Daring Chloe

Getaway Girls #1

by Laura Jensen Walker

When Chloe Adams' fiance dumps her---the night before their wedding---two girlfriends from her book group decide a little adventure is in order for the three of them. After all, why let a perfectly good honeymoon cruise go to waste?

Adventure? Chloe Adams? No way! Chloe's lived in one town her whole life. The closest she's ever gotten to actual adventures is reading about them. But her girlfriends won't take no for an answer.

One good adventure calls for another as Chloe's friends try to coax her out of her post-dumping funk, and soon she finds herself living out the adventures in her book club's latest selections. Hiking. Sailing. River rafting. Traveling to new places and eating exotic food. The play-it-safe Chloe begins to blossom into a new, daring Chloe. A Chloe who just might be ready to take on her biggest adventure of all ...

Laura Jensen Walker has a knack for quirky heroines and real-life humor. In Chloe, she's created another memorable character who will live on in readers' hearts.

Genres: Chick Lit, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Romance, Adventure, Contemporary

Audiobook

First published June 1, 2008

About the author

Award-winning author Laura Jensen Walker has written several books, including the Lefty nominated historical fiction, DEATH OF A FLYING NIGHTINGALE. Dubbed "riveting and affecting" by NYT bestselling author Susan Elia MacNeal, this book spotlights a group of real-life overlooked women heroes--the Flying Nightingales--from WWII. An Air Force veteran formerly stationed in the UK, Laura had the great honor of interviewing the last living Flying Nightingale, before she passed.

Bibliophile Laura fell in love with mysteries after reading Trixie Belden in the fourth grade, Her cozy mystery debut, MURDER MOST SWEET (2020) was nominated for an Agatha Award, and her next cozy, THE ALPHABET SLEUTHS, releases in Feb. 2026. Publishers Weekly says about the book: "Walker's feisty, funny, and fully realized seniors easily sit beside the casts of THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB and THE MARLOW MURDER CLUB in the coy pantheon. Readers will be charmed."

THE POSTMISTRESS OF PUDDLINGTON, Laura's second historical novel, features women on the home front in WWII England and releases in August 2026. She is currently at work on a women's fiction novel (aka book club fiction.)

Laura flew a typewriter across Europe in Uncle Sam's Air Force in her twenties, and lived in England for three years where she became a lifelong, tea-loving Anglophile. Shenow lives in Northern California with her Renaissance-man husband and their two rescue pups.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so, I'm not the target audience for this book; still, I often enjoy novels like this...and this one was really great! With allusions to classic literature and a page-turning story, this one definitely drew me in. Plus, the story doesn't fall into the same trap that almost all of the books I've read in this genre dive into headfirst! I need to check out more of this series!

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I liked Chick Lit books but I'm beginning to wonder. The last couple that I have read have been pretty awful. On the other hand they were free (for the Kindle) so that may have something to do with it.

This story is about Chloe, a 29 year old who gets left at the alter. Over the next year, with the help of her book club friends, she expands her horizons. The problem with this book is it was sooo boring. There is an excrutiatingly long description of her making tea in the kitchen that made me want to strangle myself. And the descriptions of Paris felt like highlights from a travel guide, no depth at all. None of the characters really had any depth and I just didn't care what happened to them.

This book is from a Christian publisher (which normally would have been a deal-breaker in itself) although it was not heavy handed at all. There were passing references to attending church but that was about it.

The best thing I can say is that it was a fast read.

[Laurie DelaCruz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up several books in this series, but won't be reading the rest. The story was disjointed, some of the side characters annoyed me, lots of peripheral activity that was questionable at best, just not what I want to be reading.

[Celestial · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say about this book? Hmmm..... How about it was fantastic!
I have to say that at the very beginning I didn't truly like anything about the main character Chloe (besides the fact that she was an avid reader). To be honest Daring Chloe was kind of a book I wasn't really sure I was going to finish. However when I began to actually put time into reading it I started to very much enjoy the characters and plot.

The thing that threw me off the most about Chloe at the very beginning was that she wasn't at all adventurous and never tried new things. For some reason I found this insanely annoying. This pretty much goes against my entire character. I had no idea why she would be scared of any of the things she listed. Then I got into the part of the book where the Getaway Girls came in. This switched up the book entirely. Suddenly I could observe Chloe becoming more adventurous. Now she definitely isn't a daredevil by the end, but she wasn't afraid anymore. I don't want to give away anything, but all I know is that one day I want to go on adventures with my friends based off of books we are reading together.

