
Risky Game
Nashville Steel series
by Stacey Lynn
Blurb:
Romance between them is strictly off-limits, but forbidden attraction has never felt so irresistible…I’m playing a risky game…
I’m the brand new coach of the current Super Bowl Champions. If that isn’t hard enough, I’m also one of the youngest coaches in the league.
Coupled with a recently finalized divorce and the goal to take the team and the city of Nashville’s fans by storm, my ex throws me for a loop when she says she’s sending our daughter to me so she can take an extended three-month vacation.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my little girl more than anything but suddenly becoming a full-time single dad and the Steele’s new coach rocks the turf beneath my feet. I need some help and I need it fast.
Enter Ruby Moore.
The answer to my prayers. She’s looking for a new start, is great with kids and is the perfect set of eyes to watch my daughter when I’m not around.
The problem? I think she is perfect for me too.
The other problem? She’s not only my nanny, but she’s also the younger sister of a guy I’m tasked with leading. She’s way too young and sweet for me and the way she loves Amelia makes my heart melt. I don’t expect her perfume to remind me of lazy beach days and for her smiles to become a craving I can’t live without. But I can’t stop thinking about her. Fleeting glances turn into deeper conversations and even more carnal nights.
Soon, she’s a forbidden addiction I can’t quit.
I know I’m playing a Risky Game, but can I keep the woman I’ve fallen in love with, while still maintaining the respect of the team I’m trying to lead to another Championship?
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3QfzJP0
Apple Books: https://bit.ly/45reXAy
Nook: https://bit.ly/45u7ReW
Kobo: https://bit.ly/47RCjkI
Google Play: https://bit.ly/47T4aRl
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3k5NMsx
*****
Review:
I’m back & forth on age gap romances and I’m not always sure what makes them work. I feel like Logan is right to be a little concerned about their relationship – mostly because of his connection to her brother and the bad optics. But Ruby is smart, with a good head on her shoulders. Her life up to this point hasn’t been all that easy and I feel like that helps her be more mature for her age.
I’m also a little conflicted on their steamy times. I mean, I’m not one to kink shame (and I’ll be honest for all the wide variety of spice I read, I’m personally pretty vanilla) but I think because there is such an emphasis on their age difference that it could also parlay into a power balance issue. Don’t get me wrong, it is definitely HAWT and I love that they both have a chance to explore that side of themselves together. I just wonder a little about adding that to a story when there was already an imbalance in their relationship.
OK, so that’s the less than positive, but I will say overall I enjoyed the crap out of this book. Lynn does a fantastic job of giving us characters to pull for – Logan is struggling with his new, high-pressure job and trying to figure out how to take care of his daughter in his limited free time. It’s obvious that he loves Amelia but it’s a complication that he didn’t need right now. Throw in his growing desire for his new (young) nanny and it doesn’t take him long to crack. And crack beautifully he does 🙂 While I can worry about their dynamic in a real world situation, I can also find it hot as all get out in a fictional one . . . bossy, growly, and sexy, OH MY.
Ruby is running from a heartbreak back home and taking a little time to get her feet back under her. I can appreciate her need to do it on her own, especially with the wonderful relationship she has with her brother & his family. It would be super easy to let him fix it all. But that self-reliance has her in Logan’s sphere, which leads to new trouble as she struggles to connect with his daughter while also having to resist the oh-so-sexy single dad. (I’m impressed she lasts as long as she does, honestly.)
With her sassy mouth, independent personality, and the care she puts into winning over his daughter, it’s harder and harder for Logan to resist Ruby the more time they spend together. There’s the typical third act troubles, but I appreciate how both of them recognize the roll they play in it. And definitely take advantage of the opportunity to make up after a fight … *whew*
Steamy, humorous, and full of feels, Risky Game was a fast read and a great addition to the Nashville Steel series.
(Part of a series but can be read as a stand alone.)
*****
Author Info:
Stacey Lynn likes her coffee with a dash of sugar, her heroes with a side of bossy, and her wine a deep shade of red.
The author of over thirty romance novels, many of which have been best-selling titles on Amazon, AppleBooks, and Barnes & Noble, she loves being able to turn her vivid imagination into a career that brings entertainment and joy to her readers. Focused on sports romance and emotional, small-town romance, she also loves stretching herself in different genres.
Born in Texas and raised in the Midwest, she now makes her home in North Carolina and loves all things Southern. Together with her ultimate tall, dark, and handsome hero, she has four children. Her life is a chaotic mess that fights with her Type-A, list-making, neurotically organized preferences and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Website: www.staceylynnbooks.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6995826.Stacey_Lynn
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stacey-Lynn/e/B00CD6VVQG/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/staceylynnbooks
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/staceyssultryreaders/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/staceylynn.author
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/staceylynnbooks
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@staceylynnbooks
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/stacey-lynn
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/staceylynnbooks/_created/
~