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Chasing the High

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A Steamy M/M Contemporary Romance.

They say opposites attract, don't they? After being left at the altar, Sam takes off to Hawaii and meets his match in Drew, the broody, tattooed bad boy who spins his life in a direction he never saw coming...

Left at the altar. Dumped. Abandoned. Jilted.

That only happened in books. Fictional disasters like the kind I wrote. It wasn’t supposed to happen to me, Sam Stone. My life was supposed to be orderly. Organized. Perfect.

But I had no control over my fiancé’s decision to leave me.

What better place to be alone while nursing my broken heart than in paradise, right? Two weeks of sandy beaches and tranquil waters to quietly rethink my life.That's what I thought anyway--until Drew Mariano came along and shook everything up. He shook me up. He made me feel high on life.

But I was afraid...the higher I got...the harder I was going to fall...

**This is a steamy mm for readers eighteen and over due to language and graphic sexual content.**

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2016

36 people are currently reading
783 people want to read

About the author

Beth Michele

14 books952 followers
Beth Michele is a USA Today & New York Times bestselling author of M/F and M/M Contemporary Romance who writes sweet, funny, and sexy (sometimes dirty) stories with heart...and snark. She can often be spotted hiding out with her laptop or kindle somewhere quiet, preferably on a bench overlooking the ocean. Swedish Fish and Twizzlers are her jam, and she makes a mean hot chocolate every day of the year.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
Profile Image for Gigi.
2,148 reviews1,069 followers
October 18, 2016
4.5 stars

This was fucking delightful. Fluffy, fluffy, fluffy! Low angst, feel good, great sex, extremely likable characters.

Drew and Sam are both vacationing in Hawaii, nursing broken hearts. A chance meeting has them spending time together exploring the island. Both men are gay (a nice break from the M/M romance "sexual confusion" books) but are holding that information back from one another, afraid it will upset their tenuous new friendship.

Now, while this book was a fountain of rainbow colored unicorns, I did have one issue. It requires suspending disbelief. The frequency of "coincidences" was ridiculously high. "Oh, Drew! In a city of 8 million people, I run into you accidentally. Twice! What are the odds?" And this happens on the island too. It's fine, just go with it and enjoy.

Highly recommended!

PS: This is author Beth Michele's first M/M romance. Her usual fare is M/F romance. I read a lot of comments and reviews from her fans about how much they loved this book, their first dip into the M/M romance waters. Well, come sit next to me M/F fans looking to read more from the dark side! I've got hundreds of recs for you.

Let's hope Beth Michele continues to write M/M because this book was a joy.
Profile Image for ~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~.
3,579 reviews1,118 followers
November 1, 2016
~3.5~

This book is definitely a sweet read; it's all insta love and profound moments while eating lobster and running on the beach. I like Meet Cute books, especially when they also ladle out some sexy.

At the end, there is an excerpt from one of Beth Michele's M/F novels, which, hello, barking up the wrong tree much? But the excerpt made me realize that Chasing the High read a bit like a M/F romance. Drew, especially, was the bitchy, wounded heroine: whiny and depressed one minute, angry and combative the next.

Regardless of how Sam felt about his fiance, he sure got over being left at the altar pretty damn quickly. A long time ago I broke off an engagement. He didn't leave me. I left him. Which didn't stop me from spending the next two weeks curled in a fetal position on the bathroom floor.

I'm just sayin': long-term relationships aren't candy wrappers; you don't just throw them away and lick another lolly pop.

Plus, WHOA, when Sam has the chance to have closure with his ex, the entire conversation/interaction happens OFF-PAGE. Seriously, WHAT? Talk about taking the lazy way out.

But I did like Sam's family and Joe. I enjoyed the bonding moments the MCs shared in Hawaii, and how Sam stood by Drew in the end.

