ARC Review and Giveaway: Fly With Me by Chanel Cleeton

Series:  Wild Aces #1

Pub. Date:  May 3, 2016

Publisher:  Berkley Publishing

Pages:  320

Format:  Print ARC

Source:  Berkley Publishing

Oh man... I am so excited about finding this author.  Or, I guess I can thank Berkley for introducing me to Chanel Cleeton's work.  She is new to me, but I am definitely going to be checking out her other books.  Fly With Me was so fabulous, I am urging everyone to read it. I have been experiencing burn out on contemporary romance this year, but I think this book has just broken my slump. Yay!

Jordan Callahan, by her description, is a South Florida Barbie. Blonde hair, blue eyes, curves to make a man drool. Typically, I would automatically be turned off by such a perfect sounding heroine.  But I really liked Jordan.  I identified with her in so many ways.

I'd have been lying if I didn't admit I had blindingly horrible moments of awkward even on my good days.  I pretty much lived in extremes. I either totally rocked it or epically failed, with very little in between.

She's 30 and her little sister is getting married.  She is despairing over whether she will ever find the right man... and her mother certainly is not letting her forget her spinster status.  But she is also a successful part-owner of a kitschy clothing boutique on the beach.  This certainly does not hurt her when it comes to being high maintenance... and I could not fault her for being all about the hair, makeup, clothes and shoes. So I had a really good connection with Jordan's character, and so much of her inner monologue resonated with me.  I also totally identified with her dating woes.

Enter Noah Callahan, the dating Chupacabra. What's the dating Chupacabra you ask?  The one that girls like me are searching for. In other words, he's a unicorn.

And then there was the urban legend, Chupacabra-like myth of a man who would fuck you up against a wall while he pulled your hair and then spoon you to sleep after. The guy who would bring you breakfast in bed with an orgasm on the side. The kind of guy who was so masculine that he could get you pregnant just by looking at you.

Hoo boy, I need to fan myself. Thirty-three year old hot-shit bad-ass fighter pilot. Loyal to his squadron and the Air Force. Total alpha male. I could not get enough of Noah. I loved loved loved his cocky demeanor... but also that he was not a total alphahole. I always like when a book has a dual POV, because I totally dig getting in the head of these types of heroes.  Noah was no exception. I had a great connection to his character as well.  His thoughts and feelings seemed genuine... and I felt all the conflict he was enduring when trying to find a balance between the career he loved and the woman he loved.

F-16 Photo Credit:  Sam Doshi

So Jordan and Noah meet in Vegas and it kind of steamrolls from there. Chanel Cleeton did a fabulous job highlighting the reality and difficulty of military relationships and marriages. I loved the intensity that we felt between Noah and Jordan... and their sexual chemistry was off the charts. The sultry factor was balanced well with emotion though... this couple's feelings went through the wringer right along with their libido - and I was right there with them for the entire book.

Then, gah!  The ugly crying.  It was way intense. So be forewarned that you need to have your tissues ready for the last third of the book. Man, this is one of those books that have you blubbering but telling everyone: This bah-bah-book is so-so-so (sob) gah-gah-good... here read it!

I predict now that this is going to be one of my favorite books of the year.  It was so good, that I already want to re-read it.  I love it so much, that I'm passing on the goodness.  Enter below to win your own copy of Fly With Me!

I received an advanced copy of this book from Berkley Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

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