Review: A Love Story You Won't Soon Forget!! <3
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 24, 2014
*Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*This is the first novel I've read from this author and I can definitely say that I will continue to read more from her. This novel made it so easy for me to rate it 5 stars. I was intrigued even before reading it. The premise is one I'd never heard before and is so unique, you can't help but want to know more. I LOVED everything about this novel. From the characters, the romance, the flashbacks, and especially the dual POVs. I enjoyed following their journey through both of their voices and fell for them immediately. They're for sure some of my most favorite characters ever. Chasing wishes is the story of two unlikely high school sweethearts who on one unforgettable night, both make wishes that come true. Unfortunately, one wish brought them together while the other tore them apart."I don't give a s*** what my mother thinks or what you mom's like, Nina,"…"No matter what happens-no matter where life takes us-I'm going to find you. We'll be together and I don't care what anyone else says." -IsaacNINA/IRENE: Nina is one of the strongest heroines in a book I've ever read. No matter what life threw at her, she never lets it phase her. Growing up she never had it easy. Living with a single mom whose addiction to drugs came first to the well being of her own child, left her to fend for herself for most of her life. Everyday she fought to survive, both at home and at school. Her determination to progress in life and not end up like her mother, led her excel in school and gain a scholarship to a prestigious private school. A place where she'll face discrimination, ridicule, and will also encounter the one person who'll change her life and stand up for her when no one else does. Through him, she'll get to experience something she never had before, unconditional love. For a moment, everything seems to be turning around for the better when suddenly something unexpected happens and she's given a second chance at a life she's always wanted. She's given new identity and a new life filled with endless possibilities but not without a cost. The price she had to pay was to leave Isaac behind and risk never seeing him again. Irene is suddenly born and Nina, the girl who was once tormented, lonely, and living in terrible conditions is now only but a memory. I loved watching her evolve into a brave and strong woman who despite a few challenges along the way, was determined to make her dream of becoming a voiceover actress come true. Telling stories of princesses, princes, and happily ever afters was her ultimate dream. Little did she know, she was living in her very own fairy tale. One where she's in the starring role and her prince is so much closer than she ever thought."It's been years since I've felt so alive, and it's all you, Irene." -Terrence"I haven't changed in five years. I'm still fighting to get my sight back, fighting to find my Nina..." -TerrenceISAAC/TERRENCE: Isaac lived a life a privilege. Everything was laid out for him and never had to go a day without something he needed. To the outside world, he was living the perfect life. Had the perfect parents. Perfect house. Perfect everything. The outside shell of his life was polish, shiny, and pristine. While inside, it was filled with cracks, mold, and isolation. Despite everything that surrounded him, Isaac never felt whole. He never really fit in with his parents or the other rich kids at this school. Everyone around him was selfish and only cared about status, while he never cared about that and viewed everyone as equals no matter their social status or race. Isaac knew there was something missing from his life and found it in the new girl. This petite girl who was his complete opposite was about to flip his world upside down. From the very beginning he felt drawn to her and a sense of protectiveness began to arise as he witnessed all Nina endured at school. As he got to know her, friendship blossomed into more. Unfortunately, life doesn't always move in our favor and just when his relationship with her grows stronger, he loses her. He never gives up on her though. In the time they're apart, as Terrence, he keeps searching for her even as he goes through some uncontrollable tragic changes in his life, his determination never wavers. I loved how in love he still was with her even after all those years; his love for her never diminished. Nina showed him what he was missing all along but Irene, she showed him a whole new world. One filled with color and endless happily ever afters."Horrible things always happen to good people in fairy tales. Witches blind kind princes and cast them into the desert to wander, stepdaughters live in abject poverty, ridiculed and treated badly by all… fairy tales are painful, even nasty stories up until the ending when everything works out after all." -IreneOverall, Chasing Wishes is a novel that all hopeless romantics should read and will without a doubt enjoy. This is one love story I won't soon forget. I loved the two main characters from the very beginning and couldn't help but cheer them on as I read. I really wish this book was turned into a series. I would've loved to see what was in store for them next and what new surprises came their way. Isaac and Nina constructed their own fairy tale. And like most, they had to conquer witches and spells along the way. But their bond was stronger than anything that stood against them. In the end, true love won and they lived happily ever after. But this is not their end, its only their beginning.Other Favorite Quotes:"He gets to be my Isaac all the time, but I only get to be his Nina when nobody else is around." -Nina"I don't know if I'm more in love with her voice or the rest of her, but I do know one thing: nobody else in this school can hold a candle to her." -Isaac