Welcome to my stop on the Emancipating Andie Blog Tour!
The tour is hosted by AToMR Tours; find the schedule here.
My stop includes a review and giveaway.
Series: n/aCategory/Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: 4/5/13
Format: eARC
Pages: 280
Source: Received from author for review
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.
Emancipating Andie is a story of self-discovery, and of falling in love. Falling in love with someone who has unwavering belief , and challenges you to stop being safe and start living. Emancipating Andie is a patient and honest story of two people who make a true connection, and fall in love...despite the logic.
Slow Burn. Those are the words largely define Emancipating Andie, for me. This is a story that isn't necessarily slow paced, but takes its time to establish the connection between Andie and Chase. This isn't a case of two people who immediately fall in love and then spend the story trying to find a way to be together. This is a story of two people who seem to be complete opposites, and completely wrong for each other. Two people, who when pushed into spending time together, start to see beyond the exterior, and find the person who challenges, believes, and makes the other feel alive. This is a story of two people who find a connection, but out of a sense of responsibility and respect, do not cross that line into betrayal. You won't be able to help yourself from rightfully hoping Andie and Chase eventually end up together.
Chase and Andie were both perfect characters. And by perfect, I don't mean their actions, I mean that I loved them and loved reading their story so much. I'm not going to sit here and analyze them for my review, that's no fun for you and it takes the fun out of the story for me. But I will say that Andie and Chase both experience pain and happiness, revelations and change. Those type of experiences are what make characters for me. I don't need them to be perfect, I need them to be real.
Chase and Andie were both perfect characters. And by perfect, I don't mean their actions, I mean that I loved them and loved reading their story so much. I'm not going to sit here and analyze them for my review, that's no fun for you and it takes the fun out of the story for me. But I will say that Andie and Chase both experience pain and happiness, revelations and change. Those type of experiences are what make characters for me. I don't need them to be perfect, I need them to be real.
A lot of readers are wary of books with cheating. That's understandable. Emancipating Andie is not a book about cheating, but a book about falling in love, and realizing that regardless of ending up with this person you're falling in love with, you don't belong in the relationship you're in.(This makes sense in my head. I hope it makes sense here.) It was a gorgeous portrayal of a young woman who has played it safe, and who finds the courage to truly live her life. Of a man who refuses to betray a friendship, no matter how badly he's hurt in the process. I would also like to point out that I liked Glenn not making Colin into the bad guy, giving Andie and Chase an easy way out. Because the fact is, Colin wasn't a bad guy at all, he just wasn't the right person for Andie, and she's not for him either.
Emancipating Andie is the second of Priscilla Glenn's books I've read and the second I've fallen in love with. In both instances, I found myself becoming overwhelmed by the characters and their story. The writing is so subtle, yet gorgeous and engaging. There was gorgeous passage in which I actually sat my Kindle down and said aloud (to myself) "That was maybe the most romantic love scene I have ever read." I was in awe because it wasn't full of romantic words or graphic at all. It was passionate, and full of all the emotions and love we all should experience in our lives.
Emancipating Andie is a story that I will remember as beautiful, enlightening, inspiring
Favorite Quotes:
This girl was going to make him crazy. And somewhere between his room and the car, he decided he was going to let her. ~eARC, 26%
Instead he slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her down to him, running the tip of his tongue along the swell of her lip before he parted them, kissing her with every ounce of emotion he could muster, pouring every unspoken word into the kiss, telling her without words how she had managed to revive everything inside of him that was good, showing her that he wanted her to fall in love with him, because he was already there. ~eARC, 75%
"I can't promise you that I'll never be an asshole again. But I can promise you that I don't mean it. And I can't promise you that I won't ever make mistakes, but I can promise you that I'll learn from them and do whatever it takes to make it right with you again."
I am really excited to share this with you! Priscilla is sharing her favorite quotes from Emancipating Andie, and I think these will help explain why I loved it so much. (Especially Chase!)
Priscilla Glenn’s Favorite Quotes from Emancipating Andie
1. “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 asshole, then so be it…Life is much more enjoyable when you’re surrounded by people who just accept you for you.”
This so clearly defines Chase and everything he stands for. I love when he says this because it’s the first time Andie (and possibly even the reader) starts to respect the way he approaches life rather than censuring it.
2. “What’s that guy’s name? Where’s he going? Is he happy with his life? Did he want Bella to end up with Edward or Jacob?”
I love this line because it showcases the two contrasting sides to Chase’s personality: the profound, deep thinker, and the snarky (yet somehow charming) wiseass.
3. “He could feel the heat of her body as if it were a tangible thing. It permeated his clothes, his skin, his entire being, igniting a fire that was threatening to rage out of control, to consume any sound reasoning within him and hand him over to his impulses.”
Piano scene. ‘Nuff said. ;)
4. “Did you google ‘best groveling speeches’ while I was passed out?”
I love all the moments when Andie lets her guard down, but this one is particularly fun because it’s clear that Chase’s wittiness has rubbed off on her a bit.
5. “No plan. No itinerary. Just you and me.” - “And that’s it?” - “That’s everything.”
Explaining why I love this one would give a little too much away. I’ll just say that when I wrote that line for the first time, it gave me chills. The good kind. ;)
6. “So instead of having no regrets, we should know our regrets…If we can’t recognize when we’ve messed up, then how will we know when we’ve gotten it right?”
Oh Chase, Chase, Chase. You make me wish I was one of those boys from the 80s flick Weird Science who create a fictional character and magically bring her to life. In all seriousness, we’re all only human. No one is perfect. It’s okay to be imperfect. Embrace it, and use what you learn from your missteps to better yourself. (Side note: This message is a lot sexier when it’s taught through the ink along Chase’s torso and not by me on my soapbox.) ;)
Thank you so much to Priscilla for sharing her favorite quotes. I think you now know why I loved Chase so much!
Purchase Emancipating Andie at:
About the author
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.
Connect with Priscilla at:
