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Taking Chances
Taking Chances
Taking Chances
Audiobook13 hours

Taking Chances

Written by Molly McAdams

Narrated by Anadelle Waters

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this audiobook

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

Eighteen-year-old Harper has grown up under the thumb of her career marine father. Ready to live life her own way and to 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. She finds herself being torn in two as she quickly falls in love with both her new boyfriend, Brandon, and her roommate's brother, Chase. Despite their dangerous looks and histories, both men adore Harper and would do anything for her, including taking a step back if it would mean she'd be happy.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateFeb 4, 2014
ISBN9780062334862
Taking Chances
Author

Molly McAdams

Molly McAdams grew up in California but now lives in the oh-so-amazing state of Texas with her husband, daughter, and fur babies. Her hobbies include hiking, snowboarding, traveling, and long walks on the beach . . . which roughly translates to being a homebody with her hubby and dishing out movie quotes.

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Reviews for Taking Chances

Rating: 3.4879517903614463 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

166 ratings30 reviews

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  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I DNF'ed this pretty quickly.

    I really couldn't get on with the heroine. She was very naive and the typical skinny, big-boobed, pretty girl next door. The storyline moved too quickly for me to become invested in the story and it actually made the characters more dislikable. None of the side characters held my attention either and I couldn't carry on listening when I knew we weren't gonna get on.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    This book was simply excruciating. The characters were unevolved and wishy-washy, the plot skipped, and at times a paragraph would start and I'd have no idea of context. Got 60% done before I bailed and read orher reviews. Glad I didn't waste my time finishing it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When I first read the reviews for this book, I couldn't figure out if I wanted to read (listen to) it, but I decided to just go for it. This book had me in tears, laughing hysterically, back to tears and laughing again. It was heart wrenching in parts, and my heart still clenches thinking about it, but it was a GREAT story. I connected with the characters and felt extremely emotional throughout the entire book. It was hard to continue past the first half, but I'm glad I did.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I agree with the other reviewer. I did not like that she keep accusing him of doing something wrong when I think that she was wrong. I stopped listen to the story after Chase died because in my mind she was why he died as well as the other women. So she got her cake and got to eat it to.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Some asshole Brenda decided to post a major spoiler. While this book was not about to be any ground breaking literary award winning read, I would have liked to be able to continue it without knowing THE MAJOR SPOILER!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of my favorites! I couldn't put it down and haven't found any other book like it! Keeps you on the edge all the way the through!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Review does contain spoilers!!

    I'm a sucker for love triangles, though I usually tend to dislike one of the people caught in said triangle, that wasn't the case for this book. I adored both Chase and Brandon from the start, even tough Chase is the type of guy I would never go for either, just as Harper thought at first. However, the way both Chase and Brandon were protective of her and were willing to fight for her was adorable and I couldn't help but feel bad for Chase when he kept saying he wasn't good enough for her. I can't say I didn't like Harper because I can relate to her in a way. I definitely wasn't as sheltered as her growing up, I did attend public schools and I did have one boyfriend in high school, but as far as a general lack of dating experience and knowing how to really be a girl (as I myself was always "one of the guys") I can definitely relate. So liking all three of the characters in the love triangle was no problem at all.

    Now the story itself, well, that's a different story. I loved it and hated parts of it, despite my 5-star rating. First, I can't relate to how someone can be in love with more than one person, but then again, I've never really been in love so I guess I'm not the best person to judge. In addition to that, I also don't understand the whole concept of basically falling in love at first sight, like what happened to these characters, especially Harper falling in love with both Chase and Brandon at once. Again, since this has never happened to me I'm not the best person to judge that falling in love at first sight can or cannot happen, but I will say I really don't know how it's possible to fall in love with TWO people right after meeting them. Now, I was ecstatic when Harper and Brandon got together because of how much I really loved Brandon's character. Despite his rough exterior, he was a soft teddy bear inside and treated Harper with such gentleness that it just made me gush. Don't get me wrong, I loved the way Chase was with Harper later on in the story as well, but he could be a little intense at times.

