It started out strong, but by the time I was at the 40% mark I wasn’t invested anymore. The characters were both mediocre at best and I simply didn’t care about the development of the story

This book was not what I expected or hoped it would be.
Okay, it was somewhat. There was quite some chicken content and cute animals. However, I hoped for more chicken content and especially more chicken puns. The description of the book promised beautiful things and I didn’t get them. To be honest, from the description and cover I hoped it would be weirder.
So, the book itself: It was very mediocre. A mediocre romance, with mediocre characters and a mediocre relationship. I didn’t care about the characters or their relationship. I didn’t like Nic or Will and why either of them are supposed to be super hot and appealing is a mystery to me.
The development of the relationship didn’t really make sense to me and the book told me what the relationship looked like at that moment instead of making me feel it. Add to that a rushed and under-developed resolution and you get a poor plot for a romance.
The book also went into the effects of the pandemic. Aside from the fact that I really don’t want to read about the pandemic, it also such scratched the surface. It attempted to show Will’s depression and Nic’s fear of relationships after her abused past, but I have seen other books portray it a million times better.
The highlight of this book was Will covered in cats. Cats make everything better and I will treasure that moment. Other than that, I will probably forget about everything in this book very quickly.

This book opened really strong, but I felt like the chemistry, and witty banter waned as it progressed and it got a bit more serious. I really appreciated the attention paid to Will, the male main character's willingness to see a therapist for his depression, and important issues were raised around gaslighting and stalking from Nicole, the female main character's ex-boyfriend. It just didn't seem to jive with the phenomenal meet-cute that we open with (Will begrudgingly helping Nicole chase down an escaped chicken in the rain). I did enjoy reading the book overall, I just don't think it ended up being as fun as the cover and opening promised. Also, while not fully closed door, the love scenes were pretty chaste.

»Chick Magnet« was a really fun small town romance that discussed a few great topics but overall I just wasn’t feeling the romance that much. When I started the book I was pretty sure this was going to be 4-5 star book for me because I loved the characters individually and as I said, the book was just a lot of fun - but then it also talked about things like depression and COVID and social media and that made the book even better. At least, until the characters began to spend more time together because I just wasn’t feeling it, which is one of the most important things for me when I read romance. I want to feel something. And here I just didn’t. Which is fine because the book was still a pretty solid read and I would honestly still recommend it because that’s such a personal thing and otherwise the book was really great and I’m pretty sure other people are going to love this!

this was so lovely :') cute animals, small towns and a focus on mental health — what more could you want in a romance?

| About |

Nicole Jones needs a fresh start. “Chick Nic” to millions of internet fans, the social media star and her flock of chickens bask in the spotlight—until she’s publicly dumped by a YouTuber for clout. She has no choice but to round up her birds and move on.
But when one of her hens has an emergency, Nic gets her first taste of her new stomping grounds—and it isn’t good. Veterinarian Will Lund is wildly attractive, yes, but he’s also surly. In fact, he comes right out and calls her a menace for parading her chickens on social media.
As neighbors, Nic and Will can’t exactly avoid each other. Then again, maybe they don’t want to. The two can’t deny their smoldering attraction, and it isn’t long before late-night confessions lead to backyard shenanigans.
Is this the start of a neighborly relationship—or could something more be hatching?


| Thoughts |

Loved this quirky small town romance. She was not super sunshine and he was super grumpy but it was a nice balance. I enjoyed the characters and would have loved to have a little bit more to the ending. Or possibly there’s another story there. The chickens made it so cute! Loved the Mitzi scene! Very hallmark romance with a tiny bit of spice.

Gifted Arc and voluntarily giving this review.

One of the cutest books I've read this year! The set-up is so fun. You have Nic, an influencer who shows people how to take care of their chickens, and Will, the grumpy small-town vet struggling to keep his business afloat. They butt heads at the beginning of the book but the chemistry is still there (and the pining on Will's end is chef's kiss.) This is definitely a character-driven story. So, if you're not vibing with them at the beginning, it's safe to say this story might not be for you. Though there is plot, I found the scenes just about Nic and Will's romance were the best part of this book.

P.s
There's a cat. Will adopts her. Her name's Hoot and she stole the show!

When I read the blurb for this book I immediately thought it was right up my alley. And it was an okay read for me, but not outstanding and I even hate to say that because it might have been that I was having a book hangover from my previous read. I thought it would be more of a light-hearted read as opposed to being on the weighty, burdensome side? It was just not what I had expected but that's just my opinion -- please don't let that stop you from taking a chance on it! I'm grateful to have been given an early copy of this book to read and review through NetGalley.

