Taking Chances by Molly McAdams

Book Description:

Eighteen year old Harper has grown up under her career Marine of a father's thumb. Ready to live life her own way and experience things she's only ever heard of from the jarheads in her father's unit; she's on her way to college at San Diego State University.

Thanks to her new roommate, Harper is introduced to a world of parties, gorgeous guys, family and emotions. Some she wasn't expecting yet, and others she never knew she was missing.

She finds herself being torn in two as she quickly falls in love with her boyfriend Brandon, and her roommate's brother Chase. Covered in tattoos, known for fighting in the Underground and ridiculously muscled...they're exactly what she was always warned to stay away from, but just what she needs. Despite their dangerous looks and histories, both adore and would do anything for Harper, including stepping back if it means she's happy.

Her first year away is turning out to be near perfect, but one weekend of giving in to heated passion will change everything.

Christina's BookReview

“That first night, I did realize I would never meet another girl like you. But you deserve someone who has waited for you as long as you have waited for them. And no matter how much I wish I could be that guy, I can't Harper.”

RECAP:

Harper is looking forward to going to college to get away from her Marine bred father. She is looking forward to living a normal life and doing what normal girls her age do. She isn’t looking for anything other than being free from the life she was born and raised in. She definitely didn’t plan on her life turning out the way it did.

Harper isn’t prepared for the turn her life, away from her father, would make. She wasn’t prepared for the pain, suffering, love and family she was given. But that love comes with strings attached. One connected to Brandon Taylor and the other to Chase Grayson.

Brandon is everything a girl can ask for. He’s loving, caring, attentive, protective and patient. When Harper suddenly falls in love with him she feels like the luckiest girl alive. But something is missing with Brandon.

Chase is everything a girl like Harper shouldn’t be attracted to. He’s a player, a drunk, a jerk and your typical bad boy. But Harper can’t resist the way her heart beats when he’s around, the fire he causes in her, or the way her body craves him.  And when Chase reciprocates those feelings and changes his ways Harper knows that she is playing with fire. And the fire is about to burn her.

One night will turn her world upside down…

My Take:

Okay so let me start off by saying that I absolutely loved the storyline. Unfortunately the story itself was a drag. I literally forced myself to finish this book because I was just wishing that something would change. Unfortunately that didn’t happen.

There were parts I liked…

The ones with Chase were my favorite because you could actually feel the chemistry between him and Harper. You could also see the change in him and couldn’t help but adore him. In every one of his scenes you would swoon no matter what. Yes he had his times where he was a jerk but you also understood why. His love for Harper was so irrevocable and you saw it in the times he was with her. Yes he had that Travis Maddox personality and that is why I loved him.

Another part that I really loved was the reunion with her father. Their talk and reunion was really heartwarming and almost had me in tears. Yes, I understood why she was upset but I also understood why he was the way he was. There was a lot of heartbreak in their lives and I was glad to see them finally start to heal.

Now for what I didn’t like…

Brandon was a different type of swoon-worthy character. Unfortunately not the kind I liked. He did have his moments where I sighed and smiled but other than that I didn’t feel any connection with him. There wasn’t any fire in his relationship with Harper. It was sweet, caring and Perfect. Too perfect. I liked the fact that he was a fighter and liked his protective side but he lacked what Chase had, fire.

I also didn’t like Harper not one bit. She was selfish and that never changed. She only cared about herself and didn’t think things through. She annoyed me and I couldn’t even find anything that I liked about her. The jumping back and forth between guys was slutty. She was your classic example of a girl that was deprived all her life and then when given freedom didn’t know how to handle it.  Maybe others will see it in a different way but I found her to be extremely selfish.

The turn of event moment! OMFG! I wanted to scream, cry and kick something when it happened! I won’t spoil it but I will say prepare for it because it is the only part that had me in tears. To me the story ended there and I just couldn’t get over it.

Good plot but the story was too drawn out. When I finished I sighed in relief. I wanted to love this book so much but I couldn't. :(

With all of the above said I will let you make up your own mind on picking this up.