Review: Four Stars: A tale of risk and a reminder to live life to the fullest.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 11, 2014
Summer assesses the pile of boxes. As she unpacks, Summer shoves aside the bitter anger she carries toward her mother. How could her mother after all these years just walk out on her father and the farm? Summer has returned home to help her father with the book keeping. This wasn't where she planned on ending up after graduating college, right back where she started. Still she intends to make the best of it. Summer is happy to be home after all, but she refuses to see or speak to her mother. At dinner, Summer is introduced to a new farm hand, Ford. There are instant sparks of attraction, but Summer learns that Ford won't be staying. He is an intern on the farm for six months, and then he will be moving on. Besides, why would Summer want to take a chance at falling in love when the relationship she admired and kept on a pedestal was a sham? Love isn't worth the risk or is it?What I Liked:*I appreciated that this was a New Adult book with likable characters who are going through a few struggles but nothing that is overly dramatic. This was a realistic and pleasant romance that reminds you that some things are worth the risk. If you are like me and a bit burned out on all the over dramatic, angst ridden NA books, this is one you can pick up and enjoy as it isn't heavy on emotion. It is the perfect mix of romance, sizzle and realistic problems.*I loved the underlying theme of taking a risk for love. Let's face it, falling in love is scary and we are likely to end up with a broken heart or two before finding the one, and we may get discouraged and want to give up. This book is a reminder that some risks are worth taking, and even though we may be terrified at the thought of falling in love and enduring loss or heartbreak, aren't the benefits worth the risk? Life is too short to waste time, seize your chance at happiness and don't worry about the what ifs... if it is meant to be it will be, right? Ms. Hildenbrand does an excellent job at reminding us of these important truths.*I enjoyed watching Summer's journey. She comes home rattled and hurt after her parents' split. She breaks it off with her current boyfriend because her belief in love is shattered. When Ford walks into the room, there are instant sparks of attraction, but she denies them. Why fall in love again and get hurt, especially if he is just going to leave? As time goes on, Summer and Ford become friends and then something more, until they both decide to take a chance and date even though they know it is short term. What follows is a beautiful friendship that turns into a heated romance. Will they get their happily ever after? Is love worth the fight and the risk? Summer soon finds out. I liked that the romance is packed with heat, but it moves slowly.*I loved the secondary characters from Summer's quiet, kind father, to the Greek housekeeper and most of all the charming, good natured Casey, Summer's best friend and surrogate brother. I thought the secondary characters rounded out the cast, and they all felt like comfortable old friends.*I liked that this book has a few bumps in the road, but it isn't overly dramatic. There are plenty of fun moments that lead up to a perfectly sweet and wonderful ending that I am sure readers will savor. I especially loved learning the real life inspiration behind the story, it made the read so much more impactful.*Finally, I adored the lovely quotes and snippets that were included at the beginning of every chapter. I thought they were wonderful!And The Not So Much:*One of the big conflicts in the book follows the break up of Summer's parents. At first, there is a great deal of mystery surrounding the divorce. I was itching to know why they ended it so I could better understand Summer's hurt. When the answers are finally divulged, I was left wanting to know a bit more. I would have loved to know a more about what the marriage was like and how they decided to end it. Furthermore, I was disappointed in the father's take on everything. He is tight lipped for the most part and when he does finally open up, he doesn't provide much insight. I wanted to know more from his angle.*Ford though he was sexy and charming didn't have the same appeal to me as Casey. I thought Casey was adorable and so full of life. While I appreciated that the romance didn't involve Casey, I was disappointed that he didn't have a bigger role, mostly because I thought his scenes were always entertaining. I loved, though that this book didn't stray into a love triangle and that Summer maintains a strict friendship with Casey.*There is a big, funny scene involving a rematch of Casey and Summer's childhood creek race. Something happens when they run the first race and there was discussion of a rematch, and then the story line disappears. I wanted to see the rematch and learn who the winner was. Why didn't they run the race again?*I was most pleased with the first sex scene. It had plenty of heat and sizzle, and I thought just the right amount of detail before the door closed and the lover's were left to the imagination. I was cheering, thinking yes! Then it went downhill after that as there were several more sex scenes that were explicit in detail and way steamy. I much preferred the first sex scenes to the subsequent bare it all spare no details scenes, but I am a less is more type reader when it comes to sex scenes.*I struggled with Ford's reasons for leaving the farm. I just didn't think his rationalization was strong enough or that the reason was compelling enough to make him leave. I was very disappointed in his selfishness. A minor sticking point for me.A Risk Worth Taking is a passionate and beautifully written New Adult book that is light on angst and drama, but with plenty of sizzle and romance. This is a book that reminds us that even though love is a risk, some things in life are worth taking a chance on. Pick this up when you are in the mood for a realistic, well written romance that reminds you that love is worth it.Favorite Quotations:"Don't cry over the past, it's gone. Don't stress over the future, it hasn't arrived. Live in the present, and make it beautiful." Author Unknown."Parents are just people who get put on a pedestal. We expect more from them because they mean so much to us. But they're only human.""Perception is about making people see what you want, not what really is.""Magic seems like something you'd have to experience to believe.""If all you had was this moment, would you still live in it?""You should never settle. Life's too short. Do things that make you happy.""Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." Dr. Seuss"I'd decided months ago to love freely. And that meant not throwing away a single chance at happiness. Even if there was no guarantee it would last. Even if it scared me.""Dreams changed. You to change with them or risk losing it all."I purchased a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.