Member Reviews
*5 Stars*
ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this one! Eric was an awesome character and I really like getting to know Jean as well. I read the first book in this series, somehow missed the second, but then read this one. I do need to go back and read book 2, but this is my fave out of books 1 and 3.
I pretty much adored Eric right from the start. I get that he’s a player, and I get that he’s not seen as dependable, and I probably need to read book 2 in order to understand that a bit more, but the inner thoughts from his side, particularly when Nell was laying into him, really made me feel for him. I honestly wanted to slap Nell upside the head so many times!
Eric was a natural with Ada and was just so fitting with Jean. They were so easy together. I love a good friends to lovers story, and this one is pretty much that, because they take so long getting to know each other and being friends, before they finally realise what everyone else can see, about how they feel about one another.
This just had a really natural feel to the development of both of their characters and their relationship as a whole. They were both great, and I really loved Eric. His inner dialogue had me giggling to myself at times.
We also get other loved characters back in this one which of course is always fab.
Overall a fantastic and fast read, and I need to go back and read book 2. And looking forward to more from this series!
Eric Collins is a player, and, as part owner of the Dive Bar, he has plenty of opportunity to find women ready to have a fling without wanting a relationship. He’s a bad boy with a well earned reputation. However, he’s thinking that maybe it’s time to try for more . . .and he thinks the perfect candidate just walked into his bar . . . there’s just one problem . . .she’s pregnant.
Jean Antal needs a new start. She’s pregnant and needs a support system since her parents have been anything but. She decides to move to a new town to be closer to an online friend, Nell, who just happens to be another owner of the Dive Bar. The last thing she needs is a playboy hitting on her, even if he is a hottie.
Determined to steer clear of one another other than a friendly hello in passing, things quickly change when Jean goes into labor during a snowstorm and Eric is the only person available to come to her rescue. Eric is the rock and birthing coach that Jean needed. And, there seems to be a bond between them and the beautiful baby Ada, but will it be enough to turn the playboy into permanent relationship material?
This was my first peek into the Dive Bar series, and it can easily be read as a standalone. I’m a sucker for a bay boy turned good, and Eric fits the bill quite nicely. He really is a but clueless about what women want and how to be in a real relationship since he’s never really tried before. He also has a lot of people to prove wrong including his ex, his friends and even his own family. But, his love for little Ada shines bright and his feelings for Jean soon turn from lust and friendship to so much more . . .he just needs to convince her that he is in it for real.
Jean is an incredibly strong woman. She’s willing to do what she needs to in order to provide the best life she can for her baby. While she’s attracted to Eric, she’s afraid to get to close . . .especially since her friend Nell cuts him down at every turn. But, she can’t deny that he’s more than just a friend and seems to be everything that she and little Ada need.
I really loved watching their slow burn of a romance. As Jean struggles with being a single mother and finding a balance between motherhood and her needs as a woman, Eric is struggling with having real feelings that don’t involve lust for a woman for the first time in his life. It’s an incredible journey of emotional growth they both experience as individuals and as a couple. 4 stars!
Life among friends and partners of the Dive Bar continued to flourish. The couples were forming, happy, pregnant. And in the middle there was Eric Collins.
Eric was the bartender. Womanizer, he had no problem having a beautiful woman to warm his bed, but upon seeing his friends happy, he begins to wonder about the life he had. Especially after his brother Joe used his profile to get online with Alex.
That's when a new friend of Nell's, Jean Antal, appears in town.
Jean and Nell had met online in a chat, and as Jean needed a place for a fresh start, she was delighted at how Nell loved Coeur d'Alene. She would then be Eric's neighbor.
The attraction Eric felt for Jean was instantaneous. But there was a problem. In fact, a problem that would appear in a few months: Jean was pregnant.
After a life without emotional responsibilities, would Eric be the right guy to have a romance with a woman and her new baby?
5 stars
3.75 stars--CHASER is the third instalment in Kylie Scott’s contemporary, adult DIVE BAR romance series-a spin off from the author’s STAGE DIVE rock series. This is bar owner Eric Collins, and Jean Antal’s story line. CHASER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for cohesion and back-stories.
