Friday, February 20, 2015

Worth the Risk (The McKinney Brothers #2) by Claudia Connor - Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway



Tour Wide Giveaway for a $25 eGift Card of Winner's Choice Bookseller and Loveswept Mug & Romance at Random Nail Polish


Worth the Risk
The McKinney Brothers # 2
By: Claudia Connor
Releasing Feb 3rd, 2015
Loveswept



When a McKinney brother falls in love, powerful emotion and overwhelming desire are never far behind.

Two hearts locked away . . . Hannah Walker spends her days coaching children through injury and trauma, one therapeutic horseback ride at a time. She knows all too well how violence can change a child and leave scars that never heal. It’s easy for her to relate to the kids; what isn’t easy is the thought of facing her own harrowing past.

Millionaire playboy Stephen McKinney could use a little coaching himself. Five years ago he encountered his most horrible nightmare—and the nightmare won. No matter what he achieves, nothing can make up for that awful night . . . or so he believes.

Both desperate for a second chance . . . Stephen is used to getting what he wants. And he wants Hannah. So when she turns him down, he’s intrigued. What he doesn’t know is that her secrets will lead him to a place he never wanted to go again . . . to a side of himself he’s tried to forget . . . a side that would scare Hannah away from ever loving him. Now his only chance to win her trust is to bare his soul, risking everything he tried so hard to protect.





She showered, replaying the rules her brothers had drilled into her over the years, assuring herself she wasnt breaking any. Shed broken a rule twelve years ago and it had nearly ruined all their lives. She stepped out of the hot water, wrapped her hair tightly in a towel, and piled it on top of her head. The steam-covered mirror blocked her reflection, but still, she closed her eyes as she dried her body.
She didnt feel the marks over a decade old, didnt feel the crisscrossing pink and purple lines. She inhaled the scent of vanilla and lavender lotion and pretended just for a moment they werent there. That she was normal. Inside and out.
But she wasnt, and they were there.
Her brothers thought they needed to remind her to be careful and cautious. They didnt. All she had to do was look at herself. Ugly. Marked.
She knew what a knife could do. What a man could do. How he could strike and slice and break your body until he broke your soul.
After a short drive into town, Hannah stopped at the valet in front of Renos, heart pounding, damp palms gripping the steering wheel. Maybe she wasnt ready. And she might have slipped right on through the parking lot and straight back home, but for the baby-faced attendant who opened her door and offered his hand.
Just inside the restaurant, one shed only heard of in terms of how impossible it was to get a table, she was greeted by a pretty little hostess in a black, knee-length cocktail dress. Good evening. Welcome to Renos.
Thank you. She wiped her hands on her silky black pants. She didnt own dresses, so this and a flowing top would have to do. Zach bought her clothes for Christmas, or rather his current girlfriend helped him make online purchases. Rarely needed, but tonight she was grateful. Shed added sandals with tiny gems and for once left her hair down.
A table?
Im um . . . meeting someone, but I . . . She looked past the girl into the elegant bar area.
Mr. McKinney?
What?
Youre meeting Stephen McKinney?
How could she know that? Had Stephen told her? Described her? Yes. I am.
Hes waiting at the bar. Just through there. She gestured with her hand. Or I can get him if youd like.
So he came here often enough to be known. And the woman in front of her looked all too eager to get him herself. Probably not a murderer then. Probably. No. Ill find him. Thank you.
Excitement warred with nervous energy as she moved into the darkened space. Delicate glasses clinked among conversations and laughter, soft light and shiny people. Heads turned, casually taking in the stranger entering their midst.
She spotted Stephen easily. He stood at least half a head above the rest, looking completely at ease, his forearm resting against the bar, a glass of clear liquid in his hand. Nerves fluttered and she stared, undecided which way to go, advance or retreat. Then he looked up. His hot gaze locked with hers and he crossed the room like a cat approaching prey. He was wearing black dress pants as he had this morning, his white shirt revealing a hint of dark hair at his open collar. Absolutely lethal.
Hi. He leaned in, brushed his lips against her cheek. You came.
Yes. The subtle scent of aftershave combined with the sheer size of him and the silky caress of his freshly shaven cheek did funny things to her stomach. And other parts.


Very emotional read about two people who have closed themselves off to love due a tragic past.  For Hannah, a very violent crime that left her fearful and untrusting. For Stephen, the guilt of losing his fiancee prevents him from wanting to have another relationship.  As they start spending time together, they start believing in a second chance at happiness, until one mistake almost costs them their future.

Overall, good story and great writing. With so many McKinney's, I know their are more good books to come.

ARC via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review.





Claudia Connor is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of heartfelt contemporary romance. Claudia attended Auburn University, where she received her undergraduate and masters degrees in early childhood education, and completed her studies in Sawbridgeworth, England. Always a lover of happy endings, she enjoys movies, reading, and travel, but spends most of her time typing out the love stories of the almost real people that live in her head. Claudia lives near Memphis, Tennessee, with her husband and three daughters.




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