Enter to Win a Select Ebook Bundle from Loveswept
SLASHED
Extreme Risk #3
Tracy Wolff
Releasing Sept 29th, 2015
Loveswept
Do nice guys always finish last? In the new Extreme Risk novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Tracy Wolff, a burnt-out underdog and a vulnerable tomboy defy the pressure to be perfect and go after what they really want.
Bighearted and easygoing, Luc Jennings is falling behind in a family of serious overachievers. While he may be decent enough at snowboarding to turn pro and rack up some sponsors, he’s never topped any podiums—unlike his friends Z, Ash, and Cam. Luc’s always been head over heels for Cam Bradley, but she’s never seen him as anything more than a friend. Now, after years of coming in second, Luc can’t take it anymore—especially if it means watching Cam chase another guy.
Cam hangs out almost exclusively with dudes, and that’s fine by her. She’d much rather be shredding at the Olympics than primping in the mirror. Cam’s wildest dreams have a way of coming true except when it comes to getting her longtime crush and best friend, Z Michaels, to notice her. Then her mother suddenly shows up after being gone for, like, ever, and Cam’s whole world comes crashing down. Desperate for a place to lay low, she turns to the one person who’s always had her back.
Try as he might to move on, Luc could never leave Cam hanging. He lets her crash at his place—and it isn’t long before she winds up in his bed. With Cam running scared and her icy facade starting to melt at last, Luc’s determined to finally win the only prize that matters.
Amazon | Barnes | iTunes | Kobo
“Stomp
it out there.”
Relief
sweeps through me and I smile, probably way more than his comment
warrants.
“I
plan on it.”
I
fasten my wakeboard onto my feet, then slide over the side of the
boat and into the water with a splash. I gasp a little at the chill
of it—it’s only September, but up here in the mountains, the
water is already pretty cold. Not cold enough for a wetsuit, but
definitely cold enough to make me shiver at first contact.
“You
ready?” Z calls.
I
grab the line, get myself in position with my knees pulled toward my
chest and the board on its side, running parallel to the back of the
boat.
“Hit
it!” I tell him.
He
laughs a little maniacally, but when he starts moving forward, he
keeps it slow and steady. But that’s Z for you. He’s an
adrenaline junkie who will try just about anything once—even stuff
that’s almost guaranteed to kill him—but when it comes to the
rest of us, he’s totally rock solid, totally responsible.
It’s
one of the things I love about him. One of the things that used to
make me think I was in
love
with him even though it was really more infatuation than anything
else. There aren’t many people in my life who try to take care of
me—the fact that Z always did made him special. But confusing that
kind of friendship with love was stupid on my part, and something I
totally got over once I accepted Ophelia wasn’t going anywhere.
Because she loves Z for real and he loves her the same way. What
she’s done for him—how she’s helped him come to grips with all
the shit in his own life—matters more to me than any feelings I
might have had for him way back when.
“Hey,
faster,” I call, when he seems determined to be all old lady about
the speed thing. “We’re barely moving!”
He
lets out another maniacal laugh, but waves his hand in
acknowledgement. And then we’re moving, cruising through the water
at a speed that’s enough to get my adrenaline pumping.
I
shift my hips, let the board sink like it’s been wanting to since
we started moving. I can feel the pull in my shoulders now, but
resist standing up. Not yet, not yet, not yet . . .
We
hit what feels like about twenty miles an hour, and that’s when I
pull up. We’re racing across the lake now, and I’m laughing as
water sprays up into my face. For long seconds, I keep my arms
relaxed, my knees bent, and just ride. We’re going fast, and the
boat is kicking the water up, making it a little choppy. But I like
it that way—and as Z lays on the speed, I shift my weight and pop a
couple Ollies.
Logan
cheers, and I laugh, but settle in to do a couple more tricks for
him—a corked spin followed by a monkey spin, an invert, a couple
different turns. Z guns it then, gets the boat up to what I’m
guessing is twenty-three or so miles per hour as he doubles, then
triples up.
I’m
grinning like a crazy person now, but I love riding when he does
that, love what it feels like when the wakes cross and hit three
times normal size. Lowering my shoulders, I tuck in, then when it
feels right, when it feels perfect, I jump. I catch mad air, just
like I’d hoped, and I do a double inverted cork that I land
perfectly, despite the huge wake.
It’s
a great fucking feeling. The trick. The landing. The rush.
Logan
screams encouragement, and I can hear Tansy and Ophelia clapping,
too, so I do it again.
I
land harder this time—the wake is dissipating and I don’t catch
as much air, but it still works. Except then Luc gets up, says
something to Z, though I can’t hear what. Then the boat starts to
slow, much to my disappointment.
I
get one more small jump in before Z gets the speed down too low to
board. I let go of the rope, fall backward into the water, then reach
down and unlace the boots that hold my feet onto the board as I wait
for Z to circle back and pick me up.
It
only takes a minute or two, and then Luc is pulling me up and into
the boat. Looks like he remembers I exist, after all. Which, hey, I’m
not about to knock.
“Thanks,”
I say as I set my board next to him.
He
just nods, then drops his hands so fast that I can’t help being a
little insulted. I mean, we’re not in elementary school and I don’t
have cooties.
I
really enjoy the friends to lovers trope and this is no exception.
Against the backdrop of the professional world of competitive
snowboarding, this the first book I have read in the Extreme Risk
series.
What
happens when two people who have know each other since they were four
years old end up having a one-night stand?
Luc
Jennings and Cameron “Cam” Bradley's
reactions are at the opposite end of the spectrum from one another
after
a
one night stand!
Cam is horrified because Luc is her best friend. Luc is
left shattered after the best night of his life with
the woman he's secretly in love with turns
into a nightmare.
The
author creates palpable sexual tension between the protagonists as
they try to rebuild some sort of mutual relationship again. Luc's
feelings of inadequacy leave him believing he can't compete with
Cam's unrequited love for Z. Both are dealing with abandonment
issues having been rejected by their respective mothers. They have so
much in common but seem to have totally forgotten how to communicate
on even the most basic level.
I
found the settling for the story insightful but didn't really care
much for the sub-plot surrounding Cam's Mom. It just seemed a bit
too far fetched and didn't really bring anything worthwhile to the
main story.
Many
times I've read a standalone within a series only to feel as though I
really needed to have read the earlier books; to get a better
understanding of the dynamics between the characters. Not so with
this book, which was a huge bonus, although I am intrigued to know
more about Z and Ash.
The
book ended with a few unanswered questions but I'm okay with that.
I'm guessing we'll get a chance to see how Luc and Cam are doing in
the next Extreme Risk book? If not, I'm more than happy for my mind
to fill in the gaps. This is the first book I've read by Tracy Wolff
and will definitely be reading more of her books in the future.
***arc
generously received courtesy of Loveswept Publishing via NetGalley***
The Extreme Risk Series
New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff lives in Texas and teaches writing at her local community college. She is married and the mother of three young sons.
No comments:
Post a Comment