I love the “opposites attract” trope, and this book was a fresh take on it. Wren is a flighty and free-spirited whirlwind, while Preston, who has OCD, is ruled by routine.

"Maybe we’re too different to be together— polar opposites attracted like magnets. He is an anchor to this place, weighing me down with his perfect words and praising lips. We want contradictory lives. I need change and adventure. He thrives on routine and order. He seems happy to make furniture, eat at the diner, and live out the rest of his days in this town. Just the idea of that feels suffocating."

At the beginning of the book, I found it hard to like Wren. She’s a bit of a bull in a china shop, popping back into her sister Bennie’s life after years away with no communication except for scattered postcards. Wren’s selfishness and brattiness, and her insistence on honesty for everyone but herself, was grating. But as she settled into life in her hometown, and into her relationship with Preston, aspects of her character development endeared her to me. I loved that Wren accepted Preston’s quirks without judgement, and didn’t try to fix him, though she did push his boundaries. Without that aspect of her relationship with Preston, I would have thought a lot more poorly of Wren.

I also loved Wren’s relationship with Bennie. I was especially pleased to see how close they were even though their age difference was in decades instead of years. In some ways, it did feel like Bennie was Wren’s surrogate mother – in the book, there’s even a description of a photo where their mom is holding her Bible and Bennie is holding Wren. It was good to see Wren mature and realize how special her relationship with Bennie was.

I have a particular soft spot for neurodivergent heroes, and Preston was just so sweet. While this is written in first person present tense from Wren’s point of view, each chapter ends with one of Preston’s freeform poems. I am not a poetry girl, but I found this a surprisingly insightful way to get inside Preston’s head. Preston also has a delightfully dirty side!

“You’re so scared of missing out on adventure, that you’re ignoring the one right here in front of you.”

The romance had a lovely slow build, culminating in the particularly sexy use of a nail gun. The flirting was super hot and quite humorous at times. I loved the give-and-take of their relationship – Preston going outside of his usual routine, and Wren accepting not shaking things up like a snow globe just for the sake of change. In the end, they compliment each other, each being a settling influence on the other.

Overall, this was a fun ride! Definitely recommend for fans of the opposites attract trope, small-town romances, or neurodivergent heroes!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Sorry, as much as I tried, I could not get into this book. It felt like I was missing something from the very start and it didn’t get any better.

I’ll admit that when I first opened Chaos and Control by Season Vining I was expecting a bit of light fluff. I wasn’t even sure about it when I was given the opportunity to review it. I’d pegged it as one of those books that may be fun to read, but that was about it.

Boy was I wrong! The book’s description in no way prepared me for Preston or the emotional impact of this author’s writing style.

Chaos and Control is largely a character study style story, it is written from the two points of view of the main characters Wren and Preston. Character study stories are my absolutely favourite style of writing. I love a story that delves into the individual personalities of the characters (usually just the main leads) and the relationship between them. When done well you can forge an emotional connection with the characters and this adds a deeper dimension to the story where you feel invested in the highs and lows of their journey.

The formats of the two points of view were presented slightly differently in Chaos and Control. While Wren’s POV was in the normal narrative style, Preston was presented through the poetry he was writing throughout the story. This change from the ‘normal’ style was particularly well suited to Preston who is a damaged individual dealing with a crippling case of OCD. The poetry was perhaps even more descriptive than the narrative style in that it clearly highlighted his internal reaction to incidents in the book which often contrasted to how it was related by Wren’s POV.

Preston’s poetry perfectly matched the entire feel of this book. Season Vining is a talented author who has the ability to weave together the two points of view of the main leads with a flowing, lyrical prose. This is not a fast paced book, the writing is unhurried but it is not drawn out nor is it an arduous read. The almost dreamy quality suits the atmosphere of small town America and ties in well with both Preston’s condition and his poetry.

