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Xtreme Bachelor #1
Choose Us
Riley Logan and Travis Grayson have been best friends for the last fifteen years. She would do anything for him, go anywhere for him…and she has, countless times. Except now. Now he’s asking for too much. Their friendship has reached a breaking point and she doesn’t know how to go back. But as Travis’ personal assistant, Riley spends her every waking moment by his side.
When a fractured ankle puts Travis’ BMX career on hold he’s given more downtime than he knows what to do with. Always one for excitement, he agrees to become the bachelor on a televised dating show, but only if Riley goes in undercover to help weed through the girls.
What was supposed to be eight weeks of freedom has turned into eight weeks of hell surrounded by desperate girls all vying for Travis’ attention. He promised her the show would be smooth sailing. He promised he would listen to her advice on which girls should be eliminated. But now he’s breaking those promises and getting way too close to the girl Riley despises the most.
She shouldn’t care. Except she does. Much to her surprise there is one girl she wants Travis to choose…
Her.
Will she get what she wants, or will Riley lose her best friend along with getting her heart broken on national television?
When a fractured ankle puts Travis’ BMX career on hold he’s given more downtime than he knows what to do with. Always one for excitement, he agrees to become the bachelor on a televised dating show, but only if Riley goes in undercover to help weed through the girls.
What was supposed to be eight weeks of freedom has turned into eight weeks of hell surrounded by desperate girls all vying for Travis’ attention. He promised her the show would be smooth sailing. He promised he would listen to her advice on which girls should be eliminated. But now he’s breaking those promises and getting way too close to the girl Riley despises the most.
She shouldn’t care. Except she does. Much to her surprise there is one girl she wants Travis to choose…
Her.
Will she get what she wants, or will Riley lose her best friend along with getting her heart broken on national television?
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2014
72 people are currently reading
2313 people want to read
About the author
Caylie Marcoe
6 books166 followersBorn and raised in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, Caylie fell in love with reading at a young age. With her lively imagination, she created numerous stories in her head throughout her childhood and teenage years.
Her first novel, Choose Us, released in April 2014 and became an Amazon Bestseller.
When she isn't slaving away at the keyboard, Caylie is an avid reader, and lover of coffee... copious amounts of coffee. She also has an unhealthy addiction to coffee mugs, chapstick, water bottles, football, and tv shows--binge watching is her favorite.
She chases her two kids around the house all day, and has a husband who is her complete opposite, which makes for a lively household. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Check out my FB page for teasers from upcoming books!!
https://www.facebook.com/CaylieMarcoe...
Her first novel, Choose Us, released in April 2014 and became an Amazon Bestseller.
When she isn't slaving away at the keyboard, Caylie is an avid reader, and lover of coffee... copious amounts of coffee. She also has an unhealthy addiction to coffee mugs, chapstick, water bottles, football, and tv shows--binge watching is her favorite.
She chases her two kids around the house all day, and has a husband who is her complete opposite, which makes for a lively household. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Check out my FB page for teasers from upcoming books!!
https://www.facebook.com/CaylieMarcoe...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
April 6, 2014
Title: Choose Us
Series: No, standalone.
Author: Caylie Marcoe
Release Date: April 4, 2014
Rating: 3.75 stars
Cliffhanger:. No
HEA:
In my opinion, there is nothing better and more refreshing than friends to lovers themed romance. I crave and adore those stories, as there is no insta –love and the connection between main characters usually is deep and meaningful. The heartbreak, desire and caring for one another is usually what make those stories so enticing in my eyes.
That’s why I found Choose Us right up my alley, and I certainly couldn’t wait to dive into it. After finishing it, I must say that I enjoyed this cute novel, but it didn’t knock my socks off, as I hoped. Still, Choose Us is a story worth recommending!
This story is about Riley and Travis; they know each other from the time they were little kids and spent almost every day together till now. It’s been fifteen years since Riley helped ten year old Travis clean his cut knee with all bottle of peroxide; now he is famous pro BMX rider and she is his PA.
When he gets the proposition to be featured as bachelor for the taking in TV show, he agrees but on one condition: Riley will be his spy. What does it mean exactly?
Riley has to pretend to be one of the girls fighting for Trav’s attention, while secretly telling him, her opinion about the girls.
Both of them haven’t thought that this show will bring them closer than fifteen years together. When the show starts there is nothing that could stop the heat between them, besides one bimbo that will do everything to win Travis over.
What did I like?
★✩★ TV show idea definite winner!
★✩★ Travis BMX rider – yummy!
★✩★ The plot was very original and sweet. I wasn’t bored and TV show brought a lot of drama, which I considered nice addition.
★✩★ What’s more, the relationship between Trav and Riley was so cute and adorable. Their constant bickering and teasing was awesome!
What didn’t exactly win me over?
★Even though Riley and Travis were friends for 15 years they haven’t been attracted to each other till the show, and after it started boom! They were all over each other
★ I needed a little bit more sexy times
Summing up, Choose Us was very interesting read. I found myself being entertained and though, the story lacked in some parts there were enough pluses to make me close my eyes on those and enjoy Riley and Travis story.
Review copy provided by author in exhange for honest review
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April 17, 2014
Very sweet story. A good one, if you like Young Adult, something to read in between "harder" stuff. No smut here, just stolen kisses. It has one of my favorites "friends to lovers" theme, it keeps you waiting and wondering when the hell they are going to get together. The heroine was nice, smart and a little feisty. Hero got on my nerves a little bit but turned out to be ok. I quite enjoyed it although felt a little old reading it.
April 12, 2014
Oh dear, not at all my cup of tea for reasons below;
1. Riley is a doormat.
2. Travis treats the supposed bf & love of his life abominably!!! Kissing a girl she cannot stand, calling her a bitch, the list was endless.......
3. The ending and supposed reason for Travis' actions. Unforgivable, Riley should have kicked him to the kerb!!
1. Riley is a doormat.
2. Travis treats the supposed bf & love of his life abominably!!! Kissing a girl she cannot stand, calling her a bitch, the list was endless.......
3. The ending and supposed reason for Travis' actions. Unforgivable, Riley should have kicked him to the kerb!!
April 23, 2014
5 stars is not enough. This book was freaking awesome. I loved every minute of it.
Initially I was worried about the reality show aspect. Because as much as I love friends-to-lovers romances, I just couldn’t imagine how it would work with the reality show. But from page one, I was hooked. This book was awesome. Beyond awesome.
I loved the friendship between Riley Logan and Travis Grayson. Their banter cracked me up and kept me hooked. And it was more than obvious to me that there were feelings between them, even if they didn’t see it themselves. There was also a great flashback to when they first met and that was the best. They were so cute as kids and their connection was instant.
Even though I was unsure how I would feel about the reality show aspect, I did love the idea of Riley being undercover and feeding Travis insider info on the girls.
Travis did have his idiot moments where I wanted to hit him where it hurt, but he always made up for it.
Riley and Travis kept me laughing with their banter. I can’t remember the last time I loved a book as much as I did this one.
I could go on and on about this book, it was that good. And I was extremely surprised to find out that this was the author’s debut novel. It’s beyond perfect. I can’t wait to see what she does next. And Ms. Marcoe, you have a new fan for life!
Initially I was worried about the reality show aspect. Because as much as I love friends-to-lovers romances, I just couldn’t imagine how it would work with the reality show. But from page one, I was hooked. This book was awesome. Beyond awesome.
I loved the friendship between Riley Logan and Travis Grayson. Their banter cracked me up and kept me hooked. And it was more than obvious to me that there were feelings between them, even if they didn’t see it themselves. There was also a great flashback to when they first met and that was the best. They were so cute as kids and their connection was instant.
Even though I was unsure how I would feel about the reality show aspect, I did love the idea of Riley being undercover and feeding Travis insider info on the girls.
Travis did have his idiot moments where I wanted to hit him where it hurt, but he always made up for it.
Riley and Travis kept me laughing with their banter. I can’t remember the last time I loved a book as much as I did this one.
I could go on and on about this book, it was that good. And I was extremely surprised to find out that this was the author’s debut novel. It’s beyond perfect. I can’t wait to see what she does next. And Ms. Marcoe, you have a new fan for life!
September 29, 2019
If you’re looking for a sweet romance this is it!
April 9, 2014
and i just spent all night reading. full review to come after i get much needed sleep :)
5 It's You in the End Stars
I'm going to try to form coherent sentences here... but let's just prepare for a gush.
Here's the gist
BMX rider Travis is out of commission for a few weeks while his ankle heals from an on-the-job accident, and to keep up publicity (and also to find some luuuurve) Travis signs up for Xtreme Bachelor, a sports' themed reality show. But he'll only do it if his best bud, Riley poses as a contestant and helps him weed out the fake girls.
Pause for a second while I become extremely jealous that I didn't think of this idea.
The Characters
Riley is probably my most favoritest heroine ever. She says whatever the crap she wants, she does her and doesn't care what people think, she's a fierce friend, got a good head on her shoulders, and I just couldn't get enough of her.
Travis is my kind of book boyfriend. He's FUNNY, witty, athletic, and all around good guy who occasionally "thinks with the wrong head." I want him. I'm putting a claim on him right now. Top 5 book boyfriends. *prepares to battle for his affection*
The secondary characters were great as well. And I was right along with Riley on her feelings toward each of the girls on the show. (And with her feelings on Travis concerning a certain gold digger. Gar! What was his problem???)
Okay... back to the review.
The Story
Fun. Fast. Flirty. Swoony. I seriously read this in one night determined to see how it all turned out. Best friends to lovers is my FAVORITE type of story. This one did not disappoint.
Oh my gosh and when
The Writing
Easy, not too many grammatical errors, captivating, funny, just awesome. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
Final Thoughts
I needed this book right now. I wanted something fun, light, easy to get into. I wanted characters I'd fall in love with, characters I understood. I'll be reading this again. Especially that spoiler part I mentioned (over and over again).
:D
5 It's You in the End Stars
I'm going to try to form coherent sentences here... but let's just prepare for a gush.
Here's the gist
BMX rider Travis is out of commission for a few weeks while his ankle heals from an on-the-job accident, and to keep up publicity (and also to find some luuuurve) Travis signs up for Xtreme Bachelor, a sports' themed reality show. But he'll only do it if his best bud, Riley poses as a contestant and helps him weed out the fake girls.
