Chase Me Home (A Bridge to Abingdon #3) by Tatum West

Chase Me Home (A Bridge to Abingdon #3) Reviews

• 
  Coco.V

  🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/23/2019)! 🎁
• 
  Sakuko

  I just did not enjoy this book much. The writing seemed clunky and awkward for a good part of the story. Lots of internal monologue telling us what's going on, what everyone is feeling instead of actually showing us something. Quite a few confusing continuity errors made it in too.
  
  The romance starts out way too fast with lots of sex, stops dead from about the middle to 80% and then goes into overdrive with a fairy tale like perfect ending. In between is a lot of mostly unnecessary drama about Elias' daughter and her school as well as Elias' father. The plot lacked in focus and there where several parts that could have just flat out been removed without changing the story in any way.
  My biggest problem is that nothing about the book feels believable. I don't even need realistic in my romance, but make the people seem like real people and the events coherent and sensible. It all felt so plotted out and staged.
  
  The characters feel mostly flat, character development is done in absolutes, not in gradual transition. The story is pretty much over by 85%, the author is just wallowing in a feel good ending that seemed trite and boring.
• 
  Ottilee B.

  Elias and Zane were classmates (diff. grades) at Jackson Academy and meet again at the multi-class reunion. Elias was a bastard then and years later, he's an older bastard- with a growing concious. Nevertheless, he's still likable. (It's the ex-wife that gets the negative reviews and boy-howdy, she deserves it.) Zane teaches Elias how to be a better human/father/boyfriend while somehow doing this MASSIVE artwork in E's building. I totally recomend this book, especially if being emotional is your 'Thing' as Elias and his daughter are on the autism spectrum.
  
  (My only question is: was Zoe named with Zane in mind? The Z's intrigue me!)
• 
  Jenn (not Lily)

  Meh. The story was ok, some of the characters were fantastic (Zoe and Mal especially), but the continuity problems drove me nuts. This author needs a better editor PLEASE! I want to read Nikki and Fox's story, but I might just throw my Kindle across the room if it has as many punctuation and grammar errors as this one. Proofread, proofread, proofread, people!
• 
  J

  Lots of good ratings for this book so my "meh" feelings about it are probably more about me. Interesting story with a billionaire tech guy, and a guy who loved the billionaire tech guy in high school but was shot down by the closeted geek billionaire. The tech guy comes back to his home town several years later having been through a divorce and fathering an autistic daughter and being fired by his tech company for his inability to get along with others even though he's brilliant and made everyone scads of money.
  
  I'm a reader who enjoys all kind of emotions, happy, sad, sexual, etc. etc. etc. I felt this book kind of glanced over a lot of things that could have been deeply emotional. We had abandonment, autism (I believe both billionaire and daughter although I don't think that was really spelled out), second chance love which never really stopped at the first chance, abusive father, uncaring mother and lots of on page steam but it all just seemed to be very unemotional for me. Liked the characters, liked the writing but needed more grit.
• 
  Essie

  The first book was a 4 star read and the second a 5 star read. I don’t know what happened with this book. It’s probably me....
  This was just okay for me. I didn’t like the way the relationship between Zane and Elias developed. I would have loved a little more of a hesitation (especially from Zane) in the beginning. I would have liked the beginning (with the graduation) also from his perspective. It wasn’t clear to me Elias is on the spectrum (but maybe that was intentional?)
  I really liked Zane, he’s a sweetheart.
  I also really liked how Zoe changed because of love and care.
  There were a few errors:
  Elias’ age was first stated as 38 but later as 34.
  Zelda (Zane’s sister) acts at the Christmas dinner like she’s meeting Zoe for the first time but they went shopping when Zoe was dropped on Elias’ doorstep by his ex.
  ‘Elias and I’ while it’s from Elias’ pov.
  These errors did not influenced my reading experience!
• 
  Cindi

  4.5 stars, rounded up.
  
