ARC Review of Lexi Ryan’s All or Nothing

Blurb:

After years of placing the wrong bets, all Aubree Baxter ever wanted was someone to take a chance on her. More specifically, she wants golden boy Kennedy Hale, her good friend and unrequited crush. After a seduction attempt gone terribly wrong, she knows pursuing anything more than friendship with Kennedy means sure heartbreak, but the chemistry between them has sizzled for years and won’t be denied. Sometimes in love, it has to be ALL OR NOTHING.

Excerpt:

She’d dropped the towel. I’d baited her, and she’d taken it. I didn’t think my heart would ever recover from that moment. Her ass had just enough jiggle to it, and even though she’d kept her back to me as she pulled on her clothes, I got a glimpse of her bare breasts. They were small—it was something she always joked about—but they were perfect. She was perfect.

For years, I had denied myself my feelings for Bree, but tonight I was done denying. Blame it on the whiskey. Blame it on the hurt in her eyes when she’d accused me of not noticing she was a woman. Blame it on the sexy tattoo on her ass that made my mouth water from wanting to bite it so badly.

She stood stock-still as once more I traced the vine up her spine and around her ribcage. I could see the goose bumps rising on her skin, and it was more instinct than seduction that had me leaning forward and blowing against her spine. Her body shuddered toward me, and just like that, my mouth was on her, her skin warm under my lips.

“Kennedy,” she murmured.

I loved hearing my name on her lips. Bree saying my name, arousal making her breath come harder. I snaked my hand around the front of her body, following the path of the vine. She released her shirt and braced herself on the edge of the bed, bending slightly at her hips.

A groan slipped from my lips, and I nipped at the base of her spine.

I moved my hand slowly, wanting to memorize every inch of her soft skin. We were doing this. For better or worse, I was touching Bree, making her pant. The idea was equal parts exhilarating and terrifying.

I couldn’t wait to read this story but I’ll admit some how I missed it back in January when it was released as part of an anthology. Boy, am I glad that I read it.

Ms. Ryan writes such intelligent New Adult. They can be a bit angsty but in Ms. Ryan’s hands it always makes sense and you don’t want to throw your ereader. Her characters always make sense and you want them to be together. It just takes time but in All or Nothing Bree and Kennedy have such a wonderful back story that from page 1 you are cheering them on.

Bree is like any other rich kid…abandonment, trust issues and is flighty. But dig deeper with her and she does have love, a sense of home and she does trust people. Kennedy is the complete opposite of Bree. He has been handed everything in life but its NOT the life that he wants.

The family issues are timely and well thought out. Kennedy’s mom is a rock for both Bree and Kennedy. She knew they belonged together and didn’t push them. She let them figure it out but it was almost too late.

I also liked the secondary characters that have the other books in the anthology and I will be going and purchasing the whole book because I have to know how they get their HEA. 🙂

The dialogue between Bree and Kennedy is smart and sexy. Oh yes, the smexy times are good but that’s NOT the basis of the book. Getting these two knuckleheads to finally admit that they love each other is and what they are going to do about it.

I highly recommend Ms. Ryan to anyone and of course, All or Nothing doesn’t disappoint. Its sweet, sexy and poignant when you finally figure out that the love of your life is right in front of you but letting go of all our insecurities is a scary thing. Ms. Ryan handles just perfectly.