Review: Risky by Bruce Rose

Falling in love is always risky…

Shane Merrick has poured everything into his nightclub only to find himself days away from bankruptcy. Just about the last thing he needs is a blast from his past, especially one who broke his heart. Keeping his focus off his sexual urges and on his business has been easy. Until now.

Wealthy playboy Jake Lang has a lot to prove. Mainly that he can make something of himself without his father’s money. Opening a nightclub in Fairview seems just the thing, until he discovers the man he never forgot running one. Instead of competing against him, Jake has the brilliant idea of joining forces, but first he has to show Shane that he’s changed.

Will the two men be able to work together, or will old hurts and new suspicions destroy their second chance?

Shane is adorably geeky and owns a nightclub which is not doing so great. Jake, a college boyfriend who always seemed to flit in and out of Shane’s life, seems to be back, and even ten years later, Shane can’t disguise his reaction to the man.

Jake needs an investment, so that he can prove to his father that disinheriting him was a mistake. He’s got his eye on Shane’s club, and has every intention of making a business relationship work.

I really enjoyed this. I loved the premise. The reunited lovers, but with baggage. Delicious. Especially since Jake is such an arse, and it takes every bit of willpower Shane has to not fall into his trap.

Shane was a great character. I loved him. I wanted him to get his shit together, and get the guy who he deserved.

I warmed to Jake over time. He was arrogant and pushy, but also his heart was in the right place. Even if he didn’t seem to know how to approach the situation, he was trying his best.

As a team they worked well together, and the snark between them was delightful. It made the content not as depressing as it could be. Sometimes I just wanted to give Shane a big cuddle and pet his head until the world was awesome for him.

Jake’s life seemed to be crumbling around him, but he was making the best of a bad situation.

Character development was strong, and I felt that each personality came out well. The descriptive content showed me exactly what I needed to see, and the relationship development was convincing.

Recommended for those who enjoy a little humour with their reunited lovers Romance.

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Review: Evan's Luck (Riding the Circuit #1) by Jennah Scott and H. Sterling

Spencer Quinn has an image to uphold. His family name means more than anything. It’s the reason the reason they've become the most successful stock contractor on the rodeo circuit. Fresh out of school, he’s ready to take over the family business. It’s no secret he’s attracted to men, and so far that hasn’t been a problem.

Until Evan.

The assertive friend who knows how to push every one of his buttons.

Evan Taylor is known for his love ‘em and leave ‘em style, yet the last few months have left him deflated and lonely. His father's shadow wasn't where he wanted to end up, but he's having trouble finding happiness. Maybe because women can't keep his attention. He’s losing hope of settling down until a blast from the past saunters by, his heart catches and tingles spread over his skin. Of all people, Spencer? The one person who would never give Evan a second glance. It’s just his luck.

The old saying, “Bad luck is better than none at all” fits Evan perfectly. Or does it? Is his bad luck about to change? Will Spencer Quinn be his good luck charm instead?

Meet Evan Taylor; Rodeo rider, ranch hand, and someone who has made jumping from bed to bed an art. It's his twenty-sixth birthday, and it's a day that he vows will be different than the rest. Terrified of turning into his father; a man known for collecting buckle bunnies, not trophies, he wants to separate himself from the stigma that is his last name once and for all. It's time to be known for his skills at riding and his achievements in the arena, not who's in his bed that night.

He decides on two things: One, flipping to the opposite sex is going to be the fix.

And two, his best friend's brother, Spencer, is going to be his good luck charm.

So he does what any reformed player does when he's serious about turning his life around - In front of everyone, and without permission, he kisses Spencer. For luck, of course.

Spencer wants nothing to do with the cowboy. He's despised Evan for years out of disgust for his playboy ways and maybe a bit out of jealousy as well, but there's no denying there was something with that kiss that has him reliving it again, and again.

Evan is determined to prove to Spencer that he's committed to being different, and eventually Spencer agrees to a date. But to the reader, this date feels an awful lot like something Spencer does to spite his brother. Because his brother knows Evan, and monogamy, commitment, and serious are not words used to describe him.

For the most part, there are some very sweet moments between these two cowboys. Do I buy their chemistry and feelings? Not really. Mainly, because it all seems so rushed. Love comes quickly for these two men, despite the stubbornness, their quick to anger attitudes, and their jumping to conclusions.

It feels like every moment is an obstacle for them. From refusing to give up independence over something as simple as one taking care of the other due to injury, to their worrying over the physical distance of their relationship (which was a mere 30 minutes away), these guys are all or nothing, and move fast.

Yet... there's something so earnest and likable about Evan - He's the main reason why I liked this story. He lays it all out there, wears his heart on his sleeve, and sees something special in Spencer that he's determined to cherish. (If Spencer lets him)

These two battle for control the entire way, and there's an undercurrent of Dominance that runs beneath their relationship; "When we're alone, you know who's in charge... right, Spence?" It felt out of place and unnecessary. I get that it was meant to reinforce that these two men are manly men, but they already had stubbornness and that whole rugged cowboy thing going for them, they didn't need more.

And I realize as I'm writing this, that there was no resolution to their need to eliminate that 30 minute distance that was weighing so heavily on them. So... there's that too.

I see what the authors were trying to do with this story - They tried to make a short read with some feel good love and a HEA. Do I believe that it was a little out of the realm of believability? Yeah. But it's fiction, and it kept me entertained enough. It's a little sweet, a little romantic, and a little sexy (even though some of the smexing was totally off page *grumbles*)

Recommended for those who don't mind the drama, and like their men with a stubborn and gruff outside and a teddy bear interior.

A copy provided for an honest review.

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