Told from first person point of view (Eric Collins) CHASER follows the building relationship between thirty year old bar owner Eric Collins, and new comer Jean Antal-a twenty two year old, pregnant and single young woman who has moved from her home town in Jacksonville, Florida to start a new life in Coeur d’Alene, on the invitation of her friend Nell Hewson. Moving into the vacant apartment above the Dive Bar found our heroine face to face with one of the owners, Eric Collins, the man with whom Jean will fall in love. What ensues is the slow building relationship between Eric and Jean, and the potential fall-out as Jean considers moving back to Jacksonville Florida; and the ongoing turmoil between Eric and his business partner Nell Hewson, a woman whose tirades against our story line hero are nothing less than venomous and rude.
Eric’s reputation as a manwh*re finds our hero the target of Nell Hewson’s countless verbal attacks; Nell’s constant berating and censure gets olds pretty fast for Eric as well as this reader but Eric and Nell’s history is rocky, at best. Eric is determined to clean up his act but the non-stop reminders of his previous reputation is disheartening as Eric struggles to move on from his past. Jean Antal just wants to start over in a new town, far away from her unsupportive parents. Befriending Eric Collins led to a familiar support system that allowed our heroine to survive the early days after her child’s birth. Falling in love was never on the agenda but the heart knows what it wants, against the advice of family and friends. With so many people warning Eric against hurting our story line heroine, it is a wonder he didn’t walk away, and start over himself.
The relationship between Jean and Eric is one immediate attraction tempered by Nell Hewson’s belligerent and constant belittling of our story line hero. With the help of the Dive Bar owners and friends but especially her friendship with Eric Collins, Jean’s life begins to flourish. The slow building romance is palpable; the $ex scenes are limited but passionate and seductive.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Vaughn and Lydia (Dirty #1), Alex and Joe (Twist #2), Nell and Patrick, as well as Jean’s parents Leah and Will, and Eric’s mother Audrey; Eric’s best friend and owner of the building Andre, Dive Bar staff Taka, Rosie and Boyd, as well as the cameo appearances of the members of the rock band Stage Dive including fan favorite Mal.
The world building continues to focus on the family and friends at the Dive Bar including the acrimonious relationship between Nell and Eric, a relationship damaged by grief and loss. Eric’s growth and his maturity level blossoms throughout the story, a growth noticed by everyone but Nell. The witty, back and forth banter between characters is absent, something that is definitely missing from the last few stories-I miss Mal and his unfiltered antics, playful attitude and sense of humor.
CHASER is a story of friendship, love, family and heartbreak. The premise is intoxicating and inspiring; the characters are energetic and sassy; the romance is intimate and captivating. CHASER is an encouraging and uplifting story about two people finding love against the odds.
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Chaser by Kylie Scott
What it’s about:
Love isn’t always NEAT…
Bartender and all round bad boy, Eric Collins, has come to a crossroads. It’s time to take life seriously and maybe even attempt to settle down. If only the person he was hoping to settle down with didn’t turn out to be 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 she’d had. Since local bar owner and all round hottie, Eric, is now determined to steer clear of her pregnant self, it should be easy. When she goes into labor during a snowstorm and her car slides on some ice, however, it’s 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?
My 411: It’s been a long time since I’ve had a new Kylie Scott book in my hands, and my love for her writing came rushing back as soon as I started reading. Going back to the Dive Bar series was like a homecoming. In this stand-alone of the series, we get a better glimpse at the psyche of the town bartender, Eric. Eric was always shown to be an immature character who has made some bad choices. The evolution of his character was the best part of the story! This is a slow burn of a story, and Jean’s introduction to the gang is quite an initiation. (See an interview on HEA with Kylie about Chaser.)
First of all, I would like to thank Kylie Scott and the InkSlinger PR team for this ARC.
