“A sizzling combination of heat and heart.” Barbara Freethy, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
Cooper Daggett enjoys playing the field, until he falls for a woman who doesn’t look at love as just a game… home and in his workplace and in his head…can his heart be far behind?
Willow wants a man and a family. Security and commitment. While Cooper has all the sexy charm in the world and was made for a thrilling one-night stand, she questions if there can be more. Because everybody knows you can’t re-make a dedicated bachelor into the forever man you need…unless love steps in with its own plan.
Enjoy the 7-Stud Club! Seven poker night buddies who are very good with their hands…and are about to lose their hearts! Only great risk leads to great reward…
The 7-Stud Club Series:
All In (Boone & Gemma)
No Limit (Eli & Sloane)
Ante Up (Cooper & Willow)
Slow Play (Maddox & Harper)
Wild Card
Smooth Call
Dealer’s Choice
About the Author
USA Today Bestseller Christie Ridgway is the author of over 70 novels of contemporary romance. All her books are both sexy and emotional and tell stories of heroes and heroines who learn to believe in the power of love. Christie is a six-time RITA finalist and has won best contemporary romance of the year and career achievement awards from Romantic Times Book Reviews. A native of California, Christie now resides in the southern part of the state with her family. Inspired by the beaches, mountains, and cities that surround her, she writes tales of sunny days and steamy nights.
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I am loving the men…and their ladies in the 7-Stud Club! In this third book, Cooper Daggett is content with his life, going from one successful business to the next even though his “9 to 5” father doesn’t approve. He enjoys his close friendship with his poker buddies, but then he meets Willow Ray. He wins Willow’s interior design experience, in a raffle, and just the sight of her knocks his world off its axis. She could be the one, but there is a problem…she is engaged. Willow has come to terms with her life, raised mostly in foster care, but lucky to have her foster mother still in her life. When she begins to have feelings for Cooper, feelings she shouldn’t have, what will she do? A wonderful, sensuous, feel good story about finding the way to true happiness. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation from the author. (by paytonpuppy)
Cooper is a lucky person who plans on winning the grand prize of a Jet Ski at a Community Raffle. Instead he wins decorating by Willow. Willow is starting a new business after moving into town.
Cooper comes across as not taking life too seriously and does not do relationships. Willow was in the Foster system and wants nothing more than to be in a loving relationship and eventually have a family of her own.
As they work together they click more and more. Eventually Cooper realizes he’s actually won the grand prize.
Cooper is a fun and games type of person, seldom taking things seriously; or at least that’s the persona he likes to project. Winning a designer’s services in a community raffle might just might change his perspective of love being a game. After growing up in a dysfunctional home before going into foster care, Willow needs security and commitment, a man and a family, to be loved. She thought she had that with her best friend since high school, now boyfriend/fiancé, but he acts like he has cold feet and has been distant. Working together to fix up his workplace, Cooper and Willow discover they share an electrified chemistry, arcing between them, building into a sizzling tension only they can release. Willow recognizes that Cooper was made for a thrilling one-night stand but wonders if he can give her more. She knows you can’t change someone to be what you want, just as Cooper is learning that change is possible and sometimes for best; especially when love enters the picture with its own plan.
Ms. Ridgway is a wonderful story teller who wrote an emotionally rich and moving story filled with sizzling chemistry, amusing dialogue, and endearing characters that is definitely not to be missed. I highly recommend Ante Up, book three in the Seven-Stud Club series to other readers and look forward to the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Loved it! This was Cooper’s and Willow’s journey to love. Cooper was considered the player, fun guy, of the group. When he won a free redecorating prize and met Willow the interior designer, that all changed. Their instant chemistry was explosive and hot! Really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it and this series. I cannot wait for the next book in this series.
I received an ARC copy and this is my voluntary review.
When I am wanting an emotional rich sweet sexy contemporary romance I know I can count on Christie Ridgway. ANTE UP is her third book in the 7-Stud Club Series. This time it is Cooper Daggett story. Footloose and fancy free is how this lucky man lives his life, that is until he meets Willow Ray.
Perhaps the luckiest Cooper has ever been is winning the design services of Willow. However, all is not smooth sailing for these two. Willow has plans to marry another and Cooper continues to have a bad case of commitment phobia. Their past affects their present leaving both of them with issues to be resolved before they are ready to tackle any kind of forever. It is seeing their relationship develop from flirty to something more that is such a pleasure to read.
You can count on wonderful characters who learn and grow in their everyday lives from Ms. Ridgway. Cooper and Willow, their family and friends are the best. I was rooting for them from the time that they met.
The publisher/author gave me a complimentary ARC of the book which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Cooper & Willow have an intense attraction from the start but have a major problem. She’s already engaged to some one else & is resisting the pull. Cooper realizes that this feels stronger than his casual, shallow fun and games so he’s running fast the other direction.
I loved the interactions between these two & how they fought their attraction so hard. Everything just conspired to shove them together. The friendship between all of the guys came across as more of a brotherly, family connection. They gave each other crap all of the time but yet, had each other’s backs any time they were needed. I really enjoy the character development in this series, They are able to be read as a stand alone but the same cast of characters are in them. They are written as if they are a timeline of one book to another.
