Ms. Swan's Bookstore

Posted by Anonymous

When Bella takes her shy and nervous five-year-old son Alex to his first day of kindergarten, she runs into Edward, a very handsome young man and also father of Anthony, one of Alex's class mates. The two boys hit it off immediately and constantly bug their parents with sleepovers, play dates, and shared dinners. And while Alex and Anthony spend time watching animals in the zoo or fight Star Wars battles, Edward and Bella get to know each other really well and begin to feel more than just friendship for each other. Yet as both have already experienced what it means to lose a beloved person, will they be willing and able to fall in love one last time?

Taking Chances has its flaws. Apart from a number of typos, one and the same word is often used in three or more consecutive sentences which is a little detrimental to the style. That said, the story needs to be recommended nonetheless as Butterfly Betty describes the lives of Edward, Anthony, Bella, and Alex in very realistic kind of way.

Bella often gives others a piece of her mind, especially when friends and family behave awkwardly around her because of her late fiancé. She also doesn't let Alex go to Anthony's house the first day they met as she doesn't know Edward and is unsure whether she can trust him with her son. Finally, Bella and Edward's relationship takes some time to evolve - just like in real life. Yes, the two feel attracted to each other, but it needs good friends and family to push them in the right direction.

Taking Chances consists of 47 chapters and a total of 151,767 words. The story is rated M for description of adult situations and foul language.

COMPLETE