The setup is classic: friends to lovers, he falls first, a bisexual MMC, and an opposites-attract dynamic. There’s a lot to like,
The tension and chemistry between Timothy and Mina is undeniable, and the way they complement each other is really well done. Timothy’s long-standing love for Mina and his Golden Retriever energy make him a character you can’t help but root for.
I wanted to love this book, but I definitely struggled to get into it, and I think that’s more a reflection of me than the story itself.
The relationship between the two is sweet, and I can see why others would be hooked from the start, The book has all the elements that should have drawn me in, but for some reason, it just didn’t click with me this time around.

I’m sure many will enjoy it, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me at the moment.

A stunt man and seamstress consider taking their friendship to the next level in this romantic comedy. The male MC is bisexual, and does represent that clearly, not as a work in which I feel I am seeing over done in contemporary romcoms lately. In addition to friends to lovers, we have forced proximity. This story was interesting as disaster strikes fairly early in the plot and I was wondering where we would go from there but it kept a great pace and storyline throughout.
I was not wild about the MC best friend. He was kind of annoying. But that's okay, I don't have to like everyone.
I loved the mother of the male MC -- she was by far my favorite character and the only one that felt truly ship-worthy.
But overall, really enjoyed it, it took some original plot twists and turns.
This was steamy, so if explicit intimacy is not your thing -- not for you.

Thank you so much to the author and NetGalley for providing bringing this book to my TBR. I did purchase my own copy through Barnes & Noble-- All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#FriendsToLovers
#ForcedProximity
#ADHDRep
#MMCBisexualRep
#ContemporaryRomance
#HollywoodRomance
#NetGalley
#SarahBrentonAuthor
#LoveAndOtherRiskyBusiness

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
This was a great book and I'll be purchasing it for the library.

"Love and Other Risky Business" is a friends-to-lovers rom-com brimming with spice and strong sex positivity, featuring excellent LGBTQ+ representation with a bi main character, an acespec main character, and LGBTQ+ side characters. Although friends-to-lovers isn't usually my favorite trope, I found this book on Netgalley, and the blurb instantly hooked me! However, instead of a lengthy relationship build-up, this story revolves around pining and a lack of communication.

The narrative had potential, particularly with Timothy's career-altering injury and subsequent new career path, but these aspects weren't fully explored. Both characters' personal stories were often overshadowed by their constant declarations of love. Despite this, I enjoyed the spice elements and the thorough exploration of Timothy's bisexuality, though Mina's demisexuality wasn't as prominently portrayed.

The setup for future stories involving side characters like Jessie was intriguing, and I look forward to seeing their development.

A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book to review.

I was very excited to read this book after reading the premise! It’s not often the hero of a rom-com is a stunt man and the heroine is an underwear designer. Unfortunately, I do not think this book is for me. I put it down at about 55% (after the couple had sex for the first time).

For the first few chapters, it felt like I was being hit by forty feelings at once. Both characters saw each other as friends and then were sexually attracted to each other and then love each other (one romantically, one as a friend). Then we have a traumatic brain injury that results in a proposal? It felt a little chaotic.

The low-grade feeling of chaos continued as I got to know the two characters. Almost too many eccentric hobbies and character qualities between the two of them. Felt a little bit like “quirky” Bingo. Timothy is a 30+ year old who is bisexual, plays with Nerf guns, is massively territorial over his best lady friend to the point where he is mentally cursing the guy she flirts with. He has some kind of huge mixed gender sex toy stash, is into every extreme sport or hobby, has a celebrity mother who gives Mina permission to have sex with him while he recovers. Then Mina is demi sexual, home-makes all kinds of panties, had a quirky yogi roommate, wears literal bunny slippers, doesn’t like cake, had a whole frickin’ hysterectomy… it just felt like we were really trying to make these characters hit every quirky mark.

I didn’t feel like the story progressed in a way that showed Mina getting over her central fear - trusting Timothy enough to be in a relationship with him. One moment she didn’t, the next, she did and they were having sex. I would’ve liked there to be more moments between the two that showed (rather than told about) Timothy’s true, trustworthy self - not the version of Timothy Mina had created in her mind and was distrustful of.

I enjoyed this book! It was one of those books that you can read quickly which I enjoyed and I am ALWAYS ready for an opposites attract moment!

I definitely can't wait to read the rest of the series. I loved the trope, friends-to-lovers, though sometimes it can be a hit-and-miss - this was definitely a hit.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Mina and Timothy. There was an instant attraction. When Timothy meet Mina he fell in love. Four months after meeting her he bought an engagement ring. Mina is a seamstress, trying to start a lingerie business. Timothy is a stuntman. He is an adrenaline junkie. Mina loses her part time job, her apartment, has orders backing up. She goes to stay with Timothy after he has an accident at work. They start dating. They fall in love together.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This was such a fun and enjoyable read. I absolutely adored the chemistry between the main characters and their banter was top notch.