Chaser is about Eric Collins, one of the owners of the Dive Bar and Jo’s brother (Twist). He’s the bartender but also the greatest womanizer of the band.
Undaunted by the constant remarks of her friend Nell, he decides to try a “real” relationship. The only thing he hadn’t planned was that Jean, his target, is his new neighbor and a future mother.
The following is predictable: they will try a friendship because they don’t intend to succeed anything else between them. Eric is convinced that he’s incapable of not hurting Jean and her daughter, as for Jean, she must manage alone her pregnancy and the baby’s arrival.
Like every book in this series, I’m always happy to read about this friends’ crew. Life isn’t easy for them, but these childhood friends form a united family and face the jolts with heart and passion.
Eric's character had been featured in Twist, his relationship with Jo and his night with Nell was in the midst of the previous book. Here we learn to discover what is hidden under the appearance of the bartender. We enter his head and we appreciate to learn that he’s less superficial than we thought.
Jean is a new character, coming straight from Florida. This young woman has the courage to leave her family to build a more peaceful future for her daughter.
I dreaded this book because the overview I had of Eric in Twist didn’t make me want to learn more about him. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to go beyond my feelings. I found that Chaser lacked rhythm compared to the previous ones, the friendship between Jean and Eric long and heavy, the interrogations of the characters too represented. Their story is very beautiful, but it lacks spontaneity, surprise.
In brief, a tome in the lineage of dirty and Twist, with this crew who continue his way, but a love story that lacks a little spice and astonishment.
* * * * * * * * * *
Avant toute chose, je souhaite remercier Kylie Scott et l’équipe d’InkSlinger PR pour ce service presse.
Chaser c’est donc l’histoire d’Eric Collins, l’un des propriétaires du Dive Bar et frère de Jo (Twist). C’est le barman du bar mais aussi le plus grand coureur de jupons de la bande.
Subissant les remarques incessantes de son amie Nell, il décide d’essayer une relation suivie. La chose seule qu’il n’avait pas prévu, c’est que Jean, sa cible, est sa nouvelle voisine mais surtout une future maman.
La suite est assez prévisible : ils vont tenter une simple amitié car ils n’envisagent pas de réussir autre chose entre eux. Eric est persuadé qu’il est incapable de ne pas blesser Jean et sa fille, quant à Jean, elle doit gérer toute seule sa grossesse et l’arrivée du bébé.
Comme chaque tome de cette série, je retrouve toujours avec plaisir cette bande de copains. La vie n’est pas toujours facile, mais ces amis d’enfance forme une famille unie et affronte les à-coups avec cœur et passion.
Le personnage d’Eric avait été présenté dans Twist, son lien de parenté avec Jo et sa nuit d’égarement avec Nell était au cœur du précédent tome. Ici on apprend à découvrir ce qui se cache sous l’apparence du barman. On rentre dans sa tête et on apprécie de le découvrir moins superficiel qu’on ne le pensait.
Jean est un nouveau personnage, tout droit venu de Floride. Cette jeune femme a le courage de quitter sa famille pour pouvoir construire un avenir plus serein pour sa fille.
Je redoutais ce tome car l’aperçu que j’avais eu d’Eric dans les précédents tomes ne me donnaient pas envie d’en apprendre plus sur lui. Malheureusement, je n’ai pas réussi à passer au-delà de mon ressenti. J’ai trouvé que ce tome manquait de rythme par rapport aux précédents, l’amitié entre Jean et Eric longue et pesante, les interrogations des personnages trop représentées. Leur histoire est très belle mais elle manque de spontanéité, de surprise.
En bref, un tome dans la lignée des précédents, avec cette bande de copains qui continuent son chemin, mais une histoire d’amour qui manque un peu de piquant et de surprise.
I have to accept I was sceptic about reading Eric's story, and who would blame me.
The first chapter in the book I hated him, he was looking for someone to settle down or at least try to so people would get off his back about being insensitive and unreliable when it came to women and life in general.
He singled Jane out and was shocked to find out she was pregnant... not a surprise, since all he could think about was himself. How could he even contemplate getting involved with someone that would soon be a mother.
