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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I love this book. Read it at least twice a year. But audiobooks with underlying music to “enhance the listening experience,” i.e., sexy sax music during sexy times?
It’s a No for me.
It’s a No for me.
I loved the Mindy and Bitsy scene... I can't believe I cried.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Woot! Woot! I’m celebrating because this was my first Kristen Ashley reread. Why is that a big deal? Well, to me, the reread is the best gauge of a good book, and so far I’ve yet to enjoy a Kristen Ashley book well enough to revisit it – a travesty, I know. Well, pop the champagne, because I loved The Gamble enough that I was unable to let it go!
With any Kristen Ashley book, you know what you’re going to get: alpha male (✓), sassy heroine (✓), a gaggle of surrounding characters who don’t know how to mind their own business (✓), crazy ass dialogue loaded with incomplete sentences (✓), a mad plot (✓), and loads of ‘baby(s)’ and ‘honey(s)’ (✓). All that is fun and entertaining, but that doesn’t make a fabulous read, at least not to me.
What The Gamble had (and I’m hoping the rest of the series, since I’m really excited to continue reading it) was more. The alpha male was more – I loved his character and how he treated the people he loved, particularly to women around him; Max definitely made me swoon. Plus, the sassy heroine was more than just attitude – Nina Sheridan was a layer of contradictions, weaknesses and strengths, and I loved her and wanted to strangle her alternately. She is a heroine to remember because she was someone I’d love to meet in real life. Also, the surrounding characters were more than just caricatures; they really enhanced this story and I loved every one of them. And the crazy ass dialogue was…well, it was still crazy, but it was fun and sexy, adding to the chemistry between Max and Nina. What’s more, the mad plot worked; I loved the thread of suspense, and the guessing who-done-it. Yes, it was over the top, as I’m beginning to realize is Kristen Ashley’s style, but this one didn’t cross the line to ridiculous.
I can see why so many people loved this book so much; this romance was truly lovely, and filled with so many moments I’ll read again (especially that epilogue – Christ, KA really does write the best epilogues, doesn’t she?). The Gamble had a bit of everything I enjoy, but most of all, I think it had heart, and that’s all I ever want from a book.
Audiobook review:
Performance: 4.5 stars.
I LOVED listening to this on audio. I mostly listened while I was driving, but there were many moments when I sat in my car after I parked, because I didn’t want to stop listening. Emma Taylor does great accents and she did an awesome job narrating all these crazy characters, and I can’t wait to listen to her read the other books in this series.
With any Kristen Ashley book, you know what you’re going to get: alpha male (✓), sassy heroine (✓), a gaggle of surrounding characters who don’t know how to mind their own business (✓), crazy ass dialogue loaded with incomplete sentences (✓), a mad plot (✓), and loads of ‘baby(s)’ and ‘honey(s)’ (✓). All that is fun and entertaining, but that doesn’t make a fabulous read, at least not to me.
What The Gamble had (and I’m hoping the rest of the series, since I’m really excited to continue reading it) was more. The alpha male was more – I loved his character and how he treated the people he loved, particularly to women around him; Max definitely made me swoon. Plus, the sassy heroine was more than just attitude – Nina Sheridan was a layer of contradictions, weaknesses and strengths, and I loved her and wanted to strangle her alternately. She is a heroine to remember because she was someone I’d love to meet in real life. Also, the surrounding characters were more than just caricatures; they really enhanced this story and I loved every one of them. And the crazy ass dialogue was…well, it was still crazy, but it was fun and sexy, adding to the chemistry between Max and Nina. What’s more, the mad plot worked; I loved the thread of suspense, and the guessing who-done-it. Yes, it was over the top, as I’m beginning to realize is Kristen Ashley’s style, but this one didn’t cross the line to ridiculous.
I can see why so many people loved this book so much; this romance was truly lovely, and filled with so many moments I’ll read again (especially that epilogue – Christ, KA really does write the best epilogues, doesn’t she?). The Gamble had a bit of everything I enjoy, but most of all, I think it had heart, and that’s all I ever want from a book.
Audiobook review:
Performance: 4.5 stars.
I LOVED listening to this on audio. I mostly listened while I was driving, but there were many moments when I sat in my car after I parked, because I didn’t want to stop listening. Emma Taylor does great accents and she did an awesome job narrating all these crazy characters, and I can’t wait to listen to her read the other books in this series.
I'm sure you are shocked that I have read another Kristen Ashley book. I've only read about 20 in 2013. I'm not sure why I was hesistant to give the Colorado Mountain series a chance, but man, am I glad I did.