  I put off reading this book because I wasn’t a fan of the last one,
  A Fighting Chance, though I loved
  Steele My Heart, #1 in the series. Honestly, the only reason I read
  Chase Me Home was because of the next one,
  Silver Fox, that has two of my favorite characters in the series as the main characters. I shouldn’t have waited. This was a really good book.
  
  I fell in love with Zane in the prologue. That didn’t change the more I read. As for Elias, he wasn’t good with people or social situations. He was fine in a boardroom and with anything pertaining to business, but not social interactions. It doesn’t take much for the reader to see that he and his daughter (Zoe) share more than just the father/daughter bond. He tries so hard with her, but he just doesn’t know how. I couldn’t help but like him after that. I adored Zoe.
  
  This is a nice second chance romance. I think the main thing I liked about Zane was that he was no shrinking violet. He was very blunt and straight-forward, regardless of how Elias acted at times.
  
  A fantastic addition to the series.
  
  Full review can be found at -
  
  
  
• 
  Beth

  Touching, angsty story...badly in need of an editor
  
  I’m a fan of this series and the world being created here. The characters are complex and there are interesting issues addressed. In this story a significant portion of the storyline deals with those with special needs, specifically those on the spectrum. The author does a good job conveying the frustrations and the difficulties surrounding those with differences and those who care for and love them.
  
  Elias and Zane are realistically rendered. The book begins with a flashback and then with Elias being fired from his own company and you kind of feel like you are coming in in the middle. It takes a while to get more back story. We meet Zane briefly in the flashback and then we see the two meet up again at a school reunion. We don’t get as much background on Zane.
  
  There are some plot holes that bother me and some points that are thrown out but never addressed. Also lack of research on education law. A public school can’t just throw out a student with special needs. If they have needs the district can’t meet the district is responsible for paying tuition AND providing transportation to that new district. Seriously, you’ve got a principal (and that’s they way it’s spelled incidentally) talking about expelling a nine year old!
  
  But the biggest issue is the lack of editing. So, so many inconsistencies...timing are they out of school 20 years? 15? Is the holiday dinner Thanksgiving or Christmas? It mentions both, seems like Christmas but then it’s November. Elias hires Zane for the work on the building. He mentions it needs to be done by June, Zane asks for July, Elias insists on June. Then suddenly we’re talking about January or even by Christmas.
  
  The end of the book had the biggest errors so it was really frustrating to have my head taken out of the book at the tipping points. Poor research, editing and proofreading makes me insane.
• 
  Lena Grey

  “I won't be the one to chase you but at the same time you're the heart that I call home.” ~ Over, song by Lindsay Lohan
  
  Twenty years ago, Elias Spaulding, of ‘Chase Me Home’ by Tatum West, made the biggest mistake of his life. Afraid of adding the label of gay to his already long list of “eccentricities”, he denied his feelings for Zane Chase. After kissing Zane, it was too much for Elias and he shut Zane out of his life. Now Elias is back in Abingdon, disgraced after being dethroned as head of the company he started because he mistreated his employees and his board of directors. One of the first people he meets once back is the one who he never gave a chance, Zane.
  
  Zane Chase is now an accomplished artist with a thriving career. He has never forgiven Elias Spaulding for the hurt and humiliation he caused all those years ago. After their tainted history, Zane is appalled to discover that he is still attracted to Elias. Besides what happened between them years ago, Elias has gained a reputation of being a ruthless businessman with little remorse, someone who buys rather than earns whatever he wants. Zane is determined not to fall under Elias’s spell or be a victim of his manipulation. Zane is determined not to be bought. Yet, as he gets to know Elias, he sees a different side of him. Yes, he can still be a jerk at times, but under that indifferent veneer there is a man who yearns for a normalcy most people have that comes to them as naturally as breathing. Knowing that, Zane can’t find it in his heart to turn his back on Elias and does everything he can to help Elias help himself.
  
