This was a decent story and I somewhat enjoyed both the hero and the heroine. Shane and Cassie were well-written characters. However, nothing really stood out making it a great book.

Shane Chase the oldest of the Chase Brothers and Petal’s sheriff meets his match when Cassie Gambol comes to town and it immediately rear ended by his mother, Polly. Two strong willed people both with relationship triggers make Taking Chase an explosive romance.

Even some ten odd years after reading this book for the first time every time I re-read it I am in awe of the strength of Cassie Gambol. Cassie’s history isn’t pretty and she is determined to start a new life and leave it behind and even though Shane’s size and obvious dominant personality worries her, she soon finds he also makes her feel safe. Add in the rest of the Chase family and a couple of friends she picks up through the Chases and Cassie realized that she isn’t going to be able to hide the ugly forever. I loved that she didn’t back down from Shane and he quickly understood that he was going to have to change his tactics if he wanted anything with her.

Taking Chase is a messy romance, it is far from easy and there are some moments that steal your breath, but love shines throughout this book and in the end Shane and Cassie find their way with lots of help from those who love them.

*Taking Chase is some of Lauren Dane’s earliest work and is being reissued for fans to continue enjoying.

Shane Chase is the Sheriff of Petal, Georgia, scarred from when his ex-fiance dumped him years before. Cassie Gambol is on the run from her crazy ex-husband who escaped the justice system while waiting for his sentencing. She eventually finds herself in a tiny town where she meets Shane. When these two scarred people find each other, there is immediately attracted but Cassie’s scars are in need of serious healing. With her ex tracking her down it’s up to Shane to protect her.
This was a pretty good story. I’m familiar with this author but it was from many years ago so I decided to try her again. This book didn’t disappoint. I loved how they were able to help each other heal as well as get through all their drama for a happy ending. I recommend and can’t wait to read more from this author.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Lauren Dane writes some pretty interesting romantic suspenses and the Chase Brothers sure set the ball rolling. I don’t get a chance to read as often, but anytime I pick a book of hers, her stories leave me with warm feelings and satisfaction of reading a good romance.

“Taking Chase” is no exception as Sheriff Shane Chase tries to figure out the mystery behind the new resident of Petal, Georgia, Cassie Gambol. Cassie has a lot to hide and a tenacious desire to start a new life in the little town of warm residents and friendly people. Then again amidst the mystery of her past, is the the tempation of the Sheriff himself. As they try to work on a relationship dancing around each other, Cassie’s past catches up with her and Shane has a lot to lose as he fights for the love of his life.

The Chase brothers are a sexy bunch of siblings, raised with morals and ethics as they are bound to protect the loves of their lives as well as the little town of Petal. With humor and great affection, witty dialogues and some sizzling chemistry, Lauren Dane makes “Taking Chase” a reading pleasure.

Received an ARC from Carina Press via NetGalley for an honest review.

Lauren Dane adds to her Chase Brothers series a tumultuous romance with the tale of the oldest Chase brother and the woman who swept his heart when she rolled into town.

After years of suffering mental and physical abuse and almost dying at the hands of her ex-husband, Carly Sunderland needs to get away. Not just to start a new life but to hide from the man who fled after being convicted of attempted murder.

With her new identity in hand, Cassie Gambol moves to the small town of Petal, Georgia where she is immediately rear-ended by the spitfire Chase matriarch and introduced to big and very alpha sheriff, Shane Chase.

Shane is both suspicious and attracted to the drop dead gorgeous newcomer. He knows she’s hiding something and his protective instincts flare and even though he doesn’t trust easily after being cheated on, he was her to trust him. Can he convince her to trust him while her ex is on the loose and determined to kill her?

The story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Even though Cassie has been through hell and back, she’s still a strong woman who’ll fight everyone for her independence. Something Shane is very much attracted to. With his care and that of the entire town of Petal, Chase family most definitely included, she is healed in a many ways.

Lane created strong bonds between all the characters, building close knit relationships that only occur in small towns. The plot comes with a dose of suspense while Cassie fears for her life, but with a bigger measure of romance while Shane and Cassie try to find their footing in their very intense and push pull relationship. He wants to pull her into his protective loving arms while she pushes to never again be managed by anyone else.

Taking Chase is book #2 of the Chase Brothers series by Lauren Dane. It is a standalone contemporary romance, told from both points of view with a happily ever after, no cliffhanger.

A powerful example of surviving spousal abuse and learning to open one's heart to a worthy man.

Stories that impact the reader are rare. This book is one because it shows how a woman can come from such a scary tragic marriage and survive with a lot of ups and downs. I like that the author shows Cassie's venerability as well and her strength to deal with her fears to become a stronger less fearful person. It doesn't make it all fairytale. It shows the struggle that is real in these situations.