The epilogues (one from each man's perspective) showcase a HEA for sure, but I wish the story had come full circle. Drew asked the wrong question.
Profile Image for Wendys Wycked Words.
1,590 reviews3,955 followers
October 17, 2016


This was a wonderful, fluffy, sweet and hot story. I enjoyed every single page.

Sam has been left at the altar by his stupid fiancee. Deciding not to wallow in selfpity, he goes to Hawaii by himself.

On the plane is where he first meets Drew, and their first meeting doesn't go as well as expected..

However, they meet again in Hawaii and a new friendship is born.

These men are quite the oppossite of one another. Sam is a bit more reserved, struggles with some anxiety and compulsion. Drew is more outgoing and a bit of a daredevil. Drew's reservations linger more on the inside....

These two don't know about the other being gay as well, so it takes them some time to get with the program, but once they do sparks are flying....it was pretty hot ;)



Eventhough these two only spend about two weeks in Hawaii together, it didn't feel too insta-lovey to me. You can feel them actually forming a bond before they connect sexually.

Now what's gonna happen when vacation time ends....

Very nice story and I will definitely check out more books from this author !!
Profile Image for dammit, liz .
231 reviews2 followers
November 22, 2016
Well, this one was unfortunately not for me. I'm pretty picky these days about fluffy tropes, but the concept of this appealed to me. A writer still raw from a breakup meets sexy stranger in Maui? I'm game. Throw in a friends to lovers trope on top of that? Yes please. But as much as I liked where the author was going, it didn't work for me.

There were some important parts of the plot they made no sense to me. Sam is an out gay dude. Yet he keeps his orientation a secret from a random, hot stranger for some reason, then keeps up the cover even after they become friends. Okay, anxiety and stuff, sure. But then how did Drew have no clue Sam was into dudes? He caught Sam checking him out on the plane. All the flirting. Calling Sam out mid word for saying he was gorgeous. If Drew was supposed to be an idiot, I'd buy it, but he's not. It all just seemed out of character for these guys. I would've had an easier time buying Drew trying to give Sam a handie on the plane, then Sam being scandalized.

The voices of the characters didn't work for me either. For first person perspective switching to work for me, I need to hear very different voices. They sounded pretty much the same, with the exception of Drew saying "fuck" more. They didn't feel their age to me either. It had a bit of that "how do you do, fellow kids" feel to it at times. It just felt... inauthentic. And while I'm a sucker for emotional, weepy stuff, it felt forced with these guys. Conversations felt like they were between client and therapist. Like.. "Let's go swimming in the ocean. So tell me about your family dynamic as a child." This kind of thing happened way too much for me.

The drama felt really predictable. It got to where I was guessing, with pretty decent precision, what was going to happen in the next sentence, page, and chapter. I'm all for some good fluff, but I've gotta be emotionally invested. I wasn't.

So yeah, great concept, I just didn't like the way it was executed. I felt like I was reading a lot of the cliches in M/F that I find bothersome. The "oh, I'm so unlovable; someone as dreamy as Sam could never love a wretch like me" business in particular. All the griping aside, it was a sweet story, and the writing isn't bad (though there were a few wtf moments). This is one I may have liked when I first started reading M/M, but i can't say I'd recommend it to more experienced romance readers.
Profile Image for Chris- Bookaddict.
778 reviews253 followers
October 7, 2016
Read it. Loved it. Want more of it. No lie add this one to your TBR ladies you are going to want to meet Beth's newest characters in this book. More info to come soon.


Profile Image for Renée.
1,175 reviews413 followers
July 11, 2018
Well that was........fun? Interesting? I don't even know at this point. I think I jinxed myself. Let me explain.

The first 57% of this book was amazeballs. Simply stunning. There were no side plots. There were no pesky exes, interfering friends, or meddling parents. It was nothing but relationship building. And I love it when that happens!

Sam's fiancé is a no-show at their wedding (ruh-roh), but he decides to go on the planned honeymoon to Hawaii anyway. He's hurt, but discovers soon enough (through some self- and relationship reflection) that he and Glenn weren't passionate about each other. They weren't in the "I can't live without him" zone at all. It was more safe and comfortable than anything else. Ok, fair enough. It was honestly believable the way Michele crafted this. Once this was fleshed out, the whole rebound thing became a non-issue for me.