I would highly recommend Chaos and Control by Season Vining. It has been a while since I’ve been so engrossed in a book, and I haven’t read a story in such a beautifully constructed lyrical style for a long time. Although Season is a new author to me, I will certainly be looking at her other titles.

I disliked Wren so much that I had a hard time connecting to anything in the story. Preston was a great character, and I liked the poetry at the end of the chapters. But Wren ruined my reading experience. I realize she was young, but she was incredibly immature and self involved. She acted more like a young teen than a 21 year old who has spent the past three years traveling on her own.

I really had a difficult time to get into this story. Liking a story is personal preferences. It didn’t capture my attention.

3.5 stars

It has been a few years since I have read a Season Vining story, and it was great to get back into her world.

There were a lot of things I liked about Chaos and Control, like the way she dealt with Preston's issues, the way Wren accepted him as he was, the way Wren was the chaos to Preston's control. Wren's character development

However Wren - oy, that girl. She frustrated me no end. She was a spoilt 21 year old brat! After what she has been doing for the past years, I would have been a lot more mature. I did like her by the end of the story, however it took me a long time to get there.

I adore the push/pull between them. I adore Wren's interactions with her sister - well most of the time, when she wasn't being the pot and the kettle!

Preston made this book for me. All his quirks just endeared him to me right from the start.

I look forward to seeing what Ms Vining has for us next.

This just didn't work for me. Here comes the good and the bad.

The Good.

- Preston with his OCD was endearing.
- Wren accepting Preston's condition.
- Wren's character development.
- The story of coming home and realizing that it's not all that bad.
- Loved Preston's poetry.
- Preston dealing with his OCD and making progress.

The Bad.

- Wren's need for honesty. Don't sit in a glass house and throw stones.
- When it comes to her sister she is selfish, self-absorbed.
- She didn't like Crowley yet she came back with her tail tucked between her legs.
- The overused plot with the abusive ex. A plot that has been done repeatedly.
- I skimmed.

It did make me smile and it did make me laugh but it also made me roll my eyes and lose interest.

This book has a lot of potential and I can clearly see why others have given it such high ratings. The writing is good and the author for me is a diamond in the rough.

This is my opinion so take it with a pinch of salt peeps.

Chaos and Control was a very well written book and I loved each character. Even though Wren kind of got on my nerves. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat, just waiting to see how things are going to turn out. I look forward to reading more of Season's work.

Sometimes the place we run from is the only place we can run to when life is overwhelming. Sometimes a person finds just what they need when they least expect it.

CHAOS AND CONTROL by Season Vining is a story of a young woman coming back to the town she ran from to gain control over her life. Now Wren is back, because the chaos of an abusive relationship has sent her running to the one place she thought she couldn’t be found, the last place she wanted to go. When Wren walked into her sister’s shop, she didn’t expect to find Preston, a beautiful man with a beautiful and tormented soul.

Preston needs order and control in his life, he has OCD and struggles with life on a daily basis. Wren is anything but ordered in her life, she is a whirlwind of chaos and yet, these two find exactly what they need with each other. As Wren’s old life begins to leach its way into the cocoon of safety she has found with her sister and Preston, she knows the delicate relationship she is forming could be destroyed in an instant. Little did she know, even coming home would hold its monsters in the shadows.

Season Vining has done a beautiful job of creating a world her characters can find their own kind of acceptance. It is isn’t perfect or even universal, but watching Wren and Preston grow closer and seeing how Wren has crossed Preston’s self-imposed boundaries is heart-warming. Preston’s voice truly comes alive through his writing and we get to feel the intensity of their relationship through his eyes. This is truly a tale of need for two people who learn to grow, trust and rely on one another through the good and the bad, but not without pain or struggles. Wonderful storytelling that romantics will feel deep in their souls!

I received an ARC edition from Entangled Embrace. My honest review is voluntary.

