Chasing Serenity (Seeking Serenity #1) by Eden Butler

Chasing Serenity

Autumn McShane has experienced tremendous loss. Her father walked out on them when she was a teenager. Five months ago, Autumn was in a motor vehicle accident which took her mother's life and almost left her unable to walk again. But, Autumn was persistent. She is walking and she is trying to run again. A year ago, her boyfriend Tucker Morrison left her too but now he is back in town and he wants her back. However, she seems to be unable to take her eyes from the cocky new Rugby player.

Declan Fraser has moved from Ireland to Cavanaugh to play the game that rules his life. Too bad the captain of the team, Tucker is blocking his path, not only on Rugby but with the girl he kissed after a drunken escapade. Declan finds himself more intrigued by Autumn and the more time he spends with her the more he wants her. Can he convince her to give him a chance?

"Wear something casual. And tight. And low cut. No, just something comfortable. #CantWaitToSnogYou"

Declan and Autumn's relationship fragile as it is, can be broken by a huge secret one of them is keeping.


The story is set in Cavanaugh which is a small Irish settlement in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Rugby plays a huge deal in everyone lives.  Our heroine is Autumn and she is a teacher now. She is also a geek and her 3 friends (Mollie, Layla, Sayo) are too. I felt bad for all the loss that Autumn had to go through but was impressed with her desire not only to walk but to run again.
Declan's first appearance had me worried but the more page time he had, the more I liked him. I will say he is a rough diamond. He would say whatever was on his mind without sugarcoating it.  I knew he was hurting when he was pushing Autumn away.
Some parts of the story were a little slow and I wished Autumn would have stayed away from Tucker altogether.
Overall the story works and I will read the second in this series.

“You know, in late spring, there is a group of synchrony fireflies that swarm in the Smokies,” I say. “It’s beautiful. There are six seconds of total darkness and then in perfect synchrony, thousands of bugs light up six times in a three second period before going dark for six more seconds."

3.5/5 Fangs
ML