Taking a Risk: Part Two

R.I.S.C. #2

by Anna Blakely

R.I.S.C. (Rescue, Intel, Security, & Capture): An elite, private security team who will stop at nothing to protect the ones they love.

The highly anticipated romantic suspense series by debut author, Anna Blakely.

>HE LIED TO PROTECT HER
It’s been two months since Jake McQueen walked away from the woman he loves. With the other members of R.I.S.C.’s Alpha Team by his side, Jake left to ensure Olivia’s safety. Now that he’s back, he’s ready to take their relationship to the next level. Before he can do that, Jake will have to confess his greatest sin. All he's ever wanted was to keep Olivia safe, but Jake fears his need to protect will end up pushing her away from him forever.

DANGER’S CLOSER THAN SHE THINKS
To Olivia, forgiving Jake for leaving the way he did seems impossible. When he shows up unexpectedly and explains what happened, she realizes she has no choice but to let him off the hook. Now closer than ever, Olivia’s just starting to believe they have a future when Jake confesses to a decade-long secret that turns her world upside down. To make matters worse, Olivia has no idea that someone is watching her, just waiting for the perfect chance to end her life…for good, this time.

***Taking a Risk, Part Two brings you Jake and Olivia’s Happily Ever After. Though it can be read as a stand-alone, I recommend you read Taking a Risk, Part One first.

***These are the only books in this series that have a two-part storyline. The other novels will each be standalones, with characters from the previous books popping up here and there within the different stories.

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Suspense, Military Fiction, Military Romance, Contemporary, Second Chance

266 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 22, 2019

About the author

Author of the exciting R.I.S.C. Series, Anna Blakely brings you stories of love, action, and edge of your seat suspense. As an avid reader herself, Anna writes what she loves...strong, Alpha heroes and the intelligent, independent heroines they love.

Anna's dream is to create stories her readers will enjoy, and characters they'll fall in love with as much as she has. She believes in true love and Happily Ever After, which is what she will bring to you.

Anna lives in rural Missouri with her husband and children, as well as several rescued animals. When she's not writing, Anna enjoys reading, watching action and horror movies (the scarier the better), and spending time with her amazing family.

Reviews

[Vicky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I genuinely didn't care about either of the lead characters. They were both as stupid as could be. Both were equally as irritating as each other. I am amazed that Jake survived as long as he did. And the woman... oh, Olivia ( just remembered ) she was just awful. And the security that they provided for her? Pathetic. And how did the baddie know that daisies were her favourite flower? That was just... oddly convenient and nonsensical at the same time.

I really didn't like this but am trying not to downgrade to 1 star rating... although everything in me is screaming to. I am going to attempt the next one and see what happens... tho, swear to gawd... if it turns out that Lisa is alive in any of these tales I really will scream. Not sure if it is Trevor next... we'll see...

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Jake ghosted her, Olivia wanted a fresh start, so moved to a small town away from all the reporters and fake concerned coworkers. Here everyone leaves her alone and she likes it that way. Until she starts feeling eyes on her and some mysterious incidents start happening. She dreads thinking someone is after her again but this time Jake isn't around to help her and she'll have to be OK with it.

The last thing Jake wanted to do was hurt Olivia, but he had absolutely no time to say goodbye when he and his team left to go catch the men who had hurt her. It's taken longer than he had wanted, but he's back now and determined to get Olivia to forgive him for leaving without a word. Will she let him back in and give him a second chance?

I've been loving Olivia and Jake's story and I'm really glad they got each other back this time. Their conclusion is just as action packed, just as steamy, and their relationship is even better once Olivia forgives him for ghosting her. And now I'm on my way to read Trevor's story, Beautiful Risk, can't wait!

ARC via Hidden Gems Books for an honest review.

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[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I didn't like this one nearly as much as I did the first one. What really attracted me to the first one was the overwhelming devotion the MCs had for each other. I love a good secret crush / unrequited love story. But there really wasn't any of that in this book. It was all just miscommunication and fighting and making up, and lots of extra action plots. Just not what I was expecting.

The story starts two months after the conclusion of Taking a Risk: Part One. At the end of that one, Jake ran off to take on the guys responsible for the human trafficking ring that had wanted Olivia. It took him two months to complete the mission. And do you know how many times he contacted Olivia during that time? ZERO. Yup, didn't say goodbye before he left, and no contact while he was away.



During that time, Olivia had to deal with reporters hounding her and creepy dudes showing up at her place. She had to move and get a new job, as well as deal with a possible stalker. And the worst part was that Olivia contacted Ryker, Jake's Homeland contact, and he told her that Jake was fine. So Jake was contacting this guy to check in with stuff from his mission, and not only did he not give Ryker messages to pass along to Olivia, he didn't even bother to ask how Olivia was doing because when he finally returns, everything she says has been happening to her is a complete shock to him.



