Taking Chances audiobook

Audio re-read November 2018Gah! I forgot how painful this book was... it doesn't get easier. I'm glad I did a re-read because I do love these characters and the story, but I'm not sure if I'll ever be crazy enough read it again. Time will tell ;) 5 stars!Okay what to say about this book? I LOVED IT! Well, that would be an understatement! All the characters were wonderful (except Trish) and it was just a great story. I really loved Brandon by the end of the book, which surprised me because I was team Chase all the way. Be prepared to pull an all nighter reading and be ready to bawl your eyes out. One of the best books I have read this year!

TO: MOLLY MCADAMS--- “FOR THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES, WE ARE NOT FRIENDS."This book ripped my heart out and left me in mourning. I had to gather the strength to read on and finish. How can it be that the main character is blissfully happy and I am utterly miserable to the very end of this amazing story?There are three drool worthy guys included in this book, but one of them stole my heart from the very beginning: “Oh My God! Princess! You're my new favorite." I fell completely in love! I found myself going through the "7 stages of Grief" one of which is Bargaining: wishing that the book would take a paranormal route so I could be happy again, trading characters out, etc.The final step of grieving is Acceptance and Hope: I'll get there eventually!

Spoiler Free Review 3.5 to 4 STARS out of 5Genre: YA/New Adult-Mature contentPassengers please lower your harness and fasten your seatbelts for safety. This book hits sharp turns has high peaks and fast drops.**smiles** Please enjoy the ride!Emotional Roller-Coaster does not even begin to describe this book. My face leaked from every hole it has I'm talkin can't stop cryin nose blowin mouth drooling weeping. YES it is that intense. Don't say I didn't warn you.'I wanted to have dysfunctional relationships and flings but did that happen? Nope. I felt like Elena from the Vampire Diaries. She has two insanely hot men who are in love with her and would do anything for her. One of which, she would give almost everything to be with, and the other she continues to push away, even though she can't ever actually stay away, so she won't have to admit she was in love with him too. At least my guys weren't brothers. Thank God for that.' -Harpers inner monologue in Taking Chances Dear God make me a bird so I can fly far far away After eighteen years of growing up under the strict rule of her Marine father properly titled 'Sir.' Harper is finally breaking free. She is now on her way to college clear across the country from North Carolina to the sunshine state. San Diego California. Harper is described by one character as being pure as the snow. She has never had a boyfriend and has never been kissed. AT EIGHTEEN! **Throws hands in the air** Unbelievable right?! After unpacking she takes a nap. She is later woken up by her procacious roomate Breanna. She tells Harper that her brother is having a party at his house and they will be in attendance. After ruling out everything in Harper's wardrobe Breanna decides they need to hit the mall.The two girls bond quickly and Harper has a hidden crush on Chase; Breanna's brother. Chase is tall blonde with surfer boy hair and piercing blue eyes. He also has a few tattoos. But the guy is a player. Everytime she sees him he is sporting a new chick on his arm lap or wherever else they can hang off him at. Then she meets Brandon one of Chase's many roomates. Brandon is tall with a buzzed cut and sports a cute dimple in his cheek when he smiles. OH and he is also tatted up. When Brandon returns his interest in Harper Chase decides he is not feeling it so he tries to run interference. He knows he is not good for her and as far as he is concerned neither is Brandon. Unfortunately the choice is not his. Harper is not having it and she let's Chase know that she can do what she wants. Then she goes and does exactly that.Now this is just the first 11% of the book... After that you will be taken on an emotional ride as Harper becomes torn in between these two guys. She experiences heartbreak and she hands out heartbreak to not one, not two, but three guys.-Cheating takes her from one guy-And lies take one from herShe lost one. Lose some to Win some, right?!?ThoughtsIn all honesty I am a BIG mixed bag of emotions with this book... This is mainly due to the fact that I have a love/hate thing for the heroine Harper. At times I could not stand her. Sorry correction most times I could not stand her. The guys in this book allowed me to enjoy it their witty banter and alpha ways got me all hot and bothered in the best of ways.Also the author did an amazing job with showing the importance of family and friendship. I loved the parts that showcased the family ties the most.If you loved Thoughtless by S.C.Stephens and/or Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire then you should enjoy this book. Just make sure you have the kleenex handy. But no worries twice out of the three times i cried they were happy tears.My RatingsCharacters- Lovable except HarperWriting Style- GoodPlot/Storyline- GoodSteam Factor- Medium/Moderately SteamyOverall- I liked it!!!Now go forth and Read. Then tell us all about it on Goodreads!

My thoughts on Taking Chances.....I felt myself being pulled back and forth between Chase and Brandon, I couldn't decide at first but I decided on Brandon, and I have to say he was my choice throughout. And yes, I know I am in the minority! So Harper's actions peeved me off no end!!!!!However, my thoughts on that is that here's this girl who has been like a bird locked in her cage throughout her life, starved from love with no Mum and a Dad who she respected but had a pretty cold and no affection relationship with. She had Carter and the other lads, but these were in her mind friendships, not lust/love. She has never experienced the attraction, the longing, the lust or the love. So it hit her over the head when she met these 2 amazing blokes!When she gets to spread her wings, express herself as she wants/likes and receives adoration, protection, love in return she herself loves right back. Brandon and Chase are 2 separate objects of affection and love. I think she falls in love with both because at the end of the day not only are they gorgeous, they both offer her what she has been lacking all her life. Chase just happened to come across her first. That initial meeting sparked something in her which if it hadn't been for his reputation possibly could have changed the whole story. Her defense mechanism was to flee, however he was already in her heart.Harper is one intense and love starved young woman who craves to be loved and love in return. She has so much to give. With Chase however, throughout the story she wanted to protect herself. It is as if she was just waiting for the inevitable to occur, like repeating a mantra of 'he will cheat and leave me loveless'. Brandon on the other hand did not have this reputation, and he loves as hard as Chase, he is almost like the safer option emotionally. I have no doubt though that Chase would have stayed faithful, I am so sure he would have given her everything and never strayed! My heart broke and I actually wanted to vomit when "the thing" happened. Worst scene EVER!! It still breaks my heart and I still now think WTF!!! I hate it, I really do!!I LOVED this ending. But then again I LOVE emotional books and if I cry in a book I know it means I just read a bloody amazing one!!! Although at times I really hated Harper with a passion, I kind of understood her.I know this is fiction, but I also know that stuff like this happens in real life, it really does. People grow up starved of love and they overcompensate subconsciously by loving too much. With sudden freedom comes sudden rebellion against the norm or what is deemed acceptable. But who says it has to be so?!I hated Trish, I wanted to bitch slap her into tomorrow, however, the guilt she has to live with for the rest of her life, well that is enough punishment as well as what Harper dished out!! So yes, I both loved and hated this book but Molly's writing has to be applauded for evoking such extreme emotions!!

This was the most emotional book I think I have ever read. I hated THAT part. I hate HE was gone. This book stays with you after you're done and you feel all banged up inside. All I've been doing is hugging my husband.

Being a big fan of Beautiful Disaster and Thoughtless/Effortless, I'm always looking for a book that will give me the same adrenaline rush I felt when I read those. Taking Chances was that book for me. It has the incredibly sexy, tatted, buzzed-head hero who makes a living as an underground fighter like BD and the heart-wrenching love triangle between a sweet girl and two equally awesome frat brothers who are both in love with her like T/E. Can Romancelandia get any better for me? Not likely.Harper Jackson has just started her freshman year at San Diego State University. Being raised by a strict, emotionless father on a military base in North Carolina, she is completely overwhelmed by her over-zealous roommate Bree and the craziness of living in the dorms on campus. Bree's brother, Chase, is the first guy she meets; and, although they fall into a routine of trading snarky remarks with each other, Chase's chiseled, tatted body and surfer good looks have Harper secretly swooning despite her vow to steer clear of the obvious "man-ho". But then she meets Brandon, the sexy "Travis Maddox look-alike" and it is love at first sight for both of them. Unfortunately, Brandon lives in Chase's frat house and it becomes a messy love triangle that escalates to disastrous proportions.I can't say anything more in detail without giving away the story, but it is an amazing, heart-wrenching, soul-searching journey that Harper embarks upon in her first year of college. It is a long book - just short of 500 pages - but I was so caught up in Harper's dilemma with her two awesome men that I read the book in one sitting. Yes, it is that good!This is Molly McAdams debut "new adult" novel and I'm excited for her to write more because she has that special "gift" of bringing her characters alive and making her readers feel as though we know these people personally. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all lovers of a good romance but especially to those who are still in a state of limbo after experiencing Travis Maddox and Kellan Kyle. But heed this warning: Have a box of tissue handy...there are a few situations that will have you tearing up and one incident that will tear your heart to pieces! *sniff*5+ stars!ChaseBrandon

