Chick Magnet

By: Emma Barry

Narrated by: CJ Bloom, Aaron Shedlock

Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the New York Times’ Best Romances of 2023.

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?

©2023 Emma Barry (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Listeners will be delighted by narrators CJ Bloom's and Aaron Shedlock's snappy, animated performances. Full of heart, humor, and slow-bum steam.”—Library Journal, starred review

“CJ Bloom and Aaron Shedlock work together wonderfully to enhance this fun contemporary romance.… Bloom is full of energy and compassion; she uses no-nonsense pacing and provides a lower register when warranted. Shedlock adds the swoon with a slight Southern drawl. All in all, this is a fun romp with a great heart.”—AudioFile Magazine

“Chick Magnet has one of the best epilogues I’ve ever read, and it’s a perfect demonstration of why writers keep going back to small-town settings. Because underneath all the cupcakes and cruel memories, there is one great promise at the heart of a small-town romance: there’s always a first time for second chances.”—New York Times

Growly neighbors

Thoughtful, funny, tender and swoony. I love listening to Emma Barry’s quirky and vulnerable lovers go from combusting in lust to untangling their feelings for each other!

Not my cup of tea.

As chick lit goes, I suppose it’s alright. But it is not my cup of tea. I had a friend recommend it, so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s just not for me.

Sweet story - loved it!

I AM a veterinarian and I was so impressed by the quality of the author’s research! I was delighted by the whole book.

Cute story

The story of a small town vet and the viral blogger the chicken lady is really cute.
I felt it was a little long and could have used some editing but overall it was an enjoyable listen. The narration was very well done.

Cuteness overload!

This is a feel-good lesson with plenty of snarky banter, a surprising amount of chicken knowledge, and some very well written personal growth and experience. I chose this because of CJ Bloom and Aaron Shedlock and I'm very glad I did! I'm narrator motivated and really enjoyed their performances of this cute story!

Good not great

This was a really cute love story good to us. Nice information all-around good

An adorable small town romance

This is an incredibly fun read! The hero is perfection. How can you not love a small town vet whose a little sad but not afraid to get therapy? Don’t worry cute animals are also present. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

Ok

Not the best. I zoned out for parts of it. Narration was really good for both

CHICKENS! Love the chicks

A grumpy veterinarian and a chicken-loving social media influencer. Yes, please. It has chickens!! As a chicken mom, who raises tiny dinosaurs, and a romance reader I loved this chicken-themed romance.

Nicole is known as “Chick-Nic”, famous for her social media content about everything related to chickens. When her relationship ends publicly she packs up herself and her chickens and moves to the small town her grandmother is from. She soon discovers that her grumpy neighbor isn’t too fond of the information she shares online. Will is grumpy and broody, as a small-town vet, the pandemic has hit his practice hard.

I’m all for the grumpy/sunshine trope and Nic and Will were a wonderful representation. Nic and her chicks were a bright spot and broody Will was irresistible. Their interactions were fun, witty, and humorous. They were also open and honest with each other. Will is a great guy and the definition of a grump which leads to some growth to turn his pessimistic outlook around. Deep down he cares about his community and is doing everything he can to save his practice.

I found this to be a realistic look at our current world. Social media and the way it influences our life, including backyard farming, increased during the pandemic and many people are feeling the financial hardships the pandemic caused. Both of these things were strong themes in the book. It was easy to connect to the characters.

I enjoyed this one. It was a fun read and I’m sorry the chickens put a huge SMILE on my face. I enjoyed the characters. Deep down at its core it addressed the struggles of life.

loved it

I really enjoyed reading this author.  I look forward to reading more books by this author in the near future.