Review: His Risk To Take
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 13, 2013
Troy is a hot alpha male cop who has recently transferred to New York after his partner was killed in the line of duty. He feels that his partner was killed on his watch and he carries a great deal of guilt and has vowed never to let anyone he loves get hurt under his protection, therefore he'll never fall in love. But when a sexy pool hustler saunters across his path he is lost to her almost immediately and begins a hot pursuit.Ruby is from the wrong side of the tracks. She grew up with a pool hustler father, always on the move and trying to make a quick buck. She's mostly moved on from that lifestyle, but she still hustles pool to make ends meet while she puts herself through school and has big plans for her future.I was really excited to find out that the second book in the Tessa Bailey's Line of Duty series was available. I really enjoyed the first book, Protecting What's His and was hoping the second book would stand up in comparison. I'm thrilled to report, the dirty talk is hot and plentiful!I loved that Troy's nickname for Ruby is Hustler. Every time he calls her that it makes me smile. He's a cop, she pays her way hustling pool. They are mismatched but their chemistry is just so hot it doesn't matter. The author creates so much tension with their banter, it's the best kind of foreplay. I like that both books feature a cop and tough girl with a shady past. I hope we'll continue to see this throughout the series. I like the mild struggle the lawman has with his bad girl who walks a fine line with the law.Ruby's past collides with Troy's present. Someone from her past, a dangerous criminal, is wanted by the police and Troy is on the case. Troy is upset when he finds out about Ruby's connection to the bad guy and it causes conflict between them. Ruby immediately jumps to the conclusion that Troy is using her to get to the criminal. This is not the case and Troy is concerned for Ruby's safety more than anything. He wants to distance Ruby from the danger, not use her to gain inside information. This brings to me the hiccup in the story.Troy pushes Ruby away "to protect her". He breaks up with her, but he does this before he apprehends the bad guy. So, he is distanced from her, can't protect her and the bad guy is on the loose. This made no sense to me.Without giving anything away, I liked that Troy had to prove himself to Ruby too, and I loved Ruby's reaction when she had the slightest doubt about Troy's dedication to proving himself to her. I finished this book with a smile on my face.I almost wish I would have waited until there were several books in this series before began to read it. That way I could gobble up several at a time. I really enjoyed Troy and Ruby's story and I'm left wanting more from the Line of Duty series...NOW.