The Risk
4.8
50
5
1
Paperback
USD
15.3
$15.30
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781775293989 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Elle Kennedy Inc. |
| Publication date: | 02/18/2019 |
| Series: | Briar U , #2 |
| Pages: | 408 |
| Sales rank: | 61,853 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.84(d) |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
The Risk (Briar U, #2)
4.8 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
50 reviews.
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Elle Kennedy’s books are always a joyous occasion for me. Well, the New Adult ones are. I’ve loved reading her Off-Campus series, and The Chase was a bit of a disaster, but I was keen to follow Brenna’s story.
Brenna Jensen and Jake Connelly are sworn enemies. He’s the captain of the Harvard hockey team, while she’s the daughter of Briar’s coach. Except, the two have an undeniable chemistry that she’s determined to ignore.
After Brenna’s stood up on a date, Jake steps in and insists that she stops hooking up with one of his team members since she’s a distraction to his hockey performance. This ignites further hatred on Brenna’s part for Jake, but he wants to explore the attraction, no matter how much she disregards it. When Brenna interviews for an internship at HockeyNet, an exclusive, sexist sports broadcasting network, she casually lies to her interviewer that she’s seeing Jake Connelly. Now, she’s forced to bury the hatchet and propose he pretend to be her date so she can acquire this internship. Except, Jake stipulates that for every fake date she uses him for, he gets a real one in return.
The first thing you need to know about The Risk: it’s a dramatic improvement to The Chase. I could actually stand to read from the perspectives of these characters. They weren’t irritating. The male character wasn’t constantly thinking creepily with his dick. It was the upgrade of the century.
I love Brenna’s character development. Her relationship with her father is the most admirable thing to see play out and it hurt to hear of her tragic backstory. She’s just a delightful character to follow. Not to use a cliche at this moment, but to definitely use a cliche, she’s not like other girls. I loved her confidence and uniqueness. I loved how strong she was even during tougher times. I loved how mature she was in her situation (a.k.a not breaking up with her boyfriend because he’s on a rival hockey team). I loved how she opened up to her father and was honest instead of letting their relationship simmer out. I just loved her. She was definitely the highlight of The Risk for me.
I don’t really have an opinion on Jake, but I liked that he wasn’t like the other male characters in this series. It’s refreshing to see someone that’s more lowkey with their thoughts and isn’t – cough Fitz cough – masturbating to pictures he drew of his love interest. I liked that he had a solid relationship with his parents, but he has to be an idiot to not see that his girl best friend obviously doesn’t want to stay platonic with him. I know she’ll probably be brought up again within the series, which I definitely don’t want to see.
The plot and its pacing was the massive downfall for me. The first 50% of the book drags on with only one fake date and about two real dates. The tension between the two main characters wasn’t enough to keep me engaged; I just wanted something to happen. Then, everything happens in the last 10% of the book. Everything flys past you. We’ve got the relationship, the big game, the huge complications, and the resolutions all in that short span of time. If the plot was more cohesive and the drama was spread out properly over time, I would’ve enjoyed this much more.
I have one petty complaint: Jake and Brenna reminded me too much of Garrett and Hannah from The Deal. To put it straight: I enjoyed this less because I felt like I’d read the book before through Garrett and Hannah. Sure, there are some differences, but there were plenty of similar
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4.5 Stars for The Risk by Elle Kennedy which is book 2 in her Briar U series.
Once again this author gave me a book I couldn’t put down and yet another couple to fall in love with.
Brenna and Jake are perfect for each other problem is Jake plays for the wrong hockey team so Brenna ends up sleeping with the enemy.....
Jake is making a name for himself and he is destined for the NFL, nothing is going to get in the way of his dream well that is until he meets and falls for a sassy brunette named Brenna. It was never meant to be real Brenna needed to fake date Jake but as they got to know each other feelings came into play feelings they weren’t meant to feel.....
