• Home
  • Book Review
  • Contest
  • Blog Tour
  • Sneak Peek
  • About

Romantic Reads and Such

~ thoughts on romances

Romantic Reads and Such

Tag Archives: Risking It All

Book Review – Risking It All

18 Thursday May 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Book Review, Hidden Falls series, Risking It All, T.J. Kline

It makes me so happy when I hear that a new Hidden Falls novel is releasing … and with more siblings still needing a HEA, I’m going to be smiling for a while to come  🙂

*****

Risking it All

Hidden Falls #3

by T.J. Kline

Releasing May 2, 2017

Avon Impulse

Blurb:

Andrew McQuaid wasn’t always the local playboy. Once upon a time, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with one woman-Gia Mancuso. When he made a mistake and lost her, he decided he wasn’t meant to have a happy-ever-after. Now, Gia’s come back to town, with a baby in tow, and it might just mean a second chance at forever, if he can convince her that he never stopped loving her.

Ten years after leaving, Gia finds herself back in Hidden Falls. Between helping her ailing father save the family restaurant and taking care of the baby her sister left on her doorstep, she doesn’t have time for the man who once broke her heart. But Andrew is all grown-up now, in every single way. And the part of her that has always been his can’t quite say no to his tempting kisses.

Just when Gia begins to open her heart, a devastating secret emerges that threatens to destroy her family and any future with Andrew. Are they doomed to repeat the mistakes of their past or can Andrew convince Gia that she’s always been his one and only?

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30317435-risking-it-all

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/181009-hidden-falls

Buy Links:  AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO

*****

Excerpt:

The soft crunch of gravel jerked her upright as headlights bathed the interior of her car in white light, blinding her. Reports of women being carjacked, kidnapped, or murdered filled her mind, and she hurried to snap the buckle of Bella’s seat again. Dropping the bottle, she lunged forward, attempting to climb over the console into the driver’s seat to get the hell away from whatever killer might be approaching her car.

It took only a few seconds to realize how big a mistake she’d made.

Gia had always been well endowed, but she’d never expected her curves to get her stuck partway between her front and back seats. She wiggled, trying to twist sideways to make it easier to pull her forward. Gripping the edge of the steering wheel, Gia used it for leverage, tucking one knee under her as she tried to force herself through. It was no use. She was hopelessly stuck, now unable to move forward or back. She was a miserable excuse for a guardian and prayed her stupidity wasn’t about to end with her and Bella on tomorrow’s news, murdered on the side of the highway, mere minutes from their destination.

She craned her neck to see the flash of red and blue lights washing through the back window for the car as a thin white beam of light slashed through the window, into her eyes. She held up a hand, trying to make out any of the features of who she prayed was really a cop, even if it meant someone would witness her embarrassing predicament. The back door opened and Gia heard a deep rumble of laughter.

“What brings you back to town, Gia?”

Gia closed her eyes, wishing she could crawl under her car. How was it possible that after nearly ten years of avoiding him, she was now caught in this position by the one man she never wanted to see again, the same one who’d broken her stupidly naïve heart at nineteen?

“Andrew McQuaid,” she muttered to herself. He shone the light on her rear end, and irritation welled. “You think instead of ogling my ass you might actually help me?”

She felt the hands that had carried her to her first heights of ecstasy reach for either side of her hips. The same hands she’d sworn would never touch her again after she found out about that bastard’s cheating ways.

“Hey,” she squealed, trying to squirm away from his touch, willing herself to ignore the way her heart leapt into her throat. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Exactly what you asked me to do. I’m helping you.”

“Not like that!” She swung a hand at him, slapping her own butt in the process, but at least he let go of her.

“How exactly do you propose I help, then?”

“I don’t know. You’re the cop.”

Andrew laughed, still leaning into her car, bent over awkwardly behind her. “Honey, I really don’t see any other way.”

She glared at him over her shoulder. “Don’t call me that.”

“Fine.” Andrew moved into the car, practically sitting in the back seat, and slid one hand through an opening by her waist, in front of her bent knee. The other slid around her calf and managed to pull it out from under her. “There. I’m going to tip your right hip down, but you’re going to have to manage to twist your shoulders to fit… um…” He searched for a polite term he could call her boobs. “… the girls through,” he finished with a chuckle.

