Faux Beau by Marina Adair (Notes)

◆ Chapter One
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Try on something new.
▪ Except Milly wasn’t a quitter. Something she’d learned growing up with an independent, impulsive, don’t-take-crap-from-anyone older sister, who never walked away from an adventure and never gave up when things seemed impossible
◆ Chapter Two
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Bucket list: Fill it with beer. Drink it.
▪ It wasn’t the first time Cindy had been too caught up in her addiction to play doting parent, but it was the first time Jax was given a safety net. And that’s what the Carmichael family represented to him, a safe place to land—no matter how bad the storm—even if the blizzard was a result of Jax’s rebellious side. Peggy and Kent had taken a chance on two kids who would have otherwise fallen through the cracks, and given them a home and more love than Jax felt he deserved.
◆ Chapter Three
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Keep moving forward.
◆ Chapter Four
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Always opt for lace over cotton.
◆ Chapter Five
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Without a bucket you can’t score.
▪ “Is that what tonight’s about? Fun?”
“Yes. And taking life by the balls.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Take life by the balls?”
“It’s kind of Zoe’s philosophy on life. When she got sick, she made me promise to do things that scared me, made me feel alive. We talked about things we wanted to do, places we wanted to visit, but we never got that far. She’s been gone four months already, so I have some catching up to do. So, will you come home with me?”
◆ Chapter Seven
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Claim that morning-after
crown proudly.
◆ Chapter Eight
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Get through today.
◆ Chapter Nine
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Do something that scares you.
▪ “I think that’s the problem,” she said honestly. “I don’t know what makes me happy anymore. The things I used to want seem silly now and the things that used to be important seem trivial. Before Zoe’s cancer I had this very clear map of where my life was going. I had a job I liked, a promotion right around the corner, a fiancé I loved, an apartment that was the size of a cereal box, but it was mine. I was living my big-city dream.”
▪ You’re allowed to reclaim your life and chase those dreams again.”
She blinked several times as if what he’d said didn’t compute. “Then who will pick up all the other pieces?” she asked as if she honestly didn’t know. How isolating it must be to assume responsibility for everything and everyone in her life.
Was this how Lucas felt? Like it was up to him to shoulder all the burden for the entire family? Maybe, just like Milly, Lucas had found himself trapped between what he wanted and the needs of others.
◆ Chapter Ten
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Don’t tiptoe into the cold water.
Go for the Polar Plunge.
◆ Chapter Eleven
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Be a queen.
▪ That’s the point. No romance.” Because romance led to feelings, and she couldn’t afford to grow feelings for this guy
▪ There seemed to be two sides to Jax. The flirty, play-it-fast-and-loose side, which he let people see. But then there was this other side, a deeper side, that was vulnerable and lonely
◆ Chapter Twelve
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Accept a challenge that scares you.
◆ Chapter Thirteen
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Shout from the mountain top.
▪ When faced with a problem, Jax used others as a sounding board, it was what made him such a competitive athlete. He knew when to seek outside expertise and didn’t have a difficult time asking for direction. Lucas was more introspective and tended to troubleshoot solo. It had always been that way. Even throughout school the difference between their approaches to life had been stark. Jax used every resource at his disposal, whereas Lucas would rather read an entire textbook by himself.
◆ Chapter Fourteen
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Don’t be stingy with hugs
◆ Chapter Fifteen
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Say yes to the dress.
◆ Chapter Sixteen
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Go commando.
▪ “Do you know what I was thinking the entire time? That I wished I was talking to you.” She rested a hand over his heart—which, she could feel, was pounding. “You’re funny and charming and thoughtful and you love what you do. You went after your happy and accomplished it. Don’t you see, your world is just too big to be fenced in. You don’t sit around waiting for approval, you go after what you want. It was the thing I admired most about Zoe, and the same thing I admire about you.”
▪ You’ve spent your whole life worrying about everyone else.” He cupped her cheek and ran his thumb down her jawline. “Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what you want?”
◆ Chapter Seventeen
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Go for the jelly-filled.
◆ Chapter Eighteen
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Fight for what matters.
▪ Four hundred pages of things Jax knew nothing about. His communication skills were best suited for social settings. If Jax believed in something, he could sell it to anyone. It was how he managed to land so many sponsors so early on in his career. He didn’t do analytics and minute details, Jax did things big and loud.
◆ Chapter Nineteen
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Dream under the stars.
▪ All great nights start with a blindfol
◆ Chapter Twenty
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Never shy away from a challenge.
◆ Chapter Twenty-One
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Go all in.
▪ When she walked into the room the entire male population stopped to appreciate a beautiful woman. And she was beautiful. And smart. And tenacious.
She had this dynamic energy that was inspiring and infectious. She led with an understated assurance that made people want to be around her. Then there was that quite poise about her that turned him inside out. He’d once mistook it for shyness, but now he knew better.
▪ “The other night we were talking about next chapters. What is your next chapter?” she asked. “I know you love what you do, but have you considered what comes next?”
◆ Chapter Twenty-Two
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Say yes even when
it scares you.
▪ I’m not staying because of what I’ve lost. I’m staying because of what I’ve found. This is where I want to be. This is where I belong.”
◆ Chapter Twenty-Three
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Put it all on the line.
▪ Where she’d disappeared into a bottle, Jax vanished into his career. It was the downside of the job. But a necessity to win. And Jax liked to win.
▪ I thought it was, but maybe not. I mean, freedom can be lonely and money isn’t everything. I’ve loved working on this kind of project.
▪ I get that our relationship is complicated and unorthodox, and I imagine we’ll make mistakes along the way, but I am willing to try, willing to put my heart out there and see if you’re man enough to pick it up. And I hope to God you are because I might not know how to do the whole faux-mance thing, but I know how to love. I have been doing it my whole life, and it is terrifying and intense, and I know it can seem like a lot at first, but it can also be safe and freeing if you allow it to be.”
◆ Chapter Twenty-Four
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Never be afraid to make a mistake.
At least you took the risk.
◆ Chapter Twenty-Five
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Accept no refunds on love.
◆ Chapter Twenty-Six
▪ Take Life by the Balls
Hold on to love like it is
a box of doughnuts.
▪ Big mistakes that had big consequences. Painful consequences.
But she was done with mistakes.