Don’t let the blurb for Emma Barry’s Chick Magnet fool you; this is a surprisingly serious romance with a lot of dark issues floating about in its prose to match its sense of personality. But while it lacks the sense of easy-breezy fun the synopsis promises it’s beautifully poetic and romantic.

Nicole “Chick Nic” Johnson is trying to move on in the wake of her very public breakup with a YouTube star who used her for attention and lied to everyone about his intentions. Nic’s fans still love her in spite of it, and they have been loving the antics of her flock of chickens since the pandemic. She moves to Yagerstown to make a fresh start, and hopefully get over her broken heart.

As if on cue, a veterinary emergency brings her into contact with the handsome Will Lund, who has long been a hate-watcher of her vlogs. He accuses Nic of using her chickens for social media clout without caring about their health and well-being and of giving out bad veterinary advice. Nic genuinely loves her animals and is fit to be tied. She and Will instantly dislike each other, but obviously can’t avoid one another, because guess whose clinic Nicole has moved in next door to? While she deals with depression connected to a stalking incident, Will deals with his failing veterinary business. Might the answer to their troubles lie in one another?

This one sparkles wonderfully – even though yes, it’s a Covid-era romance, and there is discussion of quarantines and the impact the pandemic has had on everyone (although there is surprisingly little talk of masking). If you’d rather not think about it, then this definitely isn’t the story for you. Otherwise, Chick Magnet is your classic enemies-to-lovers romance with a lot of surprisingly unique conflict.

On Will’s side, it’s the fact that his practice is slowly but surely dying and he’s dealing with fallout from the pandemic. On Nic’s, she is being stalked by her ex. In between there’s light romance and animal antics, but a big chunk of the plot revolves around the two of them dealing with their issues and coming to therapy. As I said at the beginning, the blurb here does not fit the tone of the novel at all.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good story. I liked Nic and rooted for her, and I really liked Will. They’re good people and their love story is great; there’s sparkle to the romance and their lives together - whew, are they a loving pair! - and their romance is well-written with Barry’s typical flair. Of course we also get some cute stuff with the chickens thrown in on the side.

If you’re willing to put up with its darkness – like Psyche being drawn out of the darkness by her Eros, as Nic aptly says – then Chick Magnet may be just the read you need.

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Heartfelt and deeply emotional, Chick Magnet was unexpected in a very enjoyable way. The writing feels genuine and the journey Will and Nic had to take to reach their happy ending felt truly authentic. This was my first read by Emma Barry, but I look forward to more from her in the future!

A sweet romance that takes its cue from the real world, Chick Magnet does have multiple somber themes. Will is a veterinarian whose business suffered because of the pandemic. Nic is a you tube star who makes her living off her chickens (looks like the author really understands the life of a chicken parent which is awesome!). Nic has suffered at the hands of an awful ex, also a you tube star who has gas lighted her so that many of his and her fans now despise her. Their romance was slow going but evolves well and was believable. The inevitable issues between the characters was also believable and relatable, especially in a world where everything has changed because of this unforeseen catastrophe that is the pandemic. And, like the world itself, the slow progression to our new normal plays out a little in this story. A wonderful romance that really does feel like a bit of hope during a difficult time. I think it felt a little slow for me and Will was a bit too difficult during certain points but I really overall enjoyed the story.

I feel like this is one of those books that is not marketed as what it really is, although for me, it wasn't a problem as I found out about it by reading other people's reviews that explained the story more in dept.

The book follows Nic, a big Youtuber that moves to a small town wanting a fresh start after coming out from an abusive relationship, and Will, the only veterinarian in a small town, struggling to keep his practice. At first, they don't get along, but the attraction is there from the start, which means the story does not follow them realizing they like each other, as that happens very early on. It's more about how they become in a relationship with dozens of other things going on in their personal lives.

The book is very realistic, and there is no grand gesture or great drama, which is something I was looking for. However, it does touch on some heavy topics and shows people trying to adjust their lives after the pandemic, so it might not be for those looking for a fluff lighthearted read. Nic is also struggling after being in an abusive relationship for years, which may be something not everyone wants or can read.

Overall I enjoyed every aspect of the book and had a fun time reading it. I love romances where the conflicts that hinder characters from being together are not miscommunication, just life in general, and this is one of those. I also prefer dual POV romances, however, for me, this was the biggest drawback of giving a higher rating. The chapters alternate almost perfectly between Will and Nic, some of the scenes end in one character's POV and start immediately in the next one from the other character's POV, but their voices are muddled. Sometimes when there is only Will and Nic in a scene, it gets hard to remember whose POVs it is to the point where I would go back to check who I was reading. Sometimes it would describe what Will was going through in the middle of Nic's chapter, and it was almost a guessing game in "is this what he is really thinking or what Nic thinks is happening?". And this is not a problem from the third-person narrative since there are many books with multiple POVs in the third person that are distinctive. I just wish the narrative was a bit clearer.

