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Risking It All
He's the billionaire playboy with a reputation to protect.
He's the small-town doctor with a baby in tow.
Undeniably attracted to each other, will they risk their hearts, and their families, for a future together?
When Jack Marsden, voted most eligible bachelor in Australia, returns to Wallaroo, his goal is Attend his brothers society wedding, appease his mother, then get the hell out of town.
When Luke Harper accepts a six-month placement as GP in Wallaroo, it is a chance for him to recover from his sister's death, and to bond with his new charge, his six-month-old niece, Holly.
What he didn't expected was to run in to his old crush, Jack Marsden, looking as sexy as ever.
Jack knows that in order to be happy he has to be honest with himself, but to do so would risk hurting those he loves most, his family.
The timing had never been right for Jack and Luke, but with wedding magic in the air, will they get their own chance at happily ever after, or will the risk be too great?
- GenresM M RomanceLGBT
46 pages, Paperback
Published August 31, 2021
1 person is currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Ryder
39 books948 followersAn international bestselling and award winning author of sweet contemporary romance, Kathleen's novels showcase thought provoking plots and strong emotions that have been likened to a Hallmark movie. Featuring feisty heroines and strong heroes, where everyone gets a happily ever after.
To discover more about Kathleen: https://linktr.ee/KathleenRyder
To discover more about Kathleen: https://linktr.ee/KathleenRyder
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
September 27, 2021
This was exceedingly rushed...
There is a short story and then there is a Powerpoint presentation. In case you were wondering - this is a Powerpoint presentation. Chapter 1 starts with It all felt really, really rushed. And confusing. Like up to chapter 6, it is Jack's point of view, then it is Luke's. Generally, I am a fan of dual POV books, but in this case, it was too brief, the details given too sparingly, while the sentences are constructed unbelievably long for reasons unknown. Even when Luke's POV is given, it reveals details that happened behind the scenes - like he knows Jack's life is in Sydney and he is not a relationship guy. Well.. how DO you know that? Because 6 chapters in, I don't even know that! It was all very rushed and pretty bare. It could have been expanded and made way more fluent, way more deeper in content and characters. As it is now, it is rather plain and rushed (yes, I am repeating myself here). It was still rushed. Also, FYI - the blurb is not accurate.
**I was provided an ARC of this book from the GRR for an honest review**
There is a short story and then there is a Powerpoint presentation. In case you were wondering - this is a Powerpoint presentation. Chapter 1 starts with It all felt really, really rushed. And confusing. Like up to chapter 6, it is Jack's point of view, then it is Luke's. Generally, I am a fan of dual POV books, but in this case, it was too brief, the details given too sparingly, while the sentences are constructed unbelievably long for reasons unknown. Even when Luke's POV is given, it reveals details that happened behind the scenes - like he knows Jack's life is in Sydney and he is not a relationship guy. Well.. how DO you know that? Because 6 chapters in, I don't even know that! It was all very rushed and pretty bare. It could have been expanded and made way more fluent, way more deeper in content and characters. As it is now, it is rather plain and rushed (yes, I am repeating myself here). It was still rushed. Also, FYI - the blurb is not accurate.
**I was provided an ARC of this book from the GRR for an honest review**
August 28, 2021
This is a sweet love story between Luke and Jack. They fall fast for each other but it takes a bit for them to get together. The secondary characters help to bring the story around. It's well written with descriptive scenes,moves quickly and smoothly and is an enjoyable read.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
September 7, 2021
Risking it All is a sweet enjoyable quick read. It is a second chance love story between billionaire Jack and doctor Luke. The two reconnect after a memorable meeting at Luke sister’s wedding there years prior. However, Luke is unsure if Jack will be able to step up and be the man he and his 6 month old niece Holly need. It can be tricky in a novella to develop characters you care about but both both Luke and Jack are well drawn. I also enjoyed the positive support and love Jack receives from his family, that is not always the case in m/m romance novels. The secondary characters really help bring additional depth to the story and made the plot even more engaging. It would have been nice to get a bit more development of the relationship, to see Jack and Luke together more. This would have helped me be a bit more invested as a reader. This is a quick read with likable main characters and sweet HEA.
I received an arc of this book and this is my honest review.
I received an arc of this book and this is my honest review.
October 15, 2021
This is a good short novella. I liked the characters and enjoyed the story. I felt like the blurb for the book was describing a different set of characters however. I didn’t see the “playboy” in Jake and was left wondering where the crush was. It sounded like they had known each other for longer and shared more than just a few looks and a kiss. But like I mentioned before, the main part of the story itself is still good. I felt like I was missing some backstory on Jake’s family and wondered if there was a connection to another series somewhere.
November 1, 2021
Poorly written on a character, plot, and sentence level. One such gem: "It was during the dessert course that Jack suddenly realised his skin was on fire, not literally of course, but painfully so." Although with how nonsensical and disjointed this novella is, I suppose it wouldn't be so weird if a character had spontaneously caught on fire and didn't realize it for a while.
October 18, 2021
Sometimes all you want is to sit down with a good sweet second chance romance,and this fit perfectly.
The story held my attention straight from the beginning and I found myself liking both Jack Marsden and Luke Harper in this delightful book.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.
The story held my attention straight from the beginning and I found myself liking both Jack Marsden and Luke Harper in this delightful book.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.
November 1, 2021
After reading the blurb, I was excited to read this novella however I was confused much of the time I was reading it. I didn't understand the lack of explanation between timeframes, I didn't realize the couple in chapter one were killed or had a baby. I didn't understand how Jack fell in love with Luke without any real interaction except a couple of brief meet-ups randomly. While I really did want to enjoy this book, I just couldn't. I think maybe if you read Sam (Jack's brother) and Millie's story first in The Marriage Deal, it may make more sense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2021
Disjointed and no heat
This book has made me struggle like no other book I’ve ever read, in my life. I’m trying to come up with something positive to say, as I like to focus on things I love about the books I read, and not be nit picky with dislikes. But, I’m coming up with a big zero, so I’m just going to dive into it.
The blurb. The blurb is great. It’s what made me pick the book up in the first place. However, the blurb and the story don’t match. I actually went back and re-read the blurb, thinking I was reading the wrong book. I wasn’t. It’s almost as if the author wrote this fantastic blurb, and then realized they had to come up with the story. What you get is a rushed, disjointed mess.
The MC’s. I didn’t love them. I didn’t not love them. I didn’t feel anything for them really. I just couldn’t connect with them. At all. I just found myself not caring about their story, one way or another. This should have been a quick read. It’s only eleven chapters. It’s not billed as a novella, so I was expecting insta-love/connection, and a fast paced story.
The MC’s – Jack and Luke - meet in the first chapter at a wedding, and share a kiss, after barely speaking to each other. Nine lines of dialog between them. Nine. And, none of it very stimulating. Rather boring, actually. The kiss wasn’t even hot, there was just no chemistry.
The next three chapters focus on Jack. Three chapters. No mention of Luke. Not even Jack thinking about the kiss, etc.. It seems like there may have been a time jump, but it’s not referenced, so I can’t be sure. There’s another mention of a wedding, between two side characters that had not been mentioned before. There is then several pages of these side characters back story. Which I found myself not caring about in the slightest. It seemed as if these two side characters had been in another of the author’s M/F books, but again this was not made clear. I have not read anything else by this author, but she appears to have several previous books published, so I’m just guessing on this. This book wasn’t marketed as a novella, or as a continuation of any other book, so I don’t know
The next time Jack and Luke meet, it’s because Jack has injured himself. Luke is a doctor and happens to be working at the clinic Jack finds himself at. After having driven himself with a cut bleeding so profusely, he passes out. A cut that then only requires “two to three stitches.” Really? Does his blood not clot? How could all that blood only require two to three stitches? He then throws a fit when Luke wants to cut his pants. His already torn and very bloody pants, because they are “twelve thousand dollar pants”, one of a kind, can’t be replaced pants. That he was working in the garden in. That are already ruined. Rich people problems, I guess. The next chapter starts with Jack saying bed rest is boring and he needs to get out of the house. Bed rest? No one mentioned bed rest. Who needs bed rest for that little of a cut? I even went back and re-read Luke’s medical instructions. No bed rest mentioned. Yet when the MC’s run into each other, because of course, Luke also mentions bed rest.
There’s a lot of time spent talking about side character backgrounds, and hardly any on the MC’s. What are they feeling? What are they thinking? Where is the interaction between them? The blurb makes it seem like they had this wonderful connection, and haven’t been able to stop thinking about each other. They haven’t thought of each other at all. Even their second meeting was missing any kind of hearts and flowers and stars in their eyes, and there was definitely no heat. At 42%, they have barely spoken to each other. Then they share another lackluster kiss. Then Jack decides that Luke is the man for him, because he hasn’t stopped thinking of him in three years. Wait, when did that happen? It wasn’t mentioned. He hasn’t stopped thinking of him? Ummmm….
There are also ridiculously long sentences. I mean loooonnnnnggggg. The only saving grace was that there were commas in the sentences, so they weren’t complete run on’s.
Honestly if this book was any longer than eleven chapters I would have DNF’d it. But I kept reading, thinking, hoping, praying, there was more to this book. Something I was missing that was going to make it all worth it. Something that matched the blurb. I came up empty. It keeps mentioning Jack “risking it all”, but his family seems to know he is gay, and he’s made his millions by being a game developer. I was at a loss as to why Jack coming out as gay would be a big deal, since most people seemed to know already.
I’m sure there are people who will really love this book. Unfortunately I wasn’t one of them.
This book has made me struggle like no other book I’ve ever read, in my life. I’m trying to come up with something positive to say, as I like to focus on things I love about the books I read, and not be nit picky with dislikes. But, I’m coming up with a big zero, so I’m just going to dive into it.
The blurb. The blurb is great. It’s what made me pick the book up in the first place. However, the blurb and the story don’t match. I actually went back and re-read the blurb, thinking I was reading the wrong book. I wasn’t. It’s almost as if the author wrote this fantastic blurb, and then realized they had to come up with the story. What you get is a rushed, disjointed mess.
The MC’s. I didn’t love them. I didn’t not love them. I didn’t feel anything for them really. I just couldn’t connect with them. At all. I just found myself not caring about their story, one way or another. This should have been a quick read. It’s only eleven chapters. It’s not billed as a novella, so I was expecting insta-love/connection, and a fast paced story.
The MC’s – Jack and Luke - meet in the first chapter at a wedding, and share a kiss, after barely speaking to each other. Nine lines of dialog between them. Nine. And, none of it very stimulating. Rather boring, actually. The kiss wasn’t even hot, there was just no chemistry.
The next three chapters focus on Jack. Three chapters. No mention of Luke. Not even Jack thinking about the kiss, etc.. It seems like there may have been a time jump, but it’s not referenced, so I can’t be sure. There’s another mention of a wedding, between two side characters that had not been mentioned before. There is then several pages of these side characters back story. Which I found myself not caring about in the slightest. It seemed as if these two side characters had been in another of the author’s M/F books, but again this was not made clear. I have not read anything else by this author, but she appears to have several previous books published, so I’m just guessing on this. This book wasn’t marketed as a novella, or as a continuation of any other book, so I don’t know
The next time Jack and Luke meet, it’s because Jack has injured himself. Luke is a doctor and happens to be working at the clinic Jack finds himself at. After having driven himself with a cut bleeding so profusely, he passes out. A cut that then only requires “two to three stitches.” Really? Does his blood not clot? How could all that blood only require two to three stitches? He then throws a fit when Luke wants to cut his pants. His already torn and very bloody pants, because they are “twelve thousand dollar pants”, one of a kind, can’t be replaced pants. That he was working in the garden in. That are already ruined. Rich people problems, I guess. The next chapter starts with Jack saying bed rest is boring and he needs to get out of the house. Bed rest? No one mentioned bed rest. Who needs bed rest for that little of a cut? I even went back and re-read Luke’s medical instructions. No bed rest mentioned. Yet when the MC’s run into each other, because of course, Luke also mentions bed rest.
