Charade (The Games Trilogy Book 1)

This is one of those books that I am kicking myself for not reading sooner! What a Boy Wants was my first Indie book back when I had no idea what an Indie book was. I LOVED What a Boy Wants (and What a Boy Needs) and I totally blame Nyrae Dawn for my Indie obsessiveness. I've wanted to read Charade since I first heard about it, but it somehow kept getting lost in my endless TBR pile. I read a great review from one of my favorite bloggers and I just knew I had to read it soon. It had been a while since I read a Nyrae Dawn book but oh boy she did not disappoint one bit. Nyrae truly has an amazing gift of writing some of the most broken characters and great love stories I have read. The story of Cheyenne and Colt is no exception.To anyone else, it would seem like Cheyenne has the perfect life. She is popular and well liked and has a popular boyfriend. But Cheyenne has always felt like the people she cares about abandon her. As a result she doesn't let herself get close to people to avoid being hurt. When she catches her boyfriend cheating on her, she is determined not to let him know how much he hurt her. Cheyenne comes up with a plan to make him jealous and make him think she has moved on. She approaches Colt, who seems to have a history with Gregory, and offers him money in exchange to pretend to be her boyfriend. Colt shoots her down but he really does need the money for his mom's medical expenses. When he sees her at a party, he decides to take her up on her deal. Getting paid to pretend date a gorgeous girl, what can go wrong with that? The fact that he can rub it in Gregory's face is just the cherry on top. But even though Colt acts like a jerk and he has his moments, he is actually a really good guy that is just dealing with a lot on his plate. His mom is dying of cancer, a fact that he refuses to accept, he sells drugs to pay her medical expenses, and the only reason he's in college is because his mom asked him to. Really though, he truly believes that he will never amount to anything.This was my first time reading a girl POV from Nyrae and I'm happy that Cheyenne was so easy to connect with. I truly felt for her and my heart broke for her. Cheyenne had issues from her childhood and her mom that she was dealing with and even though Colt and her pretended this was just a game, he was always there for her when she was going through her darkest moments. And she was always there for him through his toughest moments too. Cheyenne was also a very strong character and didn't take any crap from Colt or Gregory which only made me like her more. Colt was an emotional character for me. His mom is living her last days. These scenes between him and his mom were just gut-wrenching not only because they felt so real but because I went through something like this last year and my feelings were still raw. Nyrae didn't sugarcoat anything and completely understood what Colt was going through. He was another character I easily connected with and I loved that he said exactly what was on his mind. I swear that Nyrae writes the best guy POV's ever! (I'm convinced she must have a bunch of guys locked in her basement and she makes them tell her exactly how guys behave in exchange for food.) As much as I really liked Bastien and Jaden, I think Colt might be my favorite.I like to think of myself as a tough person. I refuse to cry with movies, TV shows and books and there have been very few books that have made me cry. Charade was one of them. This book tore me apart and broke my heart but it also left me feeling happy at the end. Although things started out as a game between Colt and Cheyenne, everything between them was so real, no matter how much they tried to deny or fight it. I had high expectations for this book and I was not disappointed. If you haven't read a book by Nyrae Dawn yet, I highly recommend them! Beautiful, heart-breaking and highly emotional, Charade is a story that will stay with me. I am really looking forward to the next book in this series, Facade and I will be reading it as soon as it comes out.5 out of 5 stars!Some of my favorite non-spoiler quotes from Charade:-His hand slides up the back of my shirt an even though I know it's wrong and it's not the right way to deal, each touch masks another thing I don't want to think about. When he's touching me, it's a definite, something I know. His touch is black and white when nothing else in my life is, even when I believed it to be so.-She's optimistic. The cup is half full, sunshine and flowers and I try to act like I agree, but really I'm pissed someone dumped out half of my drink.-"Play your games if you want to. We both know what this is." I tap my fingers against the steering wheel, frustrated."Be careful, Colt or I'll think you're jealous.""Be careful or I'll think you want me to be."-"Be real with me."He's almost more serious than I've ever seen him. It takes my breath away."I thought this was a game," I remind him."Not anymore and you know it. This is the only thing that's real."*** of my reviews at:Nereyda @Mostly YA Book Obsessed Read more

