Title : Chaser
Author: Kylie Scott
Publisher: St. Martins Griffin
Published : April 17, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 278
Format: eArc
Source: Netgalley
Chaser is the second book in the Dive Bar series and it can be read as a stand-alone. This is Eric Collinsโ story. I first met Eric in book 2 of the series. His action showed his immaturity. When I learnt he would be the focus of this installment, I was curious to learn what made him tick.
Eric is owns a share of the Dive Bar where he works as a bartender. He is the consummate womanizer and is not looking to be involved in a long-term relationship. Then he met Jean, but when he discovered she would be his neighbour, he figured all bets would be off. Especially because she was seven months pregnant. This interfered with his attempts to prove to his friends he was not the low life womanizer they thought him to be. He tried staying away, but then he came to her aid the night she went into labour. Since they slowly developed a bond, one that went beyond friendship. Will Eric finally get the chance to prove to his friends he is relationship material?
I was prepared to dislike Eric based on my previous knowledge of him. Actually, at the start of the story he was vain and unreliable. He was more an anti-hero. However, as the story developed he proved to be a responsible young man. Someone you can rely on in times of trouble. As a result, I found myself rooting for him throughout the story.
Watching him bond with Jean and her baby was a wonderful experience. I loved how he was there for her during her lowest and highest points. Knowing he had no reason to help Jean but watching him being there for her anyway was heart-warming and all around a joy to witness. It was at this moment I saw beyond his selfish facade to his kind-hearted personality.
I loved how the romance developed. Theirs was not an insta-love connection. What started out as a friendship, slowly developed into a passionate connection that neither could deny.
Despite being a cute and adorable read, I had some issues. One of which involved the POVs from the story was narrated. I have no issue when the narration is done from one of the protagonists POV. However, in this case it did not work well enough for me. As the story was narrated from Ericโs POV connecting with him came natural. I related to his fears regarding love and relationships. I believe with Jeanโs POV the story would have been so much more appealing. Not having her POV made it difficult to connect with her. I could not put a finger on her feelings for Eric. I did not feel any chemistry between them.
Another thing, which prevented me from connecting with Jean, was the lack of information regarding her past. I was aware of the reason for her relocation but beyond that, nothing else was disclosed.
I did not appreciate how Nell, who is also a co-owner of the bar, treated him. She kept putting him down and constantly tried to make him feel guilty for things, which happened between them in the past. They both were affected by this incident, but she acted as if she was the only one who was hurt. Even though she has moved on with her life. It would seem she could let go of the past and every chance she got she kept reminding Eric about it.
Conclusion/Recommendation
Overall, this was a sweet and heart-warming read. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
Iโd been tricked. Betrayed.
After Andre and Jean ate their lunch, we headed outside to deal with her stuff. The cold wind suited my mood to perfection.
Talk about disappointed.
โDonโt lift that, it looks heavy,โ I snapped.
Jean blinked. โItโs a pillow.โ
โThe worldโs largest pillow ever. You canโt be too careful.โ My gaze roamed over her swollen middle. โYouโre . . .โ
โPregnant?โ she asked with a voice dripping poison and sugar.
โAre you having trouble with the concept?โ
โAbsolutely not. I was just going to say huge, thatโs all.โ
She blew out an exasperated breath. โThanks, Eric. That makes me feel so much better.โ
โI just . . .โ
โI just . . .โ
โDonโt bother.โ The woman turned back to her sensible, medium-sized SUV and got busy riffling through the contents. I was surprised sheโd been able to squeeze into the driverโs seat.
Boxes and stuff took up almost every inch inside the vehicle. Each and every box seemed to have been neatly labeled with the contents.
The woman took her organization seriously. She looked over her shoulder. โYou know, I canโt help noticing that Eric-the-smooth-moving-flirt has been suddenly replaced by Eric-the-awkward-jerk.โ
โWell, you said you were single.โ I folded my arms defensively across my chest.
โI am.โ
And then there was an awkward silence.
โYeah, but . . . I mean, in your condition . . .โ I fumbled to a halt.
She turned, face all scrunched up. Like I was the one with the problem.
โJust hop out of the way so I can grab some boxes,โ I said, voice gruff.
Still nothing from her. โItโs a second-story walk-up and you have a lot of stuff to get up there. You should be taking it easy.โ Hands on hips, I tapped my black leather boot against the sidewalk, waiting her out. โJean, Iโm not trying to insult you. Itโs the truth.โ
She swore quietly, going back to fussing with the contents in the vehicle. I donโt think any woman has ever given me the silent treatment quite this quickly. Usually Iโm good for at least a couple of hours after seeing them naked.
Man, I still couldnโt believe this was happening. God hated me or something. Pregnant women and me were enema. Anathema. Whatever. Now that Iโd seen her out in the autumn light, however, she looked younger than Iโd first guessed. Despite her tired eyes, her skin was smooth, soft looking. She was likely closer to her early twenties than mid.
