She’s willing to gamble everything for a truly good time.
Wealthy and privileged, Allison has lived a comfortable and boring life. But it’s a life full of secrets, too. When she finally admits that she’s ready to walk on the wild side, she makes her confession to the one person who has the experience to make all of her fantasies a reality.
As handsome and roguish Todd challenges Allison to a less-than-innocent game of poker, she recklessly bets it all - herself included - and gives Todd everything he needs to relieve her of her “good girl” guilt.
With the chips in his favor, Todd has no trouble forcing Allison into fulfilling every fantasy she’s ever had. But as her inhibitions are replaced by a more vulnerable feeling, Allison needs to know whether Todd’s all-in or just bluffing when it comes to her heart.
Golden Angel is a USA Today best-selling author of heart and bottom warming romance.
She is happily married, old enough to know better but still too young to care, and a big fan of happily-ever-afters, strong heroes and heroines, and sizzling chemistry.
When not in front of her computer writing, she can be found sewing her next project, hanging out with friends, or wandering the grounds of the Maryland Renaissance Festival.
I'm quite sad to have to say this but at 8% I DNF'd this and, having bought all three books of the series, I feel really disappointed. I loved this author's Stronghold series but I personally couldn't connect with the writing in this.
I was aware this was an earlier release of Golden Angel's, but I hadn't expected it to be so very different in terms of story telling quality. To me the writing style and prose felt very basic, lacking in flow and failed to transport me into the book.
I was left with the impression of a very "show not tell" feel, I appreciate that I didn't get very far into the book, so do keep that in mind, but every page I did read felt like a battle and I just couldn't bear the torture any longer. You, however, may enjoy this. It's worth trying the sample at the very least.
Finding a new story from Golden Angel is always a treat. Finding the new edition of the Poker Loser series made me pre-order all 3 as soon as i found them on iTunes. Because i know i’m going to enjoy this one,too....
Forced Bet is the first,and it introduces Allison,a 21 year old girl feeling stifled by her parents expectations of her. Always having to be the “good girl”,always doing what they want and being with “approved” friends. Her future will probably be marrying an “approved” boy with a fabulous background,and staying at home,baring his children. If only Todd was that guy..... She’s seen him on campus,and she’d love it if he did the dirty things she’s fantasized about. Until one day,he askes her out for a drink,and she accepts. One thing leads to another,and before she knows it,she’s lost one drunken pokergame too many.
26 year old Todd is intrigued by the “good girl” he keeps running into on campus,and knows there’s more to her “teasing” the boys. Getting her to agree to go for a drink was a surprise,but hearing her deepest desires? The need to escape the strict rules her parents have for her? Being forced to do the dirty things she secretly longs for? That is his dream come true,and he’s determined to dispose her of her halo. Only,once he gets to know her better,and sees her for the passionate girl she really is,he starts to care...
Knowing they can’t be together because of her parents expectations hurts both. And hearing he is leaving hurts even more.
Todd and Allison’s story starts in this, Forced Bet, the first in a trilogy. I’ve been a Golden Angel fan for a while but I hadn’t had a chance to read this set yet, till now anyway. Their story is erotic and sexy, funny, bittersweet and has its romantic moment. Being a trilogy it ends in a cliffhanger that will leave you instantly wanting book 2! This is one that I highly recommend!
Allison is privileged, and must present a good front for “society”. She is attracted to Todd, but her father would not approve. When she lets her darkest wish be known to Todd, he blackmails her into getting exactly what she wished for.
Definitely sensual, and absolutely emotional. Todd “forces” her into multiple “dates”. While it does push her boundaries, Todd also “checks in” with her, and goes through much effort for her.
The author has updated earlier work here – prior to when I started reading her work. This is stupendous. She apparently came out of the block writing gritty, fabulous, sizzling stories, and only continued to trend from there.
This is part #1 of 3. Fortunately, we only need to wait a week between stories…. Can’t wait for more!!
**I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book**
The moral of this story would seem to be - be careful what you wish for - except that Allison seems to enjoy everything that Todd puts her through. While much of it is very erotic I found myself uncomfortable a couple of times and also feeling sorry for Allison that she didn’t have more self respect. Todd was always trying to make Allison’s deepest, darkest desires come true and Just as she and Todd were becoming aware that there may be more than a bet involved the deal is over and Todd is gone and the reader has to wait for the second book.
One of the first books that Golden Angel wrote so I was curious how her writing style had evolved.
I liked the premise of the book and I loved how Allison discovered a lot about herself and about her desires and needs. She grows up. Her connection with Todd was very intense.
For my personally the ration story versus sex was off. I enjoy a bit more meat to the story and this was a lot of sex and not a lot of story.
