Chasing Butterflies is the first solo novel from Terri E. Laine. I have absolutely loved her co-authored novels with A.M. Hargrove, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this standalone new adult story from Terri. While there were things I really liked about this story, I did have some things that didn't work as well for me here as with her co-authored books.
Kelley Moore has had a rough home life but has managed to survive. Known for being a player both on and off the football field, everything changes when he meets Lenora Wells. Lenora will do whatever it takes to escape small town life after being forced to play the role her parents demand. When Lenora and Kelley meet their connection is instant, but just as these two are starting something Kelley's life once again uproots him making his dreams for the future seem even further away. Four years go by and once again their lives collide, but can they find a way to let go of the past and move forward or will there be too much damage between them to get over?
I felt for both Kelley and Lenora here. They each had a lot they were dealing with, and though they were completely different things you could see the toll it took on each of them. Things hadn't been easy for them, and you could see how they connected right away here. They had a ton of chemistry and the sparks were definitely flying between them. That being said though, it felt like much of this story they spent apart and it was hard for me to ever fully buy into their relationship because of that. I wanted to see more of them together and figuring things out, and I just didn't feel like we got that here. Things felt rushed, and I would have liked for things to have happened a bit more naturally than they did.
The other thing that I had some issues with was the writing itself. While Terri E. Laine definitely has talent, there were times that this story felt a bit choppy. It lost some of my interest because of that, and at times was hard to get into though I wanted to see how it would all play out. I have to say though that I really liked the secondary characters and I really hope that we get some of their stories as well. I think that this story had a lot of potential and could have been really great. As a debut solo novel from her, this one was good and I think she will continue to get better as she writes more. I would recommend that she get some good beta readers or editors though who can help her on a few of these issues, as I think that would help her iron out some of these things ahead of time in the future. I know this won't be the last I read from her, and I think that this book is worth reading. If you are a fan of NA stories and this sounds like one you might like, I recommend giving it a shot.
**ARC Provided by Social Butterfly PR**
0 comments :
Post a Comment