Lovely opposites attract romance. I really loved our main characters. I liked how they were really good friends first. There was a lot of great steamy scenes. I really loved the caretaking scenes.

THERE. IS. NOTHING. THAT. I. LOVE. MORE. THAN. MAN. PATHETICALLY. IN. LOVE. FROM. BEGINNING TO END.
AND THIS BOOK HAS IT AND I LOVED IT AND I WILL READ IT 200 TIMES MORE

We really do stan a golden retriever love interest! Timothy and Mina really bring the friends-to-lovers, slow-burn in this new romance by Sarah Brenton. If you love forced proximity, man falls first, opposites attract romance than you will love this one! I really understood Mina and connected with her worries and concerns when it came to her friend that she really cared about. You could tell that their friendship was so strong but there were definitely going to be some hurdles to cross into a romance but this two did it and had you cheering for them every step of the way too!

This is the second book I'm reading by this author and I have to say I really enjoy her writing. It's fun, sexy and has an upbeat, warm and spunky feeling.

This story in particular was cute and a heart-melting friends to lovers. Timothy's POVs and inner monologue were everything and what made the story spark!

Overall though, it was a bit too mushy and fluffly for my liking. The spice is bomb, but the characters and their love story needed a bit more depth for me.

Thank you for the review copy, I will check out other works from Sarah in the future for sure

I feel like my 3-star rating is generous. This book doesn’t even have 300 pages but it felt like it had 500. The pacing was certainly difficult to deal with. I have so much unresolved thoughts regarding this book that I don’t think I can make a fair judgement right now. The characters were certainly… complex. Especially Timothy. Most of the time you just find him really annoying and want to slap some sense into him. Shake him and ask him—no, beg him to be serious for once. And then there’s Mina, who sometimes has a difficult time understanding Timothy. Not gonna lie, at one point I just decided that they really shouldn’t end up together anymore. But in the end, I’m glad that both of them finally understood each other. It was very important to me that both characters understood each other before they forgave each other. It was an interesting book. If it was written better, it had a lot of potential. I wasn’t going to read the second book, just go straight into the third but Nic got me curious.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is just so cute and fun! I really really love good friends to lovers trope and this book is superb. It has a lot of new and fresh elements to it that I think made this book a light and easy read. I appreciate how the author included an LGBTQIA representation. The diversity in this book made me look forward for the next works of Sarah.

Thank you NetGalley, Sarah and Victory Editing for my ARC to read and review.

How cute! I loved Timothy and Mina as complete opposites and I even enjoyed the friends to lovers trope.

This was a quick and fun read. Mina and Timothy are best friends in love with each other, but they can't be together. Timothy's passion is something that is also dangerous, which Mina can't handle after losing her parents in an accident. But when an accident forces Timothy to give up the career he was passionate about, then he and Mina begin dating. I have never been a big fan of situations where characters can only be together when one person gives up everything they love.
I did like the sex positivity and the Bisexual rep and there was some nice steam. While it wasn't a homerun for me, I would read future books by this author.

🌶🌶🌶🌶/5

This is an ARC review and these are my honest thoughts and opinions. This story is about Timothy (MMC) and Mina(MFC) who have been friends for five years. Timothy is madly in love with Mina, while Mina is convinced that they simply do not belong together. Timothys profession is a Hollywood stunk man, do to some unfortunate events Timothy ends up injured and Mina decides to move in and nurse him back to health. This was a great book, Sarah did an amazing job with it. I love that the book was very sex positive (bi MMC demi MFC) there are quite a bit of smutty spots so keep that in mind!  Nic and Jessie have me keeping my eye out for their story!
I want to say thank you to Netgalley, Sarah and Victory Editing for my ARC to read and review. As always ,please check the TW!

Read this if you like:
- Friends To Lovers
- Opposites Attract
- LGBTQIA+ Representation

This was a fun quick read. It follows the friends to lovers arc of professional stunt man Timothy and seamstress entrepreneur Mina. They are best friends who are in love with each other but Mina will never give Timothy a chance at more because her parents died in a climbing accident and she can't risk being in a relationship with someone who takes the kinds of risks he does. When Timothy has a head injury on set one day he is forced into an early retirement and they begin a relationship, but they have to work through the tensions of Timothy giving up what he feels is his identity and Mina feeling like she can't trust Timothy and worrying that he will resent her.

Things I liked: Bisexual representation, sex positivity, MMC who shows emotions
Things I didn't like: I just didn't feel particularly invested in the story. I also found a lot of the dialogue kind of crass. I love a good steamy book, but this somehow accomplished being not as steamy as I'd like but also weirdly vulgar.

Thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.