    So maybe I can grasp the idea of being in love with two people at once, but the element I cannot forgive in this story is when Harper cheats on Brandon and experiences her first time with Chase. No excuse, even if it did add a twist into the story (and I am a sucker for plot twists). That's just my personal opinion based on my beliefs and upbringing, but I'm pretty sure most people feel the same way about cheating... there's no real excuse for it, ever. Especially when while going into the act Harper was thinking how maybe it was "meant to happen with Chase and not Brandon" ... I'm sorry, just no. If it was truly meant to happen with Chase, something would've happened to break up Harper and Brandon BEFORE she slept with Chase. Then after that, she goes back to Brandon and leaves Chase in the dust until she ends up finding out she's pregnant with Chase's baby.

    And don't even get me started on the whole Trish/Chase bit where he is totally oblivious to Trish's advances and ends up ruining it all for Harper and Chase. First of all, after what happened with Amanda and Brandon, you'd think Harper would've learned to check the facts and listen to both sides of the story before jumping to conclusions. It was just heartbreaking that this entire bit ended with Chase's death, though I do love how he was honored with Harper and Brandon naming the child after him and that Brandon treated Liam Chase as though he were his own kid and planned to be sure that Liam knew about his real dad. Let's not forget the way that Brandon ended up forgiving her for the cheating, even though it had to be hard, but that just added to his character and made me love him even more.

    So the part that remains is the addition of Jason Carter admitting his love for Harper.. I'm sorry, but that wasn't needed at all. Plus, it just goes against my strong belief that guys and girls can be best friends without their being something more to it. Seriously, just because a guy and girl are close doesn't mean there has to be something more lingering between them. I'm not saying there might not be a crush in the time that they're friends, but does it always have to end with an unrequited love or both of them falling in love? No, it doesn't. However, I was happy that Carter was able to move on from Harper and that they had become friends again.

    Despite all my different dislikes about this book, I know that those were all the elements that added to making this a good book and worthy of 5-stars. Just because I, or someone else, doesn't like or agree with parts of the plot doesn't mean it's not a great read. It's literally an emotional roller-coaster and if a book that includes a love triangle doesn't do that to a person, then it can't be that good. I personally read it within 24 hours because I couldn't stop turning the page and if a book keeps me reading and reading without stopping, then I definitely know it's a good book. So yes, I would recommend this book to other fans of love triangles because it was a good read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This one touched my heart. Both men were just so wonderful. Either would be great but to have the chance at both, just wow. I personally felt something for Chase more because he changed himself for her. Brandon was always the good guy. Chase became the good guy for Harper.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Well this book is an emotional roller coaster! And quite frankly it pissed me off. I loved the first half and hated the second half. The first had this awesome love triangle full of angst and emotion, then you hit the middle of the book and it was like the author didn't know how to have the main character Harper choose between Chase and Brandon so she just took the easy way out (don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read it). The end just felt completely improbable.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Everyone talks about this book being gut wrenching... Well, I love tear jerkers and while this one was ok, the tears never came. The shock factor of what happened was there, but I didn't feel anything because the Author tells us what happens before the scene plays out. She says they are all in black and so and so is gone.... then we get the accident scene, GAH! I would have loved to be able to feel that whole scene and get wrapped up in anticipation rather than know the inevitable while it played out. After that scene my heart and head kind of slowly drifted away... When we find out Harper falls back on her second choice I started skimming. The story went from fast paced, need to know what happens, to slow and drug out. Honestly, I didn't care what happened between her and Brandon. After she had the baby I was done. The story was complete at that point for me.

    The writing was good, but the storyline fell short. I loved the angst at the beginning, but Harper was annoying and for being the "good girl" she sure did know how to play games with guys' hearts.

    I want to recommend this one to readers, but I just can't.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I was prepared to rate this book low based on one thing. I read books for the happy factor. The unhappy item almost made me stop. I'm glad I stuck with it. Overall it is a well written book with a roll coaster ride. A few items were a little bit cliched. It kinda surprised me that the other did that. Great read if you like ups and downs. Be prepared for tears.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I find myself wanting to smack some sense into these kids.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I never thought I would write a review like this one, but I also never thought I would come across a book I would actually regret reading. Well, I suppose there is a first time for everything. Looking back, I really wish I'd read some of the reviews before picking up this book. It would've saved me a lot of pain. This book left me in a really bad place and I almost wish someone would have warned me. At first I was really enjoying it and I was open to the possibility of Harper ending up with either Chase or Brandon (after all, it is a love triangle) but then it all went downhill to the point of becoming a cruel joke. It was also far fetched and ridiculous. So nobody ever gets mad at Harper for the huge mess she created and even though she hurt people, everyone still loves her so much, including all their friends and even their moms? I also can't understand how the author could be so cruel to one of the characters. I mean, tragedies happen and that is one thing, but this was awful. I've read my fair share of emotional roller coasters, but the way it was handled afterward was beyond disrespectful, and to me that was not a happy ending. Right now, I just want to forget I ever read this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's a heartbreaker!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Molly McAdams just sent me on the best roller coaster ride I have EVER been on. I loved Taking Chances through the laughs, tears and everything in between! Ms McAdams definitely knows how to draw a reader in and really invest them in the characters. I can't believe how much I wanted to hug everyone in this book!!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the first Molly McAdams book I've read. After reading from Ashes and her Newest hit Sharing you I've come to the conclusion that this is my favorite book by Molly McAdams. The love triangles and epilogues are found in all of her books I've so, far. Although, this love triangle has been the best. I didn't find either of the male charters annoying. I felt a draw to both which helped me connect with harper and under stand her decisions. I love the tattoos and the fights. The epilogue was full filling and included all the characters.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Same old same old. I have read two of Molly McAdams' books and have come across the same story line and characters in each. Girl runs away from horrible home life, girl has such a weak personality and character she allows a boy to become her world, then enter the love triangle, girl never even attempts to question or be anything other than someones girlfriend, the joke 'bare foot and pregnant' is used, then the girl ends up in another brief love triangle, but the girl ends up with the most horribly perfect guy, and is surrounded by all of her friends and family at the end with a nice little bow on top. Ugh! No thanks!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I read this book a few months ago, and it is still with me! I loved the book until something BIG happened and I just really didn't want to finish it, I wanted to find the author and beat the crap outta her lol! It really drew me in! I balled like a big baby while reading this. While I love how the story drew me in so much that I had this reaction I just wasn't happy about the end.. I gave 5 stars because it is a good book and I can see how others may like the ending, I just had a different one in mind. I just couldn't be happy for the characters. Nonetheless still worth ready! And Molly McAdams newest book is really good, see I am not completely scarred, I gave her another chance :)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If you love Thoughtless and Beautiful Disaster you will love this heart-wrenching love story. I could not put this down and read it all in a day. Loved it!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5