Sam meets Drew on the flight to Hawaii, and it isn't love at first sight. It was snark at first sight, and that's how Michele got me. Give me snark, and I'm yours. I'm a snark whore with no shame.

Sam and Drew become friends first during their two weeks in Hawaii. So, even though it looks insta-lovey from the 30,000 foot view, it didn't feel that way to me. It made sense, and the connection they had was written really well.

Michele can write the hell out of a kiss. There was no instantly jumping into bed as soon as they realized they wanted each other. Yes, you pervs, there's plenty of yummy smexiness too, but this author does it up right, with some SENSUAL fucking kisses that stole my breath. It was all about the kisses, people!

And it was a good fucking kiss. All warm lips and hot tongues. Lazy brushes and firm pressure. The flavor of coconut lingered in his mouth, but mostly, he tasted like something I'd been missing. Something I wanted more of.

Up until just beyond the midpoint of this book, I was all big smiles and giddiness. So what the hell happened? It didn't turn terrible - don't get me wrong. It's just that I had over 50% of "nailed it" from an author, and then she didn't nail it anymore.

The big dramatic moment of truth happens, and it's just contrived. It felt so damn manufactured. The author created drama for the sake of something happening to Sam and Drew, and I was not a happy camper. Then the resolution of the big drama, for Sam, happens off-page. Wut??? It was a big enough fucking deal to hand me this dramatic bullshit moment, and I don't even see how it ends? WTF?

Then.......
It was enough of a coincidence that Sam and Drew sat next to each other on the plane to Hawaii and happened to be staying at the same hotel. Ok, I'll buy it. It could happen.

But then, back at home, Sam can't "find" Drew. (Let me introduce you to whitepages.com and the like, Ms. Michele. You have the internet? You can find ANYONE.) But after Sam looks for him, without luck, he happens to run into Drew. By chance. Randomly. TWICE. In a city of millions - NYC. Yeah, I'm not buying it.

Then the magic is kinda not what it was during the first half. There's cheese. And clichés. And more gooey cheese. It was nice. It was fine. But you know what it wasn't? THE FIRST HALF OF THIS BOOK.

The other niggle for me was the POV switching. Either have a single POV or alternate. But this author had Sam's POV for the most part, then randomly dropped in 3 or 4 short chapters from Drew's POV. It was not working for me.

So the first 57% was 4.5-5 stars. And the second half was a meh-3 stars. I'm averaging it out to 4 because it was still a good book overall. Honestly, if Michele took away the unbelievable happenings and some of the cheesy dialogue, she'd still have had magic on her hands. I'll remain on the lookout for this author because she's definitely got some talent. She just needs some polishing for my tastes.
Profile Image for Susan.
2,349 reviews456 followers
dnf
October 20, 2016
DNF at 40%

I’m just not feeling it.

I love low-angst books, but there has to be something that holds my attention. If I feel a connection to the characters, I love reading about endless conversations about nothing. But in this case their conversations and ‘adventures’ on the island almost put me to sleep.

And I could not get a good image of either Drew or Sam. Drew was an ass one moment, and this hurt, bashful kid the next. One moment he was small and slender in my head, and the next big and muscular (I still have no idea what they looked like since it’s never described). Sam wasn't much better. I just couldn't get a feel for them.

And the fact that both of them hid they were gay from each other really got on my nerves.

When I started to skim the first sex scene, I knew it was time to call it quits.

description

Profile Image for Jessica Alcazar.
4,397 reviews622 followers
June 25, 2018
It doesn't matter whether you have ever thought of reading an M/M romance before or you have and you think it's not your thing ... READ THIS BOOK, because everything will change for you! #TRUST

This is by far one of the sweetest, low-angst, sexy M/M reads that I have had the pleasure of reading in quite some time. I am new to the world of Beth Michele and I gotta say ... this author is going places. I know this isn't her first book, but since it is for me, she feels new to me, but I'll be watching her ... because she is really REALLY good. Trust me!

