The List

by Chantal Fernando

On a random night out with her girlfriends, Taye experiences something she hasn’t before. Instant attraction. Between vodkas and dance moves she probably shouldn't be doing in public, never mind on a podium, she meets him. She’s never had a one night stand before, and to have one is on her list of things to experience in her life. Not only that, but the chemistry is off the charts. Decision made. She’s going home with this man, and she’s not going to regret it when she leaves him in the morning. Or at least that’s what she thinks.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Fiction, Audiobook, Erotica, Contemporary

182 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2017

About the author

New York Times, Amazon & USA Today Bestselling Author Chantal Fernando is thirty years old and lives in Western Australia.

Lover of all things romance, Chantal is the author of the best selling books Dragon's Lair, Maybe This Time and many more.

When not reading, writing or daydreaming she can be found enjoying life with her three sons and family.

Chantal loves to hear from readers and can be found here:

<3

FB author page:

https://www.facebook.com/authorchanta...

Reviews

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if you thought what was going to be just a one night stand turned out to be so much more?

THE LIST: by Chantal Fernando is a standalone fictional novel which is loosely based on a true story and features ‘Twenty-nine year old ‘Taye' & Twenty-six year old ‘Eli’

We’re introduced to Taye out nightclubbing with her bestie letting her hair down and losing all her inhibitions whilst out on the dance floor moving to the beat of the music, normally a shy introvert add alcohol to the mix dancing is where she feels free.

One guy in the club catches her attention straight away, tall, good-looking with the perfect amount of muscles, a thick head of short hair but it’s his beard that makes her want to run her fingers through it.

There’s just something about him that draws her to him, lust, attraction, chemistry she’s unsure what she’s actually feeling as she’s never experienced it first hand before. But there’s no denying that she wants him.

I have a list
It’s a list of things I want to experience in my life, a sexual list.
Having a one night stand is on there.

Eli wants to work through that list with her.

Until him she was strong willed, he was her kryptonite, the one man who brought her to her knees, but loving a man who loves his freedom more broke a small piece inside of her, will she be the one that brings him to his knees or will he always put freedom above all else?

The pull, the want, the need. There's something trying to tether us together.


This is a really really hard review to write up because usually I have loved loved loved books from this author but this one I'm just really unsure about, and I can't pinpoint what it was about it that I didn't like.

There were aspects of this story that I did enjoy, both were strong willed characters that pushed each other's limits which I loved reading about, but then what I disliked was that part of her that never let go, he'd crawled under her skin so much that all we saw was her giving, caring nature pour off the pages.

I didn't like him, these two didn't seem like a match, she was giving, caring and he was standoffish, the man with no last name, I will give him props for always being honest and upfront.

[The Sassy Bookworm]

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review



Chantal Fernando has been my staple source when it comes to MC Romance and so when I saw that she was writing a different romance genre, I was eager to get my hands on this book. How could I not when she held my attention with this line:

I have a list.It’s a list of things I want to experience in my life, a sexual list. Having a one night stand is on there.”

I adore Chantal Fernando but I gotta say The List is one of those reads that I have mixed feelings about. I like the premise of the story that is loosely based in truth and fiction of a one night stand that didn’t end that night but became a string of complicated and unwarranted angst. While I should be intrigued with the storyline, I wasn’t since I could not relate to the heroine and hero at all. They just couldn’t pull me in as a reader.



Taya is one of those female leads who wears her heart on her sleeves. There are times you will like her and then there are those moments that you want to shake some sense into her. I understand that she is deeply attracted to Eli but when a man distances himself and you know that he is sleeping with other women, wouldn’t you think Taya would wake up and see the light at the end of tunnel. Well unfortunately she was blinded by her lust and infatuation with Eli.

This kiss is not a mistake. No, it’s everything a kiss should be.”

