Falling in love is always risky…Shane Merrick has poured everything into his nightclub only to find himself days away from bankruptcy. Just about the last thing he needs is a blast from his past, especially one who broke his heart. Keeping his focus off his sexual urges and on his business has been easy. Until now.Wealthy playboy Jake Lang has a lot to prove. Mainly that he can make something of himself without his father’s money. Opening a nightclub in Fairview seems just the thing until he discovers the man he never forgot running one. Instead of competing against him, Jake has the brilliant idea of joining forces, but first, he has to show Shane that he’s changed.Will the two men be able to work together, or will old hurts and new suspicions destroy their second chance?
When he’s not plotting world domination, Bruce Rose is usually plotting gay romance novels. If he’s not writing hot man-on-man action, you might find him trying out new recipes, listening to old 80s rock, or putting his Star Wars action figures into provocative poses.
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3.75 HEARTS--Snark, sexual tension and a second chance at romance.
Bruce Rose's "Risky" is a novella that takes a fun trope - second chance romance and makes it sexy and funny. My favorite ingredients this type of novella. I loved reading author's notes and author bios especially when the author makes the effort. Bruce Rose made the effort. Beer and condoms are a great platform.
I was charmed from the warning throughout until the last period.
"Risky" stars geeky club owner Shane. He's broker than broke, in danger of losing his business and in dire straits. In walks in his ex Jake Lang on one of his worst days. Jake comes in with bravado, smooth talking and demanding flair. In short, me and Shane couldn't pant fast enough. There is something about the cocky men with swagger. It's a fine line between cocky and jerk. Bruce Rose did a good job not making Jake a villain.
With a very erotic acquaintance in a semi public place (*wink*), the novella focuses on the men trying to fight their obvious attraction and chemistry while saving Bow, Shane's club. Jake was a selfish trust fund kid the last time Shane saw him. But people change especially when they want to.
With a risky bet, the two become tentative business partners for a month where sex isn't exactly on the table. The story could've easily went into the PWP territory but it really didn't. There's a plot and more than that, a wonderful cast of characters. I enjoyed the entire ensemble - Brandon and Taylor, the twunk and twink bar staff who are loyal to Shane. And Terry, the lumbersexual, gentle giant pastry chef. PLEASE tell me there will be a story starring Terry and his beard. He's a big guy who I picture as a redhead in my head, wearing flannel and suspenders. *fingers crossed* He deserves to find a partner too. All of the characters do.
But I digress (*puppy eyes to the author*)
Another plus in this story's favor is it shows how Jake redeems himself to be a worthy partner. Not just for his personal gains but for himself. The story doesn't go out on a major limb into innovative, but it didn't need to. A great comfort read that can pass away the time with fun.
There are quibbles, however. The story has typos, at one point Jake's last name changed due to a typo (just once). There was a little mush once the HEA happened. There were a few parts where certain characteristics or actions weren't delved into as deep as it could have such as the (light) cyberstalking - how exactly did Jake know all of Shane's business? Also, a scene with Jake discussing his new life now that his wealthy lifestyle is at an end would have been nice to read instead of a secondary character discussing it.
Overall, enjoyable. Definitely my kind of humor. The sex (when it happened) was hot with a capital T! And the sexual tension was a great touch.
I will definitely be reading more from this author and diving into his backlist. ;)
Bruce Rose has surprised me once again with this sweet second chance story. Novellas aren't my favorite, as I generally like a longer, meatier story. Although there was a some meat in this one! It's a bit fluffy but not shallow, nor is it thinly veiled porn as there's actually minimal sex scenes. The characters of Jake and Shane are developed well, with just enough background to drive the story. A bit of reading between the lines is needed for Jake's motivations. Shane and Jake met in college where Jake, the entitled trust-fund baby, became Shane's bad-boy, hit and run lover. Shane eventually moved away to save his heart. 10 years later, Jake tracks down Shane to negotiate a business deal for his nightclub.
The process of redeeming himself and earning Shane's trust is a fun journey, peppered with engaging secondary characters. There's Shane's business neighbor Terry, the lumbersexual pastry chef with a crush on Taylor, the twink bartender. Brandon is the other bartender and he's a twunk and professional flirt as well as a fierce friend and protector for Shane. Throw in new DJ Domenico, Jake's Italian, rather exhibitionist, friend. As I said, it's very sweet, but not sugary, with a warm and fuzzy conclusion. It's as satisfying and complete as many novels that just take longer to read.
Shane is adorably geeky and owns a nightclub which is not doing so great. Jake, a college boyfriend who always seemed to flit in and out of Shane’s life, seems to be back, and even ten years later, Shane can’t disguise his reaction to the man.
Jake needs an investment, so that he can prove to his father that disinheriting him was a mistake. He’s got his eye on Shane’s club, and has every intention of making a business relationship work.
I really enjoyed this. I loved the premise. The reunited lovers, but with baggage. Delicious. Especially since Jake is such an arse, and it takes every bit of willpower Shane has to not fall into his trap.