Chasing the High is a love story that spams just a couple of weeks and it is believable and relatable. So much so that you don't even realize it's such a short period of time while you read. Sam and Drew are complete opposites. Like black/white opposites but yet they each hold exactly what the other needs. They each bring to each other what the other is missing in their lives. It's a beautiful thing to read. Kismet :) **happy sigh**

In a short span of time, Beth Michele managed to write a story of trust and growth. A story of letting go of your past and your fears and just jump. A story of belonging. MAD PROPS to you Beth Michele. WELL DONE!

ARC provided for blog tour
Profile Image for Meep.
2,170 reviews229 followers
November 25, 2016
Found this odd, it's not sure if it wants to be a light fun romance or something deeper. Emotions are all over the place, back-stories sit awkwardly with the current events with issues you'd think an immediate concern being ignored. Conversations often felt off because of this.
Angsty for a bit of fluff.

Perspectives changed but didn't differ enough or seem consistent so the characters didn't add up for me. The overall feel was very teenage m/f. Neither character felt real enough for me to care or empathise with.

At one point the characters play question and answers and it felt like both the author was showing off her groundwork and sharing her personal tastes. Apparently James Bay is hot...well I do like him singing.
Profile Image for Jennifer☠Pher☠.
2,970 reviews273 followers
July 11, 2018
2★'s = it was ok.

This was odd. I don't know if I feel anything about it really either way.

The POV switches seemed to change who the characters were. When we were getting Sam's POV he had a certain way about him, when we we were hearing Sam's voice through Drew it was like he was a different person all together. It read odd to me.

I don't know why the sister was always bouncing.

I don't know why Drew read like he had multiple personalities. He was obviously adjusted enough in his life to be successful. Um, Hawaii isn't cheap people!

Sam, well, Sam sure seemed to be able to move on from his ex the minute he got on the plane. Odd.

End of the day this just didn't really work for me but it wasn't horrible and it seems to be well liked. Me, I think it was just ok.
Profile Image for Kizzy.
1,060 reviews35 followers
October 15, 2016
I seriously loved these two. ❤

Once again, Beth has shown me why she is one of my favorite romance authors. This is her first M/M Romance and being a lover of that genre, I was quite surprised. I loved it!!

Sam..poor thing. My heart brakes for him as he is left at the altar waiting to get married. Depressed and devastated, he heads to Hawaii for 2 weeks, which was supposed to be his honeymoon. On his flight, he meets the handsome Drew. It wasn't a great meeting at all..Nothing but attitude.

They have a few run ins again during his stay and we slowly see their friendship grow. Drew had Sam doing and feeling things he didn't think was possible, when in turn Sam was doing the same thing for Drew. You just want to give the both of them hugs for what they have been through.

I loved the pace of the story as their relationship grew to be so much more than they expected and the feels...wow!! Ever so often, I caught myself smiling here and there because that's how they make you feel.

"You're always reaching out to me. This is me...reaching for you."

There are a few moments I was wondering what was going to happen and I admit, I screamed at my kindle a few times like I was there. Loved every minute of it.

This is a beautiful love story you do not want to miss! <3

ARC provided for a honest review.
Profile Image for Cheryl McIntyre.
Author 37 books2,160 followers
October 17, 2016
Title: Chasing the High
Author: Beth Michele
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance/Gay Romance

Beth Michele’s first dabble into M/M romance is a HOMERUN! If you have never read a M/M love story before, let this one be your first. You will not be sorry.

I love these guys! LOVE them! Sam is organized and a little uptight. Drew is adventurous and easygoing. These guys couldn’t be more different, but man-oh-man, do opposites ever attract! Sam calms Drew and teaches him to see what a truly amazing man he has been unable to perceive in himself. Drew forces Sam to step outside of his perfectly organized, safe lifestyle and take chances.