If you liked the original you will love the new version so much more riveting. Not only did I enjoy reading the story I fell for the characters and wanted them to succeed. A pure work of erotica genius with just enough of a romantic hint to make you want these characters to be together
This was a dark, steamy and erotic read. The story was interesting and held my attention as Todd pushed Allison out of her comfort zone. Can't wait to see what happens next with Todd and Allison as this story ends on a cliffhanger.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
2.5 stars. A young collegian, Allison, wants to explore her sexuality, and in so doing, sets off a string of "dates" with another collegian, Todd.
As the upper middle class daughter whose parents want her to find the Right man (read: wealthy, with a similar pedigree as them), Allison walks a straight line of being "perfect" for them.
Enter Todd, who finds out her fantasy of being blackmailed for her kinky proclivities by getting her drunk. Taking her back to his apartment begins the debauchery, which starts by being tied up and then losing her virginity with anal sex among other sexual acts. She hasn't even had vaginal sex yet, by the way. Filming all of it, the sex, being tied up, etc. starts the blackmail, which she becomes his to command. And command he does! Sex toys, nipple clamps, a menage, you-name-it...over the course of several dates, she experiences it all. How she doesn't become knocked up during these marathon "dates" is beyond this reader. No mention of birth control or safe sex practice ever mentioned.
Gritty, raw, graphic, and over-the-top with a fair amount of WTT trends seen like smirks and winks throughout. Having read another story by this author, the reader still thinks that some of the cruder language sounds more like a man's writing; yet, some of the language seems like a woman's voice.
Oh man, I love these author’s works because the steam is usually off the charts and wonderfully explicit—this is no exception. This scenario is very similar to Priceless by Miranda Silver, as the FMC is sort of forced into doing things with the MMC, but through it she comes to terms with being honest about her own desires.
This first book in the trilogy is much more focused on the sex and there’s some new kink in every scene, but they all still mostly stick to what I consider mainstream in romance nowadays. There were also a few euphemisms and phrases in here that I’m personally not a fan of, but they weren’t anything super off-putting.
The lack of character development and growth in this one is what kept this from 5-star, but we get heaps of it in the second book and let me tell you, I LOVE Allison and Todd in books 2 and 3. We get to see a much lighter side of them and get a lot more depth, which is lovely. So yeah, Book 1 was great for the sexy times, but then you get more of the romance and personal growth in Books 2 and 3. So worth it!!
This is book 1 in a 3 book series, so keep that in mind if you are reading and expect your HEA. This book has Alison, a young woman from a privileged background and Todd, an older student from a working class background. Through a series of event, Alison agrees to a bet, which leads to her agreeing to 5 dates with Todd, during which they explore all the things that intrigue Alison, but which she has grown up believing that good girls shouldn't' want. I really enjoyed the premise and the characters in this story. Some of the events did push my comfort level. Having read a number of more current books from this author, it's easy to tell that this is an earlier work, the writing and proofing aren't as sharp. However, overcome that and you'll have an engrossing read.
This was my first time reading this trilogy by Golden Angel so I can't compare it to the original. What I read definitely caught my attention! The characters, Allison and Todd, kept me turning the pages. The story is steamy, erotic and full of dark goodness, but not dark enough to make me turn away. Since this is a trilogy, it does end on a cliffhanger but the author has said that the next book is right around the corner. Of course I will be getting it because I NEED it!! If you don't mind cliffhangers, get this book. If you don't like them, still get the book and just wait until the other two come out and you can do a binge read. Trust me, it's gonna be worth it!
I'm a huge fan of Golden Angel's work and have been since I discovered her. This story has more of a psychological journey from a woman who has been taught in a very judgmental environment. Losing a bet causes consequences she's been fantasizing about to become her reality. It was definitely a concept that kept my interest and the characters pulled me in and kept me wanting to see what happens next.
This was a good read. I thought the plot of this book was intriguing. I feel that most of use can relate to wanting to be pushed out of our comfort zone or to dare to explore those desires we keep hidden. I can't say that I felt a lot of deep affection for either Allison or Todd, but I did find them, their feelings and their evolving relationship intriguing. This is only the first book in this series, so you can expect a cliffhanger. I am choosing to post a candid review.
This book was sexy and fun from start to finish! It’s definitely more erotic than fiction, but you still can feel the emotions of Todd and Allison throughout. The only reason I didn’t give it five stars was because there were several typos, but I was able to overlook those and enjoy the story. I’m excited to read book 2!
Forced Bet is a dark, erotic read that leans hard into taboo fantasies, power imbalance, and CNC. Allison’s sheltered background colliding with her hidden desires makes for an intense, uncomfortable, but oddly compelling story. The book doesn’t shy away from going too far, which won’t work for everyone, but that commitment is also what makes it gripping. It’s messy, provocative and while not perfect, it delivered exactly the kind of dark tension it promised.