But destiny had another plan for him and he couldn't get her off his mind.
He tried to avoid her but they were like magnets and he soon realised he couldn't stay away. Maybe being friends wouldn't be such a bad thing.
Jane was young but strong, she fought for her baby and was not ready to give everything up for a guy, that's what made her irresistible in his eyes. She only had eyes for her baby but little by little she also started seeing Eric too.
As we know, love always finds a way, and his and Jane's story would turn out to be a truly beautiful one.
They changed him in the best way possible without him even realising it was happening. He found a part of himself he didn't know he had; caring for someone other than himself might lead him to his best adventure so far, and just maybe, change his life forever.
Seeing him under another light did change my perspective of him, still it's not always good to think we can change people and we will always get the happily ever after we want, they were the lucky ones, but only because he wanted to make this change.
He was ready for more and he found everything he was missing in her and her baby.
Eric is the ultimate manwhore. He beds women and leaves them. That is, until Jean walks into The Dive Bar and he is instantly attracted to her. Then she stands to meet Andre, who is renting her a room and that is when Eric sees that she is pregnant. His ego instantly deflates.
One snowy night changes everything. Eric is there to help bring Jean's baby into the world as her birthing coach is down with the flu and their relationship goes from snarky to something else.
Is Eric man enough to take charge of the situation and go from bad boy to a committed relationship?
I love all of Kylie Scott books and this one was no exception.
5 stars!
I so so happy to get back into the world Kylie created in this series! I was even more exited for Eric to get his happily ever after, he deserved it.
This world will pull you in and refuse to let you go! I read this book in one sitting, much like I did with the previous books in the series!! The steam is just as potent as the love and charm!! The storyline was great and kept me interested!
Eric’s huge heart was what sold me on him as a hero!! I love his loving nature and I also love that he still has that bad boy inside him. He wants to make sure he can actually be he man Jean needs.
Jean moves into the apartment across from Eric but she’s not really looking for love, she’s focused on her baby; as she’s seven months pregnant. I loved that these two actual had a friendship and they thought about the real auto shop prior to jumping in, to some extent.
Jean was a good heroine for Eric, she complemented him and the spark they had was amazing!! I loved these two together!!
My real only issue with this is the way Nell acted sometimes towards Eric. I mean they had a past and now o think she just gives him shit just to make him feel bad sometimes, but he handles it well and I hope she won’t act that way in the next books since Eric has found love.
I love this series!! The characters are great and I love the world they live in!! I wish this was a real bar I could go to and visit with the characters!!
100% recommend this book and this series!!
REVIEW: 3.5 Stars
"I just smiled. The truth being that her whole existence worked for me."
Ok, this was only my second book by Kylie Scott, and I was SO excited to jump into it after loving TRUST. So, having said that, you will understand that I have not read any of the books in this series. This was described as a standalone book within the series, but make no mistakes (like me), this is most definitely a book that you will benefit from reading the other books in the series first. There was just too much going on that was alluded to, and not sufficiently explained in the beginning, that it kinda caught me off guard....as well as the character buildup as to who Eric was in the group. Again, I realize I went into the third book in the series, but sometimes a standalone series isn't as standalone as they were quoted as being. BUT, having said that, after I got into the book and started to fall into the storyline of Eric and Jean, their story flowed much better.
I will admit that I eventually fell in love with Eric and his awkwardness, and even though he was billed as this womanizer, he was just.....a goof! A good looking one, but a goof, nonetheless. But it's safe to say, Eric *really* started to grow on me. His nature, his demeanor, was completely different than one I have read.....ever? in a long time? Not sure, but he was.....different, and I liked it. I tried to explain him to a friend while I was reading it that he was a doofus. Not in a bad way, just in a "I have conversations with myself all the time" kinda way. And with reading these monologues, I really got to know his inner workings. I scratched my head in the beginning - because I struggled with his description vs the actions I was getting, but I easily started to fall for him. His heart was pure. He was so sweet and his growth was one I could easily measure in chapters. With Jean being his kryptonite, I could actually feel their toe-dipping into this potential world of maybes. Maybe we can hang out. Maybe we can hook up. Maybe we can be more. I definitely enjoyed their story. Their buildup was gradual and I looooved that part about it. Not knowing all the characters from before, it made me pay extra close attention to everything happening - so that was a bonus, but after getting in line with everyone, the story picked up and flowed nicely.
