ARC Review: His Million Dollar Risk (Take a Risk #3) by Robin Bielman

Title: His Million Dollar Risk (Take a Risk #3)
Author: Robin Bielman
Source: Entangled - Indulgence
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: February 9, 2015
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 4
Sexual - 3

Determined to make his latest preservation project on Route 66 a success, Connor
Gibson will take any good press he can get. Even if it means spending a week with a reporter. And even if it’s one from a publication he has good reason to hate. Connor certainly isn’t expecting a spontaneous and undeniably attractive blonde who makes him seriously hot for the press...

Charlize Beckett is in deeeep trouble. This is her one chance to prove to her publisher dad that she's a serious journalist, even if she has to pretend she's someone else. Worse though, is trying to maintain any objectivity with the way too charming Connor. She can't help but get into all kinds of sexy trouble with him. But by going off the record, Charlie is putting both her reputation and her heart on the line...

Charlie was the star of the story.  She was full of life and energy and took each stop along Route 66 and made it into something magical.  Living the road trip through her made me really want to go visit all these places along the way.  I think these are the same reasons that Connor fell in love with her as well.

They get off to quite an unusual start which had me chuckling, but it also led to a big old lie - and those I'm not a big fan of, but once Connor starts talking about what he thinks of Charlie's dad - I at least sort of understand why she didn't speak up earlier.

It was a very fun journey, with a bit of a rushed ending.  But I enjoyed every minute of it.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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Review: Worth the Risk (Take a Risk #1) by Robin Bielman

Title: Worth the Risk (Take a Risk #1)
Author: Robin Bielman
Source: Entangled - Indulgence
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: April 26, 2012
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 3
Sexual - 3

Their love was ancient history... until their paths crossed again.

Samantha Bennett put Dean Malloy out of her mind five years ago, when he broke her heart after a summer fling. But now he's back in her life, and ready to steal a heritage protection contract that could make or break her career—if he doesn't steal her heart first. Samantha's vowed to hate him, but it's more than anger heating the competition between them.

With sparks flying across the conference table and sizzling in every touch, Dean proposes a weekend liaison. Anything to have Sam again; anything to get her out of his system. But the unresolved feelings between them complicate both their personal and professional lives, and one wild weekend could turn into a disaster that would destroy the one job that means more to Samantha than anything. For a shot at love... is it worth the risk?

Yet another series that I've been reading backwards - it must be my new "thing" to do.

Book Two: Risky Surrender - Review

This series introduced me to the whole heritage architecture theme - the fixing up of old historic buildings, landmarks, and in the case roads, to bring the back to life again.  Samantha has a passion for the industry that seems to be unmatched.  But the reason she found that passion may just cause her to lose out on the biggest job of her career (more about that later).  Sam is a very fun woman with a lot of personality and I really liked her, but she was just a tad one dimensional - I didn't see a lot of development in her and I crave that in a story.

Now Dean on the other hand was quite a character.  While he was a bit too confident for my tastes, he was definitely that way for a reason.  I don't think the man had ever lost in his life!  Of course, Sam may just be the first thing he really wants and can't have.  This leads to a very interesting weekend stand agreement - this seems to be a new trend in writing and I'm starting to like it.  It's a great starting point that is more believable than a one-night stand love story.

I also like that these two books have at least mentioned the state of some of our historic landmarks.  I don't know if that was Robin Bielman's intent, but she mentions things just enough to make you think about it a little - but she steers far from banging you in the head with it.  I enjoyed book two a little more, but I just bonded with those characters better.  Worth the Risk is a very good place to start.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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Review: Risky Surrender (Take a Risk #2) by Robin Bielman

Title: Risky Surrender (Take a Risk #2)
Author: Robin Bielman
Source: Entangled - Indulgence
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: August 26, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 3
Sexual - 3

She'll search for treasure, but steal his heart.

Archeologist Lucy Davenport made a promise to retrieve an elusive piece of history buried in the walls of an iconic Indian village. But when she draws unwanted attention that interferes with her secret plans, she's forced to risk it all with a man who threatens not only her goal, but the walls she's carefully constructed around her heart.

Keats McCall is an environmental preservationist navigating the globe on behalf of heritage protection. When he catches Lucy at his latest project, he suspects she's up to something. She's secretive, sexy as hell—and has trouble written all over her. He devises a plan to keep her close so he can keep an eye on her. But what he isn't prepared for is just how close he wants to get.

I didn't even realize this was a series until I went to write my review - so it's safe to say this can be read as a complete stand-alone.

I grew up loving archaeology and historical sites, so this book seemed like it would be right up my alley. Lucy is a bit of a tomb raider type - only not nearly as destructive. She prides herself on getting in and getting out with the artifact without being caught or causing any damage. Keats prides himself on restoring sites and keeping everything where it belongs - which is not in Lucy's hands. They first meet as she gets away with an artifact on his boat and when she shows up again at another preservation site, he knows he's in trouble.

Sparks flew for Keats the moment he first met Lucy, he just didn't know who she was or how to find her (and the ring she stole). He's determined to show her that her skills can be put to a more legal use and her life should be spent with him. Lucy isn't so sure. She's used to being on her own and has quite a bit of personal baggage she carries around with her.

I loved their chemistry and how their interests were so similar, but still kept them in different worlds. Their relationship was a hard one to get started, and you're never quite sure if it really will succeed until the very end. With a couple outside characters that help breathe some life and humor into the story, as well as a great atmosphere this was a very enjoyable read.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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