Worth the Risk and Risky Surrender (Take a Risk Series Books 1 & 2) by Robin Bielman

Worth The Risk (Take a Risk #1)

Synopsis

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?

Iva's Review

Win the contract to save her job? Or win back her heart from the man she gave it to 5 years ago?

Robin Bielman's Worth the Risk is a well written short contemporary romance written from the two main characters points of views.

Samantha Bennett needs to win the contract restoring Route 66 to it's former glory, or risk losing her job and confirming to her father that she can't make it without him. The only problem is that her opponent for the contract is the son of the man she's trying to sell her proposal to and the man who broke her heart 5 years ago.

Dean Malloy wants to win the Route 66 project to make amends with his father after leaving his fathers company to start his own. This is a way they can work together again and re-establish the bond they once had. Plus it will give his newer company some recognition for the newer way they approach projects. So why is he willing to risk it all for one more night with Samantha Bennett?

I really liked both the characters and thought they were well suited to each other. The story is good and is well paced. Dialogue is appropriate and there is enough sex and sweetness to please the most hardened of readers.

Because of the length, there are some aspects to the story that don't have the emotional impact a longer book does, however the author has given the right amount of information for the length of this book and delivers the story with near perfection. 

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Risky Surrender (Take a Risk #2)

Synopsis

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.

Iva's Review

"He poured some wine and lifted his glass. “To a truce.” Lucy gulped. She couldn’t. “To agreeing to disagree.” She clinked his glass and took two large sips to calm her overactive nerves."If you’re up to something, I will find out what it is.” “I told you, I’m here on vacation.” She cut into her steak and reminded herself not to let the romantic atmosphere tarnish her resolve. “Then let me help you make it a memorable one.” McCall’s sexy as sin voice disarmed her completely, and her hand shook as she lifted her fork.  "                                        (Risky Surrender by Robin Bielman, pgs 52-53)

Risky Surrender is another well written contemporary romance by Robin Bielman. It can be read as a standalone book, but there is a scene that contains the couple from Worth the Risk and it is nice seeing how their story has progressed in the follow up novel if you have read it.

Lucy Davenport made an important promise 2 years earlier, one she has full intention of keeping, especially now it is so close to being fulfilled. That is until Keats McCall decideds to escort his security to the preservation site he is about to start restoring and once again comes face to face with the mystery woman who left him intrigued and aroused a few months earlier.

The author has used dual perspectives to convey her story. The transitions between the two are done concisely with no backtracking in the story's timeline. The book is only 160 pages long and the author has done a great job in concentrating on the here and now of the story with only the necessary bits of the characters pasts told to allow the reader to see that they are more than one dimensional.

I  really like Robin Bielman's style of writing and her ability to tell a good story. The characters are interesting, the story is interesting, and the information given is appropriate to the length of the book. That said, I find it really disappointing that both Worth the Risk and Risky Surrender are not going to be books pushed as "Must Reads" or books that you think back on in two months time and remember the details clearly as both are pleasant in between books due to their length and not because of the authors skill. 

Purchase Links

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About the Author

Robin Bielman lives in Southern California with her high school sweetheart husband, two sons, and crazy-cute mini Labradoodle, Harry (named after Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books). When not attached to her laptop, she can almost always be found with her nose in a book. She also likes to run, hike, and dip her toes in the ocean. Filled with wanderlust, she longs to visit many different places and fulfill her curiosity. She wouldn’t mind indulging her sweet tooth in every location either. She’s a lover of Post-it notes, cable television shows and café mochas.

I’m beyond happy that I get to write sweet and sexy contemporary romance for Entangled Publishing. Writing is a dream come true and I still pinch myself to be sure it’s real.

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