  Elias may have lost his position, but he still has his money and he’s determined to use it to rebuild his reputation and show his former associates that they can’t defeat him. Elias sees his dismissal as a setback, not as the end. He blames his former associates for the mess that he created himself. Running into Zane is something he forgot to anticipate, but when he does, he sees it as an opportunity to correct a huge past mistake. His feelings for Zane are quickly rekindled and they jump into a hot and heavy physical relationship. Things seem to be going well, but Elias still has a lot of baggage to unpack before he can have what he wants with Zane. When Elias’s wife drops off their daughter with him and leaves, Elias is in a panic. His daughter has some of the many issues Elias had as a child. She is bright but has behavioral problems that interfere with her learning, as well as others in the school. Zane, having an older brother who has some of the problems Elias’s daughter has, does his best to help Elias; but when he realizes that he is enabling Elias, keeping him from learning to deal with his daughter on his own, Zane calls a timeout in their relationship.
  
  In ‘Chase Me Home’, the theme of character growth, importance of family, and commitment is carried over into this third book in the series. I loved Zane. He was everything I admire in a man. He was strong, talented, with tons of common sense. I had a lot of admiration for the way he worked with Elias’s daughter as well as Elias and his own mentally challenged brother. Zane had an innate compassion that Elias needed to find within himself. I admired Elias too, he has huge potential and did his best to live up to it. Thanks, Tatum, for helping Zane and Elias find their groove and their path to happiness.
  
  
  
  
• 
  Manuela

  3.5 stars
  
  It's not the first one I read in this series and some thing bugged me even while reading the other books. Seriously, there must be something in the water in Abingdon. Almost everyone is super good looking, super successful, super rich. And they all return to the town to show the people that despite what happened during their childhood and school time they all have made it in the world.
  This book is the story of Elias and Zane, both towners of Abingdon.
  Elias comes from a broken family and his father, who never saw any good in his son, abandons him when he is still a child. His mother sent him to the Jackson Academy, where he struggled to make friends and fit in but excelled academically. Zane grows up with supportive parents and his siblings. He has a crush on Elias but Elias isn't out, hasn't even acknowledged his sexuality and pushes Zane away.
  At a class reunion in Abingdon they meet again, still linked through common friends. Zane, who rose to fame and riches from being a graffiti street artist to a gallery filling master of modern arts, isn't really interested in rekindling their relationship until Elias offers him an artistic contract. Elias wants Zane to fill his latest idea with paintings and art. He dreamed up a Tech hub, a centre for various artists and enterprises to connect and interact. So while Zane paints he has time to get to know Elias again.
  Then Elias's ex wife drops his daughter off for good and goes on to live her life. Elias is totally in above his head. His daughter Zoe has ADHD and sensory processing disorder and Elias struggles to affirm his daughter about his love and that he wants her to be with him. Zane, who has experience in interacting with people on the spectrum because his brother Malcolm is autistic, tries his best to give Elias the support he needs and to teach him ways to communicate with Zoe.
  Because that isn't enough, Elias' father reappears. So with all this happening Zane and Elias' relationship is put on a back burner. Only a few times are they able to seek privacy of a bedroom to get intimate.
  I liked the story. It proved to me though that money can't buy everything, but it does makes things a lot easier. When Elias looks for solutions it is by employing people, offering money, instead of trusting in his abilities. I liked that Zane keeps encouraging Elias to speak to his daughter, to build a relationship and giving her structure. I also liked that Zane tried to establish boundaries between him and Elias, so that Elias wasn't able to use him in any kind of way.
  What I didn't like was that Elias tried to use Zane to help Zoe. He, especially after realizing how much he and his daughter have in common, should have known better. I didn't like the return of Elias's father. If it was only for the extorsion of money, why didn't he re-enter his life earlier, before Elias returned to Abingdon? It brought out a protective streak in Zane though. I am not sure about the ex wife though. She was portrayed as bitchy and selfish, but I couldn't help myself thinking that she wasn't much better in dealing with Zoe either. Did she get financial support from Elias? Why wasn't he seeing his daughter more often? Considering that Elias forgives Sara when she comes back, he obviously feels guilty of not supporting her more.
  There were also a few words missing. Some proof reading would have helped. The world building is alright. All in all it is an easy read.
• 
  Lu

  In the beginning I was a bit disappointed, the two MCs were not quite likeable, especially Elias. They seemed to be just two cold and rational successful men.
  