4 Dramatic StarsThis will be a hard review for me because there are a lot of elements in Taking Chances I have personal issues with. So please note, these are personal issues and this is my personal opinion.Here we go…A lot of people recommended Taking Chances to me. However, my girlfriend read it and DNF. I asked her why and she basically told me what happened up until the 50% mark. So I have been putting it off for a very long time. I don’t know why I decided to pick up, maybe because I am a masochist or my morbid curiosity? What-ever the reason, I needed to know what happens in the end. Taking Chances is not a typical book. It’s not cookie cutter, it’s raw, it’s emotional and you will make you cry like a baby. No, there’s not a “chance” you will cry, it’s a definite, 100% you will need tissues and valium to finish reading.Seriously... Taking Chances is about Harper, the Heroine and two Heroes, Chase and Brandon. This is their love story. It’s not typical, but sometimes shit happens. Let’s get my first issue out, I do not like love triangles when it’s between an indecisive girl and two great Heroes. I need one of the Heroes to be a villain and I didn’t get that. You will fall in love with both men. Chase is the bad-boy player and Brandon is the perfect bring-him-home-meet-the-parents kind of guy. I wavered between Chase and Brandon throughout the read. I couldn’t pin-point who I wanted more and Harper didn’t make it any easier. This is where my review will become spoiler-ish. I will not give away the main event, but I have to point this out because I do not like this issue. So, do not continue to read if you want a spoiler-free review.I do not like cheating. I hardly like a book that has cheating, it’s very rare and when I realized this is pure bluntly cheating, I cringed … major. I have to like the Heroine in some aspects and I just didn’t understand Harper or her issues. I felt like she was just having the best of both worlds. I couldn’t relate. And there is the “EVENT” as I like to call it. I knew about this, I was waiting for it throughout the read and I didn’t realize it would be at the 60% mark before I got there and oh boy, even though I was prepared, it just gutted me. I couldn’t comprehend the shift in the book. I was thinking there has to be a reason why it’s going in this direction, HAS.TO.BE.Again, seriously... My emotions towards the read... The rest of the 40% is cleaning up and when I got to the ending, I was left waiting for something more, like a climatic-ending.I gave Taking Chances 4 stars because I’ll give Molly props for a dramatic story, despite my issues. I did find some parts dragging and the story a bit long. I think if she had the “event” at the 30% mark, made Harper a little less wishy-washy, cut out about 100 pages and gave me a dramatic ending, this could have been easily a 5 star read. I get the rave reviews and I get the disappointed ones. I feel like I’m in the middle.I haven’t decided if I want to read Stealing Harper, but for now it’s on my list and I will continue to read McAdam’s reads.For more reviews, visit Jacqueline's Reads

