I’m dying to give a spoiler alert because the ending is really the most impressive thing about this book, not for its wow-factor, but because it speaks to the level of control a formerly self-published author has over her writing, and I LOVE IT (Interesting note: Glines’ publicist didn’t actually SAY there would be bodily harm if I gave away the ending, but it was definitely implied…and she’s feisty). There’s no way a debut novelist in the romance genre would EVER get away with some of the story line twists that Glines pulls, and it comes from having the ability to say, “You know what? I’ve done it before and I can do it again, I don’t NEED you to make me a bestseller.” Rock on, Glines!

I will say, the book wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. Don’t get me wrong, I can EASILY envision people loving this book, but I’m still a little squeamed out by reading about the sex lives of 20-year-old virgins and their much older, much more experienced partners (yeah, a play-by-play of the MC giving her first hand job was almost a deal breaker for me). No matter how well an author depicts the nature of true love, it always feels like there’s an element of taking advantage of when you have that dynamic happening between the couple. I would rather meet two awkward but starry eyed fumbling teenagers any day than the incessantly overdone story line of the beautiful, inexperienced wallflower and yet another Christian Grey.

At least in Take A Chance, Glines sets up a very plausible reason for Harlow’s wallflower status; sure, she’s filthy rich, her daddy is super famous, but after her mother was killed in a car wreck when Harlow was an infant, she was raised by her grandmother…away from the spotlight and the prying eyes of the paparazzi who don’t know she wasn’t killed with her mother. Harlow has known her dad and adores him, even with his rock star flaws like sex, drugs, and well…the rock and roll should be obvious.

Take A Chance is available now.