Eli is one of those most closed off hero. It’s not the mysterious vibe where you think is sexy but one of those heroes that you just couldn’t relate at all. I wanted to like him but just couldn’t. For goodness sake, you don’t even know his last name.

This book is not bad but oh my god, it is one of those reads that went back and forth too long. Taya was on this journey of self-discovery but she couldn’t see right away how Eli should have been just a one night stand only. While this may not be my favorite Chantal book, I think there are some readers who might enjoy this crazy connection of Taya and Eli.

Chantal Fernando

[Dawn]

**arc received from author in exchange for an honest review**

I have read and enjoyed many Chantal Fernando books, which is why I signed up for an early read of The List, but this one and I..didn't connect. I felt nothing for either character, I'm not sure what they did, how they lived, why he left the club, where he went over and over. All I was privy to was they had great sex. For me a book can not live on these facts alone. One of the ways I connect with a character is through banter, there was hardly any in this book. I felt like the inner thoughts of the female lead were all I was getting. I am one who usually connects easily with at least one lead, but on this outing I just didn't. Writing this review is hard for me, I have never negatively reviewed or starred a book, but this one fell completely flat for me.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Omg.... I don't know where to start in this review! This book certainly wasn't what I was expecting. And I'll just say it right now in the beginning of this book. I did not like it at all. What started out as a fun and sexy read turned into my worst nightmare in books! I hate how this book played out! And I feel so bad! Because I really enjoy this authors other books! (Wind Dragons MC series).

This is my first book I read outside of the Wind Dragons MC series. I loved that series! So, going into this book....I really didn't know what to expect. I went into this book kinda of scared/excited! Because I really like this author's MC books! But... this was a hard one to read!!! I wasn't feeling Eli at all! And Taye started out so strong... but by the end of the book... she totally settled for anything Eli was willing to give her! And I just couldn't see past all that!

Ok...

This book was certainly different. The writing... the way the story was told. Was night and day from her other books.

The main characters Eli and Taye. I was having a hard time connecting with them. I loved how they first met! The lust and attraction and chemistry they had for each other was through the roof!

But, as I read on. Eli character was not very open. He seemed standoffish. Taye for being a strong independent woman... Seemed to bend over backwards a lot for him. And he still was a man of very few words. It was his way or no way. And Taye... started to change who she was to be with him! She slowly in my opinion started to become a doormat.

I'm 43% into this book and I can feel the lust and want coming from Eli and Taye. But... still nothing. It all feels one sided.

Then the ball drops at the 62% mark. And I really didn't like Eli at all after that! You text someone for over a month. Thinking you are connecting with this person and getting to know them better. Then he just goes and just sh*ts all over it!
Yes.. I know they are technically not together. But when you text someone like they way they were texting. I would be thrown off about what he did too!
Can you say mixed signals! Ughhh

And I have to be honest here... once Eli told Taye the answer to her her question. I stopped seeing them as sexy. I wanted to slap Taye and tell her to move on!
He was not offering her anything! So why was she so stuck on him. Yes the sex was good. But other than that... he wasn't giving her anything! Not even hope that he would go back to her!
He won't tell her his last name. He won't send her pictures. He sleeps with other women.

I just don't get it. I thought this book was a romance! This is far from it! The ending! Omg! What was that? Why end the book like that? I think Eli should have worked a little harder than he did. It was just so unbelievable. I hated it.

*ARC provided for an honest review*

[Flavs is Mrs David Gandy♥~♥’ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.85 Stars

I Voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book

So I have mixed feelings about this book. We meet Taye who is out clubbing with her friends and she meets Eli. So she does what is on her 'List' and goes home with him
But what happens is more than a one night stand. She starts getting attached to him when he wants to see her again.
But Eli makes no promises to her and tells her that he isn't there for long, and as soon as his job tells him he is gone again.

So she decides to just go with it and enjoy him while his here. But she starting to have feelings for him and he is leaving.
What happens next is what I wasn't happy about. Taye is in love with him and when he leaves they still chat all the time and sexting and so much more. But Eli is sleeping with other women and she is stuck on being in love with a guy who doesn't consider her feelings.



