Book 4 of a previously published story and just as great with this read as it was the first time. Tate is one of those characters you relate to instantly. Smart, unwittingly sexy and family oriented, she puts herself last in all interactions. Well aware of her family's shortcomings and small-town biases, she allows her insecurities to blind her to the possibilities of what life has to offer. Until she is thrust into a new relationship with the town's last "golden" boy. Will Matt be able to prove that she is worth all of the good things in life?

Making Chase by Lauren Dane is book Four in the Chase Brothers series. This is the story of Tate Murphy and Matt Chase. I have read the previous book but feel this can be a standalone book.
Tate hasn't had a easy life and as work to bring herself and her siblings out of the life they had. When Tate looks at Matt as someone very hot, exciting but with somewhat easier life than hers and she thinks she is out of his league. Matt has seen his siblings fall in love and how happy they are so he is open to love when it happens....and that seems to be Tate.
Easy hot exciting read!! Please note this is a re-release with a new cover.

Where do I start....in my opinion if you want to read one thing written by Lauren Dane, make it the Chase series. Yes it is hard to deal with some of the lead females from time to time but overall the 4 Chase men more than make up for this. Matt Chase is the last of the Chase brothers to find the woman he is meant to be with, his soulmate, but once he does all bets are off as we follow along on Matt & Tate's journey. Matt is a hot, sexy, alpha fireman but also sweet, romantic smooth talker, & there is no shortage of their steamy encounters. It gets hot, hot, hot at times especially when he brings the alpha male out with his commanding bedroom talk, and I am not going to lie, it's kinda hot in a Kindle-melting way - need ice to cool off way! Definitely Recommend One-Clicking Making Chase but also recommend all one-clicking all four books in the Chase Brothers series. Thank you Lauren Dane and Harlequin Carina Press for re-introducing the Chase Brothers so we can enjoy the four swoon-worthy Chase Brothers!
I am voluntarily leaving this voluntary review, but for full disclosure I did receive an review copy, ARC, of this book from Harlequin Carina Press via NetGalley.

Matt chase is the last single one of the Chase Brothers. He knows that's about to change as soon as he meets Tate Murphy. She's beautiful, smart, sexy, and everything he's ever wanted in a woman. Getting the girl is the easy part though. Getting past her low self esteem issues while the small town of Petal does everything to keep her down is the hard part. Matt's ready to fight for her but is Tate ready to fight for them or will she let narrow minded people keep them apart.

I've really enjoyed this entire series and recommend not only this book but all four in the series.

Someone posted a new topic on one of my Goodreads groups last week that this book for me was a perfect example of. The question was “Have you ever changed your rating of a book on a reread”. After reading Making Chase it’s a resounding yes. I read this the first time back in 2014 and gave it 4 stars. I’m now wondering if I read it post-surgery, because even though my tastes have changed since then, they haven’t changed that much. I’ve always liked strong, smart heroines, and Tate was not one. At all.

I get that she was physically and emotionally abused as a kid and was raised by the town drunk and his whorish wife. I admire the fact that she took on caring for her younger siblings and made herself a target so they could thrive. What I don’t get was her going back to her parents and allowing herself to continue to be a target. Visiting them to get her parent’s signature on her youngest sibling’s financial papers for college...yes. Going over there to referee a fight between her parents knowing they’d just target her instead of each other...hell no. Allowing herself to be blackmailed by her dad...seriously. No.

“Matthew Chase! You can’t love me. I’m a fat little nobody from a horrible family from the wrong side of the road.”

She also had this poor little me thing going on that was a serious turn-off. She thought she was fat and unworthy, thoughts her drunk of a father put in her head. She nourished that ugliness, making an art form out of feeling sorry for herself about it amongst other things. In her mind, she wasn’t worthy of a Chase brother because of how she was raised and what she looked like. In my mind, she wasn’t worthy of a Chase brother because she was TSTL and spent her life having a huge pity party.

What was worse was everyone else’s reactions to her weight, and I’m not just talking about the town’s mean girls (who were eye-roll inducing on their own). Even Polly Chase was in on it saying she wasn’t as “comely” as other women that Chase had dated and that he’d have to face those facts in order to deal with the fallout. I was floored at how anti-big girl this book was even though it was trying to be the opposite.

