Worth a Shot

Gail Haris is a new to me / debut author so when I decided to read “worth a shot” it was kind of having a double meaning … I thought the plot was worth a shot and as it turned out … I was right.

When it seems like it’s a debut I am reading I always pay especially close attention to details. And in total I was pleasantly surprised. But let’s dive into the critical details …

The cover ….I am not a fan of the type of cover used here and – if at all – it only works for a certain kind of books. Had it been me in a bookstore I am pretty sure I wouldn’t have taken the book from the shelf to read the plot. I have to admit – I would have missed out on something good – but the thing is – cover sell books – at least in physical stores so there is that.

The plot … well that brings me back to my issue with the cover – in my reading world it’s the romantic comedy books where people don’t take themselves too seriously where this cover is used (still not a fan of the style). But the Blurb promises a plot that does not sound like a comedy and I think when I first came across the book there was no cover – otherwise I would remember frowning at the different vibes the blurb and the cover give.

Romantic comedy I can only digest when presented in a certain style – so when I started reading the book. The plot felt like a romantic comedy but then as the story went on the tone became more serious while still the banter went on with the characters. And at a certain point I felt that the characters banter and the plot got separated.

I am not sure how to explain that without giving the story away. It could be a very personal style of the author and if so it would definitely be a unique one I think. Still, I am not totally convinced I love it. The chemistry between the leads was beautiful I could have gone on for hours just reading their dialogues and at certain points, I was almost willing to mention “if you like the style of the writing duo Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland than you will like the writing of Gail Haris too”

… but then I felt that the plot didn’t run with the characters. When it was just the leads talking to each other everything was perfect but the second the backstory came into view I felt that a very serious topic was taken not as serious as it needed to be. Or it was presented to strong for a comedy? Or maybe it was ambitious to try to fit this kind of story into a comedy at all? Not sure and I really cannot explain without details all that well.

The writing … as mentioned before – I love love love the banter between the leads – it is perfect… the opening – how they get to know each other and all – simply perfect and if you love Ward/Keeland this will be your style too. Dialog wise this author is a winner.

The book I read was not the final copy I assume because it still had some typos in it – I am not taking them into consideration as I usually do not correct grammar (not my strong suit because I am bilingual and mix languages a lot) and they did not really disturb the reading. But there were enough for me to notice and I only mention them in case it was the final version and they were overlooked.

My thoughts….. I was blown away by some of the dialogues and loved the banter – but the plot itself did not runs smoothly with the tone that was set by the charters. – The character development – banter and setup are a 5 Star cast in my book but the plot had me shaking my head especially towards the end and only made it to 3 Stars. I know it sounds critical and maybe it is but it is meant in a good way because this writing style really has potential just for my taste it needs to be better balanced with the plot but because it is so special

Great debut with room for improvement

6 Stars!
I bought this beauty on chance of loving it just as much as I loved Gail’s other book. I figured “Hey, it’s worth a shot!”
Now I wonder why I waited so long to pick it up.

This was just…WOW! An intense and extremely gripping adventure from the first Chapter. I was sucked in and on the edge of my seat for pretty much the whole time.
Victoria “Tori” is engaged when she accidentally runs into bad boy Tristan. After Tori flips his morning upside down, he is intrigued. There is clearly a strong fate-like attraction between them. Next thing you know they are victims of a drive by shooting.

After they keep contact, that’s when things progress. The increase danger with Tori being associated with Tristan, suspense and a slow burn in their relationship makes this a very compulsive read.

Tristan is completely swoon-worthy *sigh* with his large build, bad-ass/smart-ass attitude, he also has sweet and funny charm to him.
The constant banter, nicknames, and innuendos keep me constantly laughing out loud.

This Rom-Com has a little bit of a darker side with the underground cage fighting so you do see some violence (almost mafia/gang war). It has the right amount of suspense and even a little mystery. Honestly it was just perfect in my opinion with the best ending I have ever read!
I highly recommend this read, if you have been putting it off? Don’t! Pick it up and start now, you will NOT be disappointed!

Edited: Love this book so much that I was so ready for a re-read. This one has added scenes. New and improved!
I love it even more the second time around. Constantly catching myself smiling and I didn’t want to set it down. Oh how I missed Tristan and Tori!

Ummmmm….is this seriously Gail’s debut novel?? She blew me away with how quickly she drew me into the story! I gulped all the coffee (Tori would approve!) and stayed in bed until I got to see how this book ended!
I love the humor that was between Tristan & Tori! They were so light hearted! And I liked that even though there were some serious things standing in the way of their HEA, they were able to come out on top!!
I can’t wait to see what Gail creates next!

PS- I’m gonna need Mark & Britney to get a book!!