โHow old are you?โ I asked.
โWhy do you care?โ
I shrugged one shoulder. โJust curious.โ
โHow old are you?โ
โNearly thirty.โ
She sniffed. โIโm twenty-two.โ
Young, like Iโd thought. She was probably too immature for me, anyway.
โCome on, Jean. Let me get some of the boxes.โ
Boyd ambled out of the Dive Bar, turning his head this way and that, looking up and down the street. I raised my hand and he started over in our direction. The big cook would make short work out of moving all this stuff. Behind us, Andre and Nell came out of the tenantsโ entrance to the Bird Building. The place was a big brick building about a hundred years old. Just past the door was an entryway with stairs leading up to the second floor, followed by two empty shops, their windows covered in flyers about local events. Concerts and parades and shit. Theyโd been vacant for a while, unfortunately. Andreโs Guitar Den came next, then Patโs tattoo parlor Inkaho, and the Dive Bar on the corner.
โEverythingโs good to go. Alex and I gave it a cleaning last week just to be sure,โ said Nell, smacking a kiss on Jeanโs cheek.
โYouโll meet Alex later. Sheโs probably busy working or something now. Sheโs sort of a shut-in.โ
โYou two didnโt have to do that,โ said Jean. โThank you.โ
โAnytime.โ
Andre leaned against the SUV. โYour furniture got delivered yesterday too, so itโs all good to go.โ
โExcellent,โ said Jean. โI canโt wait to sleep in a decent bed again. Road trips when youโre seven monthsโ pregnant kind of suck.โ
โI bet.โ
โWhoโs minding the kitchen?โ I asked.
โLydia will text Boyd if they need something,โ said Nell.
โWeโre only going to be a few feet away from the place.โ
I frowned.
โI own the kitchen, Eric. Not you,โ she said. โYouโre in charge of the bar, thatโs all.โ
One of Jeanโs eyebrows inched up slightly. So I might have implied that I was the sole owner. Shit happened.
I crossed my arms. โFine. No need to bite my head off.โ
โMy best online friend just moved to town. Weโve been texting and skyping for months. Sheโs been an absolute rock for me through all the nerves of being pregnant again,โ said Nell. โStop messing with my happy.โ
And then there was an awkward silence. Great. If only there was some way to get out of helping without looking like a raging asshole. The possibility of anything happening between me and Jean had been buried six feet deep, never to be spoken of again.
Given his well-earned bad boy reputation, Eric is having a tough time scoring.. When single Jean moves to town, she seems heaven sent by the sex gods. Only problem is, she not only wants nothing to do with him, but it turns out that sheโs pregnant.
Starting over in a small town, Jean is determined to turn her wild lifestyle around and be the kind of mother she always wished sheโd had. Since local bar owner and all round hottie, Eric Collins, is now determined to steer clear of her pregnant self, it should be easy. When she goes into labour during a snow storm and her car slides on some ice, itโs Eric who comes to the rescue.
There seems to be a bond between them now, but is it enough? And can Eric give up his manwhore ways to be the man Jean needs?
Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writerโs Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. You can learn more about Kylie from
http://www.kylie-scott.com/
Nadene's addiction to reading began at an early age, when a family friend gifted her a copy of Wuthering Heights. From that moment she was never without a book.She will read anything as long the material is compelling enough to hold her attention. She gained many experiences through the pages of the books she had the opportunity to read.She created this blog to share her love of books with like minded individuals hopes that in sharing reviews of the books read visitors to the blog will discover their next addictive read. When not reading, Nadene enjoys cooking, listening to music and watching television.
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oh it sounds like it could have been awesome with duel pov
I am such a fan of characters growing and changing for the better. I enjoy the author having to make me like the hero sometimes.
I love when characters demonstrate growth and Eric is a perfect example.
I’ve been hearing good things about this one.
I enjoyed the first book in this series and am tempted by this one. You are not the first reviewer that has mentioned how terribly Nell treats Eric and I think that would be hard to read. I can also see how it would have been nice to get another POV in this story. Great review!
Thanks Carole. Yes, Nell’s behaviour was annoying and over the top.
I think I would have been annoyed by the way he is treated but otherwise it looks well done
I would not take sweet and hear warming from the look of him ๐ Nice
I know what you mean. He looks like trouble. ๐
I look forward to reading this. I loved the Stage Dive series and the first 2 books in this series.
I like that you ended up rooting for him. He needs a haircut though. LOL
Lol. Yeah, I agree. His hair is a bit too long for my tastes.
I never used to like multiple pov’s but now I almost need them. I feel like I’m missing a piece of the story without it.
This sounds sweet though.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
This series is on my wish list. I do like her writing. Thanks Nadene
You are welcome Debbie. I hope you get the chance to read the series.