Worth the Risk
The McKinney Brothers # 2
By:
Claudia Connor
Releasing Feb 3rd, 2015
Loveswept
Blurb
When a McKinney brother falls in love, powerful emotion and
overwhelming desire are never far behind.
Two hearts locked away . . . Hannah Walker spends her days
coaching children through injury and trauma, one therapeutic horseback ride at
a time. She knows all too well how violence can change a child and leave scars
that never heal. It’s easy for her to relate to the kids; what isn’t easy is
the thought of facing her own harrowing past.
Millionaire playboy Stephen McKinney could use a little coaching himself.
Five years ago he encountered his most horrible nightmare—and the nightmare
won. No matter what he achieves, nothing can make up for that awful night . . .
or so he believes.
Both desperate for a second chance . . . Stephen is used to
getting what he wants. And he wants Hannah. So when she turns him down, he’s
intrigued. What he doesn’t know is that her secrets will lead him to a place he
never wanted to go again . . . to a side of himself he’s tried to forget . . .
a side that would scare Hannah away from ever loving him. Now his only chance
to win her trust is to bare his soul, risking everything he tried so hard to
protect.
EXCERPT
Her oldest brother, Nick, stood leaning against the hood of his SUV, looking like the formidable FBI agent he was. Nick was tall and handsome; his hair was dark brown to her light and he wore the perpetual unshaven look well. It gave him a tough look just short of scary.
He lifted his hand and she waved back. Afraid she couldn’t tell him about Max without crying, she’d texted him. And now he was here, checking on her like he always did. Her brothers had raised her, sacrificed for her. Nick more than any of them.
Lexie met them and took Hazel and Allie into the barn. Hannah turned to find Nick’s cop eyes full of concern. That was the look she couldn’t spend an entire night with.
“I’m okay. I’m sad, but I’m okay.”
Nick said nothing for several seconds, just gave her his I-can-read-your-mind stare. “I talked to Luke and Zach. They’re fine with changing plans tonight.”
“I knew you’d say that.” She headed into the barn to get ready for her next student, leaving Nick to follow. “You don’t need to change your plans.”
“Well, you’re sure as hell not sitting home alone.”
“You’re right. I’m not.” She stepped into the tack room and Nick stopped just outside.
“Really?”
“Yes. Really. You can still have your guy party. I have plans.”
“Plans?”
“Yes.” She looked back at him and smiled. “I can have plans, you know.”
“I know you can, you just . . .”
“What?” She reached for a piece of support foam. “Never do?
He leaned against the doorway, watching her. “Where are you going?”
“Drinks.”
“With who?”
She stepped around him and moved down the aisle for Big Ben, a small chestnut pony. “A friend.”
“A friend.” He said it full of suspicion and disdain for someone he didn’t know. Big-brother syndrome plus FBI equaled over-the-top.
“I also manage to have friends.” Kind of. She slipped the halter over the pony’s head.
“Where are you going?”
She speared him with a glare over her shoulder.
“Okay. Sorry.” He held up his hands. “But why don’t you and your friend come over to watch the game?”
“No.”
“No?”
Hannah tilted her head. “Is there an echo in here?”
“On top of not knowing who this friend is, I don’t like the idea of you coming home at night to an empty house.” Immediately he looked remorseful and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Sorry.”
She blew out a shaky breath before speaking. “It’s fine. Dogs don’t live forever, you knew that when I moved out here.” Something he’d been adamantly against, but having the dog had helped.
She loved her four brothers, and she wouldn’t say they suffocated her, though the hum of their hovering could be deafening at times. FBI, Special Forces, firefighter, cop. It was like her very own big-brother protection force. And every one of them liked to be in charge and in control. Especially Nick. If they knew she was going out with a man, let alone a man she didn’t know, they’d freak. Even if it was for their own good.
“I know how to lock a door.”
“I know you do.”
She met her brother’s worried eyes, and not for the first time thought what it must have been like for him at nineteen, suddenly responsible for four siblings. Then she thought of how much more she’d put him through. Put them all through.
If they were ever going to believe she was really okay, if she was going to believe it, she had to prove it. Time to push herself out of her comfort zone. For herself. For all of them.
MY REVIEW
Worth
the Risk by
Claudia Conner is a poignant tale about the Stephan McKinney, Matt’s brother
from Worth the Fall. Stephen McKinney is a millionaire playboy who has
faced fortitude and heartache that would have crippled another person. Hannah
Walker, who has also experienced her own trauma, has spent her time helping
children through therapeutic horseback riding. What starts out as a way to get
the women who intrigues her quickly grows into something else.
Claudia
Conner was amazing in her first novel, and this follow up is just as amazing. I
loved the fact that you have two broken people who are trying to find someone
to help heal their hearts. Stephan was amazing, and the care and support he
showed Hannah has made him my new book boyfriend!!! I loved the way Hannah has
created a life of service, and she showed such strength in the face of adversity.
Added to this we get the rest of the family, who provided a delightful cast of
characters. Claudia Conner is becoming my new favorite, and I can’t wait to see
what else he brings next!
Author Info
Claudia Connor is
a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of
heartfelt contemporary romance. Claudia attended Auburn University, where she
received her undergraduate and masters degrees in early childhood education,
and completed her studies in Sawbridgeworth, England. Always a lover of happy
endings, she enjoys movies, reading, and travel, but spends most of her time
typing out the love stories of the almost real people that live in her head.
Claudia lives near Memphis, Tennessee, with her husband and three daughters.
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