Rating: 4.25 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel

When Andy was six years old, Chance and his family moved into the house next door and the two became instant friends. The boys were the best of friends for the next 12 years and the families even capped off each summer with a camping trip together. Andy and Chance had different interests, with Chance being the popular football quarterback, but the two always came back together. Somewhere along the way, Andy fell in love with Chance, but when Chance realized Andy had those kind of feelings for him, their friendship ended with barely a word from Chance.

The guys are now in college and Andy thought he could escape the memories, but Chance attends the same college and as he is once again the quarterback for the football team, he is known everywhere. Andy still misses his friend and while he has tried to move on, he longs for what could have been. But Chance hasn’t exactly moved on and he might not be as straight as he wanted Andy, and everyone else, to believe. It’s entirely possible the guys will never be over each other and may finally be able to have the relationship they always wanted.

Childhood best friends to lovers is an absolute favorite trope of mine and this book absolutely called to me. I have read other books by this author and this one also held my attention. The book is highly character driven as we see Andy and Chance meeting at a young age and then several key points as they went through high school. Their earlier years are shown in flashbacks and the scenes blend easily as a recalled memory.

Although the boys grew up next to each other, they had different upbringings as Chance’s father was the local pastor. As the boys got older, Chance’s father did not approve of their friendship and when Andy came out, the family friendships were fractured as well. Chance’s father is not on page much, but it is easy to see the long shadow he continues to hold over Chance’s life. Chance didn’t know how to handle Andy coming out, as well as his own feelings, so he shut everything down hurting Andy and himself in the process.

Andy is fairly well adjusted at college. He dates and has great friends, including Cam, who will be featured in an upcoming book in this series, but he still misses the friendship he had with Chance and has not felt as comfortable with anyone else as he did with Chance. When the guys reconnect, it is a fairly easy fix, and maybe Andy gave in to Chance too easily. But, for as much turmoil as the guys have had in their lives and in their friendship, Andy wants to forgive Chance and he wants to believe in him again. The book on the whole is an easy and quick read and the pages flew by as I was waiting to see how these guys would be able to move forward. They have great chemistry together, but Andy doesn’t want to be Chance’s secret and Chance comes to realize he needs to do better by Andy.

This is the first book in Parker’s Gilcrest University series and while this book leaves Andy and Chance in the beginning stages of their relationship, the next book, Catching Chance, will inevitably bring upheaval in every facet of Chance’s life. I am looking forward to the next stages for Andy and Chance, as well as the future book for scene stealer Cameron. If you like friends to lovers with a second chance at friendship and love, give Chasing Chance a try.