Chaos & Control by Season Vining – a Review

Amazon / B&N / Kobo/ BAM / Book Depository

Description:
When Wren Hart returns to her sleepy little Midwest town after years on the road, she finds the last thing she’d ever expect—a reason to stay. And that reason has a hard body, a knowledge of vinyl, and a crooked smile that sends her reeling.

Preston is a gorgeous, mysterious man, whose life is ruled by routine and order. Yet somehow, he finds Wren and her wild ways captivating. While their relationship grows in a delicate dance of chaos and control, the danger Wren thought she’d left behind during her travels is inching ever closer…and just may destroy them both. 

Review;

Chaos and Control by Season Vining was an interesting read for me.  It took me a while to really get into the story and the characters driving it.  Don’t get me wrong, Ms. Vining did a good job of creating the story, the characters and their backgrounds, but for me there was just something that I still can’t put my finger on for why it took me so long to get into the story. 

Chaos and Control is a story about coming home and really finding oneself.  Once Wren finally decides to stop running, stand up for herself and take control of her life, she realizes that she is where she is meant to be.  In all her years of running from her abusive ex, she has finally found the one person she needs who balances her wild ways, and makes her see that she can truly be happy in her home town of Crowley. 

Preston who at first I couldn’t quite figure out, but little by little it comes into focus that he suffers from OCD, is mysterious, quiet and keeps to himself.  However, for some strange reason he is drawn to Wren from the first moment he sees her and soon realizes that Wren and her chaotic personality don’t upset his quiet controlled lifestyle.  For two people who couldn’t be more different from the other Wren and Preston are two characters who work well together and fit.  They both help to balance the other out and bring to their lives something that is missing.  Wren’s acceptance of Preston’s OCD from the moment he tells her is endearing, and even though Preston needs to have everything in his life in perfect order and controlled doesn’t bat an eyelash or run the other way when Wren finally opens up about her abusive past.  Instead Preston just flat out tells her that her ex will have to go through him if he thinks he’s getting anywhere near Wren.  It was a cute, yet real and serious scene between the two in that moment.  You can really feel the emotion flowing between the two characters, the intensity of the moment and know that Wren will be safe with Preston no matter what.  Their romance is a very slow build which just added to their story and showed how opposite they are in their personalities and lives, but it also shows how well they work as a couple, understand each other and come to get just who the other is. 

As I said earlier, Chaos and Control by Season Vining took me a while to get into it.  Yes I still can’t put my finger on what or why, but I’m glad I dug in and stuck with it.  The story was well executed, the character development was well thought out and they brought the story to life in their own unique ways.  As they always say, opposites attract and in this instance Wren and Preston are a good example of polar opposites.  Somehow they just made their adventure work and created a story that’s real, honest, endearing and full of emotion. 

Until next time, happy reading.

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher