Taking Chances by Molly McAdams

Title: Taking Chances
Author: Molly McAdams
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: October 16th, 2012
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 432
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Adult

**DNF

Eighteen year old Harper has grown up under her career Marine of a father's thumb. Ready to live life her own way and experience things she's only ever heard of from the jarheads in her father's unit; she's on her way to college at San Diego State University.

Thanks to her new roommate, Harper is introduced to a world of parties, gorgeous guys, family and emotions. Some she wasn't expecting yet, and others she never knew she was missing.

She finds herself being torn in two as she quickly falls in love with her boyfriend Brandon, and her roommate's brother Chase. Covered in tattoos, known for fighting in the Underground and ridiculously muscled...they're exactly what she was always warned to stay away from, but just what she needs. Despite their dangerous looks and histories, both adore and would do anything for Harper, including stepping back if it means she's happy.

Her first year away is turning out to be near perfect, but one weekend of giving in to heated passion will change everything

Now, I usually make an effort to finish a book. Especially books I bought, since that was my money and I am putting it to good use. But, for once, I am glad that I didn't pay full price for this book. I don't mean to be cruel, I don't want to be cruel; I try to find something good in every book I read, even books that I finish and I sit back and think to myself, "Why did I just read this?" But, I cannot find something good about this. Not. One. Thing.

Originally, Harper seemed like a pretty cool girl. Off on her own, finding herself - and slowly as Brandon and Chase came in the picture it all crashed and burned into unimaginable rumbles that no one can make heads or tales of.

First, I get it already, Harper is gorgeous! Fine! But does the reader need to be reminded of this on every single page? No! And fine, she has two guys who want her. I am a sucker for a good love triangle. I especially love it when the two guys (or two girls) are both equally amazing and who the main character ends up with is really a complete toss up. And for a moment I thought this was going to have a surprise. I mean, I was Team Chase, and I thought he was the best, and than I took myself off Team Chase and into Team-I-Can't-Believe-This-Garbage-Got-Published.

I don't want to insult the book, but this is the best way to describe it. Harper infuriated me. Okay, so the girls around campus who were after the same two guys she was into added a little drama, but it makes NO SENSE that she would take it so personal even AFTER being told that the women hated her. Does she have any brains? Any? And aren't there more guys on that campus or are they on a testosterone shortage? Are Chase and Brandon really the only guys that everyone wants? And can we see a little class in some of these ladies? I felt it extremely insulting of McAdams to show these girls in such a degrading manner.

And I don't even know what to say about this love triangle. It is such a mess that it just destroyed the story - like completely! It went up in flames, turned to ashes, swept away to half-way across the world, where it just vanished into little particles into the deepest depths of the world.

Could McAdams pick a team? No. Could Harper pick a team? Harper is a joke. No, you cannot be in love with two men. I am sorry, but you might think you love them both, but it just doesn't work that way with true love. Honestly, these men could have had better things to do with their lives then spend so much time fighting and drooling over Harper. I actually threw up a little in the end because it was sickening.

I don't want to give anything away, but if the men are as stupid as Harper than they deserve her. McAdams took Harper's stupidity to a whole new level that I never knew even existed.

Obviously I didn't finish this and I just skimmed to the end, and what I read made me wish I hadn't spent that $1.99 on the novel. Harper was cute, and then she became just as bad as the other women who were after Chase and Brandon. And I think McAdams showed reexamine a lot of things, because Harper was not a real college student. I could not think of anyone real who could connect with her. And the same goes for the supporting characters. This book was riddled with fake characters that everybody was just cardboard cut-outs.

This novel was so contrived. I mean, if these characters would have been all mannequins that would have been a better story. That way no one could see what a fail they were.

I realize that I am bashing this novel into high heaven, but I just don't know how else to express my frustration and the sick feeling I get when I think of it.

And I understand, especially for someone like Harper who was on a tight leash all her life. It feels good to be a little wild and reckless and to just find yourself. I mean, I would be a liar if I denied the fact that once I entered college I started to do things that I would never even think of doing when I lived at home. We are adults now and we are finding ourselves. What I don't understand is someone who enters college and completely throws away all their values. Which is what Harper did.

I give up and even though it is a DNF, I am going to rate this book. The cover of it should really have a ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO DARE TO READ THIS BOOK label.