Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Nic Jones is a YouTube star who shares her love of chickens with the world. She moves to a small town after a very public break up. She quickly meets hot neighbour Will, who also happens to be the local vet. The first scene in this book, where they meet while trying to catch an escaped chicken, was so fun that I knew I was going to love this story.

The chemistry between Nic and Will was hot but not over the top. It felt natural. The anticipation of ‘will they or won’t they’ was tantalising. While there is a lot of fun and flirting in this story, it also has a bit of a more serious side too. Nic is starting her life over again and trying not to repeat the mistakes of her past, while Will is dealing with a failing business.

CHICK MAGNET was an absolute delight to read. I loved the maturity of this romance and right from the start, Will and Nic felt like they were just meant to be together. I am pleased to say CHICK MAGNET is my first five-star read for 2023..


Mary – ☆☆☆☆
I found this story funny and sad, the funny parts outweigh the sad but you have to have the sad to make the story work.

Nicole Jones, "Chick Nic" as she is known on YouTube, needed to get away from her life. So she takes her chickens and moves to the small town that her grandmother was from. Needless to say, she bought a house next door to the local vet, and he is not happy.

Will Lund is the local vet and he knows all about Chick Nic and her way of telling people how to raise chickens, most of the time she knows what she is talking about. But when she has an emergency, Will can't refuse to help her.

As Nic and Will try to stay away from each other, things keep pushing them together. They can't deny the attraction and maybe they don't want to. Is there something going on or will it be over before it starts?

I found that I really liked this story, but it seemed to drag along at times. As I said, it was funny, sad, cute, original, and catchy. So if you are looking for something funny and cute with a swoony vet, then you should read this one. This is a first for me from this author and I look forward to reading more from her.

i loved this!!

nic is sunshine and wholesomeness and just love wrapped up in a neat little bow. she's not without her own struggles though and watching her find her strength throughout the book was just beautiful!! i really enjoyed that she was a chicken influencer because it was new and exciting to see <3

sad men really are my kryptonite and emma barry wrote one of the best ones to date!! will was going through it. life was attacking him from all sides and he couldn't understand that the people around him cared for him! as someone with depression it was so great to see such a realistic struggle. <spoiler> i loved that will sought out the help of a therapist </spoiler>

the characters were each so real that when they came together it wasn't just <i> oh we're in love and suddenly were healed and all of our problems have magically gone away </i> they had to take the time to heal on their own before being together.

In many ways, this book really worked for me, sad and quietly contemplative, with a depressed veterinarian hero named Will, full of self-loathing and so afraid of failing in front of his whole family and a town full of people who he can’t seem to realize love him and care for me, and Nicole, a….chicken influencer. I’ll be honest, part of my curiosity about this book stemmed from the idea of a chicken influencer, I wasn’t sure what that exactly was and was prepared for all manner of chicken related shenanigans. And there certain were some chicken related shenanigans but overall, the chickens were charming as were Will and Nic.

As much as I adored the two characters and their journey of healing and growth and learning to lean on each other and love, not just each other, but also themselves. I do wish the book had made clear exactly how and when these two managed to fall in love. It’s not that I doubt that they are in love, it’s just so much of the book was full of introspection about their own past failings and the choices they had made that had led them to this moment, I wish some more of the book had focused on the why’s and how’s of them actually falling for each other.

Regardless of all that, I did enjoy the book. I loved the attention to familiar and friend relationships, the broken bonds between Nic and her former best friend, and I’m very much looking forward to reading more of Emma Barry’s work.

i loved the relationship between nic and will!!

they had been in a bad place at the start, with nic just recently gotten out of a bad breakup which required her several months before she could trust herself again, and will struggling to keep his practice afloat. but i loved that they have been each other’s “person” and interacted on a deeper level that both couldn’t share with anyone else; will could share with what he refused or couldn’t share with his family with nic easily. they acknowledged and understood each other’s pain and tried to make it better.

they had so much to consider despite falling in love with each other. they had priorities, to be better, to make the failing business come out of the reds. they were hesitant, because they knew what they meant for each other and they weren’t 100% sure. they weren’t ready to hurt and be hurt again, until they were 100% sure. and i loved such realistic portrayal.

i loved the reconciliation towards the end—nic with rose and will with his parents. and how it came back to her granny's place at the end. it's so wholesome and heartwarming to see the length will was willing to go for her, and how much he took her memories seriously.

