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The Gamble  By  cover art

The Gamble

By: Kristen Ashley
Narrated by: Emma Taylor
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Publisher's summary

GoodReads Author of the Year 2012, Nominee

Welcome to New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Kristen Ashley's Colorado Mountain Series, where friends become family and everyone deserves a second chance.

Love is the greatest gamble of all...

Nina Sheridan desperately needs a timeout vacation. With a fiancé who can't even remember how she takes her coffee, Nina wants some distance to rethink her engagement. Flying halfway around the world from England to a mountain town in Colorado should do the trick. But when she finds a gorgeous man at her rental cabin, Nina's cold, lonely adventure suddenly heats up.

The owner of the house, Holden "Max" Maxwell is surprised by the beautiful woman who turns up at his door. But when Nina becomes ill, Max spends days nursing her back to health. A private man with a broken heart, Max finds himself drawn to the strong-willed woman. Soon it becomes impossible for Nina and Max to deny their growing attraction to one another. Yet even as these two wounded souls think about taking a chance on a relationship, a secret from Max's past emerges—and threatens to end their love for good.

©2012 Kristen Ashley (P)2014 Hachette Audio

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What listeners say about The Gamble

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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

PURE "HEART & SOUL" ROMANCE IN THE COLORADO MTS.

OH WOW! TAKE ME TO THE BEAUTIFUL BLUFF AND COLORADO FRESH MOUNTAIN AIR!!! WHAT A WONDERFUL AUDIOBOOK!

Nina resides in England and decides to take a 2-week "time-out" from her fiancé Niles. Who is completely oblivious to her emotional plight and needs. She rents an A-frame home nestled in the mountains of Colorado and finds that it's inhabited by the owner Max, who is not happy she's there. Yet, the misunderstanding of this booking is just the right set up for a Mountain Man to fall in love with a chic, beautiful woman whom he challenges to take a gamble on love with him. If it's hard to imagine a Mountain Man and a classy lady, then take the gamble to read this incredible story about recognizing something precious and fighting for it, despite the odds.

Regarding the leads, there were things I loved and disliked about Max and Nina, but I think that's what makes their characters more realistic. Max wields this quiet strength and dominates in a subtle, possessive manner. He's not one to explain his thoughts, feelings or background, even though he seeks to pull down Nina's emotional shields. I loved that Max made his mind up about Nina very quickly and he was determined to make her stay with him….forever. I also loved the little things that Max did. He seemed to touch Nina all the time--the sweet almost subconscious touches throughout the day, and he really listened to the things that were important to her. Also, his endearments for Nina were so darn sexy!!! ( DUCHESS, darlin', and baby).

Now, Nina is simply adorable! She has this effortless charm, intelligence and beauty that captures people's attention, unbeknownst to her. I love that she loves make-up, fashion, coupled with her genuine love for people and her courage get down to the nitty-gritty of issues is what makes her one awesome, strong heroine.

Nina finds herself in a whirlwind as Max sweeps her off of her feet in a love development that evolves around the countless needs of the townspeople who are a big part of Max's life and the bevy of characters from Nina's life who also come to make this one big adventure! Yet, there is also danger, and a murder to be solved and Max and Nina find themselves heavily involved in the solving of that case.

This book is long and if you enjoy really getting into background and character development with townspeople who are larger than life in the mountains in Colorado, then this will be a audiobook dream because Emma Taylor is an excellent narrator as she brings these characters to life! I loved this audiobook! And, since I've been running out of credits fast, it was perfect due to the length.

Lastly, the sequence of events that brought this book to a culminating end was fascinating, and so unexpected! K.A. is an exquisite writer as she keeps readers on their toes. I particularly love K.A uncanny ability to write about alpha males and the sassy, strong heroines who catch their attention. And, this romance between Max and Nina really caught my heart and attention. This story was sealed with an epilogue that was just gorgeous….so fulfilling, so endearing and so beautiful!

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55 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Very disappointing

I purchased The Gamble because it has such positive reviews. I am also from Colorado so I thought the setting would add an interesting element to the story. After listening to the audio book I am disappointed with most aspects of the work. The narration was quite good, but the writing style and characters leave a lot to be desired.

