The Gamble by Kristen AshleyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
How do I even start this review? I don't know. This book swept me off my feet. Several people had recommended Kristen Ashley to me so I decided to take a gamble on one of her books and I lucked out because THE GAMBLE was amazing.
It's no joke when people call Kristen Ashley one of the queens of romance because 'The Gamble' had it all. An outstanding heroine in search of herself. A tough mountain man with a mouth on him and sex appeal by the bucket loads. A full cast of charming characters with it's hidden villains in the mix. And the best part of this book is that the characters are incredibly layered and there was suspense and not a boring moment. So even though 'The Gamble' is a long read, it doesn't ever worn you out because there is never a dull moment.
My favorite aspect of this book is that both Nina and Max, the main characters in this story, kinda thought they had seen the best to offer in life without realizing that the best was yet to come when they met each other. Their relationship went from being rocky, to funny, to sweet and then to intense, it seems like in no time. They went through all the phases that a couple could face until they realized that they had to be together or else life wouldn't be the same.
I think what makes this book special is how drastically different Nina and Max are from each other yet how their differences balance them out and create magic. Nina comes from England to a small town in Colorado to get away and get her thoughts sorted out. She is sophisticated, classy, strong willed and thoughtful and then meets Max. Max, is a alpha macho mountain man in Colorado who is a full out guys guy who likes beer, cussing, his land, and secretly was the biggest softie ever. I don't think Max ever thought he could fall for someone like Nina but he does and it was great to read about.
Not only is Nina hiding a lot of vulnerability, but as tough as mountain man Max is, he too, has been through so much, and takes a huge gamble on Nina when he falls for her. But what's awesome is that there are moments that Nina tries to walk away from him because of the newness and fear of this relationship with Max, but he never lets her get away. He knows what he wants and he makes her see it too and face the reality of what they have.
Max and Nina now take a place in my reading heart as one of my all time fave couples. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series and read about the rest of Kristen Ashley's famous alpha men. Ladies who told me to read this book, you were right, they are the best!
My rating: 5/5
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Lovely review!
ReplyDeleteI do love encountering characters who are so different and yet their differences are what balances them out and brings them together. After reading your review, I think I want to meet Nina and Max. This sounds like a romance series I would just LOVE to get lost in :)
Thanks so much, Magen! :)
DeleteAnd I am flattered by that. I hope that if you have the chance to read this book, you love it as much as I did. Nina and Max were such awesome characters and their story had it all. I totally got lost in their world and their romance. I now want to finish this series and read everything Kristen Ashley has written. This book was so good.
Oh, I LOVE this series, Jennifer! Nina and Max were so much fun, and you're right, it's a long book but I never felt like it was long. I didn't want it to end. You're in for a real treat with these books! My favorite I think is Sweet Dreams and then Breathe. Wonderful review! :)
ReplyDeleteYay. I'm so glad to hear that. And I am really excited about this series. Im starting Sweet Dreams next and I really want to read Breathe. I read the synopsis for that one and it looks awesome. Thanks so much, Rachel! :)
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