“I could care less.”
So you do care?
“Do you mind helping me?”
I never quite know how to answer this one. Is the correct answer “no” meaning I don’t mind, or “yes” I will help you? I actually tend to answer this one with “I’ll help” so I’m not meaning something I didn’t intend.
I blame my upbringing for this, but I mentally cringe and correct people when they make grammatical errors when they speak. And I’m happy to say that I haven’t corrected anyone (other than those who actually want to be corrected and have told me that) since I was in grade school. Yeah, I actually thought that when someone used a word incorrectly that it was expected that they get corrected by someone who knew better. Thanks, mom.
Are there phrases people use incorrectly which get under your skin? Or do people like me drive you crazy?!
Chasing Someday
by Crystal Walton
Series: Home In You #4
Series Rating:
Publication Date October 1, 2018
Genres: Clean Romance
Setting: North Carolina Contemporary
Main Character Ages: 25-34
Written for: Adults
Pages: 249
Synopsis:
A country boy looking to win his best friend's heart. A waitress afraid of giving hers away. And one crazy, impromptu dating plan that's about to change everything.
Ex-model Livy Hensley has exactly three talents: making coffee, landing herself in the most awkward moments known to man, and failing miserably at relationships. But when the sweetest southern boy on the planet offers to be your dating coach, who could say no? Between struggling to open a café and trying to atone for a consequence of her past, Livy can use all the help she can get. Besides, what could possibly go wrong on a few practice dates with your best friend?
Chase Thompson's no stranger to hard work. If that's what it takes to prove to Livy they should be together, then he's all in. He can handle pretending he's not hopelessly in love with her. Sort of. Almost. Okay, nowhere close. But with a conflicting solution to his family's greatest trial on the line, the stakes of keeping his dating coach plan from backfiring have never been higher.
Up against the countdown of choices, Chase and Livy must find the courage to risk what they fear most for the someday they've always hoped for.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.
Also in this series: Just Maybe
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If you read Just Maybe, you may remember that Quinn is rather obsessed with grammar. Her brother, Chase, the hero in this book, is a riot as he antagonizes her by intentionally mispronouncing words and using clichés incorrectly. Talk about knowing how to push someone’s buttons!
So Chase is a type of endearing hero who drives me crazy. He is the best friend who would do anything for Livy. Always putting her needs above his own. He is protective and strong and able to fix things. He says the sweetest and most swoony things! Yet he is so afraid of exposing his heart; fearful that he will lose Livy if he does.
Livy has some secrets and honestly doesn’t feel that she is worth the kind of guy Chase tells her she deserves. She volunteers to try to atone for a choice she made that causes her great guilt. She is afraid to dream. She was so funny, too, when she got nervous and would just say whatever came to mind. And then continued to talk in an attempt to fix what she said only to make things even worse!
I enjoyed this tender romance. The “practice” dates that Chase took Livy on were sweet and humorous. Challenges of dealing with aging parents, insecure teens and a dead-end job added to the interest of the story. And I love/hated the way that the author would hint at something terrible happening at the end of a chapter and then abruptly switch the point of view in the next chapter and make me wait, impatiently, to find out what happened!
Preview
About Crystal Walton
Crystal received her bachelor of arts from Messiah College in PA, married her exact opposite in upstate NY, and earned her master of arts from Regent University in VA, where she currently resides with her husband, David.
She writes contemporary sweet romances with humor, broken characters, and emotional plots full of grace and hope. Her popular Home In You series includes Write Me Home, a 2017 RONE Award finalist, and Begin Again, a 2017 Readers’ Favorite Gold Award winner. When not working her accounting day job, she’s delving into the wonder of words, supporting her Starbucks habit, or laughing over movie quotes with her husband.
The Short Version:
Crystal is the author of the Home In You Series and thrives in writing contemporary sweet romances with humor, broken characters, and emotional plots full of grace and hope.
The Rest of the Story:
As a writer, I get to invest my life in something I absolutely love: Art! Whether through books or blogs, I love getting to encourage you to pursue your own life’s art and the kind of love you were made for.
What Makes My Stories Unique:
My heart thrives in emotionally compelling fiction. You know the kind. They’re the books you stay up reading far past your normal bedtime; the ones you read in the free five minutes before you leave for work; and the ones that cause a traffic jam because you tried to sneak in a few more pages at a stoplight (speaking from experience here!).
They’re the kind of stories that draw you into characters’ lives to the point of feeling what they feel and impact you beyond mere entertainment. And they’ll always be the kind of stories I aim to share with you. (Read about how this all started here).
“As an author, I don’t want readers to simply close my books and go to sleep with the satisfaction of being entertained. I want them to close my books and begin a new day with the hope of redemption.”
If you’ve read any of my books, you may have noticed a trend. At least one character in every story is an artist of some kind, and their arc always brings them to the point of discovering the gifts inside them they’re meant to share.
My characters are intentionally a little raw. They wrestle lies and insecurities, make bad choices, and give in to doubts. But the heart of every story focuses on a character’s journey from a lie to a truth, brokenness to redemption, doubt to hope.
What Makes Me Unique:
Writing takes creativity, yes, but also discipline. It’s easy for my type A traits to take over. Luckily, my spontaneous, easy-going husband has helped (okay, forced) me to learn to go with the flow. Now, let’s be real. I still geek out over finding ways to be more organized, and I still have my week planned out before it starts. But trust me, I’m more laid back than I’d be without Dave in my life.
I wear long johns in temperatures below 70 degrees. Seriously. There’s nothing in the world quite as invigorating and motivating as sunlight. And maybe Starbucks, if we’re being honest.
Funny enough, I don’t drink coffee. As in, not at all. Zilch! I am a 100% dedicated green tea fan. Not the flowery kind. No add ins. No hint of spearmint or whatever clever “Zen” additives companies use to taint the real deal. Just straight, full-leaf, full-bodied green tea. Venti, please! It’s the perfect muse.
Tap here to learn 25 things you might never guess about me.
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My two pet peeves in grammar are : IRREGARDLESS, it is NOT a word.
Suit instead of suite for a group of furniture!
I thought of another one Revelations! No S.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Paula. I don’t hear many people use either irregardless or suit instead of suite, but I can see why that would bother you. And I absolutely agree with the Revelation one! 🙂