The chemistry is sizzling, the players adorable and I loved seeing Brenna win in her chosen career which by the way is normally very much a man’s world. This book has all the feels I look for in a great read and this series is becoming a must read for me. If you love hockey, sports romance or NA romance this should be an automatic one click you won’t be disappointed.
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This book continues the series and it does not disappoint. Brings the gang back and blends in new ones. Love that this series doesn’t get stale, author keeps storyline of old characters fresh with great secondary storylines. Can’t wait for next book. Hate that it is six months away!
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i+loved+loved+loved+this+story.+almost+as+much+as+I+loved+garretts.+this+one+was+amazing.+i+will+definitely+reread+this+one+many+times.
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I just can't get enough of this hockey world, even adding in Harvard to the mix! I really did enjoy getting to see Harvard's team and Jake as their captain. There are elements of his character that reminded me of Garrett Graham and that just made me swoon. I really am so glad he was the man for Brenna. He is a really good guy and I love how playful he has been with Brenna. She is a fiesty woman and I really liked seeing them got back and forth with each other. They both like to push each other and really are both determined people. I really liked how their relationship built up and I loved seeing more of who these two are. I loved the enemy school dynamics and I still good my taste of the Briar boys that I love. I really really enjoyed the last third of the book especially. I think the characters storylines from that point were insanely strong and just want to keep reading it like nuts. We got a great taste of other characters and now I am dying to know where this series will head!
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Her books just get better & better every time.
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I may not like hockey but I freaking love Briar U hockey. Or maybe it's that I love the Briar U family. And of course bad ass, Brenna Jensen is a huge part of that family.
If you read The Chase you've met Brennan but now you learn all her hidden secrets. With checkered past, a shady ex, and emotional baggage on lockdown, Brenna is a balls to the walls ride or die bestie, if you are lucky enough to have her.
She also is quite the catch...but most don't have the right technique, to catch this feisty live wire. Until him...Jake Connelly. Captain to the Crimson. Enemy. Not just an enemy but the leader of Harvard's hockey team. (Shakes in disgust) He is everything she swears against and yet everything she seems to need.
Brennan and Jakey are a definite yes. The Risk is an absolute must for Elle Kennedy fans. It's a heck yeah, download it now for NA lovers. But it's a why won't this darn one-click work already for romance lovers everywhere.
It's totally worth The Risk.
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
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RATING 4.5 STARS
The Risk is book two in the Briar U series by Elle Kennedy. We first met Brenna in the first book as she and Summer met and became close friends. I really liked her in that book but I love her in this one. She’s tough, snarky, and determined to succeed.
Brenna Jensen is the daughter of the hockey coach at Briar University. Her life has always revolved around hockey and she loves the sport. She loves everything about it. That is why she is majoring in sports journalism and is in her junior year. She met Jake Connelly in the first book and they started right out from the start with a bit of a contentious relationship. Brenna is applying for an intern position with a major sports news channel based in Boston. The man interviewing her doesn’t feel like women belong in the sports news business but he is also a huge fan of Jake’s. Before she could stop the words from coming out of her mouth, she told him that Jake was her boyfriend, thinking it might help her to get the internship. So now she has to convince Jake to be her fake boyfriend.
Jake Connelly is captain of Harvard’s hockey team. He is a senior and has already signed on to a professional team in Edmonton, Canada after graduation. Jake, like any of the hockey players, has no problem with getting women. But he has no interest in a relationship. His focus is always hockey. But, there is something about Brenna. She couldn’t be more off limits. Briar U’s team is Harvard’s rival. She’s the coach’s daughter. She’s definitely trouble. So why can’t he stop thinking about her? When she comes to him asking him to pose as her fake boyfriend, he agrees, with a stipulation. For every fake date, he gets a real one!
As Jake and Brenna begin to spend time together, they are both surprised to find that they actually enjoy each other’s company. It’s obvious that there is something there, something worth exploring. Their bond grows stronger, trust is beginning to form, and Jake proves to Brenna the sort of man he really is, a man that can be there for her when she needs him. Secrets are shared, and real feelings come in to play. But is it enough? Their teams are rivals. Their friends are enemies. And Jake is graduating and moving away. Brenna has one year left.
