Queue the swoonage that is this read!! It was well written, enchanting, and captivating for sure. It was the perfect sweet romance that I needed!

A delightful read!!!! I've read Stacy Finz before and she's on of the very talented writers who just know how to captivate her readers with her stories.

This was really hard for me to get into. Most of the first part of the book is pretty confusing for someone who hasn't read any other books in this series. There are ALL kinds of people and situations mentioned, but no background given to most of it. I just pieced it together as best as I could. Also, I didn't really like Raylene. She's supposed to have changed and become a better person, but I didn't really see it. While the people of the town were horrible to her, she didn't really give them any reasons to be nice to her. She did some really terrible things to people. It never seemed like she really cared if people liked her either (IMO). Although this was the first for me from this author, I would be willing to read her again.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

4.5 stars

Tempting Fate by Stacy Finz is a well written and entertaining read.
I enjoyed the storyline, I found my interest held and I loved watching the relationship between Raylene and Gabe unfold.

Overall, Tempting Fate is a lovely addition to the Nugget Romance series and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher via netgalley for the ARC.

This is book ten in Stacy’s A Nugget Romance series. It is the first one in the series I’ve read and is much racier than her other series’ that are published by Zebra Romance. This is, of course, a stand alone; however, if you’ve read the other books, you’ll have a little more background of the other characters in this one. She does a good job of giving you enough information on the main couple’s background to enjoy their story regardless of what you’ve read before.

Raylene and Gabe’s romance starts out a little bit funny, but takes a serious turn really quick when Gabe realizes the whole town really does hate her. She is just trying to get through her brother’s wedding and working through her 12 step sobriety program and isn’t looking for a man in her life. She’s had enough of those. This is a great story about someone owning their mistakes and learning from circumstances out of their control. Also, it shows how an abused woman can stand on her own two feet and begin again when she is able to stop seeing herself as a victim.

Gabe on the other hand just takes life lightly and goes with the flow but has an inane sense of responsibility when it comes to the people in his life. He is trying to figure out how to be with someone without being responsible for making them happy. In the end they both figure out that being together doesn’t take their independence away, it simply gives them help when they need it now and then, and an encouraging hand.

I almost forgot, there was some mystery in this one also. A little gold hunting and some strangers come to town. It all adds up to an incredible sacrifice from Raylene that makes the town begin to see her in a new light. I’m giving this a solid 4 of 5 because it has my requisite HEA, a little mystery, and a whole lot of hunk. It is a great story and I can’t wait to see who’s she tells next. Pick this one up you won’t regret it.

Quirky, sexy, drama and thrill are four words to describe the journey this read will take you on. She’s always been spoiled with material things, but emotionally and physically abused by the same men who bought the gifts. In a lot of ways, she’s a product of her environment and upbringing, but that’s really no excuse. Here we see her wade through confrontations with people she’s wronged and somehow find love, redemption and a second chance.

It’s a good read.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGallery, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Raylene eavesdropped on Donna and Ethel and heard Donna say That girl has some nerve showing up in this town after all the trouble she caused. Then she heard Ethel say she was surprised Logan and Annie invited her to their wedding. Raylene expected better from Ethel as she had known her since before she could walk. Donna also for that matter. But that was ok as long as she sold the last of her inheritance - a prime piece of Nugget real estate . Without Butch - the worst husband ever abusing her as well as cheating on her but now she was free. For a long time Raylene had tried to make the abusive men in her life happy. If it worked out she could dig herself out of the mess she was in. Last summer she had hated Logan- her father’s love child now she wanted to be at his side on the most important day of his life. Logan had swooped in and helped her clean up her trainwreck of a life and get away from Butch and they connected as only blood can and Annie- Logan’s fiance- had been a saint. Gabe came up to Raylene in the store and asked her what she was hiding from but Raylene told him to go away. Gabe told her not to pay attention to Donna and Ethel than added small towns, small minds. But Raylene knew she deserved it, at least in LA no one knew her. Gabe was Logan's best friend and asked him to keep an eye on Raylene. Gabe and Logan owned a security firm . They were ex Seals and had retired from the Navy but still did a lot of secret missions for the government. At the wedding Raylene would meet her father’s mistress who had been right under her mother's nose. Raylene was done trying to impress men. It had only brought her heartache. There was a time when Raylene liked to stir things up . She and her father Ray had left a lot of carnage in their wake. But if Raylene did do or act what her father wanted her to, he beat and abused her. That’s why she knew there’d be people out for her. Raylene couldn’t fix was was broken. As soon as the wedding was over and she got what she came for she would go back to L A and search for a ranchette in the San Gabriel Valley to raise her cutting horses. In the meantime she could handle the dirty looks and nasty comments spoken behind her back. Gabe was the only person in town who didn’t know her whole story and sh wanted to keep it that way. Logan felt he was all raylene really had as her mother was a space cadet. Ray had abandoned his only son- Logan- and kept any knowledge of him a well guarded secret. Raylene felt horrible now for what she had done and acted. She would make redemption anyway she could if she is given any chances.
I loved this book. I think you should read this series in order if you want a lot smoother read. This is the tenth book. But this can also be read as a standalone book. I loved the pace and plot of this book. I loved Raylene and Gabe together and how they interacted together. I choked up at times while reading this and at other times I chuckled.i also loved the mystery and suspense in this book. I loved that Raylene owned up to what she had done and wanted to make redemption in any way she could. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend it.

