The Risk

(Briar U #2)

Elle Kennedy

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Release Date February 18, 2019

A sexy standalone novel from New York Times and international bestselling author Elle Kennedy. THE RISK takes you back to the world of hot hockey players, feisty heroines, bro banter, and steamy scenes... 

Everyone says I’m a bad girl. They’re only partly right—I don’t let fear rule me, and I certainly don’t care what people think. But I draw the line at sleeping with the enemy. As the daughter of Briar’s head hockey coach, I’d be vilified if I hooked up with a player from a rival team.

And that’s who Jake Connelly is. Harvard’s star forward is arrogant, annoying, and too attractive for his own good. But fate is cruel—I require his help to secure a much-coveted internship, and the sexy jerk isn’t making it easy for me.

I need Connelly to be my fake boyfriend.

For every fake date…he wants a real one.

Which means this bad girl is in big trouble. Nothing good can come from sneaking around with Jake Connelly. My father would kill me, my friends will revolt, and my post-college career is on the line. But while it’s getting harder and harder to resist Jake’s oozing sex appeal and cocky grin, I refuse to fall for him.

That’s the one risk I’m not willing to take.

We return to Briar U and the rivalry between their hockey team and Harvard at a pivotal point in the season. Brenna Jensen is snarky, sarcastic, bold, and wears armor to guard her heart. She dreams of being a sports journalist, and she is the Briar U coach's daughter.

Jake Connelly is the rival Harvard team captain. She thinks he is arrogant, annoying, and a player on and off the ice....and unfortunately also very hot.  They have some antagonistic banter going, but when he sticks his nose into her business, she is really not happy with him. But unfortunately she finds herself in need of his help, and like the smart player he is, he uses it to his advantage. 

What neither of them expected was to actually like their secret, stolen times together...and the chemistry that just kept getting harder to deny....and how distracting the other one could be. They weren't supposed to actually like each other, or think about each other, or get involved in the other's lives.

There are so many reasons they should not be together. And at any time their secret could be exposed. But is the risk worth the reward?

I liked Jake and Brenna. They were fun and fiery together, but there was also a sweet vulnerability to their building connection. And being vulnerable was hard for both of them. Brenna especially had secrets and issues that had shaped her past and still causes her problems and insecurities. And Jake was under a lot of pressure and had so many people pulling at him.

I liked that Brenna was a true hockey lover and knew the sport inside and out. This story shows the difficulty of women trying to enter careers dominated by males. And despite her issues in the past, she was fighting for her dreams in a not-so-accepting world. And Jake was trying to be what everyone needed him to be and end is college career on a positive note before joining his pro team.

I enjoyed more with the other characters Summer and Fritz, Hollis, Hunter, and Brooks. There are stories happening with some of them that I imagine will spill into future books. There was also the introduction of a couple new female characters...one was a bit too intense and over the top for me though her story line did make me chuckle a few times, and one was the typical girl best friend of a hot guy.

This is a forbidden, enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, sports romance. Despite the witty banter, this book was not all fun and games. Aside from the secret romance, there were also some deeper personal issues and wounds that needed exposed and healed.  But there was also the focus on the rivalry, big game, and the repercussions of their secret affair. But I liked this one better than The Chase, and by the end I really did feel for the characters and was rooting for them in all aspects.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Brenna may be the daughter of Briar’s hockey coach, but she isn’t the good girl her dad wanted her to be. Her intention to break into a male dominated career puts her at a disadvantage, but she has the drive and determination to make it work. When Jake gets involved in her business, she is frustrated with his arrogance. It isn’t until she finds a need for him that she decides to cut him a little slack, if he will help her out.

Jake Connelly wants a real date for every fake date Brenna needs. Exploring the chemistry between them will be fun. He doesn’t do relationships, but there is something about Brenna that draws him in. He knows she wouldn’t be playing with the enemy this season unless she didn’t need his name, but is willing to look past her last name for a little fun.

This was a fun story to watch unfold. Brenna is headstrong and knows what she wants. She isn’t afraid of what others think of her, though she is constantly trying to make up for past mistakes in her father’s eyes. He seems to be the only one who doesn’t see who she is today though.

Jake leads his team steadily. He is the fastest one on the ice, and his rookie contract in Edmonton is just waiting for him to graduate. This is his last year at Harvard and he plans to make the most of it on and off the ice. Their rivalry is held in fun when it is just the two of them.

As they spend more time together, they find a connection that goes beyond the initial chemistry between them. The annoyance that existed at first turns to warmth and friendship. For once, they fid themselves opening up to someone new, taking a chance on the possibility of a relationship.

As an enemies-to-lovers, this was filled with tension and banter. As their bond deepened, and the baggage each held onto was revealed, it became more than just that enemies to lovers trope and into something more. The addition of the team rivalry and the big game only heightened the outside pressure on them and I loved watching how it played out throughout the postseason. This was a great return to Briar U. I loved seeing the other teammates and returning to this world. 

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Chase

(Briar U #1)

Buy Here

The Play

(Briar U #3)

Pre-order Here

Expected October 7, 2019

Elle Kennedy
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A USA Today bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle writes romantic suspense and erotic contemporary romance for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!