Ames’ review of Riskier Business (Crossing the Line 0.5) by Tessa Bailey.

One more game. And this time, there are no rules…

After a life of pool hustling and living on the wrong side of the law, Ruby Elliott is living on the straight and narrow with sexy-as-all-hell NYPD detective, Troy Bennett. Now the only trouble Ruby has with the law is the naughty kind, pinned against the wall by Troy’s strict and spectacularly hard body. Obeying his every command. Both of them losing themselves in a lust that borders on obsession…

But then her father returns with an offer she can’t refuse: one last hustle in exchange for information. Information she’d die to have. As the pieces and the players of the game reveal themselves, Troy feels the fine edges of his control slipping—control he can’t channel without hurting Ruby. The stakes are high, and the risk higher. Because losing this final game could cost more than Ruby’s heart…it might cost her life. 

I’ve read and enjoyed Tessa Bailey’s writing before so I was looking forward to reading this novella. According to Goodreads, this story is also #5.5 in the Line of Duty series but I had no problem reading this as a stand alone.

Ruby is a former hustler, now an entrepreneur and dating detective Troy. They’re in love but Ruby’s deadbeat father shows up to rain on their parade. He wants Ruby to win a pool game. Her father claims that if she wins, she’ll learn the location of her mother, who disappeared from Ruby’s life when she was a child. Ruby is torn but decides to do it. Troy is not happy about this. He loves Ruby to distraction and he hates the thought of her getting hurt.

I enjoyed this. I was intrigued by the backstory to Ruby and Troy’s relationship so I’ll definitely be reading from the Line of Duty series. Ruby and Troy have amazing chemistry and I found the love scenes very hot! The conflict with Ruby’s dad was well done and it definitely tests their new relationship and the bonds of trust that they’re establishing.

Riskier Business was a quick, satisfying read and it piqued my interest for Risking It All.

4 out of 5.

This title is available from Entangled. You can buy it here in e-format.