To read an interview with Rose Lange, please see the February Issue of Uncaged Book Reviews.
On a Gamble
Rose Lange
Contemporary Romance
She’s at the end of her rope . . .
Charlie Anderson needs a farm hand. The moment the sexy, mysterious stranger sets foot on her grandparents’ land, inquiring about a job opening, he rattles her senses, her cage, and her equilibrium, the likes of which she’s never experienced before. She never anticipated her scandalous thoughts getting in the way. She’s terrified, but desire trumps fear, and she gives in to a sinful temptation.
He has a hidden agenda . . .
Alex McCray has a plan. A plan having nothing to do with romance. His discovery, that “Charlie” is a voluptuous, beautiful woman, leaves him shaken, and he needs to proceed with extreme caution. Working next to her, everyday, stirs up a raw hunger he desperately tries to ignore. And he should, since he has an ulterior motive. Alex should also resist her intoxicating sensuality, but he can’t, because he cannot get enough.
Excerpt
She held the check out to him, but he hesitated, and looked as if it might bite him.
“I don’t need it after all, you keep it.”
She frowned, taken aback. “What do you mean? You’ve worked hard for this. You’ve earned it.”
Ignoring him, she stepped closer, and placed it into his front shirt pocket.
“Charlie, really, it’s okay. I don’t need it.”
She scoffed, and turned away. As she gathered her tools, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him walk toward her, holding out the check.
“I don’t want this. Take it back, please.”
“And I told you, it’s yours. What the heck is your problem?”
“I don’t need it,” he shot back.
As this conversation grew more ridiculous by the minute, she collected her thoughts before she spoke. “Who would turn away a hard earned paycheck?”
She noted the way his jaw clenched and unclenched. Fists balled at his side, she sensed his anger, irritation, or both. Fine, let him be mad because this was just plain stupid, fighting over a check that rightfully belonged to him.
Charlie held her breath as he stepped closer, invading her personal space. A welcome one, she looked up into his handsome face, and didn’t move, or try to push him away. Never breaking the gaze, he held the check up, and tore it to pieces, sending them flying like confetti all over the barnyard floor. “And I told you, I didn’t want the damned check.” Authority and passion laced his voice.
He stepped even closer, until they were blessedly nose-to-nose and mouth-to-mouth. She swallowed the huge lump in her throat as his gaze burned into hers. Slowly, gently, he cradled her face within his palms of his hands, eyes lowered to her mouth. Her lips parted in anticipation, and hazy heat mixed with charged electricity.
The point of no return had arrived. And damn it, she wanted this.
An eternity passed before he finally spoke. “Charlie, may I kiss you?”
Staring brazenly at his lips, already envisioning how they’d feel against hers, she murmured, “Yes. Please.”
Uncaged Review:
Sometimes all you need from a book is a nice romance that can take you out of your real life for a few hours. And Rose Lange delivers that with this book. Charlie lost her parents when she was very young, and was raised by her grandparents. When her grandparents needed help on the farm, Charlie moved back home. When the time comes to hire a helper on the farm, gorgeous Alex shows up and applies for the position. Charlie is immediately attracted to him – even though she’s been burned in the past. But Alex has his own mission, his father’s company wants to buy the land and dismantle the farm, and his assignment is to get on the inside of the owners and the land to report back to his father. But that was before Alex started to fall for Charlie…
This is a character and dialog driven story. There is not a lot of descriptive paragraphs in the book, but it still works. The author gives you a look at both Charlie and Alex’s feelings, instead of leaving you guessing on one or the other. The book isn’t real long, so it keeps a good pace and doesn’t drag out. Reviewed by Cyrene
4 Stars
