It has such promise too...

Well...if you like me listened to the preview you probably thought you were going to get to read a novel with a fair amount of humor, good sex, and a little bit of angst...

Well..that is maybe the first 1/3 of the book...it was great. Funny, good sex scenes, real characters (with normal vulnerabilities, etc) and I was excited to see where the story was going and then we got to the second 2/3 of the book and I can say is that was just a HOT MESS!!

I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but the story really devolved and we are left with reading something that reminded me of YA novels (just with way more sexual references!).

Save your credit... much better books out there that deal with this storyline.

4 people found this helpful

Not What I Expected

As has been previously stated, the first part of this novel was good. The characters were believable and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Then, things got weird. I'm sure there are people out there like some of the characters, but that doesn't mean I want to spend my free time hearing about them.

One of the things I liked about the book was the character development. These seemed like real-life men with desires and motivations to match their personalities.

The thing I didn't like about the book was that it reminded me a bit of an after-school special, but with a LOT more sex.

I will say that I liked this book a lot more than some of the others by male authors.

2 people found this helpful

Some nice parts, overall, not a good story

Caden is a very buff guy who likes bears (beefy, manly men) and he’s a little conflicted about this because he has a super vain friend named Bobby who only dates model types and gives Caden a hard time for his taste in men.

Kevin is a super sweet, beefy guy who’s going to school and meets Caden at a club and again later on the train and they hit it right off.

The two begin a hot love affair, both feeling the attraction strongly, when Caden suddenly has to leave for 6 weeks to help his family. While he’s gone, Kevin – feeling insecure – loses 40 pounds! (I know right?!) When Caden returns, he is no longer attracted to Kevin.

Kevin’s heart is breaking and the vain Bobby fuels the split by stealing Kevin’s phone and sending mean texts to Caden.

Kevin finally breaks down and asks Caden what’s wrong, they sort through their crap and agree that they still have feelings for each other.

**
Well…
I loved the first half of the book – everyone seemed really into each other, and it looked like it was going to be a great book about loving yourself as you are because there is always someone who can love you (if you love you).

But no.

For some reason Kevin gets on this health kick and loses a ton of weight and then Caden simply isn’t attracted to him any more.

In a way I get it. The two didn’t have much time to bond in any more than a physical way and Kevin changed into a totally different physical type. He lost 40 pounds! Like 10% his body weight. This is more than just being healthy, it’s a new life style and in a way I can see that as changing more than just your body. You’d have to change how you think to make a commitment to maintain that body, etc.
Of course, my heart was bleeding because I wanted Kevin to have his dream guy and the two did have some things in common, but they didn’t spend much time together before Caden left, and that feeling of them being “meant for each other” hadn’t really taken root outside the bedroom.

And then there’s the whole thing with Bobby the jerk. I’m not sure what his role was, other than to be another hurdle in a story that has plenty of hurdles. I think Caden’s body issues, Kevin’s body issues and the whole “chemical attraction” thing was enough to work with. Having that misunderstanding with Bobby just muddied the waters.

When Caden and Kevin get over the misunderstandings that Bobby set up, Caden seemed to “realize” that he still had feelings for Kevin and the two make up. But really, the issue of Kevin’s new body doesn’t get resolved in a satisfying way for me. I don’t think either of them addressed the nature of Caden’s original attraction (was it just the body, or the life style too that he was attracted to? Maybe he didn’t want someone to make him feel driven to keep his own perfect body. Maybe he wanted someone different than his gym friends. Maybe he didn’t want someone as body conscious as himself.) or the reason behind Kevin’s transformation (fear? A true desire to be different? A desire to be healthy?). Let’s just say they still have a lot to discuss, and to me an actual relationship to build. So for now we’ll call the ending a HFN and leave it at that.

Overall, the second half of the book essentially ruined the first half for me, and my rating went from a 4 or 5 to a 2.

I liked the writing, will definitely read more Rick Reed books, but I am not a fan of this one.

Audio:
John Solo does a nice job with the narration. No over the top voices, good sound quality, I would look for him in the future.

3 of 5 stars

1 person found this helpful

My life in print.

I couldn't help but be haunted by this book. The author accurately captured my life. I would have been deeply affected by the weight loss too, as I love beefy men.

1 person found this helpful

Get ready for the stereo type.

What can I say about a book that trots out the chaser stereo type? Give this one a miss - you're credit is better spend on something else.

3 people found this helpful

Exactly what it says it is

I was intrigued by the premise of Chaser, and curious to see how the author expanded on it... but they didn't. There were a few moments where I thought the entire story was about to turn on it's head. I thought a vaguely unlikable character introduced early on may turn out to be the real hero, which would have been really cool and fascinating way to take the story. Kevin is a really sweet romantic interest and I was absolutely rooting for his happy ending. Overall, Chaser is a sweet story without much depth besides what the summary includes. It's an enjoyable read.

There is more to love than appearances...

FiveStars
**AUDIOBOOK REVIEW**

This is such a good story. I was a bit sickened at times by some of the behavior of Bobby, but the two men who were trying to figure out if there was more to appearances that made their relationship was excellent.

I've never heard/read a Rick Reed story before but I really enjoyed the way he wrote the characters and the drama that they went through.

Really the underlying point of this book is that appearances aren't everything and love is more than skin deep.

John Solo did an excellent job with the narration as well bring together an excellent audiobook!!

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Inked Rainbow Reads.

Just wow!!

Would you listen to Chaser again? Why?

Yes !!
Cause I can

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kevin I feel I can relate to him the most!!

What does John Solo bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His narration was awesome I don't think you would have found the emotion of the characters as much if just reading..

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

For my friends,for my family,for myself

Any additional comments?

I can not wait for the second book to come come in audio it's bobby story which is good cause has to redeem himself. You can buy it to read but hoping john solo narrates it will be worth the wait!!

good plot but drawn out

the story is good however drawn out it is . way too much into the caricter thoughts makes them seem whiney u almost want to slap them for going off topic at times it interrupts the story

Pure Crap

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Nothing could have saved this nonsence

Has Chaser turned you off from other books in this genre?

Yes. At first I thought it would be ok because ti was written by a man, but I stopped after the first chapter

How could the performance have been better?

No, the problem is the rediclious material.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

boredom and a lot of eyerolling

Any additional comments?

The author just needs to stop writing, like forever....