Title: Chasing The Stars (Chasing, #1)
Author: J.D. Rivera
Genre: New Adult
Release Date: October 13. 2014
Synopsis
Mackenzie…
With each dawn rose a new day, but nothing changed. Not really. My life was the same revolving circle. We barely lived. We moved. We barely got by in a new place. Until we moved again.
New school. New trailer park. Different day.
The first day of my senior year in high school, I was ready to give up. Ready to run far, far away and hope I would never be found. But I’m a smart girl. I knew it would never work. I had a plan. One I was so close to fulfilling. I could start over. Be a new person.
Live without the “poor girl” and “trailer trash” labels attached to my back.
I became guarded, living by my own rules.
Rule number one: don’t worry about learning their names, I wouldn’t be around long enough for them to learn mine.
But then, I met him. I tried to resist, tried to push away, make myself seem uninterested, but Hayes wouldn’t let me. He saw something in me and chased me until I finally gave in. We became friends — best friends. And then, we became more. My guard fell and I opened my heart, only for him to crush it in his bare hands.
Hayes…
Sex. Booze. Football. In that order.
I’d never been the kind of guy who “did” relationships. They seemed pointless. Girls threw themselves at me, practically purred for me to seduce them.
Why would I give that up?
Why would I want more?
But there was something about Mackenzie. Something different from all those other girls. She was someone I was willing to risk everything for. I didn’t care where she came from, or about her past. It didn’t matter that she lived on “the wrong side of town” and I was the rich kid “sitting on a gold mine”.
Even more, those other girls didn’t matter anymore. Because they weren’t my Mac.
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Excerpt
I turned around to come face to face with green piercing eyes. My breath caught and I felt like I was going to pass out. No way was I standing in front of Hayes Morgan. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t speak…I couldn’t do anything but look into his beautiful eyes.
“Mac?” he finally managed, his voice cracking.
“Yeah,” I whispered.
He reached his hand out like he was going to touch me, but then dropped it. “I can’t believe it’s you. I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again.”
I pulled my eyes away from him and noticed the beautiful girl standing beside him with her arm wrapped around his forearm. “It’s really me. It was nice seeing you, but I have to go.”
I marched to the door as fast as I could without looking back. I had to get out of there—away from Hayes and definitely away from his girlfriend. Before I could make it far, I heard him yelling, “Mackenzie! Mackenzie, wait!”
I didn’t turn around as I quickened my pace. I couldn’t talk to him. I didn’t know what to say.
About The Author
J.D. Rivera lives in Oklahoma with her husband and two boys. Her life consists of school projects, homework, cartoon shows, and little league sports. She loves Diet Mountain Dew, the OKC Thunder, costume jewelry, the beach, and reading.
4.5 Stars
Chasing the Stars is a book that takes us on a journey of undying love, unity and transformation. A road, split, by the tragedies and successes of life. A broken girl, a teenage heartthrob, an unlikely pairing, an unbreakable bond. Transcending time, over-coming obstacles, moving pass the surface, and digging deep into the soul.
I started this book one night and I didn't stop until I read it all. The author's words flowed off the pages, engrossing me, till the end. A thrilling and lovable story, that will make all the giddy romantics fall in love all over again. The purity of first love, and the reality of a happily ever after.
******
Mackenzie is starting her senior year of high school at a new school, Maverick High. Her family has moved numerous times and is barely surviving. Her father can't keep a job and he uses alcohol to curb his frustrations. Currently living in a trailer, with little to nothing to eat. His drunken stupors, turn violent and he uses his fists to take out his anger on Mackenzie. While her mother stands by, and watches on, with sorrow filled eyes.
Maverick, a place, where everyone knows everyone. Where nothing is a secret.
Getting accustomed to a new school, new teachers and mostly new students is always difficult. But meeting Miranda, her soon to be best friend, makes the transition on her first day, so much easier. Mackenzie's mission is to work hard, get a job, save enough and when she turns eighteen, she will be leaving. Being a teenage girl, she can't help but notice the hottest, most sort after guy in the school, Hayes Morgan. Just a glimpse, staring into those green depths, she gets lost in a mirage.
Hayes Morgan, the local bad boy. Highschool football jock,man-whore, and party extraordinaire. Hayes, is the son of a county judge. He's a hard worker, on and off the field. He studies hard and parties harder. With his cocky attitude and larger than life persona, he's always looking for the next adventure. And by adventure, I mean girl.
On first sight, both Mackenzie and Hayes are attracted to each other. For Makenzie her self-esteem is low, due to her current situation. Hayes is the out of reach, ultimate dream come true. For Hayes, Mackenzie is a breath of fresh air. A girl, not tainted by social status. Smart, attentive and sarcastically funny. One who gives as good as she gets. In some way, Hayes sees something different in Mackenzie, that draws him in, and makes him want to get to know her.
“It was the first time I could remember wanting to smile for no reason in a long time. Most of the time, I was smiling because I wanted in some girls panties. This time it was different. Mackenzie was hot but getting in her panties wasn’t the one thing I was thinking about. I found myself wanting to actually get to know her. Something is seriously wrong with me.”
Meeting for a second time, finally introducing themselves in Chemistry class, they become lab partners, and soon an unyielding friendship starts. As their friendship takes different turns, Hayes knows his feelings for Mackenzie are more than friendly interest. While, Mackenzie worries over Hayes interest in her. With enough time, frustration and too much luster-love from afar, Hayes claims Mac and expresses his feelings for her.
This is where the complexities of their relationship comes to the forefront and Mac's self-esteem comes even more into play. Hayes always knew the status of Mac's life. Her poverty, the abuse, her reason for getting a job. He helped her along so much through their friendship and into their relationship. Always being supportive, ensuring she had enough to eat, a comfortable, violent free place to sleep. A way to contact him, if and when she needed help. He became her sole comfort, at a time where her life was spiraling out of control.
This is what I loved so much about Hayes. He was so nurturing. It was amazing to see how he was so in tuned to Mac's feelings. He was fierce and soft, gentle and arrogant, lovable through it all.
Hayes dad is a county judge, soon to be running for election. Asked to keep his relationship with Mac a secret, because her father is a criminal and his opponents would use this information against him, to hurt his campaign and malign the family and Mac.
After a particularly painful night at home, Hayes, loses his mind, and begs his father to intervene in Mac's family life. Calling child protective services, becomes a living nightmare for both Hayes and Mac. She is taken away and put through foster care. Five hours away, living with a filthy, lude foster parent, Mac runs away. Nowhere to be scene, with no way to contact her. Days later and Hayes is going out of his mind. On a night where he loses control, inebriated beyond rational thought, he ends up making out with a school mate that he despises. All the while, Mac has been trucking it just to get to Hayes. To be cocooned within his warmth, love and support.
The utter despair and devastation that Mac suffers, upon seeing Hayes kissing another girl, brings all her self-deprecation to life. Only a few days apart, and he moves on already. Belittled and hurt, she leaves, never to be heard from or seen again.
More than a year later, Hayes and Mac, accidentally meet up at a coffee shop. They are both stunned speechless. Mac running out in a frenzy. Afraid that the precious secret she is keeping will be revealed. But, all Hayes can see is Mac, he's afraid to let her go a second time. This time, he fights for the love of his life.
*ARC provided by Love Between the Sheets Promotions on behalf of the author for an honest review* Thanks!! This is a fav! of mine.
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