There’s a lot of time spent talking about side character backgrounds, and hardly any on the MC’s. What are they feeling? What are they thinking? Where is the interaction between them? The blurb makes it seem like they had this wonderful connection, and haven’t been able to stop thinking about each other. They haven’t thought of each other at all. Even their second meeting was missing any kind of hearts and flowers and stars in their eyes, and there was definitely no heat. At 42%, they have barely spoken to each other. Then they share another lackluster kiss. Then Jack decides that Luke is the man for him, because he hasn’t stopped thinking of him in three years. Wait, when did that happen? It wasn’t mentioned. He hasn’t stopped thinking of him? Ummmm….
There are also ridiculously long sentences. I mean loooonnnnnggggg. The only saving grace was that there were commas in the sentences, so they weren’t complete run on’s.
Honestly if this book was any longer than eleven chapters I would have DNF’d it. But I kept reading, thinking, hoping, praying, there was more to this book. Something I was missing that was going to make it all worth it. Something that matched the blurb. I came up empty. It keeps mentioning Jack “risking it all”, but his family seems to know he is gay, and he’s made his millions by being a game developer. I was at a loss as to why Jack coming out as gay would be a big deal, since most people seemed to know already.
I’m sure there are people who will really love this book. Unfortunately I wasn’t one of them.
September 6, 2021
Great idea..poor execution.
This was a sweet story about Jack the playboy and Luke the doctor finding love. Jack and Luke first meet at the wedding of Luke’s sister to Jack’s friend. There is an instant attraction and a kiss, which is memorable for both.
Fast forward a few months and Jack is in town for his brother’s wedding. The readers discover that the lovely couple from the first chapter are now deceased and Luke is raising their child. From here on in, the story careens into fifth gear and speeds 100mph to its end.
It is a great concept, but parts were a little cliché and there were a host of inconsistencies. Some examples of this are:
1) Luke is taking care of Jack who injured himself, Jack has apparently passed out and come to while Luke is trying to cut off the pants in order to treat Jack’s injured leg. But after Jack comes to, there is an awkward exchange where they realize who each other is. But if Luke was working on Jack, wouldn’t he already realize his patient was Jack. Should the reader believe Luke has been working on Jack, but never looked at his face?
2) After randomly spotting Jack and Luke having coffee, Jack’s mother, Kathy, invites Luke to the pre-wedding luncheon for her elder son, Sam. Did I mention this is the first time she has met this man EVER!!! Who does that? Then once at the house, Sam’s fiancé is caring for the baby. As she prepares to leave Luke and Jack, she makes the statement, “Come on Holly, Auntie Millie’s going to take you to find Grandma.” What?!?!? How is she auntie and who is grandma? Are we referencing Jack’s mother? And if so why?
3) Referencing the scene described in #2-when Jack “comes out” to his family, his mother makes the statement, “We know. Oh Jack, we knew the moment you brought him home.” When did he bring him home? Jack didn’t technically bring Luke home, Kathy invited Luke to her home. If the author had said, “We know. Oh Jack, we knew the moment we saw the way you looked at him” that would have made more sense.
4) In this same “coming out” scene, the author refers to Sam’s fiancé as his wife.
5) The foreshadowing of Millie’s pregnancy was very cliché. All of a sudden a rational, level headed business woman falls to tears over Jack’s minor medical incident.
6) Luke’s reaction to being introduced as a “friend” seemed a little weird. The author gives us no indication that the platonic relationship between the two men was anything more than a friendship between two men who were attracted to each other. Is the reader supposed to assume that because Jack and Luke have have exchanged two kisses and three meals, they are a thing?
As the reader I do not need to be spoon fed, but this book required me to draw conclusions from information that does not follow a logical conclusion.
I really love the concept and the story itself was good once. The dialogue was good and pointed to a good relationship between Jack and his brother Sam and their parents. Sweet story, but the brevity with which it was told did nothing do the couple justice.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a sweet story about Jack the playboy and Luke the doctor finding love. Jack and Luke first meet at the wedding of Luke’s sister to Jack’s friend. There is an instant attraction and a kiss, which is memorable for both.
Fast forward a few months and Jack is in town for his brother’s wedding. The readers discover that the lovely couple from the first chapter are now deceased and Luke is raising their child. From here on in, the story careens into fifth gear and speeds 100mph to its end.
It is a great concept, but parts were a little cliché and there were a host of inconsistencies. Some examples of this are:
1) Luke is taking care of Jack who injured himself, Jack has apparently passed out and come to while Luke is trying to cut off the pants in order to treat Jack’s injured leg. But after Jack comes to, there is an awkward exchange where they realize who each other is. But if Luke was working on Jack, wouldn’t he already realize his patient was Jack. Should the reader believe Luke has been working on Jack, but never looked at his face?
2) After randomly spotting Jack and Luke having coffee, Jack’s mother, Kathy, invites Luke to the pre-wedding luncheon for her elder son, Sam. Did I mention this is the first time she has met this man EVER!!! Who does that? Then once at the house, Sam’s fiancé is caring for the baby. As she prepares to leave Luke and Jack, she makes the statement, “Come on Holly, Auntie Millie’s going to take you to find Grandma.” What?!?!? How is she auntie and who is grandma? Are we referencing Jack’s mother? And if so why?