I want to keep this spoiler free because half the joy in reading this novel is taking the journey with the characters.

This is all you need to know: The writing is flawless, the characters are completely loveable, the sex scenes are HOT as hell, and the story is beautiful.

I truly hope Beth Michele considers writing more M/M contemporary romance novels like this. I think this may very well be her natural niche.

5 Love is Love is Love is Love Stars for me!!!
Profile Image for Leaundra.
1,209 reviews47 followers
October 18, 2016
This was a great book. I never use this expression but oh the feels, they were popping. From the beginning I was in the book and liked both MC's. Sam and Drew had some great chemistry from their first meeting. Even though it wasn't the best, you could still tell there was something there. They were so sweet together and damn also so hot together. I believe this in RL that things happen for a reason, Drew was Sam's reason. I can't believe this is the author's first M/M book. I hope there will be more because I would read them.
Profile Image for ~Kristin~.
1,371 reviews140 followers
October 18, 2016
2.75 Stars
This book was a bit of a miss for me. It felt like something was missing, from the beginning through to the end, and I just didn't connect with these characters. It was so overly sweet and when not sweet it was almost whiny. I know many of my friends have had a completely different experience, but this one just wasn't for me.
Profile Image for BevS.
2,853 reviews2 followers
October 31, 2016
 photo SnoopyHearts_zpsdde64b5d.gif

This is an absolutely delish romance. No, I haven't read anything else by this author, but I damn well will be doing in the future, assuming she writes more M/M. Adored the hell out of it. 5 stars all the way.
Profile Image for AJ.
3,246 reviews1,069 followers
March 17, 2017
A sweet and sexy M/M romance

3 stars


Sam’s fiancé has just left him at the altar. For a man who lives a controlled and ordered life, the chaos leaves him feeling hurt and bewildered (rather than completely broken hearted), so he hops a plane to Hawaii, planning on trying to figure out where to from here. On the flight he meets Drew, and they’re both clearly feeling a bit moody and there is snark and sarcasm galore, but it turns out that Drew is staying in the same hotel as Sam, and when they run into each other again in the following days, they quickly become firm friends.

I really enjoyed the friendship between these two. They laugh and tease and banter, and it all feels very natural between them. Drew lives large and he pushes Sam out of his shell, and in return Sam gives Drew acceptance, support, and stability. It’s easy and fun, but underlying it all is a simmering chemistry as Sam fights his attraction to Drew, not realising that he is also gay . But as Sam finds himself hopelessly falling, he comes out and admit his attraction, and when Drew reciprocates his feelings, it’s all on!

I let him lead, willing to go wherever he wanted to take me. Ceding control for the first time in my life. I didn’t want to be in control with Drew. I wanted to be fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants crazy with him – and just hold on for the ride.
Hoping it would never end.

Drew has had a hard life, and his sexual orientation caused him no end of heartache with his father. In order to cope he embarked on a series of emotionless hook-ups, and he’s never done the relationship thing. But though he doesn’t know how, he is all too willing to try it out, and I really liked that about him. And I like how open they are to each other - once they admit their feelings, they just go with it and things progress pretty quickly. There is some back and forth as they figure it all out, but it’s pretty low drama, and a whole lot of hot and I really enjoyed the dynamic between them.

“Stop staring at me like that.”
“Like what?”
He tilted his head. “Like you want to rip my clothes off and fuck me.”
I grinned folding my arms over my chest. “True story.”

But fears, doubts and insecurities are still there, throwing a wrench in their new-found happiness and leading to additional angst and drama as they leave their tropical paradise and head back to real life.

“You have to know I’m falling for you...”
He wasn’t the only one falling. But I was afraid that I was going to be the one to crash and burn.

