Chasing Love

Lex Edwards is Charlie’s love interest and another first-person narrator. As is typical of the dark romance genre, he is both the male romantic lead and the primary antagonist, undermining Charlie’s life and causing her emotional distress with his manipulative hold on her. The chapters titled with his first name are written from his perspective and depict episodes from his storyline. Like Charlie’s chapters, Lex’s chapters also offer insight into his otherwise secretive interior world. Lex used to go by Alex but has since started going by Lex. (The flashback chapters of the novel refer to him as Alex, while the present-tense chapters refer to him as Lex.) In the narrative present, Lex is in his mid-thirties. He divides his time between London and New York. He runs a business called the Lexed Group, which is involved with real estate and night clubs. Lex once thought he had a future as a doctor, but after his and Charlie’s breakup nine years prior, he gave up on a career in medicine and remade his life. In the present, Lex is a steely, cold-hearted businessman. His assistant, Kate, knows him to be an impenetrable workaholic. His sister, Adriana Edwards, notices how Lex has changed in the past decade, too. She attributes Lex’s transformation to the pain his ex-wife Samantha caused him and the heartbreak he suffered over losing Charlie.

Lex’s controlled exterior immediately falters when he and Charlie unexpectedly reunite in New York City. As soon as Lex sees Charlie again, he is overcome by emotion and desperate to rekindle their former love affair. Lex knows that he hurt Charlie, but he has been led to believe that Charlie moved on after their breakup. When he discovers otherwise, he makes constant attempts to apologize, make amends, and renew their passionate affair. However, Julian Baker stands in his way. A jealous, volatile, and angry character, Lex has trouble containing his emotions whenever he sees Charlie with Julian. He is possessive of her and often uses aggression to prove his love. His intense behaviors at times ride the line between passion and emotional abuse, satisfying tropes of the dark romance genre. His domineering nature is typical of dark romance characters’ behaviors. His vengeful nature also intensifies the narrative mood and heightens the narrative stakes.

Lex is also a dynamic character who changes as a result of his relationships and experiences. When he and Charlie first start seeing each other again, Lex resists reverting to his former, softer self. The longer he is with Charlie, however, the more powerless Lex becomes. He realizes that his love for Charlie in fact makes him a better person. Kate and Adriana repeatedly comment on how Lex is changing because of Charlie. Charlie loves Lex but is wary of trusting his alleged transformation. She wants to protect herself from him and thus often feels conflicted about Lex’s intentions. Lex’s first-person perspective implies that he will do anything for Charlie and that he does genuinely care about her. At the same time, his dubious behaviors and ongoing, secret relationship with Victoria Preston challenge the stability of his and Charlie’s romance.

Julian Baker is a primary character. He is Charlie’s first boyfriend in a year. The two meet while working out at the gym one day. Eager to reinvent what love and romance mean to her, Charlie agrees to give Julian her number and go on a date with him. The two end up having sex the first night they hang out, and an intense relationship ensues. Within three months of dating, Julian professes his love and proposes to Charlie.

Julian is the ideal lover and romantic counterpart. He is charming, kind, attractive, attentive, and caring. He is also passionate, and Charlie feels chemistry with him. At the same time, Julian is a foil for Lex. Though she hates the way her overwhelming passion for Lex destabilizes her life and robs her of control, she is distressed by the absence of passion with Julian. She knows that Julian is a better match, but she feels reluctant to commit to him. She accepts his marriage proposal but feels nauseated whenever she is wearing the engagement ring. She believes that he loves her but wonders if her love for him is as real as the love she once felt for Lex.

Julian is not a traditional antagonist, but he does create conflict between Charlie and Lex. Lex perceives Julian as a threat. He is jealous of him whenever he sees Julian with Charlie. He also feels frustrated whenever Charlie talks about Julian in a positive light. Charlie also feels conflicted because of Julian. She tells Lex that “he made [her] realize [she] could love again” for the first time since Lex left her and that he “made [her] smile again” (474). She knows these aspects of her and Julian’s relationship are true but can’t understand why she still feels torn about marrying him.

Julian disappears from the narrative when he decides to give Charlie space to decide what she wants. He suspects she has feelings for Lex and doesn’t want her to marry him if she can’t commit. Charlie ends up taking advantage of Julian’s grace and patience. Before formally breaking up with him, Charlie races off to the Hamptons and impulsively marries Lex. This unresolved dynamic with Julian promises to create tension for Charlie in the subsequent Dark Love novels.

Nikki Romano is a secondary character. She and Charlie met in law school and remain close friends and business partners in the narrative present. Charlie and Nikki supported each other through difficult times in the early stages of their friendship. Charlie was there for Nikki when she became pregnant unexpectedly with her then boyfriend Rocky Romano. Nikki supported Charlie through her heartbreak over Lex, even before Charlie was ready to talk about it.

Nikki fulfills a quintessential best friend role in Charlie’s story. She provides comic relief while also offering Charlie advice and wisdom. She is perceptive and intuitive. She loves Charlie, but she isn’t afraid to challenge Charlie’s feelings, beliefs, or perspective on reality. Charlie relies on her support throughout the novel.

Adriana Edwards is another of the novel’s secondary characters. She is Lex’s younger sister and Charlie’s childhood best friend. Charlie and Adriana grew up together, and Adriana was the one person Charlie could count on amidst her tumultuous home life. Despite her and Adriana’s tight bond, Charlie kept her and Lex’s relationship a secret from her. She didn’t want to upset Adriana and feared her judgment, because Lex was married at the time. Her secrecy resulted in the end of their friendship.

Charlie and Adriana make amends when they reunite in the narrative present. Adriana is a forgiving, gracious, and self-reflective character. She does hold Charlie accountable for her mistakes, but she is also willing to own her own shortcomings. The two rekindled their friendship in the narrative present.