Mr. alpha Shane is the wrong personality to fall in love with Cassie but he is what she needs most to keep her safe. There are lessons in this book for him as well. Lessons on toning his energy down and not plowing through situations. Lessons on not assuming you know everything and are always right.

It is an enjoyable rewarding read so for this reason I give it 4 stars.

This is Shane's story, a couple of years after his brother Kyle married Maggie. Shane has finally been hit by the commitment bug when Cassie Gamble is rear ended by Polly Chase, the matriarch of the family.

Shane is suspicious of Cassie at first, because he can sense she's hiding something. As sheriff, he thinks he needs to find, not only to protect his town, but the woman in question herself. All if his protective instincts come out whenever she's near. That doesn't mean she wants it though.

Cassie has been through a lot, and Petal, Georgia is the place for this to happen and to be anonymous. The problem is, Petal is a small town where everyone knows your business. Plus the Chase clan is everywhere she turns, even with Matt living next door.

Cassie isn't looking for any type of relatonsip with anyone, but can't seem to resist the pushy and domineering Sheriff. When Cassie's past comes back into her life, she must rely on the friendships of all the people who have become family to her in Petal.

I liked the story of Cassie and the how and why she ended up in Petal. But again, we have a similar situation as in Giving Shase where they leave her alone. And this one is even more egregious to me because the ex-husband keeps calling her So weird that the author chose to do in a similar place

Taking Chase is only the second novel I've read by Lauren Dane, and, as usual for me, it's not the first novel in the Chase Brothers series, but it worked just fine as a standalone, and it was a sweet, sexy, emotional read dealing with the subject of domestic violence, and I couldn't put it down. It gets 4.5 stars from this reader.

The heroine, Callie/Cassie, is on the run from Los Angeles and her mega-abusive, violent, and controlling ex-husband, Terry. After verbally abusing her, beating her, controlling her, raping her, and nearly killing her (and if violence is a trigger for you, be forewarned that her injuries and how she got them are described in detail), and being found guilty of attempted murder, for some strange reason, instead of being immediately imprisoned, he went on the run and hasn't been seen for a year. Thanks to a victims advocacy group, the newly renamed Cassie Gambol, leaves Los Angeles and arrives in the small town of Petal, Georgia, to attempt to restart her life. No sooner does she arrive in town when her car is rear-ended by Polly, who's quite a character, and also the mother of police chief, Shane Chase, who arrives at the scene. He's a mountain of man--very strong, very handsome, very much in charge, and very scary to Cassie, because he reminds her of her controlling ex. She's both shaken by the accident, and has suffered nightmares and panic attacks since her near death experience with her ex, and she believes he's going to find her and finish her off, so being noticed is the last thing she wants, yet she can't help being attracted to the handsome officer, and the feeling is mutual, although Shane is quick to realize that Cassie is hiding something.

Shane, one of the four Chase brothers who make up this series, is also relationship-shy. He caught his ex-fiance in bed with his former best friend, and although he has no problem finding willing ladies to date and bed, he rarely dates them for more than two weeks, but Cassie fascinates him, and the feelings she evokes in him are nothing he's ever experienced before, and he's not shy about letting her know. Unfortunately, his controlling and decisive nature is something Cassie fears, and I loved the way the author slowly turned Cassie from being a terrified, helpless victim into someone with backbone enough to stand up to Shane and assert herself and her right to make her own decisions.

The town of Petal and it's citizens were wonderfully portrayed, with all the characters and charm, kindness and friendliness that so drew me to the film Steel Magnolias. As someone who moved to a small town from the big city, I certainly understood the appeal of small town life, and so does Cassie, who is welcomed to Petal with open arms, finds a part-time job at a bookstore (I owned one for 17 years) and sidelines by making jewelry (so do I). Thankfully, I didn't marry an abuser, but I truly loved the way small town life and friendliness allowed Cassie to blossom, grow and learn to trust again, and, as far as decisive, over-protective, dominant, big, strong, uber-alpha, and overbearing Shane is concerned, I also loved the way he too learned to ask before making decisions for Cassie, and to consider that she too could make decisions about her own life, and her own safety. As Cassie and Shane's attraction to one another heats up, expect some graphic sex scenes between the two, and I deeply appreciated the manner in which Shane gentled his approach to Cassie--there was a lot to like about this gentle giant of a man.

As expected, Cassie's abusive ex, Terry, isn't totally out of the picture--he still wants her dead, and although Shane and Cassie's brother, Brian, are trying to find him before he finds Cassie, the search for him and the implied threat to Cassie's life provide most of the suspense in this novel. Again, there are triggers here.