So for me, I don't know I liked Taye so much, as I feel she just needed to cut him off and move on. And Eli I really didn't like because for someone who didn't want a relationship its like he was hanging onto Taye and for that she couldn't move forward.
The other thing I also wanted more of is Eli, you don't actually get to know a lot about him. As every time Taye asked him he would avoid the questions

But because this book is based on a somewhat true story, I actually feel like the author did a good job. Because sometimes women can be like that. Holding onto something when you know you should move on.

So all in all a good story and a sort of good ending.

Reviewed on behalf of

[Cheryl O'Harney · Rating 3 out of 5]

*This book was reviewed for Summer's Eve Reads*

Title: The List
Author: Chantal Fernando
Genre: Contemporary
Romance
Rating: 3/5

This follows the heroine Taye who after setting out to find herself a willing partner to participate in a one night stand with ends up developing feelings for him but they're not reciprocated, well at least not straight away. The man in question Eli does come in and out of Taye's life throughout the years offering her nothing more than just sex until it's almost too late.

This was my first read by Chantal Fernando and whilst I did like her style of writing I just couldn't fully connect with the characters it started out okay enough but Taye soon started grinding my gears I found her rather desperate verging on pathetic, I mean she pined after a guy who was only offering sex at sporadic intervals whilst sleeping with other woman in between those times it wouldn't have been me that's for sure as for Eli he was a jerk albeit a hot one for messing her around the way he did however they did eventually get together in the end. One thing I will say is this author certainly knows her way around a great sex scene or two there was definitely some heat under my collar.

As I said I liked the authors style of writing and it was a decent enough storyline it was just the timescale of things that let it down for me, it would have been better if Taye didn't put up with Eli's manwhorish ways for quite so long.

Overall it's a respectable 3 out of 5 from me.

[❤️Melanie G.&#x1f4d6;&#x1f49b; · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure how I'm feeling about this book. For one the main characters are very immature regarding communication and relationships. It was an interesting read that may contain cheating or may not . It depends how you see the characters relationship (if you want to call it that). The story moves fast and easy. There is an epilogue however not sure what to think about that either. A different/confusing read for me.

[✿kawehi.reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not exactly my cup of tea. Particularly because of the male lead. He was just, hmmm, let's just say if I was the female heroine I would have chosen to seek other options than him. He was not what I'd label boyfriend (or even book bf for that matter) material. "Why?," you may ask? I simply did not get nor like him. Period.

As for the female lead, I enjoyed her. She's the kind of heroine that wears her heart on the sleeve and when she loves she goes all in. That's something that I admire even if she did have her 'moments' where I wanted to strangle and put some sense into her.

I would go on but ultimately I think I would circle around my rant about the male lead's behavior and actions. I did not hate this book, but like many I just did not know what to take from it. So hence, three stars from me.

[Lottey Grant · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like the "relationship" at all. If a guy can't commit and is hurting your feelings so much, why would you keep going back for more?!

[Vivi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm having such mixed emotions- I both love and hate this- because yes for most of this book they had flaws, like flaws that are fatal to relationships and situations-ships which this was- I was scared that she'd just stop living for him which I'm happy she didn't but I also felt pain for the both of them. This book is the definition of the "right person wrong time" trope. And the ending was adorable so I'll give them that. I was really not feeling it at the start but I realized I had the same reaction to a book that is now one of my favorites so I decided to keep trying and I'm happy I did so my emotions are very mixed for this book

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was meh. I dud the audiobook & the over use if the term arse was ridiculous. Mostly bc the narrator didn't have an accent. So, it should've been ass. The story read ti me as something someone in their early 20s would go through, not someone in their late 20s/early 30s.

The girl was annoying. The guy had no personality & I don't get how she was in love with him.