I would recommend this book to everyone looking for a more down-to-earth romance, and that enjoys reading not only about the main couple but also about their friends and family.

Thank you Netgalley and Montlake for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

♡✧.* A GRUMPY VETERINARIAN
AND SUNSHINE CHICKEN INFLUENCER FALL IN LOVE IN THIS SMALL TOWN ROMANCE! ✧.*♡

I’ve never read a book where the heroine was a famous influencer for her chicken farm! It was so unique and I loved how the author actually showed her love for her chickens instead of letting it fade into the background!･ ｡ﾟ

Nicole has a very bad breakup with her ex - boyfriend so she decided to have a clean slate and move into a small town where we meet the hero: Will ♡*.｡

Will is such a grump but in the sweetest way possible! He always looked forward to seeing Nicole and everytime that happened, I couldn’t help but smile! With their love for animals, we follow their journey into the two characters earning from each other. Will starts getting out of his shell because of Nicole. Nicole starts learning how to take chances with love again.

If you love small town romance with the trope grumpy x sunshine, then this is for you!!⋆.ೃ࿔

This book was super cute, emotional and absolutely sweet! The things I loved were the changes from the typical cliche that we see everywhere now!
For starters, the male character was not filthy rich, which was a fresh change!
The book was set in the time where Covid is around and has a huge effect on people's lives, which I have to say wasn't a huge lovable thing, considering we read to escape from reality, but it was good.
The female character was a TikToker, who talks about chicken? I can't stress how fresh that change is! Lol
The romance was really sweet, the relationship with the animals in the book is the cutest thing ever, my one objection is the fade to black scenes? The cover does not insinuate fade to black, but that's exactly what happens in the book, that's why I ducked a star, but everything else is chef's kiss 😘👌🏻

This book was so cute. Who doesn’t love a good rom com with animals and hot vet! I couldn’t put it down as soon as I started. Finished it in one sitting!

From Emma Barry comes a clever romance about a hot veterinarian and a chicken-loving influencer who can’t help but ruffle each other’s feathers.

Nicole Jones needs a fresh start. “Chick Nic” to millions of internet fans, the social media star and her flock of chickens bask in the spotlight—until she’s publicly dumped by a YouTuber for clout. She has no choice but to round up her birds and move on.

But when one of her hens has an emergency, Nic gets her first taste of her new stomping grounds—and it isn’t good. Veterinarian Will Lund is wildly attractive, yes, but he’s also surly. In fact, he comes right out and calls her a menace for parading her chickens on social media.

As neighbors, Nic and Will can’t exactly avoid each other. Then again, maybe they don’t want to. The two can’t deny their smoldering attraction, and it isn’t long before late-night confessions lead to backyard shenanigans.

Is this the start of a neighborly relationship—or could something more be hatching?
This was such a cute book. I devoured it and it left me wanting to read it all over again!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own

this was a very cute book. It surprised me in alot of ways, it was so mature and genuine. I loved will's personal development, from being closed off and not feeling good enough to opening himself up to love. The therapy rep was AMAZING and not many authors do it. I loved the influencer aspect of it, nicole was adorable and hilarious especially with the chickens. I definitely recommend for a fun read. There are triggers with abusive exes and problematic family members. check this out on January 24th!! I received this as an advance reader copy from Montlake and NetGalley.

Cute and sweet with a thoughtful examination of how social media can portray and change relationships. Not all of the emotional beats in the beginning worked for me, but they did by the end, which I thought was interesting since it's usually the other way around for me. Also, this did make me want to own chickens juuuuust a little bit.

Will and Nic have great chemistry. Will is your typical brooding Veterinarian and Nic is a bit like a more sassy snow white with animals! I enjoyed the read. My only drawback to the book is it is written in 3rd person. Just personal preference, I'd rather it be in 1st person especially if it's dual perspective.

I found myself surprised by Chick Magnet. I went in thinking it'd be funny and lighthearted, but there was more emotional depth to it. I thought the premise was unique and fun. I don't know anyone who hasn't gotten pulled in by some social media "influencer" over the last few years. One minute you're scrolling through Twitter/Instagram, the next you're 100% invested in a garden's progress halfway across the world. Chick Magnet does a good job of highlighting some of the stress and weirdness of the past few years.

Surprisingly, I finished the book feeling emotional, primarily because of Will. As someone who has anxiety and depression, his struggle really got to me. I appreciated his dedication to his practice and highlighting the negative aspects to "Chick Nic's" popularity. The one thing I was frustrated by was Nic's almost naivete towards how her showcasing DIY healthcare towards the chickens could have negative repercussions.

I'm happy I was able to read this, thanks to Netgalley.