Then, Olivia instantly forgives him when he tells her that his mission was "for her". Totally lame. Not even a good grovel here. She's just like, "oh, how can I be mad at him?" I'll tell you how...



Anyway, so they kiss and make up, and then a few days later, Jake takes her to his house.... His house that he never took her to before. Despite claiming to be her best friend for the past decade, and despite claiming to have always been in love with her, he had a secret house he never told her about and only met her at his "extra" apartment.



And then the cherry on the sundae is when we finally learn Jake's big secret regarding Mikey, Olivia's brother. The secret itself didn't bother me, and I could understand why it needed to be kept a secret, but what didn't make sense was that HIS WHOLE FREAKING TEAM KNEW! So it wasn't actually a secret, and not telling Olivia a long time ago just seems cruel.



So basically, the first book made me believe that Jake had loved Olivia his whole life, but was just too scared to take things further, and the second book made me realize that Jake didn't actually care about Olivia as much as he claimed to. I didn't end up caring about either character or their relationship. Basically it was Jake doing stupid stuff and Olivia forgiving him over and over. There were a lot of action scenes, so if you prefer your action with a side of romance rather than the other way round, this is probably still enjoyable. Just didn't work for me, and was a letdown after how good the first one was.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please note – this is only part two and part one needs to be read prior

I still do not like Olivia’s character at all. Her brother and Trevor summed it up in two words, she is a brat and a fool. Again, I found myself skimming over her parts just because she was openly and willing to forgive her brother but not Jake. Yeh, that didn’t sit well with me.
In the beginning I was like, yes finally she is going to give Jake hell for being gone for 2 months with no contact. Then communication happened – holy moly this girl can be a mature adult and communicate like normal people. Then the truth comes out and bam, she reverts to a child again. Sigh

Then the karma happens. Yes I consider it karma. Having said that, what made this book much better than the last and kept it from getting the same 3 star review was Jake and the action and suspense. The author did an amazing job in describing the confrontations Olivia had to fight through, she actions to save her and the honest and heartfelt emotions I received from Jake’s character. For me, that deserves a 4 star. The only reason I didn’t give this a 5 star was due to skimming over the annoying Olivia thoughts that were just too annoying for me.

I would recommend this book and will continue on with the series since the next two are about Trevor and Derek.

[Madhellena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dear god, I actually wanted the heroine to die... she was soo very dumb. And the hero is a crybaby. I admit, I like my men to have a lot of self control and this guy was crying and punching stuff... Too bad the characters were so idiotic, because the book is well written.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I downloaded Taking a Risk: Part 2 ~ R.I.S.C. Alpha Team ~ Book 2 from the Kindle Unlimited Program.

This is the second book about Jake McQueen and Olivia, as they come together as a couple from best friends with multiple problems coming between them.

The secret about Olivia's brother is revealed and was not what I expected. Cetro returned to use his evil against Olivia again in his madness. The Alpha Team comes to back Jake as he finds he has to continue to keep Olivia safe and the ending was beautiful to end an adventurous love match between the military hero and a very strong woman.

[Sandy Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a debut author, these first 2 books have already sucked me in and kept me wanting more! This is part 2 of Taking A Risk and you absolutely must read part 1. This is a continuation of Jake and Olivia's story and picks up where the last book left off. Jake has been gone for over 2 months and hasn't seen or talked to her in his effort to ensure her safety. Now he is back and he wants to have everything with her, but he also knows he has to confess his biggest secret and hope he doesn't lose her over it. Olivia takes it hard when Jake disappears with no word and now that he is back she has to try to forgive him. But once he explains why he left, they get closer than she ever thought was possible. But then she finds out his secret and it throws everything she thought she knew into doubt.

I absolutely loved this story!! Olivia is such a strong woman and even after everything she went through she is still fighting to stand up and move on with her life. Jake is one of the sweetest heroes I have read in quite some time. Yes, he has his alpha tendencies but he always does it with his full heart involved. His secret is definitely not what I thought it was!! I don't want to say what I thought it was because it will hint at the secret but definitely not what I was expecting!! And then with what happens to Olivia towards the end?? OMG!! Can we say I was on the edge of my seat!! At one point I was even crying! This book had me all over the place with my feelings and I loved it!! And the teaser for the next book in the series? I cannot wait for that book and all the rest of the team's books!!!

[Van · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a review for the duet,
What a shit show… I’ve tried this author again and It’s not for me, sorry but this is the last book
Her heroines are so sweeet, so understanding that it’s frustrating, her Heroes are asho who claim they are protective but are always hurting their women and letting them being abducted or beaten,
In this duet, the heroine suffers AAAAALLLLLL the things you can imagine and more… it’s just ridiculous!