Read this and other reviews at [...].Charade was definitely one of those stories that seemed to come out of nowhere and knock me on my butt. I thought it would be a sort of predictable (not in a bad way) story, where boy and girl play this game of "dating" for their own benefits, and of course fall in love in the meantime. I was looking forward to it for many reasons - I needed a quick, lighter read, and I LOVE Nyrae's writing. She covers the male POV so wonderfully. This story ended up being so much more than what I was anticipating and I fell in love.Cheyenne just caught her boyfriend of quite a few years in bed with another girl at the beginning of the school year. At a new school. In which she is attending because he's there. Basically, her life feels pretty sucky. This betrayal by Gregory is just a reminder of why she didn't trust people to begin with. She's always let down. Of course, there's so much more to the story of that part of her life. And it's heartbreaking. BUT - In the midst of telling Gregory off, in an attempt to stand up for herself and keep some semblance of dignity, she might let it slip that it was fine he did this, because she has a suitor after her attentions anyways. Nevermind the fact that it wasn't true at all, and she actually knew no one.And then we meet Colt. He's a playboy, and delicious. He doesn't get saddled down with any girl. He does what he can to get by, and help to take care of his dying mother. He's in school because it was her dream to see him succeed, and he'll be damned if he doesn't grant her a final wish. He and Cheyenne have an unconventional first meeting - and what unfolds from there is the great "charade." He's to help her look less like the dumped loser she feels like, and she's going to pay him, which will in turn help with his mother's hospice bills and medicine. Colt and Cheyenne had an amazing chemistry. It was fun, flirty, intense and HOT! :)"It's that stupid girl heart-pounding, hearts-floating-by-my-head thing. Where the guy who fights so hard to keep the distance, does something so small, it's huge. I can't help but let it inside. Let it mean something."This story has it all: love, sadness, guilt, drama, lying, secrets, happiness, death, forgiveness. Literally, everything. With that, comes a rollercoaster of emotions. As I had mentioned before, this story really came out of nowhere for me. I did NOT expect to be sobbing like a damn baby about it. That's for sure. But I found myself doing so on a few occasions. I'd go from smiling to crying within the span of a few pages, and that's a great story for me."Tomorrow...don't remind me I said this. I won't want to talk about it, but tonight...keep me safe."If I had a negative to the story, it would be the editing. It could have certainly been cleaned up and while I know that doesn't bother everyone, it is something I especially take notice of, and it can be distracting for me. Luckily the story was so great, it wasn't enough to distract me completely from it.I HAVE to mention the supporting characters as well. Adrian, LOVED him. So happy we will be getting his story in Facade coming out next year. I know there's so much more to him than a pot smoking, party animal, and I can't wait to see it. And also, Colt's mom. She was incredibly strong and poignant and amazing. She was a beautiful character and added so much to the story. And was often times responsible for my snotty nose and ugly crying."You're the only thing I've ever done that means something."I really loved the alternating POV in this story, because I really enjoy seeing into both characters' minds. I think it was very well done, and once again, Nyrae has a way with the male POV. :) I give this story 4 stars and recommend to anyone looking for a sexy story, laced with plenty of angst, but also a heartwarming message. It's about second chances, moving on, and relationships that save and stand some pretty big trials. I can't wait to read Adrian's story next!

Cheyenne has just discovered her boyfriend Gregory is cheating on her.With the thought of him abandoning her spiralling through her mind, she asks Colt to pretend to be her new boyfriend.Colt doesn’t like spoiled princesses, but he hates Gregory more and soon the two of them are caught up in a charade that even they start to believe..I’m trying to put on a brave face but really I’m a blubbering mess.Charade was nothing like I imagined, I expected a book about two people faking a relationship, what I discovered instead was a story that is full of discovery, loss and romance!As both characters discover each other, they embark on a journey that allows them to see themselves through someone else’s eyes.Their rough pasts and imminent futures start to blur as their charade crosses new lines.The emotions coursing through the pages takes the reader on a journey that will break them, a journey that will have the heart and mind aligned as they wait for the story to play out!The characters are incredible, the challenges they have faced, shows a strength that is deep rooted and full of pride. Two characters who need love but won’t admit it.I love Colt, the relationship he shares with his mum, left me in tears several times. The bond between him and his mother is so intense and beautiful.I just wish Colt could see what his mother sees.There are two characters who stay in the background and both of them, prove their worth in different ways, for Colt and Cheyenne to have people like this in their lives shows it’s not all bad, that said this story will shatter you but also imbed a thread of inspiration into your life!

The name Nyrae Dawn was not a name I’d heard of until I came across Charade which all of a sudden seemed to have taken over my Goodread page from friends reading and loving this book. And because everyone loved it, I ended up purchasing it off Amazon for 77p – and that was money well spent.Charade is told from alternative points of view from Cheyenne and Colt – both who have troubled pasts, which cause problems in the present for them. They both struggle opening up to people and showing who they really are but when Cheyenne gets dumped by her boyfriend, she pays Colt to be her boyfriend. But no sooner than they start the charade, soon they find their actions aren’t so fake after all.Charade was just the right book to get my over my little reading slum over the Christmas break. I was immediately drawn in by Nyrae’s style of writing and of course her awesome choice of characters. Both Colt and Cheyenne just had something magical about them. They were easy characters to like and it was very easy to slip into their heads. Of course, Colt was my favourite. He’s got this swagger about him, he’s moody and broody – my two favourite things from a male character but he’s also easily to love. I love how he calls Cheyenne by a nickname, whether it was Princess or Chey and this is definitely my favourite quoteCharade was a great read, one that I could easily re-read all over again and because of this, it's made me want to try more of Nyrae Dawn’s work, and hopefully I will soon.

