Book Review: Taken by Chance by Erica Cameron & Lani Woodland

---

Taken by Chance
Laguna Tides #1
Authors: Erica Cameron & Lani Woodland
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Released: May 5th 2015
Review Source: Author

A single chance encounter can change your life…

Despite being the son of Hollywood’s hottest director, Dare Andrews has managed to steer clear of the paparazzi for seventeen years. But when his ​ex-​girlfriend sells a tell-all interview to the tabloids, he’s suddenly hounded by fans and reporters alike. Dare is getting cynical fast, so he’s unprepared to meet a glass-half-full girl like Chance. And unprepared for the consequences after he helps her save face. Pretending to be the new guy in her life was easy enough when she was being dumped by her boyfriend, but the lie backfires.

What started as a random act of chivalry becomes something deeper as Dare and Chance find themselves trapped in their charade. The problem is that the more Dare gets to know Chance, the less fake their relationship feels. But secrets they both keep threaten their future, and with new storm​s​ overhead, will Chance’s lessons in optimism be enough to help Dare find the silver lining?​

This book had a such a cute story that could leave you with the impression that it could be a successful pre-teen movie. I had a smile plastered on my face during the majority of this book. Not to say it doesn’t have its heavy, trying pieces.

Dare Andrews, the son of a highly successful Hollywood director who was sold out to his limelight hungry ex-girlfriend, stumbles upon Chance, unbelievably optimistic girl with lots more blurry corners than anyone could imagine at an airport. Dare was there to pick up his mother and sister, as they were making the move from Miami to California, and Chance was there to met her boyfriend of three years only to find he had broken up with her over e-mail. Dare swoops in to make sure Chance doesn’t get the humiliation of a lifetime - and so begins a wonderfully deceiving relationship.

See, Dare needs someone to make him look good since his ex sold lies to the tabloids and Chance feels the need to repay Dare for his kind act of swooping in and preventing a lifetime of embarrassment. So they agree to “fake date.” Then only to find out they will be attending the same school. Eventually the lines between friendship and “fake relationship” blur and they’re being a couple even when no body's watching.

Both of these characters are extremely likable. Dare has a compassionate and caring attitude while Chance is extremely generous and independent. Apart from that, I didn’t find anything to make them extraordinary. Also, the development of other characters seemed to take too long for me. I was able to find out almost everything about Dare within the first few chapters, but as far as his sister’s secrets go, it took a while; same for Chance. The blurry parts of their lives were kept quite blurry for a while. Also, toward the last third of the book, there was a twist that just really reminded me of the end of “The Beginning of Everything” by Robyn Schneider.

At the end, though, it was a fun book with an interesting plot and likable characters. A fun read, for sure.