I will say this: I didn't like how mean Nell was to Eric. I am aware that they have a pretty volatile past and so there is already some bad blood between them, but it was just awful the way she was so rude to him and about him. Again, this is something I waded through having not read the previous books, and I know their story is the one before this, so I will have to check it out. Get to the bottom of this mystery! HA! I just hope this doesn't harm my enjoyment of the previous stories with her in it.
I definitely walked away from this book feeling like I needed to not only read more from this series, but also from Kylie in general. I really like her style. It's a little more crisp, a different tempo/beat to her words, but her stories have always drawn me in. While the beginning was a rough start for me, the entire crew grew on me. I will be checking out more by her, for sure!
"Maybe I'm more me with you."
~BEE
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!
What I say: First we had Vaughan and Lydia, then Joe and Alex, now Eric, yes Eric!! And... Jean.
Oh Eric! You made me laugh but mainly shout and want to throw things. If you don't remember Eric from the previous two Dive Bar books then you're in for a treat. He's the loveable player who doesn't take anything seriously, excerpt for when he does. When Eric finds something worth taking seriously he goes all in.
Eric is the Dive Bar's co-owner and barman extraordinaire. After the traumatic events with Nell, he's not exactly in a very favourable position with the Dive Bar guys and gals. Nell is less than impressed when he takes an interest in her friend Jean and instantly warns him off.
Pregnant Jean moves to town to build a new life for herself and her not yet born baby. She wants to be close to Nell, to find a stable future for her baby. She forms a really sweet friendship with town badboy Eric. I loved the friendship and camaraderie between them, and how cute he is with baby Ada.
It was difficult watching people judge Eric, not letting him try to better himself. Not only does he believe every insult people hurl at him is true, but he also starts to let doubt creep in; he truly doesn't believe he deserves somebody kind like Jean.
Jean is really funny. Whenever she'd do something ridiculous I'd find myself laughing along with her and wondering how on earth she managed to get herself into such hilarious circumstances.
Chaser is charming, heartbreaking and oh-so swoon worthy! More please Kylie!
4.5 Happy Stars in my Sky!
Eric going into this book was a very likeable character. But that's the point of this book to show how someone completely into them selves can grow up. Jean is a young single woman who is 7 months pregnant starting over sh e giving up her wild child ways and becoming the mother she always wished her mom was. Before Eric knew she was pregnant he believed this was his chance to find someone who did not know his history but finding out Jean is pregnant changes things and medicine runs. Which is perfect for Jean as she doesn't need a man right now. But when she goes into labor Eric is there for her and the baby and this connects all three of them like never before but can be change his way for Jean and the baby. Sweet and sexy!
After reading the previous two books in this series, and enjoying them, I found myself vaguely disappointed in this installment. I felt that Eric's "man-whore" status was harped on entirely too much, and that no one was believing in his capacity or ability to change! I also hated how much every one felt that he couldn't handle a baby properly, and had to take Ava away from him at every opportunity! I really started to feel for Eric in the story!
Jean was a great character, a perfect match for Eric, as they're both trying to make their lives better. I did hate her indecision when her parents finally entered the equation, but it was also an understandable reaction.
However, I felt that the story's ending was a bit rushed. We had this slow build up of a relationship going, then things start hitting hard and fast, and it wound up rushing the "I love you"s too quickly for me. I think it could have been drawn out a little bit more, had Eric do something totally out of character that demonstrates his love for Jean, and then do the "I love you"s and Happily Ever Afters.
This was a good installment of the series, but not the best one for me.
