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3.19 AVERAGE
3.19 AVERAGE
2.5*
The thing that bugged me about these books started to become apparent in book two and galvanized with this one-these don’t feel like NA stories and I don’t mean that in a good way.
It feels like plots written for main characters in their 30s were just slapped over college-aged protagonists. Not just the current scenarios but the backstories of each character just don’t feel legit for characters so young.
The thing that bugged me about these books started to become apparent in book two and galvanized with this one-these don’t feel like NA stories and I don’t mean that in a good way.
It feels like plots written for main characters in their 30s were just slapped over college-aged protagonists. Not just the current scenarios but the backstories of each character just don’t feel legit for characters so young.
Third in the Rule Breakers romance series. The couple focus is on Erin Connelly and Zander James.
This ARC was provided by NetGalley and Loveswept in exchange for an honest review.
I'm torn between a "2" and a "3" on this. The number of errors was tremendous. I realize this is an ARC, and I rarely, very rarely, come across an ARC from a traditional publisher that has this many problems: the wrong words; misspellings; missing prepositions, pronouns, and articles; extra and missing words; and, verb disagreements galore. Combined with the lack of depth…
This is sweet with a cute story and some hot love scenes. Chance did a nice set-up, making me worry and wonder so many things right off. What does she do for a living? Why would Zander not speak to her? Who is held hostage? How did she disappoint Erin so many times??
The conflict in this story primarily comes from years of miscommunication. Well, more like no communication. It's a reasonable error, as they were young and the situation was dramatic and confused. It didn't help that Erin has spent most of her life learning to "not communicate", and Chance makes us feel their frustration, anger, fear, and that horrible sense of humiliation when they do meet up after all these years.
Both Zander and Erin were wrong all those years ago, and it's the shortsightedness and callow anger of youth that tore them apart and may keep them apart today. A car rolls like that, and he doesn't think the cops will be involved, at least eventually? Just proves his immaturity in this. Erin took off without saying a word and simply disappeared. Not the most mature reaction here, either. Not that Zander's screaming at her and leaving the next day left much room.
It's also a disconnect for me. Chance is pushing this bit of drama, and it's not until the very, very end that either character concedes anything. It's just one example of small things that don't make sense. That leave little blips along the way. This story has great possibilities, and her editor didn't help her out here.
That miscommunication doesn't stop with Erin and Zander, as it encompasses Zander and his dad as well. What is it with parents being unable to tell their kids they're proud of them?
It does sound to have been a somewhat idyllic childhood for the two of them, leaving out her mother and his father. Phew, Chance left me in the dark about that mother, right up until the last minute. Nicely done.
That "hired help" scenario was predictable — and still cute. And, damn, Zander did know his stuff! I sure liked Rey as well.
On the negative side, there's more melodrama than I like, and Erin's thinking is fairly juvenile. For someone who's had to take care of herself and her mother for so many years, I'd think she'd be more grown-up. This conversation Zander has with Jackson doesn't feel real. Zander's only been in the army for four years, and he's already a staff sergeant, AND being courted by a mercenary unit? Pretty impressive. Jackson sure is willing to spend a heckuva lotta money on this boy. I find myself curious as to how good Zander really is!
I gotta say, I despise Erin's mother. Erin should'a cut her off a long time ago. As it is, she's simply enabling the idiot. I appreciated the acknowledgement moment, but I gotta wonder how long that'll last. How could any mother do this to her child year after year after year…?
I felt like I was being jerked around at the end. Maybe it was more real life, and I wasn't expecting it, but I felt as though Chance was trying to work some more melodrama in before she closed down the story.
Like I said…it's a fun read with a promise of depth if Chance had worked at it.
It's the colonel's funeral that gives Erin the impetus and opportunity to take this chance, to hope that Zander may have forgiven her for destroying his future.
She just needs a few tips to save her mother.
Erin Connelly is an artist who works in an art gallery and loves HGTV. The fiercely loyal Dani Michaels is the only housemate still with her — Lacey has hooked up with Dante Falcone and Anna is traveling with Jake Flynn. Gran Ginny was her mother's mother, and the real "mother" who raised Erin. Mike is her mom's boyfriend. Mom is a nurse.