My feelings are a bit mixed on this book. It started off strongly, I really liked the Sam and Drew, and I was feeling their relationship. Things slowed down a bit for me in the second half though – the coincidences and the insecurities were a bit sigh-inducing, and it didn’t maintain that same level of intensity that I was enjoying from the first half. The involvement of their friends and families added some nice depth and it all ends in a good place, but by the time I got to the end I was feeling a bit bored and wasn’t as invested as I had been in the beginning. But I was glad to see them get their happy ending, and the double epilogue (one from each of their perspectives) was a nice touch.

3 stars.
Profile Image for Pianka *call me PIU*.
414 reviews
October 10, 2016
4.5 Stars

“Chasing the High” by Beth Michele is a combination of a second chance romance and broken/damaged hero romance and I absolutely loved it. It is emotional, sweet and at times a little angsty and everything was blended together to perfection. The MCs really stole my heart. Their journey of finding true love was endearing, hot and sweet. Plus the setting of the story is in the gorgeous Maui islands and it was a fitting background to the tentative romance.

Sam Stone has been left at the altar and he is heartbroken to say the least. Without going home, Sam decides to go to his already booked honeymoon to clear his head. On the flight he meets his prickly but sinfully gorgeous seatmate, Drew Mariano. Their first conversation is a bust but when they coincidentally end up staying at the same hotel, they strike up an easy friendship. Sam is charmed quickly by Drew’s easy demeanor and devil may care attitude. Drew challenges him to push his limits and experience new things and while Sam is coaxed to get out of his comfort zone and try new things, he is also developing a serious case of attraction towards his larger than life companion. Also the rare flashes of vulnerability makes Sam want to wrap Drew in his arms and never let go. There’s just one problem: Sam has kept sexuality a secret from Drew and he is sure Drew will not accept him as a friend if he knew.

“He was like this brilliant magnet of energy and light and I couldn’t seem to get enough. ~Sam”

Sam has been ridiculed and bullied by his peers growing up because of his sexuality and he is scared that a straight Drew will treat him the same. But Drew is hiding something from him too. Sam may get his wish granted and find love for the first time if he is ready to take a chance on love and fight for Drew with his whole heart.

The relationship between Sam and Drew develops within a span of less than two weeks but the entire thing has been described so beautifully, that you would never get the vibe of insta-love. Drew and Sam strikes the best kind of friendship and then steer it towards a vulnerable but sweet love in a short span of time and I loved every single moment of it. There was no feeling of rush in the romance. This read will convince you that love can happen in a week if you have the right person by your side. There is no such angst in the story other than a miscommunication that tears them apart for a short period but they resolve their problems beautifully at the end.



Both Drew and Sam had flaws but they were perfect for each other. Drew had a bad childhood. His father was physically abusive and he still carries the scars due to it. Drew is scared of love, he believes that he is damaged goods and not worthy to be loved. Under his sunny exterior, Drew had a lot of insecurities and hurt which made him vulnerable and in need of someone like Sam to cherish and love him for who he really is. Sam on the other hand is shy and not so great in handling stress or anxiety. Drew pulls him out of his shell and encourages him to experience life in its beautiful form.

“You have heart… and you shine so bright. In a sea of stars I’d know exactly which one you were. I’m drawn to that light in you, Drew. You give me hope. You make me want to take chances. To try new things-to live life in a different way. ~Sam”

The setting of the romance was just amazing. The various adventures that Sam and Drew engage while in Maui and then the food and the beaches brilliantly complimented the budding romance. The tropical weather portrayed the hot and intense feelings the couple had developing between them. Drew and Scott generated heat even with a subtle touch or a look and when they do get together physically, they scorched the pages.



The secondary characters come into play quite late in the story after Drew and Sam get back after vacation. They are not given much exposure but within a short amount of pages, we get a very detailed character development and they complimented the story beautifully. I loved Sam’s feisty sister, Mia as well as Drew’s friend Joe. Both were great and a very important part of the couple’s lives and they were always there to support the lovebirds throughout. Loved Sam’s parents too and that epilogue was amazingly sweet.