Watching all his friends happy, in love, and settling down, Eric wants that for himself. But his womanizer reputation doesn't make it easy. When he meets Jean, a new resident of the small town, Eric believes all his prayers have been answered. What he didn't expect was Jean being pregnant.
As time passes and Eric and Jean get to know each other, a deep connection bonds them. But can Eric leave his past ways in the past? Can Jean adjust to the small town life away from her family?
I loved Chaser! Told from Eric's POV, Jean and Eric's story is sweet, funny, and sexy, with the right amount of drama, twists, and surprises. It hooked me from the first page and I couldn't stop reading. I loved how Eric and Jean met and how their relationship developed. And when Eric realized Jean was pregnant? Hilarious!
Eric has always been a player but now he wants to settle down. But no one believes him. He can come as a jerk, but deep down he's a very sweet guy that's tired of being the disappointment of his family and friends. Jean is everything he always wanted but he doesn't know if he wants to get involved with someone with already so much complications. I loved how he was always there for Jean and Ada. So swoon worthy!
Jean has been through a lot and now wants a new start for her and her soon to be born daughter. With the support of her new friends, she moves to Idaho and starts over. She's a fighter and a fierce young woman, but she also struggles with what's best for Ada. She never expected to meet Eric and she's afraid of what she feels for him.
Kylie Scott gives us the perfect friends-to-lovers romance. Chaser is perfectly written, the story is phenomenal, and the characters are amazing. If you're looking for a sweet and funny book, look no more! Chaser is the book for you!
When I first met Eric, back in Dirty, I thought of him as a man-child. He was immature and selfish, also he couldn't keep it in his pants, so think of him as a manwhore with a Peter Pan complex. In the second book he face a traumatic event, and you could think that's his moment to grow up, and maybe he did it a little, but he had a long road ahead.
In Chaser we have the chance to experiment Eric's train of thought in first hand, and it was funny AF. Yes, he was a slut, and yes again, he was a immature prick, but he was also sweet and funny, and deserved to find love. What he wasn't expecting was that it could come with a pregnant woman in the package.
Eric thought he was happy as a single man, with a woman warming his bed every night without commitment. But when he met Jean, he started to second guess his life choices. Talking with her, once they get over their bumpy start, was easy, expending time with her and her child was something he enjoy, and slowly their friendship was turning in something more. The attraction was always there, but also the complications. And what started as something casual evolved into something deep, meaningful and beautiful. With Jean and her daughter Eric found something he didn't know he was missing, and that was her chance to adult, evolve and surprise Kylie's readers.
As in the previous books, the guys from Stage Dive make an appearance in the story, and I'm sure you'll love it.
I enjoyed this book a lot, not just because Eric evolved nicely and learned to care about someone more than himself, but because he choose to acknowledge his feelings and was willing to sacrifice everything was dear to him for the woman he loved. The rhythm of the book was steady, and Eric's constant inner dialogues were funny AF. The chemistry between Jean and Eric was insanely hot and every encounter was feeding a fire that was hard to contain. But But Eric taking care of a baby? *OVARIES EXPLODING* Trust me, there's nothing hotter than that. And I wasn't even watching, but my imagination is quite graphic.
I highly recommend not just this book but the whole series. If you haven't read Kylie Scott yet this is a nice way to start, and if you already know her writing then you know she never disappoints.
What can I say, I’m an unconditional fan of Kylie Scott and her series.
If you loved Vaughan and Lydia, Joe and Alex, you’ll love Eric and Jean!
Yes, manwhore, immature and self-centered Eric; you’re so going to fall for him too!
Eric, the one who used to run from commitment, relationships, is about to get emotionally involved, and he will have to prove a lot of things, mainly to Jean, but also to his friends and family.
Kylie Scott did a great work with those two characters, the challenges Jean had to face as a single mother, the consequence of Eric’s fame and his past behavior…
Everything worked perfectly: the pace, the humor, moments with other couples and character in the series, it was refreshing, sexy, a little angsty… The perfect cocktail!