The situation with her brother is so painful… a real betrayal… but like all these heroes, he said “you act like a brat”, what the feick man???
Seriously, I love a very upset and angry woman, I can’t stand these nice girls,
Zero grovel, zero, nada, nada , and H doesn’t stop to screw up…

I don’t understand this kind of love,

[Dawn Cruikshank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking a Risk, Part Two

OMG! This story was totally heartwrenching! Olivia is one tough lady! Jake was totally in love with Olivia but he had one secret that he kept from her and was deathly afraid of losing her because of it. It was a total shock to find out her brother was still alive and Make and his team knew. The last few chapters will totally bring tears to your eyes. Olivia went through some much pain yet survived! I am happy these two finally got together and are now working on their happily ever! FANTASTIC job Anna! I would recommend this book!

[NanaX8 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read, read, read Taking A Risk, Part One and Part Two....Ms Anna Blakely has knocked her debut books out of the park. Romance, drug lord thugs, murder, mayhem and secrets that keep your heart racing and turning the pages. Looking forward to what comes next!!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is part 2 of Olivia and Jake's story. I don't feel like their story needed to be two books. Both of them are kind of padded and we could have easily put it all in one heart-pounding and satisfying book if the padding was removed. But, here we are.



This book picks up 1 month after the last one ended. Olivia is living in a new state and has a job at a new hospital. Her return from the dead caused quite a media frenzy and she couldn't get any peace where she was. Even her coworkers at her old hospital spent more time staring and asking her "what really happened" than they did helping patients. It was terrible for her mental health because she felt hunted. Even her own house wasn't safe because the reporters knew where she lived and followed her everywhere. So she'd finally moved and hadn't left a forwarding address in the hopes that people wouldn't follow her to the new place.

When the story begins, however, Olivia finds something dead on the front porch of her new rented house. She takes a picture of it and then uses a stick to knock it into the bushes. We then get some conversation between two unnamed bad guys who are watching her. One of them says they should just grab her, since she's all alone, but the other one says no. The time isn't right. When the first one asks what better time there could be, the second one starts choking him until he puts up his hands in surrender.

Then we switch over to Jake. He has been out of the country this whole time and hasn't been in contact with Olivia at all. He expected to only be gone for one week, but things didn't go as planned. He's finally back in the US, though, and goes to grovel to her. She's pretty pissed when she sees him. Convinced that he didn't really care about her after all. What she'd thought was them finally finding their way to loving each other after years of friendship, now feels like she was just a roll in the hay to him. Or worse, him just sleeping with her out of pity, or on some adrenaline high, and now regretting it. Jake of course says that's crap. She means the world to him and he only left her to make sure she was safe. Nothing but needing to ensure her safety could have kept him away.

She stays mad for a few more minutes but ultimately they fall back into bed and all is forgiven. Soon Olivia tells Jake about the strange things that have been happening since she moved in here. The dead thing we saw her photograph on the porch was a particular species of snake which is only found in Madagascar. She also found flowers inside her house one day, so it's clear someone is messing with her. She's been reporting all this to the police, of course, but they don't have any leads.

Jake feels awful that while he was out allegedly doing things to keep her safe, she was at home being stalked by some psycho and with no one to protect her. He sets about getting her house set up with a good security system and starts escorting her to and from work. One day he can't be there so he has one of his R.I.S.C. team guys do it instead. And wouldn't you know it, that's the day someone tries to kidnap her right in the parking garage. The bad guy shoots the R.I.S.C. guy and tries to force her into a van. She gets a bit roughed up in the process but puts up a good fight. It buys enough time for the R.I.S.C. guy to recover and shoot the villain.

Meanwhile we see the two bad guys from earlier witnessing the fact that their compatriot has just been killed while failing to kidnap Olivia. The leader says this will actually work out perfectly and speeds over to that guy's apartment to plant all the incriminating evidence there so the police will think they've found the guy who was stalking Liv all along.

But, like, you see how this all makes no sense? If the bad guy wanted to kidnap Liv, why didn't he just do it when she was alone at her house like the other guy suggested? He babbles about waiting for the "right time" and then decides that the right time is in a public parking garage when she's being escorted by a private bodyguard? That doesn't make sense! And why was he sending her the dead snake and the flowers in the first place? Why alert her and the police to the fact that someone is stalking her? It's just plot contrivance to build suspense and pad out the page count.

So anyway, the cops raid the dead guy's house and find SO much evidence to prove he was her stalker. Like receipts for things, surveillance photos of her, etc. They even find that he'd done a google search on snakes from Madagascar. And I guess the cops couldn't be bothered to notice that those searches were done on the same day he died...AFTER he was already dead.

So everyone thinks the danger is over. Jake invites Liv to come stay at his ranch with him for a while. It's a place she didn't know about before now but that he'd always hoped to one day show her. Things are going great and they've exchanged ILYs. Then Olivia goes out shopping with the one female R.I.S.C. member and while she's gone, her dead brother, Mike, turns up at the ranch.

Yeah, the deep dark "truth about her brother's death" that Jake has been alluding to since the start of the previous book is that Mike isn't actually dead. He's been undercover FOR TEN YEARS. And apparently faking his death was the only way to accomplish that. So he put his family through hell, for his country or something. His father DIED never knowing that his son was still alive. Olivia had to go through losing her last family member alone, while Mike was in some dark evil organization.

It's hard to really sympathize with Mike's decision here when we know so little about what he was doing. It was all very vaguely hand-waved as being super important. And he'd supposedly saved thousands of lives by doing...whatever it was he was doing, but that's all we get so it doesn't feel real.

And the kicker is - Jake knew. He's known Mike was alive since almost the beginning. When it first happened he didn't, and he mourned right along with Olivia. But then a few months later he'd just HAPPENED to run into Mike while on a mission somewhere. He'd managed not to blow Mike's cover but once they were alone together Jake had allegedly blasted him. Jake had fully intended to tell Olivia that Mike was still alive but Mike had convinced him that it would put Liv in danger for her to know the truth. That if anyone suspected he was still alive, he'd be a dead man walking. And the only way for Liv to believably act like she was still missing her loving brother was for her to think he was dead. Jake had ultimately agreed to keep the secret....for 10 years and counting.

Olivia comes back to the ranch sooner than expected and these two highly trained super soldiers somehow don't hear the car nor her approaching. So she sees her brother and of course freaks the fuck out. She can't believe it's really him at first but eventually she does. And when she finds out Jake knew all along she tears into him. Talking about how he's betrayed her. How he listened her her sobbing her heart out night after night on the phone while she mourned her brother. How she'd had months of nightmares about his death and the whole time Jake knew it was all for nothing. Jake says that he'd gotten close to telling her, when her nightmares wouldn't let up. That it had been killing him to listen to her gut-wrenching pain and he'd been fast approaching his breaking point, but then she'd stopped having the nightmares so he'd thought she'd finally gotten past it. Olivia viciously tells him that the nightmares had never stopped, she'd just stopped telling Jake about them because she'd felt bad burdening him with them over and over.

Olivia leaves and tells Jake to stay the hell away from her. Mike comes with her though and, although she's pretty pissed at him too, she knows he can't stay long because he's still under cover and it's dangerous for him to be away. She'd wished to have him back a million times so now that she's got him back, she doesn't want to waste that time yelling at him.

Mike tries to take full responsibility for Jake lying to Olivia all these years. He says that he's known Jake was in love with her for years. And he used that love against Jake. Deliberately saying that Jake would be putting Liv in danger by telling her the truth. He'd known that Jake would do anything to protect her, so he'd had no choice but to keep the secret.

All of this made me pretty much hate Mike, honestly. I know we're supposed to think he's this amazing, selfless hero who has allegedly saved thousands of lives and everything but like I said, that stuff is nebulous and doesn't feel real to me in the context of the story. What does feel real, though, is Olivia and Jake's feelings. We were told in book one that Jake had been pining for Liv for ages but had been told by her brother to keep his hands off. And Jake had respected Mike so much that he felt like he couldn't make a move on her. But now we find out that Mike knew all along that his best friend was in love with his sister...and he still told Jake to keep his hands off? Asshole.

It's not like Jake is some manwhore who would sleep with Olivia as just another notch in his bedpost. He knew Jake was a good guy who truly loved Olivia and would take care of her, always. And it was also apparently common knowledge that Olivia was just as lovesick over Jake. So why did Mike forbid the relationship? It's been 10 years since he "died" and who knows how many years before that. Olivia and Jake could have been happily together all this time if not for him!

Mike eventually leaves and Olivia keeps wallowing in how pissed she is at Jake. It was kind of tedious because she knew full well that Jake hadn't really had a choice in the situation but she just isn't ready to let go of her anger yet. After three days, Jake is still a mess. He's giving Olivia space like she said she needed but he's barely slept. He's full of self recriminations for never having gotten around to telling her the truth, even after they'd become lovers. He fears that she'll never forgive him and he'll spend the rest of his life with a gaping hole in his heart, etc. Finally he calls the guy who took a bullet for her during the kidnapping (in the vest, he's fine). He sends that guy to go try to plead his case to Olivia. Which he does, and she reluctantly feels her anger slipping away. She's not ready to forgive Jake yet, even though she knows she'll have to eventually because he didn't really do anything wrong.

The guy leaves her house and she starts getting ready to go to work when there's a knock at her door. She assumes it's the guy coming back but it's the bad guy who is revealed to be Scarface from the first book. He attacks her and they have a pretty brutal prolonged fight all around her house.