“Sam’s family was a trip, and somehow, Joe and I fit in here perfectly. For the first time in so fucking long, there were no storms brewing inside my chest. There was only calm- and love. Something this mouthy, troubled kid from the Bronx never expected to find. ~Drew”

Overall, I had a great time reading this romance. Sam and Drew’s journey to knowing each other to friendship to realizing that they are in love is beautifully written and I can guarantee all romance lovers will love it too.

* This review has been cross posted at GayBookReviews*
Profile Image for 1-Click Addict Support Group.
3,749 reviews490 followers
October 27, 2016
Where do I even start with this? There’s something so…gratifying – just so deeply satisfying – about two broken men who find each other, heal each other, and learn that their capacity to love each other is fathomless. Something about men learning how to love and be vulnerable with each other – gets me every time.

And, in case there was any doubt, Ms. Michele nailed it here. Out of the park. There wasn’t a single moment in this entire book when I wasn’t fully invested and hungry for more. I spent an entire day at work bent discretely over my phone trying to sneak more time with Sam and Drew. Chasing the High is this perfect balanced blend of nearly every emotion you can imagine – it’s fun, heartbreaking, swoony, scorching hot, flirty, and deeply emotional.

I loved Sam & Drew – God, so much. I loved their idiosyncrasies and their quirks. I love that they didn’t perfectly match – in some ways they were complete opposites – but that in the end they made a point to love even those differences between them. I love how they taught each other – they were gentle, and kind, and strong for each other and with each other. There are so many beautiful moments tucked inside this book – I practically wanted to wrap myself up in it, lose myself completely in this beautiful love story.

There’s very little angst here – and the little angst that does present itself is so natural and integral to the storyline and these perfectly flawed characters that it just flowed. It tugged at my heart, it pulled a few errant tears, and then it smoothed itself out into a fantastic, butterfly-filled ending that was just – nearly perfect. I loved it. I hope Ms. Michele dips her toes back into the M/M genre again soon, I’ll be first in line! ~ Shelly, 5 Stars
Profile Image for Tina K.
141 reviews6 followers
December 12, 2016
This was so, so sweet. And hot. Just the way I like them.

Yes, I had to suspend disbelief a few times and the last question was the wrong question. But I really liked the book. Both characters were, for the most part, likable. While there was a hurt/comfort aspect it wasn't dripping with angst.

Thank you SS!
Profile Image for ⭐️AMST⭐️.
132 reviews18 followers
November 14, 2021
Reread 2021!

I remembered really liking this that I even put it in my fave list.
I’ll leave it with 5 stars although I would’ve rated it lower if this was my first read.
Still it was good and I enjoyed this almost angst free romantic story, even though it’s really not my thing(:

Recommended to those who needs some sweetness in their life🎉
Profile Image for Beth C..
648 reviews62 followers
October 10, 2016
“I don’t just love pieces of you. I love the whole of you.”

Yes! This! This is exactly how I feel about Beth Michele’s Chasing the High. I loved it—the whole of it.

Gathering my thoughts is proving to be a challenge, so forgive me. But… This book, y'all. It's so beautiful. It's this gentle, sensual, soft, gorgeous romance. It’s fluttering butterfly feelings, and aches deep within for characters that are just wonderful.

Sam and Drew are simply perfect. From their meet-cute to their banter, from their friendship to the slow-burn of their love, Chasing the High is an excellent, well-written, perfectly paced, sexy and sweet love story. In feel, if not in terms of actual timeline, it slowly swelled with chemistry, questions, hopes for the future. It had bumps that challenged, pasts that left bruises and scars, and tension that made me want to flip the pages without pause.

It had these two men who made me swoon.

I highlighted so much of this book. So many beautiful words, sentences, sentiments. So many moments that made me think that Ms. Michele was writing this book for me, not just for me to enjoy. I read this book, and I fell in love with this author’s words and with her characters, not for the first time.

And now, I'm writing this review, and trying to make sense of how I feel. Trying to capture the magic that was Chasing the High. Trying to explain why I didn't just love this book.

I loved the WHOLE of it.

There was no other way to describe this—us. Except that it felt right.

~ FIVE Paradise STARS ~
Profile Image for Tracy~Bayou Book Junkie.
1,574 reviews47 followers
October 15, 2016
*copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement*


After being left at the altar, Sam takes off for two weeks to Hawaii. On the plane he sits next Drew, and to say they get off on the wrong foot is an understatement. Once they get to Hawaii they meet again and spend time together. Will this just be an Hawaiian fling, or will they continue once they head back home?

I've never asked for an ARC or any book for that matter without reading the blurb, but this offer didn't really come with one. It just came with the tagline and I wasn't disappointed. This was an amazing read. I loved Drew and Sam. The chemistry and tenderness that they shared was present from the very beginning. I loved the natural progression of their relationship. Even though it takes place over a fairly short time period it was paced very well and felt like a much longer time period than it actually was.

I adored watching Sam and Drew grow, open up to one another and watching them fall in love was sweet and just a little magical. This was a well-written story. The characters were lovable and engaging. The storyline was interesting and it held my attention. This story is filled with sweetness, romance, steamy sex and most of all love. While this is not the author's first book, it is her first MM story. I'm looking forward to reading more from her in the future. Highly recommended!!
Profile Image for A.J. Warner.
Author 3 books224 followers
October 6, 2016
Being my first M/M book, I was skeptical. I knew without a doubt I could read the Love story. But, I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle sexual scenes. Beth proved me wrong.
This book is a beautifully written love story. From beginning to end it captivated me, tugged at my thin heart strings. The sexual aspect of it was far more than I expected. In a good way! Beth captured love, lust, angst, heartbreak and so much more.
Love is Love!
Profile Image for Natosha Wilson.
1,274 reviews15 followers
October 16, 2016
What a wonderful book about losing where you thought your life was heading only to find out that life had something even better in store for you.

Sam was heartbroken when he got to Hawaii because his fiancé left him at the alter. Sam knew he needed to get over it and move on with his life and then he met Drew.

Sam and Drew did not get off on the right foot. They both judged the other before anything left the others mouth and the sad thing is both men could not have been more wrong about the other if they had tried. They both went the separate ways to continue to bump into each other over the next few days. They decide to call a truce and get to talking. The next thing you know they are spending all their time together.

Drew seemed to be able to bring out an adventurous side of Sam that Sam normally did not have. Drew was helping to open Sam up to things he normally would not do out of fear. He is really starting to live for the first time.

At the same time Sam is bringing something to Drew that he did not expect either, he is opening himself up to someone for the very first time and it is scaring him to death.

After more time together the closer they get and then that is when it hits the fan. Sam's ex tried to walk back into his life and Drew quietly escapes into the night.

Both Drew and Sam are heart broken but fate is waiting to step in so these two men can maybe find their way back to one another. That is if they are both willing to do the work.

This book was so good. The chemistry between these two men was off the charts. It was as if they were made for each other. But at the same time they were both blind to it. I enjoyed reading all the ups and downs that these two men had to go through. Both had issues they had to overcome in order to fin their way back to one another but that was truly when the work began. It is a good book that shows life may throw you a curve ball but even still things will work out in the end so long as you do not give up. And sometimes life will turn out even better then you thought I would have. Definitely a book on my recommend reading.

Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
Profile Image for Daphne .
715 reviews1 follower
October 19, 2016
A whole lot of sweetness in this one. I'm not sure if I'm biased because I read that the author originally wrote M/F but some bits of this felt like it was a M/F couple. Drew morphed a bit in this story. I liked it but didn't love it.

3.5 stars
Profile Image for Lucy.
159 reviews
October 19, 2016
3.5 stars on this one. It certainly had some really great moments. Just as a whole, it was insta-lovey dovey.
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