College, Crime, Romance and Running!

Title: Chased Part 1 + 2

Author: Piper Lawson

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Rating: 4 Stars

*ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Summary

Being a twenty-one-year-old screw-up has its perks. I can sleepwalk through class, drink all day and nail anything that walks.

Easy f#$%*ing peasy.

Sure, I used to be the fastest guy at Fielding College. I’ve broken more track records than anyone on the West Coast. But my life as an athlete feels like a different universe. A different Chase Owens.

Since my world fell apart last year, all I want is to be left the hell alone.

Ariel Hastings isn’t just a wrench in that plan, she’s a bomb. The quiet girl shows up out of nowhere and suddenly our fates are tied together. She wants to run with me, learn from me, even live with me…

Basically everything but f*ck me.

Now I’m spending too much time around her. I’m craving something she won’t give me and I sure as hell can’t ask for.

Because we’ve both got pasts that aren’t ready to let go. Even if I can survive hers, I know we can’t outrun mine.

Review

Chased is a book split into two parts, part 1 is where you’re thinking this is going to be a light hearted bubbly new adult romance where two strangers, become friends then ultimately fall in love… [also throw in a lot of tension and angst] Part 2 is the book that throws you through the loop and the book takes a whole new turn. No longer is this just a romance, we have a character in prison, family drama and crime.

I really liked the complex characters featured in Chased, Chase himself is hard to decipher as he first comes off as a giant ass. He fits the model for the rude playboy, but as the story progresses we realise he isn’t actually like his hard exterior and there is more to him. Ariel and Chase both need each other in different ways, this is first established through their running connection where both characters primarily only need each other to help one another with their running – speed/timing and just to stay on the team. As the story progresses they begin to rely on each other in more ways, it’s also worth noting that the story isn’t an instant fall in love tale. There is true tension build up and you are waiting to see what will happen next between the pair.

Piper Lawson also plays around with some interesting plot choices which I haven’t experienced before such as Ariel being stuck in her dead mother’s shadow, I liked the incorporation of the stalkers and her over protective father. However I wish the stalker element was played into a little bit more, whilst the story features an Alternative POV it is more leaned towards Chase and his story rather than Ariel so that’s where the focus is continuously leading too.

Whilst the Alternative POV may lean favorably to Chase, the book begins to make up for the disappointment of missing more focus on Ariel with its ability to withdraw emotions from you as a reader. I found myself both shocked, laughing and basically wondering what the heck was going on and about to happen next. It’s definitely hard to predict, so it keeps you on your toes!

Overall I enjoyed my reading experience of Chased by Piper Lawson, this was my first experience with her as a writer and I had no trouble getting into the story, the book itself was fast paced and a quick read. It is worth remembering that the book is split in TWO parts therefore you may wish to  have Part 2 handy as the book ends with a cliff hanger of sorts and you will want to start the next one to see what happens with Ariel and Chase and how their story ends. Luckily Netgalley kindly sent me both parts so I didn’t have to go through the pain of waiting to find out more!

Let me know in the comments if when reading a New Adult Romance do you prefer an instant love relationship or a tension filled build up? 

 

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Useful Links : Goodreads – Chased Part 1 | Chased – Part 2 | Piper Lawson