It wasn't hard to fall in love with the town of Petal and its residents, and even harder not to wish that every family was as close, kind, warm, welcoming, and caring as the Chase family. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series, because if the other novels are anything like this one, Ms. Dane has just found herself a new fan.

If you're wondering why I didn't give a novel I so enjoyed a 5-star rating, it's that since this novel is based on the all too common issue of domestic violence, I wished the author had provided an addendum of references on the subject, and a list of available resources for real-life victims of domestic abuse.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

This was an okay romance for me. I liked the strong female character, but the Male was a little too cliche for me.

(3.5*, rounded up)

We met Shane in Giving Chase and I knew that Dane was going to have to give him a bit of an attitude adjustment to make him appealing as a hero ... I just didn't expect it to be an immediate about face.  In the first book he was pretty much an ass - a jerk to women & completely commitment-phobic, thanks to a previous relationship gone bad.  So I expected that Cassie would have to work some kind of magic and slowly get him to change.  Nope, pretty much from the beginning he's over himself and ready to get involved.  It would have been great, if it wasn't for his portrayal in the first story.  And I will give Dane credit that she does have his baggage still there, but it is on simmer and not out in front like when we first met him.  That aside, though, Shane as a character was great (as long as you forgot that he ever had more jerk-ish moments).  He's caring and, although he stumbles a couple of times, does his best to be sensitive to Cassie's feelings.   

And Cassie definitely has her own baggage!  Pretty fresh out of a horrifically abusive relationship, she's trying to have a fresh start.  What she isn't looking for is attracting the interest of a cop.  Luckily for Shane, he's pretty hard to resist.  But it is going to take a lot of patience to work through the scars Cassie past left her with.  She's got a lot of triggers and it might get a bit old for some readers.  She's pretty set on doing things herself and has a hard time separating someone offering help from people trying to manage her.  Her ex did a number on her so it's understandable but it happens a lot.  Good thing new Shane is willing to go all in and help her find a balance that can work for them both. 

This is a slow burn romance as the two work their way around Cassie's issues and having to deal with the fact that her ex is still out there in the world.  There are a lot of emotional ups and downs as she struggles to figure out what a healthy relationship looks like and Shane tries his best to help without taking over.  It's not easy for him to ignore the cop in him that wants to do everything he can to protect her.  Instead he needs to support her as she stands on her own two feet.  There is a bit of excitement at the end but overall this is all about the feels, with just a bit of suspense thrown in.

Taking Chase
Chase Brothers #2
Lauren Dane
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another excellent read by Lauren Dane. She never fails me. She adds so much emotion to her stories and I can’t put them down. Can’t wait to start on Book 3 of these sexy Chase Brothers.
Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

There was something about Cassie he couldn’t possibly ignore. After their disastrous first meeting he felt the need to protect her. Shane knows there is something she is running from and he is desperate to make himself a place in her life. Cassie is still trying to get over the lasting effects of being married and is finally embracing a life she was denied. Will she ever be able to be near Shane or any other man without suffering from a panic attack? This books pulls you in and makes you emotionally invested in Cassie’s life and how she slowly realizes his strong she is and recovery can be long until you find the one person that helps heal you.

3.5 stars

Synopsis: Cassie is on the run, and has left her old life behind to hide in a small town in Georgia. When she first gets to town, she gets rear-ended, and meets the town sheriff, and ends up being neighbours with a paramedic, who happens to be his brother. While Cassie thinks that the sheriff is good looking, she isn't looking for anything with a man, not even friendship.
Shane is the sheriff and knows that something isn't right with the newest citizen of Petal. But once he figures out that she is more afraid than a perpetrator, he tries to make her as comfortable in town as possible.
As Cassie gets comfortable in town, she makes friends and starts going out. She and Shane keep meeting up, and Shane decides that he is very interested in her. As Shane and Cassie get to know one another, Cassie's past is making itself known.

What I liked: the family dynamics. Shane and his brothers and parents are all friends and love each other and give each other a hard time. The town is small enough that everyone seems to know everyone. Cassie had been beaten down in the past, and the fact that she actually worked to overcome it, rather than just have it miraculously cure itself was refreshing. I liked the build in relationship between Cassie and some of the women in town. I liked how Shane's mother wore Cassie down, even though she didn't make a fantastic first impression, what with running in to her and all. There was a gradual build in trust between Shane and Cassie, and the fact that Cassie didn't just keep her secret until the end was a nice change. It was also nice to see a couple have arguments and work through them. Once Shane and Cassie said "I love you", there was still quite a bit of story, as they both worked through their individual issues.