Golden Angel has given us the first part of the Poker Loser Trilogy and I have to say, it's intriguing! Allison is from a pretentious family who expects her to be the good girl, marrying a man that is her status. Allison is infatuated with Todd, a good looking, man on campus. When he asks her out, she goes, and after a drunken poker games is the star of a explosive sex tape. But the only thing Todd wants in exchange for the tape is 5 dates. Will she go on the dates to keep her reputation? Holy hotness, this book takes us on those dates, and we get to see Todd bring out the true Allison. These two have incredible chemistry, and through the steamy scenes, there is an underlying romance. But will their feelings come to fruition? Will Golden Angel keeps us guessing and we will find out where the story takes us in the next installment. Be prepared for the steam in this story. If you do not like erotica, this may not be for you. But if you do, it's the beginning of an amazing trilogy!
The pick of a narrator for this story has to be chosen carefully. Not only do they have to have great voices, but the ability to deliver the scenes with finesse. Victoria Mei is cast perfectly. She has incredible talent, giving voice to the characters. She makes the scenes erotic with a sense of vulnerability that lets us know growing feelings of Allison and Todd. I love her portrayal and can't wait to see where these two go next!
What a great book. It doesn't hurt that I just love Golden Angel. This book had all my favorites. A little dubcon, gang bang, anal and exhibition. It definitely fulfilled some fantasies of mine. I had a hard time putting the book down.
Golden Angel always does a very good job at getting me invested in a story. I loved the characters. Todd was exciting and mysterious. I never knew what he would make Allison do next. He always pushed her envelope. Allison had just enough sass which made her real to me. She would put up just enough fight but ended up doing everything Todd told her to.
There were many steamy scenes that I couldn't get enough of. At the beginning of the book the author warned the reader that there wasn't a full HEA until the end of book 3. I thought this book ended perfectly. I had my HEA!!
Do they have a winning hand I’m not usually one for a cliffhanger, but with this author all bets are off. Well not really since this book is all about getting the betting started. This author sticks true to her writing style with an erotic read that has its moments of funny and romance. I love the direction this couple is going, and I can only hope that Allison truly is able to break free from expectations in the books to follow.
I’m not sure if I got a pre-release, unedited version or what, but my copy had so many errors. It was a frustrating read that I put down many times because there’s at least one error per page, & they’re all just enough to throw you out of the story while you’re trying to work out what is supposed to be happening.
So much potential, delivered so sloppily. I hope like hell that Golden Angel gets a chance to re-edit this book, because it’s got an excellent premise.
This book is great. It’s a breath of fresh air. When a woman asks for what she thinks she wants but has no idea of what that will do to herself. It’s a fantastic concept and I’m enjoying it so much. Can’t wait for the next book. Brilliant performance from Victoria.
I didn't care for this book even before I got to the end. I usually enjoy erotic books, but this one was just dirty sex with no real plot. Then it ended with a cliffhanger, which for me is the worst way to end. I do not recommed the book or the author.
Allison is attracted to bad boy Todd but he ignores her. That doesn’t last long after she loses a strip poker game and is blackmailed by him. Emotions heat up as Todd forces Allison to find her inner passionate self, to live out her kinky erotic fantasies, and more. Being blackmailed gives her the chance to explore her wanton, kinky side under Todd’s dominance. But Todd is not one of the ‘Right People’ so she cannot date him openly. Instead, they have clandestine meetings where Todd leads her down her secretly-desired path of total wanton depravity, to her extreme pleasure despite (or because of) the humiliation and pain. There is some very intense BDSM and group sex that arouses her even more and leads her to blissful satisfaction. Be aware, the book is filled with very erotic, explicit scenes that will be objectionable to some, but stimulating and exciting to others.
This is the first book in the Poker Loser Series. This is a short very steamy erotic romance. I was a little out of my comfort zone while listening. I would have liked more story between the steamy scenes. Victoria Mei did a great job with the narration. If you like erotic romance, this one is definitely for you. I was given a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.#earbudsrequired
Book 1 in the series. I’ve got hooked on this story from the beginning. Golden Angel wrote a story that had lots of twists and turns . The heroine and hero come from different worlds . Both their world changes when the hero challenges the heroine out and it leads to a night that she won’t forget Victoria Mei Performance was great. Her voice is husky , clear and smooth
Odds are good that there will be some risque business going on. Count on Angel to aim for the senses and stumble upon the heart. Ante up for some wicked fun. Forced Bet spices up the game.
This is an unusual plot, it doesn't take the we can't love each other garbage to the level other books do. It uses it in a way that's not irritating but makes the plot more interesting.