Blog Tour and Giveaway: Emancipating Andie: Priscilla Glenn

by Reviews by Tammy and Kim - Saturday, May 25, 2013

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Release date: April 2013

Age Group/Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Ever since the one time Andie Weber threw caution to the wind - and paid the price for it - she’s learned that it’s safer and smarter to live life playing by the rules. Now she’s got a great apartment, a steady job, and a wonderful boyfriend in Colin; he’s sweet, stable, and essentially perfect – except maybe for the fact that his best friend is Chase.

Chase McGuire lives his carefree, unstructured life strictly for himself. Dripping sarcasm and oozing wit, he refuses to censor his feelings or opinions for anyone, making no apologies for either and wearing his abrasiveness like a badge of honor. No one has ever gotten under Andie’s skin the way Chase does – and vice versa.

So when Andie and Chase find themselves forced to take a two-day road trip together, they are already dreading an inevitable all-out war. But as the trip progresses, and the undeniable friction that has always defined their relationship slowly begins to wear away their preconceived notions of each other, Andie and Chase discover they both have a lot to learn about life, courage, happiness, and the age-old battle between logic and love.

"Don't ever apologize for being you, Andie."

Andie is all about control, routine, and safe choices. Everything about her life it neat and tidy. She has a perfectly stable boyfriend, an immaculate apartment, and the job she was expected to do. The one time she did something a little out of character, she ended up locked in a wine cellar with Chase and he annoyed her like no one had before. He is cocky, antagonistic, arrogant, and not afraid to say what ever pops into his head.

Flash forward a year and a half later and she is stuck driving two days with him to a wedding at the request of her boyfriend Colin. She hates the idea and it is really awkward at first. They seem to be complete opposites. Chase is spontaneous, outgoing, and impulsive. She is opinionated, rigid, and likes to have a plan for everything. Chase really knows how to push her buttons and get under her skin. He challenges her safe little word and ideas. It alternates from completely awkward, to heated, to silent, to tolerable, and finally along the way she starts to see the real Chase hidden under the jokes and the sarcasm. And he starts to see who Andie is underneath the controlled persona she presents to the world.

He knew he shouldn't be provoking her, but there was something about her feistiness that he enjoyed. It was raw and authentic and refreshing....He liked seeing a woman who pulled no punches, who was confident enough to express what she was feeling, and who made no apologies for it. And if he were being honest, he liked that he was able to ignite that spark in her.

"I do what I want to do. I refuse to hold back what I'm thinking or what I'm feeling anymore. And if someone doesn't like it, then they don't need to be in my life. If that makes me an a**hole, then so be it. I don't want to spend anymore time trying to make other people happy, Life is much more enjoyable when you're surrounded by people who just accept you for you."

But even as they both begin to enjoy each other's company more, they know that it can lead to a bad situation and both feel guilty for their thoughts. But they do share some sweet moments together as well as some sexually charged ones. You can literally feel the tension rolling off of them at times. It is a battle of loving with your head versus your heart. Chase makes Andie face where her life is headed and question everything. He opens her eyes to new possibilities.

...the dynamic between them had changed. That was the moment things stopped being innocent, the moment his conscience took a backseat and it was just the two of them, just Andie and Chase and the palpable, rousing tension between them, charged with inaccessible possibilities.

Will they fight their attraction out of loyalty to Colin or will they give in? Can Andie give up her safe little world with her consistent stable boyfriend and explore a life of chances and inconsistency? And is Chase even ready to take on something that could have permanence? Any decision they make will end up hurting someone...either themselves or Colin.

I really enjoyed this book. The premise was refreshing. I felt like I was in the car with them on this road trip learning about them and suffering through the silences and awkward parts as well as the conversations that became deeper and more involved. The character's interactions were fun, engaging, and eventually more emotional. I loved their snappy retorts as well as how they broke down each other's walls. I liked seeing the personal growth and change in both Andie and Chase and the positive effect they had on each other. This was an entertaining, funny, and sweet read. Priscilla Glenn just writes with such an easy flowing style and develops her characters so well. You cannot help but get attached to them and be invested in their story. I loved her first book Back to You and cannot wait for more from this author.

Thanks to Priscilla Glenn for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Priscilla Glenn Facebook/Twitter/Goodreads
Priscilla Glenn lives in New York with her husband and three children. She has been teaching English Language Arts at the middle and high school levels for the past eleven years while moonlighting as a writer, mommy, coach, student, and professional laundry-doer. If you catch her when she's feeling sophisticated, she'll tell you her favorite things are great books and good wine. In the moments in between, she'll admit her love for anything Ben and Jerry's, UFC fights, and Robert Pattinson.

Emancipating Andie is Glenn’s second novel. She is also the author of the contemporary romance/young adult crossover, Back to You.

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

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