The glass coffee table is shattered and her arm gets cut badly. She's slapped around and punched. She gets in a few shots herself but Scarface is stronger than her. She runs to the kitchen and tries to grab a knife. She manages to get a hold of one but Scarface breaks her wrist to make her drop it. Eventually she's knocked unconscious and taken out. I really liked the description in this scene. It felt like a believably brutal portrayal of how an attack like this would really play out. It wasn't a "Hollywood" attack where the heroine is immediately bonked on the head and rendered unconscious in a way that won't mar her pretty face. It was a desperate, ugly street fight. Olivia fought very, very hard but it wasn't enough. Gold star for this scene.

A little while later, the CIA handler guy who gives Jake missions gets in contact with him and tells him that Scarface has escaped from the prison they put him in. He escaped weeks ago and no one informed them. Jake immediately starts driving toward Olivia's house but he's over an hour away. So he starts calling his team. They quickly learn that Olivia never showed up for her shift at work. The R.I.S.C. guy who had gone to talk to Olivia is closer to her house so he turns around and heads back...but then stops answering Jake's calls.

A frantic Jake arrives at the house about half an hour later and is pissed that no one has been letting him know what's happening. They quickly tell him that Olivia isn't there and there are signs of a struggle. When Jake makes to go into the house, they try to stop him. Saying that he doesn't want to see what's in there. But of course Jake goes inside and is horrified by what he sees. At how much blood is all over the house. Olivia's blood.

Jake goes outside and basically has a freakout, punching the side of his truck and the like. This was fairly well done and the description of how devastated he is at the thought Liv might be dead were good and all but....it felt like a repeat of the scene we'd gotten at the start of book one when he'd thought she'd been killed. It just didn't have the same impact when I'd already seen it before. And it felt less appropriate here in this spot because Jake, of all people, should know that time is of the essence with kidnap victims. He really doesn't have time to lose his shit when Olivia could still be alive and in desperate need of rescue.

Once his team gets him to calm down, the tech guy reminds Jake that they had cameras set up on Olivia's house back when they'd beefed up her security for the stalker. So they check the cameras and immediately get a license plate number. That's quickly traced to a rental car and conveniently all the rental cars have trackers on them. Tech guy quickly hacks their system and within seconds they have the car's location, somewhere out in the desert.

Meanwhile, Olivia has woken up in the back of a car. She knows Scarface is planning to torture and kill her so she needs to escape. She'd rather be shot while trying to get away than to meekly walk into whatever he has planned for her. So she pretends to still be passed out until Scarface goes into a building and his lackey opens the back of the car. Liv uses her one working hand to squeeze the guy's balls until one of them pops, then she runs. She'd hoped the guy would pass out from the pain but he didn't and he starts shooting wildly at her. A bullet grazes her shoulder but she keeps running. Scarface comes out and kills the lackey, then catches up to her.

And then something incredibly stupid happens. Scarface tells Olivia that she's going to walk into that building under her own steam. She tells him to go to hell, of course. But then he says that if she cooperates, he won't kill Jake or tell him what a horrible murdering person she is. But if she fights him, he'll go after Jake. And Olivia freaking believes him. It's so ridiculous. She tells us in her inner monologue that she loves Jake so much and if there's even the tiniest fraction of a chance that she could protect him by giving herself up, then she had to do it. It's insane. She should know full well that she can't trust Scarface at all, so I was really disappointed to see her just giving up.

I think this was supposed to be the resolution to the whole Jake knowing the brother was alive thing. This is supposed to be the epiphany that makes her understand what it means to do ANYTHING to protect someone you love. But, like, she already understood that? She'd already told us that she wasn't really mad anymore, just not really ready to forgive just yet. So she didn't NEED to have this little epiphany. It was just so dumb.

Anyway, Scarface strings her up by her wrists, which makes her pass out from the pain on her broken one. Then he cuts off her shirt and starts whipping her back. He has a camera set up because he says he wants to record her confession. He wants her to say she killed his brother, the 14 year old kid who'd been shot in the first book and Scarface demanded Olivia save him. She says over and over that she didn't kill the kid. He'd been mortally wounded before she even saw him and what had he expected her to do in the middle of the jungle with no medical supplies? Wave her magic wand? She also says that if anyone is to blame for the boy's death it's Scarface himself. Since he's the one who got the boy into a life of crime which ultimately got him shot. Scarface, of course, doesn't like hearing this. After hours of this he finally gets to the point where he's planning to cut her throat.

Jake and his team arrive and save the day. Olivia is cut down but she's lost a lot of blood and is fading fast. She tells Jake she loves him and he says it back. A helicopter lands and takes them to the hospital. On the way there Olivia's heart stops and the paramedics have to get it going again. Jake is a wreck. Of course she pulls through and there's a scene in her hospital room where Jake talks to her and Olivia tells him about how she'd willingly let herself be tortured in order to "protect" him. This is of course devastating for Jake to hear, but I was just struck again with how stupid this was and how it shouldn't have been included in the story at all. It doesn't make Olivia seem strong and like she's protecting her man. It makes her seem like a total idiot. And it's traumatizing Jake for no reason.