Publisher: Entangled: Embrace (December 11, 2017)
Publication Date: December 11, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Print Length: 278 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

I have only read one book by Season Vining in the past and I can't believe I have gone this long without reading another. Vining brings to life a cast of fantastic and realistic characters that will touch the hearts of many readers. Her slow burn romance will touch even those with the coldest hearts and the build-up and anticipation will leave you hanging by the edge of your seat. This book is very well written and touching. There were moments of pure emotion the made my heart beat a million miles and hour and left me glued to the pages. I loved the characters (especially, Preston) and the plot is perfect and unique. I can't wait to get my hands on another book from the author.

At 18, Wren left her small town behind in her search for adventure and to see this world. She opts to come back 3 years later after getting involved with the wrong guy. Preston works works at her sister's music store. He happens to grab her attention.
I really liked Preston and I thought he was portrayed very well (from his mannerisms to how he get through each day). Preston has OCD. What kept me reading was Preston. I liked his poetry at the end of each chapter (I think there was 1 that didn't have any).
Wren, on the other hand, was immature. Yes, I did like her by the end of the book, but it took me the whole book to get there. I didn't like how she treated her sister Bennie. She's gone for 3 years, arrives (not having told Bennie) and acted surprised when she didn't have her job/apartment any more. While she on "on the road," her sister had no way to contact her. Wren shrugs it off because she sent post cards! Well, that's just ducky! Wren's expectation of honestly was also annoying because she wasn't honest either. Pot. Calling. Kettle. Black.
Wren *did* get better as the book went on and I did like how she would try to protect Bennie from their toxic parents.

eARC courtesy of Entangled Publishing and NetGalley.
Publishes on Dec 11th

Running from an abusive boyfriend, Wren heads back to her hometown in Kansas. When she returns she fins her much older sister still running her record store, but she also finds Preston, a gorgeous man who seems to have a few control issues.

Wren has been traveling for the past 3 years and hasn’t kept in touch all that much with her sister, Bennie. Bennie was the one who raised her when her parents didn’t want much to do with Wren, their very late addition to their family. Bennie has always been there for Wren and she is once again when Wren needs her.

Wren can’t seem to keep away from Preston, even though she knows she might not be the best one for him. She doesn’t plan on staying in town and Preston’s OCD forces him to be on a rigid schedule at all times. Despite their differences Wren and Preston start to make things work. Unfortunately, life throws Wren some serious curve balls and she finds that her life changes whether she wants it to or not.

This was a sweet story that I really enjoyed reading.

Wren was definitely a free spirit but I thought that she was perfect for Preston – even with all of his OCD issues. I loved that Vining wrote her hero with OCD and did such a great job at portraying this disorder. I know from experience that it can be very stressful on friends and family of those with OCD but in Wren’s case she found it endearing and actually pretty hot. Go Wren. :) Preston was a great hero and I enjoyed him so much. I loved that he found Wren a calming effect rather than seeing her a too chaotic.

Bennie, Wren’s sister, played a large role in the story and I liked her a lot as well. I don’t even really want to call her a secondary character because she was so central to the story. She was a great person and loved her sister to pieces.

Overall I really liked this story and liked Vining’s writing. I definitely recommend this great contemporary romance.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This will post as a guest review on Book Binge.
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I found Preston to be the sweetest man, "Preston looks down at me and back to the road. “I imagine I’d give you just about anything you wanted, Wren Hart.” Wren is a very hands on woman, “Pretty chest, pretty abs, pretty little happy trail.” I scrape my nails through the bit of hair that disappears into his jeans." I liked this book, I loved Preston and Wren.

This was definitely a read that I'd recommend. I've read tons of romance novels but never one that dealt with OCD. I thought the character of Preston was realistic and gave great insight into what a person with OCD lives with. There were times that the character of Wren irritated me, especially towards of the end of the book when she feels Preston betrayed her. I felt like she was being immature in that situation, but I liked her character overall. Wren and Preston had a steamy romance and I liked how protective Preston was of Wren, I really enjoyed this read and would recommend readers take a chance on it!