Pause for a second while I become extremely jealous that I didn't think of this idea.
The Characters
Riley is probably my most favoritest heroine ever. She says whatever the crap she wants, she does her and doesn't care what people think, she's a fierce friend, got a good head on her shoulders, and I just couldn't get enough of her.
Travis is my kind of book boyfriend. He's FUNNY, witty, athletic, and all around good guy who occasionally "thinks with the wrong head." I want him. I'm putting a claim on him right now. Top 5 book boyfriends. *prepares to battle for his affection*
The secondary characters were great as well. And I was right along with Riley on her feelings toward each of the girls on the show. (And with her feelings on Travis concerning a certain gold digger. Gar! What was his problem???)
Okay... back to the review.
The Story
Fun. Fast. Flirty. Swoony. I seriously read this in one night determined to see how it all turned out. Best friends to lovers is my FAVORITE type of story. This one did not disappoint.
Oh my gosh and when
The Writing
Easy, not too many grammatical errors, captivating, funny, just awesome. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
Final Thoughts
I needed this book right now. I wanted something fun, light, easy to get into. I wanted characters I'd fall in love with, characters I understood. I'll be reading this again. Especially that spoiler part I mentioned (over and over again).
:D
August 8, 2015
I didn't like it as much as I thought I would... It wasn't bad, but everything felt okay and nothing more. More than once, I wished something would have been different to make me enjoy reading even more, but it was never that extraordinary.
I think the idea is interesting, with Riley being on the competition as an insider for Travis, but I really disliked all the secrecy it created. I didn't enjoy seeing them lie and I kept cringing when they talked to each other, because I was always worried that someone would hear them or that they'd be on camera. I think they acted carelessly, because if I were the one in such a competition and I had to pretend I didn't know the Bachelor, I would never take such chances as they do. I found it quite annoying.
I did like their relationship, as well as Riley's with Travis's mom. However, I thought they did a pretty bad job at pretending not to know each other when they weren't alone, as I mentionned before, which was stressful for me. I loved how Riley handles Travis, because she's the perfect combination of girly and tomboy. She knows him really well and she likes being with him, but she can also tell him the truth and protect him. I didn't like him that much, because most of the time he simply flirted in ways that didn't make me feel like Riley is special to him, even though I know she is.
Overall, I thought this was alright, but I'm sure many of you would enjoy it more than I did.
I think the idea is interesting, with Riley being on the competition as an insider for Travis, but I really disliked all the secrecy it created. I didn't enjoy seeing them lie and I kept cringing when they talked to each other, because I was always worried that someone would hear them or that they'd be on camera. I think they acted carelessly, because if I were the one in such a competition and I had to pretend I didn't know the Bachelor, I would never take such chances as they do. I found it quite annoying.
I did like their relationship, as well as Riley's with Travis's mom. However, I thought they did a pretty bad job at pretending not to know each other when they weren't alone, as I mentionned before, which was stressful for me. I loved how Riley handles Travis, because she's the perfect combination of girly and tomboy. She knows him really well and she likes being with him, but she can also tell him the truth and protect him. I didn't like him that much, because most of the time he simply flirted in ways that didn't make me feel like Riley is special to him, even though I know she is.
Overall, I thought this was alright, but I'm sure many of you would enjoy it more than I did.
March 14, 2015
Aaaaaand I choose my big finger. Wait, no, there are two of them.
Oh, well there you go... Two big fuck yous.
One would like to think that he/she learns from their mistakes. Not me. No sir.
I give books like these some hope only to be so disappointed by the time I am done. And time they do take, sweet time, the loss of which angers me the most.
The reason I thought this book and I had a great future:
<1>He was popping wheelies and jumping the curb. I had never seen anyone so graceful on a bike. I was entranced. I stood at the curb watching him as my family went into the house. Travis glanced up when he heard our front door slam shut and saw me looking at him. He stared back. He had just the hint of a smirk on his face, when his front wheel rammed into the curb in front of me. He fell off the bike in slow motion, ramming his knee down on the blacktop before tucking and rolling to his back. He lay there not moving. I walked over to him and kicked his leg.
[Inner thought- woah, tomboy. Toast#1. Confirmed, no distressed damsels. Toast#2]
“You dead?” I asked in a small voice. Travis still didn’t move. So, I kicked him a little harder in the side.
“Ugh, woman. Stop kicking me!” Travis still had his eyes closed, but he swatted at my leg.
“I’m 10. I’m not a woman,” I mumbled.
Travis smirked. “Fine. Stop kicking me, Doll.”
[Inner thought- Nickname. Huh, usually not a fan of generalised pet names, but this was cute. The older version of the male MC already used it, I was like HOTTT! Toast#3. Cute backstory. Toast#4. And did I forget to mention Travis is into BMX?. Toast#5]
“I hate dolls,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at him.
“But you look like one right now.” He squinted up at me. I rolled my eyes and kicked him one more time. This time because he was annoying me. Travis laughed and started to sit up, wincing a little. I finally glanced down at his leg to see a tear in his jeans and a bunch of blood soaking the denim.
“You probably shouldn’t look at that,” Travis said to me, trying to stand up.
I snorted. “I’m not scared of blood.” I told him to stay there while I ran into my house to grab the first aid kit.
When I got back Travis was sitting on the sidewalk with his leg out in front of him. I plopped down in the grass beside him, and started yanking items out of the first aid kit.
“This might hurt,” I said, as I held up the bottle of peroxide. He just shrugged his shoulders. So I did what any 10-year-old girl would do to a boy—I dumped what was left of the bottle on his wound. Let’s just say I have never heard anyone scream as loud as he did that day. It’s a wonder why he ever wanted to be my friend after that, but that’s exactly what happened. We bonded over his bloody knee — and have been pretty inseparable since.
[with this meet-cute i was hooked. Toast#6.]
Do not be deceived innocent reader, this book will drag you down.
And that, folks, was the end of all the toasting.
I used to consider myself a good judge of movies and books. At least the former I can vouch for, my record of being satisfied with movies I liked by the watching trailers is 99.9%. Plus taking into consideration that even the longest of them don't take more than 3 hours of my time, I can't really bother getting worked up over. Books. Books on the other hand prove me time and again that I make more poor decisions than good ones. After all, blurbs cant be compared to trailers. And I love words more than graphics. I am being robbed of my time.
And don't get me started on these long reviews I do when the books were really lame. I feel they are worthy time investments. I consider review time the best part of all that i waste on a book i don't like. I think of it as goodwill and a means of pouring my rage out.
So CHOOSE US... I liked the blurb. I found the friends to lovers plot interesting (as always) and no surprise, the story wasn't quite up to my expectations (as always).
Writing was bad, it was really bad. The characters were pretty flat, some exaggerated dramatic dialogues for no purpose. And I couldn't see how, after 15 years of being friends the two of them suddenly started having feels for each other. I mean, COME ON! In 15 years of being inseparable, is the author trying to tell us that the two MCs were NEVER put in such a situation like the one they were up against in the present???? Fine, even if that was possible, she did not make the story convincing enough for this... whatever it is... to work out.
So Travis is a BMX racer, and Doll, whatever her name is, is his PA. He gets himself injured during a race.
Kathy laughed and pulled me into a side hug. “I don’t care what you do—just make sure you yell at him first.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I plan to.”
As we neared the ambulance Kathy took out her phone and dialed her husband... I heard her say into her phone, “Keith, your son injured himself again. I swear he takes after your dad.”
“Hey, Doll,” Travis said as I approached. “I stayed safe.”
I rolled my eyes, standing at the end of the gurney and out of the way of the medic taking care of Travis. “Yeah, your bike’s current condition really supports that statement.” I heard Mr. Medic chuckle as he injected Travis with some pain medicine.
“Oh come on, I tucked and rolled after coming off the landing. Seriously Riles, it could have been worse,” Travis argued, adjusting himself on the gurney.
I snorted. “I’m not sure what could have been worse than seeing you lying there, looking like you were dead.”
Huh, so that would be called yelling, or really bothering to look concerned... It was not a character flaw, me thinks it was purely the result of an author not paying enough attention to the flow of a script.
Very amateurish writing.
Kathy banished me to the cafeteria once she showed up. I had wanted to wait for Travis to get done with his x-rays, but she walked in, took one look at me, and declared I needed coffee.
Which, I was completely grateful for; it had been a really long day. And honestly, what good was I just pacing the hallways?
Yeaaah right, not having gone through even a quarter of the day. And I can assure you it was not even funny enough to bring any laughs.
Okay, so Travis got injured and signed up for a dating show for showing time well spent on finding the right woman for him, during his injury. And oh no, he wouldn't be separated from Doll. She's go along undercover and as a POTENTIAL FUTURE-SOMETHING-WOMAN.
This was them meeting each other after not seeing each other for two weeks:
Sighing, I slowly drank in a breath, soothing my nerves. My car pulled in front of the house and the driver quickly got out to open my door.
No more waiting, it was go time. The door opened and I accepted the driver’s outstretched hand. I stepped out of the car and breathed in the fresh air, before walking towards Travis. I couldn’t bring myself to look up as I made my way toward him. This all felt too real now.
Before I could stop myself, I glanced up and caught Travis’ eye. He was staring at me, mouth agape. I gave him a shy smile and shrugged my shoulders slightly. Travis slowly shifted his mouth into a dazzling smile, which had me completely forgetting about the cameras that lined the driveway. Travis was wearing a ---DETAILS--- made it look casually tousled.
Damn it all to hell if he didn’t look hot.
Good god, I could be very stinking rich if I earned a penny everytime I read a book where the guy who knew a girl for years suddenly looked at a girl differently when she wore a certain dress, friend, ugly, enemy no matter what he considered her to be until that moment. I need to see such clothes to believe it. Wow to life changing wardrobe!
Details, details, too many details I didn't need.
One could say that I should have put the book down at this point but I was just holding out hope.
The limitlessness of my hopefulness astounds me. I need a drink.
So after this, Travis our man, no matter how badly the author wrote this story, was a character, so I am going to launch half my knives on him. So he made the sexy looking women stay, got angry with doll for calling those fake women for who they were, and they were his type. Also he started something with Doll (.. ah! Riley's her name) in the middle of the cuddling and making out with other contestants and didn't have a fucking idea that Doll/Riley was not happy sharing him. By this point I was seething with the book and Travis and only cared to finish reading only to tear it to shreds in this review.
