Chasing McCree Blog Tour: Review

                                                     

Chasing McCree Blog Tour is presented by Reading Addiction Book Tours.

Title: Chasing McCree
Author: J.C. Isabella
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult Romance
Format: ebook (182 pages)
Publisher: Self
Date Published: April 14, 2012

Synopsis: Briar Thompson had it all. The right clothes, the right friends, the right car. Being popular was all that mattered. Her parents were rich and treated like royalty throughout the community. She thought her senior year of high school was going perfectly, until the night her drink was spiked at a party by one of her so called friends.

That was the night she met Chase McCree.

Chase wanted to go back to Montana. To the ranch and the wild, wide blue sky that went on forever. He wanted nothing to do with flashy cars or spoiled rich kids. But he found himself head over boots for the quirky cheerleader who turned her back on her social status. She befriended him when no one else would.

Shunned and hurt by the people who were once her friends, Briar flees with Chase to his family ranch in Montana. There she discovers another world, and apart of herself she never knew.

The cowboy wasn’t like anyone she’d ever met. The cheerleader wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met. Apart their lives didn’t seem to make sense, but together, they were chasing forever.

Purchase links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Review: Even though the storyline of city girl meeting and falling for the country boy has been done many times, I sometimes find the stories lacking certain things, like heart, for example. J. C. Isabella's Chasing McCree is a contemporary romance for young adults with lots of heart.

Briar is a cheerleader, popular, blond, and has just broken up with her boyfriend, Alex. She may be a stereotypical character found in much of today's YA, but I liked her character. When we first see her, Chase is riding his horse across a soccer field at night, trying to let the animal exercise. In the near dark he spots movement and a drunk blond stumbles out. 

A knight on his steed rescuing the distressed damsel. Yes, it's cliche and in this story, it's executed in such an adorable way.Chase is a Montana cowboy trying to make his mother happy by trying to live with her and her new husband in Florida. Briar isn't happy with her rich parents, attending an elite school with all of its' snobs. When the new boy does something nice just for the sake of being nice and doesn't want something in return from her, she takes notice. Some may say these two fall in love too quickly--like many couples in YA today-- and I have to say I found this couple believable. When one is seeking or yearning for something so badly without knowing it or admitting to it, the one thing they're searching for can sometimes appear. Both of these characters were living the day-to-day life but their hearts weren't in it. Over time they discover what they need is each other.

"You know, I don't know what's it like to feel so incomplete that I can't breathe." Briar says these words to Chase before they take off on their trip to Montana. I found myself relating to her character and liked her. Hearing from both characters as they narrated in alternate chapters in first person helped me understand them better. I enjoyed watching Briar accept Montana ranch life and fall in love with a cowboy. Chase is down to earth and ruggedly charming--such an easy character to root for. When Chase realizes Briar's life is threatened, the emotions he expresses convinced me he really was in love.

Chase and Briar were such a sweet couple and yet I occasionally expected a bit more conflict. When her parents fly out to bring her back home, I expected some drama (take Briar home, what would Chase do?) and found the climatic scene a bit anti-climatic. When Chase displays a darker side to himself in the bar scene, playing this up could have given the story another layer of suspense since the main mystery was pretty easy to figure out. And I don't know about other readers but I wanted to see Briar work with Firefly, especially if she wanted to be a vet.

As for the setting, I liked the descriptions of the ranch and country life. Once the story switched from Florida to Montana, the pacing picked up a bit and the story seemed richer. Chase's family came across as big hearted, loving country folk even if I wasn't convinced Chase's being so rich was necessary. 

All in all, I liked Chasing McCree. This contemporary romance is pure escapism and what better place to escape to than a huge cattle ranch and the picturesque snow capped mountains of Montana?

Rating: I liked it.

Favorite excerpt: "He headed for the beach and parked the truck next to an outcropping of rocks. We spent the rest of the day watching the waves roll in and out. Didn’t do much talking. We just sat in the truck bed, keeping each other company. 

It was like this between us sometimes. Chase wasn’t a chatty person. I’d have to get used to it. Normally I felt a need to fill the silence, even with my so-called friends. It had always felt uncomfortable and strained. I had to speak to keep things moving, to feel less than awkward. I’d never been able to relax around any of them. 

There was no awkwardness in the silence with Chase. I felt no need to fill the void, because for once there wasn’t one. For the first time in my life, I let myself be. 

I simply existed."

Cover comment: Cute and simple.

Website

Author Bio: J.C. Isabella is the author of The Unofficial Zack Warren Fan Club and a romance novel junkie. Ever since she discovered the genre in high school, she has been a self-proclaimed fan. This led to penning her first YA romance. 
When she isn't thinking up new recipes for the cookbook she hopes to one day write, she is brainstorming a new novel and listening to country music. She lives in the tropics of Florida, with her big fat Italian family, and ornery feline companion.



*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

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