The "spicy" scenes were read in such a monotone way they had zero effect on anything.

I probably won't read from this author again. If I do, it won't ve via audiobook.

[Christina's Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one! I thought I had read all of her books but I just found this one! Spicy Romance.

[Becki G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well that was a damn ride…way to make us wait til the very last second for the HEA! :)

[Eileen (Bangor Belles) Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew this book from this author was going to be different. And i can honestly say i loved it and i hated it at the same time. So let me try to explain why.
Taye is a strong independent young woman. She meets Eli at a night club and yes he's hot, sexy and totally edible so why wouldn't she contemplate an unforgetable one night stand, she isn't looking for more right? But what happens when feelings and emotions get involved?
Taye can't believe it when Eli wants to see her again. He makes her feel and want things she's never dreamed of before and she knows she is falling hard for him. Problem is he's never hid that he doesn't do relationships, he does sleep with women and he doesn't do commitments or being faithful and he won't be around for long because he goes where his job takes him.
So here comes my love hate relationship with the story. I loved Tayes independence, but yet when it came to Eli, she became one of those women that we all have known or been. The girl you want to tell to stop being his "go to" and "his doormat". But hey when your in love with someone you hang on, and that internal flame of hope just doesn't let you go. I didn't like Eli at times, and felt conflicted, an that Taye would be much better letting him go!!! I think in the process of reading this book i called him all the douchey names i could think off. And that is why i also loved this book so much. Chantal has done a perfect job of writing a love story that just feels so real to life for so many of us and those we know, so your emotions definitely get caught up. He isn't MR PERFECT, he isn't the typical man of anyones dreams. He is hot and delicious, but you want to to see her with someone who adores her. But love isn't always pretty roses and romance and men that are falling over their feet for you, it has many forms and i loved the fact that this book give us that messy love in all its unglorious form !!! Is Taye wasting her love and time on this guy? Well you have to read it, Well done Chantal Great Job!!!!

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a list
It’s a list of things I want to experience in my life, a sexual list.
Having a one night stand is on there.

Taye's not a one night stand kind of girl until she experiences insta-lust with Eli.
Eli's willing to work help her work through that list but it will have to be when he's available.
These two may have had instant attraction but when something more begins to develop Eli is gone. He's working wherever screwing whoever. Taye sort of drove me nuts with her incessant need to base her every move on what Eli's doing wherever he is.
I get that she fell for him and carried a torch forever but knowing he's sleeping his way through every country he visits would kinda numb me to that I believe.

Eli, I didn't really connect with him as much as I'd have liked to. Yes going in they both were looking for a one night stand, I fully understand the need to distance yourself when things get more involved, I also applaud him for trying to keep the distance in order to keep from hurting Taye but I also believe the man had a hand and didn't need to dip his stick in anything on two legs while pining away for the woman he supposedly loved (even though he hadn't admitted it to her) That mad it hard for me to love him as I think I should have.

I wanted to love this, I truly did but I feel like it dragged on more for me than anything. So much of the same back an forth and in the end it reminded me of the movie version of Dear John with all the right feelings, wrong time. Of course the characters are nothing alike but the feel of their coming together and separating, giving each other that one night etc. brought it to mind for me.
3.5 stars

[Rhiannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a loyal fan of Chantal Fernando, which is why it pains me to write such a negative review of her work. But there was nothing positive to find in this particular book. In fact there was nothing of substance at all.

I am struggling to summarize the plot because there was little to no substance. By the end of the book I still knew NOTHING about any character, including our protagonists. They meet each other at a club and end up having a fling for the next four years. Our heroine lives in some small town (I don't know the name) with an apparently judgemental younger brother and a lovable nephew. Our hero is visiting the town for something related to business (I don't know his job). They end up having "amazing sex" and become drawn to each other, yet he can't commit to her.