[image error]
So when it got to be too much feels for Riley, he sent her out of the show and just begged for some time to give an explanation. Really!? Why the fuck don't people just say it, instead just drag and wait and fart till they feel the right time to reveal something?
[image error]
After being sent out of the show, and heartbroken, Riley waited for the show to end so she could get back to her job with HIM. Who in their right minds would be interested in going back to a bad situation before trying elsewhere? R-E-T-A-R-D-E-D, this one was.
Are you bored of this sorry tale already? I haven't gotten to the best/worst part yet!
So the finale of the show was going to be aired, and in the two months Riley was away from Travis, he had contacted her many times but she did not answer and he did not explain anything...
I tossed my mail onto the counter and turned to put the kettle on the stove to boil water for my coffee. I noticed the corner of a gossip magazine peeking out from behind some bills. My curiosity got the better of me as I brushed the bills aside and saw the full cover of the magazine. Travis was smiling back at me, with pictures of Taylor, Nicki and me in little boxes under him. The headline of Freestyle Star Finds Love in an Unexpected Place was positioned above Travis’ head. They also had drawn a bunch of cutesy little hearts around my head, with BFF in one of the hearts.
Stupid gossip rags.
So you did not notice the cover before you got the magazine? No, wait, I know. That little shit of a gossip rag walked to your HOME, where you are the only person living.
Stupid script flow again.
And then Riley was stupid enough to think she could watch the finale of that show. With Travis. With his family. As they all did, Riley found out that he declared on the show to be in love with her, and none of the other contestants. It was a huge clusterfuck at this moment. He did not personally tell her so in the two months he had after winding up the show. And thought that for her to hear the truth from him as it was televised, was the best way. I really don't get people who believe in toying with the feelings of others, before making a grand sweeping gesture, not to mention waiting for perfect moments and doing a YOU-GOT-PUNK'D of sorts.
To them, I salute with both fingers raised.
Oh, well there you go... Two big fuck yous.
One would like to think that he/she learns from their mistakes. Not me. No sir.
I give books like these some hope only to be so disappointed by the time I am done. And time they do take, sweet time, the loss of which angers me the most.
The reason I thought this book and I had a great future:
<1>He was popping wheelies and jumping the curb. I had never seen anyone so graceful on a bike. I was entranced. I stood at the curb watching him as my family went into the house. Travis glanced up when he heard our front door slam shut and saw me looking at him. He stared back. He had just the hint of a smirk on his face, when his front wheel rammed into the curb in front of me. He fell off the bike in slow motion, ramming his knee down on the blacktop before tucking and rolling to his back. He lay there not moving. I walked over to him and kicked his leg.
[Inner thought- woah, tomboy. Toast#1. Confirmed, no distressed damsels. Toast#2]
“You dead?” I asked in a small voice. Travis still didn’t move. So, I kicked him a little harder in the side.
“Ugh, woman. Stop kicking me!” Travis still had his eyes closed, but he swatted at my leg.
“I’m 10. I’m not a woman,” I mumbled.
Travis smirked. “Fine. Stop kicking me, Doll.”
[Inner thought- Nickname. Huh, usually not a fan of generalised pet names, but this was cute. The older version of the male MC already used it, I was like HOTTT! Toast#3. Cute backstory. Toast#4. And did I forget to mention Travis is into BMX?. Toast#5]
“I hate dolls,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at him.
“But you look like one right now.” He squinted up at me. I rolled my eyes and kicked him one more time. This time because he was annoying me. Travis laughed and started to sit up, wincing a little. I finally glanced down at his leg to see a tear in his jeans and a bunch of blood soaking the denim.
“You probably shouldn’t look at that,” Travis said to me, trying to stand up.
I snorted. “I’m not scared of blood.” I told him to stay there while I ran into my house to grab the first aid kit.
When I got back Travis was sitting on the sidewalk with his leg out in front of him. I plopped down in the grass beside him, and started yanking items out of the first aid kit.
“This might hurt,” I said, as I held up the bottle of peroxide. He just shrugged his shoulders. So I did what any 10-year-old girl would do to a boy—I dumped what was left of the bottle on his wound. Let’s just say I have never heard anyone scream as loud as he did that day. It’s a wonder why he ever wanted to be my friend after that, but that’s exactly what happened. We bonded over his bloody knee — and have been pretty inseparable since.
[with this meet-cute i was hooked. Toast#6.]
Do not be deceived innocent reader, this book will drag you down.
And that, folks, was the end of all the toasting.
I used to consider myself a good judge of movies and books. At least the former I can vouch for, my record of being satisfied with movies I liked by the watching trailers is 99.9%. Plus taking into consideration that even the longest of them don't take more than 3 hours of my time, I can't really bother getting worked up over. Books. Books on the other hand prove me time and again that I make more poor decisions than good ones. After all, blurbs cant be compared to trailers. And I love words more than graphics. I am being robbed of my time.
And don't get me started on these long reviews I do when the books were really lame. I feel they are worthy time investments. I consider review time the best part of all that i waste on a book i don't like. I think of it as goodwill and a means of pouring my rage out.
So CHOOSE US... I liked the blurb. I found the friends to lovers plot interesting (as always) and no surprise, the story wasn't quite up to my expectations (as always).
Writing was bad, it was really bad. The characters were pretty flat, some exaggerated dramatic dialogues for no purpose. And I couldn't see how, after 15 years of being friends the two of them suddenly started having feels for each other. I mean, COME ON! In 15 years of being inseparable, is the author trying to tell us that the two MCs were NEVER put in such a situation like the one they were up against in the present???? Fine, even if that was possible, she did not make the story convincing enough for this... whatever it is... to work out.
So Travis is a BMX racer, and Doll, whatever her name is, is his PA. He gets himself injured during a race.
Kathy laughed and pulled me into a side hug. “I don’t care what you do—just make sure you yell at him first.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I plan to.”
As we neared the ambulance Kathy took out her phone and dialed her husband... I heard her say into her phone, “Keith, your son injured himself again. I swear he takes after your dad.”
“Hey, Doll,” Travis said as I approached. “I stayed safe.”
I rolled my eyes, standing at the end of the gurney and out of the way of the medic taking care of Travis. “Yeah, your bike’s current condition really supports that statement.” I heard Mr. Medic chuckle as he injected Travis with some pain medicine.
“Oh come on, I tucked and rolled after coming off the landing. Seriously Riles, it could have been worse,” Travis argued, adjusting himself on the gurney.
I snorted. “I’m not sure what could have been worse than seeing you lying there, looking like you were dead.”
Huh, so that would be called yelling, or really bothering to look concerned... It was not a character flaw, me thinks it was purely the result of an author not paying enough attention to the flow of a script.
Very amateurish writing.
Kathy banished me to the cafeteria once she showed up. I had wanted to wait for Travis to get done with his x-rays, but she walked in, took one look at me, and declared I needed coffee.
Which, I was completely grateful for; it had been a really long day. And honestly, what good was I just pacing the hallways?
Yeaaah right, not having gone through even a quarter of the day. And I can assure you it was not even funny enough to bring any laughs.
Okay, so Travis got injured and signed up for a dating show for showing time well spent on finding the right woman for him, during his injury. And oh no, he wouldn't be separated from Doll. She's go along undercover and as a POTENTIAL FUTURE-SOMETHING-WOMAN.
This was them meeting each other after not seeing each other for two weeks:
Sighing, I slowly drank in a breath, soothing my nerves. My car pulled in front of the house and the driver quickly got out to open my door.
No more waiting, it was go time. The door opened and I accepted the driver’s outstretched hand. I stepped out of the car and breathed in the fresh air, before walking towards Travis. I couldn’t bring myself to look up as I made my way toward him. This all felt too real now.
Before I could stop myself, I glanced up and caught Travis’ eye. He was staring at me, mouth agape. I gave him a shy smile and shrugged my shoulders slightly. Travis slowly shifted his mouth into a dazzling smile, which had me completely forgetting about the cameras that lined the driveway. Travis was wearing a ---DETAILS--- made it look casually tousled.
Damn it all to hell if he didn’t look hot.
Good god, I could be very stinking rich if I earned a penny everytime I read a book where the guy who knew a girl for years suddenly looked at a girl differently when she wore a certain dress, friend, ugly, enemy no matter what he considered her to be until that moment. I need to see such clothes to believe it. Wow to life changing wardrobe!
Details, details, too many details I didn't need.
One could say that I should have put the book down at this point but I was just holding out hope.
The limitlessness of my hopefulness astounds me. I need a drink.
So after this, Travis our man, no matter how badly the author wrote this story, was a character, so I am going to launch half my knives on him. So he made the sexy looking women stay, got angry with doll for calling those fake women for who they were, and they were his type. Also he started something with Doll (.. ah! Riley's her name) in the middle of the cuddling and making out with other contestants and didn't have a fucking idea that Doll/Riley was not happy sharing him. By this point I was seething with the book and Travis and only cared to finish reading only to tear it to shreds in this review.
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So when it got to be too much feels for Riley, he sent her out of the show and just begged for some time to give an explanation. Really!? Why the fuck don't people just say it, instead just drag and wait and fart till they feel the right time to reveal something?
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After being sent out of the show, and heartbroken, Riley waited for the show to end so she could get back to her job with HIM. Who in their right minds would be interested in going back to a bad situation before trying elsewhere? R-E-T-A-R-D-E-D, this one was.
Are you bored of this sorry tale already? I haven't gotten to the best/worst part yet!
So the finale of the show was going to be aired, and in the two months Riley was away from Travis, he had contacted her many times but she did not answer and he did not explain anything...
I tossed my mail onto the counter and turned to put the kettle on the stove to boil water for my coffee. I noticed the corner of a gossip magazine peeking out from behind some bills. My curiosity got the better of me as I brushed the bills aside and saw the full cover of the magazine. Travis was smiling back at me, with pictures of Taylor, Nicki and me in little boxes under him. The headline of Freestyle Star Finds Love in an Unexpected Place was positioned above Travis’ head. They also had drawn a bunch of cutesy little hearts around my head, with BFF in one of the hearts.
Stupid gossip rags.
So you did not notice the cover before you got the magazine? No, wait, I know. That little shit of a gossip rag walked to your HOME, where you are the only person living.