Anyway, that's pretty much it. The Epilogue wraps up at Jake and Olivia's wedding. They're happy and her brother even made it to the wedding. He's decided to get out of his undercover work and rejoin his old life. The end.

Overall I still feel like this should have been combined into book one. Nothing much really happened, aside from her kidnapping at the end, which really should have been the climax of the first book. Everything in between was just angsty padding, really. The bad guy's long stalking plan didn't make sense other than as a tactic to drag this out into a semi-full length book. And I really didn't like the brother, even though I'm betting he'll be a hero in a future book. Not sure I'll read that one...

[MammaDi3Gatti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book packaged with book 1, and I wouldn't recommend reading it otherwise. Book 1 ends in a cliffhanger (actually, more of just in a not-finished place), with Jake heading back into the fray unbeknownst to Liv. Had I not read the first book, I'd have been able to read this one, but I would have been very confused about what was happening or, more precisely, why.

Unlike book 1, which has a lot of action (traipsing through the jungle and all), book 2 happens stateside. There is definitely action, and it's good stuff--I love me some strong heroine action-- but it sometimes gets lost in the emotional push me/pull you of Jake's and Liv's individual emotional freak outs. Don't get me wrong; some freaking out is great, especially when it's the hero (ha), but there was just so much of it. When characters aren't open about feelings, insecurity makes sense. But Jake repeatedly says heart (okay, and panty) melting things to Liv all the time, stuff like how amazing he finds her and how she's everything to him... How does that become "I was just a one-night stand" in Liv's head?

But I'll give Liv a pass because she's one tough cookie. And an ER nurse! I wish we'd gotten to see her nursing skills more in action, actually. But she's a great lead, never just sitting back and letting herself be rescued.

Jake is adorable. He's so completely in love with Liv that is hard not to feel a little jealous. He's flawed... makes mistakes and owns up to them, which is something that heroes of these types of novels typically don't do.

Anyway, I'd totally read more in this series; we get some teasers for Jake's teammates' stories. It's a great read, though only when you have both books 1 and 2 in hand.

I received a copy of this book for free. I'm writing this review voluntarily, and it reflects my honest opinion. Thanks!

[Audrey Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is part 2 of Taking a Risk. I didn't like it as much as I was hoping I would, or as much as I enjoyed the first book.

Olivia is forced back into the 'real world' after 'coming back from the dead' upon returning from being captured in Venezuela. She didn't get to say goodbye or even talk to Jake, as he had to take a mission to find the guys who captured her, and so she's suffering from PTSD as well as trying to fend off reporters and the whole world asking what happened to her. So she moved away to a new town, and works at a new hospital, to try and get a sense or normality again. However, Jake randomly shows up on her door one day and she's angry and hurt and sad and still loves him. I feel bad for her here- I would feel hurt and sad, because in a way, he ditched her.. I get it, he had a job to do, but why could he reach out to Ryker to update him but not send her a quick text or phone call?

Once they kiss and make up, things are going really well between them for awhile... until Jake confesses his secret about her brother Mikey... then all hell breaks loose and Olivia starts acting like an annoying teenager who won't listen to anyone or at least hear Jake out-- and Jake doesn't even fight for her to stay.. It basically turned into a dumpster fire at the end, and when Olivia gets kidnapped (yes, again) she somehow is the hero and Jake goes off the deep end? UGH. I was pretty disappointed in this second book mainly because of the characters.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLY COW!! This 2 book set is off the charts filled with such heartwrenching suspense that my stomach was in knots to the very end. With characters you will quickly fall in love with, and plenty of alpha men to wet any appetite, the genius writing of this author had my teeth clenching at times and my eyes in tears at others.

Emergency room nurse Olivia Bradshaw had no idea what she was in for when she joined a group of nurses and doctors in Madagascar to give aide to hurricane victims. Before she can return home her life turns into a nightmare. As days turn to weeks she knows her time is about up if she doesn't do something to save herself.

Jake McQueen had promised his best friend to watch out for his younger sister, and for years he'd been there for her. When his R.I.S.C. team returns from a job he will experience gut-wrenching news that will leave his heart shattered. He never even got to tell Olivia how he felt. Determined to get revenge Jake will enlist his team to assist in destroying those who took the life of the only woman he ever loved.

When Jake and his team arrive in Venezuela they will be stunned to find things aren't as they expected, but getting Olivia back to safety won't be easy. Keeping her out of danger when they get back on American soil won't be as simple as they expected either.

Plan to read TAKING A RISK books 1 & 2 to get the entire Jake and Olivia story. It is WELL worth it. 