Staff Sergeant Alexander "Zander" James is an adrenaline junkie and an Army Ranger with a specialty in incendiary devices; he was also Erin's only love until she couldn't take it any more. Sarah is Zander's mother. Karen is his older sister and has a son, Caleb, and a daughter, Lexi. Colonel William James was his strict dad who taught at the Army War College. Zander has an older brother as well.
Glen Jackson was one of the colonel's friends. He's also an independent contractor, Jackson Security, providing security for Army intelligence.
Miss Grainger is with the bank in Laredo. Reymundo "Rey" Torres is a "driver" who meets up with them in Laredo. Rand "R-Four" Sterling Winston IV owns the company for which Anna used to work.
Mateo is one of the kidnappers.
Back in the day
Kevin Anders was a jerk in high school.
The cover is simple: a bare-chested, well-muscled man wearing dog tags. Gotta be Zander.
I'm guessing the title is about both Zander and Erin, for they both Want It, even if neither of them wants to reach for it.
This ARC was provided by NetGalley and Loveswept in exchange for an honest review.
I'm torn between a "2" and a "3" on this. The number of errors was tremendous. I realize this is an ARC, and I rarely, very rarely, come across an ARC from a traditional publisher that has this many problems: the wrong words; misspellings; missing prepositions, pronouns, and articles; extra and missing words; and, verb disagreements galore. Combined with the lack of depth…
My Take
This is sweet with a cute story and some hot love scenes. Chance did a nice set-up, making me worry and wonder so many things right off. What does she do for a living? Why would Zander not speak to her? Who is held hostage? How did she disappoint Erin so many times??
The conflict in this story primarily comes from years of miscommunication. Well, more like no communication. It's a reasonable error, as they were young and the situation was dramatic and confused. It didn't help that Erin has spent most of her life learning to "not communicate", and Chance makes us feel their frustration, anger, fear, and that horrible sense of humiliation when they do meet up after all these years.
Both Zander and Erin were wrong all those years ago, and it's the shortsightedness and callow anger of youth that tore them apart and may keep them apart today. A car rolls like that, and he doesn't think the cops will be involved, at least eventually? Just proves his immaturity in this. Erin took off without saying a word and simply disappeared. Not the most mature reaction here, either. Not that Zander's screaming at her and leaving the next day left much room.
It's also a disconnect for me. Chance is pushing this bit of drama, and it's not until the very, very end that either character concedes anything. It's just one example of small things that don't make sense. That leave little blips along the way. This story has great possibilities, and her editor didn't help her out here.
"Zander kissed Erin's mouth so softly, so gently, that her entire world seemed to balance on its edge, precariously wobbling, just begging to fall.
'Zander, I—'
'Shhh,' he murmured. 'I'm a trained professional.'"
That miscommunication doesn't stop with Erin and Zander, as it encompasses Zander and his dad as well. What is it with parents being unable to tell their kids they're proud of them?
It does sound to have been a somewhat idyllic childhood for the two of them, leaving out her mother and his father. Phew, Chance left me in the dark about that mother, right up until the last minute. Nicely done.
That "hired help" scenario was predictable — and still cute. And, damn, Zander did know his stuff! I sure liked Rey as well.
On the negative side, there's more melodrama than I like, and Erin's thinking is fairly juvenile. For someone who's had to take care of herself and her mother for so many years, I'd think she'd be more grown-up. This conversation Zander has with Jackson doesn't feel real. Zander's only been in the army for four years, and he's already a staff sergeant, AND being courted by a mercenary unit? Pretty impressive. Jackson sure is willing to spend a heckuva lotta money on this boy. I find myself curious as to how good Zander really is!
I gotta say, I despise Erin's mother. Erin should'a cut her off a long time ago. As it is, she's simply enabling the idiot. I appreciated the acknowledgement moment, but I gotta wonder how long that'll last. How could any mother do this to her child year after year after year…?
I felt like I was being jerked around at the end. Maybe it was more real life, and I wasn't expecting it, but I felt as though Chance was trying to work some more melodrama in before she closed down the story.
Like I said…it's a fun read with a promise of depth if Chance had worked at it.
The Story
It's the colonel's funeral that gives Erin the impetus and opportunity to take this chance, to hope that Zander may have forgiven her for destroying his future.
