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Chasing Phoenix
Leora
All my life I have been invisible and I liked it that way. I had a plan. Get out of this small town. Never look back.
But then Everett Rowan came crashing into my world and changed everything. Between secrets shared in notes and promises made between stolen kisses, he made me fall desperately and overwhelmingly in love with him. He burned my plans and my heart to ashes.
He gave me his secret. I gave him everything.
He promised to stay. And then he left me.
Everett
From the moment I was born, I carried expectations of who I was meant to be and who I was meant to be with. And as the mayor’s son and All-American star quarterback, those expectations only grew heavier.
But then she crashed into my life and shifted everything. She tilted my world upside down and made me question what it is I wanted out of life. She instilled in me a bravery I had never known. A bravery to defy expectation.
I was relentless in my love for her. And I had finally caught my pretty bird.
But then she left me. And I will chase her till my last breath.
All my life I have been invisible and I liked it that way. I had a plan. Get out of this small town. Never look back.
But then Everett Rowan came crashing into my world and changed everything. Between secrets shared in notes and promises made between stolen kisses, he made me fall desperately and overwhelmingly in love with him. He burned my plans and my heart to ashes.
He gave me his secret. I gave him everything.
He promised to stay. And then he left me.
Everett
From the moment I was born, I carried expectations of who I was meant to be and who I was meant to be with. And as the mayor’s son and All-American star quarterback, those expectations only grew heavier.
But then she crashed into my life and shifted everything. She tilted my world upside down and made me question what it is I wanted out of life. She instilled in me a bravery I had never known. A bravery to defy expectation.
I was relentless in my love for her. And I had finally caught my pretty bird.
But then she left me. And I will chase her till my last breath.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 4, 2024
42 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 3, 2025
So incredibly tragic and heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. I loved how real this love story was. Love is pain and hurt and trauma and fear and amazing and worth Every. Single. Thing. The characters pull you in and the story keeps you there. So glad this is a series, I can’t wait to continue it!!
February 5, 2025
Love love loveeeee ❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️
5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
Leo and Ev have my whole heart forever 💕💕so amazingly written … s.e. Emory is extremely talented and I want to devour all of her work after reading this masterpiece. The characters were all so lovable and relatable in many aspects and to wide variety of audiences. I love how true love can conquer all ..
5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
Leo and Ev have my whole heart forever 💕💕so amazingly written … s.e. Emory is extremely talented and I want to devour all of her work after reading this masterpiece. The characters were all so lovable and relatable in many aspects and to wide variety of audiences. I love how true love can conquer all ..
October 4, 2024
ARC read review!
Now I'm not normally a romance reader, I tend to read fantasy and thrillers but I am so glad I branched out and applied to be an ARC reader for this book!
What a rollercoaster of emotions! The story will have you laughing and crying and feeling every emotion in between. Both main characters are loveable from the very start. This book does have some spice in it but it's not overpowering and the focus remains on the story but do be prepared to read some explicit scenes.
I was hooked from the first page and found this book hard to put down! A fantastic read!
SPOILER ALERT!.... Do not read any further if you don't want spoilers!
I love the main characters, Leo and Ev. Leo has had a rough upbringing and Ev has had a seemingly easy and gifted life but true love brings them together and just when you think they will live happily ever after they are torn apart. The break up letter from Ev had my heart in my throat and I couldn't believe he would write such a note to Leo, boy was I angry and on team hate Ev until I realised he didn't write that note to her! I then found myself rushing through the book to eagerly see if they ever found each other again. The way both of them never fully explained what had happened all those years ago had me practically shouting at the book.....'talk to each other, it was all a horrendous misunderstanding!'
Eventually they do realise and I've never been happier. There were a couple more curve balls thrown their way but thankfully this book had the happy ending I had hoped for.
Gage and Coles characters are brilliant and I cannot wait to see what happens between these two!
All in all a brilliant read that had me hooked from the very start!
Now I'm not normally a romance reader, I tend to read fantasy and thrillers but I am so glad I branched out and applied to be an ARC reader for this book!