3) Referencing the scene described in #2-when Jack “comes out” to his family, his mother makes the statement, “We know. Oh Jack, we knew the moment you brought him home.” When did he bring him home? Jack didn’t technically bring Luke home, Kathy invited Luke to her home. If the author had said, “We know. Oh Jack, we knew the moment we saw the way you looked at him” that would have made more sense.
4) In this same “coming out” scene, the author refers to Sam’s fiancé as his wife.
5) The foreshadowing of Millie’s pregnancy was very cliché. All of a sudden a rational, level headed business woman falls to tears over Jack’s minor medical incident.
6) Luke’s reaction to being introduced as a “friend” seemed a little weird. The author gives us no indication that the platonic relationship between the two men was anything more than a friendship between two men who were attracted to each other. Is the reader supposed to assume that because Jack and Luke have have exchanged two kisses and three meals, they are a thing?
As the reader I do not need to be spoon fed, but this book required me to draw conclusions from information that does not follow a logical conclusion.
I really love the concept and the story itself was good once. The dialogue was good and pointed to a good relationship between Jack and his brother Sam and their parents. Sweet story, but the brevity with which it was told did nothing do the couple justice.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2021
Romance fans, we are a strange lot. We’ll forgive many a sin for a good plot. Meet a billionaire at a club, who then turns out to be your boss? Sure! Getting lost in a snowstorm and being found for a mountain man who has just the perfect amount of supplies to take care of you both for a winter? Yeah! Bear shifters that fall for merpeople who are their fated mates? Sure, why not. However, we need you to try. It’s fine when plots fall through, but when you try to sell us a story that is nonsensical, not in a suspension of disbelief way, but a “I didn’t bother to properly plot this out” way, then we are not happy. Which leads me to Risking It All.
First off, the title is a lie. No one risked it all in this book.
Second,the premise is a lie. When you write a blurb that says that the billionaire comes to town to find “an old crush,” then it better be an old crush. Not someone that you met at a wedding and spoke 9 sentences to before you kissed him and then he ran off like Cinderella in a tux. (No, seriously. Literally 9, I counted.) That’s not a crush, that’s a “brief, hot encounter” or a “quick meeting of minds and mouths” (look, I’m not the writer here.) But 12% in and I felt cheated.
Third, it is rushed and not well-plotted so it reads like a newsletter freebie for the author’s current fans. There is no indication that this is part of a series, but there are characters in here from a MF book and you can absolutely tell because there’s a big recap of their other book. When something is this short, I want as much time as possible spent on the MC’s and their plot.
Overall, this had potential but things were rushed and just...odd? The two MC’s meet at a wedding and then the main story takes place three years later, but with no real indication that it is three years later until way laterThere’s not sufficient time given to Holly and how Luke feels about raising her or her parents’ death. Jack is hiding who he is, but we don’t really know why? Just..oddly disjointed plot points that didn’t coalesce like they needed to. Like, Jack and Luke’s meet-cute reunion is that Jack hurts himself and has to be stitched up by Luke...except he objects to Luke cutting off his pants because they are “twelve thousand dollars” and “handmade by a tailor in Italy.” BRUH. If your twelve thousand dollar pants are so precious, WHY were you wearing them to work in the garden? And you’ve bled in them enough to have to go to the doctor, do you think they’ll survive that unscathed?? Even the final declaration of love that brings them back together was just weird.
I wanted to chalk this all up to a newer writer, but the author has 16 distinct books listed on Goodreads. This seems to be their first MM book but I don’t know if I’ll give their other novels a try. Maybe it’s because this really is a bonus novella for readers of Ryder’s other books? It’s not marketed like that, or even marketed with an accurate synopsis of the plot. I try not to be harsh, but this one should be a pass for all but hardcore fans of the author.
I received this as an ARC and this is my honest review.
First off, the title is a lie. No one risked it all in this book.
Second,the premise is a lie. When you write a blurb that says that the billionaire comes to town to find “an old crush,” then it better be an old crush. Not someone that you met at a wedding and spoke 9 sentences to before you kissed him and then he ran off like Cinderella in a tux. (No, seriously. Literally 9, I counted.) That’s not a crush, that’s a “brief, hot encounter” or a “quick meeting of minds and mouths” (look, I’m not the writer here.) But 12% in and I felt cheated.
Third, it is rushed and not well-plotted so it reads like a newsletter freebie for the author’s current fans. There is no indication that this is part of a series, but there are characters in here from a MF book and you can absolutely tell because there’s a big recap of their other book. When something is this short, I want as much time as possible spent on the MC’s and their plot.
Overall, this had potential but things were rushed and just...odd? The two MC’s meet at a wedding and then the main story takes place three years later, but with no real indication that it is three years later until way laterThere’s not sufficient time given to Holly and how Luke feels about raising her or her parents’ death. Jack is hiding who he is, but we don’t really know why? Just..oddly disjointed plot points that didn’t coalesce like they needed to. Like, Jack and Luke’s meet-cute reunion is that Jack hurts himself and has to be stitched up by Luke...except he objects to Luke cutting off his pants because they are “twelve thousand dollars” and “handmade by a tailor in Italy.” BRUH. If your twelve thousand dollar pants are so precious, WHY were you wearing them to work in the garden? And you’ve bled in them enough to have to go to the doctor, do you think they’ll survive that unscathed?? Even the final declaration of love that brings them back together was just weird.