If you have read Kristen Ashley, you know she pretty much ONLY writes alpha-males (which is fine with me). This book is no exception. The alpha in this book is Holden Maxwell (though everyone calls him Max, as will I going forward). Nina Sheridan shows up at Max's house in the Colorado town of Gnaw Bone to stay at a house she's rented, to evaluate her relationship with her dull, non-attentive boyfriend in England. When she arrives, she finds Max and he's not happy. He tells her to leave, she heads down the mountain and ends up in an accident.
She wakes up the next day in Max's bed. And she is sicker than a dog. Max nurses her back to health, and then won't let her leave (not really against her will). This is a small town, and Nina quickly becomes part of the town, forming a close relationship with Max's like-sister Mindy, a rape victim who has an asshole boyfriend. There is also a murder mystery in the book as well.
Nina's mom is hilarious, and I enjoyed her part in this book. The townspeople are fun and likable, and even the jerks in this book don't detract from the overall appeal
I will be reading on for sure. My only complaint (or really criticism) is that KA's books are a tad too long and have a little too much detail.
If you have read Kristen Ashley, you know she pretty much ONLY writes alpha-males (which is fine with me). This book is no exception. The alpha in this book is Holden Maxwell (though everyone calls him Max, as will I going forward). Nina Sheridan shows up at Max's house in the Colorado town of Gnaw Bone to stay at a house she's rented, to evaluate her relationship with her dull, non-attentive boyfriend in England. When she arrives, she finds Max and he's not happy. He tells her to leave, she heads down the mountain and ends up in an accident.
She wakes up the next day in Max's bed. And she is sicker than a dog. Max nurses her back to health, and then won't let her leave (not really against her will). This is a small town, and Nina quickly becomes part of the town, forming a close relationship with Max's like-sister Mindy, a rape victim who has an asshole boyfriend. There is also a murder mystery in the book as well.
Nina's mom is hilarious, and I enjoyed her part in this book. The townspeople are fun and likable, and even the jerks in this book don't detract from the overall appeal
I will be reading on for sure. My only complaint (or really criticism) is that KA's books are a tad too long and have a little too much detail.
*Reread Oct 2021*
First read- Nov 2013
Wow I didn’t expect to enjoy this book so much the second time round, but it turns out I forgot most of what had happened and I did. :D
This book would have been 5* had I not had an issue with
This was kinda balanced out by Max’s pursuit of Nina though, and one of the things about Max I liked was he never allowed anything to come between them for too long. ;)
***
Push-pull?
Cheating?
OW/OM
Separation?
First read- Nov 2013
Wow I didn’t expect to enjoy this book so much the second time round, but it turns out I forgot most of what had happened and I did. :D
This book would have been 5* had I not had an issue with
Spoiler
Max’s dead ex-wife. I know because she’s dead doesn’t mean he can’t love anyone else, but gosh for a fair portion of the book, I struggled along with Nina about her comparison with his ex-wife. And it didn’t really get any better near the end when he detailed all his ex-wife’s finer points lol. I feel like they dragged the issue a bit long.This was kinda balanced out by Max’s pursuit of Nina though, and one of the things about Max I liked was he never allowed anything to come between them for too long. ;)
***
Push-pull?
Spoiler
Mostly from Nina. But Max doesn't really let her stay away xDCheating?
Spoiler
Not between H/h. But maybe at the start with Nina and her ex-fiance, although they were technically "on a break", she doesn't really break up with the ex-fiance until later.OW/OM
Spoiler
Max's ex appears and Nina's ex-fiance appears but both are very over them by that point. There is also Max's dead ex-wife, which is brought up a couple of times.Separation?
Spoiler
Not really. There is an 8-hour? separation but Max never really lets her go lol
Overall rating: 5 stars
Genre: Contemporary Mountain Romance
Plot: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
Hero: 10/10
Heroine: 10/10
Humour: 6/10
Steaminess: 8/10
Feels: 10/10
Pet names: Duchess
HEA:
Cassidy's cabins are in too! (Deacon)
Not really sure there's much point in doing ratings for KA books anymore, they're all usually straight 10's...
Genre: Contemporary Mountain Romance
Plot: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
Hero: 10/10
Heroine: 10/10
Humour: 6/10
Steaminess: 8/10
Feels: 10/10
Pet names: Duchess
HEA:
Spoiler
YesCassidy's cabins are in too! (Deacon)
Not really sure there's much point in doing ratings for KA books anymore, they're all usually straight 10's...
Read the book a while ago and loved it. Listened to the audiobook and only liked it.
The narrator just didn't work for me in this book. If Nina said sorry ONE more time I was going to lose it. And she is an American who moved to England yet she sounds & speaks 100% British?? What gives?
The narrator just didn't work for me in this book. If Nina said sorry ONE more time I was going to lose it. And she is an American who moved to England yet she sounds & speaks 100% British?? What gives?