With his brother, Sam's agreement, Kurt becomes Sam's guardian and moves them to Ohio from West Virginia to give Sam hope for a better future. Sam is very bright and hopes to be the first person in their family to go to college. Kurt takes a risk and opens a landscaping business. Sam and Kurt are both sweet hardworking men. Things start rough for Sam when he defends Kayla's honor at school but it is the start of a sweet romance. In turn, Kurt falls for Emma, Sam's English teacher. This is a story of relationships between the brothers and building new relationships. All the main characters are taking a chance. I receive a free copy off this book from the publisher through Netgallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I enjoyed reading this book. The poker advice at the beginning of each chapter tying to the characters’ lives is interesting. The romances are sweet and not always smooth. I recommend that you take a chance and read this book.

Take a Chance is the first book I have read by Shelley Shepard Gray. I really have enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. This certainly goes into my re read pile. I love the characters and the journey to HEA. The story deals with real life issues and I appreciate how the author deals with them. Thank you NetGalley and publisher letting me read an early copy.

I was excited to see that Shelley Shepard Gray had begun writing contemporary romance books. A longtime fan of hers I was even more excited to receive an advance copy of the book. I mean, who really wants to wait on a book from one of their favorite authors? Anyhow, as soon as I began reading this book I knew I was going to enjoy it. Shelley Shepard Gray was meant to write in this genre.

I'm happy that SSG decided to break into the genre with a story about two brothers trying to start new lives in a new state. The story, about ordinary people just living their lives, was so easy to relate to and easy to read. I liked the supporting cast of characters (for the most part) and can't wait to see what happens in their lives.

One of my favorite parts of the story was the quotes and book excerpts that began each chapter. Although these weren't critical to the story I found them entertaining and a bit of a clue as to what was going to happen in the chapter. I hope this is something that is included in the other books in the series.

This book is a great beginning to a series from one of my favorite authors and I highly recommend it to fans of contemporary fiction/romance. It is a fast, easy read and one I can see myself reading again.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.

3.5 Stars

I like to take a chance on new-to-me authors (haha - see what I did there?!). Sometimes it works out well. Sometimes it doesn’t…

Kurt has moved from a West Virginia coal mining town to Bridgeport, Ohio to help his much younger brother get a better education, and a chance for college scholarships. (Having had two children go through high school, I’m not sure making that change, just for the senior year, is really all that helpful...but never mind that!) It hasn’t been an easy transition, but Sam is settling into school, and Kurt’s landscaping business is doing well. Everything is going along fine until Kurt gets called to school after Sam gets into a fight. While he’s there, Kurt meets Sam’s English teacher, Emily. Their attraction is mutual, and after some back and forth about whether or not it’s appropriate for Kurt and Emily to be involved, they decide to give things between them a chance.

Take A Chance is a cute, sweet story about people who have gotten a little knocked around by life, but still decide to take a chance to have something more. There are several storylines running in this book: Kurt and Sam are trying to figure out their new relationship - with Kurt as Sam’s guardian instead of just his older brother, Emily and Kurt and their budding relationship, Sam has a sweet relationship starting with Kayla - a cheerleader who is going through her own difficult time at the hands of cruel classmates, and Sam and Kurt are dealing with their father - who has basically checked out of his parenting duties a couple years early. Overall, each of these relationships had their difficulties, but were dealt with in a realistic way. And I was really enjoying the book. All the way up until the abrupt, terrible ending.

Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh. But you can’t end a story that has been mostly about a hero and a heroine, by having the hero have a poignant moment with...his little brother.

Granted, the hero’s relationship with his younger brother was an important secondary story. But I wouldn’t say anyone was even left with a happy for now ending. It’s seriously like the last couple of chapters are missing.

And there’s not much worse than an ending that makes you feel like a deflated balloon.

Because of that, it has me considering whether or not I’ll keep reading this series. On one hand, most of the book was enjoyable, and maybe I’ll get some sense of closure for the couples and the situations in this book. But on the other, if I don’t I’m gonna be really hacked off!