Chick Magnet, pairs a rather broody, silent, somewhat grumpy veterinarian hero whose small town vet practice is failing due to Covid and online shopping, with a sunshiny, popular YouTube influencer heroine, nicknamed “Chick Nic" who shot to fame showing how to raise chickens in your backyard during the pandemic.

Nicole fled LA after her toxic, gaslighting boyfriend accused her onscreen of chasing her best friend’s husband. She bought a house sight unseen in a small town in Virginia where her beloved grandma was raised. She’s just settled in at her new house when one of her hens escapes the coop and is finally caught by Will, her hot, Vikingesque neighbor, who she quickly learns is the town vet. His rather surly attitude puts her off but the attraction is real and after a medical emergency with another of the hens, the two start sharing an occasional beer as well as secrets on each other’s porches in the evenings.

Although Will has been unable to open up to anyone else about his business difficulties, he finds himself opening up to Nic as she tries to get him to see that he isn’t a failure and isn’t letting the town down. Meanwhile, although she’s attracted to him, she’s been severely burned by her ex and is pretty hesitant to start any kind of new relationship.

This romance ended up dealing with some pretty heavy subjects including a realistic look at how unevenly Covid affected so many people, with Nic prospering online after losing her job early in the pandemic, while Covid exacerbated Will’s business weaknesses until he ended up in a death spiral that he could not pull out of, no matter how good of a vet he was. Will is personally spiraling also, but he does take steps to help himself by starting to see a mental health professional, addressing longstanding issues with his family, and adopting an adorable kitten, appropriately named Hoot. Overall, although it deals with heavy issues, it ends on a hopeful note with both Will and Nic in a better place and happy with each other. There were also some fun scenes with the chicks, and I only wish there had been even more of those. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I loved this grumpy/sunshine, neighbors to lovers romance between a social media Chicken influencer and the hot 'Viking' vet next door! Steamy with so much character depth! I couldn't get enough of this small town romance.

Will was such a relatable lead, struggling to keep his business afloat and battling situational depression, he keeps trying to do better (going to therapy, fundraising, etc.). The characters are perfect for one another and the chemistry was off the charts.

Great on audio and highly recommended!! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

A really enjoyable read - humorous, great attraction between the MCs, and l loved how they became each other's rock as they dealt with their own personal burdens. Nic brought sunshine and positivity into Will’s life, and Will brought a solid dependability into hers.

"She undid him. He was undone. He could stamp and rage about it but he couldn't leash his response to her."

When Nicole Jones AKA Chick Nic first meets Will Lund, it's raining hard and one of her chickens is on the loose. She's the sunny YouTube personality and he's the grumpy, disapproving local veterinarian. Nic is recovering from a big breakup and Will is struggling to keep his practice from going under. In spite of the undeniable attraction between them, both try and keep their distance, yet they can't help but gravitate towards one another.

"When this tension broke, when the storm came, if it came, it was going to curl her toes, her hair. It might level the house. Level the two of them."

I loved the connection between Nic and Will. What touched me most was the instinctive trust that sprung up between them, almost against their volition. Will made Nic feel seen, desirable and precious. Nic made Will feel like he mattered and worth fighting for. They both carried emotional bruises and I loved that they had each other to heal.

⚠️cw: pandemic, depression, gaslighting⚠️

Will Lund owns a struggling veterinary practice in small-town Virginia. When Internet famous 'Chick Nic' moves across the street from him, he's loathed to admit his obsession with her YouTube channel. And her. Chicken influencer Nicole Jones got dumped live on air by her manipulative ex. When she moves to Yagerstown for a fresh start, the last thing she expects is to fall for her grumpy neighbour.

On the surface, this is a small-town grumpy/sunshine romance, and all of the elements are there, perfectly executed. Will is brooding, while Nic is an optimist. But there's so much more to this story. The small town vet and local stores struggling to keep their doors open post-pandemic was an incredibly poignant and sadly realistic plotline. I really empathised with Will, especially because his mental health journey was written so sensitively and felt authentic. I also loved Nic's journey back to regaining her agency and her trust in herself. As such, this book is as much about self-love as romance.
But there are also some delightfully light moments, such as the chickens, the banter between Will and Nic, and Will coaching his niece's football team (I was crying laughing at the accuracy). I also loved how mythology was entwined throughout.
A new author to me, I will definitely be seeking out more of Emma Barry's work. Surprisingly poignant, but ultimately uplifting.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating: 🔥. 5
Emotional Rating: 🙈🤤💔😢💓😂😍😡👏🏻💔😢💓🥰

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review*

Engaging, heartfelt, and fun!

