Early Review: Chance of a Lifetime by Marissa Clarke

Chance of a Lifetime by Marissa Clarke

Chance of a Lifetime by Marissa Clarke
Series: Anderson Brothers #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 16th 2015
Links: Ebook • PaperbackGoodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Sometimes the biggest risk is playing it safe.

Gen Richards is tired of living down to her family’s expectation of the helpless blind girl. Resurrecting her high-school bucket list that begins with “kiss a total stranger” seems just the thing until she finds herself in a panty-melting lip lock with her big brother’s best friend.

Chance Anderson thrives on adrenaline, but Genny’s the one risk he’s not willing to take. His recklessness a decade ago landed her in the hospital and ejected him from her life. He’s bad for her and everyone knows it—especially her big brother.

Chance reluctantly helps Gen complete her bucket list in order to keep her out of trouble. Running through a freezing fountain, playing spin the bottle while fending off a mad horde of stinging insects, and skinny dipping with homicidal attack swans don’t hold a candle to the real danger: falling for the one person he can never have.

“You’re my first. My first love. My only love.”

Oh god, I loved Chance of a Lifetime so, so much. When I started it, I thought it would easily be a 4 star read like the previous Anderson Brothers book was (my review here), but this… Chance and Gen’s story was so much more than I expected. It’s a gorgeous, emotional, heartwarming read I absolutely LOVED! It’s a mix of friends-to-lovers, second chance romance, and older brother’s best friend, which for sure are my top three tropes ever. So basically, this book was perfect for me.

Gen Richards is tired of her family thinking that her blindness makes her helpless and weak. She just wants to be treated like any other person – but the only person who ever treated her like normal was Chance, her old crush and her older brother’s best friend, and he abandoned her. But now, Gen is taking charge of her life, and she’s starting off by completing her high school bucket list. The first item? Kiss a stranger. And of all the people in the world, she accidentally chooses to kiss Chance… but then she realizes she’s found the perfect person to help her fulfill her bucket list.

He’d never been able to stay away. She was like a drug. He needed more. He always had. He was addicted, but had been able to control it and hide it… Until last night when she’d kissed him. He’d fallen off the wagon. Hell, the whole fucking wagon had fallen off a cliff with him on it. One taste of Genny and he was gone. The next week would be hell.

Chance has stayed out of Gen’s life for the past ten years, but he’s never forgotten her. He’s always regretted the way he left her life, but he’s here with her now to make amends and to prove to her that he’s there to say. He’s patient, supporting, loving… a swoon-worthy hero. I fell so hard for his character – he’s made his mistakes, but his number-one priority has always been Gen, and the love he’s had for her over the years comes so clearly off the pages.

“What do you see?”
“Nothing but you.”

Chance and Gen are absolutely perfect together! Gen is feisty, awesome, down-to-earth, and she never lets her blindness be a crutch for her. Chance is the only person who’s never seen her as disabled, who’s never held her back from doing what she wanted, and I loved that he admired her strength and found inspiration from it. Gen’s older brother is an obstacle in their relationship, one that both Gen and Chance need to overcome, but with the passion and love they have for each other, I had no doubt that these two would fight for their love.

“Most people would insist on leading me to him.”
“Nobody needs to lead you two to each other. You’d find each other from opposite sides of the planet.”

My heart grew so emotionally invested in Gen and Chance’s story. It was the perfect romance! And I loved that the author infused a bit of humor in this book – it wasn’t as funny as the previous one, but it was the perfect amount of humor for this story. I loved everything about this book! I read it in one sitting and I couldn’t get enough of it. I’m actually really glad that I haven’t read the first book in the series yet, because I seriously don’t want to let go of these characters!

5 hearts
lacey

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.


Reading Order: Anderson Brothers series

Sleeping with the Boss by Marissa Clarke Neighbors with Benefits by Marissa Clarke Chance of a Lifetime by Marissa Clarke

#1 ~ Sleeping with the Boss: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#2 ~ Neighbors with Benefits: My Review • EbookPaperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Chance of a Lifetime: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads


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ARC Review: Neighbors with Benefits by Marissa Clarke

Neighbors with Benefits by Marissa Clarke

Neighbors with Benefits by Marissa Clarke
Series: Anderson Brothers #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 30th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Love thy sexy jerk of a neighbor…

CEO Michael Anderson might be something of a “control freak.” Still, he’s not quite sure why his therapist thinks dogsitting will fix anything, especially since he and the canine share a kind of mutual loathing. And to make matters worse, a house sitter moves in next door disrupting his peace-and his dates-with the worst possible music at the worst possible time… every time.

Free-spirited artist Mia Argaropolis has settled into the perfect gig-housesitting in NYC’s Upper West Side while working as an art therapist. Too bad she’s stuck living next door to a bossy control freak with a penchant for calling building security when she blasts music to drown out the noises coming through his bedroom wall.

Post-apocalyptic dinner rolls that nearly take her kitchen with them, a douchebag ex, and a Shih Tzu with the personality of Godzilla attack Mia in one day, and her unlikely neighbor comes to the rescue. Like it was her fault. And now, somehow, they find themselves engaged? Both agree, this neighborly feud just got taken to a whole new level.

This book was an absolute delight to read! I read it without having read the previous book (both can be read as standalones) but now I’m thinking I should go and read that one too! I was a huge fan of the humor and the charming characters in Neighbors with Benefits – this book had me smiling nearly the entire book. For those looking for a fun, sexy, romantic read, I definitely recommend Neighbors with Benefits!

Michael Anderson is kind of a stuck-up control freak. To get him to loosen up, Michael’s therapist gives him the responsibility of caring for an adorable dog named Clancy. Michael detests the dog, mainly because it’s the one thing in Michael’s life he can’t control. Actually, it’s one of two things – his sexy next door neighbor is the other.

Mia Argaropolis is the complete opposite of Michael – she’s free-spirited, messy, speaks before she thinks, an artist. She loves messing with Michael, getting his uptight panties in a twist, but even though they get off on a rough start, he comes to her rescue when an ex-boyfriend of hers starts harassing her. One thing leads to another, and Mia has a fake fiancé in Michael and Michael has a dogsitter in Mia.

I loved the hilarious, witty banter between Mia and Michael, especially since you can tell there’s some hot chemistry going on underneath it all. These two characters could not be more different, but together, they worked. Mia brings out a lighter side in Michael, and Michael protects and believes in Mia when no one has for her before. Their relationship is so sweet and genuine, if a bit rushed. The book is pretty easy and quick to read, so their relationship wasn’t as fleshed out as I would’ve liked.

Still, Friends with Benefits is a fun, quick read that I enjoyed so much. I was charmed by Michael and I adored Mia’s character. They made such a sweet couple (and there are definitely some sexy moments between them too). If you’re a fan of the ‘opposites attract’ phenomenon, Neighbors with Benefits is perfect for you!

4 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: Anderson Brothers series

Sleeping with the Boss by Marissa Clarke Neighbors with Benefits by Marissa Clarke Chance of a Lifetime by Marissa Clarke

#1 ~ Sleeping with the Boss: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#2 ~ Neighbors with Benefits: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Chance of a Lifetime: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads


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