their happily ever after, in
these standalone, contemporary
romance novels. The ladies of Cam U are a dangerous combination of cute and
badass, full of attitude and imperfections, and an innocence only fairytales
can convey.
Want to keep up with all the Modern
Princess Collection news? LIKE the Rewritten Fairytales Facebook
page!
REBEL
PRINCESS by Lynn Stevens is a modern romance retelling of the Hunchback of
Notre Dame. Fans of military romance, sweet love, and coming of age stories
will enjoy this new adult romance. The next installment of the Modern Princess
Collection is now LIVE!
Perfect precision, that’s
how I planned my life. Dancing was my whole world. I wanted to be in the
spotlight with all eyes on me, but recently, my heart’s pulled me in a
different direction. Writing for the school paper has excited me in a way dance
never has. Exposing truths trumps pirouettes and countless hours in the studio
and being true to myself is more important than keeping dangerous secrets
hidden.
Getting close to Colin and
his lacrosse buddies allowed me access to their secrets—but I had no idea how
deep they went. On the brink of exposing them, I was set back. No sources, no
boyfriend, and no way to
get justice. No matter which angle I pursued, my story kept getting shut down.
Until I met the guy with
the scars. The one who helped me when I didn’t know what to do or who to turn
to. He came into my life out of nowhere, saved me, and taught me to believe in
myself. Then, when I finally did, he didn’t believe in me. I had to stand on my
own two feet, fight for my values and for what I needed—for what I had
earned—and learn that justice always comes with a cost.
Review: I have to say this was a really great read. Its a retelling of the Hunchback, but to me its more a good story, because I didn't quite see a lot of the connections with the original book..and also..Victor Hugo and fluffy romance....not exactly good bedfellows.
I will say I loved Emmy and her ideals. She has a reckless pursuit of a story no matter what the cost be it to her or to other people and that includes herself as we see from the start of the story. She's working on a story to expose the schools lacrosse team, one of which is a very nasty ex boyfriend.
As her relationship with Quinn develops, she starts to really uncover her passion, which is journalism, not dance. These two were perfect together. The only thing that didn't really fit for me was the placement of the sex scene between these two. It didn't gel with me, at least at the part of the story. It felt like it was there just so the story would have a sex scene
I think of all the books in this series this one is probably one of my favorites.
Rating: 5 flowers
About
Lynn
Lynn
Stevens flunked out of college writing her first novel. Yes, she still has it
and no, you can't read it. Surprisingly, she graduated with honors at her third
school. A former farm girl turned city slicker, Lynn lives in the Midwest where
she drinks coffee she can't pronounce and sips tea when she's out of coffee.
When she's out of both, just stay away.
Once upon a kiss, a modern romance becomes a
fairytale.
The
prestigious Camelot University comes fully equipped with elitist guys, a
castle, and a Glass Ball, but these self-proclaimed princesses don’t need
crowns to prove their worth. They’ve taken love and life into their own hands
and written their own fairytale.
Follow
seven of your favorite fairytale heroines as they find their happily ever
after, in these standalone,
contemporary romance novels. The ladies of Cam U are a dangerous combination of
cute and badass, full of attitude and imperfections, and an innocence only
fairytales can convey.
Want
to keep up with all the Modern Princess Collection news? LIKE the Rewritten Fairytales Facebook
page!
If you have a book you would like me to review, please read my Review Policy.
If your book meets my requirements please feel free to email me at achickwhoreads@gmail.com with info on the book.
About Dali Summer
About T. J. Brown