Ashley is particularly wordy in her descriptions. The result is a very long book and a narrative that does not add any new information or value to the story. Listeners understand how people move about in a scene without having every move detailed. It's enough to say "I went upstairs to shower and dress". It's long winded to say "I walked up stairs into the bedroom and picked out an outfit from my suitcase on the chair next to the bed. I walked to the bathroom turned on the light and closed and locked the door..." and so on.

The relationship between the main characters was the biggest disappointment. If this is the type of man women want to read about, than I am very unlike most women. The male love interest is overbearing, controlling, and short tempered in a way that seems less swoon inducing and more abusive. The female lead does little to stand up for herself in this relationship besides saying "Max" in a plaintive voice over and over, only to be interrupted and ignored.

The overall story had some interesting and unique twists and turns for a romance. However, if your idea of a good partner is someone who lets you get a few words in during a fight, lets you drive, and even occasionally lets you pay for things, then this may not be the story for you.

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52 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good but long

Would you consider the audio edition of The Gamble to be better than the print version?

Narration was very good so it added a lot to the story. Probably could have read it in less time.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Max and Nina were both good characters even though I frequently got impatient with her focus on not being the only "love of (Max's) life". Their chemistry was great even though they argued a lot. I enjoy books where the couple spends most of their time focusing on the positive development of the relationship instead of playing the roles of "star-crossed lovers"' who fight their attraction for each other.

Have you listened to any of Emma Taylor’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Have not heard any previous books but her narration was great and I'm looking forward to listening to her again.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed a lot and cried at least once. I had trouble turning it off.

Any additional comments?

As remarked in the title, this is a long book for fiction. A lot happens and it takes a long time to resolve the major issues. I also have problems with the amount of profanity, most of which is unnecessary. Hearing it spoken rather than reading it added to the negative impact; but, I'm from a generation that frowned on that kind of language and did not use it as adjectives and adverbs in casual conversation, which makes me a biased judge.

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36 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable listen, bonus use in drinking game!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Really liked this audiobook even though it was reminiscent of the Dream Man Series. It kept me engaged through most of the book. I do have a couple of issues though. The first being that our main girl had tons of ums, sorries?, whats?. This caused quite a bit of the dialogue to be repeated. Maybe one reason why the book is so long. Also she said "Max" sooooo many times. The overuse of his name reminds me of the college drinking game (old days!) where you'd watch the Bob Newhart show and every time someone said "Bob" you took a drink! And on a side note the reason for the final fight between the two main characters was, in my opinion, very weak and detracted from the ending.

What does Emma Taylor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Love Emma Taylor! One of my new favorite narators!

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26 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Am I just jaded?

Well, I read the reviews and I rarely write reviews on books myself, but I just had to put in on this one. I have read other Kristen Ashley books and I did like them, but this book got on my nerves at time. I find the same thing repeated over and over. I think if I hear Max one more time I will scream. I like the "story" it self, however, I just hate when the same thing is repeated every five minutes. I think about 1/3 of this book could be deleted. Would I recommend this book to others, not without telling them about the repetition. Will I listen to this book again... No. Will I get the others in this series, No. If the books on Amazon (not audio) are ever under $1, perhaps I will read them so that I can skip over the repetitive lines. It seems I am the only one who has written a not so stellar review. Perhaps it is just me and I have become a little jaded and my expectation are to high.

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25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story with Excellent Narration

This Colorado Mountain Series is another great one from KA. Having experienced both the Rock Chick and Dream Man series, I wasn't sure this would do it for me, but it absolutely did. As expected, there is a lot of action, including a broken engagement, a murder mystery, rape, suicide, loss of loved ones, past traumas and relationship baggage, all in the middle of ongoing danger and, of course, a very sweet love story with interesting supporting characters and side plots. Both the H and h are very likeable characters on their own, but they definitely bring out the best in each other when they're together.