The story is action packed and steamy. Tristan and his dangerous dealings create havoc in their lives. However, he is the first man to make her think of the future and this is not the case with the man she is currently engaged to. Some life changing events occur.

The major drawback is the grammar. Incomplete sentences or unintelligible sentences that you have to stop and reread to try and process. A little more proofreading would have been useful.

I loved this book by Gail; I loved Tristan & Tori, I really enjoyed this book, and it definitely made me laugh out loud a couple of times.

It was such a good book; I completely love the characters, the banter, the suspense, the action, everything; it kept me hooked the entire time.

Tori was such an enjoyable character. I couldn’t get enough of her quirky personality; she was definitely the one that made me laugh the most. Tori has an extreme but funny coffee addiction (an addiction I can relate to ), and that same addiction leads her to meet Tristan unexpectedly one day, but meeting Tristan put Tori in situations she never expected.

Tristan is the complete opposite of innocent Tori; he means trouble. Tristan was grabbing his coffee of the day when he stumbled upon Tori, she surprised him with the way she handled the situation, and it definitely awakes his curiosity; things get complicated slowly due to all of his illegal activities, and he knows staying away from Tori will be the best, especially to keep her safe; however, the attraction they feel for each other is undeniable.

I loved how Tori & Tristan have a strong connection and chemistry, they are so different from each other, but they are still perfect for each other; their banter and their back and forth kept me entertained the entire time, and the moments they shared were just perfect.

I highly recommend this book, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Tristan and Tori’s story was breathtaking and crazy! Suspense, strong characters, hilarious moments, heat, and plenty of action to keep you on the edge from the beginning until the very last page! Gail Harris really outdid herself with this story!!! I’ll be waiting for more like this one for sure. Outstanding read. Highly recommended!

I absolutely loved the banter between the characters. They made me laugh so many times. Even though the story is ment to be more serious then funny. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next two books.

In this debut novel from Author Gail Haris, I went in blind not knowing what to expect. Her writing was new to me, but this wasn’t my first book to read of hers. That being said, I am stunned this book was her first! I cannot believe the quality, character development, and storyline was put out as her debut. So, for that, bravo Gail! Worth a Shot had me right from the beginning and I read it in one sitting!

In this story we follow Victoria Angel. When an outing to go bridesmaid dress shopping end with her in the hospital, having been a victim of a drive-by shooting, the man who essentially saved her life isn’t someone she can let go of. Tristan is a businessman who has a mix of people surrounding him, some of which aren’t the most upstanding citizens. When he saves Victoria that day in front of the coffee shop, he simply can’t get her out of his head. Their fates were entangled that day she first spilled coffee on him and sealed when he saved her from the shooting. The chemistry these two have is fun and very sweltering. She is a very spunky personality and he is determined to get what he wants. Her.

This story was fun from cover to cover. Some suspense, lots of romance, funny moments and a lot in between. I again, am blown away this is the 1st of Gail’s books as her writing was original and captivating! I cannot wait to read more!

Victoria / Tori is out wedding dress shopping with her sister when she needs to satisfy her serious caffeine addiction, which has her bumping into Tristan, who becomes her mysterious hero when there is a drive-by and he take a bullet for her. This is a well written story which is light-hearted, and a perfect little gem to read. This story is sweet, humorous, and with witty and flirty banter, as well as danger, action, and drama, which all leads to a fun and entertaining read. I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I recommend.

Worth a Shot
Written by: Gail Haris

Victoria (Tori) Angel was a coffee addict. So much so when taking her sister and a friend wedding dress shopping she chose coffee over a line up. Finally having her precious coffee in her hands she promptly walked into a wall of muscle. Of course she was apologetic and insisted in purchasing said wall another coffee. Tori however has a problem, she thinks she knows what’s right for people, she ordered him the same coffee she had been drinking not his plain black coffee.

Plain black coffee is how Tristan Goodman had always drank coffee, until the day Tori Goodman ordered his replacement coffee to her taste. She was pretty, they were both walking in the same direction and so it was natural they walked together. Tori joined the wedding dress line, Tristan walked to his place of business and changed his shirt and that should have been that. It wasn’t though, he spotted Tori sitting on a bench outside the shop finishing her coffee and he joined her. Then wheels were screeching, people were yelling and running and Tristan was pushing Tori out of the way and then she heard the sounds of shots being fired.

These two are the least likely to become a couple, but with all the antics that happen you know that they will more than likely end up together.

There would be fibs told by Tori and by Tristan. A lot of funny one liners, an engagement will be broken, truths told by Tristan and lots of giggles and laughs.

I found this book engaging and although it had a few slow parts all an all I enjoyed it. As a romantic comedy it did it’s job and made me laugh, sometimes shake my head at some of the antics but enjoyable.