Tempting Fate

Tempting Fate is the story of Raylene's return to Nugget and it's one wild, crazy, fabulous ride. This is the tenth book in the Nugget series but the author does a great job of recapping past events so that even if your reading as a standalone you never feel lost. The characters in this series are all memorable but Raylene stands out more than all the others. Not necessarily for all the right reasons. Now she's returned to make amends. Too bad her brother asked his buddy Gabe Moretti to babysit her while she's in town. These two were a lot of fun to read about and this author did what I thought was impossible. She made Raylene likable! I highly recommend this one.

Finz delivers another wonderful visit to Nugget, California with the 10th book in the series - Tempting Fate. It's been a hard road for Nugget's favorite diva to hate, Raylene. She's back in town for her half-brother's wedding and to find a treasure long buried. Gabe is her brother's best friend and is assigned to keep Raylene out of trouble with the locals. Too bad she crawls right under his skin and he cannot resist the need to protect her and maybe keep her for his very own. I was not sure if she could be redeemed, but a redemption story was made with Tempting Fate. I highly recommend the latest in the Nugget series to fans of the contemporary romance genre.

Tempting Fate by Stacy Finz Nugget #10 I don’t usually start a series with the tenth book but this time seem to have done so. That said, having NOT read previous books might have allowed me to have a more accepting view of Raylene than those who have read of her previous negative behavior throughout the series. Sure, I was given hints of the horrible things she did and said but they did not slap me in the face like they might have if I was already prejudiced against her...as were most of the residents in Nugget. This is the story of a woman who returns to Nugget to attend her half brother’s wedding while knowing that she will find it difficult to be there. She is in financial need, plans to sell inherited property while in town then head back to California as quickly as she can. Her fiscal irresponsibility kind of boggled my mind BUT I do know people that have had the ability to blow through money rather than conserving it so could see how it might happen. Little did she know that in addition to having to deal with the people in town she would also be involved in unexpected violence and fall in love. I came away thinking that Raylene was a product of her experiences and choices and that she had not been given positive support and guidance most of her life. Where some people would overcome and be more...Raylene stayed focused on doing what it took to “please” at least two abusive men in her life. I found her immature in some ways and yet did like her and believed that the steps she was taking to make changes were wise and good and no doubt difficult. Her interactions with Gabe were interesting with some of them more believable than others. I enjoyed the epilogue and seeing how things came together for Gabe and Raylene...eventually. Did I like this book? For the most part Would I read more books by this author? Yes Do you need to read the first nine books in this series to understand this one? No Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Lyrical Shine for the ARC – This is my honest review. 3-4 Stars