Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Risk Taker

SERIES:  Mixed Messages

AUTHOR:  Lily Morton

NARRATOR:  Joel Leslie

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  9 hours and 38 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  February 20, 2020

BLURB:

Being in love with your best friend is hard.

Henry’s the odd man out. All his friends are settling down, and his reputation as the Hook-Up King of London seems more like a curse than a blessing these days. Especially when it keeps photojournalist Ivo, his best friend and the brilliant man he’s loved since they were fifteen, at arm’s length. But that’s where Ivo wants him, right? Putting aside his feelings, Henry decides to give up casual sex and look for the real deal. After all, he has no chance with Ivo – or does he?

Henry is everything to Ivo. Best friend, soul mate, the one person who has never let him down. The one person he is loyal to above everything and everyone. But Henry’s in a box marked best friend and that’s where Ivo’s kept him for nearly twenty years, despite steadily falling in love with the gentle man. And besides, why would Henry want to date Ivo? Burned out and injured, he’s the walking embodiment of damaged.

Distance has helped Henry and Ivo keep a lid on their attraction, but when they find themselves in the same city for a change—Ivo hurt and needing assistance, and Henry more than willing to provide it—the two best friends grow closer than ever, forcing a realization, and a decision. Risk their friendship for their hearts? Or can they have both?

From the bestselling author of Rule Breaker and Deal Maker comes a tender love story about two best friends who are perfect for each other, and always have been – if only they knew it.

This is the third book in the Mixed Messages series, but it can be read as a standalone.

REVIEW:

Note: While this is Book 3 in this series, it can be read as a stand alone – although there are major spoilers for both previous books 🙂

Henry is basically man about town, getting sex when and where he wants.  However, it’s beginning to feel a bit hollow now that his friends are all settling down.  But he’s never been one for relationships – well except with his best friend Ivo.  There relationship is a bit complicated as they’ve been mates since they were teenagers – when Ivo’s gold digging mother was married to Henry’s homophobic father.  Ivo has always been Henry’s staunchest supporter.  When they separated when Henry went to university, it was difficult.  Ivo however, followed in his father’s footsteps and became a photojournalist and Henry became a lawyer – like his friend Gabe, from Book 1 in the series.  But when Ivo shows up after his last assignment having been injured and in need of a place to recover – physically, mentally and emotionally – it seems that both men need to figure out their futures and where it leaves them.

Ivo has always come home to Henry – he is his rock, his best friend, but he can’t be more.  Ivo is damaged.  Suffering from his war zone assignment injury as well as PTSD, he doesn’t feel like he could be any good to Henry – or to anyone else.  He stays with Henry in the house that they have together and he paints as his outlet since he’s bee benched from his overseas assignments.  When Henry decides he’s going to settle down and look for a real relationship, well that doesn’t really sit well with Ivo.  However, when Henry’s friends decide to “help” him find the right man, well let’s just say they may have ulterior motives.  These “dates” and the men they find for him are the source of much hilarity in this story.  Dylan, Gabe’s partner, it particularly adept at finding candidates for Henry.  Ivo does not like this at all, but what can he do?  Everyone realizes that Henry and Ivo belong together – except for Henry and Ivo!

As the dating schemes continue, Ivo becomes more jealous and unnerved.  Finally, he can’t take it any more and he gives in to the smoldering attraction and chemistry that have been bubbling beneath the surface for years.  Both men are terrified that this will somehow destroy their friendship, but they can’t seem to stop themselves.  When Ivo’s mother calls on him to help her out of her current situation, things definitely change.  Henry and Ivo realize that they need to fight for this thing between them.  Even though there are obstacles – including themselves – in the way, they have to find a way to be what the other needs.

When I first read this book, I gave it 4 stars.  Comparing this book to the first two in the series, I felt like this one, while still brilliant, missed a little of the spark of the first two.  After listening to this audio version I think the difference is that Ivo’s life has been very serious – life threatening even – compared to Dylan and Jude’s.  So necessarily, his character is a bit more serious and his decisions a bit more weighty.  That is not to imply that there isn’t the signature Lily Morton snark and humor, because that is also here in abundance.  I particularly love Ivo and Henry’s encounter in the coat cupboard at the Ashworth estate 😛 But this book does have a heavier feel because of Ivo’s job and choices.  Joel Leslie’s performance of the story, in this case, added an urgency and resonance that I think that I was missing when reading, hence the additional half star.  His brilliant performance of the characters (and he seemlessly falls back into the Asa, Jude, Gabe and Dylan voices) added another level to this story for me. Highly recommended.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS:

Audible