Chaser by Rick R. Reed is a contemporary romance. Caden DeSarro is what they call a chubby chaser. He likes his guys with a few extra pounds on them. So when he meets Kevin Dodge in a bar bathroom, he can’t help but stare. As far as Caden is concerned, Kevin is physically perfect: a stocky bearded blond. But Caden gets tongue-tied and misses his chance. When Caden runs into Kevin on the train, he figures it’s fate offering him a second shot. Caden manages to get invited back to Kevin’s place for a one-night stand that turns into the kind of relationship he’s dreamed about. But the course of true love never runs smoothly—Kevin and Caden’s romance is no exception. When Caden returns from a few weeks away on business, Kevin surprises him with a new and “improved” body—one that fits Caden’s shallow friend Bobby’s ideal, but not Caden’s. Caden doesn’t know what to do, and his hesitation is just the opportunity Bobby was looking for.
Chaser is a romance that has characters with realistic and relatable issues and problems. I like that the characters all have their insecurities, because as much as people like to hide it I believe we all have them. Caden has doubts about his own desirability, and about who he is attracted to. I really like that he is aware of his issues and taking steps to make himself a better person for his own sake, rather than for someone else. Similarly, Kevin has insecurities and takes a completely different, yet still healthy, path to try and better himself. Like Caden I thought he was physically just fine in the beginning of the story, but getting healthier and being aware of your personal coping methods is not a bad idea. I have to admit that the tension of the story in the second half really got to me. I wanted to throw things as things went sideways, and while I love a good crisis and villian in a story I was way too tense to really enjoy this level of conflict. I think it was extremely well done, and too believable, which is probably why I found it so difficult to read at times. I read to escape the madness of the real world, and my escape was thwarted. Those that enjoy realistic crisis, betrayals, and so one will enjoy this much more than I. This comes from personal preference in reading rather than anything wrong with the writing or story- in fact, I think the fact that I found it as disturbing as I did goes to show how realistic the characters and story were.
Chaser is a realistic and well written romance.
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