  Then Zoe came in the picture, and it seemed even worse at first. I was very engaged in Zoe's role because of her disorder, but it was clear that Elias had never been a good parent. Sara abandoned her but he didn't really take care of her before (providing just money doesn't really count to me).
  
  Then I started to see Elias in a different way, once it was clear that the way Elias was as an adult it was because he was like Zoe as a child and never got help but most of all never got care and love. And Zoe risked being the same. It was very frustrating seeing Elias with Zoe at first, like she was a problem he didn't know how to deal with which was the same way her mum treated her basically. Sara is also a horrible parent but then in a way it seems like she is having a burn out on her own.
  
  It was interesting though seeing Elias exploring and understanding his own anxiety and how he got there so that he can avoid that for Zoe but also get better himself, not only as a parent but for his own wellness.
  
  But then all the good came from Zane. Zane was amazing with Zoe and so so good with Elias.
  
  And I didn't really like that. The thing is it seemed like Elias needed Zane's help which is never a good thing. At the same time Zane starts to get attached to both Zoe and Elias before he is even in love with Elias, and Zoe is way too attached to Zane before he and Elias are even in a committed relationship - danger danger - and this is all because Elias needs him to be there helping with her, he is basically letting Zane do what he is supposed to do.
  
  I don't mind books where MCs are parents and already have a routine and a relationship with the kids but what I do not like is when the trope is that the kids are thrown into the plot when the couple has just barely hooked up and the parent MC needs help to handle the child and then you can never know if the parent falls in love with the other MCs just because of how the other MC helps with the child.
  
  And for one time, I was happy when they took a break, and realized all of that and start from scratch. And Elias took the lead and he changed and did a lot for Zoe.
  And then the last part just worked smoothly.
• 
  Catlou

  Elias Spaulding is returning to his hometown to regroup and start over. At his HS reunion he runs into his first crush, Zane Chase. You know, the one whose heart he broke when he pushed him away because he wasn’t ready to face himself. It’s now years later and a lot has changed. Zane is just what Elias needs now, if only he’ll give him a second chance. Little does he know he’s going to need Zane for more than just a chance to reconnect. His life is about to take a drastic turn which may bring everything crashing down, including their budding relationship.
  
  This is an amazing story full of emotion, drama and hot, steamy passion. In this story, we are introduced to Elias’s daughter Zoe and Zane’s brother Malcolm. Both are persons with special needs. The subject of special needs is handled with sensitivity and caring, exposing some of the insensitivity that is often faced in our school systems. My heart broke for Zoe and the struggles she went through trying to cope with having her world turned upside down. For Elias, too, having special needs of his own, having to come to grips with being a full-time, hands on father of a very amazing and challenging daughter. And if I didn’t already love Zane, I would have fallen for him when he described his feelings for Malcolm, and how Malcolm has made him a better man. This book is so full of feelings that it will grab your heart from the beginning, squeeze it until you cry, and then fill it to overflowing by the end. I highly recommend this extremely engaging, heart-wrenching and wonderful love story! Don’t miss it! You won’t be sorry!!
  
• 
  Rachel

  I absolutely loved ...
  
  An absolutely beautiful story...
  
  Elias runs a millions of dollars company he built from the ground up. Sadly, because he's set in his way (and ASD), he gets ousted from his company fifteen years after it's been built.
  
  The main character's Elias, daughter is ADHD, OOD and most likely on some level, ASD.
  I didn't know this going in, but I always love books dealing with special needs. Elias finds he's a lot like his daughter. At the same time, his ex-wife throws their special needs daughter at him. A child he's only seen at holidays.
  
  My heart breaks that Zoe feels her dad is trying to give her away all through out the story. After all, her mother doesn't want her, the multiple schools can't handle her, so it's safe to think her dad doesn't either.
  Elias sees so much of himself in her. His saving grace was going to an all boys academy. Twenty years later, they still don't allow girls. A school like this could really help Zoe. Perhaps he could help make changes.
  