Thus is the conundrum of reading any book, though. You just never know what you’re going to get. You always have to take a chance. 😊

* thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Want to see what else is feeding my addiction?! Visit my blog: www.ereaderaddict.wordpress.com

First read by this author.. Story of second chance at life

Kurt moves to Bridgeport with his younger brother to give Sam a better chance at a good education Emily is a teacher at Sam's school and when Sam gets in some trouble Kurt has to come and deal with. He wasn't looking for anything but was smitten with Emily. Emily is getting over a bad relationship so she isnt looking either . But when they can't stay away from each other can they give this an honest try or will circumstances tear them apart

Looking forward to book 2 in this series

Not your typical Shelley Shepard Gray novel but definitely a 4 star worthy novel that will leave you feeling refreshed and ready for another novel by her. I was captivated from the start and definitely loved every second of this page turner!

As you can see from the cover of the book this is a different genre from Ms. Gray, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Am I fan of her Amish and Historical fiction novels? Absolutely. I can now say that I am definitely a fan of her contemporary romance novels, too!

This is was an easy book for me to get interested in because it’s about the importance of family and friends and how sometimes those relationships can be complicated, especially when an older sibling takes on the responsibility of a younger sibling. Which is why I instantly loved Kurt Holland because he was willing to take a chance by moving from West Virginia to Ohio hoping to provide a better life for his younger brother, Sam.

The message of taking chances is woven throughout the story. By moving, by starting a new business and by making new friends. None of those things are very easy to do, but sometimes you have to be willing to do what you feel is right for your family. It made me think about where we would be and who would be in our lives if we never took a chance and how it’s not always easy, but sometimes necessary.

I loved how respectful Kurt and Sam are to the members of their new community and that they are both gentlemen with their new love interests. They have strong values which is something I appreciate in this book.
It was a pleasure to see that the Bridgeport Social Club was more about building friendships and less about playing poker, not that I have anything against anyone poker because I don’t.

Overall, I thought this was a wonderful beginning to Ms. Grays new series. The storyline was interesting and the characters are easy to like for the simple reason, they are portrayed in a realistic way. They are not perfect, they face issues that most of us face in our lives and yes, they do use colorful language occasionally because they are written as normal human beings. I look forward to reconnecting with Kurt, Sam, Emily and their friends as well as meeting new characters in the second book, All In.

I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. I was under no obligation to write a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

Interesting romance and family tale. Nice seeing southern gentlemen still opening doors, defending a woman's honor, etc. Left hanging at the end, even though some issues are resolved. It is the beginning of a series, so even though future ones will feature other characters in this story, I am hoping for more references to these first main characters as their lives progress. The poker hints at the beginning of each chapter are entertaining. Not a poker player, but familiar with the concept. I am interested to read more in this series.

Take a Chance ( Bridgeport Social Club #1 )
By: Shelley Shepard Gray
Take a Chance is book one in Bridgeport Social Club new series. The author is very talented and I have read some of her other books and loved them. I like to call the main character a hero. He is the guardian to his brother. The heroine was a school teacher and loves what she does. I would have to say it does have some curse words in it that I didn’t like and was surprised by them. This book is filled with love , warmth, and belief. I would say that I would read book two in this new series.
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, but was not told that I had to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This book is quite different from other ones I’ve read by this author. While her prior books looked to the past, focusing on post civil-war days, or to the Amish culture, this book was thoroughly modern. I thought it was odd that there were poker tips at the beginning of each chapter until I realized this whole series will center around the “Bridgeport Social Club” (a.k.a. men’s poker night). While I haven’t played much poker, I have played a lot of cards and I know the kind of camaraderie that is built around the card table. It’ll be fun to see how this plays out in the series.
Kurt and Sam Holland are great characters. They’re new to Ohio and still live by their southern values which include protecting the women in their lives. They are chivalrous even when it gets them in trouble. Whenever I pictured Kurt, I saw and heard Donnie Wahlberg. He’s not going to put up with any nonsense.
This book gives a gentle reminder that sometimes the results don’t matter as much as just getting out there and trying. It’s a book about being content with who you are as well as not letting others try to define or limit who you are. It’s about love and friendship and helping each other through the rough spots of life. I enjoyed it.
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I gave this book three stars because I read nearly three-quarters of it before I quit reading. It just didn’t appeal to me. I felt that the relationship between the main characters was rushed. I also felt that they kept rehashing the same things over and over. There didn’t seem to be a whole lot of progression or plot development. I like the story to have a little bit more of a plot than this one had.

This new series from Shelley Shepard Gray is great. If you like light reading with a great story this is a book for you.