What a rollercoaster of emotions! The story will have you laughing and crying and feeling every emotion in between. Both main characters are loveable from the very start. This book does have some spice in it but it's not overpowering and the focus remains on the story but do be prepared to read some explicit scenes.
I was hooked from the first page and found this book hard to put down! A fantastic read!
SPOILER ALERT!.... Do not read any further if you don't want spoilers!
I love the main characters, Leo and Ev. Leo has had a rough upbringing and Ev has had a seemingly easy and gifted life but true love brings them together and just when you think they will live happily ever after they are torn apart. The break up letter from Ev had my heart in my throat and I couldn't believe he would write such a note to Leo, boy was I angry and on team hate Ev until I realised he didn't write that note to her! I then found myself rushing through the book to eagerly see if they ever found each other again. The way both of them never fully explained what had happened all those years ago had me practically shouting at the book.....'talk to each other, it was all a horrendous misunderstanding!'
Eventually they do realise and I've never been happier. There were a couple more curve balls thrown their way but thankfully this book had the happy ending I had hoped for.
Gage and Coles characters are brilliant and I cannot wait to see what happens between these two!
All in all a brilliant read that had me hooked from the very start!
August 4, 2024
I…
This is one of my FAVORITE indie reads of the year. And I have read over 80 books this year..half of them being from indie authors. This book was BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN. The story made me laugh, cry, and question a million things in my mind. I love that Everett is so patient with Leo when she needed it, yet he also knows when she needs a push. The characters had such beautiful development. Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book early, I can’t wait to read book two. Seriously, never stop writing. This was a heart wrenching yet beautiful story and I think it will be stuck in my mind forever.
This is one of my FAVORITE indie reads of the year. And I have read over 80 books this year..half of them being from indie authors. This book was BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN. The story made me laugh, cry, and question a million things in my mind. I love that Everett is so patient with Leo when she needed it, yet he also knows when she needs a push. The characters had such beautiful development. Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book early, I can’t wait to read book two. Seriously, never stop writing. This was a heart wrenching yet beautiful story and I think it will be stuck in my mind forever.
September 22, 2024
Ohmygod…
This book broke my heart and mended it 4 times over. This was a truly incredible and amazing book. This is one of those great love stories you help you have that you can tell your children about someday how you were truly made for a person. I haven’t cried this many times reading a book in a long time. HIGHLY recommend this book.
This book broke my heart and mended it 4 times over. This was a truly incredible and amazing book. This is one of those great love stories you help you have that you can tell your children about someday how you were truly made for a person. I haven’t cried this many times reading a book in a long time. HIGHLY recommend this book.
February 10, 2025
Stars 3.5/5
Plot 3/5
Spice 2/5
Tattoo-Worthy 2/5
Favorite Quotes:
‘Is it creepy that I want to shove my face into her neck and inhale her, stain my lungs with her? Probably.’
‘“Where is this girl even from?”... Heaven. Hell. Disneyland. Who knows, and who cares.’
‘I intended to administer my darkness in small doses, not all at once.’
‘“It’s fire. It’s warm and comforting until it’s not.”’
‘“Sing for me, pretty bird. Let me see you burn.”’
‘It’s a collision of stars. A fucking supernova. Home.’
What a quietly spectacular debut!
Indie author S.E. Emory’s first contemporary romance novel in her Birds of Boston series is unlike any other that I have read in the genre to date. In less than 350 printed pages, S.E. Emory managed to thoroughly fracture my heart, and then mend it with characters who are familiar and resounding.
In short:
I grinned like an idiot.
I kicked my feet like a giddy child.
I blushed.
I sighed, repeatedly. Loudly.
I laughed out loud.
I sat in grief with characters whose experiences have both been and never been mine.
I blushed again. And then again.
I underlined, highlighted, tabbed, and margined so I could come back for more heartache when feeling slightly masochistic.
I closed the final page, held the book to my chest, and smiled...