PRICE DROP ALERT: OMGOSH!!!! This book is on sale for 99CENTS!!!!!!!! This is seriously a must buy! I love Molly! And You will fall in love with both Chase and Brandon! GO GO GO GO! January 29, 2013 Somewhere between 4.5 and 5 Stars!I loved this book soooo much! I'm still an emotional wreck from this book! GAH.So how was this book for me? Well Let me tell you I did not expect to read what I just read. I wasn't expecting all of the things to happen that did and for my emotions to get such a work out! Oh. my. goodness did they ever get a work out.So at first when I started this book I was all like:Ya know... Been there- read this... That sort of feeling. It seemed way to similar to Beautiful Disaster. I thought for sure I was just going to be re reading basically the same story. But even though there were so seriously huge similarities- this book way still way different! When Harper met the two boys I was all:Because they were both super hot and tattooed and just all around yummy. I mean I honestly had no idea who I wanted her to choose. I loved both of them.Then Harper does the unthinkable to Brandon and I seriously wanted to karate chop her in the face for being such a bitch...And then we find out that Harper is... Well she is something and I'm just in shock...And then the saddest thing in the world happens and I feel like I'm going to die from crying so much from reading a freakin book!I was seriously wondering if I was going to be able to finish the book after that. I honestly felt so distressed over what happened that throwing my kindle across the room didnt sound like a bad idea! I mean holy crap. And then Brandon completely surprises me by just being so freakin amazing. Again. and my insides are all like:And then it just seems like everything is right in the world... Except I miss Chase and I will probably always miss Chase...But can I just say i think Harper is a major bitch and she doesnt deserve Chase or Brandon? Am I allowed to say that?! I mean I'm happy everything worked out and their love is just wonderful but she really doesnt deserve it. At least in my opinion.I'm glad I read this book even though i feel like my emotions have been run over by a train. *sobs*

Oh My God! I have never cried over a book so much in my life. Can I just say that I stayed up until four AM reading this book and it was worth every second. It was a roller coaster full of emotional situations.Chase......I don't want to spoil things for anyone, but my God I love him. I am tearing up just thinking about him.Brandon is the perfect guy. Harper, well, the poor girl never knew what hit her. This was by far one of the best love triangles ever. You find yourself routing for both guys and feel the pain knowing that one will get hurt.I will be telling everyone about this book, even on my own Author page.Thanks Molly! It was great!

When the internet was all abuzz about this book, I was hesitant to read it....I heard parallels being drawn between Beautiful Disaster and Thoughtless and I'm someone who doesn't like to see my favorite books imitated and those are two of my faves. However, aside from a few similarities (that prove to be minor in the grand scheme of things) I was thrilled to realize that this book is nothing like either of those books. It is a story ALL ITS OWN. It is unique and original, emotional and simply impossible to put down. I started reading last night....stayed up late to read, woke up early to continue reading, put my kids on the bus to read and finally finished reading as my daughter ate her lunch. And now, my eyes are sore, my heart is aching and I am so happy that I read this wonderful book.The absolute highlight of this book for me was the character of Brandon. He is perfection...and I loved him to pieces. Harper was an interesting character; I didn't always approve of her choices, but she was very good at redeeming herself and showing her soul to the reader.I am shocked that this is Molly McAdams debut novel---I believe she has a very bright future ahead of her and can't wait to read more of her work. Well done, Ms. McAdams, well done!!

