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.

This is a book that just gives you so many feelings. It’s so well written and keeps you entranced from beginning to end. We have a Instagram or who is known for her chickens who moved to a small town in order to get away from a previous relationship. She runs into a dumb grump really turns out to be who she needed at the time. It’s a sexy book with laughter and emotions that keeps you entertain from beginning to end

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed in this book because the subject matter was more serious than the blurb and cover would have indicated. The writing was clever, but for me personally, it was too soon to be reading about the effects of COVID. Too depressing. I wish I had known ahead of time how heavy some of the storyline would be.

A book set during the pandemic with all the emotions and financial insecurities and I LOVED IT!?!

This book is heavy on emotions but also gives humorous breaks to ease the tension. Exploding to fame on TikTok with her chicken content, Nic is the sunshine heroine who moves to her grandmother's hometown to escape a crappy relationship and toxic ex. Across the street, grumpy Will, a secret fan of her "Chick Nic" account, is struggling with his veterinary business in the small town, which is reeling from the financial impact of COVID-19.

Their meet cute is hilarious and I truly appreciated the care given to both Will's mental health and how he just can't resist his bubbly neighbor. The angst is high in this one but I have come to expect and appreciate that from Emma Barry. She gets me all in my feels and I love it.

If you like grumpy/sunshine with a small town setting, I highly recommend this one!

CW: depression (diagnosed); stalkery ex; financial troubles; grief over dead grandmother; animals hurt; COVID-19

Chick Magnet by Emma Barry
Chick Magnet is about Nicole or “Chick Nic” an influencer, who has millions of fans for her vlog about chickens. Back then she’s vlogging with her boyfriend that turned out to be a douche who dumped her and lied even to her own friends just for clout. Nicole moved to a small town called Yagerstown to recuperate her heart and have a fresh start. When one of her hens had a mishap, she met her grumpy Big as a Viking but attractive Neighbor, Will Lund, who happens to be a veterinarian. Will knew about Nicole as Chick Nic. Despite being attracted to her, he hate-watched her videos because he dislikes that Nicole is giving medical advice and thinks she doesn’t know what she is talking about. Also, Will being grumpy is because he’s getting depressed because of a problem of his own. His Veterinary practice is in trouble having affected by the pandemic. He doesn’t want to ask help to his family and tries to fix it on his own.
The two had a rough start, fighting and avoidance but they managed to smooth things out, especially in their budding attraction. Emma Barry is a new author for me, and I find her writing wonderful and easy to navigate. I love the characters and their personality, the problems that they encounter reflect true to life experiences especially that it was in the pre-post pandemic situations. The sunshine/grumpy always works, add that it’s in a small-town setting where everyone is going to be rooting for two beautiful people to be together. I recommend this book if you like, a light but fun heartwarming story. I’m looking forward to reading more of Emma’s works!

This was such a cute feel good story! I absolutely loved it. Perfect for a day to cuddle up with some nice hot chocolate. Very cute

Chick Magnet is a fun, cute romance to make you feel good. There's a girl who learns her own strength, a guy willing to get therapy for his mental health, and obviously some chickens! It's a quick read and the perfect way to cleanse your romance palette.

This book had me hooked by page 3. It was so well written and the characters are perfect. They all play so well off each other you almost forget this is a work of fiction.

A clever title for a delightful and steamy romance novel! A TikTok influencer famous for raising chickens flees her toxic ex, moving to a small town where her new neighbor is a sexy, grumpy vet who hates the chicken trend and owners who neglect their fowl pets. Chick Magnet balances humor and scorching chemistry with more serious issues like depression and social media bullying. You want to read this one!

This was so freaking cute oh my God! I had a great time with this book. Even the title is the perfect amount of cutesy.

Nic is a ball of sunshine who has a successful YouTube channel and Will is her moody neighbor who’s also a vet. She just moved in and in the first chapter, Will helps her find her escaped chick. From that moment on we romance lovers know they are meant to be!

It isn’t all cute rom com fun, both have to contend with their pasts but they way these two actually listen to each other just gives me all the warm feelings. The one thing I wasn’t a big fan of was Nic’a juvenile “swearing” like I still don’t get why some authors are totally fine with their heroes swearing up a storm but not their heroines. Anyway that’s just a minor quibble and I really really liked this romance and very much recommend it.

Who knew a book with chickens being central to the plot could be so tender and romantic? A quirky modern tale about YouTube star Nic and vet Will. Neither of them are having much luck in the relationship or work lives and slowly become friends. The backdrop of poorly animals, escaping chickens, nasty exes and condescending siblings is a colourful and entertaining one and adds to the fast paced story. A really good read.

