Chasing McCree is a sweet romance that would be a great alternative to Colleen Hoover in high school libraries. Aside from some profanity, it’s relatively clean, and that Montana setting just takes my breath away!
SERIES: Chasing McCree, book 1
PUBLISHER: J.C. Isabella
PUBLICATION DATE: April 14, 2012
ISBN: 9780615797236
PAGES: 182
SOURCE: purchased e-book
GENRE: romance
SETTING: Florida and Montana, present day
GIVE IT TO: HS
SUMMARY OF CHASING MCCREE
When cowboy Chase meets (and unknowingly rescues) drunk cheerleader Briar after a party one night, their ensuing friendship-turned-romance changes both of their lives. Briar is a pampered but unhappy rich girl whose popularity at school hinges on her status as a cheerleader and girlfriend to Alex. Chase is the new boy in town, a cowboy from Montana who just wants to return home to his Montana ranch as soon as possible.
REVIEW OF CHASING MCCREE
Awww…this book was surprisingly sweet and complex. I bought it on a whim, and it was about a year before I made time to read it.
I loved both Chase and Briar. Both had depth and substance that made them likeable characters that I wanted to root for. I really enjoyed the slow build of their romance. They don’t even kiss until about halfway through the book, and I thoroughly loved waiting for that. Romance-wise, the story is clean. It’s rated as new adult on Goodreads, but this one never goes farther than kissing and some nondescript “making out.”
Pacing is excellent. I was sucked into the story immediately and finished it in one sitting. I’ve had a run of not-so-great books lately, particularly where pacing is concerned, so that was nice and refreshing.
Love that Montana setting! It makes me want to buy my own ranch there.
Some reviews on Goodreads say that Chasing McCree has excessive profanity, but I hardly noticed it until I read those reviews. I searched my Nook copy for language, and sure enough, there are around 30 sh** and 5 fu**. I guess I was really into the story; the language didn’t bother me at all! I truly don’t think this amount of language is uncommon for YA today. Is it necessary? Probably not. It’s unfair to call this one out though without calling out countless others that have far more profanity and are nowhere near as engrossing as Chasing McCree. Look past that, and you’ll find a sweet coming-of-age novel about being true to yourself and following your heart.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Well-paced, sweet, and (despite some language concerns) relatively clean. It’s engrossing enough to give to reluctant reader high school girls.
STATUS IN MY LIBRARY
We don’t have it, but I would have no problems getting it. For my current school, however, it’s a “no” at this time. As my school is about 65% boys, our romance section is already too saturated (which I discovered when I GENREFIED!).
RATING BREAKDOWN
- Overall: 4/5
- Creativity: 4/5
- Characters: 5/5
- Engrossing: 5/5
- Writing: 5/5
- Appeal to teens: 5/5
- Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5
MATURE CONTENT
- Language: high;~30 damns, ~30 sh** and 5 fu**
- Sexuality: mild-medium; some kissing and nondescript “making out”–no intercourse or near-intercourse; no body parts described
- Violence: mild; arson, attempted kidnapping, and slaughtered cows
- Drugs/Alcohol: mild; brief mention of beer