She just needs a few tips to save her mother.
The Characters
Erin Connelly is an artist who works in an art gallery and loves HGTV. The fiercely loyal Dani Michaels is the only housemate still with her — Lacey has hooked up with Dante Falcone and Anna is traveling with Jake Flynn. Gran Ginny was her mother's mother, and the real "mother" who raised Erin. Mike is her mom's boyfriend. Mom is a nurse.
Staff Sergeant Alexander "Zander" James is an adrenaline junkie and an Army Ranger with a specialty in incendiary devices; he was also Erin's only love until she couldn't take it any more. Sarah is Zander's mother. Karen is his older sister and has a son, Caleb, and a daughter, Lexi. Colonel William James was his strict dad who taught at the Army War College. Zander has an older brother as well.
Glen Jackson was one of the colonel's friends. He's also an independent contractor, Jackson Security, providing security for Army intelligence.
Miss Grainger is with the bank in Laredo. Reymundo "Rey" Torres is a "driver" who meets up with them in Laredo. Rand "R-Four" Sterling Winston IV owns the company for which Anna used to work.
Mateo is one of the kidnappers.
Back in the day
Kevin Anders was a jerk in high school.
The Cover and Title
The cover is simple: a bare-chested, well-muscled man wearing dog tags. Gotta be Zander.
I'm guessing the title is about both Zander and Erin, for they both Want It, even if neither of them wants to reach for it.
Zander and Erin turned their backs' on their relationship four years ago after Erin's phone call turned Zander's life on its head, destroying his future career before it even began. Can past mistakes and misunderstandings be forgiven and forgotten?
Zander is a risk taker and adrenaline junkie. Always full of confidence and wanting to push to his physical limits. He can see Erin again one more time and help her in her hour of need without emotion, can't he?
An unexpected email, brings Erin face to face with the man who's life changed as a direct result of her actions. Will Zander be willing to answer her questions to help with a problem she has?
Their journey takes them to Mexico, where both our protagonists realize that they still have feelings for one another and begin to understand why events from the past happened for a reason. Misunderstandings are overcome and new feelings begin to flourish. Is it possible to have a second chance at love?
This was an enjoyable read, laced with intrigue, which I read as a standalone novel. The author does a very good job at keeping the readers attention and the protagonists are both believable and likable as individuals but not completely convincing as a couple. Also the conclusion to the escapade in Mexico ended less dramatically than I expected. Overall though, this is a well written book by an author who's work I intend to read more of in the future.
3½ stars
***arc received in exchange for an honest review***
Zander is a risk taker and adrenaline junkie. Always full of confidence and wanting to push to his physical limits. He can see Erin again one more time and help her in her hour of need without emotion, can't he?
An unexpected email, brings Erin face to face with the man who's life changed as a direct result of her actions. Will Zander be willing to answer her questions to help with a problem she has?
Their journey takes them to Mexico, where both our protagonists realize that they still have feelings for one another and begin to understand why events from the past happened for a reason. Misunderstandings are overcome and new feelings begin to flourish. Is it possible to have a second chance at love?
This was an enjoyable read, laced with intrigue, which I read as a standalone novel. The author does a very good job at keeping the readers attention and the protagonists are both believable and likable as individuals but not completely convincing as a couple. Also the conclusion to the escapade in Mexico ended less dramatically than I expected. Overall though, this is a well written book by an author who's work I intend to read more of in the future.
3½ stars
***arc received in exchange for an honest review***
I first read Jennifer Chance when I received an ARC of Rock It, the first book in the Rule Breakers series. I enjoyed it immensely. The plot brought back memories of my love for Justin Timberlake and I connected with the story and the characters. Unfortunately, I didn’t get all of that with Want It.
This series is nice in that each book can be read as a standalone. There is an underlying connection but it’s so minor that you blink, you miss it. Which worked in my favor here as I didn’t read the second one. In Want It, we meet Erin Connelly, the girl who plays it safe. She works hard, has a good job, and has an okay living situation having inherited her grandmother’s place and rents out extra rooms for more income. She never takes chances, never does anything risky with the exception of her mother and her high school boyfriend.