  He goes back for a reunion and finds a boy, Zane, he had a crush on in high school is there and is extremely successful artist. Not only that, Zane's brother Malcom has Aspergers. Zane truly gets his daughter Zoe and really is the only person Zoe trusts. Until one day she doesn't.
  
  There are a lot of twists in this story, most are around Zoe. Some are about a new business. Of course a book can't be complete with out a deadbeat father looking for a handout, threatening slander again his dead mother, the only person who cared about Elias.
  
  Of course there is a HEA, but getting there is a rough road. 💜
• 
  Donna

  I want to touch on Zoe and Mal first. My sister is a special ed teacher that specializes in Autism. The author hit the mark on a lot of things but was way off on others... probably for the "drama" and I can't really blame them because it worked. The truth of the matter is that parenting is hard. When you are learning to deal with a child with special needs, well it never hurts to have a special person like my sister there to help you! *grin*
  
  Love is Love... and that is no different when dealing with romantic love... love for your child... or love for your cats! (Full transparency here... I don't have a love of cats... or dogs... or birds... or reptiles... or any living 4-legged creature! *sigh*)
  
  Now, for the GOOD stuff! I woke up this morning and realized that I had fallen asleep at 93% while reading this story last night... that is just wrong in so many ways! ;p
  
  Elias and Zane... yeah, I wouldn't have been as forgiving as Zane was at the beginning of the story, but overall we got a wide array of wonderful side characters that boosted this story to the next level and I really liked the "protective" side of Zane that came out when Elias' dad popped in for a visit. Speaking of Elias' dad, when you think about it, you just can't fix stupid! *headdesk*
  
  Even though this was my least favorite book in the series, it still had its good points and touched my heart from time to time, so I will consider this a good read!
• 
  Brenda Motza

  Book #3
  
  I absolutely loved this book. You could just feel the pain that Elias and Zoe were going thru and Zane is the glue holding them all together, as Zane has a brother with the same issues that Zoe is having.
  
  Zane crushed on Elias at their all boy school, Jackson Academy, and even though Elias had feelings for Zane he wasn’t ready to admit them plus he was a bit confused about himself. Now years later after Elias tried the marriage thing and had a daughter and then divorced and was pushed out of his company, he is back home to try a new startup and also attend his high school reunion. Zane, the famous New York artist, is back in town for the same high school reunion, plus, our buddy, Nikki, got Zane a guest spot to display his talents.
  
  The growing pains are so worth the time and effort. Zane shows Elias how to let go and enjoy the ride and not to care what other people think.
  
  I so wished that I could give more than 5 stars. This book definitely deserved it. My heart was fighting for Elias, Zane and Zoe. I wanted to hug Zoe so bad and throat punch Elias' ex-wife. Ugh! I can't even repeat her name.
  
  This book is a total must read and you would be sorely missing out if you didn't read the first 2 books in the series.
  
  I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this outstanding book.
• 
  Kathryn Manzella

  Tatum West's Chase Me Home is the third novel in the Bridge to Abingdon series. It is a second chance romance and its wonderful.
  
  Elias and Zane shared a few kisses back in school but Elias wasnt sure how to handle it all. Fast forward 20 years and the two are finally in a position where they might just be able to see what could be. Yes, there are obstacles to overcome, things each must learn by themselves... but there are also hot sexytimes, a strong connection, sweet moments and an adorable little girl who sees the world differently.
  I loved these characters so much.... I loved the story. Its beautiful and sweet and I could relate to it. Sure, Elias is a rich rich man, and I can not relate to that... but to struggling to do what's right for your child, especially when your child sees the world differently than the neuro -ypical society and school systems. The love between Zane and Elias is great too. The story touched me, gave me feels and made me incredibly happy to have read it.
  
  I received an advanced reader's copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and .
• 
  Ellen

  3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. Zane was the least mentioned MC in the series so it's nice that he gets his own story (all I knew from the other books was that he was an artist living in NY).
  
  Elias is an MC who as a child obviously had some un-diagnosed social issues. He is divorced with a 9 year old daughter who is literally dumped into his hands with no warning, as his ex-wife no longer wants to deal with her.
  