Chick Magnet is a spirited, heartwarming, enemies-to-lovers romance that features the successful influencer Nicole who, after having her heart shattered live on YouTube, is hoping that a move to her late grandmother’s hometown of Yagerstown will be the perfect place for her and her famous chickens to settle down and create a new life, and the grumpy, passionate veterinarian Will who’s determined to do whatever it takes to keep the doors of his practice open after the closures and restrictions of COVID have left him all but financially ruined.

The prose is amusing and light. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are quirky, supportive, and kind. And the plot is a fun-loving, flirty blend of tricky situations, tender moments, humorous mishaps, self-discovery, friendship, family, kindness, depression, support, happiness, romance, and a flock of chickens with large personalities.

Overall, Chick Magnet is a charming, humourous, enjoyable treat by Barry that is a delight to read and ultimately reminds us that true love is always worth the fight.

I wasn't sure how I would like this book, especially when the main character, Nicole (Nic), refers to chickens as lawn dinosaurs. But Nic won me over with her persistent cheer and the care she put into taking care of her chickens.

Nic was a good commentary on influencers and how some of the YouTube influencers can be incredibly toxic and film toxic things.

I'm glad that Will was able to navigate his family's relationships and his father apologized for not trying to connect with him better when he was younger. I also felt really bad that the vet practice failed but I'm glad that the town came together for him. It was really sweet and showed how much they cared for Will, even though he was gruff.

All in all, I'm really glad that I had a chance to read this book.

This cover and book do not match up in my opinion. The backstories of the characters had a lot of potential to really contribute to the romance of the story but they did not. The book started with a little bit of banter and that fizzled off. I ended up a bit bored with this romance.

I really enjoyed this story. The characters were really well written and whilst the dialogue between them sparked it also managed a rare thing of demonstrating the inner turmoils and problems many are facing post covid. Would recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book.

I had previously only read Barry's co-written historicals, but this premise? A contemporary breath of fresh air for sure! I love that the m/cs are a chicken influencer and a vet. It's set in current times and the struggles of those whose work were affected by the pandemic. It just feels so real in a way other books haven't lately? But also happily escapist into watching Nicole and Will fall in love. It's just so charming with the grumbly Viking and his love interest who takes joy in so many delightful small things (truly, porch sitting is underrated and it made me wish for one).
Chick Magnet is such a thoughtful romance, with real adults and real problems and they take a mature approach to sorting their stuff out. Their slow, smooth slide into romance just makes it that much more fulfilling. It's not too early to start my faves of 2023 list and this is going on it.

This is my first book from Emma Barry, and I’m excited to see she has another new release coming this year so I’m eagerly anticipating that one if it’s going to be similar in style. This one was a lot of fun! It didn’t shy away from addressing the reality of today and mentioned lockdown.

Nicole became an influencer during lockdown after losing her regular job, like so many other folks. Her boyfriend got her into becoming an influencer on multiple social media platforms, talking about proper chicken care after a veterinarian fobbed off her concern for one of her beloved pets that died just a few days later, and she started becoming quite educated in the topic of proper care and making posts and videos about it. She got a lot of loyal fans and followers and the nickname Chick Nic.

She was mostly on TikTok and YouTube when she realized that boyfriend was actually toxic and gaslighting her every step of the way, so she got out after he broke up her and her best friend of 20 years, and she fled to her grandmother’s hometown. This is where our book starts - where she meets her new neighbor and gets off on the very wrong foot. He’s town vet Will and he doesn’t appreciate the craze for owning chickens Nic started during lockdown… though he won’t admit it but he subscribes to her channel and is insanely attracted to her. Now Nic is having trouble fitting into her new small town life, her neighbor is against her job but helping her find friends, and she’s not sure why.

This book was a lot of fun! A quick read and definitely worth picking up. I like that the author didn’t ignore reality but did it in an easy, relevant way. Everyone should give it a shot!

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Montlake, and this is my honest feedback.

This is a charming, funny, and thoughtful romance. The hero was fantastic - I love a grumpy hero with a good reason to be grumpy! I also loved that there were no easy solutions to any of the problems. The story felt real, and the romance swoonworthy.

This was cute and fun. It’s been a while since I’ve read anything by Emma Barry, and reading this I was reminded of how light and engaging her writing is. There’s a lot to like in this book; the romance between Nic and Will is sweet as well as being steamy, they have good chemistry and there are some really enjoyable, entertaining scenes between the two of them. The way their relationship develops from mild antagonism to friendship to love is very lovely, and felt genuine to me as a reader. I liked how close they both became, how much they relied on each other for support.