I actually loved this one more than the first one. I loved Brenna and Jake together. I have to say that it has one of the most intense hockey games I’ve ever read! I was literally chewing my fingers down to nubs! It’s a miracle I can still type this review! My one and only complaint is the ending. Although of course, we get our happy ending. It just sort of stopped. I really needed a bit more. I love epilogues and it would have left me with a much better sense of closure if we could have gotten a glimpse into how the future played out for these two. With that being said, I really enjoyed this. I felt like both of these two were mature and well grounded and were just perfect for each other. So if you enjoy hockey romance with fantastic characters, this book is most definitely for you.
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Loved!
I can't even tell you how many times I laughed out loud while reading this! Brenna is all kinds of snarky--in absolutely the best way--and the banter she shares with her friends (and father, eventually) and with Jake are both funny and true-to-life.
Be careful when taking a drink while reading this one, is all I'm saying. There's hidde humor traps everywhere... ;)
Besides the LOL-times, Ms. Kennedy really ramps up the chemistry here--Jake and Brenna's is off-the-charts hot. Their places on opposite sides of the Division 1 hockey world serves to ratchet up the drama, and combine all of that with sexy good times and a smattering of hockey play-by-play and this one is a definite winner.
The Risk is the second in the series, but worked just fine as a standalone. You'd better believe I'm going back to read book one ( The Chase ) ASAP, though--I've got to have something to occupy my time until book three ( The Play ) comes out, after all...
(And OMG, I just realized why Ryan Wesley sounded so familiar in Brenna's throw-away comment in chapter 38--clearly, it's been too long! Must re-read that series too :))
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
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love+this+book%2C++this+series+and+this+author%21%21%21
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I was barely even past the first page before I was beaming a giant, high-watt smile at at this book like some kind of lunatic. And that smile? It refused to leave my face for the vast majority of this fun, flirty, and fabulous story.
Honest to God Ms. Kennedy delivers some Grade A banter in The Risk. The chemistry between Brenna and Jake is a sparky, buzzy, almost palpable energy that is apparent immediately and only burns hotter as the story progresses. But it's more than flirty banter and scintillating physical chemistry - there's an emotional layer to these two that felt like everything to me. Indeed, this was the perfect trifecta of humor, heat, and heart - and I am completely smitten with it.
Also? The secondary character game is on point. I laughed so hard at some of the antics these lovable hockey schmucks got up to in this book. I adore these boys, hard. And I adored how they all - Briar U and Harvard boys alike - embraced Brenna within their own circles, affectionately and respectfully.
The Risk is the perfect package of feel good. The story is compelling and gripping, the romance is swoony and fun, and the writing sucked me in immediately and held me captive, that loony smile on my face, until the very last. This was sports romance perfection and my greedy little heart is already hungry for more!
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What happens when the daughter of Briar University's hockey coach starts fake dating the captain of their arch-rivals Harvard?
Jake Connelly is 100% focused on hockey, as captain of Harvard's hockey team its his job to make sure that his team are just as focused and he has to put a stop to the friends with benefits thing that his teammate Josh McCarthy has going on with Brenna Jensen, its messing with McCarthy's head and Jake knows Brenna isn't interested.
Brenna isn't interested in dating, she's all about the hook-up and move on, she's not going to give her heart to anyone. She doesn't even care about McCarthy but when Jake tells her to back off her hackles rise. The two of them have that insane hate chemistry where they could easily kill each other or rip each other's clothes off (possibly both). Then Brenna goes for an intern position at a local hockey network and the misogynist interviewing her is totally disinterested and dismissive until he starts talking about Jake who has been drafted to play for his team, the Oilers, at the start of the next season. Hating herself Jenna tells the creep that she and Jake are dating.