Oh my. I pretty much cried thru this entire book. I felt so bad for Raylene. True, she was a big mess before this story took place but everyone is just downright cruel to her! I wanted everyone in Nugget to fall into a big pit. I was sure she would not get her happy ending.
But with Gabe by her side, it just might be possible.
5 stars!!

First off, a random note – I really do not like that cover, but I’m at a loss to explain why. I think, perhaps, that it’s just very different from how I imagined the characters. Now that that’s out of the way – this is an enjoyable forced-proximity romance, set in a ranching town and starring the town’s prodigal daughter. It’s both snarky and heartbreaking, though a bit light on the surprises. While I’ve read the Garner Brothers series by the same author, which is set in a neighboring town, this is the first in the Nugget series I’ve read. Since it’s the tenth in that series, I was expecting to be pretty confused, but, honestly, it felt like everything was explained pretty well, and while there was quite the cast of characters, they were individual enough that I didn’t have too many problems keeping track of them.

Raylene’s been abused for much of her life. First, by her father whenever she failed to conform to his “standards” for a scion of his family, and then by her father-picked husband. It’s no surprise she comes out of it an alcoholic with bad financial skills, since she’s used to self-medicating with alcohol and spending her father’s money. While she was the queen bee of the town as a teen, certain events have left her as a persona-non-grata in Nugget, and there’s only one thing that could get her to come back there – her half-brother’s wedding. Well, and the tall tale about gold that was buried by a Gold Rush-era thief on a piece of property. Between the divorce from her abusive husband and her profligate ways, she’s running out of money, and if she ever wants to open up her dream horse ranch, she’ll need the income from both the sale of that land and the supposed gold. Raylene’s half-brother knows her, though, and assigns his best friend, business partner, and fellow ex-Navy SEAL Gabe as her baby-sitter. Gabe’s new to Nugget, and the woman he meets doesn’t seem to fit the picture that’s been painted of her or her past actions. Is this just another scheming side of Raylene, out to steal the show at her brother’s wedding? Or is she more likely to steal his heart?

“She scrambled back to her side and opened the door before nudging her head pointedly toward his crotch, where he was so hard it hurt. “That’s for your moronic version of ‘Jolene.’ Jeez, Moretti, you know how many times I had to put up with that in junior high?” She slid out of the passenger seat, gave his package one more glance, and smirked. “Consider us even.”


Raylene has had such a rough time of it, that while I found a lot of her actions inexplicable, I found it hard to judge her too harshly. For one thing, some of those actions – like the quoted scene above – were hilarious! Gabe’s description of her as a “battering ram, causing mayhem wherever she went” was pretty on the nose! Some of the scenes with Raylene attempting to weather most of Nugget’s general hatred of her were very hard for me to read, and the description of her panic attacks (though I’m not sure they’re ever referred to as such) and her negative self talk were heartbreaking. I do wonder how I would’ve felt about this book – and Raylene – if I’d read the series from the beginning, as the things she’s done were pretty awful – she tried to set her high school sweetheart up for murder, for goodness’ sake – even reading about them from her point of view. I did appreciate, though, how she owned up to her mistakes and was trying to make restitution to those she’d wronged before. Gabe, I thought, was less well characterized, though I did find Raylene’s frequent jabs at him as a rancher by way of New Jersey (and Irish-Italian, to boot) funny. I liked how he was willing to withhold judgement, however, and that his personal code of honor included protecting Raylene even when he was still pretty sure she was the wicked witch of Nugget.

“It taught me a valuable lesson,” he said. “I don’t ever want to be responsible for someone’s happiness. Ever.”
“You shouldn’t have to be. Everyone should be responsible for their own. I had to learn that the hard way.”
“Butch was that bad, huh?”
“Butch, my father, you name it. I won’t do it again.”
“What? Get married?”
She let out a mirthless laugh. “Never. But I was talking about getting attached. It’s not worth the pain or the trouble.”
“Hear, hear.”


