Review: *3.5 Semi-Charmed Kind of Life Stars!*
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 20, 2014
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest reviewGeorgia Cantwell is the shell of a prim and proper sorority girl. Having lived a charmed silver spoon life, she’s quickly finding out how the other half lives. Long gone are the days where her biggest concerns were finding the most exclusive high end designer clothes. It’s tough keeping up with the Joneses when your family is flat broke and in debt up their eyeballs. Regardless, Georgia’s parents refuse to accept reality and thrust their financial burden onto her, very a la Rose from Titanic. Add blackmail to the mix and you have more stress than any college student should ever have to deal with. Hunter Fairbanks, her filthy rich ex-boyfriend, would have been the saving grace to her family’s financial woes, except she couldn’t in good conscience drag him into the scandal that was a ticking bomb waiting to detonate.Determined to get her mind off the chaos surrounding her life, she embarks on a week long co-ed cruise with other fellow Greeks, including her sorority and her ex boyfriend’s frat. Months ago, she would have been salivating over spending time in paradise and sailing the high seas in luxury with her significant other; instead she finds herself in the equivalent of steerage ‘Titanic’ style, sharing a room with none other than Hunter’s frat brother and glorified man-slut, Jace McLaren. If the rumors regarding Jace’s reputation are true, he’s exactly what Georgia should stay away from or turn out to be the perfect distraction for this much needed time out from reality. With his delicious physique and piercing green eyes, there’s more to Jace than his fabricated persona. Problem is, everyone has chosen to believe the rumor mill gossip instead of getting to know the real him, not that he’s given anyone a chance.Rooming with a hot girl like Georgia would be ideal if it weren’t for the sadness that no one but Jace seems to notice. Ever since her amicable breakup with Hunter, Georgia’s changed both physically and socially. Preferring to keep from mingling might come across as arrogant but soon Jace starts to see past her walls, making it his mission to get to the root of her pain. Georgia has been a pro at masking her feelings and she’s created the perfect faade she upholds while amongst her peers. However, when you’re on a boat, there’s not much room to hide, especially when the least expected person (your roommate) is the one watching your every move (in a non-creepy way).Both Georgia and Jace have life-altering secrets that could determine whether they have a future should they choose to come clean. While Jace longs to break down all of Georgia’s walls in order to maker her happy, she fears the truth may break them apart before they get a chance to pursue something amazing. Stolen glances and passionate kisses are exchanged on their high-seas rendezvous; but what will happen once they land on solid ground?Valerie Chase’s debut novel, Full Steam Ahead, is a tale conveying the message that appearances can sometimes be misleading and that true happiness can be found in the most unexpected places. The story was paced nicely, given the seven day timeline. I really appreciated the fact that L bombs were not exchanged, that gave the story a more genuine aspect. The chemistry between the protagonists paints a pretty promising picture of where their feelings could lead without making it cliché. My one concern was that the resolution felt very rushed and not entirely believable. Georgia’s biggest problem seemed to have an overly simple solution. If you’re looking for a fun, quick and angst-filled read, I recommend giving this one a chance.