Erin’s mother is basically a horrible parent. She left Erin to be raised by her grandmother while she went off and got in dead end relationship after dead end relationship only to come back to Erin when she needed something. Like money to give to the kidnappers holding her and her current boyfriend in Mexico (I kid you not). Erin, not really knowing what to do, takes a mortgage out on her house for the cash and a plan, although not a very good one.
Enter Zander James, Erin’s high school boyfriend whom she hasn’t seen in four years. Even though they had a bad breakup, Zander still can’t let Erin follow through with her plan alone. Using his military connections, he decides to accompany Erin down to Mexico under the guise of being her boyfriend. Of course, old feelings get stirred up and Erin has to constantly remind herself to keep her head in the game.
There were parts that I liked about this book – the banter between the two, Zanders willingness to help, Erin wanting to be independent and strong. But there were also parts that I disliked such as the dramaticness of the plot. Not only do we have two people recovering from a messy breakup but we also have kidnapping, extortion, hostage negations…it was crazy. Also I wasn’t a fan of the ‘I’m just going to sleep with you to get you out of my head’. While it fit the character of Zander, it didn’t fit Erin. Which made me wonder if the author even knew who Erin was to begin with, her character was kind of all over the place. She was quiet and controlled, then outspoken and demanding. She was weak and didn’t listen when people tried to help her. For most of the book, she pissed me off. It just seemed like there was too much happening to really take time and develop the characters. It was hard to relate to any of them.
While this book wasn’t my favorite, I do like Chance’s writing style and will continue to read her work.
I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This series is nice in that each book can be read as a standalone. There is an underlying connection but it’s so minor that you blink, you miss it. Which worked in my favor here as I didn’t read the second one. In Want It, we meet Erin Connelly, the girl who plays it safe. She works hard, has a good job, and has an okay living situation having inherited her grandmother’s place and rents out extra rooms for more income. She never takes chances, never does anything risky with the exception of her mother and her high school boyfriend.
Erin’s mother is basically a horrible parent. She left Erin to be raised by her grandmother while she went off and got in dead end relationship after dead end relationship only to come back to Erin when she needed something. Like money to give to the kidnappers holding her and her current boyfriend in Mexico (I kid you not). Erin, not really knowing what to do, takes a mortgage out on her house for the cash and a plan, although not a very good one.
Enter Zander James, Erin’s high school boyfriend whom she hasn’t seen in four years. Even though they had a bad breakup, Zander still can’t let Erin follow through with her plan alone. Using his military connections, he decides to accompany Erin down to Mexico under the guise of being her boyfriend. Of course, old feelings get stirred up and Erin has to constantly remind herself to keep her head in the game.
There were parts that I liked about this book – the banter between the two, Zanders willingness to help, Erin wanting to be independent and strong. But there were also parts that I disliked such as the dramaticness of the plot. Not only do we have two people recovering from a messy breakup but we also have kidnapping, extortion, hostage negations…it was crazy. Also I wasn’t a fan of the ‘I’m just going to sleep with you to get you out of my head’. While it fit the character of Zander, it didn’t fit Erin. Which made me wonder if the author even knew who Erin was to begin with, her character was kind of all over the place. She was quiet and controlled, then outspoken and demanding. She was weak and didn’t listen when people tried to help her. For most of the book, she pissed me off. It just seemed like there was too much happening to really take time and develop the characters. It was hard to relate to any of them.
While this book wasn’t my favorite, I do like Chance’s writing style and will continue to read her work.
I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
****Full Review****
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Erin needs some helpful tips, specifically tips on how to negotiate with people who take your irresponsible mother and her boyfriend hostage. As Erin is an artist and fairly introverted she doesn’t quite have the circle of friends that have these expertise either. When she receives an email from her ex-boyfriend’s mother with the date and time of his father’s funeral she recalls that he is in the military and may just have the knowledge of skills she so desperately needs. The fact that Erin hasn’t spoken to him in four years and oh yeah, she basically destroyed his life when she inadvertently got him arrested shouldn’t harm her chances of getting his help at all. When Zander comes face to face with Erin he is shocked and starts to feel all his old emotions of anger along with some lingering attraction. When he finds out the kind of trouble she is in there is no way he is going to let her leave his side. As they work to save Erin’s mother they have to decide if past hurts can be forgiven in favor of future relationships.
