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Author: Nyrae Dawn
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon | B&N
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.
Review:
“I don't know how in the fuck we got here, but somehow this game is more than real than anything else. And I want it. I fucking want it.”
Hello first page and hello cheating! Don’t you just want to throw up?
I never expected Charade to be more than just a couple’s drama. It was so much bigger than that and the pain the characters felt was deeper.
“What is it about me that makes people think they can take advantage and toss me aside? Why am I so easy to betray?”
“People hurt you if you let them.”
Here we meet Cheyenne who is haunted by her past and the memory of her mother. I can somehow see myself in her during her panic attacks and I totally understand why she sometimes depends on people whether she knows it or not. She might be keeping everyone on arm’s length but what people think about her still affects her.
Colt is the exact person Cheyenne needs. He’s seen a lot in life and totally understands the shit it gives to people. He was tough on the outside but only his mother can make him melt in a puddle. He loves her so much I definitely want to have him as my own guy.
“Tomorrow…don’t remind me I said this. I won’t want to talk about it, but tonight…keep me safe.”
“We fight like crazy, but somehow I feel safe and like I have some kind of power I never knew I was missing.”
One more thing that I really appreciated is that their relationship took time. Yes, they felt safe with each other but they didn’t go declaring their love for each other right away. Their vulnerability was given more emphasis with how reluctant they were in acknowledging what was real between them despite knowing the truth. They even managed to acknowledge the physical attraction first and reacted to it.
It was an emotional rollercoaster that thankfully didn’t just focus between Cheyenne and Colt’s relationship. It was good that this story wasn’t just about their world together but also individually. This actually touched realistic themes on people’s lives.
This is not just a story about two people who are scarred and found love with each other. It’s about how love managed to heal their wounds and taught them how to forgive and let go. After all the shit they both went through, individually and together, I’m really glad they both got their happy ending.
