This was a fun, light, easy read. I liked the characters and the bit of treasure hunting to find all 8 chairs. The secondary characters were all interesting. This wasn't a bowl you over kind of book, but it was definitely enjoyable. Recommended.

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

This is a very quick read and I enjoyed it very much. I thought the plot was well executed and I thought the main characters were quite likeable. I recommend 4 stars


Thank you, Bella books, and NetGalley

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
On a wing and a Chair is the story of Katie, a museum curator, and Syd Collins, a famous musician. After Katie is (relatively) forced back home to Georgia to curate a museum for her sorority, Katie is on mission to find the remaining four founders chairs. Syd effing Collins happens to have two of them. Katie and Syd meet up and hook up. Syd offers her help in tracking down the remaining chairs. This follows their adventures and love story with hardships along the way.
This was a fairly quick read. I liked it enough but I'm writing this review about a week later and nothing huge is sticking out to me. 3.5 stars

Two years after graduating with a museum studies degree, Katie Simmons heads back home to Georgia for the only job she can secure in her field. She is tasked to find the remaining antique chairs which once belonged to an college sorority.

Syd Collins moves away from Los Angles and heads home to Georgia after her much publicized divorce from her ex wife. She wants to be closer to her family. Syd’s  grandmother happens to own two of the chairs. Katie finally gets to meet her lifelong music idle as she purchases the chairs from Syd.

Who doesn’t like a treasure hunt! I enjoyed the search and the background of the chairs and the sorority. The southern atmosphere is always a big draw for me and McBain serves it up nicely. 

Of the two main characters Syd is the most likeable by far. Katie is just too similar to Syd’s ex who does not have any redeeming qualities. The romance is very light weight which makes for an easy read. Although this is not what I normally look for in my reading material I know many others will thoroughly enjoy this novel.

I received a free advance review copy from Bella Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This author is new to me but I'll be looking for more of her work because I really liked this story, her writing style and her sense of humor. It's a nice romance in an interesting Southern setting with two likeable leads, some really well done minor characters and well executed plot that kept me interested from start to finish. The story worked for me and I enjoyed it. Recommended.

For someone who actively despises Greek life, I didn't mind the Greek elements in this book as much as I anticipated. On a Wing and a Chair tells the story of two women falling in love. One is a rockstar?? and the other has moved back home to help find these 8 chairs that once belonged to a sorority for a museum exhibit. Honestly, the chairs were very weird plotline and I was a little disappointed they never had sex on the chairs, though I understand the historical preservation desire.

I really enjoyed both characters and the dual POV. Both women had their own desires and their own resistances towards the relationship. Where my issues with the book arise is the pacing. The pacing was fine and then it seemed like we skipped a significant portion of the book. We didn't quite get resolution of the Carrie conflict, sans the infamous boob incident, and I feel like it could've been fleshed out more. I also was never worried that Syd wasn't going to get the chairs, which made this a very low stakes book.

TLDR; the romance was great, characters were interesting, the plot needed to be more fleshed out and conflicts could've escalated more.

Was I ever excited to get a new book from Louise McBain. I was bowled over by Claiming Camille, then went back to read her first self-published novel, then couldn't wait to read the next two. Her use of humor sets her apart from every other writer out there. There is so much low-grade funny going on, but it never feels like a comedy screenplay (my pet peeve).

As a lifelong Southerner, I totally understood all the references: revered grandparents, sweet tea, barbecue, inherited furniture, and small towns. I wasn't a sorority girl, but my sister was president of hers, so I'm very familiar with the rituals and history.

I loved Katie from the very first scene. She ends up losing her first "big girl" job in a New York City museum due to an unfortunate incident, and moves back to her high school home town to take on a project at the local university. She's a perfect foil for Syd, the hometown girl famous rock star who has just been through an equally famous and embarrassing divorce. That ONE SCENE (you'll know it when you get to it) had my jaw on the floor.

On a Wing and a Chair had me wishing I didn't have to have a day job. I would've loved to be able to read in one sitting. If you're looking for an easy read with beautiful settings, interesting characters (both mains and their extended families), great dialogue, and most of just a huge dose of intelligent humor, read this and then run through the rest of Louise McBain's back catalog in order.

Katie Simmons is back in Georgia, though not by choice. After a disaster gets her fired from her job in New York she has come home to try to help track down a group of chairs associated with the founding members of a sorority in Beaumont Georgia. When she meets her teenage crush, and international rocker Syd Collins on her path to finding the chairs life in Georgia is suddenly better than she expected, even with the annoying gnats.
This was the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I wasn't involved in Greek life in my time at college so that world is a bit foreign to me and set alongside the world of antique chair collecting I was worried the plot wouldn't hold my attention. I was pleasantly surprised though and the scavenger hunt for the chairs ended up being very entertaining. I loved the side characters, especially Deb who had me laughing out loud a few times. I really liked Katie's boldness with Syd who should be intimidating as her long time celeb crush but ends up being a giant teddy bear. The twist at the end was a great addition to the plot that I liked though didn't love Syd's reaction which felt a touch over the top for her. I can't wait for my next road rip to play the traveling barnyard game too so bonus points for that! Great book that I'd definitely be up to read again in the future.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Katie just out of grad school lost her fellowship at the Whitney in NYC after honest mistake. She wants to be museum curator but she floundering with looking for job at any museum. When her grandmother Flora offers her job to create and curate a new museum for their college sorority she accepts. Her first task is to find theses rare chairs that were created for the foundering board members.

Syd is well known musician who is down to earth she dealing with her failed marriage to her ex Carrie who is a piece of work. She has great relationship with her parents and sister Deb and adores her nieces. By coincidence Katie meets Syd niece Emma who tells her that her Aunt Syd who happened to be Katie favorite musician and teen crush just inherited two of the chairs she looking for.

Katie and Syd meets and they start to flirt with each other and they become more while Katie continues to look for the other chairs. I like all the characters MC have chemistry and I like how Syd is very creative with her songs. I’m happy Katie reconnects with her best friend Beth after thinking their friendship was over because she was embarrassed to talk to her. Good read with humor and little angst.

First I have to mention I love the Southernism. I lived in Georgia for a few years and appreciate the inclusion of sweet tea, barbecue, revered grandmothers and the love of a good story. I laughed out loud that the author knows there is nothing between Atlanta and Macon but power lines. I've driven that roadway each Christmas holiday for the last six years and she is not wrong.

Katie wants to be a museum curator. A year out of grad school she loses her fellowship at the Whitney in NYC. After floundering a while her grandmother comes to the rescue with a job offer. Katie can develop and curate a new museum for their college sorority. It means returning to Beaumont, Georgia where she went to high school and lived with her grandmother. Her first assignment is to find large chairs that were created for the foundering board members which have carvings of birds. She is up for the task.

Syd Collins is a recognizable rock star. She is 30 and now a solo act. Syd's been taking time to recover from her divorce and being with family. Through a bit of luck Katie learns that Syd has inherited two of the chairs she is look and makes plans to meet with her. Syd was also the teen crush of Katie who has attended many of her concerts over the years.

Everything is very instant and without much depth between the two. There are sexy times almost from the moment they meet. Some fade to black others are more descriptive. I learned almost as much about Highway barnyard as I did about these two. Both Syd and Katie are likable and easy going. Katie is bolder than I expected, especially in a scene when meeting Syds’ ex.

All is all this is light and easy read with minimal angst. The supporting characters BFs, sister, nieces are nice and help fill out an otherwise slim story. I enjoyed the included song lyrics too. I could rate this 3 to 3.5 but I’m going high and rounding up because I liked the setting, the easiness and it made me smile. (3.5 stars)

It's a very casual, sexy story about two women connecting pretty quickly and going all in, pretty fast. I enjoy the story and sexy times. I also enjoyed the side characters. I really liked Syd, she was real down to earth and quite lovely and creative. I wasn't as sold on Katie and her antics. I felt like she was a bit too forward and exhibitionist at times, and felt like Syd might be rehashing history there, with too many similarities to her ex-wife. So it was hard not to side-eye it a bit.

I didn't really feel a deeper connection between the women. It was all very surface level, they never spoke about anything meaningful, let alone how their lives would and futures could work. It all just felt very shallow, to me.

Ultimately it's just an easy to read story with good heat. But not a lot of depth.