Emma Taylor does an absolutely outstanding job telling this story in a way that, had I read the printed book, I would definitely prefer the audiobook. She seamlessly flows from a woman with a British accent to a gruff mountain man to a Colorado young girl to a snotty British whiner with an ease that is truly applause-worthy. She also narrates the next book in the series, Sweet Dreams, in which her performance is equally flawless. I can't wait for the rest of the series to be recorded and released. Definitely worth a credit, especially when you take the length into consideration, not a slow spot in the whole listen.

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23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Don't Waste Your Time!

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Narrator was ok.

Any additional comments?

I was so disappointed. I was excited about listening to a new book with high rating by an author new to me. After trying my best to give it a chance, I could not stand to listen for even one more minute. The story plot seems so weak. The characters are smutty and the four letter words are so profuse that it gets down right ridiculous. The story begins with the male character groping the female even though they have just met. This is pretty much the entire story description throughout. Honestly becomes boring. I plan to ask for my credit back on this one and won't try any others by this author.

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Been a LONG time....

Would you listen to The Gamble again? Why?

Yes! Just to catch the things I may have missed while I listened.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Gamble?

The discussion between the main characters after so much thinking and stewing.

What does Emma Taylor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Emma Taylor is amazing. She brought this story to life for me and was able to switch back and forth from an english to American accent, from male to female, etc. Unbelieveable!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I did. And yes it is LOONG. I usually listen to books with more sexy time, but in 25 hours (over two days), I didn't even notice that there were only a few scenes. Good hot scenes, but only a few.

Any additional comments?

I laughed aloud, I cried openly, This book is the first in a long time that really got me emotional. I am so impressed! I wish I could work and read the rest of the series on my kindle, but I have pre-ordered book 2 and will wait... impatiently.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Controlling and domineering - not in a good way

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed all of the characters and story lines… except for the main one - the romance. Max steals Nina's car keys and notifies the taxi company not to pick her up so she is forced to stay with him. He keeps her keys for the duration of the story. I'm sorry but there is no scenario in which it is okay for someone in a relationship - and even more so, prior to a relationship - to imprison another person by taking away all transportation options and not letting her have a private conversation with her mother. I kept thinking that this story line would redeem itself and it never did. Nina was annoying in her wimpy, inane arguments with him… when she actually said anything other than "Max." By the end of the story, I despised the name simply because of the number of times she said it over and over and then didn't actually say anything.

All of that being said, the tangential story lines, characters, and even Nina and Max outside of their relationship were enjoyable. I'm not sure I'm willing to risk another book by Kristen Ashley, but if I do it will be on the strength of these story elements.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Perfect Audiobook

Every once in a while, I am lucky enough to find a perfect audio book in which some weird, alchemical mix takes place between writer, narrator and director and the result is a sublime listening experience.
The Gamble is one sublime listen.

It's a love story between headstrong English Nina and headstrong Colorado 'mountain man' Max with a liberal sprinkling of mystery, sex, gossip, sex, humour, intrigue and yet more of Ashley's inimitable sex passages. I almost always skip through sex scenes, but Ashley's sex scenes are so well written and pertinent to her stories, I often listen to them. She is better at capturing the mood, motivations and action of a sexual scene- be it playful or intense or just plain in the establishment of intimacy- than any of the great 'erotic writers' (NO- not EL James- think Nin and Miller).

The Gamble is a big, rollicking and engaging story with a vast cast of characters all told in first person by Brit Nina. Narrator Emma Taylor's performance is astounding, switching seamlessly between broad Colorado dialog and English dialects. (here, I ought to tell you that Nina's English dialect is a little Ronald Coleman-ish; a sort of American version of an upper class English dialect that took some getting used to for me who, like Nina holds both passports, but is still a monumental achievement in it's flawlessness).

I've listened to a couple of Kristen Ashley books and quite enjoyed them. Tired of the current glut of torture porn, which I keep returning to Audible (honestly, why don't they label that crap?), I thought, 'well, Ashley's safe' and bought The Gamble. I expected to enjoy it, but I never expected it to be as immersive and wonderful an experience as Outlander.*
Yes, it's that good.




*okay, okay fine: there is extreme torture in Outlander and other great books (American Psycho, the Collector) - and some violence in this- but it's not their raison d'etre.






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14 people found this helpful