A Risk Worth Taking

Falling in Love, Book 2

By: Nikki Ash

Narrated by: Lexi Evans, Gregory Salinas

Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Ellie

Lincoln Alexander might think he’s too old for me, but he’s wrong. A fourteen-year age gap is nothing when you’re desperate to feel alive again.

The wealthy business owner has only ever seen me as off limits, but he has the power to put me back together—to chase away my demons with just his touch.

So, for one intense night, without him knowing who I am, I put my trust and pleasure in his hands.

My plan is to walk away, ready to move forward with my life, but when the doctor tells me that I’m pregnant, I find myself taking two steps back.

Lincoln

One night isn’t enough with the masked, green-eyed woman who walked into my club and turned my world upside down.

After I gave her what she wanted, again and again, she walked away without a trace.

When I finally discover the identity of the mysterious beauty who stole my heart on Valentine’s Day—and the secret she’s been keeping—my heart stops.

Ellie Bardot is all grown up, but I remember the innocent girl she was, even if she doesn’t. I hate that she lied to me, almost as much as I hate that I still want her.

Now I’m torn between being the man she needs me to be and doing the right thing.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: this story contains subjects that may be sensitive for some listeners. Content warnings can be found on the author's website.

©2024 Nikki Ash (P)2024 Pink Flamingo Productions

LOVED!!

After a traumatic event from Ellie's past leaves her with intimacy issues, she turns to the one person she trusts the most, Lincoln. In an attempt to bring some pleasure back into her life, Ellie plans to seduce Lincoln during a masquerade party at his club without him know who she is. Several months later, Ellie finds out she's pregnant.

Lincoln's brother Micah visits Ellie in California and discovers she's pregnant, he brings her back home where she tells him and her sister everything that happened to her when she was 15 and that Lincoln is the baby's father. Furious with Lincoln thinking he took advantage of Ellie, Micah confronts Lincoln and punches him in the face. After Ellie explains what she did and it's not Lincoln's fault, he realizes the woman he can't get out of his head and has been searching for is Ellie and she is carrying his baby.

Lincoln finally realizes the 14 year age difference doesn't matter any more and will do everything possible to show Ellie he's in love with her and their baby. When someone from her past reappears and is out for revenge will it keep her and Lincoln from finding their much deserved HEA.

Great narration by Lexi Evans and Gregory Salinas.

Age gap

I couldn't wait for Ellie and Lincoln’s story when I read the first in the series. The attraction Ellie felt towards Lincoln from the beginning was so sweet. She trusted him since she first met him. I really enjoyed the relationship that bloomed between them. I liked that we got both of their points of views throughout the book. It really brought the story to life.

I did this on audio and really enjoyed it. The narration was so well done.

Captivated

Ellie had a crush on Lincoln when she was just a kid hanging out at the club but he never saw her as anything but a little kid. Ellie had been through a lot if you’ve read/listened to “The Risk of Falling” then you’ll know. If you have triggers, please check the authors page for information. Ellie decides to take back her life and intimacy back by dressing up and taking part in Valentine’s at the club. I needed for Ellie to get her HEA and for Lincoln to finally get out of his way! Well worth the wait.

Excellent Audiobook

Nikki Ash has become a favorite author of mine. I read this book first because I couldn't wait for the audiobook to be released after listening to the first book. I was absolutely invested the characters. A steamy, age gap, friends to lovers, pregnancy, storyline that was riveting. I was so glad to be on the road so there were few interruptions as I listened. Lincoln warmed my heart with his friendship with Ellie. I loved how the author wrote this romance. I smiled, laughed, teared up, held my breath, and smiled big at the HEA.

Lexi Evans and Gregory Salinas are favorite narrators. They brought this audiobook to life with emotional performances that had it rolling like a movie in my head. Absolute perfection.

#PinkFlamingoProductions
#TheFlockonTour

Ellie and Lincoln

Ellie and Lincoln

The narrators did a really good job.
Another great, interesting story that you don't want to end. These are the siblings of the couple in the first book. Ellie was keeping a secret from her family and has been dealing with nightmares and flashbacks. Wanting to feel intimacy she seeks out the only person she trust and at a masquerade seduces him. Nikki has a way that makes me feel connected to the characters and a story that you just don't want to stop reading/listening to.

Sweet with a touch of danger!

If you read book 1, you already know exactly how this book goes from the first few pages, but being 100% predictable didn’t dampen the experience at all. Ash writes worlds and characters that are easy to get hooked into and root for. (If that’s an issue for you, maybe read this one first, then backtrack and read book 1 for the history / her sister’s story.)

Question: is this an intentional fairytale retelling or accidental? Because it definitely has the vibes.

Has a bit of darkness, but I wouldn’t call this a ‘dark read’ by any means. It’s super sweet, overall with a fun dose of danger. If you’re sensitive to SA and non-con, I’d think you’d still be okay with this one but obviously: everyone’s different. 🙂

FMC with a traumatic past.
Masquerade-style Cinderella vibes.
Age gap.
Secret / surprise / accidental pregnancy.
New adult … ish. (female lead. Male is older.)
Dancer FMC.
Forbidden vibes - he’s “too old” for her, she’s his brother’s little sister-in-law, etc.—the phrase “off-limits” is thrown out quite a bit.
Suspense.
Danger.
A male lead who lets his family dictate his life for too long & gradually overcomes that.
Crime and millionaires everywhere.
Revenge.

Notes: The continuity and plausibility were fine, though there was one piece that I questioned. (It didn’t impact the reader experience for me much, as I found I could go with it.) Without spoiling, I’ll share that it involves Lincoln specifically noticing her eyes during a certain encounter.

Continuity-wise: the pregnancy timeline could’ve used a bit of fine-tuning. Micah sees Ellie and the reader is told that it’s obvious she’s pregnant—he takes one look at her and knows, and she knows he knows—it’s this whole scene. Later on, it’s described as having been “months” (by Linc) and he specifically says “she has the slightest bump just starting to show”. So then … what was so “obvious” about her, just by glancing, all those “months” before? I sort of got the impression that the author ended book 1 on a certain note and then … didn’t bother to make book 2’s timeline fit in exactly.

HOWEVER
This is a suspense-y romance novel. For me, the above issues didn’t negatively impact the reader experience, because I was caught up in the danger, the action, and the drama between the leads—which is why I said overall it works and why I’d still rate this book as 4 stars. It was a fun read.


🎧 Audio:
Both narrators were amazing and the overall sound quality is perfect! 🦩
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Book 2 Falling in Love - can be standalone

This is book 2 in Ash's Falling in Love series, and I absolutely loved it! While it can be read as a standalone, I do think you will get the most from these characters and storyline if read in order - but that's just me. I think Ash does a great job of introducing past events in a way that won't have the reader/listener feel overly lost. Our main characters are Ellie and Lincoln who are actually in laws since her sister and his brother are happily married but these two have a past full of friendship and comfort that extends into the now. Only Elle is running for trauma she won't let her family in on in hopes of protecting them. That's the thing with both Elle and Lincoln's characters - both are fiercely protective of those they love. I love Elle's strength and maturity and while Lincoln may be older it takes him a bit to catch up to her in respect to the maturity of taking what he wants and others rather than being controlled by others. A wonderful rollercoaster of a ride full of pain, redemption, healing, danger and of course the romance - both the sweet and the steamy. Wonderfully well done multi point of view and the dual narration was beautifully done. While I don' t know how there could be another in this series since these brothers/sisters have found their forever loves but I am so excited to see what Ash will deliver next!

A Kitten Walks into a Club to Find Her Safe Place

Nikki Ash has danced another great work to the stage of literacy! And she’s getting bolder I feel with how intense these books start. Hooking you, worrying you, making your mind dart around as you sink into the narration immediately, This one picked up that whirlwind pacing at the start.

And I had so many red alerts blaring but it didn’t turn out as I expected for the first four chapters’ set-up, which was a nice twist.

Ally (bless this child for all she went through in her life,) isolated herself to protect her sister, the only person for ages who cared about her. And had harbored a secret that has destroyed her ability to get intimate with a man. And boy, does her experiences wring your heart. Mrs. Ash is good at making strong, likeable characters who have or are going through hard issues others can deeply relate to, knowing they are not alone in this and supported, more than their scars, like Ally.

At 14, she meets Lincoln, the 28 year old brother of the man who is in love with her sister. Lincoln looks out for her like a brother and Ally has an innocent crush. But now that Ally is 21, she decides she is ready to replace her past horrible memories with good ones so she can move on in life and be intimate. And there’s only one man she trusts…Lincoln. But, he can’t know it’s her! So this kitten forms a plan that starts at a party at the rated X club he owns…

I’ll let your imagine spin from there.

More ensues and this becomes a story of sweetness and steam, trust, family values, hot and cold conversations, and dangerous kidnapping plots. Wait…what?
Yeah, I notice Mrs. Ash tends to enjoy.,.I guess mob like side plots in her works. Ha. They are still composed well (and I’m not spoiling anything here;) I more find it odd. These brothers just have all these secret connections and are BA. Buy other than run a lot of hotels and clubs…I’m curious how they do it. Hmmm..,

Once more, Lexi Evans and Greggory Silinas waltz us away to a tale with fire and heart, fear and chance giving, and connection more drawing than emerald green eyes gazing at you. They always are a treat,

And those last 45 minutes! Phew! Listening to their performances on that random heavy ride! Props!

This book is worth the risk reading.

Kitten

A Risk Worth Taking- Nikki Ash
Narrated by Lexi Evans and Gregory Salinas

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Narration 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

This book was so good. This duet was so good! I thought Micah was swoony in book one, and he is, but he’s got nothing on Lincoln. There were a few times where I wanted to shake Lincoln but he came around. I also wanted to shake Ellie a bit, because the girl doesn’t make great life choices. Even if some of them do end up working out for her in the end, she comes up with these plans that aren’t the best. 😂😂 I did love Ellie’s tenacity though, when she wants something she really goes for it. She’s wanted Lincoln since she was 14 years old and lo and behold 8 years later they are together, after some major hurdles they have to climb over, but it was great to see their story play out.

Lexi Evans and Gregory Salinas did an incredible job on the narration. I wasn’t sure what to expect because I don’t think I’ve heard anything from either of them before, but they did an amazing job.

All the feels...

A Risk Worth Taking is book 2 in the Falling In Love series. It's an age gap, secret pregnancy, romantic suspense that will keep you engrossed from the start. It had so much angst and all the steam. What an emotional roller coaster ride. I loved the relationship that built between Lincoln and Ellie throughout. It was sexy and sweet at the same time. I really enjoyed this one.

Lexi Evans and Gregory Salinas did a great job portraying these characters.