Chasing Love

Chasing Love: A Billionaire Love Triangle is a dark romance novel by Kat T. Masen. The novel is the first title in the Dark Love Series. Originally self-published in 2020, Chasing Love traces Charlie Mason and Lex Edwards’s forbidden romance. Charlie and Lex fall in love when Charlie is 18 and Lex is 25. Their secret affair ends when a married Lex discovers that his wife is pregnant. Nine years later, Charlie and Lex reunite by chance and their old feelings resurface. Despite her continued love for Lex, Charlie isn’t sure she wants to give up on her new fiancé Julian Baker to be with Lex again. Told from Charlie’s and Lex’s alternating first person points of view, the novel explores themes including The Difficulty of Escaping the Past, Love as a Battle for Power, and Attraction as a Threat to Identity.

This guide refers to the 2020 self-published paperback edition of the novel.

Content Warning: Both the source text and this guide include sexual content, cursing, substance use, and depictions of emotional abuse, mental illness, emotional manipulation, harassment, and sexism.

Plot Summary

Charlie Mason is living a happy life in New York City. Nine years prior, she was heartbroken after her ex-boyfriend Alex “Lex” Edwards broke up with her to commit to his relationship with his wife Samantha Benson. Charlie had a mental breakdown and struggled to rebuild her life in the aftermath. In the present, Charlie is a high-powered lawyer. She and her best friend from law school, Nikki Romano, have their own firm. Charlie owns her Manhattan apartment and has good friends. Then one day, she meets the handsome Julian Baker at the gym. Determined to give love a second chance, Charlie agrees to go on a date with Julian.

Charlie and Julian date over the next three months. They fall in love, and Julian proposes. Charlie accepts but feels nauseated and overcome with uncertainty as soon as the ring is on her finger.

Shortly thereafter, Charlie and Julian are out to lunch when Charlie sees Alex—now going as Lex—across the café. Lex is shocked to see Charlie, too, and he approaches her. He tries apologizing for what happened years prior, but Charlie gets upset. She tells him she’s engaged and insists she has nothing to say to him.

Lex is left reeling after his encounter with Charlie. Nine years prior, after Samantha became pregnant, Lex decided to commit to his wife and raise their alleged child together. He soon discovered the child wasn’t his and went out in search of Charlie. Her mother insisted Charlie was over him and demanded Lex leave Charlie alone. Now Lex wonders if he gave up on finding Charlie too easily.

Charlie and Lex run into each other again at a charity ball. Charlie is dancing with Julian when Lex cuts in. Charlie is overcome by memories being near him again, but she tries to remind herself that she’s with Julian now. Then Adriana Edwards—Lex’s sister and Charlie’s former best friend—appears. She and Charlie make amends for their miscommunications years prior.

Over the following weeks, Charlie and Lex start running into each other at various events and venues around the city. Charlie keeps telling herself to resist Lex but feels powerless in his presence. They end up kissing several times and having sex. Each time, Charlie reminds Lex that they aren’t together and that she’s still engaged to Julian. Lex is furious, convinced that Charlie belongs to him.

Charlie’s friends throw her a birthday party at a Spanish restaurant. Lex is jealous watching Charlie and Julian together. Finally, he gets her alone and leads her to the bathroom, where they have sex. Afterwards, Lex gives Charlie a diamond-encrusted phoenix necklace inspired by her tattoo. A jealous Julian insists that Charlie take some time to decide what she really wants and whether she really loves him.

Charlie and Lex spend the following weeks sneaking around. Charlie realizes she still has feelings for him, but is also terrified of getting hurt again. Adriana insists that she and Lex are meant to be together and urges her to break up with Julian. Charlie isn’t sure. Every time she is with Lex, she is reminded of the pain he caused her years prior. She was so devastated after his betrayal that she had to spend time in a psychiatric hospital.

Charlie finally agrees to spend the weekend with Lex in the Hamptons. Throughout the getaway, Charlie embraces her feelings for Lex. They spend time on the beach, wander the town, and have sex. Lex puts a keychain on Charlie’s finger and insists that they pretend to be engaged for the weekend. One night, Charlie gets upset when Lex starts talking about Samantha again. She storms out, telling Lex she can’t do this anymore. Lex professes his love to Charlie, insisting that Samantha means nothing to him now. He then asks her to marry him, and Charlie agrees.

Lex leads Charlie to a special house where he has already made wedding arrangements. The two get married and spend the night together. Charlie wakes up, thrilled to remember that she and Lex are now married. Then she scrolls through her phone and encounters a headline announcing that Lex has been in a secret relationship with his client Victoria Preston for months. Charlie is shocked and angry. She grabs her things and races back to the city.

Back at her apartment, Charlie breaks down in sobs, slumping to the floor. She is furious with herself for trusting Lex again. Finally, she calls a friend and asks for help. The friend arrives, scoops Charlie into his arms, and shepherds her to another location. Charlie finds herself lying in a warm bed in an unfamiliar place. Her mind reels with thoughts of Lex.