The best part about this book was time spent with the other couples and getting to see them happily married with lots of babies. If it hadn’t been for that, this would have been a DNF. I really can’t fathom why I gave this 4 stars the first time. I love most of Lauren Dane's books, but this one didn't work for me.

Rating: 2 One Big Pity Party Stars

Beautiful!

An emotionally heart wrenching and amazingly beautiful love story! A perfect way to end the Chase family saga.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

Through three previous books readers have fallen in love with the Chase brothers, cheered their HEAs, and have come to think of them as family. This last installment introduces us to the final single brother, a handsome and kindhearted hero whose journey to his own HEA charmed me every step of the way. His is a journey full of heart and soul that brought me joy as well as tears as he proved himself to be the quintessential book boyfriend and is still bringing me lots of wonderful fodder for my nightly dreams.

Tate Murphy stands out amongst all the heroines I’ve read about through the years as she overcame a childhood of obstacles to make a good life for herself as an adult. She overcame her drunken father’s verbal abuse concerning her larger size, along with her mother’s uncaring attitude and chronic infidelities, to raise her siblings and rise above her family’s humble roots. She had to grow up far too soon, had to take charge of her younger sibling’s care, which has left her little time to find her own HEA. Matt Chase is the one man in their small town who utterly captivates her and because of his perfection she sees him as only a dream, a man she can drool over while continuing to care for her siblings. The day she gets in a car accident though is the day that everything changes and her dream has the chance to become a reality...if only she’s brave enough to go after what she wants. Tate’s a delightful heroine, caring and very loyal when it comes to family. Nothing makes her happier than when she cooks for them or is spending time with them and their familial interactions warmed my heart. Tate’s strong-willed in many ways, as evidenced by the sacrifices she made to keep her siblings clothed and fed when they were young, but it’s her self-esteem that’s bruised and that holds her back when it comes to picturing herself with Matt. It’s a rocky road for them as the judgments of some in their town cause her to doubt the obvious love he feels for her. The cattiness of others cast a shadow over their sweet and sexy relationship, a relationship that Matt nurtured every step of the way as he wanted her to see herself as he did...a sexy goddess with a heart of gold.

Matt Chase has a heart of gold too, one hidden from some who value only his good looks and sterling reputation and wealth. He’s a dedicated firefighter, a caring son, and a loyal and supportive brother, but when it comes to love he’s still alone. His brothers have all found their HEAs, but despite the many women he’s dated he still hasn’t found The One. He longs to have what his brothers have, someone who sees past his obvious good looks to the man beneath, someone of substance who he can talk and laugh with and who values family as much as he does. His first meeting with Tate might not have been memorable, but the cookies she makes for him capture his attention and start them on a path of friends-to-lovers. Matt’s extremely protective of Tate, even at the beginning he takes offense of anyone who brings up her curviness. As their connection intensifies he often reminds her of his attraction to her and of all the other qualities he finds appealing which she’ll need when dealing with the cattiness of some of the women in town. They might be opposites in some ways but together they’re a formidable couple who are utterly delightful together. By the turn of the final page Matt has set himself apart from other heroes through his sweet and sexy words and deeds and his HEA was one worth waiting for.

This was a story that pulled at my heartstrings, making me happy one moment while causing a tear the next as Tate fought to accept her HEA while Matt tried to get her to take the time to make herself happy. Their relationship started off sweetly, full of sexual tension, before becoming combustible in nicely paced erotically-charged encounters that brought out a sex kitten vibe from the blushing and at times demure Tate. The banter between these two was crackling, their arguments realistic yet not drawn out for melodramatic purposes. The issues they dealt with over her past, the aspects of daily living as a couple, were also dealt with realistically and kept me fully engaged in their intensifying connection. Surrounding this immensely appealing main couple was a large cast of family members, some we’ve seen before with some that are new. They’re a distinctive group in looks and personalities, but they were all loyal to each other. Matt’s brothers were supportive of his relationship with Tate and stood up for her when those in town tried to tear her down. Matt’s mom Polly was especially protective and I loved seeing her feisty side emerge from such a ladylike facade. Tate’s siblings had a very tough upbringing with her taking the brunt of the verbal abuse and older brother Tim carrying the physical scars. Everything was a struggle, and though they’ve forged successful lives for themselves, some still see them as trash who came from the wrong side of the tracks. It’s made for a tight-knit connection between them that endeared them to me and has me wanting to know more about them. Small town living was on vivid display throughout this story too, all the good and the bad, with the unwavering support of some as well as the cattiness of others. Coming from a small town myself had me easily relating to this and by the turn of the final page I was left charmed and cheering. Matt and Tate overcame a lot due to her past and her insecurities and this series-ender was wrapped up beautifully with a bow. Ultimately, Ms. Dane has crafted a near-perfect hero along with an unforgettable heroine, in a story that I recommend wholeheartedly!