Shane was a great character. I loved him. I wanted him to get his shit together, and get the guy who he deserved.
I warmed to Jake over time. He was arrogant and pushy, but also his heart was in the right place. Even if he didn’t seem to know how to approach the situation, he was trying his best.
As a team they worked well together, and the snark between them was delightful. It made the content not as depressing as it could be. Sometimes I just wanted to give Shane a big cuddle and pet his head until the world was awesome for him.
Jake’s life seemed to be crumbling around him, but he was making the best of a bad situation.
Character development was strong, and I felt that each personality came out well. The descriptive content showed me exactly what I needed to see, and the relationship development was convincing.
Recommended for those who enjoy a little humour with their reunited lovers Romance.
Have you ever wanted something so bad you were willing to do anything to have it? That is the underlying theme in the plot of this story. Jake is a wealthy playboy. At least he was when he was living off his father’s money. Now he is without those resources and anxious to make his life a success. The only thing he knows is clubbing so, opening a club in Fairview seems like a good idea. When he discovers the one man he will never forget owns a failing club in the same town he now has two great ideas. Join forces with Shane and make the club a success.
Shane’s club if fast approaching bankruptcy. He has invested everything he is and has into his nightclub and is failing abysmally. The last thing or person he ever wanted to see is the very man who broke his heart some years ago.
Jake is the rock, bankruptcy is the hard place and Shane is living in God’s little acre smack in the middle unless he is willing to take the risk Jake is offering. Simultaneously, Shane is the rock, failure is the hard place and Jake, too is living in God’s little acre smack in the middle unless he is willing to take the risk of showing the vulnerability necessary to prove to Shane he is no longer the man who broke his heart so many years ago.
I enjoyed this story. The main and supporting characters are well supported throughout the story to give you a sense of who they are and how they arrived. I always love it when there is just enough to give understanding with just enough held back to make you wonder what if this.…. This is not my first time at a Bruce Rose dance, and I’ll keep on reading as long as he’s writing like. There is no risk in reading this story. For the reader, it’s all win-win.
I was given Risky through the Goodreads ‘Don’t Buy My Love’ program in exchange for an honest review. This is the story of Shane Merrick who runs a failing nightclub, and Jake Lang a playboy. The story is told in third person from alternating povs.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the M/M Romance groups Don't Buy My Love program.
This is the second book in the Fairview series, trust me you don't have to read the first one enjoy this one. It's a quick read but the story didn't feel rushed; great book for a short flight.
Our two MC's were college lovers and are now getting a second chance at real love with each other. Jake was a player in college and really didn't care to much about other peoples feelings. Ten years later and Jake has matured and stepped out on his own and is ready to win the heart of the man he's loved. Shane was a loner bookworm who was happy to have just a little bit of playboy, Jake's attention. Ten years older and wiser Shane is a struggling nightclub owner in need of miracle just to keep the doors open for one more night.
Before ending chapter one I was like "what..how y'all doing that already". It made me a little leary about how the rest of the story would go. Then the author pulls us way back to build into an enjoyable second chance romance. Don't know if this is good or bad but the story made me think of the Hallmark movie channel.
I know the books in this series are supposed to be standalone reads but I'm curious if any of them feature any of the secondary characters from this one but man they were very interesting and I could see plenty of stories flowing from them.
okay, I'm dying, Domenico is hilarious - Frankie Say Relax, "The gay sex anthem"... too many memories for me to even deal right now, been there and bought the t-shirt. Domenico's broken English is perfect!
This book is just full of lol moments - Jake reminiscing about how much he loved the taste of blowing Shane, "If he could figure out a way to bottle semen-enhancing elixirs, he'd make a fortune." Would that be like a cherry-Coke or more like an ice cream shake?
Shane's character was so sweetly introspective. I loved the part where he's pondering what might have been different if he had made a move on Jake, but then he accepts his nature - what he likes and feels comfortable doing. Maybe his business suffered because he didn't have that aggressive drive, but his submissive nature makes him who he is and it's all good.
I'm telling ya' I love that about Bruce Rose's books, there's always a nice message and I'm really happy with this one ;) Jake's character clearly goes through a more radical transformation but that's happened before the story starts, he just needs to prove it to Shane.
Really fun story and I'm looking forward to the two Fairview stories I've yet to read. I wish Brandon and Taylor could get a story (plot bunny, just sayin').
this book was provided for free by the author in exchange for an honest review via the MMRG Don’t Buy My Love Program
This second chance novel was about two old college friends who reconnect after ten years. Not really reconnect but Jake ambushes Shane at his failing club "Bow".
Shane and Jake were roommates with benefits but Jake was a dick and didn't tell Shane his true feelings. Shane finally got tired of playing a yo-yo, he left. Ten years later and truly on his own Jake feels sorry for the way he treated Shane and realizes he is and was " the one".
So this is my fourth read by Mr. Rose and I am digging this man's writing!! That combination of sweet and dirtily sexy just blows my mind. "Freshman year, they'd been rushing to get to religion class and Jake had been buttering Shane up, trying for a quickie. He'd offered to let Shane keep his tie on, which he had, but Shane ended up going to class without his underwear. All through the lengthy lecture about hell, Shane had felt Jake's cum leaking out of his ass. As he sat there, squirming in his seat, swearing the load spread a wet spot all over his trousers." "Jake had been standing there, his plan on track then suddenly he derailed and plunged into porno lake." Shane and Jake went to college together. They had a relationship of sorts but Jake was an arrogant ass so Shane graduated early and disappeared. They have some unfinished business and reconnect just as Shane's gay club is about to go under. Oh how I loved this book. Quickly, in this yummy little short tale, we get a solid backstory on Shane and Jake, get introduced to some well developed secondary characters that I'd like to see again (PLEASE CAN WE HAVE A BOOK ABOUT DOMENICO AND BRANDON!!) and are treated to a few of the jizziest scenes that I've come to expect from this author. You know I've enjoyed a book when I stop reading every few lines just to marvel at how good they are and then search the author's web site (again!) to see if there are any hints about new releases (hint, hint). Very enjoyable read. I have several other books by this author but I tend to hoard them and only read them sparingly when I need a jolt of excellent writing.
I recieved a free copy of this book for an unbiased review.
I liked the book. It was a good and easy read without major highs or lows. Something nice for an afternoon on the beach or at the pool side. I liked that Shane and Jack had history together. But the characters could have had a tad more depth. I didn´t like that Shane was so totally unable to keep his nightclub out of trouble and Jack just comes around and everything he does is a success and the club is suddenly the place to be. It looked to be to easy for him. On the other hand I liked that he didn´t give Shane the feeling to be a loser. He complimented him on his choice of location and other things. But these discrepancies are why I gave the book only three stars. Sorry Bruce.
After 10 years apart Jake is back in town and walks into Shanes nightclub that isnt doing so great. He has a plan to get it back on its feet and we wants back into Shane's life, only Shane isn't so sure.
I liked tis book, yes it short and things have to move right along but it didnt feel rushed at all. I found myself routing for Jake and hoping he would get the nightclub back in the black. A great cast of secondary characters. This was book 2 in the series but I don't feel that I missed anything but not reading book 1, although I am going to do so and read firther books in this series. Recommended to anyway who wants a sweet, quick read with no angst.
I know these are stand-alone books but I definitely recommend reading this one before reading Lucky Irish. I read out of order but that didn’t detract at all from my enjoyment of this book.
3.75 stars Much better than I was expecting! Yes, some of the four week "challenge" time was glossed over, but it kept the pace snappy-- I think it would've lagged a lot with extraneous details.
This was an interesting read by “new to me” author Bruce Rose. I liked a lot of things in this story. I liked reading about the business aspect of the club. I found myself pulled into the nightlife and enthralled with Jake, his ideas and personality. I love bad guys that turn good stories and this one totally hit the mark in that aspect.
What lacked for me was the connection between Shane and Jake which ultimately leads to my biggest issue, Shane. I did not care for Shane at all. He wasn’t really likeable, in my opinion, so I just wasn’t feeling the connection.
Shane is the epitome of bitter ex-lover. 10 years ago he was “used” by his then lover Jake while they were both in college. Decidedly over Jake Shane has moved on with his life. Unfortunately his business is failing and he is at the end of his rope and the last thing he needs is Jake to come storming back into his life but that is exactly what happens.
Jake’s a changed man. He grew up and realizes he wants to do some good and help Shane as much as he can. Reluctant Shane puts the breaks on all of Jakes altruistic endeavors.
Ultimately these two come together to try and mend the rift between them while trying to save Shane’s business.
This story wasn’t bad, at all. This is a talented, witty author who knows what they’re doing. Personally I just would have wanted to see/feel more from Shane and his feelings towards Jake.
Jake stole the show in this story. He gave me all the feels. There were also some great side characters who added a lot to the plot.
Overall, this one was pretty enjoyable.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
This was so good! I love second chance romance story lines, and this one delivered that with a bit of enemies to friends. One thing I really liked was the two guys actually talked to one another. They interacted and had to work through their past crap. The author didn’t just fall back on what I see so often—the two characters fuck and somehow, magically, all is forgiven. These two had to work for it and when they got their reward at the end, it felt believable and felt satisfying to me as a reader. I can’t wait to read another book by this author.
I disliked both MCs. Shane was a pathetic doormat for never standing up to Jake. He had no business sense and couldn't understand that he was running his own nightclub into the ground. He needed to man up to Jake and needed to own his failing business. Jake had a history of being a manipulative disloyal manwhore. There was no explanation for his change in character and no proof that he had actually changed his behavior. So I found Jake's turn around to be unbelievable.
There was no relationship development. Yes, Jake moved to Shane's town, sought him out, and invested money into his business. The two men worked together to improve the nightclub. There was a misunderstanding and Jake almost ran away again, but Shane called him back and they had sex. Voila, they were an instant couple. Unfortunately, they never solved Jake's issues with fidelity and commitment and Shane's issues with self esteem and communication.