I wanted to chalk this all up to a newer writer, but the author has 16 distinct books listed on Goodreads. This seems to be their first MM book but I don’t know if I’ll give their other novels a try. Maybe it’s because this really is a bonus novella for readers of Ryder’s other books? It’s not marketed like that, or even marketed with an accurate synopsis of the plot. I try not to be harsh, but this one should be a pass for all but hardcore fans of the author.
I received this as an ARC and this is my honest review.
October 11, 2021
2.5 rounded up to 3 stars
I have mixed feelings about this one.
This is pretty much a slow burn story with absolutely no sex, on or off page. This didn’t bother me at all as I read pretty much any romance from sweet to smut. I only mention it because I know that some readers want this information.
This was a very quick read at only 10,000 words. I love a good short story and/or novella length book. I’m not one of those readers who normally criticizes a book for being too short; in fact, I love this length of story – when done well. I enjoyed most of this one but things went sideways for me at Chapter 8 (it’s only 10 chapters long).
Potential spoilers:
Epilogue
I really did like the epilogue which takes place 6 months after the last chapter.
In conclusion, I didn’t hate this book but I didn’t love it either. According to Amazon this author has only been publishing since late 2020 and it appears that this is the her only male/male romance. It’s great that she’s written a sweet story in this genre but I think it could have used a little more work before being published.
An advanced copy of this book was provided to me at my request but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
I have mixed feelings about this one.
This is pretty much a slow burn story with absolutely no sex, on or off page. This didn’t bother me at all as I read pretty much any romance from sweet to smut. I only mention it because I know that some readers want this information.
This was a very quick read at only 10,000 words. I love a good short story and/or novella length book. I’m not one of those readers who normally criticizes a book for being too short; in fact, I love this length of story – when done well. I enjoyed most of this one but things went sideways for me at Chapter 8 (it’s only 10 chapters long).
Potential spoilers:
Epilogue
I really did like the epilogue which takes place 6 months after the last chapter.
In conclusion, I didn’t hate this book but I didn’t love it either. According to Amazon this author has only been publishing since late 2020 and it appears that this is the her only male/male romance. It’s great that she’s written a sweet story in this genre but I think it could have used a little more work before being published.
An advanced copy of this book was provided to me at my request but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
September 9, 2021
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
‘Risking It All’ is sweet read. Jack and Luke meet briefly and then do not see each other again for three years. The intervening years are good for Jack but full of sadness for Luke. He has to give up some of his dreams to honour his commitment to his baby niece who is in his care. Jack on the other hand is raking it in. Call me an inverted snob but I have no sympathy for Jack when his twelve thousand dollar pants get destroyed. On the other hand I do not doubt the confusion he feels when he finds himself falling in love with Luke and little Holly. The big billionaire finds he has a heart after all and he does not know how to deal with it.
What you get is a simple tale of two guys who almost fall in love with each other from a distance. Two kisses in and they cannot think of living apart. There is a bit more to it than that but they are good company so just go with it. You’ll like it.
I cannot finish without a few footnotes. There is some humour to be found. Jack’s property screams ‘money and wealth and power, in an elegant, understated way.’ Understated screaming no less.
Jack gets called Luke at one stage: “Thanks Millie, I’m fine.” Luke interjected quickly, before her tears could start again. (Luke hasn’t arrived at that point.)
I think we may be missing a conversation or two as the story goes from two almost furtive kisses and a couple visits to a café to an ultimatum being given. (Maybe a chapter or two with some more snogging would be nice.)
Putting that all aside this is a heart warming tale.
‘Risking It All’ is sweet read. Jack and Luke meet briefly and then do not see each other again for three years. The intervening years are good for Jack but full of sadness for Luke. He has to give up some of his dreams to honour his commitment to his baby niece who is in his care. Jack on the other hand is raking it in. Call me an inverted snob but I have no sympathy for Jack when his twelve thousand dollar pants get destroyed. On the other hand I do not doubt the confusion he feels when he finds himself falling in love with Luke and little Holly. The big billionaire finds he has a heart after all and he does not know how to deal with it.
What you get is a simple tale of two guys who almost fall in love with each other from a distance. Two kisses in and they cannot think of living apart. There is a bit more to it than that but they are good company so just go with it. You’ll like it.
I cannot finish without a few footnotes. There is some humour to be found. Jack’s property screams ‘money and wealth and power, in an elegant, understated way.’ Understated screaming no less.
Jack gets called Luke at one stage: “Thanks Millie, I’m fine.” Luke interjected quickly, before her tears could start again. (Luke hasn’t arrived at that point.)
I think we may be missing a conversation or two as the story goes from two almost furtive kisses and a couple visits to a café to an ultimatum being given. (Maybe a chapter or two with some more snogging would be nice.)
Putting that all aside this is a heart warming tale.
October 19, 2021
A sweet idea but rushed
When I first saw the blurb for this I was really excited. It was a short book so I figured there was probably going to be a fair amount of insta-love (which I am totally down for lol). I also expected that that with how short the book was going to be there wasn't going to be the in depth understandings of characters you expect with longer books. The concept is great - it's cute and sweet and has so much potential for adorableness. I think the biggest problem with the book though was that it was a novella attached to another series. At least, I'm pretty sure it must have been because I was left feeling like I was meant to know way more about these characters (and the side characters) than I did. Which meant that for a lot of the book I was kind of lost as to who on earth these people were and why I was meant to think of Jack as a playboy. This also wasn't insta-love which isn't a problem per se but when you combine that with no real knowledge of the characters and a very short book you really get left with no actual development of a relationship. That was made worse by the fact that a good portion of the book (maybe around a quarter) wasn't actually showing any real interaction between the MCs.
I'm not saying this was a bad book, I actually think this could be a great book (the concept is great and there was so much potential for lovely sweetness). What it really needs I think is maybe another 10,000 words and a warning that it's part of a larger series (I'm pretty sure it is now that I've looked the author up).
