3 friends. 2 players. 1 bet.When Luca Larson makes an expensive wager, guaranteeing the bedding of his only real female friend, he’s expecting the situation to go as smoothly as sleeping with any other woman would. It doesn’t take long before he realizes his usual plays won’t work. She knows them too well. She knows HIM too well. If Luca wants to win, he’ll have to do things he’s never done … never done before. Friendships will be challenged. Hearts will be broken. Lives will be inevitably changed. But one question will remain. Was it all worth the gamble?
more
Risque finds it’s heart. Despite a few false starts. The Gamble reads like an anti-romance. A devastating mix of temptation and heartache that will have emotions tied up in knots. Yet, somehow Neal pieces the heart back together with a beauty that eclipses the pain.
Luca is used to women falling at his feet and into his bed. His best friend, Alexxa, has never been one of those women and has always been like one of the guys. When Luca makes a bet with his roommate that he can sleep with Alexxa by the end of the summer, he never imagines that he will fall in love with her.
Alexxa starts to see a side of Luca that she never thought was possible. She falls in love with him but when she finds it about the bet, how can she believe anything that he says. Is he willing to make one more bet that love will win out and he can get her back?
Xavier does an amazing job of making us hate and then love Luca while always pulling for Alexxa. She writes an incredible story and really pulls you in. Definitely worth the read!!
Holy mother of hotness!!
This author is easily becoming an automatic one click buy without any hesitation.
Three best friends make a bet that blows up in their face when something goes horribly wrong. Our main hero, who I loathed in the beginning of this story makes a big realization. Ugh, I couldn’t stand him, but then…he redeemed himself!
Our heroine grew on me when she grew a spine!
Yeah yeah, this story it was somewhat predictable, and in my humble opinion…so what!!
The story unfolded and was executed flawlessly and overall it was a fun and exciting read to get lost in for a few hours!
This book reminds me a lot about the 90’s. Two guys decide to make a bet about around a girl, the winner gets to brag and the loser has to do a stupid task. All sounds familiar, right? The difference, the girl in question is their best friend and this very “easy” win, well, she knows them so, she is going to make it as difficult as possible.
Luca, our male lead, aka the dumb who has the “great idea” of the bet, thinks all the time with his downstairs head but very, very deep has a heart… and thinks something that isn’t his next tally of conquests. From the begging, I hate him and by the end of the book, I tolerate him.
Warren, our witness, let’s call him the idiot that accept the bet, has a heart but apparently not the brains either. He is the guy you can trust no matter what (Wrong!), let’s give him the benefit of the doubt… for the moment. Likeable and I wish he had his own book in the future.
And finally, Alexxa, our female lead, the target of the bet, but is she? She is one of the boys, their best friend and she knows all their tales. Does that make her the brain of this triangle friendship? I identified with her personality a lot and that’s why I love/hate her two friends.
Narration is also different, this book breaks the 4th wall, meaning Alexx and Luca – our main characters – interact with the reader. It was my first experience with this kind of narration, as any first times it was odd at the begging but very much enjoy it at the end. Thanks for the experience!
BLURB:
3 friends. 2 players. 1 bet.
When Luca Larson makes an expensive wager, guaranteeing the bedding of his only real female friend, he’s expecting the situation to go as smoothly as sleeping with any other woman would.
It doesn’t take long before he realizes his usual plays won’t work. She knows them too well. She knows HIM too well. If Luca wants to win, he’ll have to do things he’s never done before. Friendships will be challenged. Hearts will be broken. Lives will be inevitably changed. But one question will remain. Was it all worth the gamble?
** This is a re-written, updated version of The Gamble. There is additional content and several changes; however, the plot line remains the same. **
Luca is a love them and leave them type of guy. No one gets too close, a good time will be had by all. No one is safe from his charms…..
Alexxa is the complete opposite, quiet, shy and naive! But she’s not silly, she knows what her two best friends are like, and accepts them for what they are. (Doesn’t mean she doesn’t try to change their habits)
A bet is made, and at the time Luca doesn’t give it much thought! She maybe a friend, but she’s also fair game! He’s wanted her for a while, but Alexx has always managed to avoid his advances.
He knows what the ladies like, he has many game plans…. All fail!!
The author has this habit of highlighting when her characters talk to the reader! I look at it as internal dialogue, it is a little off putting at time, but I certainly wouldn’t want it to stop. It puts a different spin on a book.
I was not a big fan of Luca, his attitude needed to change, and for most of the book I did wonder if he’d ever change. He blames his father for abandoning him and his mother, in fact I get the feeling he blames everyone but himself!
It’s told in the dual point of view. So we get to see both sides of this story.
Liked that he finally talks to his dad, and their talk enlightens Luca. It also mends a few bridges.
It also shows us why Luca is the way he is, if his father shows no remorse then why should Luca!
Alexx is a great character, she might be a little naive, but she doesn’t fall for Luca’s charms. It’s only when he begins to show the side no one sees that Alexxa falls for him.
But when the bet is made known to Alexxa, Luca realises the mistake he’s made! He’s really fallen for her, she’ll forgive him, right?! But will she forgive him?
I sort of liked the best friend/flat mate, although he really shouldn’t have made that bet with Luca!
He needs a book, and the FMC needs to give him the runaround.
I haven’t read the original book, so I can’t compare. But I enjoyed this one.