My favorite part of their relationship was their banter, and how open they’re able to be with each other. From the ghosts that haunt Gabe’s past to Raylene’s remorse over her past actions, they talk about everything, and I think this was partially helped by the fact that after the wedding was over, neither expected to ever see the other again. I loved how supportive Gabe was of Raylene and her (to his mind) literal gold-digging shenanigans, and how that progressed to being supportive of her recovery and her self esteem. I thought the chemistry between them was quite believable and I liked how that was handled, as well.

The biggest issue for me was that the plot was very, very predictable. From the moment Raylene mentioned her dream ranch, I guessed exactly what would happen. It’s not that I thought the plot was bad, just that I wish there were a few more surprises to it. I also saw the event that turned the tide on Nugget’s public opinion of Raylene coming from a mile away, and it did feel like a bit of a cop-out. That’s not to say that I’m not proud of Raylene for what she did, but I wish she would’ve instead found the courage to speak out against some of the venom being spewed about her sooner. At one point, after Gabe’s seen another instance of someone he likes from Nugget treating her poorly, he even wonders where these judgmental people were when she was getting beaten and abused by her father, and I’d spent most of the dang book wondering the same thing. My other issue is the secondary storyline from Drew’s POV. While the stories eventually overlap, I’m honestly not sure what this was supposed to add to the story, and my best guess is that it’s wrapping up something from one of the previous novels.

Overall, I very much enjoyed Raylene. If you’re interested in a woman turning her life around – all by herself – then I think this book would be right up your alley!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Enjoyed it

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: A Nugget Romance
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

Oh how wonderful to be back in Nugget with Tempting Fate. I like Stacy Finz’s style and writing but the Nugget series has a special place in my heart. Raylene by far would not be considered my favorite character. Perhaps I felt as many of the people there would feel. Ms. Finz does a marvelous job of helping me to see how wrong it is to freeze Ray in the past instead of seeing the woman she wants to be now.

The romance does work well between Gabe and Ray; partly because he is a newcomer to Nugget. That was such a realistic approach to the relationship that developed between the two. It also gave me another perspective on Raylene; one more compassionate than many in Nugget. I really felt for this character. Thank goodness, Gabe is strong enough to think for himself concerning Raylene!

The author did a wonderful job of weaving the past background into the story. However, it might be difficult for new reader to the series to completely understand the depth of animosity towards Raylene with having read more of the series. Still it is easy to understand that this is a story of making amends, restoration, rebuilding and how forgiveness can help us all.

In earlier Nugget books, Raylene Rosser was decidedly the villain. And in this book, she's the heroine. It's a long slog to get her there but Stacy Finn manages to do it well. Raylene is back in town for her brother's wedding and literally no one is happy. And she really deserves it. Not only was she kind of a bitch, she was an alcoholic, and almost helped to put an innocent man in jail for murder.
Gabe Moretti is in town because he helped open up a security business with Raylene's half-brother, Logan. And when Logan asks Gabe to keep an eye on Raylene, Gabe takes that very seriously. Even though he's very attracted to Raylene, he tries to keep his distance. Though he will help her search for the gold that her ancestor supposedly buried.
There are definitely some rough spots in this story but it was, overall, lovely.

Three stars
This book came out December 11
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

I loved the flirty, playful relationship between Raylene and Gabe. I'm glad they were able to find their happily ever after. Tempting Fate is the perfect redemption story for Raylene!

This riveting story had me on the edge of my seat. The sparks were flying between Raylene Rosser and Gabe Moretti even though they both tried to ignore it. Not only was their romance but there was mystery as well and a town full of people who did not want to forgive Raylene for her past. The book is full of suspense too. It is another great story set in the town of Nugget. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

Nugget #10, I don't know if I ever said it in one of my reviews but I know I thought that I wouldn't care if Raylene ever got her own HEA, but I'm glad she did. She's the person everyone loves to hate and she finally meets someone who sees behind all the shine and snootiness and saw the head strong determined woman who regrets everything she did to the town she once loved; especially hurting the two people who loved her the most and now she's lost everything. She can't forgive herself because the town won't forgive her. I think this is one of those books that is best when you've read the other books in the series, but Raylene does have some flashbacks of her worst moments that fill in the blanks, or you can read Getting Lucky and Falling Hard those are the two with her story in them.

Gabe Moretti runs a business with Raylene's half brother, Logan. Logan asks Gabe to keep an eye on Raylene since she's not the most loved person in Nugget he wants to make sure she stay out of trouble and had back-up if she needs it. Gabe has heard the rumors about Raylene and it's not hard for him to believe it all but he finds it hard that the people from a the town that so far has been welcome and inviting can hate someone so much. Raylene has two things she wants to accomplish after Logan and Annie's wedding before she can finally move on from Nugget and never look back, find the gold her ancestor buried and sell off the last remaining plot of her family's land. After she finds her gold and sells off the land she can give the women's shelter she's been volunteering at the money they need to stay open and finally have enough start up money to start her own horse training ranch. But she has to find the gold first and Gabe insists on helping. Little things keep happening that raises suspicion that Raylene isn't the only ones out there looking for the gold.

