The Risk
Ratings61
Average rating3.9
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I don't remember finishing this because i finished it on the way home from the eras tour. but yeh good read mindless for the drive to and from London. i didn't highlight any quotes so not gonna do a full review
- College Romance
- Sports: Hockey
- Enemies to Lovers
- Soulmates
- Team Banter
- Forbidden
- Rival Teams
- Sleeping with the Enemy
- Sexual Chemistry
- Fake Dating
- Strong & Confident FMC
- Cocky Alpha MMC
- Father/Daughter troubled relationship
- Old Toxic Relationship (her)
This was really good!! I loved the banter between Brenna and Jake!
The forbidden romance of rival hockey teams, and coach's daughter.
Jake is a cool and cocky guy, but he's just as insecure as he is secure.
Brenna is bad ass and a tough cookie. She puts up a sarcasm shield, but deep down she's vulnerable. She doesn't trust easy.
Y'all I cannot stop reading these books. They are like my guilty pleasure. Am I 30 years old and enjoying collegiate romance? Absolutely, and I will not apologize! This is the second installment in the Briar U series, and it follows Brenna Jensen (Coach Jensen's daughter) and Jake Connelly (Harvard's team captain). Their dynamic and banter was so fun to read, and I enjoyed every bit of it. I took off one start simply because I wanted to know more about their resolution and relationship after the book ended. I'm a closure kind of girl through and through, and I just kind of missed that here. This is an enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, and fake dating story, which are all things I love in a romance. The tension and spice was absolutely amazing. I love the way Elle Kennedy writes her characters, both male and female, with different traumas and struggles to overcome. I find the struggles her characters face in her books are realistic and relatable. Brenna has some skeletons in her closet that have caused her to put on a tough exterior. That exterior holds strong until Jake comes along to shake things up. I loved Brenna's healing from everything she went through, especially with her dad. Check triggers for this book, because there are some heavy topics. This is an adult romance, 18+ for sexual content, language, and themes.
3.5/5 stars
I was actually considering giving this book four stars. Me, a girl who doesn't even like romance novels. Unbelievable. But Brenna and Jake were cute.
Slow to start but it picked up. This series still doesn't have the same charm as the Off-Campus series but it was still an enjoyable read.
I have been so excited to read this book since Brenna was introduced in The Chase. I absolutely adored her character and her developing dynamic with Jake sounded so interesting that I have been waiting. And I'm so glad to have received this advance copy from the author. I know it's just a few days before the release, but it's a great feeling to review a book by one of your favorite authors early.
Brenna is the same badass, sassy, live wire protagonist we got to know previously. However, this book gives her a better opportunity to shine, and also show her vulnerabilities and insecurities, giving us a more rounded picture of her personality. She loves her hockey, has made some bad decisions in the past but has grown so much from the experience and is a very responsible person with clear aspirations for her career. I admired how sure she was of what she wanted to do in life and how she kept working towards it. On the other hand, Jake comes across as an arrogant cocky hockey god because obviously, he is the top college player in the country. However, he is also very focused on the game and his team, is a great captain and is actually a nice guy. When they are thrown together, sparks fly and I absolutely loved the scorching chemistry. Even though I might have enjoyed the fake dating trope if it was longer, I liked the way their love story played out. The banter is sexy and fun and eventually, the way their backstories are revealed is also handled very sensitively. I was completely invested in their relationship from the beginning and it definitely lived up to my expectations.
The side characters are usually important and well done in Elle Kennedy's books and it's nothing different here. We get to see Summer and Fitzy quite a bit and I liked seeing them all mushy mushy. Hunter is still pissed and behaving erratically, which doesn't end well. I just hope he gets his head together soon. Hollis is hilarious and adorable and I really came to like him a lot in this book. We finally get to see Coach Jensen in close quarters after his lingering presence through so many books and I liked how the author handled the ups and downs in the father-daughter relationship. Jake's teammate Brooks seems like an intriguing character and it's possible we might get his story somewhere down the line. There were a couple of new female characters introduced whom I didn't really like very much and I'm not sure if I want any of their books in the series, but let's just wait and watch. I also loved the many many references to the boys from Off-Campus, especially Garrett. And the reference to Ryan Wesley brought such a big smile on my face, that I immediately want to read Him again.
I think this book may not live up to everyone's expectations, especially if you are specifically looking for enemies to lovers, fake dating trope - while these elements are present, they are not prominent and it's more like a slightly forbidden love story. However, Kennedy's books always manage to make me smile and that's exactly what I got here. And I really really hope we get Hunter's book next.