Review: Risking It All by Tessa Bailey
Risking It All (Crossing the Line #1)
by: Tessa Bailey
Publication Date: Jan. 27, 2015
Publisher: Entangled: Select
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Age Group: Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 400 pages
Order Links: Amazon
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
NYPD detective Seraphina Newsom will avenge her brother’s death at any cost. Even if it means insinuating herself into a rough, Brooklyn street gang and going so far undercover, she’s not sure she’ll be able to get out. Every minute she spends in their midst means the clock ticking down on her life, especially when she overhears something that could get her killed.
Bowen Driscol is the heir to a crime enterprise. He never asked for the job, but with his father behind bars, he has no choice but to step in and keep the operation running. But when the NYPD blackmails him with a piece of damning information in exchange for aiding an undercover cop, he finds himself on the other side of the law for the first time in his life.
Bowen knows the danger Sera is in, and keeping her safe trumps saving his own ass. The problem? She can’t know he’s on her side. And there's the matter of the seriously inconvenient heat sparking between them that's incinerating his resistance. But Sera only sees Bowen's past, and men like him are the reason her brother is dead. If they're to get out alive, he'll have to risk exposing the man beneath, and hope to hell he doesn't blow the whole operation in the process.
Bowen Driscol is the heir to a crime enterprise. He never asked for the job, but with his father behind bars, he has no choice but to step in and keep the operation running. But when the NYPD blackmails him with a piece of damning information in exchange for aiding an undercover cop, he finds himself on the other side of the law for the first time in his life.
Bowen knows the danger Sera is in, and keeping her safe trumps saving his own ass. The problem? She can’t know he’s on her side. And there's the matter of the seriously inconvenient heat sparking between them that's incinerating his resistance. But Sera only sees Bowen's past, and men like him are the reason her brother is dead. If they're to get out alive, he'll have to risk exposing the man beneath, and hope to hell he doesn't blow the whole operation in the process.
Hot damn this book was HAWT. Seriously- it probably should come with a warning label of some sort. I love Tessa's books, so I will read anything and everything this woman writes. It had been some time since I read His Risk to Take, so I didn't really remember Bowen. After this book? Yeah, I won't be forgetting that man anytime soon.
I really enjoyed the storyline of this one. Sera is undercover diving headfirst into a dangerous world that offers little to no mercy in order to bring down her brother's killer. I really liked Sera's character. She is determined to seek justice and isn't afraid to do it on her own. She knows who Bowen is when she meets him, but she doesn't know he's been sent to keep watch over her and protect her. She is attracted to him, which is crazy because she knows his reputation. The more time she spends with him, the more she actually gets to see the real Bowen Driscol- caught in a world that offers no solace.
Bowen is not your average hero- in fact, he's one of the bad guys. He now runs South Brooklyn and has taken over the 'family business'. He is ruthless when he needs to be and does what he has to do in order to maintain his position of power. When he is called in by the NYPD to assist and keep an eye on Sera, he has no idea just how much this woman will flip his world on its axis. His protective instincts kick into overdrive when he's around her and he not only finds himself wanting to protect her, but he is hell bent on making her his. He is so raw and rough around the edges, but would die before he hurt Sera. He might battle some pretty hardcore demons, but she is the one that can calm the storm raging within, and I just love how they balanced one another. She's the light to his dark, the soft to his hard, the pure to his wicked. It just works so well. His childhood is not a pleasant one and his father is a real piece of work. Having been abandoned by his mother, he is resentful of her and refuses to make amends.
The only thing I felt a bit unsettled about was how Ruby and Bowen left things. There is this one scene that absolutely shattered my heart and I really want to know if their relationship is truly irreparable or if it can be salvaged.
Bailey writes the sexiest scenes. Bowen can be so primitive and the primal lust between him and Sera is scorching hot. I know some people might consider this insta-love, but when you're thrown into a situation with someone and you are fighting for your LIFE and that person will literally kill to save you and protect your innocence while fighting his own darkness within? Yeah, I'd be in love too. My heart was all over the place because of the lengths they would go to protect one another, even knowing the danger they are putting themselves in.
The epilogue? I nearly died. I am so ready to see what the next book, Up in Smoke, has in store not only for the romance department, but also how this new development is going to play out. I am hoping we will see some more familiar faces in the upcoming books.
This is definitely one to pick up. I don't think you necessarily need to read Tessa's His Risk to Take to be able to enjoy this one, but it's always nice to know how certain characters fit in to the grand scheme of things. I also saw my blog was listed in the acknowledgements and I couldn't stop grinning for the longest time. (Thank you Tessa!) Trust me when I saw if you haven't already jumped on the Bailey train, it's about time to do so. Intense dirty-talking alphas and sexy scenes that will melt your face off await you!
5 comments
Oh, my best friend and fellow blogger Janhvi is a huge fan of Tessa Bailey, so fangirling over the author's books isn't new to me. *winks* This series, however, is new to me. Maybe I should try some Tessa Bailey book, and Risking It All sounds good. I'm so glad to know that you enjoyed this book and that it is hot! Amazing review!
ReplyDeleteSarika @ The Readdicts
I seriously need some Tessa in my life. I have Chase Me so I think that will be my first one... honestly though I have so many books by her and I just haven't made time for them. Another 2015 goal for me lol Great review!
ReplyDeleteI love that the guy is a bad guy! I find that really intriguing! I think I would really love the story line of this one and the characters! AH! Amazing review!
ReplyDeleteBowennnnnnn. OMG I love him so freaking hard. I adored pretty much everything about this book. I read it forever ago... and I was blurbed in it which has me all kinds of geeked out! It's my first time in a print book. Eeeeeep! I still haven't posted my review for this book though. I suck. I need to do something about that.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it! Tessa's brilliant.
AHHH! I really want to read this!! So glad you loved it!
ReplyDeleteLeave me some comment love! And I will get around to commenting back!
My blog is an award-free blog, however, as I just do not have the time to follow-up.