When I first saw the blurb for this I was really excited. It was a short book so I figured there was probably going to be a fair amount of insta-love (which I am totally down for lol). I also expected that that with how short the book was going to be there wasn't going to be the in depth understandings of characters you expect with longer books. The concept is great - it's cute and sweet and has so much potential for adorableness. I think the biggest problem with the book though was that it was a novella attached to another series. At least, I'm pretty sure it must have been because I was left feeling like I was meant to know way more about these characters (and the side characters) than I did. Which meant that for a lot of the book I was kind of lost as to who on earth these people were and why I was meant to think of Jack as a playboy. This also wasn't insta-love which isn't a problem per se but when you combine that with no real knowledge of the characters and a very short book you really get left with no actual development of a relationship. That was made worse by the fact that a good portion of the book (maybe around a quarter) wasn't actually showing any real interaction between the MCs.
I'm not saying this was a bad book, I actually think this could be a great book (the concept is great and there was so much potential for lovely sweetness). What it really needs I think is maybe another 10,000 words and a warning that it's part of a larger series (I'm pretty sure it is now that I've looked the author up).
October 11, 2021
Cute story but something is missing…
I enjoyed this short story of Jack and Luke, acquaintances who meet at a wedding and then become more. Of course, it is an insta-lust story with Jack seeing something he likes, Luke, and going for it. But a kiss and that’s all? Three years later they are brought together again through a DIY accident. Lots of background on other people and relationships. Is this laying the groundwork for other books?
But there is a lot missing unfortunately. We are told that Jack doesn’t broadcast his being gay. OK, so what… Spoiler Alert - No angst regarding his being in the closet so when Jack wants to have something more important between them, BAM, Luke gives him an ultimatum: come out or stay away. What?! There was no build-up before this that being in the closet bothered Luke. I’m sorry I don’t get it. Honestly, the blurb adds more to the story than the story itself.
This is a cute story and with some fleshing out of the part where there should have been some angst about coming out, not a lot, just some stress or worry, this could have been a four or five star book. I give this book 3.5 stars. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Gay Romance Reviews.
I enjoyed this short story of Jack and Luke, acquaintances who meet at a wedding and then become more. Of course, it is an insta-lust story with Jack seeing something he likes, Luke, and going for it. But a kiss and that’s all? Three years later they are brought together again through a DIY accident. Lots of background on other people and relationships. Is this laying the groundwork for other books?
But there is a lot missing unfortunately. We are told that Jack doesn’t broadcast his being gay. OK, so what… Spoiler Alert - No angst regarding his being in the closet so when Jack wants to have something more important between them, BAM, Luke gives him an ultimatum: come out or stay away. What?! There was no build-up before this that being in the closet bothered Luke. I’m sorry I don’t get it. Honestly, the blurb adds more to the story than the story itself.
This is a cute story and with some fleshing out of the part where there should have been some angst about coming out, not a lot, just some stress or worry, this could have been a four or five star book. I give this book 3.5 stars. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Gay Romance Reviews.
October 16, 2021
Disjointed and lacked realism and romance🙄
2.5🌟 stars
This wasn't a terrible story but I wouldn't say it was good either. It was too short to spend so much of the book not focused on interaction between leads Jack and Luke. It seemed they barely talked or knew each other, so Jack's bold statement about how he feels about Luke to his parents seemed wrong, as did the rapid progression of the relationship in the epilogue.
I also think some important points might have been edited out, thus leading to a few WTF moments like when Luke berates Jack for hiding that he's into men. Other than a brief discussion of a magazine article about Jack's eligible bachelor status at the very beginning (and, according to the story's timeline at least a few years before Luke takes Jack to task), I did not see one mention to anyone else of Jack's orientation. Was Jack's social and romantic life discussed in another story that we are assumed to have read?
This story, for me, had a beginning and a positive end but not much between. If you are looking for steam, you will not find it here. That wouldn't bother me but there's not much romance either.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
2.5🌟 stars
This wasn't a terrible story but I wouldn't say it was good either. It was too short to spend so much of the book not focused on interaction between leads Jack and Luke. It seemed they barely talked or knew each other, so Jack's bold statement about how he feels about Luke to his parents seemed wrong, as did the rapid progression of the relationship in the epilogue.
I also think some important points might have been edited out, thus leading to a few WTF moments like when Luke berates Jack for hiding that he's into men. Other than a brief discussion of a magazine article about Jack's eligible bachelor status at the very beginning (and, according to the story's timeline at least a few years before Luke takes Jack to task), I did not see one mention to anyone else of Jack's orientation. Was Jack's social and romantic life discussed in another story that we are assumed to have read?
This story, for me, had a beginning and a positive end but not much between. If you are looking for steam, you will not find it here. That wouldn't bother me but there's not much romance either.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
October 16, 2021
I really wanted to like Luke and Jack's story. There was a lot of potential, but I honestly feel like the synopsis gave me higher expectations than what was actually written in the book. For one, this was an exceptionally short novella; from start to finish, it took me 40 minutes to read, and I am in no way a speedy reader. In that amount of pages, I didn't get much in the way of character development or romance; we went from a few kisses to happily married in a few short pages. I picked up this book for the premise, but there wasn't even much in the way of interaction between Luke and Jack. They only talked a handful of times, so it was hard to believe in any kind of great love story. The plot also seemed a bit disjointed to me, skipping over some details and not fleshing out others. There was massive opportunity to develop these characters, but the character reactions were the same whether they were hearing that their friend had died or they were proclaiming love. Had this book been longer, I likely would have not finished it. The characters were stagnant and the plot could have (should have) been much more than it was. I feel like the synopsis was written for a much longer book, and what I read was a very early draft.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2021
“What If” is the theme for this quick insta-love story by Kathleen Ryder. We all have those “what if” moments that we look back on and wonder where we would be today if we had made a different decision and choice. For Jack, an Entrepreneur, meeting Lucas at a friend's wedding is just that. Lucas haunts Jack for 3 years until a chance meeting again. Being in Lucas’s life again brings Jack to the realization that he’s been in love with him all along and that to him, Lucas is home. An addition to this story is that Lucas is now a father, having custody of his infant Niece after a family tragedy. I want to say, I enjoyed this story. However, I do wish that it was a longer book. I feel like the relationship was too rushed and that with more time, it would have been a much better rounded tale. It all happens within a period of less than a week. Lucas was way too sensitive about his “relationship status” with Jack before they even had one date. I loved the premise and the characters but wish the author had written more to have us actually see them work through a new relationship and being an instant family and everything that goes along with that.