Jake doesn't mind going to dinner at this guy's house and pretending to be Brenna's boyfriend, the only catch? For every fake date he wants a real one. But with the hatred between their rival hockey teams and their coaches growing exponentially is it all going to blow up in their faces?
I liked this, heck I'd read the back of a cereal packet if Elle Kennedy wrote it, but I didn't love it. I guessed what Brenna had done to upset her father quite early on (downside of being old and having read a ton of books) and Jake was too cocky for me, verging on the bossing Brenna around and telling her what to do and what she thought. Yet, Jake was also pretty self-aware and caring - go figure, he was complicated.
These gripes are because I love Elle Kennedy, don't let them detract from the fact that I devoured the book in a single day and enjoyed every second of it. I just want to see Jake's legendary abs :)
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The Risk is the second book in the Briar U series, and I continue to be charmed by the sports romances set on an Ivy League college campus. The strength of the series so far seems to be its confident heroines who frequently outshine the hockey players.
Case in point: Brenna Jensen. What a witty, straightforward, ambitious firecracker she is! I knew I liked her from the previous book, but I grew to respect her in this one. She oozes sex appeal and assurance, and isn’t shy about standing up for herself. I like that she is aware about others’ opinions of her, but she doesn’t let that stop her from being true to herself.
The plot has a definite Romeo and Juliet vibe. As the daughter of Briar’s tough as nails hockey coach, Brenna is in danger of crumbling under the weight of his constant disapproval. Cavorting with Jake Connelly, the captain of Briar’s archrival hockey team, moves the story firmly into forbidden romance territory. Jake is Harvard’s golden boy—a superstar already in possession of an NHL contract upon graduation. He is laser-focused and unabashedly selfish in his pursuit of hockey dreams. Surprisingly, I wasn’t put off by his cockiness because Brenna is equally ambitious and cocky in her own right.
I thoroughly enjoyed the flirtatious barbs Jake and Brenna toss at each other. They start as enemies, but the nature of their relationship changes as a result of Brenna’s unexpected vulnerability. Together they are fun, sexy, and supportive. Their friends are great sources of humor as well, so I look forward to getting to know the other players in the Briar U universe more.
I received an early version of this book to voluntarily read.
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Here we are, back to Briar U for another hot romance!
The second book in the Briar U Series brings an enemies-to-lovers with hot hockey players, some fake dating and a good dose of sexual tension! Oh! And it's so funny! So Funny!
Brenna, daughter of Briar's hockey coach, wants to be a sports journalist and Jake, a player with a bright future in the NHL, plays for the enemy.
If you want to have some fun with a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, The Risk is the book for you!
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I’m always a fan of Elle Kennedy’s Work and The Risk book 2 in the Briar U series proved this true again.
We got a tease of Brenna and Jake in book 1 of the series and book 2 drives right into their passion filled tale. Brenna is majoring in sports journalism having grown up with spot as her father is the University coach. Jake is captain of the rival university hockey team.
Both strong characters we got the sizzling push and pull as they fought their growing attraction to one another.
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Such+a+good+book.+I+couldn%27t+put+it+down.+
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This book was amazing! Elle Kennedy has done it again. She is the queen of NA, add hockey in there and she owns my heart! I have seriously loved this new series from her featuring the Briar U hockey players. I can’t get enough of them. This story is no different. I loved it. I can say much because of spoilers, just know that everything about this story is amazing.
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5 stars, since I can't give a million.
Bad@ss Brenna Jensen is the daughter of the Briar U hockey coach, so naturally public enemy number one is Jake Connelly, the captain from their biggest rival, Harvard. He's everything you want him to be and mre, and neither of them expect the sparks that fly between them. When Brenna finds herself in a predicament needing Jake to be her fake date so she can land an important internship, she's surprised that Jake is not only willing to help her, but he wants real dates, too. How long will they be able to deny the sizzling hot-chemistry between them when they have to keep things totally on the DL and aren't looking to settle down?
