Izzy Sutton shelved away her own needs when her ex-boyfriend left town eighteen years ago, leaving her to raise their daughter alone. With Gracie away at college, she now has time to invest in her Bed and Breakfast, as well as her secret songwriting job. Trouble starts though when a handsome singer comes looking for a room, forcing Izzy to decide if it’s worth opening up her heart again, especially to a much younger man.
Pop sensation Chase Lockhart owes his overnight fame to one song penned by an anonymous writer. Desperate for more chart-toppers, he travels to Oregon to collect the other songs she owes him. Finding her is the least of his troubles; getting past her defenses, including her dog who hates him, proves to be the real challenge.
Can a shared love of music lead a pop star and a single mom to fall in love? Anything’s possible in the small town of Romance.
A small-town romance novella from the beloved Fall Into Romance collection, now with a never-before-published exclusive interview with Chase Lockhart!
USA Today bestselling author Liwen Y. Ho works as a chauffeur and chef by day (AKA a stay at home mom) and a writer by night. Her strength is in creating character-driven, deep POV romance infused with faith, humor, and happy ever afters.
In her pre-author life, she received a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary. She loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children (AKA munchkins).
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This book is a short, sweet read that packs the punch of a full length novel. The author is able to weave an exciting tale that leaves the reader wanting more but at the same time giving it the ending that the readers and characters deserve. This was my first time reading author Liwen Y. Ho, but it won't be my last!!
I really loved her writing style, the flow of the book and the characters. She was able to give the reader well written, down to earth characters that made me wish they were real people so that I could become friends with them. I loved the way in which she described Romance (the town) and the people. I love the nosy neighbors, the festival and the fun. It made the reader feel like they were a part of the story, that they were in the story, not just reading it. I was simultaneously dreading the ending, because I didn't want it to end, while anxiously awaiting it to see what happens to Izzy and Chase!
I can't wait to one-click another book by this author, I may have just found a new favorite author to add to my list!
As I read this story, I kept thinking, when will Hallmark find this book. It should definitely be made into a movie! I would so record this movie. It was set in an idyllic town and the characters were wonderful. Chase and Izzy are so sweet, Liwen Y. Ho even wrote song lyrics for them that sounded beautiful and believable, not cringy. Well done! Romance, sounded like a beautiful vacation destination, and I wanted to see and taste the apple festival for myself. Izzy’s inn and relationship with her daughter gave off the cutest Gilmore Girl vibes!
I have to confess, the first time I read Chasing Romance as part of the Fall into Romance collection, I didn't like it as much as this second time around. I think it is most likely because of the fact that Chase is 11 years younger than Izzy. I guess I'm just old-fashioned like that. Mind you, if the difference was the other way around, it wouldn't bother me at all - my husband is 11 1/2 years older than I am, and that works just fine. :-)
The story is well written, and it is sweet. We don't get much of Izzy's backstory, just the mere skeleton of why she has a trust issue when it comes to men. It is enough, however, to make her skepticism about Chase make perfect sense.
Chase is another great hero. There is a bonus feature to this stand-alone book, an interview with Chase done by the local radio station. Though I enjoyed the story, I think the interview was my favorite part of the book!This review was originally posted on Among the Reads
Chasing Romance was originally published as part of the Fall Into Romance Box Set.
What a sweet story! It really showed that age is just a number and love can blossom between anyone. It wasn’t what I expected, and that’s part of what made it so good. I really liked Chase and Izzy, and loved the support Gracie gave her mom.
Chasing Romance is a beautiful book with an interesting trope: older woman - younger man relationship. Confession time: I'm the most reluctant person to this kind of trope. ((I even don't know if I'd have read if it wasn't for the fact that the author provided me with a review copy)). But man, Ms. Ho has such a way with words, she had me rooting for Izzy and Chase since pretty much the moment these two met(!) Can you say #FavAuthor? 'cause I think she's climbing to my top 10 (if not top 5) pretty fast ;)
Here are a couple of quotes from the book that I really liked:
"That’s when the pieces of the puzzle fell into place like the harmonious notes of a guitar chord."
"It amazed Izzy how in sync they were. Her strength was in writing lyrics, and Chase’s was in coming up with the music. Together, they were a creative powerhouse. It was the most fun and refreshing experience she’d ever had as a songwriter."
I'm pretty sure that in any other book, some phrases would have sounded so cliche at first thought. (In this case, they did sound a bit cliche, but only as an afterthought). What really grabbed my attention was the beauty of the author's writing, and how awesome she is in her way of describing this moment, this scene, and how beautifully, in every aspect, it keeps on being music-related and music-centered.
I really enjoyed how the book is peppered with music comparisons and descriptions, and I'd recommend it to anyone willing to give it a chance, or who just enjoys a sweet romance :)
This novella was my introduction to both Liwen Ho’s work. It is a contemporary romance novella set in the town of Romance, Oregon. The setting is small-townish with all the quirks and warmth that come with small-town living.
Liwen Ho writes an easy to read and follow story between a young pop star Chase and an older songwriter/B&B owner Izzy who has a daughter closer to Chase's age than he is to her. Eleven year age difference is just one hurdle they must clear during their sweet but stop-and-start-again romance.
I received a review copy of this novella from the author. I was not required to write a review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
I really liked Chase. I liked how he was just a down to Earth kind of guy. He knew his celebrity status, but he didn't let that rule his life.
Izzy on the other hand... I didn't like as much. She gave off creepy old lady vibes in the beginning. I'm only 2 years younger than her, and the way she talked like she was old was just... ick.
Chase eventually sets her straight. But them her insecurities over power her and I kinda wanted to shake her.
The age gap bothered me in the beginning... but it worked out well since Chase is grounded and mature and Izzy isnt.
The characters were believable... and relatable. Izzy is so very insecure about her talent and refuses to believe that the 25yo pop sensation could be attracted to her because, well, she's old. She must be; she has a kid in college.
Chase only sees a smart, caring, good-looking woman. The first to catch his attention. Learning she's the song-writer he's looking for is a bonus.
I love the way they maneuver the start of their relationship. He's stubborn—or is it patient?—enough to deal with her insecurity until he can convince her that he really loves her.
Chasing Romance is a novella which is both good and bad. It's good because it doesn't take long to read it and find out what happens to Izzy and Chase. It's bad because once you get to know these characters, you want their story to last more than 85 pages! This story is set in Romance, Oregon. The characters have a love of music in common. I would have liked Chase to be at least 30 years old because I struggled with their 11 year age difference. I really liked that Izzy rescued a dog! Overall, this is a clean romance with interesting characters and I enjoyed reading it.
Chasing Romance by Liwen Y. Ho What a delightful story! I loved the music theme throughout the book! From the inn decor, to them writing music together it was a beautiful tale set in the fictional town of Romance in my home state of Oregon! This was the first book by Liwen that I've read, but it surely won't be my last!!
I won a copy of this in a contest, as I had been reluctant to get into a long series by different authors. However, I loved the book, and will willingly buy the rest of Liwen Ho's books in the series. She does a good job with the younger man/older woman relationship. I look forward to more of her books in Romance.
Chase is America’s newest pop sensation. He is in Romance looking for the woman who wrote his current hit song, not knowing that’s Izzy. They connect. This story was a bit different, with the age difference and celebrity-thing. Sweet. I liked it.
I read this as part of the Fall Into Romance box set.
Izzy and Chase's story is a sweet and unexpected one. They seem so different, especially considering their age difference, but a beautiful relationship starts to build between them and suddenly love doesn't seem so unobtainable after all.
This is one of my favorite stories!!! I love Shawn Mendes & Chase reminds me of Shawn. So I was elated to find out that he was the inspiration for Chase! Can’t wait to read more about Chase & Izzy!!!
I liked this book and the musical aspects in it. I also liked that the lady is older than the man. It was a super fast read and the characters were likable. I just felt like fell for each other a little too fast.
What happens when a famous singer comes to town looking for the writer of his biggest hit? He finds her -- but he does not know it is her!!! Totally loved this book!!! Such a great love story!!!
If you are looking for a quick read that makes you smile while reading it and feel lighter when you're done, this is it! The bonus interview at the end with Chase was also very fun!