  Elias and Zane had just started seeing each other when the daughter dumping took place, and Elias is unequipped emotionally to handle her issues as she has been diagnosed with ADHD and various other alphabet conditions. Zane knows what to do because his older brother has some of the same issues (how lucky for Elias!).
  
  There's much confusion of feelings, miscommunication, and discovering of one another, but thankfully all ends well.
  
  This was my second to least favorite of the series. It wasn't bad, but I just didn't enjoy it to the same level that I liked book 1 and 4 (yes... I read them out of order - whoops).
• 
  Cat (queer_book_recs)

  3.5 stars
  
  Overall, I really enjoyed Elias and Zane's story. They felt natural and close as a couple. It was a bit instalove, but I didn't mind since they had a past. And the focus of the story is definitely on the father/daughter relationship more than the romantic relationship. But again, I didn't mind, and I thought the author did a good job of weaving all the relationships together. I have a few minor complaints, like how much of the book was telling and not showing, but my biggest complaint is that the blurb really didn't match the story. It claims that Elias is challenged by something from his past and starts pushing Zane away, but Zane fights hard for him. WIthout going into the details and writing out spoilers, just know that that isn't quite what happens. So that annoyed me, but didn't keep me from finishing the book. Would I read this book again? Probably not. But I definitely recommend reading this series. It hasn't blown me away, but it's been plenty entertaining.
• 
  Sandra

  Elias was different, he never really fit in and he doesn't allow himself to reveal his gayness. Instead he starts his own company, marries Sara and even becomes a father to Zoe, a very complicated child.
  When he returns to Abingdon for the 20th graduation anniversary, he meets Zane again. While Elias thinks he can simply apologise for his behaviour back then, Zane isn't interested in having any of it.
  It takes a while until they start seeing each other and everything gets more complicated when Sara drops off Zoe and leaves Elias to care for her from now on..
  
  It fascinates me that Tatum writes about kids with special needs, disorders etc. and it's amazing to see how Elias learns to become the father Zoe needs and makes sure she'll get the help to develop.
  This book was a great read, just like the two books before.
  
  I received an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.
• 
  BBG

  This book was a sweet story about learning to trust yourself and making connections with people who love you. Elias and Zane have great chemistry and balance each other; Elias being social awkward, impulsive, self-deprecating, and trouble expressing his emotions while Zane is calm, a social butterfly, confident and very affectionate. I really liked the book though Elias starts out as this character you can't help but kind of hate once you really start to see him find his self you really like him. Zane is someone you can't help but love and you want everything to just fall into place for him b/c he deserves it. There were a couple chapters that were meant to emphasis certain aspects however they were unnecessary and didn't move the story along. It was a really great read, I love how although Elias had never been imitate with a man he was willing to try everything and didn't freak about being gay but about being in a real relationship.
• 
  Leigh Vining

  I expected the story to be mostly about the romance between the two main characters, but not that much of the story focused on that, and what there was, didn't really show me why they were attracted to each other and why they fell in love. A lot of the story was about Zoe, one of the MC's daughters, and I did like her, it's just that, like I said, I didn't expect the story to be so much about someone else. I thought the MC's father's part could have been used more extensively. I was surprised when that part of the story just kind of wrapped up with not much excitement. I noticed some mistakes, typos and inconsistencies, but all in all, I found enough in the book that I liked and that held my interest. Toward the end, when the cats were added, well, maybe that's what did it for me since I'm a cat purrson.
• 
  Tianna McPherson (Anna Lee)

  My oh my, if you have read anyone of her books in this series you know how each story will end but in this one we guess what we want to happen but ate pleasantly surprised by how it actually turns out. We have 2 high school guys who know what they want but are afraid to do anything about it.  Some years go by and bam it's the reunion. Promises are what is keeping them hopefully but when someone threatens those you love, you make it known that they are the love of your life and nobody will ever come between that. I hope that there will be more to this series. Absolutely worth the read, highly recommend it and happily give it 5 stars. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy.