BLOG TOUR – “Chasing Crazy” by Kelly Siskind

“With an endearingly awkward female protagonist, a swoon-worthy male love interest, and Siskind’s superb storytelling, this is one of the best New Adult contemporary romances I’ve read to date.” — USA Today bestselling author K.A. Tucker

Dear Mom & Dad, I dropped out of school. I’m going backpacking. Sorry. Love you both.

At nineteen, Nina has endured two lifetime’s worth of humiliation. Tired of waiting for it to get better, she decides to get going-across the globe to New Zealand. There she soon faces what she most fears: a super sexy guy ready to be Nina’s next mistake.

Once Sam’s life was all about having fun. That was before the accident. Now his friends have bailed and his world is broken. But when a gorgeous girl on his flight looks at him with passion instead of pity, Sam feels his old self coming back to life. 

Now traveling together, Nina and Sam know this isn’t just a fling. They’re falling fast, hard, and deep. More than anything, Sam wants Nina to forget her fears. But to help her do that he must reveal his own painful secret-and risk Nina never seeing him the same way again.

“Chase the crazy, Canada. Let your freak flag fly!”

When I read this book’s synopsis I was intrigued and I couldn’t wait to jump into this adventured filled world of Nina and Sam. 

Told in dual POV, Chasing Crazy follows Pininfarina aka Nina and Sam. Starting with her odd name and freak accident prone nature, Nina is a a walking disaster – a weird,  clutzy, unique girl. Still haunted by an event that happened in her past, one that left her emotionally scarred, she is ready to take a year off and reinvent herself. This takes Nina on a unplanned trip to New Zealand. On the way there she meets Sam. On the surface he’s the perfect guy – he’s tall, gorgeous and outgoing. But there’s more to him that meets the eye. Sam’s wounded, both emotionally and physically. He needs to escape his life and what a better way than a trip to a country on the other side of the world.

“. . . So we’re a f**ked-up guy and a disaster-magnet girl ready to take on a country with more sheep than people. […] Yeah, we got this.”

This book reminded me of The Edge of Never by JA Redmerski, but it’s yet so different. Chasing Crazy is a story of self discovery, of embracing our individuality and all those little quirks that make us unique. Nina and Sam’s cross country trip is vividly painted by the author, that it almost felt anchored in reality. Their ‘chase’ was equal parts success and failure; for every step forward there was also the possibility that their little white lies might ruin everything they worked so hard to build.   

Both Nina and Sam are wonderful examples of how romance leading characters should be. Although shy and awkward at times, Nina is one strong heroine. She left  everything she had behind and went on an adventure most girls could never undertake for fear of never making it back. In turn, Sam is the embodiment of the good guy next door. After life took from him more than he wanted to give, he was rewarded with a girl who can make him feel whole again – the look of adoration in her eyes is what made him open up, talk about his past and let go of it in order to find happiness again. 

One thing I adored about this story was the fact that they didn’t jump into bed from the get go. The first part of their trip was jam packed with so much sexual tension that I kept wondering when will they finally get together. And when that happened it was pure hotness. 

Chasing Crazy is a story that everyone should experience. It made me laugh and cry, both sad and happy tears; it’s a book about embracing our ‘crazy’ quirks, those characteristics that make us special, rather than bury them six feet under. It’s a story that will touch your heart with it’s simplicity, but one that will stay with your forever.

“This is chasing your crazy. And catching it.”

***ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review***

4 ‘crazy’ stars

A small-town girl at heart, Kelly moved from the city to open a cheese shop with her husband in Northern Ontario. When she’s not neck deep in cheese or out hiking, you can find her, notepad in hand, scribbling down one of the many plot bunnies bouncing around in her head.

She laughs at her own jokes and has been known to eat her feelings—Gummy Bears heal all. She’s also an incurable romantic, devouring romance novels into the wee hours of the morning.

She is represented by Stacey Donaghy of the Donaghy Literary Group.

2015 Golden Heart® Finalist

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