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2.83 AVERAGE
2.83 AVERAGE
I requested this one because of the description, I thought it was cute. I really like the whole 3 friends owning a casino and each of them have different talents storyline. I enjoyed Casey and Talia, they both have some complicated pasts. I thought it was a pretty good easy read. I finished it in a couple of hours. I’ll probably check out the other 2 friends books, it’s cool what they do.
Merged review:
I requested this one because of the description, I thought it was cute. I really like the whole 3 friends owning a casino and each of them have different talents storyline. I enjoyed Casey and Talia, they both have some complicated pasts. I thought it was a pretty good easy read. I finished it in a couple of hours. I’ll probably check out the other 2 friends books, it’s cool what they do.
Merged review:
I requested this one because of the description, I thought it was cute. I really like the whole 3 friends owning a casino and each of them have different talents storyline. I enjoyed Casey and Talia, they both have some complicated pasts. I thought it was a pretty good easy read. I finished it in a couple of hours. I’ll probably check out the other 2 friends books, it’s cool what they do.
This one was funny!
The meetup was cute! The romance itself seemed, superficial to me.
Not sure if I'll continue the series but it was an enjoyable book. Office romance with her boss.
The meetup was cute! The romance itself seemed, superficial to me.
Not sure if I'll continue the series but it was an enjoyable book. Office romance with her boss.
This was just okay. The way this blurb reads I thought it was going to have to some laugh out loud moments, but I didn't find any. Casey owns a casino and is a professional poker player. Talia's father was a gambling addict and she hates everything related to it, but yet she's interviewing for a job at a casino. She hooks up with Casey the night before her interview, but didn't know he was going to be her boss. How, I really don't know. You're going up to his apartment that just happens to be the penthouse in the casino, but no red flags? The drama that goes on with Casey and Talia seems a little much as well. She knew he was a gambler from the moment she met him, but it didn't bother her until the end? While I didn't love this one, I would be willing to give this author another read.
I voluntarliy reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
I voluntarliy reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
2.5 Stars
There were a few things I really liked about this book. I love meet cutes, and this definitely had that. I also very much liked Casey, the love interest in this book. He was really trying to make Talia feel comfortable.
And that's where things get complicated. I have no idea why Talia is with him. Throughout the whole book she keeps comparing Casey to her father (which... weird). She has such a negative perception about gamblers, which the only experience she has is her father. So I'm a little confused as to why she was still with him despite all of the internal problems she had with him. He never did anything, but she would make up excuses to not be with him. I found myself literally rolling my eyes at her...
There were a few things I really liked about this book. I love meet cutes, and this definitely had that. I also very much liked Casey, the love interest in this book. He was really trying to make Talia feel comfortable.
And that's where things get complicated. I have no idea why Talia is with him. Throughout the whole book she keeps comparing Casey to her father (which... weird). She has such a negative perception about gamblers, which the only experience she has is her father. So I'm a little confused as to why she was still with him despite all of the internal problems she had with him. He never did anything, but she would make up excuses to not be with him. I found myself literally rolling my eyes at her...
This is the first book of the Joker's Wild series and my very first book by Katherine Garbera.
It is a fun, sexy but also sweet story of Talia Spencer and Casey Waltham and I enjoyed reading it. The plot is great, storytelling is good and the characters are well build. I kinda have more sympathies for Casey here, Talia is a bit more complexed and she has to go over some things from the past so she could live happily in the future.
I liked grandmother's situations that made me smile too.
I am not getting into the story itself, you have the blurb for that, I just want to add that I had nice time reading it and helped me to spend nice time during this cold winter days. I am looking forward of reading the next instalments of this series.
It is a fun, sexy but also sweet story of Talia Spencer and Casey Waltham and I enjoyed reading it. The plot is great, storytelling is good and the characters are well build. I kinda have more sympathies for Casey here, Talia is a bit more complexed and she has to go over some things from the past so she could live happily in the future.
I liked grandmother's situations that made me smile too.
I am not getting into the story itself, you have the blurb for that, I just want to add that I had nice time reading it and helped me to spend nice time during this cold winter days. I am looking forward of reading the next instalments of this series.
3.5⭐
One Night Gamble was a sweet story. That was fairly light on angst, easy to read and engaging. Plus, the two main characters shared a few hot moments. Although the chemistry and connection wasn't quite there if I'm really honest. However, they were intriguing, and so were some of the secondary ones and for that reason I would certainly check out the next book in the series.
**I was kindly provided with an ARC by Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review**
One Night Gamble was a sweet story. That was fairly light on angst, easy to read and engaging. Plus, the two main characters shared a few hot moments. Although the chemistry and connection wasn't quite there if I'm really honest. However, they were intriguing, and so were some of the secondary ones and for that reason I would certainly check out the next book in the series.
**I was kindly provided with an ARC by Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review**
Reviewed on my blog, Becky on Books, on 1/16/19.
One Night Gamble is the first book in a new series about three casino owners and friends. Casey, the gambler of the trio, has a meet cute in the condom aisle of a grocery store with Talia, the woman who's on her way to an interview with his company (but stopping for pantyhose--for her--and condoms--for her grandmother--as one does). She interviews with company underlings, it goes well, she celebrates in his casino that night (for research, of course), they have a one night stand, and the next morning when she interviews with the owners--you know where this is going, right?