Book Info
Kindle Edition, 2nd edition, 288 pages
Expected publication: August 27th 2018 by Carina Press (first published June 6th 2007)
Original Title Making Chase (Chase Brothers, #4)
ASIN B07BRW3Q87
Edition Language English
Series Chase Brothers #4
Characters Matt Chase, Tate Murphy setting Petal, Georgia (United States)
Other Editions (12)
Source:Netgalley EARC

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BOOK BLURB


Previously published; newly refreshed by author.

The Chase boys. Ridiculously hot and notoriously single.

All of Petal, Georgia, is waiting for the last Chase brother to fall. At least, that’s how it feels to firefighter Matt Chase, who’s getting a little anxious himself. His brothers have all found love—why hasn’t he? But fate, in the form of a curvaceous hairdresser, is about to change that.

Salon owner Tate Murphy has come a long way from her trailer-park roots, taking care of her seven siblings along the way. Even though she’s put the past behind her, she knows someone like Matt Chase is way out of her league. But that doesn’t stop her from getting a good eyeful every chance she gets.

When a car accident throws them together, Tate gets more than an eyeful—she gets the whole package. Not that she’s complaining. But when small-town bias and her own insecurities get in the way of their relationship, Matt will have to prove he doesn’t care where she came from…only where she goes.

The Chase is on. One small town. Four hot brothers. And enough heat to burn up anyone who dares to get close. Don’t miss the other books in the series: Taking Chase, Giving Chase and Chased.

This book is approximately 70,000 words

Edited by Angela James

My Thoughts


4 brothers fall 1 by 1 with Matt Chase being the last holdout, that is until he meets Tate Murphy.

The rest of course is history in the making as the 2 find themselves slowly but surely getting to know each other through lunches together, dinner dates and other meetings that take place both alone and in the company of either Chase or Murphy family members.

For Matt and Tate both their respective families are the most important bond, but their explosive chemistry with each other is nothing to sneeze at either.

Like his brothers before him Matt Chase has never been without female companionship. The feminine sex has fallen to his good looks and charm for his entire life so finding a woman who challenges him never seemed to be in the cards.

Now however that has changed for Matt. Tate is everything he was looking for and more as she has not only a strong character but takes no bull from anyone, especially not Matt.

Having always been the caregiver in the Murphy family Tate finds it hard to let someone else take on that role on her behalf. Matt however persists in breaking down her barriers, both the ones she has had to erect to keep from succumbing to despair over poor treatment from certain Petal residents as well as her own less than stellar parents.

What one takes away from this book on both Matt and Tates behalf is at once simple and yet also complicated.

The old adage to never "judge a book by it's cover" point is strongly driven home.

Matt has always been judged for his good looks and laid back approach to life. Leading those around him to not only consider him just a pretty face and someone only interested in a good time rather than any long-term commitments.

Tate has the opposite problem as she is not conventionally pretty but instead she is short, overweight and enjoys bright colored clothing rather than more subdued attire like a "real lady" would wear.

After many stops, starts and stalls both Matt and Tate turn Petal Georgia on it's ear. As the last Chase picks the girl from the "wrong side of the tracks" and Tate shocks those who would separate them life in the small town becomes even more interesting.

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Yay! Another story of the Chase brothers. As the last single brother, Matt wants what his brothers have. But none of the woman who flock to him (since he is the last of the hot brothers available) appeals to him. Until he bumps into Tate. Born on the wrong side of the tracks, Tate has struggled all her life to provide for herself and her siblings.
So Matt is way out of her league. Or so she thinks. But Matt clearly doesn't get the message, because the Chase is on... But when Matt and Tate's worlds collide, will they be able to survive?
Find out for yourself in this last and yummie ride on the Chase brothers.
Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Tate has had a rough childhood being from the wrong side of town with an alcoholic father and a mother who slept around. She raised her brother’s and sister and took most of the abuse from their father. She’s had a crush on Matt for years but he’s from the wealthy side of town. Matt is a firefighter and comes to Tate’s rescue when she’s bumped by a car. She sends him cookies and goes to thank her and can’t believe he’s never noticed her before. But Tate has some issues with her weight and is constantly putting herself down. Matt loves her the way she is but it’s tough to get her to quit thinking she’s fat. And the town thinks she’s trash and Matt deserves better but Matt has found the woman he’s been longing for.

Fair story but Tate constantly putting herself down drove me crazy. I like where Matt’s family bring her and her family into the fold. Calling her vagina a gate is just weird. I give this a 3.9 stars. The sex is hot. The story was good it was just the characters who needed tweaked.

* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for Netgalley *

An A+ story with lots of good solid writing and romance. Lauren Dane never fails to delight with her Petal Georgia romances.

Going to start with a reminder that this is a previously released book that is being reissued with a bit of tweaking by the author. Matt is the last of Chase brothers without a wife. He's got a bit of a reputation as a player too. Tate Murphy has had a hard life. An abusive dad and a mom who didn't care and looked the other way. Tate was forced to be the parent to all her younger siblings as they grew up. The older they got the more of a unit the siblings became. Matt and Tate meet when she's knocked to the ground by a car and Matt helps her out in his firefighter capacity. I'm going to say i enjoyed parts of this story and parts had me scratching my head. I liked the two families but some of the story and actions by the characters was a bit over dramatic. Tate is supposed to be this smart woman and takes care of everything but still let her parents abuse her. She's supposed to be tough as they come and acts like it sometimes but then any little thing it seems she's shattered. While i get she was abused she's 31 years old and still let's it continue. Matt tries to help her and even when they decide they are in love she continues to hide it and he seems to always be the bad guy for wanting to help. I like how supportive both families were of each other and how the Chase family took in the Murphy's as their own. I don't know overall it was OK but something didn't exactly click. I got into it and was engrossed and then something would draw me out. A so so read. Not my favorite of the series.



Find out more about Lauren Dane and this series here www.laurendane.com

This is Matt and Tate book, Matt is the last of the chase brothers to fall in love and Tate is a curvy hairdresser from the wrong side of the tracks, Tate had to take care of her seven siblings her whole life and her dad I just wanted to throat punch! Ugh Matt is a firefighter also, this book was good but just average it was too Insta love , too much Idk it was good but not my favorite! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me!

This is the last Chase boys' love story. But, I think it is by fare my favorite in the series. I may not have grown up like Tate, however, we see ourselves in much the same light. I love how open and honest she is about it. She is real. Liv had her pegged from day one! Matthew handled Tate's negativity perfectly and with class and love.

I love the tight knit family of the Murphys. They didn't let their upbringing dictate their future. They are all successful and happy people. The Epilogues were perfect. The joining of the Chase and Murphy families is heartwarming and right. Once you close this book, you are left with a happy heart.

Matt Chase is the last brother standing, and Tate Murphy watches and admires from afar. Tate is the motherly figure in all her siblings lives. Takes care of everyone, takes on a lot, but doesn't have anyone watching over her, or so she thinks. She will always view herself as the girl who isn't enough, grown up on the wrong side of the tracks.

During an accident, Matt is there to help her, their meet up has him plagued and constant pull to her. Matt can sense wanting more with her, but its a fight to get her to acknowledge that he really does want her for her.

I liked their story, but the back and forth about her not being good enough was beginning to get so repetitive. Overall, it was good, and I would want a guy like Matt Chase to fight for me as much as he fought for her.

2.5 stars. This book was not my cup of tea, unfortunately. This was my first read by Lauren Dane, after friends raving about her, and I was definitely disappointed.

This is Tate and Matt's book. Tate is a hairdresser/salon owner, raised in a trailer park by an abusive, alcoholic father and a mother who is gone stepping out on her father half the time. She has raised her younger brothers and sisters and made something of herself now. Matt is a fireman and the youngest and last single Chase brother. His wealthy family is the golden family of the town. The two work across the street from each other, but don't meet until Tate is hit by a car on the street and Matt comes to the rescue. They become friends and one day Matt realizes he actually is interested in her romantically. She is very skeptical, pushes him away a lot and has terrible self esteem, but they begin dating. They have so much pushback from the townspeople that they must overcome, but it all works out in the end.