October 19, 2021
A short, but enjoyable read.
Risking it all is about Jack and Luke. They met at a wedding several years ago, and fate intervened that they are meeting again. Luke is now a single father after his sister passed and left a baby. Jack owns a widely successful gaming company and is a sought-after Australian bachelor.
We see the journey they take into their relationship and all the ups and downs a relationship comes with.
The book was all about the happier times, even when the story includes an orphan and great loss. But the author decided not to focus on it and to focus on Jack and Luke with their families.
As for novellas in my opinion typical, the storyline and the characters could have been more developed. Everything felt fast-paced, the characters had no depth in their portraying and the relationship felt not organic due to the rush and fast-paced writing style.
But I think this is more an illness of Novellas, instead of the ability to write from the author.
All in all an enjoyable read.
*I received this book as an ARC. I chose to leave an honest review.*
Risking it all is about Jack and Luke. They met at a wedding several years ago, and fate intervened that they are meeting again. Luke is now a single father after his sister passed and left a baby. Jack owns a widely successful gaming company and is a sought-after Australian bachelor.
We see the journey they take into their relationship and all the ups and downs a relationship comes with.
The book was all about the happier times, even when the story includes an orphan and great loss. But the author decided not to focus on it and to focus on Jack and Luke with their families.
As for novellas in my opinion typical, the storyline and the characters could have been more developed. Everything felt fast-paced, the characters had no depth in their portraying and the relationship felt not organic due to the rush and fast-paced writing style.
But I think this is more an illness of Novellas, instead of the ability to write from the author.
All in all an enjoyable read.
*I received this book as an ARC. I chose to leave an honest review.*
September 14, 2021
REVIEW ⭐️⭐️ Risking It All by Kathleen Ryder is the brief love story between Jack, a billionaire playboy and Luke, a handsome doctor who has recently become the guardian of his infant niece after her parents died tragically in a car accident. The two share a kiss at a wedding reception, and afterward a series of incidents keep bringing them together. Can the attraction they feel for each other turn to love and possibly a wedding of their own?⠀
⠀
The premise of this tiny book is a good one, but the execution is not. The story feels unfinished with too much information left to the reader’s assumptions. The characters are undeveloped and completely one dimensional. There are multiple inconsistencies, and even the title is misleading as nothing is ever developed to be at risk for either party. Luke accuses Jack of hiding who his is which comes as a bit of a surprise since there was no prior development that this was even an issue. The framework of the story has potential but what I was presented with reads like something between an outline and a first draft. ⠀
⠀
The premise of this tiny book is a good one, but the execution is not. The story feels unfinished with too much information left to the reader’s assumptions. The characters are undeveloped and completely one dimensional. There are multiple inconsistencies, and even the title is misleading as nothing is ever developed to be at risk for either party. Luke accuses Jack of hiding who his is which comes as a bit of a surprise since there was no prior development that this was even an issue. The framework of the story has potential but what I was presented with reads like something between an outline and a first draft. ⠀
October 15, 2021
Risking it all is a really sweet small town romance set in Australia.
This is quite a short book so things happen really quite quickly and this is no problem as long as the story matches with that. However, for me, there wasn't enough time given for the emotions Jack and Luke felt to match up to the timeline or even what was coming across in the writing. There is also a time jump between chapter one and two that I had no clue about until something is revealed between the two men. It really caught me by surprise for a moment and I had to go back and check if I had missed something.
I enjoyed the characters, all of Jack's family and Luke's baby is adorable. I did feel the strong bonds between the family members, all clearly live each other and happy sharing the good times together.
Overall this is a good story but to me it needed more - time, development and the chance for the feelings to build between the two MCs.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
This is quite a short book so things happen really quite quickly and this is no problem as long as the story matches with that. However, for me, there wasn't enough time given for the emotions Jack and Luke felt to match up to the timeline or even what was coming across in the writing. There is also a time jump between chapter one and two that I had no clue about until something is revealed between the two men. It really caught me by surprise for a moment and I had to go back and check if I had missed something.
I enjoyed the characters, all of Jack's family and Luke's baby is adorable. I did feel the strong bonds between the family members, all clearly live each other and happy sharing the good times together.
Overall this is a good story but to me it needed more - time, development and the chance for the feelings to build between the two MCs.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
August 30, 2021
While this was an ok short read, less than an hour, I would have found it a much more enjoyable read had the author fleshed out the characters and the story. You barely got to know the characters and things jumped way too fast. At one point the character Jack asks Luke to go for a coffee, then when Jack introduces him as his friend, Matt gets upset that he wouldn't recognise they were more, I felt they hadn't even gotten there yet, it was essentially a first date. Things were blown out of perspective and suddenly love was declared. I wanted to love this, because it had a heap of promise, and if the author was to make it into a full length novel I would definitely want to read it, I love mm romance and especially aussie romance.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 20, 2021
What if? Luke and Jack first met at Sarah, Luke's sister and Matt Jack's friend's wedding. They had a connection, then went their seperate ways. Three years later, Luke, GP returns to Wallaroo to grieve his sister's death and bond with her daughter, Holly. He plans on being there for a 6 month's assignment working around Holly's schedule. Jack returns to Wallaroo to attend his friend's wedding. Jack, was not in the closet, but he was not actively out. There were many concerns and roadblocks to the idea of a relationship. Geography, careers and single parenthood to name a few. Can these men communicate and go after what they want? Nice story. It was a bit jumpy and awkward, but the characters were adorable. The story went a bit quick, but all the characters were likeable. Nicely done. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 1, 2021
2.5 stars
I really wanted to like this because I love reading and supporting Australian authors.
