REVIEW: ONE LAST RISK by NANCY STOPPER

One Last Risk

Oak Grove #1

By: Nancy Stopper

Releasing April 18th, 2017

Contemporary Romance

 

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In One Last Risk (Oak Grove #1) by Nancy Stopper, after losing her husband, Sarah Robinson needed to escape the memories that surrounded her in the town where she lived. Moving to Oak Grove is her chance at a fresh start with her daughter, but she never expected to fall in love again. Still, Lucas Bennett manages to worm his way into her heart. But with the secret he's keeping, will Sarah get a second chance at love or will she walk away when the truth comes out?

From start to finish, this story was captivating, fast-paced and I loved how it started with the danger one of the main characters finds themselves in and subsequently being reprimanded for being reckless. What will happen to Lucas? Will he be able to overcome whatever is bothering him and making him act the way he is? However, it was from the moment that Lucas and Sarah come face-to-face for the first time that had me intrigued, as they have an instant connection that leaves Sarah shaken by her reaction to another man and Lucas fascinated by the new woman in town.

The dialogue was emotional and intense due to the secret Lucas is keeping from Sarah and the main characters back stories. Lucas has so much guilt because of what happened to his best friend. Will he realize that what happened wasn't his fault before it's too late? Will he find a way to break his secret to Sarah without her overreacting? She's already suffered enough loss by losing the man she loved, so how could he expect her to handle possibly losing someone else she was coming to love? Then there's what's going on with Lucas's sister that had me concerned for her. Will the rest of the Bennett family be able to help her escape the harrowing situation she finds herself in?

As for the main characters, if you've ever heard the phrase 'firefighters do it hotter' than that phrase certainly rings true with Lucas, and it shows with how sizzling this couple's chemistry is and how hot the sex scenes are. Furthermore, the hero is charming, he's kind, and he definitely knows how to win hearts of women both young and old, which is proven by the bond he shares with Sarah's daughter who is completely enamored by Lucas. I also liked how determined the hero was to win Sarah's heart by the tough decision he makes when it comes to his job, especially when he loves it so much. However, it's palpable Sarah is worth the decision he makes. While Sarah, she's strong and brave by moving away from those she loves so she can start over. It isn't easy, especially with all she goes through, but it's palpable that being in Oak Grove is good for her. Even though I couldn't help but empathize with her, as she's torn between finding happiness with Lucas and having to finally face the fact that her husband is gone.

Overall, Ms. Stopper has penned a wonderful read in this book, which had the perfect balance of romance and emotion throughout and illustrated how lucky Sarah is to have found love twice. The way this story ended had me cheering for this couple's happy ever after, because no one deserves happiness more than Sarah after everything she's been through. But most of all what I liked about the ending was the sacrifice Lucas made and what he did in the epilogue by taking them back to a very important place that meant something special to them both. I would recommend One Last Risk by Nancy Stopper, if you enjoy small town romances, second chance romances or books by authors Darcy Burke, Kat Cantrell or Melanie Shawn.

 

OVERALL RATING 

    

BLURB

A guilt-driven firefighter, a widowed mother, neither is ready for love, but love has other plans.

Firefighter Lucas Bennett had the carefree life he’d always wanted until a deadly blaze took the life of his company mate and best friend. Blaming himself was easy but pulling himself from the tailspin of guilt proved to be much harder. The fog of sadness and guilt pushed him down a dangerous path until he nearly died fighting the beast. Forced to stop and reevaluate his life, he decided to make a change before it was too late.

A fire took almost everything from Sarah Robinson—her husband and her home—leaving her to raise their precious daughter alone. Everywhere she looked held memories of her husband, pouring salt on her ever-present wound. Unable to live any longer around the memories of her husband, she and her daughter moved to Oak Grove, far away from the grief of the past. All Sarah needed was the chance to start a new life for her and her daughter.

A car accident on a dark, rainy night put Lucas and Sarah on a collision course neither of them expected… with questions they’re not ready to answer. Can a single mother open her broken heart for a second chance at love? Will a broken firefighter risk his heart for what might be his only chance at forever? Are each of them willing to take one last risk to be together? His risk. Her reward. Together, they’ll mend each other's broken hearts.

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Lucas didn’t need further prompting. He grabbed Sarah’s hand and together, they ran across the street and made it to his truck without further interruption. For that, he was thankful. The town festival had been a lot to handle. Maybe because he’d been with Sarah and for the first time realized exactly what she meant to him, or maybe because they were finally going to be together, alone, when they got to her house. He couldn’t read anything in her look when she gazed up at him. Was she overwhelmed and just ready for some alone time, or was she ready to take this next step in their relationship?

 

He lifted her into the truck and squeezed her hips as he slid her onto the seat. She threw him a shy smile, one full of promise. Not here, not now.He slammed the door, putting the barrier between them, and leaned back. His erection pulsed, demanding release. He couldn’t take her in the truck, no matter what the ache in his jeans wanted. But God, he wanted to. With a little slide here, and a shift there, he could be inside her in record time. But he respected her too much for a quickie in his truck. What they were about to share should be in her bed, with Sarah’s hair spread across the pillow, her body open to receive him.

 

He brushed his hands on his jeans and circled the truck to the driver’s side. When he pulled out of the lot and onto the street, his tires screeched, just another sign of his impatience to get her home. He kept his hand on Sarah’s thigh for the short ride to her house. He had to touch her. The entire day, everything they’d done had led to this moment. Hell, everything in the past few weeks had led to the two of them, being together. And after all the time they’d spent around the knowing gaze of the good residents of Oak Grove, he wasn’t about to waste a minute alone with her.

 

After he’d parked outside her house, he hopped out of the truck and rounded the front. He normallyextended his hand to her, helped her down, but tonight, that wasn’t enough. He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her from the truck, sliding her soft, pliant body down his. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and she grazed his cock. She gasped. Exactly what he wanted. She was as aroused as he was.

 

“See what you do to me?” he whispered to her.

 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nancy Stopper is an award-winning debut author. She writes contemporary romance with strong women and sexy heroes that tug at your emotional heartstrings and leave you with a warm feeling that lingers long after the last page. Her favorite escape is small-town romance and even when set in a larger location, her books have that small-town feel.

Her first novel, One Last Risk, won first place in the Short Contemporary Romance category of the Fool for Love Contest and was a Maggie Finalist in the unpublished Single-Title Contemporary Category.

 

Dreams Come True in Laguna, Nancy's first novella, was published in the Laguna Beach Kindle World in 2016. Her first full-length contemporary romance novel will be published in 2017.

Nancy lives in Virginia with her husband, two of her three kids that are still at home, and one cat who regards her with disdain daily. When she's not behind her laptop, you can find her at a ballfield, cheering on her favorite team (Washington Nationals) or her favorite player (her son, who pitches for his local high school), or at a dance performance with her daughter.

 

AUTHOR LINKS: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads