Lovin' los libros

A book blog dedicated to young adult and new adult novels

Review: Risking It All by J.M. Stewart

By 10:56 AM , , , , ,

Risking It All (Morgan Family #1)
   by: J.M. Stewart

Publication Date: Sept. 16, 2014
Publisher: InterMix
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult
Source: e-ARC received via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 213 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 3/5 stars

She’s everything he wants…

For years, Kyle Morgan has hidden his true feelings from the gorgeous girl next door that he grew up loving and protecting. But when she shows up at his apartment in the middle of the night, desperately needing comfort and support, his iron will begins to waver…

…and the only thing he can’t bear to lose.

Kyle was always the big brother Cecelia Anton never had, but suddenly her goofy best friend has become a sexy man she can’t keep her thoughts—or hands—off of. As their deep connection melts into uncontrollable desire, Ceci is willing to put it all on the line for a shot at true love. Only Kyle is keeping a terrible secret about Ceci’s past that could destroy not only their lifelong friendship but their happily-ever-after…

 
 
I love a good best friends to lovers stories, so when I saw this one I knew I wanted to give it a go. While Risking It All was a cute story, I have to admit that it didn't grab me like I would have hoped. There is a lot of repetition in this book, which drove me crazy. I can't tell you how many times Ceci and Kyle had the same argument over and over about their feelings for one another and how they can't admit how they really feel for fear of ruining their friendship and losing one another for good.
 
Having grown up together, Kyle and Ceci have become best friends who now have very deep romantic feelings for one another. Afraid to take the plunge and confess to the other how they feel, they now find themselves in quite the predicament as Ceci shows up at Kyle's door and drops quite the bomb on him. Kyle, being the good guy he is, has previously tried to put distance between himself and Ceci, but finds he cannot deprive his best friend the love and support she needs, no matter how much it destroys him to only comfort her as a friend would and not a man in love. To top it all off, Kyle is harboring a huge secret that he is keeping from Ceci. He is wracked with guilt over it, as he made a promise to a dying woman never to tell her, as it would bring back all kinds of things that are better left unremembered.
 
The pacing in this one was really off. The transitioning was choppy and I didn't feel like there was enough to fuel the storyline. We basically have Ceci and Kyle rehashing their feelings for one another, Kyle agonizing over the secret he is keeping from Ceci, and Ceci trying to find out what happened to her. It was as if the added secret of what happened in Ceci's past was meant to add this mysterious tension to the story. I would have probably enjoyed this more, had we not been so bogged down with Ceci and Kyle's back and forth over their feelings. 
 
I did like the importance of family in this novel though. Having no recollection of her own parents and the first seven years of her life, Ceci has been raised by her grandmother. The Morgan family became Ceci's extended family and she is very close with all of them. She fits right in, attending family dinners and get togethers. The Morgans definitely aren't opposed to Ceci and Kyle being together and in fact, I think they're actually hoping for it!
 
I have to admit, I was actually more interested in Kyle's sister Becca's story than his and Ceci's. Becca still has strong feelings for her ex-husband Jackson, but she couldn't stay in a loveless marriage, as Jackson himself didn't contest the divorce. Together, they have a daughter, and he is a great father to her. I am really interested in reading how the two of them they got to the point they did and then hopefully read a second chance romance story!
 
Overall, I'm glad I read this one because I'm really looking forward to Becca and Jackson's upcoming story. Hopefully Stewart will show us their backstory and how they came to the point they are at now, in addition to developing their new story that will eventually bring them back together.

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2 comments

  1. ugh i hate when author hides secrets from us while everyone else knows what is going on. I like best friends to romantic relationships too.

    Great review
    - Juhina @ Maji Bookshelf

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Juhina! That bothers me in books too.

      Delete

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