It's a short story, which is linked to an MF by the same author (The Marriage Deal), and possibly if you've read that story, this one would feel less rushed and more engaging.
For me, everything happens too quickly and lacks authenticity. There's a three year gap between chapter 1 and 2 that isn't immediately obvious (Chapter 1 probably should have been listed as a prologue), and it's a bit confusing. The MC's don't appear to have been hanging out in those three years, so it doesn't really make sense for them to fall in love so quickly.
If you like short, instalove reads, you'll probably really enjoy this. For me, it was a struggle to finish because I couldn't engage with the story.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews.
I really wanted to like this because I love reading and supporting Australian authors.
It's a short story, which is linked to an MF by the same author (The Marriage Deal), and possibly if you've read that story, this one would feel less rushed and more engaging.
For me, everything happens too quickly and lacks authenticity. There's a three year gap between chapter 1 and 2 that isn't immediately obvious (Chapter 1 probably should have been listed as a prologue), and it's a bit confusing. The MC's don't appear to have been hanging out in those three years, so it doesn't really make sense for them to fall in love so quickly.
If you like short, instalove reads, you'll probably really enjoy this. For me, it was a struggle to finish because I couldn't engage with the story.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews.
October 18, 2021
I was looking forward to reading this story because the blurb caught my attention but unfortunately the book did not live up to it in any way. In fact I felt like I was reading something entirely different. This threw me off from the beginning and I had a very difficult time even finishing this story even though it is quite short. It felt very rushed and disjointed as well having a lot of inconsistencies and with very little background information about Luke and Jack it was also difficult to follow. There are several time jumps as well without any explanation or context. Overall it never came together as a cohesive story and even though I really liked the little I knew about Luke I just didn't enjoy reading this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
September 3, 2021
**First Time Reader**...This was nice but I got lost during transition of time when events took place...no good flow between scenes/chapters. I wasn't able to tell that one MC was in the closet until it was brought up towards the end....so I guess certain details need to be establish so the reader wont be put off on why others feel some kind of way. No steamy parts but this relied on mostly the emotional elements of the two MCs budding relationship. This being a novella, a lot of things felt rushed. I liked the romance so it wasn't a waste of time...it was nice and light/fluffy.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 13, 2021
This is a cute, sweet short story which I really would have loved to have seen in a longer format with more depth. The developments occur out of left field and I constantly felt like I was getting blindsided. Some people have the short story format honed to perfection. This one needs quite a bit of work to not appear jumpy and scattered. It also appeared the author couldn’t exactly decide on the POV.
It’s a quick read and will fit the bill if you are looking for a light snack as opposed to a filling meal. It leaves you feeling happy and light, especially if you weren’t looking for more depth.
**I voluntarily read an arc and this is my unbiased opinion.**
It’s a quick read and will fit the bill if you are looking for a light snack as opposed to a filling meal. It leaves you feeling happy and light, especially if you weren’t looking for more depth.
**I voluntarily read an arc and this is my unbiased opinion.**
October 27, 2021
This is a new to me author, and very contemporary. The connection Jack and Luke share are explosive from the very beginning. Even two years later when they reconnect there is still that spark. But there is a catch Jack’s private life is just that. But can he have the best of both worlds and leave his private life quiet while still declaring the one thing that he wants the most? A very quick read for an introduction to this author. This is also the first MM title that I can find that Kathleen Ryder has created. I would be curious to go back and read some of her other stories and I am intrigued about what is to come out in the future.
September 8, 2021
So this was super short and to be honest didn't really build the characters to much extent. It was a wham bam thank you ma'am book which was fine in itself. My reason for reading this book in the first place was that it was set near my home town so imagine my surprise when it says that two towns - Wallaroo and Maitland are next to each other and not far from Sydney - this was rubbish because these towns were 50 odd kms apart and Sydney was 1500kms away in another state. If you are going to use towns that are supposed to be close then you should have gone with Wallaroo, Kadina and Adelaide
September 9, 2021
I know short books have to give us a full story in just a few pages but here it all seemed so cramped with too many things happening at once and none were the ones involving the two MCs.
This story kept me frowning nonstop because most of the things that did happen were the most random ever. Like how? Why? You haven't even talked properly and now you're madly in love? Do you at least know his favourite colour? They didn't talk then suddenly the epilogue was there and it was even more random than I've thought. It had potential but it needed more pages and just more in general.
This story kept me frowning nonstop because most of the things that did happen were the most random ever. Like how? Why? You haven't even talked properly and now you're madly in love? Do you at least know his favourite colour? They didn't talk then suddenly the epilogue was there and it was even more random than I've thought. It had potential but it needed more pages and just more in general.
October 15, 2021
Please do don’t waste your time on this book. The author should have stuck to M/F stories. The best part about this book was the blurb. It actually had a good premise but her follow through was lacking. The MC’s meet at a wedding, share a stolen kiss then…nothing. That’s right we get several chapters of one MC and then bam, they meet again and it’s instalove. At this point I was ready to throw it against the wall but decided to finish it. Overall there are numerous authors who write MM that do a much better job and you will be better off and happier reading them.
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