Gia felt the rush of heat flood her face. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Andrew’s hands closed on her hips again, practically cupping her right butt cheek in his palm. “Bend your right knee and I’m going to pull on three. One… two… three.”

Gia managed to twist her body as Andrew pulled her backward, and she slid through the space as if she’d never been stuck at all. Andrew dropped into the seat, carrying her with him. Gia landed in his lap with one of his muscular forearms under her breasts, the other hand cupping her inner thigh, sending a blast of heat between her legs. It was the worst reaction she could have ever imagine having.

Until she realized that hard ridge beneath her rear wasn’t his gun.

*****

Review:

I’m kinda surprised at how awful Gia’s sister is, but Kline does an amazing job of making her believably spoiled, troubled, and self-centered.  She’s a truly awful person and causes a WHOLE lot of drama.  While she could easily have been a little too over-the-top, she manages to work well here.

Unlike Lorena, both Gia and Andrew are hard-working, honest, family-oriented people.  After their engagement went sour, Gia has been avoiding Andrew and Andrew has been avoiding his feelings  🙂  Thrown together again when Gia is back to help take care of her father and the family restaurant, it isn’t as easy to keep their distance any more.  And with proximity comes the chance of fixing some old wrongs and maybe finally move on.

While there aren’t a lot of surprises with how things go throughout the book, Kline is a skilled story-teller and keeps it interesting.  For all of their angst and issues, I was rooting for Gia & Andrew from the first and was angry on their behalf every time they experienced a set back.  They work well as a couple, when they let go of past hurts and misunderstanding, and when they finally get everything figured out I cheered a little … OK, quite a bit.  On the inside.  And maybe just a bit on the outside.

*****

Author Info:

T. J. Kline was bitten by the horse bug early and began training horses at fourteen—as well as competing in rodeos and winning several rodeo queen competitions—but has always known writing was her first love. She also writes under the name Tina Klinesmith. In her spare time, she can be found spending as many hours as possible laughing hysterically with her husband, teens, and their menagerie of pets in Northern California. That is, when she isn’t running around the California Gold Country researching new stories.

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

*****

Giveaway:

A Print Set of the Hidden Falls series book 1 & 2

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c81293/

*****

Click on the banner below to check out the rest of the tour

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Spotlight – Risking It All

06 Friday Jan 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Caroline Easton, Risk series, Risking It All

I don’t know how I’ve missed this series but it’s going on the list for sure!

*****

ebookRisking It All

Risk Series #3

by Caroline Easton

Contemporary Rock Star romance

Blurb:

Being at the top of the music charts is an incredible success, but it can also take its toll, as Jake Williams knows all too well. In the years following his success, he’s become the classic example of a wasted rock star. When one of his shows turns into a drunken disaster, Jake finally lands himself in a place he never thought he’d see: rehab.

Olivia Holmes is a PA who is just trying to make a living. When the management team of notorious rock star Jake Williams hires her to keep him on track with his sobriety, she jumps at the chance. The job was too good to be true, but there was one minor catch that Olivia didn’t anticipate: falling in love with her boss.

Will Olivia be the key to Jake’s salvation? Or will he just become another demon of her past?

Risking It All is the exciting new installment in the Risk series.

Add To Goodreads

Amazon UK

Amazon USA

teaser-2

Other books in the series:

Taking A Risk
Amazon UK
Amazon USA

Worth The Risk
Amazon UK
Amazon USA

teaser-11

*****

authorAuthor Info:

Caroline Easton lives in Leeds, West Yorkshire, with her husband and two of her three children. The eldest having flown the nest. She first began writing in 2012, and her first novel, Dancing in the Rain, was published in 2013. Other novels include Taking a Risk and Worth the Risk, both of which are rock star romances.

Facts about Caroline

• I am a huge super hero fan, Thor is my favourite!
• I count in two’s in my head when I’m stressed.
• I order diet drinks when I eat junk food, to make myself feel less guilty.
• It took me 3 attempts to pass my driving test.
• I hate driving.
• I have no sense of direction, I get lost at the end of my street.
• My favourite film is Cool Runnings.

