Starting the week off with a bit of steam I bring to you Worth the Risk by Anne Lange. Keep reading to see my review of this story and make sure to fill out the form below for your chance to win some great goodies. To learn even more about this book visit the other blogs hosting this tour.
A Canadian Holiday by Anne Lange.....
Worth the Risk was written in response to a submission call looking for stories with a Canadian theme. Since, I’m a Canadian, I figured, hey, I can do that. I can even throw in a few “eh’s” and “aboot’s” (just kidding, we actually say “about” like everyone elseJ).
The underlying premise of my story was inspired by something that happened to me more than a few years ago. But, no spoilers are being given away here, so instead I thought I’d provide a little history lesson around the Canadian weekend during which Worth the Risk takes place.
May 24th, or the Monday before May 25 is officially known asVictoria Day.
The holiday, named after British monarch – Queen Victoria – gave royal assent to Confederation. She was born on May 24, 1819, ascended to the throne in 1837 and ruled until 1901 – holding the longest reign in British history. This is also how the term Victorian era was coined, a period of significant change in many areas for the British Empire. Parliament declared her birthday a statutory holiday in 1845.
When Victoria died in 1901, the day officially became known as Victoria Day. Through the years, however, the birthdays for the reigning King or Queen was also celebrated. That’s a lot of cake! Apparently, continuous improvement and process efficiency are not new ideas, for in 1952 a decision was made, and proclamation passed, to declare the Monday before May 25th as the official day to celebrate both Victoria’s and the current reigning sovereign’s birthdays. Party poopers.
Today in Canada, May 24 signifies a few things. Winter is over, and summer is just around the corner. We can start planting our veggies and flowers without the risk of frost. More importantly, it’s the traditional long weekend when
The reference to 'two-four' rather than 'twenty-fourth' is a Canadian inside joke referring to the obligatory case of 24 bottles of beer. Provincial parks and camp grounds begin officially accepting visitors, and community parks and outdoor patios are thriving. You’ll see fireworks in all major cities, and many small communities. The barbeques are hot, friends and family are near, and the pool is being prepped.
We’ve got nicknames for it: May Two-Four, May long weekend, May Long or even Firecracker Day. But for most Canadians, this particular weekend starts things rolling for the next fewmonths. And regardless of the weather (cause quite often it’s cold and wet), WE DON’T CARE! It’s time to party!
Molly Simpson arrives at a beautiful provincial park, ready to spend the May Two-Four holiday camping with friends. This weekend is the highlight of her year—or it was, until Tanner Daivies showed up. Her high school crush is all grown up, sexy as sin, and he’s demanding answers—answers Molly isn’t sure she can give him. She had her reasons for leaving him all those years ago, but now, sex with Tanner is scorching, and when they’re together, it’s clear they were never meant to be apart. But the past doesn’t want to stay buried, and Molly isn’t sure reliving it is worth the risk…
EXCERPT:
Taking her hand, Tanner led her to a secluded spot at the north end of the beach, a private nook nestled in amongst the trees. The rest of their friends were back at the campsite, arguing over who won that last game of cards.
When they reached the perfect spot, he released his hold on her hand to lay out the blanket. With a flick of his wrists, he let it fly out before it settled in the grass. He unzipped the sleeping bag and laid it opened over the blanket. Kicking off his shoes, he crawled between theblankets of the makeshift bed and reached out to her. She laid her hand in his. With a playful tug, he hauled her down beside him and wrapped the sleeping bag snug around her.
Lying side by side, hands clasped under their heads, they gazed up at the star-studded sky. Water lapped at the shoreline, soothing her, lulling her into a sensuous, romantic state. The chirps of a few crickets and the occasional splash of a frog or fish jumping into the water were the only disruptions in their cozy little universe. The scent of Tanner tickled her nose. He never used cologne, just Irish Spring and him. She rolled her head to peer at him. He lay there, staring at her.
“This is perfect.” Her voice was a whisper.
Without a word, he rolled to his side and canted over her, brushing his lips across hers. His were soft, his touch tender. She couldn’t resist opening her mouth, allowing his tongue to slide inside and dance with hers.
He raised a hand to cup her face as he deepened the kiss. She reached up and twined her arms around his neck, pulling until his chest fell onto hers. His heart thudded against her. Wrapped together, she surrendered to him.
After a passionate embrace, he ended the kiss and cradled her in one arm while the other rested against her lower belly. His gaze held hers as he inched his hand under her sweater, his fingers tiptoeing in a feather-light touch to cover her breast.
She arched her body, pushing her breast into his grasp.
He bent down to devour her mouth again, their teeth clacking together. She giggled. When he withdrew, she gasped at the hot searing look in his eyes. The desire to laugh disappeared. In the moonlight, his eyes were darker than the night. His chest rose and fell with each breath.
“Come here.” Tugging her to a sitting position, he pulled her sweater over her head and dispensed with her bra. Then he laid her back down. The contrast of his tender caresses to the heated attack of his mouth pushed her own arousal to somewhere between a simmer and a boil. He shimmied down her body, taking the tip of one breast into his mouth. After lavishing it with licks and gentle nips he switched to the other, sucking it hard. The cover had slipped off and a cool breeze blew over their bodies, drying their already dampening skin. She hardly noticed. Her shiver had nothing to do with the temperature.
“Oh, yes,” she groaned.
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Worth the Risk reunites former college lovers 10 years later in an emotional and steamy journey towards forgiveness after a secret tore apart their HEA that had just begun. Can old hurts be overcome or will uncertainties about the future continue to hold them back? In the capable hands of Anne Lange you get to experience Tanner and Molly's pain as you root for them to be reunited in an immensely sweet and satisfying HEA.
While I adored everything about Tanner, I had some issues with Molly. First and foremost is her leaving Tanner all those years ago. With as much love as they had for each other, her doubting him cheapened what they had. She made everything all about her and cheated him out of a future he believed in wholeheartedly. By continuing to keep her secret (a secret that is pretty obvious early on), and by letting fear rule her, she continues to cheat Tanner out of his future. She's taken his free will away. She continues to cheat herself too by living by what-ifs. I know that she too is hurting but love is a healing balm and having his support all these years would've helped her heal faster. Keeping her secret seemed cowardly and letting unfounded fears rule her shows a woman of weak will. It's only when she's with Tanner that she shows an inner strength as she finally lets go of the guilt.
As Molly and Tanner reunite through numerous steamy sexual encounters (and there are A LOT of encounters) we get brief glimpses of a fun and supportive group of friends and I was intrigued by all of them. It was easy to immerse myself in this story as each memeber of the group was easy to relate to. On a whole this story was sexy yet heartwarming, intensely emotional and painful with an epilogue that's uplifting and joyous. Ms. Lange has created a wonderful hero and sets us on an emotional roller coaster ride that ends in an immensely satisfying conclusion. So take a risk and read Worth the Risk.
My rating for this is a B.
*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
Anne Lange grew up with a love of reading. In fact, if you take a close look, she’s got a book with her where ever she goes, and will usually sneak in at least a chapter or ten whenever she can spare a few minutes. She reads many genres of fiction, but prefers to write sexy romance with attractive men, strong females, and always a happily ever after.
While embarking on a career as a romance author, Anne juggles a full time job and a family. She grew up in Southern Ontario (Canada), but now makes her home in Eastern Ontario where she lives with her husband andthree children, and Rocky the bearded dragon.
Web Page/Blog: http://authorannelange.com/
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnneLange
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Anne_Lange
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Anne_Lange
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