Stupid script flow again.
And then Riley was stupid enough to think she could watch the finale of that show. With Travis. With his family. As they all did, Riley found out that he declared on the show to be in love with her, and none of the other contestants. It was a huge clusterfuck at this moment. He did not personally tell her so in the two months he had after winding up the show. And thought that for her to hear the truth from him as it was televised, was the best way. I really don't get people who believe in toying with the feelings of others, before making a grand sweeping gesture, not to mention waiting for perfect moments and doing a YOU-GOT-PUNK'D of sorts.
To them, I salute with both fingers raised.
April 23, 2014
Lindsay: OMG. This book was freaking AWESOME!!!!!!
Nikki: HELL yes it was!
Lindsay: Seriously, from the first page I was hooked and I couldn’t put it down!
Nikki: So was I! I am so glad you rec'ed it to me! *hug emoticon*
Lindsay: I’ll admit, I was a little worried about the reality show part. I’m not a fan of reality shows so I worried that it would be annoying. But it all worked. And it was funny! And sweet.
Nikki: I agree. I hate reality tv and avoid it at all costs. That aspect was a little worrisome at first, but honestly, I loved it! I felt like this author did a great job incorporating the behind-the-scenes aspect which kinda took some of the reality show-ness away and made it more about the people.
Lindsay: I completely agree. And I was especially looking forward to the moments where Riley was dishing on all the girls. I did love the little insider aspect to it.
Nikki: I loved that! Riley was such a great leading lady and she had me laughing so hard! I loved how hard she had to hold herself back from punching a certain skank.. err.. contestant in the face!
Lindsay: LOL! So wait…you didn’t like Nicki? ;)
I completely agree with you though. I loved Riley. She was so easy to relate to. And Travis and Riley had such an awesome relationship that I didn’t want the book to end. I could reread them over and over and over and over and over (and over) again!
Nikki: NO I didn't like Giggly Boobs! :| She was absolutely awful and it's a travesty we *sneers* share a name! *shudders* But I agree about Riley and Travis. They had the best friendship ever and I was rooting from page one for them to fall in love.
Lindsay: Rotfl. I’ll admit that when I read it (since I read it before you) my first thought was “Nikki’s not going to be happy with Nic…I mean…Giggly Boobs having her name. And OMG. The flashback! I was dying laughing during that! That was the best. And you could tell they hit it off from the first moment.
Nikki: Lol you know me so well! :D And yes, that flashback scene was actually what sealed the deal for this getting 5 stars off the bat. I knew it would be hard pressed and something really bad would have to happen for me to take a star away!
Lindsay: Call me easy but it was earlier in the book for me. I was sold on it with their first texting conversation in the first chapter:
I knew from that moment, that with banter like that, there was no way I would hate this book!
Nikki: Omg I so agree! That was so freaking hilarious I had to take a bathroom break! Come to think of it, I had to take a lot of those during this book! I laughed so much! Which made me love it even more. I love to laugh and this book is possibly one of the funniest I've ever read!
Lindsay: This book was pretty much perfection. There were a few moments where I wasn’t jumping for joy but I don’t really have any complaints. Because every time I wanted to punch Travis, he totally made up for it later.
Nikki: I agree. I felt like there were a few times Travis needed a junk punch, but that was because he is a guy and most guys need one from time to time anyway! ;) The best part about that though is that he always made up for it in a big way! I totally ❤ Travis!
Lindsay: I completely agree. Travis was a typical stupid man. Just so dense about some things. Riley was a saint to be able to put up with him 24/7!
Nikki: Lol Yeah she was! No wonder he fell for her! And I can see why she fell for him. When he wasn't being a dumb boy, he was a pretty awesome friend and really funny!
Lindsay: I agree. I want my own Travis. Why are all the great ones fictional, taken or fictional AND taken!? *sniffing*
Nikki: LMAO. I don't know but I'm with you! I want a Travis too! Or one of his brothers ;)
Lindsay: Speaking of his brothers… I wouldn’t mind books for them! Or really, more from this author in general!
Nikki: Hey Lindsay, did you know this was a debut novel for the author?!
Lindsay: No! I had no idea! But it was freaking awesome for a debut. If she’s this good on her first book, her future books are going to be out of this world!
Nikki: I agree! I really can't wait to see what she comes up with next! I think we need to add Ms. Marcoe to our Authors To Stalk list ;)
Lindsay: DUDE! I’m already on it!
Nikki: Yay! *celebrate emoticon*
Lindsay: So, on that note, I think we should wrap this up. This book totally deserves a zillion stars but since we only go up to 5, that’s what it gets.
Nikki: Defintely! I would reread this in a heartbeat and I would absolutely recommend this to everyone! :D
Lindsay: Same here! This is a MUST READ book for sure!
Our Dream Cast:
http://confessionsof2booklovers.blogs...
Nikki: HELL yes it was!
Lindsay: Seriously, from the first page I was hooked and I couldn’t put it down!
Nikki: So was I! I am so glad you rec'ed it to me! *hug emoticon*
Lindsay: I’ll admit, I was a little worried about the reality show part. I’m not a fan of reality shows so I worried that it would be annoying. But it all worked. And it was funny! And sweet.
Nikki: I agree. I hate reality tv and avoid it at all costs. That aspect was a little worrisome at first, but honestly, I loved it! I felt like this author did a great job incorporating the behind-the-scenes aspect which kinda took some of the reality show-ness away and made it more about the people.
Lindsay: I completely agree. And I was especially looking forward to the moments where Riley was dishing on all the girls. I did love the little insider aspect to it.
Nikki: I loved that! Riley was such a great leading lady and she had me laughing so hard! I loved how hard she had to hold herself back from punching a certain skank.. err.. contestant in the face!
Lindsay: LOL! So wait…you didn’t like Nicki? ;)
I completely agree with you though. I loved Riley. She was so easy to relate to. And Travis and Riley had such an awesome relationship that I didn’t want the book to end. I could reread them over and over and over and over and over (and over) again!
Nikki: NO I didn't like Giggly Boobs! :| She was absolutely awful and it's a travesty we *sneers* share a name! *shudders* But I agree about Riley and Travis. They had the best friendship ever and I was rooting from page one for them to fall in love.
Lindsay: Rotfl. I’ll admit that when I read it (since I read it before you) my first thought was “Nikki’s not going to be happy with Nic…I mean…Giggly Boobs having her name. And OMG. The flashback! I was dying laughing during that! That was the best. And you could tell they hit it off from the first moment.
Nikki: Lol you know me so well! :D And yes, that flashback scene was actually what sealed the deal for this getting 5 stars off the bat. I knew it would be hard pressed and something really bad would have to happen for me to take a star away!
Lindsay: Call me easy but it was earlier in the book for me. I was sold on it with their first texting conversation in the first chapter:
Trav: Where’d you go?
Me: Coffee run & waiting for your mom.
Trav: Well….at least you missed my crash.
Me: Shut your face!
Me: Did you hurt yourself?
Trav: No. It’s just the stupid grooves in one of the hills. Lots of riders are having issues with it.
Me: Well make sure you figure it out so you don’t crash during finals and really do damage.
Trav: I have. I think.
Me: If you hurt yourself, I’m resigning.
Trav: No you’re not. Stop lying. You love me too much.
Me: Is love the word you’re using for hate?
Me: Because if it is, than yes…that’s very true.
Trav: Woman. You are frustrating.
Me: Does that mean you’ll fire me?
Trav: Never.
Me: Damn.
I knew from that moment, that with banter like that, there was no way I would hate this book!
Nikki: Omg I so agree! That was so freaking hilarious I had to take a bathroom break! Come to think of it, I had to take a lot of those during this book! I laughed so much! Which made me love it even more. I love to laugh and this book is possibly one of the funniest I've ever read!
Lindsay: This book was pretty much perfection. There were a few moments where I wasn’t jumping for joy but I don’t really have any complaints. Because every time I wanted to punch Travis, he totally made up for it later.
Nikki: I agree. I felt like there were a few times Travis needed a junk punch, but that was because he is a guy and most guys need one from time to time anyway! ;) The best part about that though is that he always made up for it in a big way! I totally ❤ Travis!
Lindsay: I completely agree. Travis was a typical stupid man. Just so dense about some things. Riley was a saint to be able to put up with him 24/7!
Nikki: Lol Yeah she was! No wonder he fell for her! And I can see why she fell for him. When he wasn't being a dumb boy, he was a pretty awesome friend and really funny!
Lindsay: I agree. I want my own Travis. Why are all the great ones fictional, taken or fictional AND taken!? *sniffing*
Nikki: LMAO. I don't know but I'm with you! I want a Travis too! Or one of his brothers ;)
Lindsay: Speaking of his brothers… I wouldn’t mind books for them! Or really, more from this author in general!
Nikki: Hey Lindsay, did you know this was a debut novel for the author?!
Lindsay: No! I had no idea! But it was freaking awesome for a debut. If she’s this good on her first book, her future books are going to be out of this world!
Nikki: I agree! I really can't wait to see what she comes up with next! I think we need to add Ms. Marcoe to our Authors To Stalk list ;)
Lindsay: DUDE! I’m already on it!
Nikki: Yay! *celebrate emoticon*
Lindsay: So, on that note, I think we should wrap this up. This book totally deserves a zillion stars but since we only go up to 5, that’s what it gets.
Nikki: Defintely! I would reread this in a heartbeat and I would absolutely recommend this to everyone! :D
Lindsay: Same here! This is a MUST READ book for sure!
Our Dream Cast:
http://confessionsof2booklovers.blogs...
August 13, 2014
A freaking MAZING! Awesomesauce! Fantabulous! Choose Us is the debut book from Caylie Marcoe and I can't even begin to describe how amazing it was! Best friends for 15 years, Riley and Travis spend pretty much all their time together. He's a hot shot BMX rider and she's his personal assistant. After an injury has him out of the game for several weeks, he decides to accept an offer as the bachelor on a reality dating show, with one stipulation - Riley has to go undercover as one of the contestants to get the inside scoop on the other girls. Thus begins quite possibly one of the funniest books I have ever read! The banter between Riley and Travis was hilarious. Their friendship was awesome and I was rooting for them to fall in love basically from page one! The author did a great job with describing the behind the scenes aspect of the show and how Riley felt towards the other ladies. There were a few I liked and one in particular I wanted to throttle so hard! There were a few times Travis needed a junk punch, but that was because he is a guy and most guys need one from time to time anyway! ;) The best part about that though is that he always made up for it in a big way! I totally ❤ Travis! Him and Riley were perfect together and I loved seeing them realize the felt more for each other! The ending was amazing and I honestly can't name one thing I didn't love about this book! Even the one part towards the end that was just a teeny bit underhanded wasn't bad! This is definitely a favorite read and I now have a new author to watch out for! I can't wait to see what Ms. Marcoe comes up with next!