What I didn't like: Shane was very dismissive of the fact that Cassie might have been on the run from an abusive lover. "Someone who slapped her around a couple of times". Women don't go on the run from "someone who slap them around a couple of times", and an officer of the law should know that. I thought that Shane and Cassie's relationship developed overly quickly, even though the trust was slower to follow.

Overall impression: characters that seemed real. 3rd person POV, mostly alternating between Cassie and Shane, but with other members of the family and friends chiming in from time to time.

*I received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read Lauren Dane before (the Hurley Brother series) and thoroughly enjoyed them so was looking forward to this new series. I was sadly disappointed. It was still a good read and you get very invested in the characters and town as a whole, which was great. But I was just not a fan of Shane or Cassie in general.

Shane is the town sheriff and is an alpha male who is a bit controlling. Cassie is on the run from her ex-husband who tried to kill her. She is understandably wary of any many but especially a big man like Shane in a position of power. Overall a good story line but the interaction between the two was very frustrating. Cassie never seemed to be able to see things from Shane's point of view and Shane expected ridiculous things from her. Like having to know where she got her money from...why would he ever be privy to that in the dating stage?

In general, not my favorite book but also not horrible.

I enjoyed this book, it was an easy read. Cassie is on the run, and Shane is the grumpy cop, but sparks instantly fly between the 2. Good read!

Taking Chase was wonderful! It was a great book and well worth the read.. Love Lauren Dane and all of her wonderful books!

I did not know it when I received this book but this is a reprint of a previously published book. I did not notice a significant changes between the two Editions. It is still a good book. If you have not read the chase Brothers series I highly recommended

If you like your heroes big and alpha, and you like your heroines feisty, Taking Chase is for you. This is a fast moving story about starting over and taking chances. Our heroine, Cassie, has been through some MAJOR trauma when she moves to southern small town Petal. Our hero, Shane, is the local Sheriff, and he's about as domineering and overpowering as you can imagine. But he has a soft side and Cassie helps him find it. They have instant chemistry and there are lots of fun and sexy times ahead. But Cassie's past is hanging over her head and there are secrets that she doesn't want to share...I really like that Cassie was a fighter, and that once she had a new life, she wanted to fight to keep it. The villain is very believable and there are a lot of side characters that are fun to get to know. This is the second book in a series, but it is a standalone--no cliffhangers!

I'm a big fan of Lauren Dane I've read a lot of her books and they're great this one was very good, not my favorite but still a good read! It did drag a little the main story line kinda went on and on then the big reveal was over in two seconds! But I do recommend it! It was very enjoyable! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me!

I jumped right into this re-released series and its second book in the series without having any prior knowledge of the series, and I am glad I did because I really enjoyed the story, the romance, the secondary characters, and I appreciated the way the domestic abuse and recovering of it was done.
The story has a great amount of world-building for the series, and reflection to the past events so I didn't feel like I had to read the first book to get what was happening now. The only thing that made me go 'hmm' several times was the continued references to the hero past behavior towards women.
Shane Chase is a protective, in-charge man, who loves his family, his town, and takes care of people around him. I liked him, he was over the top at times, but he was honest, he was caring, so tender and considerate with Cassie, so patience, giving her the room she needed to heal from the past abuse. It was obvious he had learned some hard lessons, it was clear he was falling in love for the very first time and fumbling with it at times, but he was transparent with his past mistakes, and he was sincere with his feelings.
Cassie Gambol is one strong, fierce, survivor. While my heart broke for her, I admired her immensely. She has lived through the ultimate betrayal by her former husband. The one who is suppose to be there for you and support you do everything in their power to break you. The story is such a strong advocate for surviving domestic abuse, and it is done with the utmost respect towards the survivor. The way the escalation of the abuse is told, and how Cassie survived, and what help there is to seek out if needed, and how long it takes to heal from the physical and mental wounds of the abuse, all told with delicately, respectfully, and carefully, the survivor's integrity intact.
I liked that the timeline on the developing romance was stretched long enough for Cassie to truly heal, also mentally, from the past, and find her place in the world again. I loved how well Cassie and Shane fit together, there was sizzling chemistry, absolutely, but there was also sweetness, adoration, caring, protecting each other, and supporting each other when needed. They were equal in more sense than not, and they were challenging each other to be their true selves, to be a better version of themselves, and I just fell in love with them, and with the whole Chase family while at it.
With a great mix of small town living, the crazy of a meddling family, adorable, sweet romance developing, and the suspense from Cassie's ex-husband hunting her, the story was intense entertaining thought-provoking and fear-filled experience that I enjoyed immensely.
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side