Chasing the Stars

With the help of her twin brother Theo, Naomi has a popular podcast that offers advice for people looking to find the positives in life. She always manages to find the good in bad situations. Hunter is hoping to graduate from college early to become an editor and won't let anything stand in his way. He doesn't have time for anything else except his studying.

When their moms plan a family trip, Naomi and Hunter collide and it isn't insta-love, because that doesn't exist. Neither of them have time for or want a relationship, but they can't deny the attraction sizzling between them. Hunter has his school and Naomi has her podcasts, which she's trying to decide if she should expand it or not. Their first encounter doesn't go well when Hunter throws in some snark and stomps on any conversation Naomi tries to start. Throughout the trip, the two butt heads and find themselves going back and forth, until something shifts between them.

CHASING THE STARS is a sweet coming of age contemporary romance that features two teens trying to get a handle on their lives. With their crazy families and unknown futures to consider, a relationship sounds like too much to juggle for both Hunter and Naomi. But surrounded by the beauty of nature makes it hard to focus on the bad, especially when Naomi's thing is to find the good.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of contemporary romance. It's an easy read that I managed to devour in one sitting.

‘Chasing the Stars’ by Melanie Hooyenga is a great sequel to ‘Chasing the Sun,’ the first in this series. Naomi is trying to get her bearings as she wraps her head around graduating from high school and getting a great offer for her podcast that has been doing really well, and which is destined to be bigger than she imagined. She doesn’t know where this offer will lead, in terms of where she goes to college, and in terms of how she finds a way to tell her twin brother, Theo, with whom she usually shares everything, including the podcast for which he serves as her producer.

Then there’s Hunter, a freshman at Berkeley, who has some hard decisions of his own to make. He isn’t sure that being away at college is right for him, even though he dreams of being an editor. He’d rather be closer to home for school so he can watch over his younger sister and mom.

When both of their moms decide that a trip away for the week to go camping and stargazing is the right thing for their families, Naomi and Hunter meet, and while neither is looking for a relationship, they soon find that despite their mutual misunderstandings of each other, they is definitely an attraction between them. Though they try to fight it, the way they challenge each other and enjoy each other’s company becomes apparent, and their siblings are eager to bring them together. At first, the two serve as more of a listening ear for the other’s troubles, but that soon morphs into something more.

Even for those readers who aren’t really outdoors people, this book will make you want to sit outside under the stars, enjoying nature and the beauty of it all. The cover art alone is definitely capable of making anyone want this. Naomi, Hunter, and their individual and family drama make the story blossom and will make readers interested to know more about how their lives will turn out. Looking forward to the third book in the series!