Charade is a brilliant story, I literally couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting!Cheyenne is attending college, she has a boyfriend and feels like things are on the right track; that is until she walks in on Gregory with someone else!Cheyenne realises that she followed Gregory here, his friends were hers, and now they weren't together, she was back to having no-one. But she wasn't going to risk letting anyone in again, it was easier that way.Colt has his own problems, he doesn't need someone else's, so when he's approached by Cheyenne to be her fake boyfriend, to make her ex-boyfriend jealous, and when she offers to pay him, is it an offer he can't refuse?What neither Cheyenne or Colt realise is that maybe they're good for each other, they make each other feel good, and they make each other the forget all of the bad stuff that is going on in their lives.The back stories of the characters are realistic and believable. The situations are dealt with very sensitively, and at one point I really had a tear in my eye. Each of them has lost, or is losing, someone they love, but finding each other could be all they need.I absolutely recommend this book as a great read. It took me a few pages to warm to Cheyenne, but you definitely find yourself relating to her, and as more of her story becomes apparent, you begin to understand the way she behaves.Colt is a great character. He's the bad boy with tattoos, mussed up hair and an 'I couldn't give a shit' attitude, but that's not all there is to him. You definitely warm to his character quickly, he can be an arse, but that's all part of his appeal. When he starts to let his defences down, you get to see the whole picture, and it makes him a great book boyfriend!Definitely worth 5 stars, and an absolute must read.

Charade is my first read by Nyrae Dawn and I freakin loved it!Its a beautiful and heartbreaking story of Colt and Chey, who I am convinced were put on this earth to mend each other!Cheyenne, seemingly abandoned by her mom and raised by her aunt, has experienced some awful things at a young age. She suffers from panic attacks and tries to convince herself that she doesn't need anyone. Her barriers are armour plated and she's constantly trying to prove to everyone that shes a tough cookie whos doing just fine. She's really just a frightened little girl that needs to be saved.'I can't risk needing anyone...but I almost feel like I need him'After a chance meeting she finds someone who see's through that facade..Colt,tattoed bad boy who makes the whole world think he doesn't give a s***. But his mom is sick, and he's watching her die slowly. She's all he has, all he has ever had and he's terrified of being without her. Chey soon finds out that he's honest and loyal and can see right through her.'I might not be able to do much for you, but i'll hold your secrets'It starts off as a game, a Charade. Cheyenne decides Colt is the perfect person to help her get back at her good for nothing ex boyfriend after she finds him in bed with another girl. So they begin their Charade. It's most certainly not all a bed of roses, at first it seems they are polar opposites but as time goes on they actually need each other more that they could have ever believed. The lines blur leaving each of them unsure of themselves or each other.'This is a game. Our Game. One that I asked for, but with each day it seems more real''I couldn't do this without you, Tiny Dancer'Beautifully written, I felt every emotion along with them. My heart was broken into tiny pieces and almost rebuilt by the end! I was left exhausted and mentally drained but so thankful that they have each other. This one is going on my favorites list!I can't wait for 'Facade'- Adrians story.5 Beautiful, heartbreaking, Passionate stars!!!

After reading raving reviews for this book and having previously read `Measuring Up' by Nyrae Dawn and loving it, I couldn't wait to get stuck in to `Charade'!!!It had me completely hooked from the very first page and I couldn't put it down. Eventually I had to peel myself away from it around 2am ish as I had work the next day and I'm not a particularly good morning person at the best of times. All day I was thinking about this book and couldn't wait to get home and finish it - I even managed to squeeze a chapter in on my lunch break!The story took me on an emotional rollercoaster. One minute I was laughing at the banter between Chey and Colt, and the next I was a crying mess (and I don't mean just a few tears, I mean full on sobbing!) I loved watching the main characters falling for each other and although the ending is predictable, the way it was written was beautiful and I felt the added twist gave the story a little extra something.I wish there was another book to follow on as the epilogue only shows them 3 months later and I'd love to know how they move on from the recent events, if they sort their personal issues out, and, most importantly, if they live happily ever after :)This book is defiantly worth a read and I have already recommended it to a friend (I only finished it last night!) Buy this book, you won't regret it :)