By now you should know that I love all of the hockey guys that Elle Kennedy writes and THE RISK was one of my most-anticipated reads of the century. I was pretty dang happy when I opened up this book to read that Elle Kennedy herself said she "hadn't had this much fun writing a story since The Deal." So, there you go, pretties, you know you're in for a treat.
I love this book. I want to roll around in its pages every day for forever. I love Brenna. She's sassy and confident and just the right amount of vulnerable. I love Connelly. He's swoonworthy and cocky and not afraid to go after what he wants, even when that (or she's) not what he expected. I love the bracelet he wears and that he memorized her number. I love their banter. Seriously, it's the best. Like, next-level Elle Kennedy here. And I love how they can't help the blazing hot chemistry.
I loved how many times Garrett (from THE DEAL) was mentioned. And how steamy this book was. I really loved the friendships--between Brenna and her friends and Jake and his friends and especially Brenna and Jake. I just loved everything, except that I wanted more at the end. I need more.
It all boils down to the fact that whether you're a fan of hockey or not, you aren't going to find a New Adult Romance series that's better than this one or that makes you swoon as hard. You absolutely cannot go wrong here. The real risk is missing out on this perfection.
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Phenomenal! I loved this book, the chemistry between Brenna and Jake is palpable. Brenna is the daughter of Briar U’s hockey coach and Jake is the captain of Harvard’s hockey team which makes them off limits to each other and sworn enemies (kind of). Brenna has an edge to her that super confident Jake is able to peel back and expose her truths. Because of her past issues Brenna’s relationship with her Dad is very rocky. Their developing relationship kept in the dark from their friends, teammates, and Brenna’s dad. This book has all my favorite things; romance, comedy and hockey.
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Fun%2C+lively%2C+and+everything+I+hoped+it+was+and+more.+The+characters+just+come+off+the+pages+and+I+was+hooked.+Sooooo+amazing
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I loved everything about this book and think it's one of the best when it comes to a new adult romance. So much of what happens in The Risk took me back to all the best parts of my college days (and that was a long time ago) -- the writing is just that good. It hits every emotional note perfectly.
Let's start with Brenna. She's a tough girl. She's had to be after what she's been through. She knows herself. I really liked that about her. She's also drawn to Jake Connelly in a major way.
Jake is awesome. Sexy, sure of himself, and also a leader of his team and group of friends, he's drawn to Brenna too. OMG, the flirting between these two ignites a little fire that turns into some of the hottest love scenes I've read in quite some time. Seriously hot. Seriously good. Perfection.
Brenna also has some issues she has to clear up with her dad and dating the captain of his opponent might end up being a bit of an issue with him and her friends. The hockey scenes are superbly written and that makes a difference to me when reading sports romance. I like it when the sport isn't just a one line part of the book. There's some interesting team dynamics on both sides of the ice in this too.
I adored everything about this book -- the characters, the story, and especially the writing that really pulled me in, and kept me until the final page of the book. Not even going to admit how many re-reads I've done of this book -- it will be my go-to comfort read for 2019. The Risk is definitely one of my top books of 2019.
An ARC was provided for review.
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I have been a huge fan since the ff-Campus series when the Deal came out, and was hooked by this hockey players! Usually, authors do not manage to keep the readers entertained after the second book, or hey do not manage to really differentiate the new characters from the formers, mostly you see them merge somehow, but Elle is not like that. Every single book is different, every single character is different, and stands on its own, and let me tell you, these two, these two were AMAZING!
It was so funny to follow their banter, but also I loved their deepness. They were not shallow they were confident but had issues, but you know what I loved the most about it? Even though they had issues we did not know about it. Elle did not make the story to evolve around that, and we found out only towards the end, and even then the story was not fixated on it. She did not need the heart-wrenching drama to make her book sell, no, them tearing each others' throats and drooling after each other was enough to do the job!
It was sexy, it was funny and I am once again mind blown. I loved that we saw Summer and Fitz, but I would have loved to see some of the OG characters, hopefully will come in the future books! I enjoyed Garret's singing praise, but please let's bring them home!
Indeed it is! I loved these two and I LOVED LOVED LOVED Brooks' and Hunter's presence, cannot wait to read their book *hoping the next one is one of theirs*.
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4.5 STARS
When Elle Kennedy introduced us to team captain of Harvard's hockey team Jake Connelly in the first Briar U book, THE CHASE, I knew instantly I'd need a book with this cocky, gorgeous, smart-mouthed man. And I couldn't imagine a better heroine for him than the daughter of Briar U's hockey team coach, Brenna, so I was hoping, sending prayers, eating my veggies, and generally being a good girl.
There are two type of bitches. The ones you hate because they create nothing but drama and are malevolent and green with jealousy. Then there are the ones like Brenna. The ball busting, snarky kind who wields her tongue like a sword and cuts you down with a single swipe of it. They also don't take offense being called one. You are in awe because while they are irritating, they are equally hilarious. Brenna is my spirit animal and I want to be her when I grow up.
I loved her for being outspoken, sassy, funny, strong, tough and behind her prickliness was a soft core and a big heart. She has grit, ambition and stamina to go after what she wants to do with her life although there are obstacles in the male dominated field of sport journalism. There is also a big wound caused by the first boy she loved and her distant relationship with her dad, that still festers inside her. And it festers because she doesn't have to talk about it, mainly because she stays out of relationships. Until Jake. He is the first one who gets his hooks in.
They have insane chemistry and their relationship grows from a wild and sexy attraction into something more and I loved how they got there. Adversaries at first, their respect for each other increases soon which causes all kinds of problems, especially for Brenna. All of a sudden the lines are blurring and she doesn't now any longer where her loyalties lie.
Brenna and Jake are made from the same cloth, so most of the things I said about Brenna, go for Jake. He is focused, driven and Jake pays a lot of attention to what Brenna says or doesn't say and he wants to know everything about her. I loved that he didn't push her, he waited for her to come around. What I adored most about him though was that he totally got off on her busting his balls. He had so much fun with her sass and snark. These two just made perfect sense to me.
Towards the end he has a temporary loss of brain cells but since he actually grovelled profusely I forgave him.
I didn't like Jake's best friend Hazel very much but his hockey team mate and roomie, Brooks "Bubble Butt" Weston was hilarious and I'm sure I busted a vessel laughing so hard when he dropped his pants to have people judge his butt. I hope we get a book about him and maybe he will be paired up with Hazel. It happened before that Elle made me fall in love with a heroine I disliked at first.
THE RISK has become a new favorite, along with THE DEAL and THE SCORE. It totally lived up to my expectations and Ms Kennedy proves yet again why she is one of my favorite NA authors. She is the queen of sexy, funny banter. She writes modern, relevant stories with lovable characters that will make you laugh, think and hurt a little. If you are new to her books, please pick up her OFF CAMPUS or BRIAR U series.
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Hockey, fake romance, AND comedy - all in one book? YES! Claim all of my favorite tropes in one story and I'm sold. I didn't think anything could top The Chase, but this blew it out of the water for me. I enjoy characters that aren't what they seem, as it only makes me love them more. Jake Connelly is definitely one of those people and I haven't laughed this loud while reading a book in a while! Another smash hit from Elle Kennedy, I immediately added the next book on my TBR!
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4.5 stars
The Risk by Elle Kennedy is such a good read, loved the storyline, it's well written, entertaining from start to end and I loved all the characters.
Jake and Brenna were fun getting to know and I loved watching their relationship unfold. They made me laugh with their banter and the way they both wanted to get the better of each other. These two made me swoon with their love and with their honesty. They have amazing chemistry and I truly loved them together.
Overall, The Risk is another very entertaining read by the very talented Elle Kennedy and an excellent addition to the Briar U series, each book can be read as a standalone and I highly recommend them both.
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