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Risk
The Russians are coming…
All his life, corporate risk analyst Mike Ransom has struggled to keep a lid on his love of risk in all its glorious forms—complex megaprojects, gambling and kinky sex with a cast of other players. Add a healthy dash of Catholic guilt to his zeal for hell-raising and Mike’s one conflicted man.
While he may have briefly enjoyed a three-way relationship in Moscow hot enough to melt the icicles off the Kremlin, since relocating to Shanghai he’s put all that behind him. So he certainly doesn’t want quirky IT über-babe and fiancée Jane finding out about the edgy submission and dominance games he played with Vlad and Lena Orlov, Moscow’s most enthusiastic swingers.
But his plan to distance himself from his past comes undone when the Orlovs, unaware of his new relationship status, arrive in town ready to pick up with Mike right where they left off.
All his life, corporate risk analyst Mike Ransom has struggled to keep a lid on his love of risk in all its glorious forms—complex megaprojects, gambling and kinky sex with a cast of other players. Add a healthy dash of Catholic guilt to his zeal for hell-raising and Mike’s one conflicted man.
While he may have briefly enjoyed a three-way relationship in Moscow hot enough to melt the icicles off the Kremlin, since relocating to Shanghai he’s put all that behind him. So he certainly doesn’t want quirky IT über-babe and fiancée Jane finding out about the edgy submission and dominance games he played with Vlad and Lena Orlov, Moscow’s most enthusiastic swingers.
But his plan to distance himself from his past comes undone when the Orlovs, unaware of his new relationship status, arrive in town ready to pick up with Mike right where they left off.
96 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 18, 2013
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 16, 2014
Not so long ago, I was in a Twitter conversation where people were discussing menage writers and menage books, and who they think did the genre well.
That happened just as I was into the first 20 pages of Risk. And while there'd been lots of fleeting backstory to suggest how the main character Michael had been party to all kinds of menage action while in Russia a year earlier, nothing of the type had actually happened in Risk as yet. I'm very happy to say it was all just around the corner.
If I'd known how well Rhyll Biest writes dirty good sex at that point, I would have added her name to the Twitter conversation.
Risk was about much more than just full-on sex. For a short story, I enjoyed what we were shown of Jane and Michael's relationship. And when the two Russians, Vlad and Lena, from Michael's past catch up with him in Singapore, I also enjoyed what they added to the dynamic.
I would have liked to explore more of Michael's feelings for Lena - the 'other' woman in his shadier, secret Russian sex life. It's hinted that Lena is in 'love' with him and feels abandoned when Michael leaves Russia. I guess that's what can happen when threesomes or foursomes, become twosomes...
There is so much about Risk that I loved. The writing is snappier than a bull terrier, if this book had any more sass and snark, it might have growled in my hand.
I'll be keen to check out her other novellas, and my next stop will be Russian Heat.
That happened just as I was into the first 20 pages of Risk. And while there'd been lots of fleeting backstory to suggest how the main character Michael had been party to all kinds of menage action while in Russia a year earlier, nothing of the type had actually happened in Risk as yet. I'm very happy to say it was all just around the corner.
If I'd known how well Rhyll Biest writes dirty good sex at that point, I would have added her name to the Twitter conversation.
Risk was about much more than just full-on sex. For a short story, I enjoyed what we were shown of Jane and Michael's relationship. And when the two Russians, Vlad and Lena, from Michael's past catch up with him in Singapore, I also enjoyed what they added to the dynamic.
I would have liked to explore more of Michael's feelings for Lena - the 'other' woman in his shadier, secret Russian sex life. It's hinted that Lena is in 'love' with him and feels abandoned when Michael leaves Russia. I guess that's what can happen when threesomes or foursomes, become twosomes...
There is so much about Risk that I loved. The writing is snappier than a bull terrier, if this book had any more sass and snark, it might have growled in my hand.
I'll be keen to check out her other novellas, and my next stop will be Russian Heat.
March 16, 2014
I'm a huge fan of Rhyll Biest's work and Risk was everything I'd hoped for.
It probably helps that I don't mind a bit of menage as well;) Jane and Michael are awesome characters and while this is a short book and also includes another two special players, Vlad and Lena, Ms Biest managed to get enough character development happening to really invest me in their story. And then the sex happens. And it's damn good.