For the most part, this was an I liked it, but... kind of story. I liked Casey and Talia together, but things between them moved really fast, especially considering he was her boss. At one point they already felt like an established couple nearly at their HEA, until I realized that I was only at about 60% in the book! You know going in that Talia's going to have some major emotional and psychological hangups with their relationship because of her past--she's the daughter of a gambling addict, and he's a poker player at heart--which seems like a great source of conflict, right? It is, but it seemed to take way too long for her to really commit to it, so that by the time she does it felt a bit overblown and reactionary. A kind of why is this suddenly bothering you now? kind of thing--it was like everything he'd been trying to show her all along suddenly meant nothing. For his part, Casey's problems with Darien (one of the other co-owners and best friends) seemed a bit over-the-top and too little too late by the time they become a real issue--maybe we just don't see him enough until that point for it to seem like a big deal?--but suddenly they're a big part of why Casey and Talia are calling it quits?
So...a whole lot of I liked it, but... There were some pretty funny moments, and a whole lot of sexy times, and the three friends at the heart of the casino all sound really interesting in their own rights. Darien's (a stuntman/ daredevil) clearly going to have a second chance romance plot to his story, though the epilogue here lets us know that Nick (the illusionist) will have his story next, and I'll be keeping a eye out for that one to see if there's more I liked it than buts... in book two. ;)
Rating: 3 stars / C+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
One Night Gamble is the first book in a new series about three casino owners and friends. Casey, the gambler of the trio, has a meet cute in the condom aisle of a grocery store with Talia, the woman who's on her way to an interview with his company (but stopping for pantyhose--for her--and condoms--for her grandmother--as one does). She interviews with company underlings, it goes well, she celebrates in his casino that night (for research, of course), they have a one night stand, and the next morning when she interviews with the owners--you know where this is going, right?
For the most part, this was an I liked it, but... kind of story. I liked Casey and Talia together, but things between them moved really fast, especially considering he was her boss. At one point they already felt like an established couple nearly at their HEA, until I realized that I was only at about 60% in the book! You know going in that Talia's going to have some major emotional and psychological hangups with their relationship because of her past--she's the daughter of a gambling addict, and he's a poker player at heart--which seems like a great source of conflict, right? It is, but it seemed to take way too long for her to really commit to it, so that by the time she does it felt a bit overblown and reactionary. A kind of why is this suddenly bothering you now? kind of thing--it was like everything he'd been trying to show her all along suddenly meant nothing. For his part, Casey's problems with Darien (one of the other co-owners and best friends) seemed a bit over-the-top and too little too late by the time they become a real issue--maybe we just don't see him enough until that point for it to seem like a big deal?--but suddenly they're a big part of why Casey and Talia are calling it quits?
So...a whole lot of I liked it, but... There were some pretty funny moments, and a whole lot of sexy times, and the three friends at the heart of the casino all sound really interesting in their own rights. Darien's (a stuntman/ daredevil) clearly going to have a second chance romance plot to his story, though the epilogue here lets us know that Nick (the illusionist) will have his story next, and I'll be keeping a eye out for that one to see if there's more I liked it than buts... in book two. ;)
Rating: 3 stars / C+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This is the first book of the Joker's Wild series and my very first book by Katherine Garbera.
It is a fun, sexy but also sweet story of Talia Spencer and Casey Waltham and I enjoyed reading it. The plot is great, storytelling is good and the characters are well build. I kinda have more sympathies for Casey here, Talia is a bit more complexed and she has to go over some things from the past so she could live happily in the future.
I liked grandmother's situations that made me smile too.
I am not getting into the story itself, you have the blurb for that, I just want to add that I had nice time reading it and helped me to spend nice time during this cold winter days. I am looking forward of reading the next instalments of this series.
It is a fun, sexy but also sweet story of Talia Spencer and Casey Waltham and I enjoyed reading it. The plot is great, storytelling is good and the characters are well build. I kinda have more sympathies for Casey here, Talia is a bit more complexed and she has to go over some things from the past so she could live happily in the future.
I liked grandmother's situations that made me smile too.
I am not getting into the story itself, you have the blurb for that, I just want to add that I had nice time reading it and helped me to spend nice time during this cold winter days. I am looking forward of reading the next instalments of this series.
The Good
The series setup is intriguing. I like the idea of taking a card shark, a daredevil and an illusionist, set their romances against the backdrop of Las Vegas and all that glitters, then give them some solid tropey goodness, like boss-employee mixed with some ONS awkwardness. The blurb promised some hilarity with their first meet, and I was all on board for it. And then….
The Bad
Alot of telling, not show drags down the romance, as well as the story in general. When your story is contingent on instant heat between the hero and heroine, I need you to bring the HEAT. Especially if the blurb promises some quirky, but quick connection between your characters. From their first meeting, Casey and Talia should have been a chemical fire, but they just fizzled. Instead, the reader is told that Talia’s upbringing really did a number on her. We are told that she has big trust issues. We’re told that the feelings between Casey and Talia go beyond just chemistry (of which there is none). We are told alot of things, but I would have preferred to focus on dialogue that showed it and scenes that really conveyed those feelings beyond being told about them. . I would have loved to have character scenes where they’re interacting and the dialogue is not broken up by so much internal monologuing that’s telling me the same thing the dialogue is telling me. It made scenes feel redundant, and I was barely into the first half of the story.
Once I struggled to connect with the characters, all the little details in the story that didn’t mesh (for example, her father died of lung cancer one page, then died of a heart attack the next time it’s referenced) began to stick out even more. It was a snowball effect that jarred me out of the story, time and again.
Everything in Between
Meh. Sums up how I felt about everything else in this tale.
Unfortunately, this was only an ok read, at best. I wanted to like it, but there was no inherent chemistry between Casey and Talia and while there are small moments of promise, the Firsts (meet/kiss/love scene) happen very quickly, they didn’t wow me and it set the tone for the entire tale. It my first Garbera read, and perhaps it’s a case of her writing style just not being my particular cuppa. I’m not sure I’d rush out and read the next.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
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