July 20, 2014
I saw this book on a friends page and thought it sounded good. I’ve watched The Bachelor for years and love finding books with the same type plot. I thought this had a good twist to it. Riley and Travis have been best friends for fifteen years and even work together. When Travis is offered the opportunity to play the Bachelor on a new reality show he talks Riley into coming on to pose as a contestant to help him get the inside scoop. For the first time in their friendship they are thrown into a “dating” environment and start to see each other in a whole new light.
I liked Riley for the most part. I was a little frustrated that her whole life seemed to revolve around Travis though. I was hoping to see a little more growth throughout the story. Yes, I wanted them to end up together, but I also wanted to see Riley get her own identity away from Travis. I did like her though, I thought she overreacted a few times, but I guess that was understandable considering the circumstances.
Travis could be totally sweet at times and then go and do something totally stupid. I sometimes wished we could have heard from his POV, but I guess not knowing his intentions help build some tension. I did like him, but he did frustrate me. I get that he was in a tough position and I think he didn’t even realize everything that was going on being right in the middle of everything. I would have liked to see his reactions when he watched the show back. I never saw what he liked in Nicki, she was pretty awful. Seeing her from his POV might have helped me understand his reasoning, as it was she was just a horrible person so I didn't get it.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. Once I started I got sucked in and wanted to know what would happen next.
Content
Romance: Pretty clean. Kissing, mild innuendo (compared to the real TV show this was like a G version of that)
Language: Moderate (I hated all the swearing, it was pretty mild, mostly A, B, G, and S, but I thought it was unnecessary)
I liked Riley for the most part. I was a little frustrated that her whole life seemed to revolve around Travis though. I was hoping to see a little more growth throughout the story. Yes, I wanted them to end up together, but I also wanted to see Riley get her own identity away from Travis. I did like her though, I thought she overreacted a few times, but I guess that was understandable considering the circumstances.
Travis could be totally sweet at times and then go and do something totally stupid. I sometimes wished we could have heard from his POV, but I guess not knowing his intentions help build some tension. I did like him, but he did frustrate me. I get that he was in a tough position and I think he didn’t even realize everything that was going on being right in the middle of everything. I would have liked to see his reactions when he watched the show back. I never saw what he liked in Nicki, she was pretty awful. Seeing her from his POV might have helped me understand his reasoning, as it was she was just a horrible person so I didn't get it.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. Once I started I got sucked in and wanted to know what would happen next.
Content
Romance: Pretty clean. Kissing, mild innuendo (compared to the real TV show this was like a G version of that)
Language: Moderate (I hated all the swearing, it was pretty mild, mostly A, B, G, and S, but I thought it was unnecessary)
April 27, 2014
Riley and Travis met at 10 years old and have been the best of friends ever since. 15 years later and Travis is a pro BMX rider and Riley is his PA. The relationship strictly friends. After a mild injury that sidelines Travis, he is offered to be on a dating show. Think of The Bachelor.. The only kicker? They want Riley on the show as a undercover contestant with the other girls. She's there to give him insight on the other women. What they are like when he isn't looking. They didn't know what was really in store for them. This was going to be a game changer. They wouldn't come out of this with the same friendship.
Now you can get the direction the book is going to take. But what I didn't count on was some of the emotions I felt for Travis and Riley as they navigated through these new feelings. I thought once they started crossing over the friendship line it would be a slam dunk. But it wasn't that easy. There were other girls in the way. Some conniving, some sweet. And as they realized they were more than friends, the reality was he was still the Bachelor. He still had to go on dates and get to know the ladies. And on The Bachelor, there's always a fame whore.
The moments where they flirt were adorable. The moments when I felt like it would all fall apart had me stressing.
The ease between them was intoxicating and I found myself hoping they found a way to make this work. That no one else would capture his attention from Riley.
"It's you. Always you"
It wasn't the slam dunk I thought it would be. Riley wasn't left the last woman standing.....I thought Travis was such a idiot. I didn't understand his actions at the end, but when the final episode aired, and he got his opportunity to explain, it made perfect sense. This was told in Riley's POV until the very end. So Travis cleared a few things up about what happened that pissed me off.
I needed a light read and I actually found a sweet story with good writing and great characters. And a mom that outsmarted them all.
Now you can get the direction the book is going to take. But what I didn't count on was some of the emotions I felt for Travis and Riley as they navigated through these new feelings. I thought once they started crossing over the friendship line it would be a slam dunk. But it wasn't that easy. There were other girls in the way. Some conniving, some sweet. And as they realized they were more than friends, the reality was he was still the Bachelor. He still had to go on dates and get to know the ladies. And on The Bachelor, there's always a fame whore.
The moments where they flirt were adorable. The moments when I felt like it would all fall apart had me stressing.
The ease between them was intoxicating and I found myself hoping they found a way to make this work. That no one else would capture his attention from Riley.
"It's you. Always you"
It wasn't the slam dunk I thought it would be. Riley wasn't left the last woman standing.....I thought Travis was such a idiot. I didn't understand his actions at the end, but when the final episode aired, and he got his opportunity to explain, it made perfect sense. This was told in Riley's POV until the very end. So Travis cleared a few things up about what happened that pissed me off.
I needed a light read and I actually found a sweet story with good writing and great characters. And a mom that outsmarted them all.
October 31, 2014
I've said this before--I don't watch The Bachelor, but I love these types of books. There's just something about them (reality tv type) that's a lot of fun. Travis is a BMX racer and is a pretty big deal in the sport. He is asked to be "the bachelor" in a reality tv show and is pretty hesitant--until his best friend of 15 years and personal assistant, Riley, agrees to be a part of it (undercover) to give him some insight on who to choose.
Travis is a pretty confident guy. He's on the verge of cocky, yet he's still likable. I don't think he truly appreciates what he has with Riley. Her entire world revolves around him and his life and he just seems to take her for granted. He asks her to be there for him to help him decide, yet he won't listen to her. It blew me away that he would take the word of someone he's known for 15 years over someone he's known for days. Does their friendship really mean that little? He's very good-looking, adventurous, and kind. He tries hard to be fair and patient, but he really doesn't take Riley's feelings into account very often.
Riley tries so hard to be selfless, but the jealousy kicks in and makes that really hard to do. Riley is a pretty tough woman and tries so hard to portray that, but deep down, she's human, just like everyone else. I really would have liked to see her move on and grow through this hard time, but she didn't. I honestly don't know how she put up with everything that she did. I would've snapped long before she did.
I really did enjoy the story, especially the friendship that develops between Riley and another contestant. I can see how hard it would be to always be in the spotlight and still try and maintain a friendship. I liked the way it all ended.
Content: no violence, but some mean/catty girls; moderate swearing (it really didn't need that); kissing and mild innuendo, but stayed clean.
Travis is a pretty confident guy. He's on the verge of cocky, yet he's still likable. I don't think he truly appreciates what he has with Riley. Her entire world revolves around him and his life and he just seems to take her for granted. He asks her to be there for him to help him decide, yet he won't listen to her. It blew me away that he would take the word of someone he's known for 15 years over someone he's known for days. Does their friendship really mean that little? He's very good-looking, adventurous, and kind. He tries hard to be fair and patient, but he really doesn't take Riley's feelings into account very often.
Riley tries so hard to be selfless, but the jealousy kicks in and makes that really hard to do. Riley is a pretty tough woman and tries so hard to portray that, but deep down, she's human, just like everyone else. I really would have liked to see her move on and grow through this hard time, but she didn't. I honestly don't know how she put up with everything that she did. I would've snapped long before she did.
I really did enjoy the story, especially the friendship that develops between Riley and another contestant. I can see how hard it would be to always be in the spotlight and still try and maintain a friendship. I liked the way it all ended.
Content: no violence, but some mean/catty girls; moderate swearing (it really didn't need that); kissing and mild innuendo, but stayed clean.
April 15, 2014
it started out nice enough, but it's progression began to annoy me. and it also didn't make too much sense. the protagonists have been best friends for 15 years, and they only realize they have feelings for each other after they go on the show. until then, their relationship was one hundred percent platonic. I find that really hard to believe. it kinda veered into insta-love territory, but then I guess it doesn't really count since they've known each other for so long. and another thing: 25+ year olds don't swear? there wasn't a single f-bomb in this book. it was all "stinking", "freaking", and "effing". and they only uttered "bitch" less than is acceptable in a new-adult romance. the lack of "vulgar language" really pissed me off for some reason. one would expect a level of maturity in a supposed mature romance, and I find that most of it is through words. since it's a book, and we can't really read body language, all of it is conveyed through words. I missed the lack of maturity in this book. it could have been a lot bigger with some more editing and maybe taking the story in a slightly different direction.
May 13, 2014
Pride & Prejudice is one of my favorite romance books of all time. In the character of Jane Bennet we se that you can be naive and forgiving, without being a spineless doormat. Trough the story itself, the author demonstrates how misunderstandings and assumptions can lead people to make decisions, that they will later regret, when they uncover the truth. We are shown that hurtful actions can be made with good intentions, and the person responsible deserves a second chance.
This book however, does none of the above.
I had so many issues with the characters and their actions, that I wont try to cover it all, but rest assured, I did not find the heroins ability to forgive so quickly to be a sign of strength. I did not read about the heroes motives and think that in light of what really went down, he was actually a caring and good hearted guy, put in an impossible situation... All I could think* was “Thank God this is over”.
*This is a lie, I had lots of thoughts, most of them angry..
This book however, does none of the above.
I had so many issues with the characters and their actions, that I wont try to cover it all, but rest assured, I did not find the heroins ability to forgive so quickly to be a sign of strength. I did not read about the heroes motives and think that in light of what really went down, he was actually a caring and good hearted guy, put in an impossible situation... All I could think* was “Thank God this is over”.