My only complaint was that I got so caught up in the story that I wanted more of everything, but that's just because I'm not usually a short story kind of gal.
I've reread Risk a bunch of times and every time I'm struck by how well it's put together and how good the writing is. Can't wait for the next book!
It probably helps that I don't mind a bit of menage as well;) Jane and Michael are awesome characters and while this is a short book and also includes another two special players, Vlad and Lena, Ms Biest managed to get enough character development happening to really invest me in their story. And then the sex happens. And it's damn good.
My only complaint was that I got so caught up in the story that I wanted more of everything, but that's just because I'm not usually a short story kind of gal.
I've reread Risk a bunch of times and every time I'm struck by how well it's put together and how good the writing is. Can't wait for the next book!
April 7, 2014
It’s no secret how much I love to read ménage books, so I was intrigued by the blurb for RISK to see how Rhyll Biest was going to make this arrangement work. I think RISK had potential, but my honest opinion is that it just wasn’t long enough. The other issue I had was with the single P.O.V. from Mike’s perspective. It felt like I had ADD being in his head, because he was so erratic in his thoughts. I truly feel if the story were longer and more developed, that it could definitely be a good read.
Mike is all about taking personal risks, but he has turned over a new leaf and is trying in vain to be what he defines as “normal.” He falls in love with Jane who he feels is more “innocent” in comparison to his seedy past. Mike and his fiancée Jane are an undeniably well matched couple, but she knows deep down that he is keeping something from her. Based on previous experience, his biggest fear is that if Jane knew his darkest desires, she’d leave him. He feels he is protecting her by keeping his unconventional kinky past hidden, but the Orlov’s do not want to let him go and seek him out in his new life in China. After Jane meets his friends Vlad and Lena at dinner (much to his dismay), she is determined to find out what exactly Mike is hiding. Once Jane sets her plans into motion, Mike realizes that she might not be so innocent after all…
I think that the moments between Jane and Mike are steamy hot, but when Vlad and Lena are involved it gets kind of awkward. The brash Lena is all of a sudden very timid, and the dominance games were… well they were odd to me, but to each their own in that regard. I will say that I was disappointed in the single scene with the two couples. I was just expecting more when they were all together, and I wanted more emotion to be involved with the Orlov’s and Mike. I felt like that aspect of the story was left lingering, and that Lena and Vlad deserved to have some say in the conclusion with Mike and Jane as well. Now I’m not even going to mention my issues with Jane and Vlad, because that made me shake my head a few times. Once the single scene involving both couples is over, we came to what I feel like was a lackluster conclusion. I really do love a good short story, but RISK left me feeling like it was incomplete. That being said, if Biest decided to do a follow up story with these couples, I’d definitely want to read what happens next as they explore the potential of their dynamics more.
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
Mike is all about taking personal risks, but he has turned over a new leaf and is trying in vain to be what he defines as “normal.” He falls in love with Jane who he feels is more “innocent” in comparison to his seedy past. Mike and his fiancée Jane are an undeniably well matched couple, but she knows deep down that he is keeping something from her. Based on previous experience, his biggest fear is that if Jane knew his darkest desires, she’d leave him. He feels he is protecting her by keeping his unconventional kinky past hidden, but the Orlov’s do not want to let him go and seek him out in his new life in China. After Jane meets his friends Vlad and Lena at dinner (much to his dismay), she is determined to find out what exactly Mike is hiding. Once Jane sets her plans into motion, Mike realizes that she might not be so innocent after all…
I think that the moments between Jane and Mike are steamy hot, but when Vlad and Lena are involved it gets kind of awkward. The brash Lena is all of a sudden very timid, and the dominance games were… well they were odd to me, but to each their own in that regard. I will say that I was disappointed in the single scene with the two couples. I was just expecting more when they were all together, and I wanted more emotion to be involved with the Orlov’s and Mike. I felt like that aspect of the story was left lingering, and that Lena and Vlad deserved to have some say in the conclusion with Mike and Jane as well. Now I’m not even going to mention my issues with Jane and Vlad, because that made me shake my head a few times. Once the single scene involving both couples is over, we came to what I feel like was a lackluster conclusion. I really do love a good short story, but RISK left me feeling like it was incomplete. That being said, if Biest decided to do a follow up story with these couples, I’d definitely want to read what happens next as they explore the potential of their dynamics more.
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews