Unlikely Venture by Kristen Luciani- Blog Tour and Review

Unlikely Venture by Kristen Luciani The Venture Series

Publication Date: November 10, 2014 

Genres: Contemporary, Romance 

Synopsis

After learning Jessica's been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, her fiancé bolted out of her life as if he was on fire. She finds solace in her career--no distractions or romantic entanglements there!

But the universe has its own agenda. Three thousand miles away from home and in the most unlikely of circumstances, Jessica meets Silicon Valley rising star James Callahan and her world is instantly turned upside down. Things go further awry when she encounters a ghost from the past. That one night of reckless abandon is back to haunt her and the control she fought so hard to regain is now in the hands of another. Plagued by betrayal and guilt over his dad’s untimely death, James left Cambridge in search of a new beginning. With laser-focus, he built a cutting edge technology company now on the brink of financial success. Romance is the last thing on his mind…until he meets Jessica. Fate brought them together, awakening their dormant emotions. But Jessica’s scandalous secret consumes her and threatens the very happiness she feared she’d never find with another man. Can James handle the truth about her past? Or did she pick the wrong guy yet again?

My Review:

Unlikely Venture by Kristen Luciani
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jessica has plunged herself into her career after being left by her fiancé following a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. She isn't sure what her future will look like or how much longer she will be able to physically handle her fast-paced career so she is determined to do the most she can now. She is scared to get involved with anyone since she is afraid that they will leave her like her fiancé did when they find out she has some serious health problems ahead of her. James is running a successful gaming company and meets Jessica when they run into one another on the street. He has had a rough time of his own over the past year, and has also dived into his work. They are very attracted to one another, but Jessica is afraid that if she tells him the truth about herself, he will leave her too.

Throughout this book I felt like I was being told what the story was rather than experiencing the story. Jessica is a likable character who is easy to root for, but I never really felt that I got to know her. It is obvious that she is driven and is determined to be successful in her job even as she navigates through her health crisis. James is a very likable character too, although I would have liked to see him developed more as well. The dialogue between the characters was pretty choppy at times, and through a lot of the story I really only knew about the connection between Jessica and James because they kept stating it out loud. I never really felt their connection or understood how they had gotten to a point so quickly where they cared so much for one another. Sometimes the insta-love thing can work for me if I really feel that intense connection between the characters, but with this book I only knew about it because I was told it was there. I was confused about one of the characters in the book who was pretty much a straight-up villain. I couldn't comprehend why any of the characters in the book would feel the need to maintain a friendship with this person since she was nothing but overtly mean throughout. There was some drama from the business aspect of the book, and it was interesting to see how peoples companies were intersecting.

I did like the way the author brought attention to Multiple Sclerosis. It was interesting to see how Jessica had to deal with the physical challenges, and fear that comes along with a diagnosis that will change your life.

*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review

Excerpt :

“Life’s too short. I get it now, after all this time. I’ve done a lot of soul-searching lately and I don’t want to miss out on living anymore. I want to enjoy as much as I can without having to be bogged down with worries. You never know when your time’s up.” He snapped his fingers. “It can happen just like that.”

“You’re right, the small stuff really isn’t that important.” She hesitated, not knowing what to say next.

He stroked her hand. “I decided I’d rather take a chance on something ... or someone ... then wonder if things might have been different if I wasn’t afraid to try.”

Jessica’s heart pounded as he stared at her. She saw the hope alive in his eyes. He says that now. But will he still feel that strongly once he finds out I’m sick? Will he still want me then? I don’t want to find out, it’s better if we keep this light. But she couldn’t ignore the unmistakable connection between them. It was almost strong enough to trump her fears and insecurities, at least for the short-term.

About the Author

Kristen Luciani is a self-proclaimed momtrepreneur with a penchant for Christian Louboutins, Silicon Valley (the place, not the show), plunging necklines and grapefruit martinis. As a deep-rooted romantic who prefers juicy drama to fill the lives of anyone other than her, she tried her hand at creating a world of enchantment, sensuality, and intrigue, finally uncovering her true passion. No pun intended…

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