Book: The Gamble
Author: Xavier Neal
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Synopsis
3 friends. 2 players. 1 bet.
When Luca Larson makes an expensive wager, guaranteeing the bedding of his only real female friend, he's expecting the situation to go as smoothly as sleeping with any other woman would. It doesn't take long before he realizes his usual plays won't work. She knows them too well. She knows HIM too well. If Luca wants to win, he'll have to do things he's never done before. Friendships will be challenged. Hearts will be broken. Lives will be inevitably changed. But one question will remain. Was it all worth the gamble?
This was my first time reading Xavier Neal, and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style. For me, it's something about a story that seems to resonate realism when the characters already have some type of history with each other, it makes the possible romance seem that much more believable. Luca, Warren and Alexxa are all best friends, and that's all well and good. But for whatever reason, Luca felt it necessary to kind of force Warren into accepting a bet that he'd be able to hook up with Alexxa.
Each character brought something different to the story, so it provided a good balance: Alexxa is sweet but strong, not easily swayed by pretty words, but eventually does develop stronger feelings for her best friend. Warren is the guy who's placed in the "friend zone" category. He's the guy women turn to for advice when the bad boy they're dealing with isn't acting right, but he won't get the girl he wants because he's in the dreaded "zone". I'm not sure how I feel about Luca; at times he's hilarious and cocky, but for me, it goes back to pressuring Warren to accept the bet about having sex with Alexxa. It's one thing to be confident, but Luca was just too damn cocky (pun intended) for me to really like him as a character. I won't deny that the chemistry between Luca and Alexxa was hot, because it damn sure was fire. But I also enjoyed the friendship the three of them had.
ARC provided in exchange for honest review.
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Author Bio
Xavier Neal lives in Texas where she spends her time getting lost in writing, reading, or fandoms she recently discovered. Whether she is enjoying books or movies, she continues finding inspiration at every turn to bring more exciting stories to life.
Social Links
Twitter: @XavierNeal87
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