*Read as part of The Brooklyn Boyfriends collection*
"We are twenty-seven and reckless and in love and reunited by the Wonder Wheel, and the only thing stopping me from dry humping Chase McKay in the middle of Luna Park is knowing that I’ll be able to come home to him every day and every night for the rest of my life."
Seriously, I don't know what to do with myself and these books. There's not one of them I don't think is perfect, there's not one main character I don't like, there's not one chapter I'm not either going awww or laughing my head off. Or trying to stop my Kindle from melting from sheer hotness.
Yep. I'm sure that's a thing.
"Chase reads me the way you read a book that you can’t put down, and I feel myself becoming a more interesting book because of it."
Damn you, Chase McKay, why are you so perfect? Why do you have to be hot, tattooed, looking like a freaking rock star, and even love Chris Cornell? Why do you have to be loyal, protective, and such a darling at the same time? I wish I could hate you, but all I want to do is find me someone just like you.
"And when you walked right up to me it felt like everyone and everything around us was dimming and fading out."
I spent much of this book wishing I were Aimee. Not only is she a great person, she has a wonderful best friend, a heart of gold, and the best family, but she is also driven, professional, good at her job. I absolutely loved her. She takes nothing for granted, she embraces the world. I kind of love her too.
"“You want to know what I thought when I first saw you?”
“Oh God, I don’t know. Do I? What?”
“I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, and I thought to myself: ‘Wow. So this is what love at first sight feels like.’”"
Chase and Aimee meet at a bar. A chance meeting between two people, but there's this instant thing. For her, it's first off because he's hot, but for him it's more than that, then and there. And when it seems like these two have hit it off and something's about to happen, in comes Chase's best friend and business partner Keaton trying to wow our Aimee here.
Long story short - he doesn't. And he's a real asshole. Not even the ending redeems him for me. Maybe his book does, I hope. For his sake. Because I would kick him in the balls after this one.
"I convinced myself that you were all wrong for me, and maybe you are. I convinced myself that I’d meet someone I like more than you, and maybe I still will. But I can’t seem to fall out of love with what could have been."
OK, so yes, it may be a bit insta-love thing, but there's nothing instant about them being together. You see, when Keaton, the rich guy who's used to getting all the ladies, gets between them, Chase backs down, because Chase doesn't think Aimee would ever choose him over Keaton. Chase is middle class, his parents own a restaurant and he's struggled to pay for everything in his life, including law school. Why would she ever pick him?
Because he's awesome, that's why.
"I know what I’d risk losing just to keep her, and it doesn’t even scare me. Because I know what I’m capable of building and rebuilding as long as I’m doing it for her. "
Once they realize what they feel about each other, and that it's not going anywhere, they have one night together, but that would never be enough. And then Aimee starts working at Chase and Keaton's office, and things get complicated. Even though the steamy office moments were definitely interesting.
Chase's dedication to his best friend, while he doesn't deserve it in my opinion, is admirable. But sometimes I just wanted to push him and tell him - you deserve her, go get her, screw the rest of the world.
"Every day. Every night. He’s mine."
The ending was just what they needed. And it was definitely what I wanted. What I needed.
Just like with good whisky, their love was all about taking a sip and closing your eyes, savoring it. And trusting sometimes the universe does throw good stuff your way.