Take a Chance On Him by Cameron Bayler

Published Synopsis:

Rapidly approaching forty, Lori Dergan wonders whether the right guy is out there. Since her divorce, she’s had three disastrous dates, including one with a guy who takes things too far, too fast…in a restaurant. Just as she’s ready to implement the three-strikes rule, Jake Sawyer comes along.

Jake’s had some bad dates of his own, especially with the girl who tells a cringe-worthy story of almost disfiguring a guy during sex. A former competitive swimmer, Jake now coaches a college swim team, but he’s looking for something a little more invigorating than just pool water.

Jake ignores his pessimistic and oversexed friend’s advice (“The whole thing’s a disaster waiting to happen. Just get some naked pics of her!”) and wants to meet Lori.

Lori takes her friend’s advice (“Do you know how hot a swimmer’s body is? What do you have to lose?”) and decides to meet Jake…and sets in motion a chain of events that will initially make her feel alive again, but ultimately take her right back where she started—wondering whether she’ll ever trust anyone again.

Unless Jake can change her mind…

Review:

In Take a Chance On Him, Cameron Bayler does an excellent job of tackling the growing trend of women dating younger men in a way that touches on the real life pros and cons associated with it. For centuries, no one has batted an eye at men dating younger women but society still attaches a certain stigma to it when it happens the other way around, including using predatory language for the woman involved such as Cougar or Puma. In this book, Lori, a divorced mother of two and about to turn forty, has avoided the dating scene since her devastating divorce from a man who was not faithful.Jake, a twenty-five year old graduate student, has always been attracted to older women but has never acted on it before. The two meet and the chemistry between them is more than either had counted on regardless of what society thinks should happen.

The ruminations of the main characters as they ponder how a relationship between them would not only affect their lives, but also the lives of those they care about, is a powerful testament to Cameron Bayler’s grasp of character study. The interactions between Lori and Jake begin tentatively and then build into a burgeoning relationship as they get to know each other better. Their dialogue is often witty and sensual and a delight to read. When the two finally bring their relationship to the next level, the book really heats up.

What holds me back from giving this book a solid four stars are two things. As the book moves along, especially early on, the characters often think back to the past and sometimes this dialogue can become confused with the present. It also affects the flow of the writing creating an almost jagged effect for the reader at times. The other thing holding me back is the time line. There are several instances that it doesn’t mesh between the characters or what was written earlier. These two points aside, Cameron Bayler has a lovely voice for writing romance and has the ability to engage the reader in a way that makes the characters seem real, like they could be your neighbors down the street. I hope that this is the first of many romances from Ms. Bayler.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars out of 5

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