I thought that this book would be another wholesome book by Gray, but was mistaken. I had a hard time agreeing with many events as they did not seem like they would be actual outcomes outside the story. I had a hard time connecting to the characters and honestly had to skip parts of the story. I hate how the ending just abruptly stopped, but I do not feel that I will be picking up book two.

Kurt and Sam are new to Bridgeport the idea is too keep there heads down and get Sam into the best college. Emily is leery of almost all men she's had her taste of bad relationship. She sees the potential in Sam to do great things, but can she help Sam and keep her whits about her.

I will start off saying I thought this book was just like Shelley's other books and that its was a christian book and I will say that is not the case. This book does have some curse words as well as some sexual induendos though out the book. Now that being said this book was a very sweet read I really enjoyed the fun characters and how they just seemed to be flawed and broken but will stop at nothing to better their own lives and well as those lives around them. I really enjoyed how Sam and Kay played a big part in this book along with Kurt and Sam. I think in the end I was left wanting more wondering what was next for all of the characters, I understand this is a series so I hope they will appear in the other book. Over all I would recommend this book for anyone over 13. It was a sweet story and well worth the read.

Okay, let me start off by saying I have read two other Shelley Shepard Gray novels which I really enjoyed. Having said that I was assuming this would be the same. I'm sorry to say I didn't enjoy this one.

Kurt needs to get his teenager brother, Sam, into college. So he moved his entire life to Bridgeport and never expected to fall in love with Sam's English teacher. I was surprised by the amount of curse words used in what is supposed to be labeled as a "inspirational romance."

If you're looking for a nice sweet romance, you may want to pass on this one. I'm giving this book two stars for mild violence and cursing.

I want to be fair to the author with this review. Shelley Shepherd Gray is a terrific author. I’ve read several of her books that were classified as Christian fiction and loved them. Those books were published by a different company. I did not realize that this book was in a different genre and it took me by surprise. That’s not the author’s fault. I should have looked at this book a little more closely when I saw it was from a different publisher.

I’d classify this book as clean romantic fiction. There’s mild language in it that’s not in her other books. The story itself is a well-written story with compelling characters, but there are elements in it that would not fit in an Christian Fiction category.

So—if you enjoy romantic fiction, you’ll like this book. I’m more of a Christian fiction reader, so I’ll skip the rest of this series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this heart warming story.

I liked the idea that the older brother took over responsibility for his younger brother when their mother died and their father was overwhelmed with grief. It was refreshing to see that the premise of the book wasn't just about taking a chance on love.

Taking a chance on love was an important step for both brothers, but there were other life choices they had to step out in faith on. I won't spoil the discovery for you though.

This book is a nice, comfy kind of read. The kind that gives you the warm fuzzy feeling. The characters are very likable and I found myself willing for them to have their happily ever after.

I didn't care for the ending. I felt like it stopped abruptly. I get that this is going to be a series so there was bound to be a cliffhanger of an ending to entice us to buy the next book, but it didn't feel like this was a cliffhanger ending. It was more an explanation of why the book was called Take A Chance.

I liked the book. I would encourage others to buy it. The ending is but a small part of the book. I hope you choose to pick up a copy, it really is a great heartwarming story.

This was a sweet, touching story about family , relationships and life.
Kurt Holland has left the home he’s known all his life, so his younger brother, Sam, can get a chance at a better school and hopefully, a scholarship to get into college. Kurt wants Sam to have all the opportunities he didn’t . When he is called to the principal’s office of Sam’s school, Kurt meets his English teacher Emily.
Throughout the story we get a chance to see how these characters deal with relationships, obstacles and life in general. As the author tells the reader, “life is a lot like playing poker” . It’s about taking chances because not taking them might hinder us from achiever greatness.
It would have been a 5 star if it had not ended so abruptly. I went back a few pages to see if I had missed something.
A lot of unanswered questions were left up in the air. An epilogue would that tied up all the lose ends should have been written.
I was entrusted this copy by Netgalley . The opinions expressed are solely my own.

I wanted to love this more. I thought Kurt's story was a good one, but everything just seemed soooooo slow. Sam had the more interesting story as a high schooler. I might try to give this author another chance, but also these books may just not be for me.

Kurt has moved to Ohio from W. Virginia to give his brother, Sam, a chance to go to college. Sam has an altercation with a classmate, resulting in the school calling Kurt. During the meeting with the principal, Kurt meets Emily, Sam's English teacher. There is an immediate attraction, but...