I loved the first two books in the 7-Stud Club series and this third installment doesn’t disappoint either. Willow and Cooper were made for each other, even if they’re both slow to admit it.
I read an advanced copy of this book
Christie Ridgway is one of my favorite Contemporary Romance authors. Her characters are always well developed, down to earth, relatable, real people with “issues”. This book is the third in the series about 7 best friends since high school auto shop class, who play poker together every Thursday evening in their small home town of Sawyer Beach.
Cooper Daggett is the guy with all the luck and he expects his raffle ticket will win the grand prize at the charity event- a Jet Ski. When instead he wins free decorating from Willow Ray, he is not fazed, because he is drawn to the pretty girl, little knowing that his luck won him the best prize of his life. Cooper has been a go-getter from a young age, a natural entrepreneur, who loves building businesses until they become a success, then getting bored, selling them and starting again. He doesn’t do commitment. His father doesn’t approve, so he has issues and has never been interested in relationships, until something about Willow draws him in.
Willow is new in town, following her foster mother, who recently moved to town, trying to build her new decorating business. She had a very difficult childhood, until she landed at the door of Rachel Warren, at the time a young single social worker, who became her foster mother, eventually marrying and raising more foster children and her own. Willow had not made friends easily, except for Brad Faber, her next door neighbor since she was 12 and he 13. They were best friends, then sweethearts and have been engaged for 4 years, while he has been in the Marines. But an illness forced him out of service and since he has been back, he seems to be spending more time with his Marine buddy, Ben Gillespie, than he does Willow. All Willow has ever dreamed about is a having a loving family of her own and she has been patiently waiting for Brad.
Every intuitive reader figures out long before it is revealed exactly what Brad’s problem is. When Willow forces the issue with him, she is devastated with his reluctance to move on with their plans and turns to Cooper. Can Cooper take the unsolicited advise of everyone around, and take a risk on love?
I read an ARC as part of the author’s “review crew”. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
I love this series. Each book stands alone, but I really like all of the characters and can’t wait for each one. I loved Cooper and Willow together. They each have blinders on about how they see themselves. It takes them getting together to grow into who they really are. The story was a quick enjoyable read. I really want to know more about the rest of the friends. I received an advance copy and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Another great Christie Ridgway book that adds to a wonderful series. I love books in which the hero is determined not to fall in love and fights it really hard–to no avail. Cooper usually wins at everything, but things start to change when Willow walks into his life. He’s totally shaken by his reaction to her…especially when he finds something out about her that is a game changer.
Willow thinks her life is all planned out and she will finally have the type of family that she never had growing up. When everything changes she turns to Cooper, willing to take what he can offer. Will Cooper ever decide his solitary life isn’t a winning hand and let Willow into his life?
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
Handsome educated well rounded business owner Cooper meets Interior Decorator Willow. Chemistry sizzles from the pages, the characters have amazing personalities, they have some humor. An awesome book that I was glad to have read and I recommend it. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and gave my honest opinion.
Ante Up is part of the 7-Stud Club but can be read alone. Cooper is very happy with his life even as his poker buddies are settling down. He wins a design session with Willow but has second thoughts. He is a fun time guy only. When her fiancé Brad breaks it off she seeks out Cooper for one night of steamy pleasure. They have great chemistry but “I heard what you wanted and what you didn’t want from me” and he sticks to that. Willow was a foster child, having to leave her mother at age 12 with help from the victims assistance organization she still supports. My children were foster children, too, so I appreciate that this was part of the story to call attention to how difficult this can be for kids. It is part of a great series of guys who play poker. This stands alone but why wouldn’t you want to read the rest! I love the Pina Colada song, too! I received an ARC for an honest review. I know you will love her stories!
Cooper is a great guy. He is a confirmed bachelor and has no plans to change. That is until Willow walked in his door. She is a designer and Cooper just knows that if he lets her in his house, she will rearrange his world. She did. Willow has always been kind of a loner, except for her best friend and fiancée. She knew they would always be together, but lately things aren’t right and she needs to figure out why. Cooper really wants Willow in his life but there is the fiancée and his low attention span. Right? Can he change enough to allow Willow in his life?
This was a well-written, steamy book with a lot of humor and charm. Willow wants security and Cooper is a sexy charmer who enjoys playing the field. Once these two cross paths the story moved at a face pace and I didn’t want to put it down. This book can be read as a standalone story, though it is book 3 in the 7-Stud Club series. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books in this series as well as others by this author.
Neither Willow nor Cooper were expecting anything to happen, he’s the happy go lucky, let’s have fun no commitment guy and she’s engaged to her childhood best friend, as I said neither looking for a relationship, but that’s when the attraction hits you between the eyes. Cooper has tried a lot of things in his life, he’s got the golden touch when it comes to businesses and poker but meeting Willow throws him for a loop. Willow’s been patiently waiting on her fiance, four years of engagement and no date set, but she can wait or so she thinks, meeting Cooper has set of sparks. This is a fun read with humor, feels and heat this is great addition to the series!