In most books I read there is at least some romance in it. Now in this book (trust me I'm trying not to spoil things) there is surprisingly little romance in it. There are a few suggestions that someone might be interested in the main character, but that suspicion is never really confirmed. I also really enjoyed being able to watch Chloe let God lead her through a very emotional breakup, and recover.

I truly hope that this review helped you in some way decide whether to read this book or not. To me this was a very clean but interesting book, and it is worth reading. I plan on reading the other books in this series and will do reviews of them as well. I have to put in that when I discovered that there were two more books in this series I was quite happy because I had originally thought there was only one book.

Warning: I know, I said this book was clean, and to me it is very clean. However I should warn you that a relatively minor character does get pregnant outside of marriage. In the book the this character and the person she got pregnant with willingly confess that what they did was wrong, and take care of the situation in a Godly manner.
There may also be some slight mentions of sex, but not in an inappropriate manner.

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a mini ‘Books For Christian Girls’ review. It is not a full content review and will not receive one. These mini-reviews are years old and just for clarity on the rating the book received on Goodreads.


2/23/2015-
“Marked as DNF at page 147. Just too much Sexual content and Minor Cussing for my tastes.”


*Main Content-
A mention of aliens;
Mentions of alcohol, drinking, drunks, & Chloe's aunt tells her that "one margarita won't hurt [Chloe]" (Chloe later has a "pink tropical drink" but it does not say if it's alcohol or not); Mentions of drugs; Mentions of smoking & tobacco; Mentions of divorces; A mention of someone threatening to slit their throat; Sarcasm; Minor cussing (duh, heck, shut up, stupid, sucks, wimp, wuss).
Noticing & Noticing a guy's abs; Being smacked on the rear by a guy ("playfully"); Chris wants Chloe to move in a week before the wedding, but Chloe says it will be worth the wait; Mentions of kisses; A mention of gay men; A mention of lesbians; A mention of a kick in the groin; 'babe', 'boob, 'butt', 'sexy', 'whore', and 'yummy' are all said; Mentions of bikinis & thongs; A mention of menopause.

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is classified as Christian fiction, and I'll be honest, even as a person of deep faith, I tend to shy away from Christian fiction, it's just not one of my favorite genres to read. That being said, I absolutely loved this book because although it carried with it an element of the Christian faith, the faith was not at all the focus of the story. So for me, personally, it just felt like an extension of my life and my relationships with my friends. We live busy active lives in today's world, and our faith is just one aspect of these lives (although a major one), and so it is for Chloe, the main character in this story.

The story itself, the tale of a woman scorned the night before her wedding, having then to deal with getting over her heart break and moving on with her life, with a little help from her friends, women of all ages and shapes, all members of a book club, was just a fun and wonderful story of discovery, friendship and the strength of women.

GREAT read. I am looking forward to reading the other books in the Getaway Girls series.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I decided to read Daring Chloe because I wanted something light and fun (it was also free for Kindle). It turns out, this book is too light, and so far it isn't fun at all. I'm having a very hard time liking the characters, and the dialogue is just fake. People do not talk like the characters in this book.

There is very little character development. I get how Walker is trying to develop each character through the plot, but it's not enough. Having each character tell stories about themselves in conversation is not character development.

I'm all for a fluffy, girly read every now and then, but this one is simply boring. I'll admit that I'm a little curious as to how the book ends, but I don't know if I'll be able to finish it. Maybe I'll just skip to the last chapter.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because it was free on my Kindle. I have been trying to read the free books to open up myself to some new authors and read things I would not normally buy. It was light reading and actually was nice to get lost in something so freeing. It truly is about someone learning that they are responsible for thier own happiness and that is so uplifting but if you are reading this and waiting for something big to happen it never does. This book just breezes along and stays at the same pace throughout without ever having truly an end result. I would still reccomend it for someone on a vacation or who wants just breeze through book.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's not to like about a book about a bunch of friend in a book club, especially when they talk about the books and quote from them through out?

When Chloe's fiance dumps her via text message the night before the wedding, she decides to go on her honeymoon to Mexico any way, but with two girl friends. The friends who are part of Chloe's book club decide that they should start having adventures to go along with the books they read.

What I really liked about this book was that it was unexpected. I expected Chloe to find another love interest in the story, instead through her adventures, she finds herself.

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute series. Surprising depth for the cutesy chick lit cover, loved that Chloe was an avid reader and the book references made the book all the better.

[｡☾⋆｡°✩･:*:｡ kas ｡☾⋆｡°✩･:*:｡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the friendship between Becca and Chloe. Despite the differences, they still able to keep it. Though I quite despise Becca since I used to have that kind of friend.

And Chloe? I love the girl so much. Not your typical girl in those heartbroken novels. Love how she found herself at the most unexpected place.

The ending are *chef's kiss*. I silently predicted she would end up with Ryan. But gosh, the writer really good at playing the trick.

RECOMMENDED!

[Janet]

So I am not sure how to rate this one. I DNF, although I did read a few hours before giving up. The writing itself seemed solid and the subject matter was ok but I found myself getting very bored with everything. Anything labeled chick-lit seems to go this way for me though, to different degrees. And just in case you care, it is written as a first person narrative. Taking into account that I didn't really get into it I would waffle between 2 and 3 stars.

[Del · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a light and entertaining chick flick kind of feel book - this is the book for you. I wouldn't say it's bad but I have it on my bookshelf and I haven't picked it up again or thought about picking it up again.

[Kelly Beaubien · Rating 2 out of 5]

Im not going to lie, I couldn’t even finish this book. There was nothing about the main character that made me want to root for her. The writing was uninspired and the dialogue was childish. The only thing this book made me want to do was go visit Paris.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me want to go back to france

[Alicia Lowery · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like travel chick lit, this is the book for you. If you are looking for a romance (like I was), this is not the book for you.

Interesting but didn’t hit the spot for me.

[Elizabeth Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daring Chloe by Laura Jensen Walker was about main character Chloe and her book club. The book begins with Chloe's fiance breaking up her wedding the night before/morning of the ceremony. Her picture perfect fairy tale ending has been blown to pieces and the rest of the book is her picking up those pieces and making a new life. Luckily, her book club members, The Paperback Girls, are there to help her along the way.

She and a couple friends decide to go on her already-paid-for Honeymoon Cruise to Mexico. Afterward, she and her book club members decide that they should have an outing that correlates with each book that they read. They decide to read Paris-themed books and go on a girl's trip to Paris in a year.

The book takes place over the course of a year, so it's somewhat quick moving and skips around a lot. I think my favorite part of the book was the beginning, because it focused on Chloe being dumped for a little while before speeding through to the Paris trip. About the last fourth of the book is the actual trip to Paris, which almost read like a travel guide. I've read a few of Walker's other books and really, really enjoyed them, but this one was just okay. I didn't like it taking place over such a long time period, as I never felt fully present in the story with the skipping around. It was almost like reading letters from a friend who only writes every few weeks and only gives you the highlights. The secondary characters were interesting and I know the future books will feature them, but because there were so many and again, because the book skipped around, I didn't feel like I got to know them that well either.

I think this would be a great book option to read right before going on a trip to Paris, as it was really detailed in the description of locations and food. However, it didn't have the usual elements I look for in a chick lit book- realistic, relatable characters (that you really get to know), interesting premise (the premise of the first part of the book was interesting, but the rest was eh), humor (a few parts were humorous, but it wasn't super funny), and easy reading (I never got sucked into the story). I hope the rest of the series stays in one time period for a longer time and delves deeper into the characters. 3 out of 5 stars.

[JaneReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review first appeared at: C Jane Read.

I found this to be a quick easy read however not everything was light and fluffy, there were some hard subjects brought up. Chloe gets dumped by her fiancé the night before their wedding. Understandably this rocks her and makes her re-evaluate her life choices. I could relate to Chloe in that I am not daring and like to stay in my comfort zone. However I did appreciate that her friends encouraged her to try new things. Chloe is part a book club with 6 other ladies, ranging in ages from early twenties to early fifties. Each month they pick a book to read for book club and the idea is born to do an adventure each month that relates to that book. The book spans the course of the year showing which books they read for each month and what adventures they do for that month. A trip to Paris in January for French cooking lessons is the big adventure they are saving up for. I enjoyed reading the different adventures they went on and how it applied to the book they were reading that month. I was shocked at the number of books referenced that I have never read. There was a background character that I wanted Chloe to get together with, but a romance did not happen in this story so I’m holding out hope for the future as there is 2 more books in this series. As much as I was hoping for a romance to blossom I did enjoy getting to know Chloe and following along while she discovered herself without a man and found the courage to step out of her comfort zone. I didn’t like that some of the group’s adventures were detailed while others were skimmed over. Even the time in Paris was this way, their first few days were very described and then the last few days were summarized. It felt strange that the perspective and storytelling kept changing between first person and third person. Seeing the Eiffel Tower in person is on my bucket list so I appreciated Chloe’s fascination with it, however the art museums were a bit too detailed for me. I loved the character interaction and how they challenged each other at times. This group came across as a fun group and I wouldn’t mind being invited to join their book club.