[Kelly DeMarco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Threat returns, heart shattering revelation, love triumphs
Taking A Risk, Part 2 by Anna Blakeley is a well written military suspense romance with tons of drama and danger, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. While a continuation of Jake and Olivia’s shift from friends to lovers, it could be read as a stand alone. Part 1 was a really great read as well, so go for it! Full of heat, emotional connections of the heart and finally communicating with each other about their hearts’ desires.
Jake and Olivia, the plot they are immersed in, makes this book highly engaging, engrossing and compelling. As I had read Part 1, I was already invested in these fascinating characters, the multifaceted cliffhanger ending and created anticipation in waiting on pins and needles for a true resolution for Olivia as well as Jake and Olivia as a couple.
Overall, this action packed, emotionally charged romance with amazing characters that absolutely deserve a HEA is a 5 star worthy read. Jake and Olivia go through high highs and low lows only to triumph through desperation, determination and ultimately love.
I read an ARC of this book from Hidden Gems and voluntarily share my review.

[Jen (jensdreamylittlereads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible continuation of Taking A Risk!! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

I absolutely loved Part One of this series but I have to say that this book really pulled at my emotional heartstrings. I honestly did not think I could love these characters even more than I already had but then I became even more invested in their story. Part One was all about the action, mystery and suspense whereas Book Two is all about the emotions, heart and feelings. A wonderful combination! This story was unbelievably gut wrenching, heartbreaking, an emotional back and fourth but at the same time it had plenty of love and romance, red hot steamy scenes and unconditional selfless acts of love which was utterly heart wrenching.

Jake and Olivia fought to get their happily ever after and it was a thrilling and exciting ride as well as emotional for myself. I am so excited for the next book in this series. Anna Blakely has become one of my favourite authors. Well done, Anna!

[lf · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an adventure

Taking a Risk, Part Two is the second book in the R.I.S.C. series and a continuation in the story of Jake McQueen and Olivia Bradshaw from the previous book, which does end in a cliffhanger. These are the first books I have read by Anna Blakely so I was not sure what to expect. This is an action adventure crossed with romance story. The book is nicely paced and the story-line definitely caught my attention early and then kept it for a lot of the two books. There were a few times that I ended up skimming as things dropped off for me. The characters were interesting but at times I wanted to put a gag on Olivia and smack her. My only other issue were that the books could use another round with a proofreader to catch the errors. These books did catch my attention and even with the few issues I did enjoy the story.

I received a copy of both books and am leaving my honest review. My opinions are all my own.

[Stacy J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great continuation!! Left me on the edge of my seat the whole time

I really enjoyed part one of this series but part two really tugged at the heartstrings. Jake and Olivia have been through so much but yet there are things that Jake has still been withholding from Olivia. I felt like book one was all about the action and suspense, book two is all about the heart and feelings. This is an amazing combination.

When the secret is revealed, I felt every feeling that both of them we thinking. I could understand why Jake didn't share his deepest secret with her but I also understood her reaction to it. They were both in a lose-lose situation and it physically made my heart hurt.

The best things these two could do was give each other some space and then talk it out. They deserved their happily ever after.

[Beatrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna is a brand new author, not only to me but to the writing world. I am reviewing the two books as one.

Her first two books are a two part set featuring Jake McQueen and Olivia Bradshaw. A couple who grew up together with Jake being Liv's older brother Mike's, best friend. This story is about how they found the love for each other even with the number of obstacles in their way. Olivia knew all along she loved him. It took Jake a little longer. After a very harrowing experience in the jungle and a fluke rescue by Jake, Olivia saw and found a very different man. The dance these two play leaves you a little irritated and wanting to shake them. The two books take you on an up and down roller coaster ride right to the very end.

Anna Blakely is a good new author and one that I will read again.

[LaTonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading R.I.S.C. #1 I couldn't wait to start R.I.S.C. # 2. Thank God I ordered them at the same time, because I couldn't wait to read how Jake & Liv would reconnect. This book did not disappoint. Jake & Liv have waited so long to be together, but obstacles continue to plague their relationship. After returning to Olivia, Jake must earn her trust again and prove that he will be that man she needs, trust, and can depend on. The threats to her life, the unexpected return of a family member, and lies and deception may be too much for this budding romance. This book is full of action, suspense, romance, love, and loyalty plus we still get the opportunity to learn more about the other members of R.I.S.C. I am so happy that I decided to read this series and I highly recommend check this book out.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading anything by Anna Blakely, and had been intrigued by the description of the book. It caught my attention from the beginning and kept it through the end. I went straight from book 1 in to book 2 and didn't want to put it down until I found out how their story would play out. There is danger galore, an incredibly strong woman (Olivia) who survives the unthinkable not once, but again and again... And who is there to rescue her? Jake - her best friend, and the friend of her older brother. She's loved him for years, but always thought it was one-sided. Jake has loved her for years, but held back out of respect for her 'deceased' brother. Plenty of ups and downs for these two, emotions galore, and the members of RISC will do anything for each other. Twists and turns keep the story intriguing through to the end.