We only know the barest details because its spoon-fed to us, there is no showing of emotion, sexual attraction, building of intimacy, or the developing of a relationship. It's constantly confusing to me as to why they are "obsessed" with one another because I don't know anything about them. There are so many plot holes briefly introduced and then never resolved. We know her brother is very judgemental, but he is never actually shown in the book. Her nephew is introduced as a driving force in her life, yet we only see a glimpse of him once. I know nothing about her friends, her job, or her personality. I know nothing about his job, his friends, his history, or his personality.

It's even difficult to review this book because there is literally NOTHING to it.

[2OCC Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chantal Fernando has once again written a very entertaining story that I enjoyed from the moment that I started it to the very end of the story. I enjoyed the storyline of the book and found it had the perfect amount of drama within the story.



The heroine of the story I enjoyed a lot, Taye was a quiet Introvert that always let loose when she went dancing. I really enjoyed seeing her let loose and the way she knew what she wanted in life. Taye was a great character that I enjoyed reading about. She was passionate about the things that she wanted in life and the way she had an immediate attraction to Eli.



Eli was the gorgeous hero of the story that was tall and muscle. He was exactly the type of male character that I loved to read about and the way that he couldn’t pull away from Taye.



The list is about the instant attraction that Taye experiences one night when she goes out expecting to have a one night stand. What she wasn’t expecting was the chemistry that she experienced with Eli.



Chantal Fernando knows how to capture her audiences’ attention in a story and the list is definitely another great book by the author. There were a lot of steamy moments within the story and I enjoyed the chemistry between the two characters. This is definitely a story that I would recommend for everyone that loves a good romance story.

[Laetitia · Rating 1 out of 5]

No, no, just no. Usually I love books by this author but this one was bad. Taye meets Eli one night out drinking with friends and she decides that she'll have her first one night stand with him. They have great sex all night long and even in the morning when they get up. Somehow, they get start up a friendship by only texting plus he doesn't live in town, he's only there for work. Taye catches feelings pretty quick even though he told her that he wasn't looking for something serious. They continue to have great sex until he leaves town and continue with the texting. And for the next 4 years, she's pinning for Eli until he comes to his senses. I did not like this book, I didn't want to finish reading it but I had to thinking that something would happen.

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shy, introverted girl + alcohol & dancing + her 'list' + a male hotty = PARTY!!!!

Taye and Eli meet in a club and experience instalust, hey a girls got to get hers so, what she thinks is going to be a one stand ensues.

But when feelings getting added into the recipe, things get hard.

This book is fantastic, emotional and hot, writing was great and I would've loved to see the ending strung out a bit more.

[Blezzia · Rating 1 out of 5]

The stupidest heroine ever after. I'm sorry, I just can't stop to think this is the worst story ever. I'm so fed up with every excuse in heroine monologue. Please, move on! Really? How hard is it to move on?

Usually I'm rare to give low rating, but this time I can't just let it go and accepting this one, because I felt like to scream for every sentence.

[Shawee Beebee · Rating 1 out of 5]

What the...

What did I just read? Had some by this author that I loved but not this time. Didn't do anything for me!

[Nika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still better than Hoovers “Ugly love”.

[Lyric Hussain · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m a little disappointed. Chantel Fernando is my favourite author but this book just didn’t hit like the rest of them.
I just couldn’t connect to it. The story wasn’t all that interesting and it was a little repetitive.
It’s definitely not the worst book I’ve read but Chantal Fernando is so much better than this.
Then again every book of hers can’t be the same so it is nice to see a difference writing style. Unfortunately it’s not the style I love.

I couldn’t connect to the characters and Taye can do so much better than him! She needs someone who has no issue showing how committed they are. She’s such a strong wrong woman and doesn’t need someone who honestly doesn’t respect her.

He first leads her on and then doesn’t have a problem with sleeping with someone else so soon. I get that they’re not in a relationship but that’s clearly shows how little she means to him. If her had true feelings for her it wouldn’t be so easy for home to sleep with someone else so soon and then sending mix singles telling her he wants to see more of her. It’s just so confusing!