[Tin · Rating 2 out of 5]

About a quarter of the book was spent on Chloe crying and getting over her ex-fiance Chris, half was building up the excitement about their Paris trip, and the last quarter, the actual Paris trip and other adventures they went to before that.

During the Paris portion of the book, it was more of a travel guide in novel form. At first, there were conversations between the characters, but towards the end, everything else was narrated. Even the conclusion of the trip and the book itself turned out to be rushed, more of like an afterthought.

I really don't like stories that don't have character development in them, and that's one big fault i find in Daring Chloe. So okay, Chloe managed to come out of her shell in the end, choosing to live in Paris for a few weeks and embrace her adventure side for once. But i can't say the same for the other girls in her book club. I know the story is about her, hence the title of the book, but one-dimensional supporting characters? Seriously??

Becca, the poor roommate who's sole purpose in life is to contradict everyone's suggestions. Kaitlyn, the ditzy shopaholic. Annette, Kaitlyn's mom and loving wife. Go-with-the-flow Paige. The reliable aunt, Tess. There was even no resolution about Chloe's almost kinda strained relationship with her mom.

Personally, i find it such a pain finishing the book. Took me seven days, which, based on the previous books i've read, is a long time. Daring Chloe is just book one of Laura Jensen Walker's Getaway Girls series, but i'm not sure if i'll read them too.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the very beginning I knew Chloe was going to end up quitting her job and trying something completely against her character. That was cliché, but the rest of the book was good. I didn't care 100% for the end as I felt it didn't really work through an ending but flatlined with her just moving to Paris.However, I thought the rest of the story was good and entertaining, I really liked the idea of reading the books and then acting pieces out: whether camping, sailing, murder mystery dinner, etc. But I didn't like that they divulged everything that happened on each outing and skipped over the murder mystery one. It seemed really strange as every other outing had so much detail, but the murder mystery one (and the character who suggested it Jenna) were just a footnote in the book. The the characters were enjoyable and kept me interested enough to read the next books and find out what happens to them.

[Stephany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book that got off to a fast start. It started with Chloe finding out on the morning of her wedding day, by text message, that her groom wasn't going to marry her. And then followed her and the members of her book club as they embarked on adventures found in the pages of their books.

The book stalled for me towards the end during their trip to Paris. It was very wordy and lengthy and the author had left us hanging as how the relationship between Chloe and Ryan, consequently the groom's BFF, was going to progress. When Chloe and her gang returned, she decided to go back to Paris since she loved it so much.

The ending, for me, was a disappointment. While I was glad to see Chloe emerge from her shell and do something spontaneous and crazy...I was a little disappointed she didn't get the guy! I always want my heroine's to get the guy. I'm just a romantic like that.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chloe is jealous of her older sister Julia and forever critical of her, referring to her as "Julia the Perfect." She believes Julia to be their mother's favorite.

Julia and her fiancee continue planning their wedding after Chloe's ex-fiancee calls theirs off the day of their own wedding.

Chloe along with her friends and her Aunt Tess, belong to a paperback book club where they plan adventures relating to the books they read. A visit to an art museum, a camping and hiking trip, and a rafting adventure, to name a few. Their biggest adventure is a trip to Paris where they spend seven days sightseeing and enjoying the food.

I thought the book was pretty good up to their Paris trip when it seemed endless. Trips to museums, shopping, and eateries. It was probably the only part I was happy see come to an end.

[Angela Risner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why does a woman’s life not start until she is dumped at the altar? The last book I reviewed started the same way.

I do love many things about this book (and it’s a series, so I’m interested in checking out the next one): It’s about a multi-generational book club, they decide to act out some of the adventures in the books they’re reading, and they end up taking a trip to Paris.

Also, I enjoyed the ending, which was different from most of these books. I think that each book is going to focus on a member of the book club, so that should flesh out the characters more.

I didn’t realize it was Christian literature when I started the book, but if you are opposed to that message, it is not a heavy one in this book. I agree with the reviewer I’m going to use from Amazon that the book took WAY too much time in Paris.

All in all, a lighthearted read and I’m willing to read the next one.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book at first, although I normally steer clear of "chick-lit". The references to books & authors was interesting; the characters were believable. The idea of forming and being part of a book club is intriguing. I thought this was supposed to be Christian literature, but the rare references to Christianity certainly didn't inspire me. The description of Paris & all it's marvelous wonders was great for the first few pages, but it became ridiculous after awhile. I've been to Paris, so I know that it has a lot of art & history to offer to the tourist. The total fascination that the main characters develops, though, seems over-the-top. The story became less of an adventure, and more like a travel brochure.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of Laura Jensen Walker will enjoy this book if for no other reason than it fits solidly next to her Dreaming books. More of the same characterization, more of the same decent dialogue and definitely more of the same women's empowerment and flirting with the idea of a relationship that never goes anywhere. It's a good enough story and I think Walker is an interesting writer, however, I have yet to find myself swept up into the story and crazy about the characters like I was in Reconstructing Natalie.

Chloe is fun to read and her character's metamorphisis is entertaining to watch... but it felt like I had read most of this in a Walker book before. (*sigh*) That's not to say that I won't pick up the next adventure - it just may take a while!

[TeresaFL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another of my "get em while they're free" downloads to the Kindle. Not an author I'd read before, but the story sounded interesting and I figured I wasn't out anything if it wasn't as good as it sounded. Thankfully I liked this one. The main reason I liked this book is that it didn't take the predictable path and "fix" Chloe's life by marrying her off in the end. The author managed to keep from creating a "happy ending" that included a wedding. Instead, throughout the book Chloe learns a lot about herself and finds that although she may be the "good, dependable one", she also wants some freedom to spread her wings and find her own version of a happy ending.

I liked this one enough that I'll be looking to read some of the others in the series.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a free download for Kindle and there were points when I was reading this that I questioned why I was reading it. But it is an easy chick-lit summer read with a bit of a Christian lit tilt. And it was funny that the characters lived where I lived (most books aren't set in Sacramento) and then finally toward the end of the book they visit Paris, which was part of the reason I read it. Something that did annoy me was how much brand name-dropping there was in the story. It was so odd. From stores to clothes to food brands. If I could give a 1/2 star my rating would probably be 2.5. I didn't hate it, and I did appreciate that in the end it wasn't predictable as I was assuming it would end a certain way and it did not.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most, I read this because it was free on Kindle. It wasn't a deep, moving, or life changing book by any means. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it. I needed a light, fun read.
This story flowed simply through the life of Chloe Adams after she was dumped virtually at the alter. It follows her and her paperback book club through their books and adventures. I loved the quirky discussions they had. I was very happy to see a book list at the end of the story.
I have to say my favorite part of the story was toward the end when they traveled to Paris. I went to Paris for a few days in my early 20's. I enjoyed the short trip, but feel I missed out on a lot after reading this. I want to go back and really experience Paris.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly I think this book was only a two star, the author prattled on and on and on in descriptions of things that had nothing at all to really do with the story. Many times I lost interest and at a couple points almost gave up on the book. HOWEVER when the girls got to Paris it turned around totally. It was still very descriptive but in a good way, the way a book should be. It made Paris sound so dreamy and beautiful and made me want to just pack my bags and go. I really enjoyed that and all the talk around different literature that the girls in the book club were reading. I wish the author would have toned down all the stuff in the first half of the book, it really wasn't about much of anything and droned on a lot.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of three books in this series. It is Christian fiction, but not over the top. Each characters faith was apart of the story, but not the center of the whole story. I thought Laura Jensen Walker portrayed real characters. I like that she introduced all three characters in the first book. It gave you insights into each of their personalities.

The Paris trip took a little longer then I would have liked. For me a little description goes a long way in a museum.

It was nice that Chloe ( the focus of this book ) did not find a guy, but found out what she wanted in life. It was nice to see a different ending to a book.

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