I spent my evening in tears, unashamed tears that were shed in large quantities and loudly. I had to stop reading because my Kindle got blurry and I had to wipe several wet spots off of it. I can't believe I have to be at work in 8 hours, I don't think I will even be able to sleep. If you read this book - save it for a morning where you have zero plans to leave the house for at least 48 hours. This will allow you to cry and spend the next day reducing the puffy eyes and redness. You will not be fit to be seen in public.I love and hate this book. It is hard to describe my emotions without spoilers so I will try my best. There are some books that as you read the words your mind is creating vivid images of those words as little movies in your head. This is how I read this book - everyone had a face and every page was a scene that I could picture. That in itself is a huge feat for an author to create. Molly McAdams succeeded in that and in creating a story that pulled you apart completely. I fell for Chase immediately and although Brandon was ubersweet and nice, I was not sold. At all. I wanted to slap Harper a few times. I can't believe the twists in this story - you were going one way one second then another direction seconds later. I lost all control of my emotions halfway through and should have just stopped there. I would have been completely happy with never reading another word of this book. But I had to continue. I have had books hit me harder emotionally - but those were ones that I still felt I got my way. I feel like I betrayed myself towards the end - I don't think it was ever the same book for me at that point. But it was still amazing. Brandon was just such a breathtakingly kind man and Chase was your typical bad boy turned good boy that you fell in love with the second you read his name in the book.Don't even get me started on Trish - I had that plot point down in seconds. I tried to figure out first what punishments there were for killing a fictional character. Then I spent time trying to figure out if there was any possible ways to actually kill a fictional character. I am not giving up on that thought just yet. I might have to make some Trish paper-dolls and create my own death scenes especially for her. Spoiler laced rant below.............................Turn back now if you don't want to know................Rant time. Okay, I fell in love with Chase the minute she saw him - the minute he called her Princess and the moment he saved her from the guys and put her into his bed. I knew the minute Harper received that text that he did not send it. I knew the moment that Trish walked out of his room that she set it all up. Even the damn photos she took when he was passed out. I knew it all. I was expecting Harper to soon figure it all out - but my world crashed before that could happen. I was suddenly trying to figure out a funeral scene and who the fuck died. I read those few lines like 5 times trying to see if she lost the baby, then it hit me.How could you paint Chase as the bad boy turned good - then kill him? The good guy is the nice friend guy - he doesn't get the girl EVER!!!! The bad boy that changes does. That is our freaking fantasy. I felt like my whole day was taken - I was so excited about Chase and Harper. When I had read this book had twists that were tough I figured the baby died. Why didn't you just kill the damn baby???? Why didn't Brandon just die? I know that the way Brandon was after was touching and all but I felt like I suddenly hated Harper for a long time - being able to give in to feelings so quickly. There was not enough grieving time for the readers. There were touching parts when Brandon would talk to Liam about Chase and then at the grave site - that brought me to tears. But Harper failed to really ever dive back into Chase at all - she grazed over him in a few thoughts. I think if she had not just went right back into the Brandon relationship so quickly and with such gusto it would have been easier on all of us Chase fans. I just feel cheated. This book made me overly emotional. In this review I have wanted to plot a murder of a fictional bimbo - kill a really sweet guy and actually wanted a baby to die instead. This is not a healthy reaction to a book.

Cover & Title - five out of five. (my number five (and six), my question mark & apostrophe keys are are all broken) Favorite Line - “That first night, I did realize I would never meet another girl like you. But you deserve someone who has waited for you as long as you have waited for them. And no matter how much I wish I could be that guy, I can't Harper.” Favorite Character - Bre i think.I am so lost as to how i feel about this book, I think i liked (a lot) it but i also know i hated parts of it. I feel very muddled. I was surprised it got classed as YA even mature YA as it has quite a few sex scenes, detailed ones at that. Because of this it is a book i would never class as YA. I also think the story was quite predictable, i had pretty much guessed how it was going to play out 40 percent in, maybe even before that. I do agree with a lot of people who have linked it with other books as it was quite similar in parts to other books which i have read but I do think the book held its own story-wise in the end. I felt 70 percent onward (about then i think) the book was wrapping up, almost like you could of condensed the final thirty into maybe 10 percent, but *shrug* that is just my opinion. So i have criticized the book quite a bit but i do want you to know i did enjoy it! I loved the love triangle, i thought the emotions between them seemed realistic & i enjoyed the chemistry between the characters. I thought the sex scenes were hot. I also did like the ending even i did feel it went on a bit. I would recommend this book & in the future i plan on reading more by this author. oh and i know this is not really the point but it really bugged me (view spoiler)[ six pounds six ounces baby 3 weeks early is not that large. In the final few weeks of pregnancy a baby puts of rough half a pound a week. The baby would of been about 8 pound 1 ounce. That is smaller that any of my babies have been (8lbs 8oz was my smallest) my last baby was 11lbs 4oz and i was not put on bed-rest of anything ridiculous like what happened in the book. It made me sigh as well that she got one stretchmark & a totally flat belly straight away, it is not just jealousy when i say that very rarely happens. It felt quite unreal to me at the point. *shrug* (hide spoiler)]For more reviews check out my blog - http://bookprotagonist.blogspot.co.uk/