    I love the cover of this book. From the description I thought it would be along the lines of Thoughtless which it was as far .......read more on my blog iloveladyporn.blogspot.com
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Taking Chances is a very heartwarming read! I really liked it. The only downside for me was the book seemed to drag on at the end. I could've stopped reading at 70% and been amazed. I did cry like a baby in the middle.. didn't expect for things to go the way they did. I would definitely recommend this book, all things considered.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Love, hate, love, hate, love, hate.......That's the type of reaction I had with this book. While I loved some parts, I hated others and when I first started reading this my immediate response was "way to Beautiful Disaster" and I love that book, I just don't want to reread it from another authors viewpoint, so at first I was having some issues attaching to the story in general. After 100 pages or so and getting deeper into the plot I could see the slight differences and twists McAdams was throwing around and once I got used to her style and seeing where the story was heading I was able latch on and enjoy the rollercoaster that was coming. What I didn't expect was being on that rollercoaster and getting hit by tree and thrown off it, because rarely does a book make me gasp audibly like the way this one did. When the shocking twist came, I actually had to go back and reread the paragraph four times, I thought my mind was playing a trick, I thought NOOOOOO, this couldn't possibly be the twist, this isn't what the author intended right......RIGHT? To my shocked readers heart and the journey into these characters life, I realized this was the mangled outcome the author did surely intend and I was pissed!!!!This story shook me up and twisted my emotions, I had a wonderful and terrible time getting to know and love the world McAdams created. All the same though, the writing itself frustrated me with its too many endings and too many crammed in issues during the last hundred pages. The dialog at times seemed to transition awkwardly and I felt sometimes disconnected from Harpers sheer immaturity and the over the top plot scenario that three gorgeous guys all wanted her and each was willing to turn his life inside out for this Helen of Troy dimwit. Yet at other times the writing was so fantastic, the characters were like little friends that I wanted to come live with me, and Harper showed amazing strength and vulnerability that made me love her. In the end, Taking Chances was just that, a chance at reading a moving, frustrating and overall break your heart and put it back together again story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ok after staying up all night to read this. I can not give it enough stars!! An excellent read & great storyline. And as far as that twist. WOW that’s all I can say!Ok I’ve had some time to recover from reading this book only to discover from my friends that I must have missed a few things. (A few chapters to be exact) I guess that’s what happens when you fall asleep reading. I loved this book, I everything about it. Chase to me and his feelings for her and not knowing exactly how to handle them.✯Jammie
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    You can find this review at My Favorite Things (heffroberts.blogspot.com)Taking Chances by Molly McAdams is a story of love, loss and redemption. It has taken me forever to write this review. I loved this book, I absolutely hated this book. If you have a problem with characters you get to know and love and root for getting killed off, then this is not the book for you. If you can handle the torrential downpour of emotion that this book will evoke, then grab your blanket, your tissues, and some wine & chocolate wouldn't hurt either.The story is told from Harper's perspective and begins with her first year in college. She's lived a very sheltered life under the military thumb of her father. Her mother died giving birth to Harper, and her father has never really gotten over the loss. She arrives at college and becomes instant besties with her roommate Bree. At her first party she meets Bree's brother Chase and the heat begins. Harper is falling for Chase but is hesitant because he is the ultimate "bad boy". This is where Brandon shows up, Chase's house mate, and Harper has to choose. This book does not pull any punches. It isn't graphic, or nasty, but it is gritty and tragic. My heart still hurts thinking about it and reading over the quotes.His body was still shaking with silent laughs as he moved closer and trailed his fingers up my arm. “One of these days, you'll be begging for me to touch you.”Just thinking about his tattoos had me biting my lip and fantasizing again about tracing them with my fingers.We stayed there staring at each other, my mind and heart completely torn in two. One half desperately wanted to act on the feelings his drawing had stirred up in me, and the other was screaming at me to sit up and scoot away from him.“I want you! All I've ever wanted is you.”“Then why are you trying to hurt me again?”“Because it's easier that way.”
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I LOVED this book. It is definitely one of my all time favorites. Small complaint would be how perfect the people are (seriously, they could have some imperfections).
