Reviews

Worth the Risk by Jamie Beck

bookanonjeff's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Absolutely "worth the risk". In this conclusion to the St James series, Jackson, middle son, is dealing with the repercussions of the end of Worth the Trouble and has decided to leave town for a few weeks to sort out his issues. He heads to Vermont, and just as he is getting into town he almost literally runs into Gabby during a thunderstorm. He's a mess, and she has a kid. But this is a romance novel, and these are our leads, so you know where this is going. As always in this series, very real handling of the various situations, and I really do love the decisions Jackson ultimately comes to. Great conclusion to a great series.

zellian's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

After a family intervention, Jackson decides to uproot himself for a couple of weeks and head out to a small town to deal with his drinking problem - something he is sure he doesn't actually have a problem with. On his way he bumps into a young woman stuck out in a thunder storm with car problems, little does he know this woman is going to change his world.
Jackson bumps into Gabby again when he arrives at the house he has rented for the next few weeks, from there they begin this push and pull of should we or shouldn't we be together?

I found the book pretty okay, reading through a good chunk before misplacing it during a house move. I was definitely gripped by the will they won't they but felt a bit meh about some of the other issues that they had.
Jackson deals with his apparent drinking problem by seeing a therapist and though he seems a bit put off by it all does try to absorb some of what is discussed. There are multiple things that he believes to have brought him to this point, his brothers disappearance for a few years, his mothers death and also his ex-girlfriends betrayal.
Gabby deals with being a single mum with the father, the loved local town cop, who has barely been involved until Jackson turns up and take an interest in Gabby.
Plus, Gabby has been dealing with a drug addicted mother who has been absent since she was a teen. Having some strong feelings already about people who're addicts, this tends to cause a lot of tension not only between Gabby and Jackson, but Gabby's father.

I did have one issue with the way he spoke in regards to the issue between himself and his ex but that may have been my only real big issue with the book.

taisie22's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

In the third and final book of the St James series, brother Jackson is in a lot of trouble because of his drinking. He heads to Vermont for counseling and some relaxation, hoping to get a handle on his issues with alcohol. He rents an apartment from Gabby Decouteau, single mom of a cute toddler and landscape business owner. Gabby's had her own issues with dependencies due to her mother's drug addiction. Add in her ex, the town cop, and Jackson and Gabby have a lot to deal with if they want to establish a relationship.
While the first book with David and Vivi is still my favorite of this series, this book comes a close second. Both Gabby and Jackson have to face their inner demons and grow up some. It's a good story, realistic (no sugar coating here) that leads to a romance that could last. It's real life where everyone makes mistakes, and most people learn from those errors. Even Noah, the ex and nominal villain, matures and acknowledges some of his wrongs.
I enjoyed the series a lot and will definitely read more Jamie Beck.

labalkana's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

"What if is the worst kind of regret"

Jackson St James will sein Leben wieder in den Griff bekommen, das Gefühlschaos, dass er in Whiskey ertränkt hat, bis er die Kontrolle verloren, seinen Arbeiter angegriffen hat. 6 Wochen in Vermont, Therapie bei Doc um den Tod seiner Mutter, den Streit in der Familie und die Trennung von seiner Ex zu verarbeiten. Womit er nicht gerechnet hat, ist Gabby.

Gabby, die arbeitende, junge, allein erziehende Mutter, die sich um ihren Vater kümmert muss aktuell ihren unzuverlässigen Ex auf Abstand halten, der plötzlich doch Interesse an seinem Sohn zeigt und sich wieder in ihr Leben drängen will. Genauso wie ihre Mutter, die sich nach Jahren der Abwesenheit und Drogensucht, wieder meldet. Das Letzte was sie braucht ist ein Mann mit Problemen. Aber der attraktive, rätselhafte Jackson hat es ihr angetan.

Mehr als um Liebe, geht es hier um Familie, Freundschaft, Vertrauen, Sucht, Vergeben und Neuanfänge. Das romantische Abenteuer von Jackson und Gabby gibt dem ganzen aber einen tollen Ramen. Natürlich mit etwas Kitsch aber ohne übertrieben schnulzig zu werden, obwohl die Anziehung von Beginn an da war.
Das war ja mein größtes Problem mit dem ersten Band in der Reihe. Der war aber gleichzeitig am Unterhaltsamsten.

Trotzdem merkt man, wie sich die Autorin mit den Folgebänden gesteigert hat. Man kann toll in die Geschichte eintauchen. Docs Analysen waren super und endlich wurden auch die Konflikte innerhalb der Familie aufgerollt und reiner Tisch gemacht, Genau das was ich im zweiten Buch vermisst hatte und hier wirklich gut gemacht.

Nur bei der Charakterisierung hatte ich mehr erwartet. Während Jackson Schwächen hat, Ecken und Kanten zeigt, was ihn nicht perfekt aber umso liebenswerter macht, ist Gabby mir etwas zu glatt. Sie hat keine schlechten Seiten - bis auf die Tatsache, dass sie 8 Jahre jünger ist als Jackson und als junge Mutter finanziell anders gestellt. Eine starke Frau mit Prioritäten, allen voran ihr Sohn, die mit ihrer freundlichen, direkten Art überzeugt. Aber zu glatt.

Insgesamt aber ein richtig guter Abschluss für diese schöne Reihe.

living2travel2's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Jackson is a handsome, sweet, sensible guy going through such a big pain that led him to drink excessively. Gabby is a huge force in Jackson’s recuperation, along with her son.

xamyver's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Diese Reihe toppt meiner Meinung nach sogar einige Nicholas Sparks Bücher. Die Geschichten der drei Geschwister kann man innerhalb von wenigen Stunden verschlingen. Liebe von ersten bis zur letzten Seite.

allingoodtime's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Jackson’s story really touched me. Maybe it’s being a middle child like he is, although they don’t specifically discuss that in this story. But I really felt the character always felt like he was in a sort of tug-of-war and ended up being the peace maker…which is a classic middle child characteristic.

My love for Jackson does not negate my love for Gabby. She is a spitfire and has such a huge heart. When we meet Gabby, she’s learned to put up some shields and is no longer a pushover. She’s been used in the past and it seems like she was pretty pliable. She’s learned her lesson, at a very young age, and no longer allows others to pick her fate for her. Gabby’s father has been her rock, but she is even strong enough to stand up to him when it comes to what is best for her heart and her son. Her dad is not a bad guy, not by a long shot. He loves Gabby and is only trying to protect her. But Gabby is now an adult and a wonderful mother and needs to be able to make her own choices in life.

It’s truly wonderful the way Jackson sees Gabby and Gabby sees Jackson. They have no preconceived ideas about the other and that allows them to view each other in a clear way. On top of that, they are both such caring and empathetic people so their connection is fast and deep.

The way Jackson’s doctor forces him to face his character flaws on his own is brilliant. It had me seeing things in Jackson’s journey to rock bottom that I hadn’t considered previously. Although Jackson was no longer drinking, he was still having an issue admitting there was even a problem. I appreciated that the author didn’t have him have an aha moment at the beginning and had things make sense to him slowly and in a more organic way.

I’ve really enjoyed this series and I’m so glad I found a new-to-me author that has sucked me in so completely. I already have the first book in her The Cabots series ready to go!

This review can also be found on the book blog All In Good Time.

tracity's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Least favorite of the series

bethersjayne's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

bookscoffeephotography's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

This is the third book in the St. James series. At this point I have become so attracted to the characters, and I am not ready for this series to end! Jamie Beck is one of my favorite authors, she has a way of writing that keeps you wanting more.

This book is from Jackson’s point of view. Jackson decides to take a vacation to Vermont, to get away for a bit. He has been having a hard time lately, and needs to get away and clear his head.

Jackson is ready to get away, and focus on bettering himself. That is until he meets the daughter of his landlord, Gabby. Gabby has not been on an easy path of life either, with being a single mom at a young age. Gabby had to put her dreams on hold due to her son, but she also wouldn’t have it any other way.

Little do they realize, they are the perfect distractions in one another’s life right now. They both have issues going on in their lives, and can work together to help each other through them.

I can’t say much more without giving the book away. But, this was the perfect book to wrap up the series! I loved how each book was told from a different persons point of view. If you haven’t read this series yet, I highly suggest it!