VBT and Review - High Stakes

High Stakes

by Cheryl Douglas

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BLURB:

Former party girl, Alisa Turner, made a deal with her daddy, Trey. He’ll provide the seed money for her new business venture as long as she promises to stay out of trouble. Too bad her good intentions tumble 30,000 feet when she meets a sexy stranger on a flight to sin city.

Hotel mogul, Liam Bryson, has never believed in love at first sight, but when a sexy little siren twenty years his junior tempts him into a night of high stakes Blackjack, he’s suddenly playing for keeps.

Alisa wakes up in Liam’s bed the next morning, cursing Tequila and the five carat diamond on her left hand. She demands an annulment before her over-protective father finds out she reneged on their agreement, but her new hubby isn’t prepared to let her go without a fight.

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EXCERPT

Liam Bryson cursed his big mouth. Speaking his mind was part of who he was, and he knew people judged him because of it. They’d called him opinionated, arrogant, insufferable, stubborn—the list went on, but those qualities helped him build one of the most exclusive boutique hotel chains in the world, so he refused to apologize for the attributes that made him successful.

But when he realized his unwarranted opinion had offended Alisa, he immediately wished he could retract his words. He’d lumped her in with all of the other women he’d dated, and it was obvious to him in the few moments they spent together that she was nothing like them. She was special. He didn’t know how he knew, and he didn’t question it. He trusted his instincts, and he knew he had to find a way to get back into her good graces, because even if he never saw her again after their plane touched down, he didn’t want her to think poorly of him.

He hadn’t considered another person’s opinion of him in years, and he’d never, ever gone out of his way to impress a lady. He’d never had to, not when the prospect of accessing his bank account seemed to be the only enticement they needed.

He stood up to let Alisa slide into her window seat and impulse prompted him to settle his hands on her waist and pull her flush against his chest as he whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Cheryl began her professional career as a nutritionist, but her love of books started at an early age. She studied

writing for many years before she decided to pursue her passion as a full-time career. After receiving constructive criticism from several well-known authors, Cheryl finally had the confidence to write her first romance novel.

The first book in the Nashville Nights series, Shameless, was a book that had been dwelling in Cheryl’s subconscious for years. For her, the surprise came when the manuscript began taking on a life of its own. Characters came to life, secondary characters became more prominent, outlines were forgotten, and a single title evolved into an eight book series, and another eight book spin-off series entitled Nashville Nights, Next Generation.

One word would aptly describe Cheryl: workaholic. She lives and breathes her writing, when she’s sleeping, watching TV, driving, reading… it’s always in the periphery of her mind. Her imagination rarely takes a holiday, even when she escapes to a sandy beach with her husband and son, she’s planning, plotting, outlining, and daydreaming.

Cheryl feels blessed to be able to get up every day and do something she loves. The thousands of fans who have embraced the Nashville Nights have made that possible. She writes for the readers who ask for more, she writes to satisfy the muse residing inside of her, but most of all, she writes because she couldn’t imagine doing anything else with her life. It took her thirty-seven years to decide what she wanted to be when she grew up, but now that she knows, she’s convinced she’s found her purpose.

Buy Links:

AMAZON:

http://www.amazon.com/Stakes-Nashville-Nights-Generation-ebook/dp/B009O8N8CG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358601209&sr=8-1&keywords=high+stakes+cheryl+douglas

BARNES & NOBLE:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/high-stakes-cheryl-douglas/1113744569?ean=2940045037969&itm=1&usri=high+stakes+by+cheryl+brooks

Other Links

Website:

http://www.cheryldouglasbooks.com

Facebook:

http://www.cheryldouglasbooks.com

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My Review:

This was a short read but fun.  Alisa is a much more complex character that she seems based on appearances.  She is finally working to get her life on track and do something she wants to go with her future.  As a former model, turned party girl many people do not expect too much.  Luckily her father supports her dreams and is willing to help her get started as long as she cuts back on escapades that like to land her in the tabloids.

On a flight to Las Vegas to finalize a couple more items that will be perfect for her store she meets Liam Bryson.  Liam is another very interesting character.  He is a major success in his field and he built himself up to this level against many odds.  He is however, still basically alone.

Watching the sparks fly between Alisa and Liam, before they really even know who the other was, just strangers on a plane, was lots of fun.  They fight, disagree and eventually end up liking each other in just about the course of one day.  The question is, can this become a relationship or is it just a one night affair to forget about when real life comes calling.

Once I started I did not want to put this one down.  The characters were great.  The story kept moving and didnt lag.  And I cared about Alisa and Liam, and wanted to see what happened to them.  Even the supporting cast of characters was great and perfectly placed to be a part of the story but not detract from the main storyline.  I am looking forward to checking out more in this series and the one that came before it.