In the beginning Erin seemed somewhat naïve, from the way she approached her mother’s hostage situation to how and what questions she asked Zander not thinking he wouldn’t be extremely scrutinizing of why she needed the answers she did. Erin never fully crosses over to TSTL territory but there were times I had to remind myself she was only twenty-two and lacking in world experience to help explain her actions. Zander was the complete opposite, I kept checking to make sure he was suppose to be only twenty-two because of the way he was written with such strength of maturity and the story thread of him being heavily recruited by a private security agency. Zander does have a wealth of real world experience and being in heavy stress situations but some instances seemed out of reach for a twenty-two year old. The first half of the book I loved how Erin and Zander interacted, they were very normal with each other in terms of dialogue. Erin's wide-eyed in over her head played well against Zander's man of the world protectiveness. They were funny and cute together with an overlap of things left unsaid and unsettled hanging over them.
The second half of the book didn’t work as well for me as the hostage situation came more into play or was suppose to. When Erin and Zander get down to Mexico the pace slowed way down and while their bedroom scenes (and pool scene) heated up, my interest cooled off. The suspense angle fizzled as the bad guys showed up only to disappear again and again in choppy intervals and then were beaten in a fairly anticlimactic way. The story focuses pretty much on Erin and Zander so secondary characters were largely in the background. As this is third in a series, there were a couple characters I could tell were from previous books but they did not play a significant role in the story and I would say this could easily pass as a standalone.
While Erin and Zander actually falling in love is kind of missed as this happened when they were teenagers, their current dialogue and interactions were cute and appealing. The first half had me invested but unfortunately the middle and last half lost its way focusing on a few repetitive bedroom scenes. However, if you’re just looking for a stalwart soldier and babe in the woods themed quick romance, the solid writing here could make this an option.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Erin needs some helpful tips, specifically tips on how to negotiate with people who take your irresponsible mother and her boyfriend hostage. As Erin is an artist and fairly introverted she doesn’t quite have the circle of friends that have these expertise either. When she receives an email from her ex-boyfriend’s mother with the date and time of his father’s funeral she recalls that he is in the military and may just have the knowledge of skills she so desperately needs. The fact that Erin hasn’t spoken to him in four years and oh yeah, she basically destroyed his life when she inadvertently got him arrested shouldn’t harm her chances of getting his help at all. When Zander comes face to face with Erin he is shocked and starts to feel all his old emotions of anger along with some lingering attraction. When he finds out the kind of trouble she is in there is no way he is going to let her leave his side. As they work to save Erin’s mother they have to decide if past hurts can be forgiven in favor of future relationships.
In the beginning Erin seemed somewhat naïve, from the way she approached her mother’s hostage situation to how and what questions she asked Zander not thinking he wouldn’t be extremely scrutinizing of why she needed the answers she did. Erin never fully crosses over to TSTL territory but there were times I had to remind myself she was only twenty-two and lacking in world experience to help explain her actions. Zander was the complete opposite, I kept checking to make sure he was suppose to be only twenty-two because of the way he was written with such strength of maturity and the story thread of him being heavily recruited by a private security agency. Zander does have a wealth of real world experience and being in heavy stress situations but some instances seemed out of reach for a twenty-two year old. The first half of the book I loved how Erin and Zander interacted, they were very normal with each other in terms of dialogue. Erin's wide-eyed in over her head played well against Zander's man of the world protectiveness. They were funny and cute together with an overlap of things left unsaid and unsettled hanging over them.
The second half of the book didn’t work as well for me as the hostage situation came more into play or was suppose to. When Erin and Zander get down to Mexico the pace slowed way down and while their bedroom scenes (and pool scene) heated up, my interest cooled off. The suspense angle fizzled as the bad guys showed up only to disappear again and again in choppy intervals and then were beaten in a fairly anticlimactic way. The story focuses pretty much on Erin and Zander so secondary characters were largely in the background. As this is third in a series, there were a couple characters I could tell were from previous books but they did not play a significant role in the story and I would say this could easily pass as a standalone.
While Erin and Zander actually falling in love is kind of missed as this happened when they were teenagers, their current dialogue and interactions were cute and appealing. The first half had me invested but unfortunately the middle and last half lost its way focusing on a few repetitive bedroom scenes. However, if you’re just looking for a stalwart soldier and babe in the woods themed quick romance, the solid writing here could make this an option.
Want It is a story about a second chance romance between highschool sweethearts that were torn apart by one decision.
When Erin learns that her mother is being held captive in Mexico for a ransom, she turns to the only man that she can for advice. When Erin comes to Zander asking strange questions, he knows that something is not quite right. Zander is an Army Ranger and refuses to let Erin go to Mexico by herself. They are then thrust into a confined space and the sparks from their past reignite.
I enjoyed this book for what it gives on the surface. Alpha male + damsel in distress = a steamy hot romance. However, one thing that just rubbed me the wrong way was the reason for their breakup. For years Erin has beat herself up over the split second decision that tore her life apart. When that decision is finally explained, I was annoyed that it was that big of a deal and that they continue to think of it as a big deal. Unfortunately I just couldn't get my mind around this, which lead to a lot of frustration with the characters.
With that said, the writing was decently done and the dialogue flowed nicely. The characters were ok, again I couldn't see to get around the fact that the main characters couldn't move past a decision that occurred years before.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*
When Erin learns that her mother is being held captive in Mexico for a ransom, she turns to the only man that she can for advice. When Erin comes to Zander asking strange questions, he knows that something is not quite right. Zander is an Army Ranger and refuses to let Erin go to Mexico by herself. They are then thrust into a confined space and the sparks from their past reignite.
I enjoyed this book for what it gives on the surface. Alpha male + damsel in distress = a steamy hot romance. However, one thing that just rubbed me the wrong way was the reason for their breakup. For years Erin has beat herself up over the split second decision that tore her life apart. When that decision is finally explained, I was annoyed that it was that big of a deal and that they continue to think of it as a big deal. Unfortunately I just couldn't get my mind around this, which lead to a lot of frustration with the characters.
With that said, the writing was decently done and the dialogue flowed nicely. The characters were ok, again I couldn't see to get around the fact that the main characters couldn't move past a decision that occurred years before.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*
Zander and Erin turned their backs' on their relationship four years ago after Erin's phone call turned Zander's life on its head, destroying his future career before it even began. Can past mistakes and misunderstandings be forgiven and forgotten?
Zander is a risk taker and adrenaline junkie. Always full of confidence and wanting to push to his physical limits. He can see Erin again one more time and help her in her hour of need without emotion, can't he?
An unexpected email, brings Erin face to face with the man who's life changed as a direct result of her actions. Will Zander be willing to answer her questions to help with a problem she has?
Their journey takes them to Mexico, where both our protagonists realize that they still have feelings for one another and begin to understand why events from the past happened for a reason. Misunderstandings are overcome and new feelings begin to flourish. Is it possible to have a second chance at love?
This was an enjoyable read, laced with intrigue, which I read as a standalone novel. The author does a very good job at keeping the readers attention and the protagonists are both believable and likable as individuals but not completely convincing as a couple. Also the conclusion to the escapade in Mexico ended less dramatically than I expected. Overall though, this is a well written book by an author who's work I intend to read more of in the future.
3½ stars
***arc received in exchange for an honest review***
Zander is a risk taker and adrenaline junkie. Always full of confidence and wanting to push to his physical limits. He can see Erin again one more time and help her in her hour of need without emotion, can't he?
An unexpected email, brings Erin face to face with the man who's life changed as a direct result of her actions. Will Zander be willing to answer her questions to help with a problem she has?
Their journey takes them to Mexico, where both our protagonists realize that they still have feelings for one another and begin to understand why events from the past happened for a reason. Misunderstandings are overcome and new feelings begin to flourish. Is it possible to have a second chance at love?
This was an enjoyable read, laced with intrigue, which I read as a standalone novel. The author does a very good job at keeping the readers attention and the protagonists are both believable and likable as individuals but not completely convincing as a couple. Also the conclusion to the escapade in Mexico ended less dramatically than I expected. Overall though, this is a well written book by an author who's work I intend to read more of in the future.
3½ stars
***arc received in exchange for an honest review***