S.E. Emory is relentless in her narrative of Leora and Everrett’s story - their love and their growth through the challenges they face. I couldn’t be more content with having read such a soft, stunning start to what I’m sure will be a completely captivating, gut-wrenching, relatable, and fulfilling series.
Please see *A note from this reviewer* under my profile bio.
Plot 3/5
Spice 2/5
Tattoo-Worthy 2/5
Favorite Quotes:
‘Is it creepy that I want to shove my face into her neck and inhale her, stain my lungs with her? Probably.’
‘“Where is this girl even from?”... Heaven. Hell. Disneyland. Who knows, and who cares.’
‘I intended to administer my darkness in small doses, not all at once.’
‘“It’s fire. It’s warm and comforting until it’s not.”’
‘“Sing for me, pretty bird. Let me see you burn.”’
‘It’s a collision of stars. A fucking supernova. Home.’
What a quietly spectacular debut!
Indie author S.E. Emory’s first contemporary romance novel in her Birds of Boston series is unlike any other that I have read in the genre to date. In less than 350 printed pages, S.E. Emory managed to thoroughly fracture my heart, and then mend it with characters who are familiar and resounding.
In short:
I grinned like an idiot.
I kicked my feet like a giddy child.
I blushed.
I sighed, repeatedly. Loudly.
I laughed out loud.
I sat in grief with characters whose experiences have both been and never been mine.
I blushed again. And then again.
I underlined, highlighted, tabbed, and margined so I could come back for more heartache when feeling slightly masochistic.
I closed the final page, held the book to my chest, and smiled...
S.E. Emory is relentless in her narrative of Leora and Everrett’s story - their love and their growth through the challenges they face. I couldn’t be more content with having read such a soft, stunning start to what I’m sure will be a completely captivating, gut-wrenching, relatable, and fulfilling series.
Please see *A note from this reviewer* under my profile bio.
March 25, 2025
I will always and forever be a sucker for a second chance romance, add into that and man, I am sold. (I added the spoiler for the second trope because it's not in the synopsis even though the author uses it as a selling point in the TikToks about the book.)
The story of Leora and Everett started off a little shaky for me. That's simply because they were in high school and there were open door scenes of them during that time. Leo was 17 and Ev was 18. Frankly, I just skipped those chapters. Not may jam, makes my skin itch. The relationship leading up to the separation was sweet and sad. Leo was going through it. I liked that Everett was the perfect golden retriever boyfriend for her. It really made it all come together.
What turned this book into a solid 4 star from the 3 I started thinking it deserved was Part 2. I don't want to spoil anything but the reunion was perfect. It was written in a way that not only made sense but also gave me, the reader, the closure I wanted. I really liked this. Definitely need to continue the series so I can get Gage's story. (Gage was my favorite.)
The story of Leora and Everett started off a little shaky for me. That's simply because they were in high school and there were open door scenes of them during that time. Leo was 17 and Ev was 18. Frankly, I just skipped those chapters. Not may jam, makes my skin itch. The relationship leading up to the separation was sweet and sad. Leo was going through it. I liked that Everett was the perfect golden retriever boyfriend for her. It really made it all come together.
What turned this book into a solid 4 star from the 3 I started thinking it deserved was Part 2. I don't want to spoil anything but the reunion was perfect. It was written in a way that not only made sense but also gave me, the reader, the closure I wanted. I really liked this. Definitely need to continue the series so I can get Gage's story. (Gage was my favorite.)
September 23, 2024
Can I give this book 100 stars?! 5 just doesn’t seem like nearly enough. Chasing Phoenix is by far my favorite indie read of the year. Be warned, you are in for a roller coaster of emotions with this devastatingly beautiful story, and I mean that in the absolute best way possible. I had my heart broken and put back together multiple times throughout the book, I also laughed and smiled and cried happy tears too. I haven’t had a book make me feel this much emotion in a long time. It’s a beautiful story and I loved every single minute. I can’t wait to see more from this incredible author! Pick this book up, you absolutely will not regret it.
