Book Review: Chasing Fireflies by Taylor Dean

Chasing Fireflies, by Taylor Dean
2016, 336p, Clean Contemporary Romance
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Received a copy via eBooks for Review for an honest review



My sisters think I’m crazy.

But, I’ve never forgotten the mysterious woman from my childhood who told me Paul is the name of my one true love.

She told me to search far and wide for him.

I haven’t stopped looking ever since.

When I stumble across an article about a successful American entrepreneur named Paul who lives and works in China, I’m intrigued. When the opportunity to teach English in China presents itself on the same day, I know it’s not a coincidence.

It’s destiny.

My sisters say I’m chasing a dream.

Just like the fireflies we tried to catch on the warm summer evenings of our youth, the dream seems beyond my grasp. Will my quest for the elusive Paul always be just short of fulfillment?

My sisters tell me it’s a fool’s errand.

Until I remind them of the day we saw the Red Bird.

The memory silences them.

The Red Bird Incident remains inarguable—and proves my search for Paul is not a silly fantasy.

I will find Paul . . . I will.

I already love Taylor Dean and when I found out she was part of the Matchmaker series, I was excited! To date, this is my favorite book of hers and of the series. When Savannah was young, she met Pearl the matchmaker who told her three things. Two of them have happened so she just knows the third one will, too. The name of her one true love is Paul. She's only ever dated boys named Paul and just isn't interested in anyone else. She learns of an American entrepreneur named Paul who lives in China so she takes a job opportunity that lands her in his city.

I knew I would need to start reading this when I had some time and was glad because, sure enough, I couldn't put it down once I started! The author has done a lot of research and it's based on some of her daughter's experiences while she was teaching English in China (you can read more about it on her blog here), so there is an authentic feel to this story. I loved the setting and learned so much about China. Then, there were the characters: Savannah, who's shy but determined to find her soulmate named Paul and will do whatever she needs to in order to achieve that; Paul, the businessman she is determined to meet; Julian, the chef at Burger, Burger, an American Restaurant, and the other teachers that were in her group who became her friends. I also loved the pacing--it never felt slow to me.

I loved how the story unfolded and the hint of things to come (like the Red Bird Incident). I also loved the twists and turns along the way to a completely satisfying ending. It was interesting to see how she incorporated Miss Pearl into the story--it was different than the other books in the series but it worked well in this case. If you're looking for a clean, swoony read, get this book right now! And then read more of Taylor Dean's books--you won't be disappointed!

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Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it's paranormal, contemporary, or suspense-you'll find all sub-genres of CLEAN Romance in her line-up.

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