He then returns not for work expecting her to be waiting for him when he had no problem doing whatever he wanted. What is this guy playing at and what does he want?

I also hated the one year later and then two year later it just wasn’t for me. I really don’t believe that it was the right person and wrong time like Taye thinks. They both need to grow up and just be together if that’s what they want and just stop hurting each other if not then move on!

Finding out if they end up together and how to they end up together was my motivation to finish this book and there could have been so much more. Where was the scene of her writing the book, pouring her feelings out? Wouldn’t that have been beautiful? And what about him reading her book and it finally hitting him? Where was this chemistry? It was written too quick. I really wanted to like this book! And I feel bad because I love Chantal Fernando.

[MissyLynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into the audiobook not knowing what it was really about. After seeing the ratings others were giving it, I became apprehensive about my decision to listen to the book. I can see why it got the ratings it did, though.
Yes, it started out okay. Taye started out as an independent woman, and Eli had promised. I assumed the one night stand would progress into a relationship like it does in other books, but it didn't. The story just played out over a few years with hookups and no commitment. Taye had feelings the entire time, but Eli just appeared for the sex.

The epilogue seemed rushed. It should have been one of the last chapters of the book and had a different epilogue to pull it all together.

It's a shame it wasn't in dual POV, even if Eli only had one or two chapters. I'm curious about what was going through his mind and why he acted the way he did.

Eli needed a good slap and be told to grow up. Taye needed to put on her big girl pants and move on.

My one gripe is not knowing where the story actually takes place. First I thought America, especially since soccer was mentioned, until arse kept popping up. So maybe the UK? Then I was just lost. I later saw that the author lives in Australia, so maybe it takes place there. Or maybe I somehow managed to not hear where it took place. Eli did say he was from "over east", but that's not a phase I'm familiar with.
(Edited to add: And now skimming the e-book I see the spelling of color as "colour" so that leads me towards Australia or another place under the British crown)

I like how Taye is of Sri Lankan descent. I can honestly say I've never read a romance novel with a character from that background.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Audiobook)

I probably never would have read this book if Everand didn’t limit the number of “good” books you can listen to a month. But this book was so good. A one night stand turned into a complicated friends with benefits turned into forever. I do think this book could have had more depth and could have went further into their time away from each other and about the book she was writing but for a short read it was quite lovely. Why is it that women know what they want long before the men in their life do? I’m glad Tay was able to move on and forget about Eli until he figured out his shit and came back to her.

[Stacey McGee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think I could be so cruel as to give it 1 star

I hate writing negative reviews about books because these authors put so much into it but unfortunately I did not enjoy this book at all.

I pre ordered it a while back looked forward to its release as it promised so much but for me delivered nothing.
There was no emotional connection of any sort in the book she spoke about how he was an alpha male hence the reason he paid for everything but nothing and no behaviour of his showed anything remotely alpha male like. Also the ending was so anti climax and boring.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chantal is quickly becoming a favored author.What impresses is that her voice never becomes rote,the characters interchangeable. She alerts us that this one is true to life ,with some literary license injected to maintain reader interest.A biopic perhaps? At parts,I feared for the narrator,questioning much,her mental health included...and mine as I began to twist up like a pretzel! Thank f#ck for the long awaited awakening...his awakening!! I almost gave up early on,but ultimately thankful that I hung on !❤❤❤
Read on SCRIBD audio

[Night Runner · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars for me.

The fact that she gave him another chance after blatantly slapping her in the face with his complete disregard for fidelity was too much for me. Nothing he could do would stop her libido when it comes to him. My guess is that he could contract ebola, coughing up whatever and still get her to do whatever he wanted.

[tatiana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t really buy it. I liked the begging but she was whiny and he was awful. I mean his character was nice but the protagonist would not stop talking about how amazing he wash he treated her awfully almost the entire book.