September 30, 2024
I could not put this book down. I literally finished it in one day. It had humor and intense passion. It has a timeless message of it doesn't matter what culture you came from, nobody has a right to tell you who to be or who you can love.
If you struggle with abuse or miscarriages you may not want to read this. I personally have gone through 5 miscarriages and an abusive relationship and that part was a little triggering. But it definitely was an all around well written book.
Seriously though get you this book as it is my favorite book thus far!!!!!
If you struggle with abuse or miscarriages you may not want to read this. I personally have gone through 5 miscarriages and an abusive relationship and that part was a little triggering. But it definitely was an all around well written book.
Seriously though get you this book as it is my favorite book thus far!!!!!
October 8, 2024
The typical “it’s always been you,” but yet he’s screwing other people and she has an unfulfilling dating life. They end up separated due to a misunderstanding orchestrated by someone else, and of course he starts sleeping with his ex again who was constantly making trouble for the FMC. When reunited years later, he tells the FMC he’s “been waiting for her,” but he hasn’t. His inner monologue is of course he’s been sleeping with the OW “he’s a man, he has needs.” And surprise, the OW is pregnant. But wait, she miscarries and she and the FMC become besties so it’s okay. Spare me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2024
This book was so amazing. I can pull pieces of my life from it here and there. Just people surviving the hand life has dealt them. I highly recommend this book. Even if you haven’t experienced some of these things it opens your eyes to what other people have to face, make the hard choices and live. If you are looking for a book that makes you cry, makes you laugh, makes you angry, makes you feel good, makes you think, then this is it. I can’t wait for book 2. Here’s to second chances 🖤
September 23, 2024
Oh my goodness.. this book had me sad, happy, anxious, and wanting me to jump in the book itself to fix the issues the main characters weren’t fixing fast enough lol. It had me in a whirlwind of emotions but I LOVED IT! Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to read this book early!
October 19, 2024
Omg!!! Absolutely fell in love with Leo and Ev’s story from the first few pages. If you are looking for a captivating, page turning book that is a spicy love story, read this book! You will not regret and it will keep you wanting more, which FYI, there are more books in the works 😉
September 13, 2024
If you love to see characters overcome their own hurdles this is the book for you! I loved the seeing the growth of all the characters through the whole thing!
October 3, 2024
Wow this book was amazing. It was a rollercoaster of emotions one of the best books I’ve read this year if u love twists and turns in a book this is the one
October 17, 2024
OMG I feel in love with this book! One of the best 2nd chance romances I've read! Cannot wait to read the next installment!
November 8, 2024
My heart 😩😭😭
Such an emotional roller coaster but such a good read! I’m ready for the next book ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Such an emotional roller coaster but such a good read! I’m ready for the next book ❤️❤️❤️❤️
March 26, 2025
Wow
I'm still crying after finishing this book. I've cried more than once reading this.
I would definitely recommend this book.
Read the triggers first.
I'm still crying after finishing this book. I've cried more than once reading this.
I would definitely recommend this book.
Read the triggers first.
March 27, 2025
Great book!! Loved it!
April 2, 2025
Wonderful!
Great story line! Wonderful
characters! Now need to read the sequel!
I don't put it down. Read the story in one go .
Great story line! Wonderful
characters! Now need to read the sequel!
I don't put it down. Read the story in one go .
April 7, 2025
I love leo!!!!! she is a phoenix baby!!!!
May 25, 2025
Couldn’t put down
I could not put this book down. The character growth and dynamics were awesome. I can’t get on board with the ending but I guess I would still consider it a HEA.
I could not put this book down. The character growth and dynamics were awesome. I can’t get on board with the ending but I guess I would still consider it a HEA.
December 8, 2025
Part 1 of this book honestly had me expecting this to be an easy 4 ⭐ read, maybe even 5 ⭐s, but Part 2 was too rushed. The conflicts were too easily solved and presented almost like a task list, each one introduced and resolved before the next conflict popped up.
It was a rather disappointing resolution after such a beautiful build up.
It was a rather disappointing resolution after such a beautiful build up.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews