review
Chasing Spring is very different from the romantic comedies that readers have come to expect from R.S. Grey, which speaks to her diversity as a writer and her ability to draw on many other emotions besides happiness and joy.
The subject matter of Lilah and Chase’s story is one of quilt, regret, grief, and sadness. It’s a story that illustrates the lasting impact of bad decisions and all those who suffer at the hands of one person’s missteps.
The title itself is metaphorical in the sense that Spring represents a number of events and emotions that occurred during that time frame in both the past and the present, situations that were more dark and ugly than light and beautiful. Spring is supposed to be about renewal and growth, but those pleasant memories have been replaced by the sins of the past, destroying everyone in their path and irrevocably changing lives, especially those of Lilah Calloway and Chase Matthews – two best friends, just like their mothers, but due to circumstances out of their control, their friendship has fractured and what lies in its place is misplaced blame and the fear of ruining everything regardless of how unlike their mothers Lilah and Chase truly are.
Lilah has been chasing spring ever since her mother left her at a young age and no matter how tenacious she is in her quest to outrun it and create beauty in place of the loneliness and desperation she feels, she can’t do it alone, but she doesn’t want to reach out to the one person who could help her, Chase, because she feels like they’re going in the opposite directions and the path that Chase is on is not one Lilah sees herself pursuing no matter how much she loves and wants Chase to be hers.
R.S. Grey does a great job of allowing readers to understand how Lilah’s life and focus completely changed two years ago, and even though she’s back in her hometown of Blackwater, the place where she lost who she was unless she’s willing to face her past as well as the true nature of the events that occurred, she’ll never be whole again no matter how hard Chase tries to bring out the old Lilah and prove to her that they can get through anything as long as she lets him in for good.
Chasing Spring is a coming of age story that illustrates what happens when innocence is shattered and lives are destroyed by one person’s selfish acts. But even though the undertones of the story are weighed down with darkness and depression, there’s always hope…there’s always light because each year, spring will come back around, so a fresh start is always within one’s grasp as long as that person’s willing to reach out and begin anew.
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
4 Poison Apples
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