Well, I am going to go out on a limb and say that this is my favorite book from the series. How could I not fall in love with Eric and Jean’s story, the dialogue was well written and I will forever fall in love with characters that are of the sarcastic nature. This is no walk in the park love story, Eric had to earn his way into Jean’s heart and he did that by being himself. Your heart will swoon over the relationship that he had with Ada, I mean nothing tugs at your heart strings more than watching a man with baby. Ovaries, goodbye. I love the way how he was both Jean and Ad, you could tell how much they meant to him.
This book was total swoon alert with a whole lot of hilarity and laughter.
This review is really difficult for me to type. Kylie Scott is an author who I have really liked reading over the years, but for me her Dive Bar series has been hit or miss. I wanted to love Chaser. I have wanted Eric’s book since the beginning of the series and we finally get it in Chaser.
I struggled with this book but not because of Eric or Jean, but mainly because of Nell and her nasty treatment of Eric and the way no one else believed in him. What could have been the perfect redemption of the manwhore but was tainted by nasty comments, belittling and not believing in your brother, your friend, that people can change. Also add in the little motherhood jabs and for me, a mother of two who had to have an emergency c-sections and one due to an injury all those doubts I felt came back full force. Probably a sore subject for me so you may want to ignore that but for me it made me upset.
I loved how Eric was with Jean, especially when something really in a sense brings them together, his true self really showed. My heart broke for Eric more than once, I was so pissed on his behalf. He really is an amazing guy who deserves his happiness. I liked Jean as well although I do wish she would have told Nell to shove it.
I don’t want to say that I am done with this series because I really do like this author, but at the same time I may very well be. Then again this very well may be a case of it’s me not the books so as always form your own opinions.
Chaser by Kylie Scott is Dive Bar series #3. Bartender/owner and skirt chaser Eric Collins is having a rough go of it. His friends are grilling him on his womanizing and less than serious business attitude and it appears that everyone, even his own family, agrees with them. Worse yet the hottie that just sat down at his bar is, A.) Friends with his business partner, and past mistake, Nell, so she knows all about him, and B.) very pregnant, and C.) not interested in him. So Eric decides to try to turn his life around, become a better person, and take a break from sex, though no one believes he will make it long.
Jean Antal has left her Florida home to live in the small town her online friend Nell has told her about. Pregnant with a child she has been made to feel bad for keeping she needs to get away and make a new life. Eric is confusing to her at first, flirting, then put off by her pregnancy, besides she knows who and what he is, but she can't help but to slowly make friends with him. When fate conspires to make him the one to takes her to the hospital when her daughter is born their friendship grows deeper, though at times seems to be a dance of one step back before two steps forward.
This book was definitely a relationship building one. Eric tries very hard to be a real friend and grow as a person, but his initial strong attraction to Jean never goes away and as the trust builds between them a real relationship grows. I liked how Ms. Scott built up the whole process, from becoming friends, to the details about babies, parenting and bonding with a child, the realities of intimacy with a young child only a second from waking up, and in the end something more special than either of these characters would have had if their had been a different journey to the finish line.
Overall I very much recommend Chaser by Kylie Scott. I enjoyed the detailed characters and complexities as well as the underlying force pulling Eric and Jean together. Chaser was very well written, thorough and complete.
(I voluntarily reviewed an advance review copy of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)
Back with the Dive Bar family and I couldn’t be more excited. This family of misfits has captured my heart and Chaser was no different.
His friends and family have learned not to expect a lot from Eric. The love them and leave them type has trouble written all over him. Enter Jean. The moment Jean walked away from her old life she ended up right in the middle of Eric’s and I’m here for it!! Drawn together these two are faced with major life changes and undoubtable chemistry.
Kylie’s writing style has always been a favorite of mine. Chaser continues my obsession with the Dive Bar family. Low angst, but still an enjoyable read, Eric and Jean will win over your heart. Plus when you throw in a little one you are guaranteed lots laughs and lots of love. A makeshift family always proves to be a great read.