Overall, this was a really good read. It was emotional not only between Raylene and Gabe but between her and the town she did some pretty low and horrible things and you can tell how much she regrets do them it really showed how much Raylene had changed since the beginning. The end was very exciting. I was surprised by how quickly the whole town flipped on their feelings for Raylene but hate isn't the opposite of love and they all loved her once they just needed something to love her for that was enough to forgive her of her past sins.

Have I mentioned how much I love the Nugget series?? These books have everything-heart, humor. sexy times, small town ideals and a cast of great characters! Even those characters that are less appealing than others-or at least appear to be so. Raylene Rosser is a good example of someone who has come across in previous books as utterly the most unlikable character possible (short of being a murderer or something like that!) Previous outings of Nugget have introduced readers to someone who is spoiled and has no heart..but was that the real Raylene?

If you've read the Nugget books prior, you will know what an ass Raylene's father Ray was and that he coerced her into attempting to frame to her high school boyfriend Lucky for murder and is part of the reason why the majority of the town despises her. Even knowing this, Raylene has come back to Nugget for her brother's Logan's wedding, where she is met with scorn and derision. The only bright spot besides Logan and his fiancee Annie is Gabe, his business partner and her appointed babysitter. Gabe is intrigued by her beauty and spirit, and determined to find out what she is hiding about her return to Nugget because he knows that the nuptials are not the only reason.

Raylene admits she has also returned to sell off the last of the Rosser land to finance her dream of training cutting horses in So Cal, though that is not the whole truth. She is also determined to find the fabled 'Levi's Gold', treasure hidden by one of the Rosser ancestors on the property. That would allow her to not only buy a ranch but to continue to support a women's shelter which has become a huge part of her life after years of dealing with her father and abusive ex-husband. Gabe finally gets her to admit her secondary plan and decides to humor her in her search which allows him to stick close to her and their mutual attraction to grow. And of course treasure also means danger so you understand why I enjoyed the book so much!

Revisiting Nugget is one of my favorite things to do, and I absolutely recommend this book to other fans of contemporary romance. While Raylene will probably never be one of my favorite residents, I appreciated how her journey to redeem herself in the town's eyes was not just a simple process which only made it seem more real. As always, the cast of characters (especially Owen!) continues to entertain, and I eagerly look forward to the next outing!

Thank you to Kensington/Lyrical Shine for the chance to read this early via Netgalley!

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.

This fits into the genre of the bad girl returning to the small town where everyone dislikes her. And, according to the template, Raylene, the bad girl in question, has turned over a new leaf and is just misunderstood. She captures the interest of Gabe, a friend of her brother’s.

The only problem is that Raylene seems to have been totally despicable in her behavior. She did some pretty unforgivable stuff such as trying to blame a former boyfriend for a crime he didn’t commit. No wonder no one likes her. We’re told that she was dominated by a cruel father, but don’t get enough of a picture of that life to feel enough sympathy of her. Yeah, she’s turned over a new leaf, but she just didn’t ring true for me. I found myself rushing through the book to the ultimate moment that we all knew was coming when the town wakes up and starts liking her again. I just didn’t want to spend much time with her which turned into not wanting to spend much time with the book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

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

Recommended for readers of the series who want updates on other characters but not as a romance due to weak character and relationship growth.
I binged through this series from the library and wound up quite curious about Raylene in this book because she was so awful (false rape accusations and setting her ex up for murder charges, trying to prevent her newly discovered half-brother from receiving her inheritance awful) in previous books. Unfortunately she doesn’t show much growth and it makes it hard to believe how much she has really changed, seems more that she changes according to circumstances. Ultimately, I didn’t think it left her in a good place.
Raylene is back for her surprise brother Logan’s wedding and to search for gold on the land she inherited and is trying to sell. Everyone hates her in Nugget. I mean, she was awful, and some characters have legit reason to but a lot are just rushing all over themselves to judge her.
Gabe is Logan’s business partner and it’s his job to watch over her during the wedding. They kind of flirt and then wind up sleeping together but he still doesn’t believe anything good about her.
There is more of the Hope/Harper story in this book and a side story involving Drew and Kristy. Those sections will appeal to long time readers of the series.
Ultimately, while something happens to change perspective of Raylene, I didn’t buy that Nugget is a safe place for her. I also struggled with the whole wanting to have a business/support charities thing while completing blowing through her money at a ridiculous scale. She has more growing up to do, and Gabe alternated between being a jerk and underwhelming.
C- and it gets the C for readers who want to catch up with other characters, not Gabe/Raylene.