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I quickly picked up book 2 of Taking a Risk after reading book 1 and I loved it just as much as the first! In book 2, Olivia is finally back in the US, but dangers still lurk around every corner. It makes things even harder for her that Jake is MIA. But when he does show up again, it doesn't take too long for her to fall in his arms again. And the romance in book 2 was just as steamy as the first, if not more! My heart broke at everything that these two characters are put through, and it is a lot, but I couldn't be more happy with how things turned out for them! I am so ready for more in this series, to delve into more of the other team members of RISC and hopefully still get updates of our favorite couple along the way.

[Margery Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG-Part 2!
The story continues after Olivia is “safely” ensconced in her civilian life working at the hospital and living life grateful to still be alive. Still hiding their love for each other because of her brother there are also other secrets that come to light. However, safe they may feel it's not to be! Continued danger threatens her, and Jake has left to try to track down the perpetrator. Secrets are revealed that threaten the honesty in their relationship. Again you’ll be on the edge of your seat, reading as quickly as you can, and not wanting to stop for anything. The conclusion of this part will again have you on the edge of your seat (tears can also be anticipated). I want more by this author!!!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Betrayal is a living breathing thing

Olivia knew that despite the lifetime of lies and pain and loss, she always had Jake to hold her, protect her and love her....until she didn't. Whilst I understand her feeling the trust has been shattered and he betrayed her, she knows deep down that anything he does is to protect her and Mike- she never could have imagined that less than a week later she would see exactly why he made the choices he did, she sees it up close and with startling clarity. Their battle for love has been littered with heartbreak but they never stopped fighting to return to each other and here we finally see them get their forever and hopefully their happily ever after
I read this on Kindle Unlimited.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never too late

Jake and Olivia part two. The story picks up two months after her rescue, but things aren’t all sunshine. Jake has been gone the whole time and yup, not saying goodbye is going to bite him. Olivia also has a new? Danger in the form of a stalker. The story moves quickly as they work on their relationship and the danger gets closer. Some secrets are made known (not surprising with all the hints about the brother) and heartbreak ensues which gave the danger the perfect opportunity. The scenes following are graphic and build the horrifying images of what Olivia endured. Grant came out as the MVP here with his support and friendship. The ending was sweet and I am excited to read more about the team!

[Carolyn Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, Part Two was even more awesome that Part One. It was explosive, I was gripping my kindle while reading, a definite page turner. The twist was not was I was expecting, then the excitement at the end, had me cringing, crying, and waiting, and turning one page at a time to see what would happen next.

Jake and Olivia fought like hell to get their happily ever after and it was an exciting ride for me as the reader. I seriously can't wait for the next chapter. Ms. Blakely is now a one click author for me, hands down. Comparable to Ms. O'Leary, Ms. Stoker, Ms. Boon, Ms. Harris.

Well done Ms. Blakely.

I received this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Tesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an ending!

Will this was a brilliant tie up for a wonderful first book. Jake and Olivia certainly get out thru hell and then some. This book is non stop action, sad emotional, very heart felt and romantic. Anna Blakely is a true wordsmith and I can't recommend this series highly enough. I loved the first book in this duet so much that I had to buy this second book. Usually I steer clear of duets or trilogies. I enjoyed it that much and certainly couldn't put it down. The rest of the series are standalone. This book had it all and I genuinely loved it. I'll certainly be reading the rest.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read book 1 and enjoyed it very much. I enjoyed this book 2 but I did have an issue. This book centers around Jake and Olivia’s story. They loved each other since they were kids but Jake was best friends with Olivia’s brother so they hid their feelings. Jake thought he had successfully killed or jailed all the men that had anything to do with Olivia’s kidnapping but one escaped. My issue was the way the author had Jake ghosting Olivia when he decided to go after this guy and not tell her. Other then that, I enjoyed it and look forward to part 3. I voluntarily received an arc copy of this book from HiddenGems

[Melanie Marnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It would seem Jake and Olivia can't seem to catch a break. It takes a lot of explaining and a bit of groveling by Jake for Olivia to put aside her hurt. Then she has to do some fast talking herself to fill him in on all that's happened while he was away including why she dismissed her two bodyguards. Working up the courage to tell her the secret he's been keeping for ten years becomes moot when the secret is inadvertently revealed. One last time Olivia's life is on the line and Jake faults himself for not protecting her. It's all good in the end though because they do get their HEA.

[Denise hallenbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

Taking a risk parts 1_& 2 absolutely wonderful. I couldn't wait for part 2 after reading your first book. The stories kept you hooked from page one. You are a talented writer I can't wait to read Trevors story. As soon as it's for pre sale i will be the first to buy it. Please keep the stories coming and I will keep buying them. Thank you for truly beautiful stories about amazing people. I recommend these books to everyone.