Review: What's to Risk in a One Night Stand? Maybe EVERYTHING!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 27, 2014
Risks of Mallory's one night stand with Colton:*losing her heart to the boy who has had it for quite some time*opening her heart up again after it was crushed*relying on more than herself for her happinessFor anyone, these dangers are daunting, and for Mallory, they are too much for her to handle, so what does she do? She pushes Colton away, dates another guy, and pretends that her feelings for Colton are not as strong as there are. But what Mallory doesn't expect is Colton showing up at Harrison, because he was supposed to be going to a different school, and rushing Reed's fraternity. She also doesn't anticipate Colt's unrelenting pursuit of her and his quest for more than a "friends with benefits" relationship. But will she finally give in to her feelings for Colt or will she listen to those inconsequential voices that keep telling her to push him away...that if she wants to not end up living in her small hometown for the rest of her life then she better not "settle" for a small town guy?Mallory seems to be this extremely confident girl who calls it like it is, but if you look a little deeper, you can see that it's partially an act to protect her, and I can't blame her. The men who have been a part of her life haven't really come through for her. Her first boyfriend, Jack, who happens to be Colt's older brother, broke up with her, and she was devastated. Her father has hardly any contact with her and never seems to support her with anything other than money. And, don't get me started on Tanner; he's a complete douche.  The whole time Mallory is with him is excruciating to read. I know Tanner is the "safe" choice because no matter how much she tries to force herself to feel something for him, Mallory never does, but come on, why even put herself through that!  But her dates with Tanner and her caution with Colt do make sense, in a way. With her track record of men, she's not ready to put herself out there again and risk getting her heart broken for a second time.But Colt see through Mallory's facade...he always has; she just has to be willing to take the risk, and if Colton has anything to say about it, she will and she will love every minute of it!The Hazards of a One Night Stand is a sweet and light read, and while I enjoyed it, Mallory and Colt's relationship felt a bit rushed and incomplete. Readers can definitely sense the attraction between them, but Mallory strings him along for so long and reiterates that she doesn't want a relationship with him, and then they're together, but it has to be secret and then they're really together, but other people are trying to get in the way of what they have. It all felt a bit rushed. I didn't really feel connected to them as a couple because it always seemed it wasn't truly just about them. I felt like there needed to be more explored with Mallory's interactions with her father and Jack. I guess there were just too many puzzle pieces not fitting together.  The depth I needed to truly understand everything just wasn't there for me. But maybe that's why this story will appeal to readers because it's not heavy; you get snarky main characters, and you get to reconnect with Reed and Juliet from Book One.  Give it a try and see what you think!Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.3.5 poison apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)