Saturday, June 29, 2013

TAKING CHANCES by Molly McAdams



William Morrow
April 16th, 2013
978-0-06-226768-9
Contemporary, New Adult, Coming of Age
Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Publisher

 

For eighteen year-old Harper, going off to college meant she can finally let herself live a little and spread her wings. Her father, a Marine, always kept strict control over her. But when Harper meets her new roommate, Breanna, she finds herself finding herself in the world, enjoying everything college has to offer and falling in love for the first time. But Harper finds herself in the position of falling for two sexy guys- Brandon, her first boyfriend and her roommate’s brother, Chase. Both are perfect for Harper but forces are at work and Harper will find she will have to choose and soon because one man will do anything for her while the other will step back and let Harper be happy if that is what she wishes.

Molly McAdams delivers a strong, passionate story of one young woman’s desire to be loved and happy, finding herself as she steps into the wide world at college and learning about herself even as she finds her heart engaged by not just one guy but two. TAKING CHANCES is a coming of age story that will charm you, make you feel everything Harper does and more and you will laugh, cry, sigh and cheer all the while you flip the pages, eager to see what happens next for Harper, Brandon and Chase. The author does a wonderful job in crafting a story that leaves you breathless one minute, on the edge of your seat the next. The twists shocked me, had me gasping as tears ran down my face and in the end, as I closed the last page, I felt at peace as Harper finally got the love she needed and had all along. The author created some amazing cast of characters in TAKING CHANCES, though it took me a bit too really fall in love with them.

Meet Harper, Brandon and Chase. Harper is on her own for the first time, experiencing college life, finding her place in the world when two guys, Brandon and Chase, start vying for her affections and heart. The problem is Harper has fallen in love with them both. Now the question is, can Harper choose the one she needs or will that choice be made for her in the end? I had a hard time liking Harper in the beginning. She is a little standoffish and made some choices that had me shaking my head and muttering but eventually you begin to see her heart, the real person behind all those youthful mistakes, etc. Chase and Brandon are perfect for Harper and I had a real hard time choosing which one she should be with. Both guys bring happiness to Harper and as she struggled with her choice, I found myself on the edge of my seat wondering if she will choose one or the other. I won’t say who she ended up with in the end but know the path to Harper’s happily ever after is fraught with emotional ups and downs, heartbreak and heartfelt moments that leave you reeling at times and other times reaching for a tissue as you cry and smile. The author delivers a story full of complex, vulnerable characters that you just can not help loving them all. The story is tight, weaves a spell around you and captures your imagination.

TAKING CHANCES is more girl meets boy; they fall in love and live happily ever after. It is about choices, hearing what your heart says and making difficult decisions in light of dark days. It is about love in all its forms, about friendship and family and most of all, about forgiveness. Ms. McAdams delivers a story that left me crying more than once as I flipped those last few pages and I cheered quietly as Harper found her own happy ending finally after a few years of trials and tribulations, of happiness and pain & of love won and lost. TAKING CHANCES is truly one of those stories that will leave you aching for more. Kudos to Ms. McAdams for creating such a wonderful heartfelt story that the reader will enjoy immensely. I know I did. I can not wait to see what else this author has in store for her readers in the future.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

 

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