You can Stalk Caroline at Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

*****

banner

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Book Review – Risking It All

17 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Christi Barth, Naked Men series, Risking It All

cover82729-mediumRisking It All

A Naked Men Novel

by Christi Barth

Who doesn’t love Naked Men? In Christi Barth’s irresistible series, a group of close-knit friends talk out their problems with naked honesty on a popular blog. Bonded by a high-school tragedy, they’re moving on from the past—and fighting for the future with strong and sassy women.

Griffin Montgomery helps people. As a teenager, he kept his best friends alive after their soccer team’s bus crashed in the Alps. Now, as a Coast Guard search and rescue pilot, he saves lives with reckless abandon—until he goes too far and earns a lengthy suspension. Working on the Naked Men projects keeps his mind busy, but Griff’s itching to get back in the action. That’s when he finds his latest rescue mission: a pretty wallflower who’s stuck in her comfort zone.

Chloe Widmore doesn’t take risks. As a professional letter writer, she gets enough excitement out of expressing other people’s emotions. So when the hottest man she’s ever seen invades her coffee shop, Chloe surprises herself with how much she wants to be with him. Routines make her feel safe. Griff makes her deliciously unsafe, in so many ways. But falling for him is one risk she might just have to take . . . whether she’s ready or not.

 

We’ve seen Barth’s books before (here) and I’m super excited to start her new series.  I’m going to say now that this review has a kinda spoiler in it so if you don’t want to know anything more stop now 🙂

I’m usually curious about what others are saying about a book I’m reviewing (just to see what they liked, didn’t like or noticed that I didn’t).  And I was super surprised at how many people didn’t like Griffin.  To me he was a pretty typical guy’s guy – take charge, physical, testosterone fueled, that kinda thing 🙂  But quite a few people flipped at how he reacts when he finds out that Chloe is a virgin.  I’m not sure what it says about me but I’m not surprised or offended that a guy who isn’t thinking long-term commitment with a woman at that point would have a problem with being her first.  He’s concerned that she’d have a more emotional connection to sex than maybe what their relationship is ready for and it isn’t a new idea that most women have trouble keeping their heart out of the bedroom without that.  It doesn’t take him very long to get over it but I can definitely understand why he has a knee-jerk “oh-hell-no” reaction.  I think this is just going to be something that each reader has to decide whether it works for them.

I found the two of them to be quite realistic in their actions and reactions.  They aren’t perfect and both have hang-ups from horrible things that happened in their past.  But it also gives them a special understanding of each other that helps create the basis of a great relationship.  And, one of my favorite things, they have great communication – that’s the one thing that will drive me nuts, when the characters don’t talk to each other and therefore do stupid things.  There is drama – over her virginity, his need to save everyone and her aversion to taking any kind of risk.  While they may not have typical issues, they handle them without a whole lot of melodrama – any time I thought that something was going to come back and bite them, they actually worked through it in a way that was very believable.

My only complaint is that we don’t get enough of the relationship between the guys.  The interactions that we do get are so entertaining and show the closeness that has developed between such different guys that I really wanted more … and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series for that alone.  Plus, Barth does such a good job of giving us tidbits and little glimpses of the other guys that I really want to get to know them better.  So I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on these guys – I’m seriously looking forward to them meeting their matches (especially Knox 🙂 ).

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Recent Posts

  • Review – Kiss My Giraffe
  • Spotlight – The Marquess of Magic
  • Spotlight – The Alphahole’s Guide to Marrying The Enemy
  • Review – Beach House Summer
  • Spotlight – Temptation in Istanbul
  • Review – Rule Breaker
  • Spotlight – Set On You
  • Review – The Dachshund Wears Prada

 

 

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow Romantic Reads and Such on WordPress.com

Facebook

Facebook

Twitter

Follow @romanticread

Email me

romanticread@gmail.com

Goodreads

 

 

Tru Blue

Archives

  • May 2022 (9)
  • April 2022 (15)
  • March 2022 (13)
  • February 2022 (7)
  • January 2022 (17)
  • December 2021 (21)
  • November 2021 (12)
  • October 2021 (20)
  • September 2021 (14)
  • August 2021 (10)
  • July 2021 (7)
  • June 2021 (14)
  • May 2021 (23)
  • April 2021 (19)
  • March 2021 (21)
  • February 2021 (11)
  • January 2021 (14)
  • December 2020 (13)
  • November 2020 (13)
  • October 2020 (13)
  • September 2020 (5)
  • August 2020 (10)
  • July 2020 (4)
  • June 2020 (13)
  • May 2020 (11)
  • April 2020 (12)
  • March 2020 (14)
  • February 2020 (11)
  • January 2020 (10)
  • December 2019 (5)
  • November 2019 (10)
  • October 2019 (12)
  • September 2019 (14)
  • August 2019 (6)
  • July 2019 (13)
  • June 2019 (18)
  • May 2019 (13)
  • April 2019 (16)
  • March 2019 (20)
  • February 2019 (19)
  • January 2019 (14)
  • December 2018 (12)
  • November 2018 (18)
  • October 2018 (22)
  • September 2018 (20)
  • August 2018 (17)
  • July 2018 (15)
  • June 2018 (21)
  • May 2018 (16)
  • April 2018 (21)
  • March 2018 (20)
  • February 2018 (21)
  • January 2018 (22)
  • December 2017 (21)
  • November 2017 (19)
  • October 2017 (25)
  • September 2017 (22)
  • August 2017 (21)
  • July 2017 (21)
  • June 2017 (29)
  • May 2017 (29)
  • April 2017 (23)
  • March 2017 (25)
  • February 2017 (23)
  • January 2017 (22)
  • December 2016 (22)
  • November 2016 (27)
  • October 2016 (28)
  • September 2016 (20)
  • August 2016 (23)
  • July 2016 (21)
  • June 2016 (24)
  • May 2016 (26)
  • April 2016 (25)
  • March 2016 (24)
  • February 2016 (39)
  • January 2016 (24)
  • December 2015 (25)
  • November 2015 (27)
  • October 2015 (27)
  • September 2015 (27)
  • August 2015 (36)
  • July 2015 (31)
  • June 2015 (21)
  • May 2015 (24)
  • April 2015 (30)
  • March 2015 (30)
  • February 2015 (26)
  • January 2015 (22)
  • December 2014 (21)
  • November 2014 (32)
  • October 2014 (34)
  • September 2014 (28)
  • August 2014 (34)
  • July 2014 (45)
  • June 2014 (44)
  • May 2014 (44)
  • April 2014 (38)
  • March 2014 (42)
  • February 2014 (38)
  • January 2014 (36)
  • December 2013 (32)
  • November 2013 (35)
  • October 2013 (33)
  • September 2013 (24)
  • August 2013 (19)
  • July 2013 (20)
  • June 2013 (18)
  • May 2013 (19)
  • April 2013 (19)
  • March 2013 (22)
  • February 2013 (14)
  • January 2013 (17)
  • December 2012 (8)
  • November 2012 (16)
  • October 2012 (12)
  • September 2012 (11)
  • August 2012 (13)
  • July 2012 (3)

 

 

NetGalley Professional Reader

Professional Reader

NetGalley Top Reviewer

Reviews Published

NetGalley 80% Feedback

80%

NetGalley Frequently Auto-Approved

Frequently Auto-Approved

NetGalley 500 Book Reviews

500 Book Reviews

NetGalley Challenge 2016

2016 NetGalley Challenge

NetGalley Challenge 2015

Challenge Participant

 

 

sign up to have great new reads sent right to your email

Pump Up Your Book
Book Unleashed

Featured Book Reviewer

FTC Disclaimer

I have received ARCs of books free from BookTrib.com to review but the majority of the stories are either bought by me or provided for free from the publisher. The opinions I share are my own and in no way are influenced by an author or publisher. There is no promise of a positive review by any party and there is no additional compensation. Unless otherwise noted, I am not affliated with any contest or other event mentioned on this blog and I do not receive a paid endorsement for any posts.

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Romantic Reads and Such
    • Join 1,500 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Romantic Reads and Such
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
    %d bloggers like this: