My TBR List Review ~ February ~ Charade ~ Nyrae Dawn

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Michelle @Because Reading. I think it's a fabulous idea because it gets y'all in the game and it helps me knock off some of the many, many books on my TBR list. You're more than welcome to join in the fun! I've included the basic rules below but you can click on the graphic above to hop over to Michelle's site where you can find all the details. 



Charade by Nyrae Dawn
Games #1
Release Date: October 22, 2012
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Nook
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Challenges: #COYER, #Goodreads #ShelfLove, #TravelingtotheTerminus
Goodreads


Synopsis
Nineteen-year-old Cheyenne tries to portray the perfect life to mask the memories of her past. Walking in on her boyfriend with another woman her freshman year in college threatens that picture of perfection.

Twenty-one-year-old Colt never wanted college and never expected to amount to anything, but when his mom's dying wish is for him to get his degree, he has no choice but to pretend it's what he wants too.

Cheyenne needs a fake boyfriend to get back at her ex and Colt needs cash to take care of his mom, so they strike a deal that helps them both. But what if Cheyenne's past isn't what she thought? Soon they're trading one charade for another--losing themselves in each other to forget about their pain. The more they play their game, the more it becomes the only thing they have that feels real.

Both Cheyenne and Colt know life is never easy, but neither of them expect the tragedy that threatens to end their charade and rip them apart forever.

I love the fake dating trope. I do. And Charade was a great execution of it. I'm thrilled I went back to the beginning for Cheyenne and Colt's story. I met them in Facade but their story was important.

Despite the title and the games these two engage in - both for their own reasons - there wasn't a lot of fun in this story. The banter between them was often fun though - both so snarky. But they were each dealing with demons from the past and present.

Both Cheyenne and Colt are standoffish - not letting anyone get close or really get to know them. But they each seemed to see straight to the heart of the other and while this left them feeling vulnerable - something neither liked - it also began to chip at the walls they'd each built. The falling wasn't something either intended and it was beautiful to see.

One thing I admired about this story was that both Cheyenne and Colt made decisions and began taking steps to resolve their issues themselves. They weren't "fixing" one another but they were inspired to "fix" themselves because of the feelings they'd developed. I was also, once again, quite impressed with the depth of the story and the emotions evoked, in so few pages. Dawn delivers a well-crafted story with complex, realistic characters. I'm eager to finish this trilogy.