*This is a lie, I had lots of thoughts, most of them angry..
April 3, 2014
This book made me laugh. It made me cry.It made me want to punch some of the characters. It made me fall in love. But most importantly, it made me giggle over and over! I loved the unique twist on a reality dating show and all the fun dates they went on. If you're looking for a feel good love story, this is the book for you! Caylie really knows how to make a character come alive and to keep you engaged. What are you waiting for??
April 2, 2014
I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book. I enjoyed reading it as it was a change in pace for me! The story was a down-to-earth and believably sweet story about best friends who discover that they are made for each other but don't know how to deal with their feelings or changes that caught them off guard. Overall, Caylie did a wonderful job developing the characters and portrayed them in a way that made them real and easy to connect with.
April 17, 2014
I enjoyed this book but didn't love it. I love a good friends to lovers storyline but this book just missed that connection for me. I think it really lost me around the time Travis called Riley a bitch. I also kind of felt like the connection between Travis and Riley was kind of lacking. I think the writing was good though and I would read more by this author.
April 2, 2014
This is such a sweet book :) I loved the relationship between Riley and Travis. I love the reality tv setting!! I was hooked from the very first chapter and I'm so lucky to have been able to read this early!!
Caylie keep up the great work! This book have me the butterflies and giggly moments I craved :)
Caylie keep up the great work! This book have me the butterflies and giggly moments I craved :)
March 31, 2015
Riley and Travis made a really cute couple, and I kept hoping they'd hurry up and get their act together and admit how they felt about each other!
There were times when I really wanted to slap Travis though, as some of the things he did really wasn't going to go down well.
This was an enjoyable read, even if it did have a few annoying moments. I'm looking forward to reading the novella now.
There were times when I really wanted to slap Travis though, as some of the things he did really wasn't going to go down well.
This was an enjoyable read, even if it did have a few annoying moments. I'm looking forward to reading the novella now.
February 17, 2017
I liked the premise, but I didn't care for the way the characters interacted. I felt like we got zero from Travis until the very end, their whole "getting together thing" felt forced.
Also, I had kept getting the feeling that I wanted things to go another way. And everyone was so petty all the time. Dislike women tearing down other women.
Also, I had kept getting the feeling that I wanted things to go another way. And everyone was so petty all the time. Dislike women tearing down other women.
July 8, 2014
I absolutely love best friend romances & this one didn't disappoint! Riley & Travis are adorable, sure there were times I wanted to shake them for being stupid, but I loved it anyway. Even the bachelor aspect didn't bother me except when I was frustrated. Great summer read :)
July 18, 2014
I stumbled across Choose Us whilst browsing Amazon for new books to download. Spotting the hand holding cover, I had to know what the book was about. A famous BMX’er, his best friend as his PA, a Bachelor type reality dating show and a lot of confusion, jealousy and love mixed all together. Yupp, I had to get this book into my life asap.
It’s safe to say I literally devoured this book, from front to back. I started it on my journey to work and by the time night fell, I was crying, smiling and in love with everything Travis and Riley. Caylie has a writing style that wins you over. You cant stop reading no matter what (I was on edge all throughout work wanting to get back to Travis and Riley) and I had so many emotions, feeling what Riley was feeling, my heart twinging and breaking and sighing at every page.
You will hang on to every page, especially when there are girls competing and fighting for Travis’ attention, none of them knowing that Riley is undercover and reporting back to Travis about them. Friends to lover stories are always my favourite, mainly because of the deep connection they characters have and Travis and Riley are no different.
Choose Us is about Travis and Riley. They have been best friends r 15 years and spend every day together – Riley being Travis’ PA. When an injury forces Travis to rest for 8 weeks, he gets a proposition for be on a dating show. He has one condition to agreeing though, that Riley is one of the girls and reports back to him on the girls. Riley is pissed but she agrees after some hard work.
But as the show goes on and the girls are dwindling, there is one girl who is just out to get Travis for his status and that doesnt go down well at all with Riley. Travis isn’t listening to her and her feelings for him are coming on strong. Now she wants him to pick her but what does Travis do?
Will this cause 15 years of friendship down the drain along with a broken heart of national TV or will Travis pick Riley after all?
I truly loved Riley. She is the type of girl who doesnt have many girl friends but that doesnt seem to bother her. She has Travis and that is enough for her. She’s not the girly type either, but as long as she has her coffee in the morning she can deal with anything. Riley can banter, she can keep up with Travis and she always there for him throughout everything. Not just as his PA but his best friend too. So when he’s injured and his only condition for going on the dating show is if Riley gets to be one of the girls, I could understand her fear, her anguish over being surround by girls wanting Travis’ attention. In one way, she doesnt have any girl friends and isn’t good being friends with girls and secondly, deep down, unconsciously, she was afraid that A) she might loose him to a girl from the show and B) Fall in love with him and C) the girls would find out who she really was.
I enjoyed watching all these feelings rush over Riley though. From actually seeing herself as a ‘girl’ for the first time, feeling like she actually is a beautiful girl and dressing like one too. I liked her friendship with Taylor, one of the girls on the dating show and I liked how close they became. It wasn’t like a competition for them. It didn’t matter who ‘got’ Travis, they actually formed a fully-fledge friendship and I love that Riley had a girlfriend like Taylor. But most of all, seeing Riley’s feelings for Travis creep up on her. Really seeing him for the first time gave her confused feelings for him and I know just how she feels feeling her for best friend. But mix in the other girls, the confusion over what was happening between them and jealousy she felt when he went on one-on-one dates, its enough to push anyone over the edge especially after her birthday in the house and what came after that.
You slowly saw Riley fall for Travis, watched her actually begin to fight in the dating show, fight for Travis even through the pain of carrying on the show and him going off on ‘dates’ still. I felt the uneasiness, the pain of witnessing and hearing about the dates, the fear of losing and loving her best friend and then the heartbreak – god that sucked me right up. How she came undone and the pain shot through my heart whilst I was reading about her walking away. God, I even felt the awkwardness and the heartbreak at the end too, but yano what, I also felt the lightness and the love and the cage being ripped from Riley (and my heart) and I felt the radiating love that both Travis and Riley have for one another.
I told Caylie on Twitter that I want my own Travis. I really really do. There is just something about him that draws you right in and he wont let you go. Travis is sweet and caring and is boisterous – well he is a BMX’er, and he adores his best friend Riley, whom he will do whatever for. When an injury stops him for a few weeks, he becomes the main focus on a reality TV show, along with the help of Riley. He wants her to wig out the bad nuts so he gets the best girl in the end. You know everyone will end up loving him, he’s cheeky and flirty and smirky all wrapped into one and you know you will love him too.
He’s considerate and you know that, like Riley, deep down he has got to have thought about them as more than friends, so to me, it was no surprise when something happened. You watch their relationship change, you see Travis start to confuse himself over Riley, despite her being the one for him and then you watch their banter slow down, watch the drama unfold between them and it hurts to see Travis still go on dates. But fair play to him, he never backs out of contracts and although I wanted him to, I understood why he didn’t, even if it did end up hurting Riley and him and breaking both their hearts.
At times you will want to wring his bloody neck. You will shake your head at him for not listening to Riley, to not believing her when she told him about a certain young lady and shout at him for how he handled everything. But you will cry at the ending, at how much you want them to be together, at how much you need Travis to explain his action and you know, know you will forgive him because what he tells Riley? I wanted to jump into the book and hug him tight and make him say the words to me.
I truly loved reading Choose Us. It’s so refreshing from other books I have read recently. It sucked me in, had me feeling every emotion and I felt connected to Riley and her growing feelings for her best friend but most of all? This is a book I need to buy in paperback and have it on my bookshelf.
It’s safe to say I literally devoured this book, from front to back. I started it on my journey to work and by the time night fell, I was crying, smiling and in love with everything Travis and Riley. Caylie has a writing style that wins you over. You cant stop reading no matter what (I was on edge all throughout work wanting to get back to Travis and Riley) and I had so many emotions, feeling what Riley was feeling, my heart twinging and breaking and sighing at every page.
You will hang on to every page, especially when there are girls competing and fighting for Travis’ attention, none of them knowing that Riley is undercover and reporting back to Travis about them. Friends to lover stories are always my favourite, mainly because of the deep connection they characters have and Travis and Riley are no different.
Choose Us is about Travis and Riley. They have been best friends r 15 years and spend every day together – Riley being Travis’ PA. When an injury forces Travis to rest for 8 weeks, he gets a proposition for be on a dating show. He has one condition to agreeing though, that Riley is one of the girls and reports back to him on the girls. Riley is pissed but she agrees after some hard work.
But as the show goes on and the girls are dwindling, there is one girl who is just out to get Travis for his status and that doesnt go down well at all with Riley. Travis isn’t listening to her and her feelings for him are coming on strong. Now she wants him to pick her but what does Travis do?
Will this cause 15 years of friendship down the drain along with a broken heart of national TV or will Travis pick Riley after all?
I truly loved Riley. She is the type of girl who doesnt have many girl friends but that doesnt seem to bother her. She has Travis and that is enough for her. She’s not the girly type either, but as long as she has her coffee in the morning she can deal with anything. Riley can banter, she can keep up with Travis and she always there for him throughout everything. Not just as his PA but his best friend too. So when he’s injured and his only condition for going on the dating show is if Riley gets to be one of the girls, I could understand her fear, her anguish over being surround by girls wanting Travis’ attention. In one way, she doesnt have any girl friends and isn’t good being friends with girls and secondly, deep down, unconsciously, she was afraid that A) she might loose him to a girl from the show and B) Fall in love with him and C) the girls would find out who she really was.
I enjoyed watching all these feelings rush over Riley though. From actually seeing herself as a ‘girl’ for the first time, feeling like she actually is a beautiful girl and dressing like one too. I liked her friendship with Taylor, one of the girls on the dating show and I liked how close they became. It wasn’t like a competition for them. It didn’t matter who ‘got’ Travis, they actually formed a fully-fledge friendship and I love that Riley had a girlfriend like Taylor. But most of all, seeing Riley’s feelings for Travis creep up on her. Really seeing him for the first time gave her confused feelings for him and I know just how she feels feeling her for best friend. But mix in the other girls, the confusion over what was happening between them and jealousy she felt when he went on one-on-one dates, its enough to push anyone over the edge especially after her birthday in the house and what came after that.
You slowly saw Riley fall for Travis, watched her actually begin to fight in the dating show, fight for Travis even through the pain of carrying on the show and him going off on ‘dates’ still. I felt the uneasiness, the pain of witnessing and hearing about the dates, the fear of losing and loving her best friend and then the heartbreak – god that sucked me right up. How she came undone and the pain shot through my heart whilst I was reading about her walking away. God, I even felt the awkwardness and the heartbreak at the end too, but yano what, I also felt the lightness and the love and the cage being ripped from Riley (and my heart) and I felt the radiating love that both Travis and Riley have for one another.
I told Caylie on Twitter that I want my own Travis. I really really do. There is just something about him that draws you right in and he wont let you go. Travis is sweet and caring and is boisterous – well he is a BMX’er, and he adores his best friend Riley, whom he will do whatever for. When an injury stops him for a few weeks, he becomes the main focus on a reality TV show, along with the help of Riley. He wants her to wig out the bad nuts so he gets the best girl in the end. You know everyone will end up loving him, he’s cheeky and flirty and smirky all wrapped into one and you know you will love him too.
He’s considerate and you know that, like Riley, deep down he has got to have thought about them as more than friends, so to me, it was no surprise when something happened. You watch their relationship change, you see Travis start to confuse himself over Riley, despite her being the one for him and then you watch their banter slow down, watch the drama unfold between them and it hurts to see Travis still go on dates. But fair play to him, he never backs out of contracts and although I wanted him to, I understood why he didn’t, even if it did end up hurting Riley and him and breaking both their hearts.
At times you will want to wring his bloody neck. You will shake your head at him for not listening to Riley, to not believing her when she told him about a certain young lady and shout at him for how he handled everything. But you will cry at the ending, at how much you want them to be together, at how much you need Travis to explain his action and you know, know you will forgive him because what he tells Riley? I wanted to jump into the book and hug him tight and make him say the words to me.
I truly loved reading Choose Us. It’s so refreshing from other books I have read recently. It sucked me in, had me feeling every emotion and I felt connected to Riley and her growing feelings for her best friend but most of all? This is a book I need to buy in paperback and have it on my bookshelf.
April 18, 2014
What if you are supposed to help your best friend of almost your entire life to pick a girlfriend but you suddenly realize that you wish that girl was you? And what if all this picking is supposed to happen on TV?
This is exactly what happened to Riley. She and Travis are best friends for 15 years now and have been inseparable ever since they first met. There is nothing they do not know about each other. Now adults, Travis is a professional BMX biker while Riley is his personal assistant. As close as their relationship is, it just makes sense and Riley would not trade this job for anything in the world.
During a competition Travis gets hurt and needs to spend several weeks off sports. Getting the offer of being the Bachelor on a dating show for famous extreme sports personalities, he accepts – under one condition: Riley needs to accompany him to help him choose the right girl. …but being an advisor only is not enough for Travis, he wants her to be one of the fifteen girls!
Now Riley is stuck with fourteen other girls who are all after Travis – that promises a lot of drama. While there are a few really nice girls like Taylor (especially!) who are looking for true love, most of the girls are only beautiful from the outside – and looking for a famous and rich guy to benefit from. It should not be too hard to look for the right girl for Travis – or so Riley thinks. But then something changes. Riley is starting to develop feelings for Travis, starting to wish that she would be the girl Travis chooses in the end. It just so happens that Travis makes similar experiences and starts seeing her with different eyes as well. Everything would be perfect if it wasn’t for Travis to still finish a TV show, which includes a lot more dating, flirting and laughing with several other girls…
I loved this book!! It’s not your typical steamy new adult romance and while it completely lacks of sexy bedroom action I never really missed it or was disappointed that it did not happen. This is really really rare to me because usually it is the more smut the better for me. The missing steaminess is compensated by utter and pure sweetness. It is a funny, beautiful and emotional romance between two best friends and I had an amazingly good time reading it.
As for Riley and Travis… after only half way through the first chapter I could feel the truthfulness and sincerity of their friendship and it truly captivated me. I could feel just how much they love and care for each other as friends. It is plain beautiful and touching – I just have no other words to describe it. What they have is precious!
I also liked to whole idea of putting two best friends in a dating show together. If that kind of bachelor show was really broadcasted I actually might watch it – and that’s usually the type of show I try to avoid.
CHOOSE US is definitely an outstanding and captivating debut by Caylie Marcoe. Don’t miss out on this sweet sweet best friends romance! Highly recommended!
This is exactly what happened to Riley. She and Travis are best friends for 15 years now and have been inseparable ever since they first met. There is nothing they do not know about each other. Now adults, Travis is a professional BMX biker while Riley is his personal assistant. As close as their relationship is, it just makes sense and Riley would not trade this job for anything in the world.
During a competition Travis gets hurt and needs to spend several weeks off sports. Getting the offer of being the Bachelor on a dating show for famous extreme sports personalities, he accepts – under one condition: Riley needs to accompany him to help him choose the right girl. …but being an advisor only is not enough for Travis, he wants her to be one of the fifteen girls!
Now Riley is stuck with fourteen other girls who are all after Travis – that promises a lot of drama. While there are a few really nice girls like Taylor (especially!) who are looking for true love, most of the girls are only beautiful from the outside – and looking for a famous and rich guy to benefit from. It should not be too hard to look for the right girl for Travis – or so Riley thinks. But then something changes. Riley is starting to develop feelings for Travis, starting to wish that she would be the girl Travis chooses in the end. It just so happens that Travis makes similar experiences and starts seeing her with different eyes as well. Everything would be perfect if it wasn’t for Travis to still finish a TV show, which includes a lot more dating, flirting and laughing with several other girls…
I loved this book!! It’s not your typical steamy new adult romance and while it completely lacks of sexy bedroom action I never really missed it or was disappointed that it did not happen. This is really really rare to me because usually it is the more smut the better for me. The missing steaminess is compensated by utter and pure sweetness. It is a funny, beautiful and emotional romance between two best friends and I had an amazingly good time reading it.
As for Riley and Travis… after only half way through the first chapter I could feel the truthfulness and sincerity of their friendship and it truly captivated me. I could feel just how much they love and care for each other as friends. It is plain beautiful and touching – I just have no other words to describe it. What they have is precious!
I also liked to whole idea of putting two best friends in a dating show together. If that kind of bachelor show was really broadcasted I actually might watch it – and that’s usually the type of show I try to avoid.
CHOOSE US is definitely an outstanding and captivating debut by Caylie Marcoe. Don’t miss out on this sweet sweet best friends romance! Highly recommended!
January 1, 2018
I was able to beta read this book, so this review is based on an earlier copy of the book. Therefore my review is subject to change! :)
UPDATE -- I have read some revisions, and the issues I had have been pleasantly resolved! I can't wait for this to be published so more people can read it!!
*****************************************************************
(original review:)
4.5 stars -- OK, this one was set up to be a good bet for me right from the start. I mean, I occasionally indulge in the guilty pleasure of watching the Bachelorette (not usually The Bachelor b/c I hate catty girls), and I LOVE LOVE LOVE best friend romances. And this book delivered and even surpassed my expectations!!! I had a little trouble with some of the resolution in the end, hence the rounding down instead of up....but that may end up changing before the book is released, so I won't go into detail.
First off, characters -- they make or break a book for me, and Travis and Riley were just perfect for me. Riley was sweet and caring, yet spunky and could be in your face when she needed to be. The initial friendship between Riley and Travis was just so adorable, I already loved them! And I found the transition from friends to more to be totally believable -- it was kind of fabulous to watch them both start to clue in. Travis was actually quite a sweetheart, with a fabulous ....ok, all I can think is "joie de vivre" even though that sounds corny, but he was just so full of life! I did have some issues with how he dealt with some of the situations, but in the end you could really feel his love and adoration for Riley. Basically, he had moments of dumbassery, but he was lucky enough to still win our hearts in the end. And secondary characters were actually great too -- the sweet Taylor, some of the other feisty (but not horrible) girls, Travis's hilarious Mom, and at the end a glimpse of the other Grayson brothers. And luckily for me, there was only one awful girl, and she was the nemesis and made me appropriately hate her.
The chemistry between Travis and Riley was soooooo soooooooooo good. OMG. Seriously. Just gah. You really ended up loving them together, and so it made the conflict so much harder to take. I spent the last hour of the book with "emotional torture" face (and tear filled eyes). Definitely sucked me right in, twisted me up a bit, before spitting me back out a happy camper.
So yeah. Love best friend romances? HUGE checkmark. I even came out of it wanting to jump into a pool of foam cubes, and I am sooooo not adventurous. Their excitement really came off the page. Don't worry though, I reigned myself in. I really suck at writing conclusions.
UPDATE -- I have read some revisions, and the issues I had have been pleasantly resolved! I can't wait for this to be published so more people can read it!!
*****************************************************************
(original review:)
4.5 stars -- OK, this one was set up to be a good bet for me right from the start. I mean, I occasionally indulge in the guilty pleasure of watching the Bachelorette (not usually The Bachelor b/c I hate catty girls), and I LOVE LOVE LOVE best friend romances. And this book delivered and even surpassed my expectations!!! I had a little trouble with some of the resolution in the end, hence the rounding down instead of up....but that may end up changing before the book is released, so I won't go into detail.
First off, characters -- they make or break a book for me, and Travis and Riley were just perfect for me. Riley was sweet and caring, yet spunky and could be in your face when she needed to be. The initial friendship between Riley and Travis was just so adorable, I already loved them! And I found the transition from friends to more to be totally believable -- it was kind of fabulous to watch them both start to clue in. Travis was actually quite a sweetheart, with a fabulous ....ok, all I can think is "joie de vivre" even though that sounds corny, but he was just so full of life! I did have some issues with how he dealt with some of the situations, but in the end you could really feel his love and adoration for Riley. Basically, he had moments of dumbassery, but he was lucky enough to still win our hearts in the end. And secondary characters were actually great too -- the sweet Taylor, some of the other feisty (but not horrible) girls, Travis's hilarious Mom, and at the end a glimpse of the other Grayson brothers. And luckily for me, there was only one awful girl, and she was the nemesis and made me appropriately hate her.
The chemistry between Travis and Riley was soooooo soooooooooo good. OMG. Seriously. Just gah. You really ended up loving them together, and so it made the conflict so much harder to take. I spent the last hour of the book with "emotional torture" face (and tear filled eyes). Definitely sucked me right in, twisted me up a bit, before spitting me back out a happy camper.
So yeah. Love best friend romances? HUGE checkmark. I even came out of it wanting to jump into a pool of foam cubes, and I am sooooo not adventurous. Their excitement really came off the page. Don't worry though, I reigned myself in. I really suck at writing conclusions.
May 1, 2014
I have to say that I love stories about best friends falling in love. This one was no different. Actually, it may have held my interest moreso because I love XGames athletes! There's just something hot about a guy who excels in unconventional athletics. Travis is my kinda dream boy! Travis and Riley have been best friends for fifteen years. Now a BMX star, Riley spends every waking moment with him as his manager as well as bff. When Travis injures himself and has to rest for 8 weeks, he takes on another project--a reality dating show where he's the bachelor among 15 women. He drags Riley along to be a spy but things take a turn when the two best friends realize that there may be something more between them.
Travis is a talented BMX rider. He's not only confident in doing gravity-defying stunts on two wheels but he exudes confidence when he's around women. He has a reputation of being a bad-boy with a taste for just as bad girls. With no time to seriously date anyone in his hectic tour schedule, he's known to hook up and walk out. Riley and his mom are the only two constant female figures in his life and he has great love and respect for both of them. I felt that added to my list of why I liked Travis so much--not too many guys are outwardly mama's-boy and the fact that he is is aww-inducing!
Literally and constantly trailing behind Travis, Riley is loving her life in her dream job managing her best friend. She's never had a second thought about Travis in any other way than a best friend. So when he insists she joins him on the dating show as a spy, she agrees to. She's not anything but annoyed by most of the girls who are vying for her best friend's attention. Slowly but surely, Riley notices things about her feelings for Travis that she never noticed before. Could it be...she has FEELINGS for her bff!? Couldn't be...or maybe it's possible. AH to be young and confused!
This was definitely refreshing story about two friends coming to the realization that there's so much more to their relationship than just friendship. And, of course, it happens at the most inopportune place and time lol. Choose Us was a needed light read after a reading slump. There wasn't too much hot and steamy but that was part of the attractiveness of this book. The story, characters and all the emotions you go through in this book is enough. Sometimes all you need are stolen kisses and some making out. Reading Choose Us was like reading a condensed season of The Bachelor so if that show was up your alley, you'll love this book. Definitely an enjoyable read :)
Travis is a talented BMX rider. He's not only confident in doing gravity-defying stunts on two wheels but he exudes confidence when he's around women. He has a reputation of being a bad-boy with a taste for just as bad girls. With no time to seriously date anyone in his hectic tour schedule, he's known to hook up and walk out. Riley and his mom are the only two constant female figures in his life and he has great love and respect for both of them. I felt that added to my list of why I liked Travis so much--not too many guys are outwardly mama's-boy and the fact that he is is aww-inducing!
Literally and constantly trailing behind Travis, Riley is loving her life in her dream job managing her best friend. She's never had a second thought about Travis in any other way than a best friend. So when he insists she joins him on the dating show as a spy, she agrees to. She's not anything but annoyed by most of the girls who are vying for her best friend's attention. Slowly but surely, Riley notices things about her feelings for Travis that she never noticed before. Could it be...she has FEELINGS for her bff!? Couldn't be...or maybe it's possible. AH to be young and confused!
This was definitely refreshing story about two friends coming to the realization that there's so much more to their relationship than just friendship. And, of course, it happens at the most inopportune place and time lol. Choose Us was a needed light read after a reading slump. There wasn't too much hot and steamy but that was part of the attractiveness of this book. The story, characters and all the emotions you go through in this book is enough. Sometimes all you need are stolen kisses and some making out. Reading Choose Us was like reading a condensed season of The Bachelor so if that show was up your alley, you'll love this book. Definitely an enjoyable read :)
June 21, 2014
I really enjoyed this book although a lot of the events that happened annoyed me to no end. The original rating I would have given this book would have been 3.5 stars but, because of the ending I gave the book 4 stars. It's not because the ending was so great but instead because Travis explained some of the things he did and why he did them.
I also really liked Travis and Riley's relationship in the beginning of the book. It was a relationship that I found realistic and some people could relate to it. But sadly, towards the middle of the book their relationship was slowly crumbling and turning into dust.
I thought it was so cute and Funny when Travis would buy clothes for Riley and leave a note on them saying that they were from his mother.
Okay, now on to the things that annoyed me. Number 1 on my list is Travis and his relationship with Riley.
So Travis and Riley have been best friends for 15 years right? So that means that they should have like a nearly unbreakable bond and that they value each others opinions. Well, none of that happened...at all. Travis was just a plain asshole towards Riley! They had been there what? Not even a month and he calls her a bitch? Just because she was telling him that Nicki was dissing their upbringing and called Riley fat. And he calls Riley a stuck up bitch?! Some friend you are mate.
And then towards the end of the book, it made me feel like this. Sigh.
Okay the major thing that really made me want to throw my kindle across the room? Travis. Okay, so he and Riley are sort of together right? But then he makes out with Nicki right on the beach....in front of Riley! Oh, and the worst part? He doesn't even say anything but, instead, sends her a letter saying he misses her and wants to see her? And she smiles and forgives him?! No! Just no!
Come on. I know she wasn't fully talking to him and she was acting all weird around him, but she still went on a date with him, hugged him and talked to him like nothing happened. What? okay. If that was me, I'd probably leave, just saying,
Even though I disliked some of the events in this book I still really enjoyed it. Travis was sweet and Riley was a really good friend. When they were on their own with none of the other girls around them, you got to see the real Trav and Riley and it was kind of cute.
I also liked Taylor and Mom2 (Travis's mother). Taylor was a really good side character, she was always there for Riley if she needed her. It was cute that she was scared of the storm and relied on Riley to help her and distract her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2014
4.5 I want to give Caylie Marcoe a big hug stars!!
Choose Us was a fantastic and sweet story!! My favorite type of story is best friends to lovers so I had pretty high hopes for Choose Us and I was not disappointed! I was sucked in by the first chapter and ignored pretty much everything around me until the book was finished! I couldn't get enough of Travis and Riley and the fun antics that occur during Choose Us!
I will admit I have only ever watched one season of The Bachelor and wasn't blown away, so when I read that the meat of this story occurs on a TV dating show I was a little afraid of the cheese factor. Caylie Marcoe did a GREAT job bringing the best part of these types of shows into Travis and Riley's story and it really was entertaining, fresh and addictive to read. The cast of characters that Caylie Marcoe created kept me turning pages and the connection between Travis and Riley was beautiful.
Caylie Marcoe's writing was spot on! I loved the flow and pacing, where nothing got dragged out too long but also nothing was rushed. The dialogue in Choose Us was what made this story so great! You really get to know the characters through their dialogue with each other, you feel their connection, their history and their spark. It is always a good change to read a romance story that has very little heat but you still get that sense of passion and romance that can grab your heart and bring tears to your eyes. Choose Us did this wonderfully and it really shows just how well Caylie Marcoe can write!
If you are looking for a sweet, story about best friends finally seeing each other as more with a splash of The Bachelor than this story is the perfect fit! I can't wait to see what Caylie Marcoe comes up with next, I will DEFINITELY be waiting for her next book!
Choose Us was a fantastic and sweet story!! My favorite type of story is best friends to lovers so I had pretty high hopes for Choose Us and I was not disappointed! I was sucked in by the first chapter and ignored pretty much everything around me until the book was finished! I couldn't get enough of Travis and Riley and the fun antics that occur during Choose Us!
I will admit I have only ever watched one season of The Bachelor and wasn't blown away, so when I read that the meat of this story occurs on a TV dating show I was a little afraid of the cheese factor. Caylie Marcoe did a GREAT job bringing the best part of these types of shows into Travis and Riley's story and it really was entertaining, fresh and addictive to read. The cast of characters that Caylie Marcoe created kept me turning pages and the connection between Travis and Riley was beautiful.
Caylie Marcoe's writing was spot on! I loved the flow and pacing, where nothing got dragged out too long but also nothing was rushed. The dialogue in Choose Us was what made this story so great! You really get to know the characters through their dialogue with each other, you feel their connection, their history and their spark. It is always a good change to read a romance story that has very little heat but you still get that sense of passion and romance that can grab your heart and bring tears to your eyes. Choose Us did this wonderfully and it really shows just how well Caylie Marcoe can write!
If you are looking for a sweet, story about best friends finally seeing each other as more with a splash of The Bachelor than this story is the perfect fit! I can't wait to see what Caylie Marcoe comes up with next, I will DEFINITELY be waiting for her next book!
April 4, 2014
Me gustó mucho este libro, es una historia muy tierna de como los mejores amigos Travis y Riley se enamoran después de tantos años de amistad. Travis es un profesional en BMX y Riley es su asistente personal, por lo que pasan todo el tiempo juntos. Luego de que Travis sufre de una pequeña fractura, este debe descansar de su amado BMX y por presiones de su mamá éste acepta partipar en un reality show tipo The Bachelor con la condición de que su mejor amiga participe y lo ayude y aconseje sobre las chicas que van a pelear por su amor, Riley no está del todo convencida y cómoda con el asunto pero acepta por su amistad con Travis. Cuando inicia las grabaciones del programa Riley planea hacer un buen trabajo de consejera pero todo se complica cuando empieza a ver a Travis no solo como su su mejor amigo de toda la vida!
Choose us es una lectura ligera y muy rápida lo disfruté mucho, más de una vez te saca una sonrisa mientras lo vas leyendo, la relación entre los protagonista es excelente y desde el primer capítulo sabes que son perfectos el uno para el otro. Se lo recomiendo a todos los que deseen leer una historia dulce de amor, divertida y que no está cargada de tantoooo drama. :)
Choose us es una lectura ligera y muy rápida lo disfruté mucho, más de una vez te saca una sonrisa mientras lo vas leyendo, la relación entre los protagonista es excelente y desde el primer capítulo sabes que son perfectos el uno para el otro. Se lo recomiendo a todos los que deseen leer una historia dulce de amor, divertida y que no está cargada de tantoooo drama. :)
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