My issues with this book were many. This book hinges on, harps on, bashes the readers over the head with two things: 1. Tate is "fat" or "heavyset". People talk about her weight or she talks about it on pretty much every page. Tate's poor self esteem was also harped on so much. There was way too much and it was overdramatic. 2. Tate is poor white trash from the trailer park and not good enough to date a Chase.

The townspeople were all against Tate and Matt being together, going up to them wherever they went to confront them about it. That continued to very end. What century was this? It was not at all believable, understandable or relatable that a whole town cared so much about two people dating simply because of a supposed class difference. It annoyed me so much. That was pretty much the focus of the whole book- the couple fighting against the mean townsfolk and it hurting Tate's feelings, contributing to her poor self esteem. It was very repetitive.

This book also has so much OW drama and it bothered me so much. Women Matt used to date come up to her wherever she goes to make fun of her and tell her she is too fat or poor to be dating Matt. He also used to date his SIL, before she married his brother. He even wonders in the first few pages of the book if he lost his "one" in her. I felt like Matt was just desperate to get married to anyone because his brothers were all married. And the SIL is around all the time during the rest of the book and Tate has to be around her. Of course, SIL is beautiful and thin, while Tate is "fat" with poor self esteem. Matt was also the SIL's best friend and he blows kisses at her whenever he sees her. What guy does that, anyway?

Also, I felt the writing was poor. The book felt long and drawn out. This book is written in 3rd person and we get both hero and heroine's thoughts, but it was sometimes in the same paragraph, which gave me whiplash. I didn't feel any chemistry, emotion or love between the couple. I felt like the general story had potential, but the execution ruined the book for me.

Overall, this was a miss for me. I guess this author just isn't for me.

In this story, the last of the Chase boys fell in love. Matt is a firefighter and after saving Tate he starts to fell in love with her little by little. Tate comes from another side of the town, hard childhood and a secret crush on Matt. She can't believe when Matt starts to pursue her and has to fight for her love from a lot of bitter co-citizens. The story is in a way ok. Something is missing for me. Very soon Matt confesses his feeling toward Tate very fast and they just fuck and hang together with families. We just see a lot of Tates and Matt fighting with other people. I am shocked that so many people hat stuck nose in their business. It was great to see that they were both loved by their family, expect from Tates parents but all in all, I was expecting a little bit more.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

I am a late comer to the Chase family. I didn't realize that this was book four. But numbers don't matter and this book proves it with the rapidly multiplying family!

Matt Chase is the odd man out. All of his brothers have found "the One". He's left hoping for the same until a certain curvy girl catches his eye and his stomach! You know what they say "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Good thing she's one Hell of a cook.

This sweet story is about love in a small town filled with small minded people. Embracing love and saying damn the world.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Tate Murphy has a secret crush on Matt Chase, watching him across the street at the firehouse where he works from her and her sister's business, Murphy's Cuts and Curls. Living in the small town of Petal, Georgia and going to the same school, they surprising have never meet, though her older brother Tim was in Matt's class. But the 8 Murphy children are from the other side of the tracks from the Chase. Children of an abusive alcoholic father and a slutty mother, Tim and Tate basically raised their younger siblings, moved them out of the trailer park as soon as they could, but looked down and harassed by some of the town people.

Meanwhile, Matt wants what this brother have all found, that special woman, who he will recognize when he sees her. He is tired of the beautiful but shallow women that he has been dating. Fate steps in and Matt is there when Tate is injured in a minor accident. With her first smile, he knows that she is the one, but she is so damaged by her father, that he will have a lot of wooing to do, to convince her that she is it for him. Fortunately for him, both his family and hers, have his support.

This has been a beautifully written series, with masterly developed characters, whose pasts have molded them into endearing people, able to conquer the difficult obstacles placed in their paths.

I really liked this book. It's a cross between Don't judge a Book by its Cover and Wishes really can come true.
There was a lot going on and it worked seamlessly. I'd like to read more.