Chased Dreams by Lacey Weatherford AND Chase Waldon
Book Description:
Dreams of the future, dreams of love and happiness, dreams of being able to move on and get past the heartache that still resides in his soul, Chase Walker believes things are finally starting to look up.
But are they really?
When Chase suffers a devastating injury on the football field, his life is thrown into a tailspin once again. Feeling like he’s lost his identity, he struggles with keeping his relationship with Brittney from falling apart, while also trying to find out who he really is inside.
But when dreams from the past resurface, causing old feelings to rise anew and clash with the life he’s living now, Chase is left to wonder if all he has is Chased Dreams.
********
For my opinion/description now... (spoilers beyond here)
This book was all over the place - in a good way.
Lets start with Chase getting shit on yet again, with his knee this time. After his very successful college career and looking forward to a NFL spot, things just turn south when the chance presents itself that he might never play again. Enter mopey Chase that I really have no sympathy for. Brittney is trying to help him out, cause you know, she's his WIFE after all, and thats what supportive spouses do. But Chase is not having any of it and is frankly getting on my nerves massively. To add to this, we now have something Nikki ish in what seems every chapter. Dude. You're MARRIED. Its been four, close to five year now. Shouldn't you be over this a little? At least not at the point where you continue to hear her voice in your head.
And then... shit hits the fan.
NIKKI ISN'T ACTUALLY DEAD!!!
But... what?... I... huh?
And it all comes together. Everything in his head is just his minds interpretation of what everyone has been telling him while he's been in a coma. Which, as a geek, is really cool from the science standpoint. Now we have sarcastic witty Chase back. No longer mopey, with the right girl (Nikki of course!), and a bright future, still without football. And the way the whole community came together around him was kinda beautiful. And Matt can still go die in a hole.
Although the beginning seemed dragged out and the end seemed rushed, it was still a good book overall. Definitely the way to end this series with a bang.
This Book: 3&1/2 butterflies
Boy Rating: Again, lotta romance. Make your own call
Life hasn’t been easy for Chase Walker. He’s experienced tragedy, and at times he’s not sure he wants to continue living. But he made a vow to go on with his life, and he intends to keep it.
After getting a college scholarship to play football, Chase heads off to school, hoping his time on the field will help to bury the intense emotions that still linger in his heart. Fate doesn’t work that way though, and he soon finds himself having to face all the things he’s carrying inside, or he may miss the one shot he has to learn how to love again.
********
Another great romance from the pen of Mrs. Weatherford. And this time, I read the Author's Note as well, which Made the whole story just that much more endearing. That being said, it wasn't quite as great as the first book.
As a major shipper of Chase and Nikki, I couldn't really completely get behind Brittney, but they did make an adorable couple. Chase, when not depressed, is still his same romantic self. However, a lot of the time he is quite depressed. And I get that Nikki died, and I get that he loved her, but there should be a point where as he continues to date and fall in love with Brittney that he think and mourns over Nikki less and less. So to Chase: GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER. No girl, even one as compassionate and nice as Brittney, is ever really ok with her guy constantly thinking of his dead ex. But their relationship was a good one. The only thing I really didn't care for in their relationship was how abrupt their marriage happened. I don't really think the whole getting married fast thing was smart, but I can see where it came from.
The plot was good, and I enjoyed the whole Chase/Matt/Jared events. But Chase didn't seem to be himself. He wasn't really as sarcastic and witty in this book as he was in the last.
Overall, what I guess I'm trying to say, is that this was a really good read, but not as great as what I kinda expected given the first one. Now for Chased Dreams.
Chase Walker used to be a good kid-charming, athletic, and with a bright future ahead, but that was before travesty struck his life, sinking him into deep despair. Caught up in a world of drugs and alcohol, he doesn't notice time slipping away until he's arrested for underage drinking one night. Fed up with watching her son destroy his life, Chase's mom relocates him to live in a small ranching community with his ex-military grandfather. Chase is far from happy about the situation until he meets, Nikki, the cute cheerleader who won't give football players like him the time of day. Chase enjoys a good challenge though and sets out to claim Nikki for his own. He soon discovers she's more than a pretty face-she's a balm to his troubled spirit also. But when tragedy strikes Nikki's life too, suddenly Chase finds himself put to the ultimate test. Can he trust Nikki, and all that she's taught him? Will it be enough?
*******
I do love a good romance novel, and this was definitely one of them. It had the ups, the awwww moments, the he-didn't-just-do-what-I-thought-nooooo moments, the sobbing hysterically moments, and of course the why-the-hell-are-you-a-fictional-character-I-want-you-to-be-mine moments. From the beginning it caught my eye as it is told from the perspective of Chase, the guy, which already breaks this book from the norm, and thats what I love about this book. It is NOT the norm. If you are looking for your classic ya romance novel, then this isn't it. Just when you are feeling comfortable enough with the characters and plot line, Mr. Weatherford decides to change things up a bit and throw you for a loop. Or two. As for the characters, they were amazing and incredibly easy to bond with. Which is wonderful but can also lead to more tears in the more heartbreaking sections of this work of art.
Now, on to the more spoilery portion of this post...
It all started when Chase's dad dies... on his 17th birthday of course. Naturally, he spirals downward, causing his mom to uproot him and resettle in middle of nowhere with the grandparents. Enter beautiful girl with standards. The way Chase goes after Nikki is absolutely swoon worthy and romantic. If every guy paid as much attention to detail about a girl that Chase did to Nikki, we would be living in one hell of a romantic beautiful world. And, cause no book boyfriend can be without this, he has a smart mouth that is pure genius, even if it does land him in detention his first day. Like every romance, they bloom and revolve around the other...
And then Nikki goes and has a car crash.
Now we have the frantic reader wanting to make sure she is ok, who's concern is only overshadowed by Chase, who can't leave her side of course, and when forced to seems to slide into nasty habits broken when he met Nikki. But he quickly comes around and we feel things will turn out all right.
AND THEN WEATHERFORD GOES AND KILLS NIKKI
Enter massive sobbing. In fact, I was about to lose it myself. So much so that I read the reviews and plot lines and spoilers of the next two books to make sure things still went kinda ok otherwise I probably would not have finished reading the book. But it does, so if you are feeling kinda iffy at this point, I encourage you to continue with the series all the way to the finish to see how things turn out.
All in all, this is a beautiful book and a great read making itself worthy of the 4 butterflies awarded. Very excited to see how the sequel, Finding Chase, turns out.
This book: 4 butterflies!!
Boy Rating: Definitely a more girly book cause its a romance... but it is written from the guy perspective