That said, I don’t think think this was entirely the book for me. I expected it to be quite lighthearted, but the subplots involving Nic’s ex and Will’s financial struggles were heavier than I expected, as was the novel’s general focus on the COVID pandemic and it’s impact on people’s lives in various ways. I thought these topics were written about very well – they fitted into the narrative seamlessly and were treated with sensitivity. But I would have liked a bit more warning going into it as I hadn’t expected it.

As a whole, I think this is a solid contemporary romance book. The romance itself is hard to fault, especially if you like this sort of friends-to-lovers romance and want something with a gentler romance. I can also appreciate the skill in which the novel is written. It wasn’t all my cup of tea, but that’s not the book’s fault or the author’s, so I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a cute but emotional small town romance with a grumpy vet MMC and a chicken influencer. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

Content Notes: Animal injury / animal illness (on-page), gaslighting (in past), controlling behaviour / emotional abuse (in past), death of a grandparent (in past), confrontation with an abusive ex-partner (on-page), depression, discussion of financial + psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, on-page sex, references to infidelity / cheating.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
SPICE: 🔥🔥
Have you ever seen the video of the farm lady that tries to talk about the animals and farm living, only to be constantly thwarted by her adorable ostrich Emmanuel?

I like to think that social media celebrity Nicole Jones -- or rather "Chick Nic" -- lives her life like that with her chickens. After a horrible and very public break-up with her clout-chasing ex, she seeks refuge in Yagerstown, living next door to a grumpy veterinarian named Will Lund.

Will is not a fan of Chick Nic, but that is the least of Dr. Will's problems. His veterinary business is struggling, and the stubborn man is deadset on fixing his post-pandemic problems on his own. Now the woman whose chicken videos he loathes moves in next door, adding more grump to the already cantankerous vet.

But nothing everything online is what it seems, and Will finally realizes the error of his assuming ways. Will their budding friendship turn into something more?

I enjoyed this book. Between the gaslighting social media influencer ex and the business struggles with the pandemic, there were times that the book felt too real, but I felt like it added to the relatability of the main characters. I like Nic and Will's relationship arc; the slow burn allowed them to build a strong connection built on past traumas, a love for animals, and a deep-seated attraction. We do get some spicy scenes, but a couple of them fade to black.

This standalone read does cover a lot about the pandemic, so if that topic is "too soon" for you, you have been warned. Otherwise, this was a nice small-town enemies-to-lovers book.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Emma Barry, Montlake Romance, and NetGalley for providing an ARC. **

Chick Magnet is a cute small town/grumpy x sunshine book, which I enjoyed a lot. It is dual POV, but written in third person which is not my favourite. I still found the book quite easy to read and the story was great. I loved the vulnerability in this book, especially in Will.

Nicole was also amazing and really stood up for both herself and Will, even though she’s been through a lot.

The book is set in a post COVID world, and deals with a lot of problems that are realistic in the world today which I think was written well - but not my favourite to read.

I really liked this book and enjoyed the story, but it there are some things that just weren’t 100% for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I wasn’t able to finish this one, unfortunately, and DNFd at 33%.

The writing style is really solid and I enjoy Nic’s voice a lot. The chicken element is really fun and well-researched, and the social media aspect felt really realistic too, and that's something I often struggle with in books.

However, I did find that it was pretty slow, I couldn’t really connect to the characters, and the constant COVID references really took me out of the story.

I would be interested in picking up the author’s other work—this couple’s dynamic just wasn’t for me.

I joined the Bad Decisions Book Club on this one. That is, I stayed up well past my bedtime to finish it because I didn't want to leave these characters. Nic is a chicken influencer (yes, really) who has moved across the country to her grandmother's hometown after her manipulative ex blew up her relationship with him and her best friend. Will is her hot neighbor and small town vet who is struggling to keep his business afloat.

I loved it. Nic is sunshine, but also trying to tape the pieces of her life back together. Will is taciturn (if not fully grumpy) and has been worn down by years of tiny digs from his family. I loved the way they clash and pull apart. The way they attract and resist. The way they do little nice things for each other that grow into bigger nice things. I love how Will helps Nic find a place in the community and how Nic helps Will learn how beloved he already is by the community.

The chemistry is great. The feelings are great. The ex is terrible.

A really lovely story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.