Rating: 3.5/5
Spice: 2/5

Tropes: Small-town, dislike to friends to lovers

In this book, we follow Nic and Will. Nic is a YouTube sensation who shares her love of chickens with her audience and has recently moved across country for a fresh start after a messy breakup. Will is a small town veterinarian who's business is suffering. If this sounds like the plot to a feel good Hallmark movie, you're not wrong. This story was a light read that took it easy on the angst. The main characters were likeable and the actual problems they faced were relatable.

This book was told in dual POV. I enjoyed the banter and the relationship unfolded realistically. Both the Hero and Heroine had their own issues that they were working to resolve through the story. This added depth to their characters and set the stage for growth/development.

This was a good book, but maybe just not the book for me. I don't tend to read a lot of small town romance and I tend to prefer books with a bit more spice. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a feel good story with some laughs thrown in. Those who enjoy small town romances and growly, yet tender-hearted heroes will appreciate this book. The next time you have a craving for a Hallmark movie, give this book a shot.

I was gifted this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"You're the only home I'll ever need, Nic Jones."

OMG THIS MAN!!!!!! he become quickly one of my fav heroes of all time. he was the most realistic character i've ever read. this man goes to therapy because he needs to talk about his worries, he's nervous around heroine because he doesn't think he deserves her but he's trying and he's her fanboy even before they met 😭😭 and to think when i saw the title i thought this was about a manwhore????? nah my man would never

"I was Psyche, alone in the dark. And if you can let me care for you, if you can feel worthy of that, you could be my Eros."

NIC JONES you have my heart 💘💞💝💓 i love it when heroine stood up for hero against his family>>>> and she's a real chicken celebrity because obviously it's the most important kind of celebrity 💅🏽

"Everyone likes Taylor Swift. You like Taylor Swift."
"She writes really clever songs."
"Damn right she does."

truer words have never been spoken

this one sadly was not for me. i found the story to be off-paced, and generally, there was very little chemistry between the two characters. none of the romance beats really hit for me, and i just did not buy the two characters together. the premise was really cute tho!

Perfect cuddle up in a cold day and get lost in a book read. I enjoyed it from start to finish. A great pallet cleaner when you just need something light and romantic.

Very well written. Sweet romance. It was a bit too "real" for me, which made it depressing and difficult to fully enjoy - COVID talk and the decimation of small town businesses. That's a personal preference though, not everyone will feel that way. Maybe it's just too soon for me to read about those types of things, as reading is an escape for me.

Very cute story and I did enjoy it though. (Book received through Net Galley)

SOOOO CUTE!

First of all the MMC being a vet is (SWOON)

Just a wonderful grumpy/sunshine which is one of my favorite troupes but also they all had to do so much self-work (I felt a little exhausted by the end of it) but it was really healthy!

Loved this one. A great love story and pet chickens! Come on you can’t beat that. The book has a great small town setting. I enjoyed the theme of hope for a better ending no matter the trials that life can through your way.

My heart. Emma Barry is so good.

At its core, Chick Magnet is hurt/comfort. Nic and Will each start the book in a bad place and though they are in no condition to start a new relationship, they offer each other comfort and understanding. The deep emotion and drama of hurt/comfort is well balanced by the joy of chickens, kittens, friendships, and a variety of banters that range from funny to steamy.

Nic has moved to Yagerstown, Virginia with her flock of chickens after being dumped by her boyfriend during a live YouTube broadcast and frozen out by her best friend because of the lies her boyfriend told. Her boyfriend was awful – he lied, bullied and gaslit the people around him into believing his reality. Nic has to forgive herself and rebuild her faith in herself for staying with him and not leaving until he kicked her out. Will’s small town veterinary practice is failing and he isn’t able to separate the himself from his business. He isolates himself from people, certain that no one could love a failure. Nic’s crisis has already happened while Will’s is still building.

I don’t want to make this sound like a morality play or a very special episode. Chick Magnet is neither of those things. It does explore how we make mistakes, forgive ourselves and recover from them. (The problem is less the mistake and more our own response to making mistakes.) The people worth taking risks for acknowledge, apologize, learn, grow and change. Barry also challenges the myth that success is or has ever been solely a product of individual hard work.


Someday I hope to be in a position to have lawn dinosaurs, goats, dogs and some cats. And the resources to pay for good veterinary care, because I don’t think I’ll be finding my own Dr. Viking, veterinarian.

This is set in a post pandemic world that is more post pandemic than our current world actually is. So there is discussion of economic and professional impacts of the covid pandemic, but no discussion of masking, illness, or deaths.

CW: pet illness, past pet death, friend breakup, gaslighting, bullying, stalking, internet harassment, depression, business failure, toxic family,

I received this as an advance reader copy from Montlake and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

DNF at 25%

This one is just not for me. I wanted to like it really badly, but the persistent COVID backdrop, and ongoing discussions about critical animal care (and euthanasia) really affected me.

Maybe at point down the road things I'll be able to pick it back up but for now it's a DNF.