Luca is cocky and a total womanizer, who makes an expensive wager that he intends to win, and that is to bed Alexa, who is his only female nest friend. Alexa is smart and strong, and is the black sheep of her family, ad considers the only family she has are her best friends Warren and Luca. When Luca starts to take an interest in her she is onto him straight away, as she knows the boys inside and out. Can Luca redeem himself along the way? No spoilers: – this is a must-read story you will not be disappointed. This is a well written story with engaging and complex characters, and is a sweet read, with family, friendships, humor, witty banter, and love, which all leads to a steamy and entertaining read. I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.
I think this is my favorite Xavier Neal book yet.
Luca Larson, es muy malo. He’s the bad boy papi chulo that gets all the culo.
Warren is Luca’s boy. His best friend who likes to egg him on.
Alexxa, she’s the guy’s girl. The chick that chills with the dudes and burps the alphabet.
So what happens when Warren and Luca make a bet that Luca can get busy with Alexxa by the end of the summer? What happens when that bet starts to get real and feelings start to develop? And what happens when Alexxa finds out it was a gamble?
Xavier’s writing style is so unique to her, she takes you through all the feels. You hate some characters, love others. You will laugh and scream at your kindle at the same time. Then she throws in some hot scenes and you get the perfect story with an amazing HEA.
Recommend this if you like your romance books light, comedic and steamy.
I loved this book and I loved Alexxa but if you are anything like me, you aren’t going to always love or even like Luca. This book delivers everything I’ve come to expect from this author; strong storylines, complex characters that are unique and flawed, lots of emotions, humor, steam, drama and heart. You can expect to smile and laugh and sweat, shed a few tears, sigh as you swoon and probably want to throat punch Luca (or at least give him and Warren a good solid kick in the pants). LOL! One things for sure, the feels are major and well worth the roller coaster ride you take to get them.
This is a re-release of Xavier Neal’s book The Gamble. It’s a friends to lovers story with some twists that makes it fresh.
Luca is a douchebag, no one knows this better than his two best friends Warren and Alexxa. What they don’t know is the lengths Luca would go to win a bet, until his actions produce a future that he didn’t realize he wanted until it was too late.
Xavier put these three best friends through the emotional wringer, but honestly I think they are better in the end because of it. This is a slow burn but once it catches then the book is on fire!
Do not miss out on this one!
3.5 stars
, ‘ ‘ .
. .
– , . ‘ . . , , !
I am really loving this authors style!! I may come to really hate the men of her books but I end up in love each time!!
I am a huge fan of the Alexxa and Luca friendship! They are the best of friends and it is so cute and fun watching them bicker. Now as individuals it’s completely different, at one point I wanted to flat out throw my phone in disgust at Luca. I had to take a break from him for a moment because he was just too much and it was really upsetting. After my break I plowed through and boy did the build up outweigh the hatred for Luca. I couldn’t put this book down in fear of what I was missing!! I love just about everything that Alexxa is and became during this book! She seems to grow and even though I wasn’t sure Luca grows in his own way too. I even had a love/hate feeling about Warren and I thought he could do no wrong but it wasn’t all his fault.
I got sucked into the crazy town of Luca Larson and let’s just say I got a little whiplash but boy was it worth it!! I loved to torture that I was put through of the waiting because this was worth it. I love how Alexxa is and seems to always be around Luca. It’s prefect!
I love a good a$$hole hero in a romance and Luca most definitely fit the bill. I hated him for awhile but you know what they say there is a thin line between love and hate. I walked that line like I was tipsy on a tightrope swaying from side to side.
Alexa was his fantastic sassy one of the guys bestfriend.
But in true a$$hole manwh@re fashion he nearly ruined everything by thinking with his little head.
I sat back watching it play out, watching them fall but the whole time I was waiting for the other Shaq sized shoe to fall.
Great story! Great characters!
This was such an entertaining read, it was funny, light on drama, and sexy. I always love the playboy falling for the less experienced woman, and a bet placed within best friends in the middle of everything is an old recipe but I can’t deny I still like reading them. Luca is a big playboy and a bad boy, and I love those even though we aren’t supposed to love them, I’m a sucker for the very bad dark guys, so yes you will hate Luca at the beginning, but then it will grow on you, this is a steamy read and be prepared for it.
love Alexxa and Luca
so intense emotional broken heartstopping all the feels
need warrens story
3.5
Three friends and a bet…disaster await!
Luca, Warren, and Alexxa are close friends. Fun, easy going, protective. But Luca’s decided he wants something physical with Alexxa. He ignorantly placed a bet with Warren that has a big payout for either winner, as well as, a potential fallout and heartbreak. But Alexxa is feisty and fierce. She doesn’t easily succumb to Luca’s ways.
Luca is the definition of player. He even portrays this in his quest for Alexxa. Warren was a wonderful character and hope to read his story possibly. Love Alexxa and her strength.
And then we get the bonus of a dog…loved that.
Loved this story! Can read it again and again. Friends to Lovers stories are my weakness.
I have read this book so many times because it is so good. Xavier wrote a wonderful book filled with down to earth characters who are easy to relate too. Alexxa and Luca are best friends who can be their true selves around each other. I love the banter, before and after they got together, and the fact that they didnt have to change who they were as people, or as friends, in order to be together. Great book that helped me become addicted to Xavier’s writing.
A little reminiscent of She’s All That, but with more feeling and definitely more adult!
Luca is hot, and basically a player. He has two friends – Warren (his polar opposite) and Alexxa (the only female he enjoys hanging around with).
Luca and Warren make a bet – Luca gets Alexxa in bed, and Warren has to do his laundry. If he doesn’t, Luca has to pay Warren’s portion of the rent until it happens.
Seemingly callous, there’s more to Luca than what you first think. Fun and interesting, I really enjoyed reading this and wish we were expecting a story for Warren!!