Ann Omasta is a skillful author. Shortly into the novel, Taking Chances, I became convinced that I knew what I was getting: the simple story of an average girl who meets a stunning prince-type guy, and, as in a dream, he falls for her, tumbling head over heels into her unassuming amazingness. Predictable, right? Um…not so much.
In her novel, Taking Chances, Omasta details the ordinary, but pleasant, life of Abby Brown, a reasonably attractive young woman of average employment who is rather lacking self-esteem. Our protagonist, however, has some emotional scars from past tragedies that she has not allowed to destroy her, but rather have encouraged her to depend upon, and wholly trust, the strong and positive relationships with the women in her life. What is missing in her life is a man, and Abby has a healthy interest in rectifying this situation, but not to the point of obsession. Abby’s regular-girl persona, along with Omasta’s clean and unpretentious writing style, draws you right in to the plate, leading you to believe that you know exactly what pitch is coming next, and that’s when she throws you a curve ball.
At the expense of spoiling the story’s secrets, I will offer that a tall, gentlemanly, and very handsome package is not always quite that uncomplicated, and this can also be said about the love relationship that Abby find herself in. Likewise, I found myself reading until the early hours of the morning, unwilling to put the book down, so as not to lose my connection with Abby and her little, let’s say, dilemma. I tried to ascertain Abby’s best move, but, again, it was just so hard to do! Yes, for Abby, when it rains, it pours.
Included in Taking Chances, is a healthy amount of steamy sexual interaction, which I again found to be unexpected, as Abby is not your average, garden-variety sex kitten. So be prepared for heat; Abby tends to follow her body’s newly discovered needs, often at the expense of her mind’s misgivings. In other words, Abby takes some chances.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Taking Chances, which ends with a cliffhanger. I will definitely be seeking out the sequel to this novel so I can discover if my prediction of what I think will happen to Abby, maybe even what I hope will happen in her love life, comes to pass.