REVIEW: Chick Magnet by Emma Barry

Chick Magnet by Emma Barry: After having her life blow up so publicly all chicken influencer Chick Nic wants is to pack up her chickens and move far far away from all the drama that is her ex boyfriend. This is how Nic finds herself in the small town of Yagerstown with the hopes of repairing her damaged heart in the cute town that her late grandmother called home, the only thing Nic could not factor in was her hot new neighbour and the towns only vet; Dr. Will Lund or his frosty reception.

Somewhere between chasing down rogue chickens, removing eggs and some very unplanned kisses things begin to change between the grumpy viking vet and the chicken influencer but can these two broken people help each other become hole?

This book was just the cutest! Im such a huge fan of animals in romance novels and Chick Magnet delivered this in spades! Not only was this one heck of a cute enemies to lovers romance but there was something so emotionally touching about how real this story felt that really work for me. Also Im a total sucker for a cute small town romance.

Now I will be honest and say that I did not expect there to be such a big influence of the Covid pandemic in this book or for it to play such a big role in the overall story, normally I would say I don’t like this dragging down my happy little escape but the mention of the pandemic just worked with this story and also helped build the base for our heroes struggles.

Both main characters were amazing and completely relatable. I have to say that I liked that our hero Will was not perfect and that he had so many real issues going on in his life. It was a nice change of pace to have a more real hero, but gosh did my heart just break for him and all that he had to shoulder. His entire story arc felt very real and something that so many people have had to deal with after having being hit with a pandemic. Though his passion for animals was one undeniable thing about this guy and I loved this about him. I just loved him with Hoot, these two were just the cutest combination ever, I mean who doesn’t love a hot viking with a kitten?

“She was a lightning strike, and he was the old oak she’d singed.”

As for our chicken lady Nicole, well she was just the coolest! It was hard not to just love Nic, she was a total ball of happiness and love. I really liked getting to see her stand up to her ex in the end and really fully embrace her weirdness. I loved her relationship to her chickens and the connection that they had to her grandmother. There was something very relatable about Nic that made rooting her on so easy. I loved the fact that she genuinely loved her flock and they were not just a means to becoming famous for her. Oh the chickens, gosh these ladies were just amazing, I loved that each one of them had so much of personality! I just wish we got a few more bit with them and maybe the chickens meeting Hoot would have been cute.

One of the things that really worked in this book was the chemistry and tension between Will and Nic. These two had that whole heated want to jump each other thing going on for most of the book, all while trying to keep each other at arms length. More than anything I liked that they started as friends and a sounding board for each other to vent their problems. The ending did feel a bit rushed for me but I liked the result all the same.

If you are looking for a cute and relatable small town romance then I would definitely recommend reading Chick Magnet, this book has a bit for everything and will leave you smiling at the end!

Book Info:

Publication: January 24th 2023 | Montlake |

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?