The Risk - Elle Kennedy

The Risk by Elle Kennedy

Genre: NA Realistic Fiction

Blurb (on back of book): A sexy standalone novel from New York Times and international bestselling author Elle Kennedy. THE RISK takes you back t
o the world of hot hockey players, feisty heroines, bro banter, and steamy scenes...

Everyone says I’m a bad girl. They’re only partly right—I don’t let fear rule me, and I certainly don’t care what people think. But I draw the line at sleeping with the enemy. As the daughter of Briar’s head hockey coach, I’d be vilified if I hooked up with a player from a rival team.

And that’s who Jake Connelly is. Harvard’s star forward is arrogant, annoying, and too attractive for his own good. But fate is cruel—I require his help to secure a much-coveted internship, and the sexy jerk isn’t making it easy for me.

I need Connelly to be my fake boyfriend.

For every fake date…he wants a real one.

Which means this bad girl is in big trouble. Nothing good can come from sneaking around with Jake Connelly. My father would kill me, my friends will revolt, and my post-college career is on the line. But while it’s getting harder and harder to resist Jake’s oozing sex appeal and cocky grin, I refuse to fall for him.

That’s the one risk I’m not willing to take.

MY OPINION: *****

I adore this book and I ADORE Jake Connelly. He is my favorite hockey boy of Elle Kennedy's by far, though Dean is a close second. I also loved Brenna and her I-don't-care attitude.

Brenna Jensen is the daughter of the Briar University hockey coach and a hockey fanatic. She's definitely not a "good girl" in any sense which I absolutely loved about her. She isn't afraid to speak up against injustice, even though she faces a lot of misogyny and sexism from the men in the sports field. I also love the girl's vivacity and ability to converse with the athletes from both Harvard and Briar with ease, a quality I wish I possessed.

Jake Connelly is a dreamboat. He is one of the most talented (if not THE most talented) college hockey players. However, the biggest issue is that he plays for Harvard, one of Briar's largest rivals, making the relationship between Jake and Brenna fairly "forbidden." I loved the man; he was respectful, funny, kind, and arrogant but not too arrogant. I like a small touch of arrogance in characters without it being narcissistic or annoying, which I think Jake's character captured really well.

Jake and Brenna's relationship was slow-going but beautiful. I appreciated the forbidden aspect of it because it made it all the more exciting when they finally got together. Elle Kennedy is a master at building tension and anticipation and giving us readers a couple of fluffy, cutesy moments before breaking the characters apart in one way or another.

The only thing I hated about this book was Jake's interference in Brenna's relationship with one of his fellow hockey players. While he didn't do it for selfish means, as if he wanted her for himself (at this point), he still interfered in something that wasn't any of his business. While the relationship may not have been very serious, it was still something that could have become something more and Jake stopped it for the "good of the team" despite the feelings he could have hurt in the process.

Another thing I LOVED was the fake dating trope. While it is fairly comment in Elle Kennedy's books and in the New Adult Romance realm overall, I adore this trope and was definitely not wary of it popping up in this one. I hated the circumstances that drove the fake relationship, as Brenna is forced to use Jake's name and reputation as a hockey player to get ahead in a job interview for a sports channel, a strongly male-dominated field. Brenna experiences sexism and misogyny firsthand, and while I wish it didn't have to be included, it's sadly a real fact of life, even in the 21st century. It's not about what you can do for misogyny but about what misogyny can do for you, I guess. However, despite the circumstances, the fake dating trope is just such a perfect set-up to getting two characters together who are obviously meant to be.

I loved the side stories, especially between Rupi and Mike, who I thought were insane but adorable, which quite perfectly wraps up my thoughts about them. Rupi is a chatterbox who is very blunt and determined with no shame and I wish I could have more of her confidence. Mike is... Mike. He's hilarious and a bit dimwitted or insane in the brain but I loved him all the same and wish we could have gotten a book about these two.

While I thought it couldn't get any better after Summer and Fitz's story in The Chase, I was happily mistaken and ended up loving this one. I think this may be one of the only five-star books so far in Elle Kennedy's two main series that I've read. I would recommend this book to readers looking for a cute and intimate romance.

Main Character: Brenna, Jake

Sidekick(s): Friends, coach, etc

Villain(s): Misunderstandings, survivor's guilt, misogyny, etc

Realistic Fiction Elements: This book is all very real to life.