Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by caitskye
The Gamble by Kristen Ashley
5.0
When I get in the mood to read a romance, I have to read a romance to get it out of my system. The mood swung around and I’d had this book on my radar for a while, so I picked it up and started reading it. And I was yanked into it. And I still haven’t escaped (right now I’m on the fourth book in the series, Breathe). I think Kristen Ashley has a new fan girl. Ha, I think? No, I know.
I gave this book five stars (I would give it ten stars if I could). Why? Because I absolutely, 100% loved it. Was it perfect? No. There was some serious issues with this book that could have easily been solved by a great editor. However, I was able to get over this so easily because the book itself was amazing.
Kristen Ashley obviously has a very unique way of writing. It took me a bit to get used to, but I have found that I really enjoy the way she tells a story. She makes me feel like a best friend is telling me this story and it feels familiar and cozy. That probably doesn’t make any sense, but it makes reading her books really enjoyable for me.
The story, characters, setting… Everything was spectacular. I adored Nina! Nina was so many things, but what I loved most about her was her stubbornness, her little flares of anger, and the sweet side of her. She and Max were so sexy together and I loved the ways they complimented each other. Speaking of Max… Whew! Max is the epitome of tall, dark and handsome with a side of alpha male. I have a love-hate relationship with the whole “alpha-male” concept. In this case, it’s a love relationship. Max is one of my favorite male characters ever. I loved his brusque attitude, his no-nonsense personality, and the protective, caring way he handled everyone around him. I just flat out loved him.
There are a lot of characters in this book. I love the way Kristen Ashley incorporates them all and makes each of them feel important. The characters in her books are just so vibrant. I love that I care about the secondary characters just as much (ok, almost as much..) as the main characters. It really is the difference between a good book and a great book.
I also loved that this book wasn’t just a straight romance. This book had so much more than that! There was murder, mystery, and plenty of real-life drama that was done very well. All of these elements combined to make an intense, anxiety-inducing book that I’m sure made my blood pressure rise (I mean that in a good way). This is a rather big book and I flew through it because I couldn’t put it down.
My favorite part of this book was the slow burn of the romance, though. I loved watching the relationship between Nina and Max develop. Even though it really was pretty rushed, it didn’t feel that way to me. Nina and Max had so many moments that made my heart squeeze, but just as many that made me laugh out loud. They were such a great couple to watch get to know each other.
I’ve been sucked into the Colorado Mountains series and I don’t plan on resurfacing for a while. I have two and a half more books to read, after all! I highly recommend this book, but just be warned that it does deal with some serious issues such as abuse, rape, and suicide. That being said, I have a new favorite for the Favorites shelf!
I gave this book five stars (I would give it ten stars if I could). Why? Because I absolutely, 100% loved it. Was it perfect? No. There was some serious issues with this book that could have easily been solved by a great editor. However, I was able to get over this so easily because the book itself was amazing.
Kristen Ashley obviously has a very unique way of writing. It took me a bit to get used to, but I have found that I really enjoy the way she tells a story. She makes me feel like a best friend is telling me this story and it feels familiar and cozy. That probably doesn’t make any sense, but it makes reading her books really enjoyable for me.
The story, characters, setting… Everything was spectacular. I adored Nina! Nina was so many things, but what I loved most about her was her stubbornness, her little flares of anger, and the sweet side of her. She and Max were so sexy together and I loved the ways they complimented each other. Speaking of Max… Whew! Max is the epitome of tall, dark and handsome with a side of alpha male. I have a love-hate relationship with the whole “alpha-male” concept. In this case, it’s a love relationship. Max is one of my favorite male characters ever. I loved his brusque attitude, his no-nonsense personality, and the protective, caring way he handled everyone around him. I just flat out loved him.
There are a lot of characters in this book. I love the way Kristen Ashley incorporates them all and makes each of them feel important. The characters in her books are just so vibrant. I love that I care about the secondary characters just as much (ok, almost as much..) as the main characters. It really is the difference between a good book and a great book.
I also loved that this book wasn’t just a straight romance. This book had so much more than that! There was murder, mystery, and plenty of real-life drama that was done very well. All of these elements combined to make an intense, anxiety-inducing book that I’m sure made my blood pressure rise (I mean that in a good way). This is a rather big book and I flew through it because I couldn’t put it down.
My favorite part of this book was the slow burn of the romance, though. I loved watching the relationship between Nina and Max develop. Even though it really was pretty rushed, it didn’t feel that way to me. Nina and Max had so many moments that made my heart squeeze, but just as many that made me laugh out loud. They were such a great couple to watch get to know each other.
I’ve been sucked into the Colorado Mountains series and I don’t plan on resurfacing for a while. I have two and a half more books to read, after all! I highly recommend this book, but just be warned that it does deal with some serious issues such as abuse, rape, and suicide. That being said, I have a new favorite for the Favorites shelf!