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.Taking Chances was quite a bit different than I assumed it would be. I knew that there would be cheating to some extent, and while I'm not a big fan of cheating, I wanted to see if the author could make me like the characters anyway.I did like Harper and her friend Bree, but it took me a little bit to warm up to the guy characters. Harper and Bree were pretty good, though. I loved Bree's brash nature, and I liked that Harper was so unexposed to the world. Harper could be a little selfish at times, and Lord knows that she was impetuous, but I liked her. My only issue is that Harper let Bree start changing her as soon as they met. I mean, it's not a huge deal, but she changed pretty quickly. Another thing was that she falls in love with two boys. Honestly, I've never really thought that it was possible to "romantically" love two people, but I suppose there is a possibility. I just hope it never happens to me. o.OI think I'll move onto the boys now.I'll start with Chase, the tatted up bad boy on the cover. Chase was way over-possessive, even when he had just met her. I feel like I should be preparing for the abusive guy, because he leaves bruises on her when he forces her to talk to him. That is not a good sign, y'all. That's a very, very bad sign. Even if he apologizes profusely and stops drinking, I didn't particularly care for that side of him. He didn't even know that he had bruised her. I think the first half of the book was spent hoping that she didn't end up with Chase, but then the second half was spent with me wondering what the heck just happened. There's a ridiculously huge twist with Chase, and I guarantee you that you won't see it coming.Since there's a love triangle, I guess I'll explain her love with Chase, and then her love with Brandon. With Chase, I kind of felt like it was more of a possessive thing. It was hard to let that first impression go. But for the most part, interactions with Chase just felt weird and stilted. I don't feel like they were really in love-- it ended up being more of a setup for the "huge twist that shall not be mentioned". That's what I felt like, anyway.Now I'll go to Brandon. Brandon was a bit different in my eyes. He was more of the good guy, and while it's rare for me to go for the good guy, I think I liked him. He walks a bit on the wild side, though, so maybe that's what helped me. The thing about Brandon is that he seemed so sweet, but sometimes you could just tell that he wanted to beat someone's face in. Yet we see throughout the book that he's forgiving to a fault. This boy is basically what every girl wants-- someone who'll stand up for her (even if she can do it herself), be sweet, and be sexy. So, what did I think of him? I simply liked him, I didn't love him to death or anything.Now onto his love with Harper. He was more of the take care of you forever type-- she dreamed about marrying him for a long time, and was his girl for a long time, but I'm still not so sure about this "two loves" thing. It felt like she loved both of them, but like I said before Chase was more a possessive thing, and with Brandon it was more of a "I wanna take care of you" thing. I don't know. I still feel like there was a setup to get us to like Brandon earlier on. He never pressured her.I don't know that she was better off with either of them, and that's the problem with me. I don't know. And because this is such a way long book with everything going on, I never really had a chance to figure it out. I'm going to assume Brandon, though, because he's the one that stuck by her, even if Chase didn't really have a choice.All in all, my feelings about Taking Chances are really complicated. It had it's sad and happy moments, but a lot of it all boils down to how you feel about cheating for how much you'll like it.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    NO. NO NO NO NO! I could not stand this book. I hate it with every fiber of my being. Harper is just.. UIDFPHAUFHGAI! Basically Harper goes to college, starts off as an innocent virgin who's never been kissed, and ends as a stupid whore who cheats on her boyfriend, doesn't use a condom when she cheats, and gets pregnant. Even worse? She kept complainingbout the fallout of her whore-ness because she ended up breaking up with the guy she "loved" so she could be with the babies father. Then the baby's father dies and Harper waits TWO MONTHS before going back to the man she "loves." That's right. Two months. It's even worse because the FAMILY of the baby's father encouraged her to do it, spouting off some crap about how "he'd want her to move on." Please. It's like they went "my brother/son/boyfriend died! How will I ever move... Who are we talking about again?" Then at the end? No. Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for a good happy ending (keyword being good), but this ending sucked. It's like the author just stopped giving a crap and ended it as quickly as possible. And really? Uncle Chase? He's the kids FATHER. I feel like Chase's death was a joke, and the way the author handled it was an even bigger joke. No one gets over the death of someone they care about in 2 months. No one. Everything was stupid, and there was seriously not one character I liked. NOT ONE. Don't ever read this book Read this book at the risk of your sanity. This book was almost a DNF for me, but I'm too stubborn to stop reading a book if I already got halfway through.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An amazing book that you can't put down and you will be thinking about every minute you are away from it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Not what I expected going in but it was well worth the read. I enjoyed reading this book and I have added it to my faves. This love triangle was so hot i couldnt chose who i wanted her to end up with, both guys were just tooo hottt but alas the twists and turns chose for her. My only deal was that the families got along to well no judgement and if only that were true in real life things would be easier for everyone in reality. allthough i thought it was wishfull thinking in reality it just doesnt work that way thats why i love to read cause everything just works out. Other than that perfect book and I will read it again
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I really wanted to like this book, especially after reading the reviews but about 50% into the book my opinion about the characters and storyline completly changed and I just couldn't support it any longer. I get that not everyone gets a happy ending, but the way the 'love' story was handled really rubbed me the wrong way. It felt like it was an easy out.