Chelsea & Jessica Get Brazen! His Risk to Take by Tessa Bailey

Hey guys! So happy it's time to get Brazen again! This week we read His Risk To Take by Tessa Bailey! Hello steamy goodness!

The greater the risk, the hotter the reward…

Homicide cop Troy Bennett had a reputation on the Chicago PD for being fearless and in control—until the night his daredevil partner is killed during a raid. From that moment on, he swears he’ll never again be responsible for the loss of a loved one. To escape his demons, Troy transfers to the NYPD, bringing him up close and personal with Ruby Elliott, a beautiful, street-savvy pool hustler.

Reckless and stubbornly independent, Ruby embodies everything Troy’s avoiding, but when she walks into O’Hanlon’s Pub and blows his carefully laid plans to hell, Troy knows he has to have her—risks be damned. But there’s a connection between Ruby’s shadowed past and a case Troy’s working involving a notorious Brooklyn felon, throwing her safety into jeopardy. Confronted with his biggest fear, will Troy push Ruby away to keep her safe or fight to keep her in his arms where she belongs?

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Hot damn! Tessa Bailey knows how to write one dirty-talking alpha! What did you think of Troy?

Jessica: She sure does! There were some parts my mouth was literally hanging out in shock because of the things that came out of Troy Bennett's sexy mouth!

Chelsea: Umm... Holy hotness! Troy was probably one of the more dirty mouth men I've met in these Brazens and I loved it!

How would you describe Ruby in 5 words or less?

Chelsea: Stubborn. Brave. Cautious. Smart.

Jessica: Feisty. Fierce. Determined. Sweet.


We met Derek in the previous Line of Duty book and now Troy in this one. Which do you prefer?

Jessica: As much as I liked Troy, I think my heart belongs to Derek. 

Chelsea: I am going to have to agree with Jess. While I certainly liked Troy, Derek is a little more my speed.

Ruby specialized at hustling in pool. What would you specialize in to earn some fast cash?

Chelsea: Haha! Well I don't have many "hustling" talents but I think I could make some fast cash at Trivia. I have an excellent memory and I always blow people out of water with the insane things I remember.

Jessica: Hmm. If this were 10 years ago, I'd say basketball. No one ever expected me to be as good as I was because I was so short. Since it was harder for me to get inside, I used to shoot three pointers and everyone would be like WTF?! LOL.

Who do you see as Troy Bennett?

Jessica: Sandra from Goodreads posted a picture of this guy and I definitely agree.

Chelsea: I definitely picture Tyler Hoechlin as Troy. He has this sexy broodiness that I imagine Troy would have.

Here are two things I know about Tessa Baily. She loves dominant men and she has one dirty mind. And I think it’s awesome! She definitely brings the steam in His Risk to Take and even I blushed a few times more than usual.

Troy Bennett is a New York detective who just transferred from Chicago after losing his partner in a raid. He meets Ruby in a bar one night, where she’s there hustling at pool. He is instantly attracted to her and he isn’t shy about letting her know what he wants to do to her. She’s got a bit of a past and doesn’t normally trust cops but there’s something about Troy that draws her in. She is inadvertently put in danger when a case that Troy is working on overlaps with her past. Troy doesn’t want to lose another person he cares about and tries to protect Ruby. However, she has been protecting herself for a long time and she won’t sit back quietly while Troy is in danger.

God damn Troy is hot and while I don’t like to be told what to do, I may just let him boss me around. When he sets him mind to something or someone, he goes after it and doesn’t back down. He is loyal, fierce and determined and I liked how instantly protective he was of Ruby. She has trust issues and he was able to break down those walls and open her up. I liked how headstrong Ruby was. She didn’t want to sit back and be protected. She wanted to take control of the situation and do her part to help. However, she was a bit reckless and she could have gotten herself killed. She and Troy are so perfect for one another because he is very dominant and Ruby pushes back. This makes for some very hot and steamy sex.

I enjoyed His Risk to Take and found it to be a quick and fun read. It doesn’t have a lot of plot depth but I really liked the characters and I am a fan of Tessa Bailey’s writing. If a Brazen makes me blush, that means it’s doing its job.

His Risk to Take was another steamy addition to Tessa's Line of Duty series. While it felt shorter than the first, I still enjoyed it. I did feel this one wasn't as in depth plot wise, but no worries- the steam factor more than made up for it! Mmm! This is one of those reads you pick up when you just need a sexy escape from the real world. 

Ruby is a really fun female lead. She has confidence and I love how take charge she is. She has had to grow up fast and her no-nonsense attitude shows immediately. When Ruby enters the bar Troy is drinking at, all bets are off. Ruby may come across as demure and innocent, but the girl knows how to play the game! Having concealed her pool cue in a yoga mat, Ruby comes across as knowing less than she does. Girl is a straight up hustler! She knows what she's doing and that is one of the things that attracts Troy from the get-go.

Tessa has created another dirty-talking alpha male in Troy Bennett and the things he says to Ruby is enough to make any girl blush! The two of them are incredibly stubborn and butt heads quite often, but that is one of the things that makes their relationship so hot! Ruby isn't a submissive who is just going to do what Troy says. Troy is new to New York, having escaped some demons that haunt him from his past, and he is turn very protective of Ruby. I felt bad for Troy, because while he feels like what happened in Chicago is his fault, when it really wasn't. He carries that guilt with him to New York and has to make amends with the past before he can move forward with his life.

While Derek still holds my heart, I really did enjoy meeting Troy and I loved seeing him and Ruby together!

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Join us next week when we discuss Private Practice by Samanthe Beck