Risking It All by Tessa Bailey (Crossing the Line #1)
Contemporary Romance
Released: January 27, 2015
Entangled

Reviewed by Mandi

I was really happy to see that this book is a full length, unlike the category length this author sometimes publishes. We get to spend more time with the hero and heroine and really learn their story. And what a fun story it is.

Sera Newsome was a nurse but after her police officer brother was murdered in south Brooklyn, she became a cop in his honor. She has vowed revenge on the crime boss who killed him, As a rookie cop, she feels like she is perfect to go undercover to find a ledger which is evidence against Hogan (aka crime boss) and bring him down.

Working as a waitress at a place Hogan frequents, Sera has been learning everything she can on him. When violence goes down, and one of Hogan’s men gets shot, Sera rushes over to help the wounded man. Hogan decides Sera is the perfect person to nurse this guy back to health, and demands she come back to his place to care for the wounded man’s injuries. Sera knows this is her opportunity to get inside Hogan’s place of business and find that ledger. When she goes away with him, her uncle, the police commissioner, knows she is missing and decides to do something drastic.

Bowen Driscol was born into a crime family. Having witnessed violent acts growing up and groomed to be a fighter, after his father was sent to prison, Bowen was tasked with now heading up his crime family. He is now the guy in charge in south Brooklyn, and everyone knows it. When people don’t pay up their gambling debts, they have to answer to Bowen and his men, and it’s often messy. Sera’s uncle knows Bowen and that he has a connection to Hogan – blackmailing Bowen with information against his sister, Bowen reluctantly agrees to seek out Sera in Hogan’s nightclub and try to extract her. When Bowen spots Sera, he has an immediate and all-ending attraction to her. Sera, a virgin, better be ready.

I love the fact that Bowen falls on the wrong side of the law. He has done some very bad deeds, and knows it. Bowen is the type of guy that if born into a better family, he probably would not have turned to a life of crime. But he didn’t have much of a choice in the life he leads and feels very soiled and dirty over everything he has done.  He spots Sera at the nightclub the first night of his assignment and can’t take his eyes off her .He has that extremely protective side come out – she becomes his (in his mind) very quickly and no one better get in his way. But he feels so unworthy of her, that it kills him to crave to have his hands all over her, but wanting to respect her too. Of course, it doesn’t stop him from saying things like this on their first meeting:

“Ah, sweetheart, I don’t fuck around with virgins.” His head dipped, teeth closing around her ear and tugging. “But I’ll get down on my knees and eat that untouched pussy like a motherfucker.”

Oh my God Bowen. You dirty, dirty man.

He is so intent on not taking her virginity, yet he can’t help but be so, so filthy (which is Tessa Bailey’s specialty)

“I’m not going to put it in you, baby, I just need to…”

He dragged the head of his fisted erection along the seam of her panties. “Fuck. Fucking Christ.”

White light blossomed behind her eyes at the contact with her clitoris. “D-do that again. Please, Bowen,” she implored, hips rising to encourage him.

Teeth gritted, he used the head of his length to circle her, over and over, silk clinging to damp flesh. She moaned and begged, the sound mingling with Bowen’s dark curses.

“Once I broke you in, you’d be a sweet little fuck, wouldn’t you, Sera? You’ve got innocent eyes, but a hot, greedy body. God help me, I would never stop banging you.”

I liked the darker, crime feel in this book. Bowen’s struggle with guilt and his past swirl all through this book. Hogan is a slimy, sleazy guy who has just the right amount of page time. There is another supporting character that has an excellent storyline as well – you’ll have to read to find out who this person is.

I liked Sera, although I never really believed she was a cop. She is a rookie cop, but still she never felt like one to me. I thought that was the weakest part of the book. I’m not sure if she truly is a cop, she would have so eagerly jumped into bed with a known felon. I mean, I like that she does, and their chemistry together is great, but it worked out better for me if I pretended she was just still a nurse.

I like the way it all ends and I really like how Tessa Bailey sets up this series for book two and forward. It sounds like it’s goig to be a lot of fun.

Rating: B

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