All-In (Gamblers, #1)

by Sarah Curtis

[stacey_is_sassy]

***IT'S ALIVE***

Is it possible for a HERO to be perfect?

I’m worried that the amount of romance I read has made me cynical. I expect the hero to want sex without commitment (I'm not ready for commitment, I just want some fun). I’m waiting for the ex (of the hero) to walk in the door to claim her man back (Drama Lama). There’s this little part of me that’s waiting for the hero to get cold feet as soon as he starts to feel (You're too good for me...I'm doing it for you). Is this reality? Or, maybe I’ve read so many stories where this is the norm, that I expect to have it pop up in all the romance stories I read. Well, In All-In I was waiting…and waiting…and waiting…but…it didn’t come.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of emotion and a fair amount of drama. For once, though, the hero is innocent, makes mistakes and apologises and runs forwards instead of backwards when he starts to feel. How cool is that…we actually get a HERO. Yeah, yeah the guy in the book normally has the title "hero", but how many of those blokes are actually heroes? Sure, they may eventually become hero…ish by the end of the book, but in a lot of the reads, we have to deal with a wee bit of douchewafflery before we get there.

It’s kind of sad that I kept waiting for Alec, our HERO, to do something bad.

River and her brother Royal have poker in their blood. Their father, when he was alive, was a famous poker player and he passed on his talent to his kids. One of the kids turned out a natural and the other is good, but isn’t as successful. Guess which one decided to make poker his career? Well, Royal, he got himself into a wee bit of trouble and now owes money to some baddies. Royal sweet talks River into heading to a tournament to win enough money to clear the debt. River says yes immediately because that’s what family does and Royal is the only family she’s got.

While River has never played professional poker, she does know a lot of the players. She had a HUGE crush when she was 13, on a 21-year-old player by the name of Alec Throne. Guess who she bumps into when her flight lands in Eden Island, home of the Omega One tournament?

Alec cannot believe his good luck when the beautiful woman he bumped into at the airport walks into the restaurant he is at. Not wasting any time, he approaches her and forces an introduction. This woman has his heart racing and his mind in a whirl. It’s going to take his best game to convince her to give him a chance.

I really enjoyed reading All-In. Even with a glossary of terms and Poker Hand Ranking (HA…I still have no idea what that’s all about), I admit to not understanding poker. I know there are cards, poker faces, dealers, players, straight, bets, flushes and folds…words…blah…blah…blah…words. Foreign bloody language to be honest. But, it didn’t really matter. I was still able to experience the highs and lows of the game and felt the excitement of a win and devastation of a loss. It was fun, but I’m pretty sure I don’t have the nerves or the poker face to ever be a successful player.

All-In is all about the love story. It was sweet, steamy and a wee bit insta-lust morphing into love. There’s some drama but most of it is with River and Alec on the same side fighting the foe. I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish, loved the characters and was sucked into the storyline. I’ve read nearly all of Sarah Curtis’s work and her talent has increased with each story. All-In is my favourite, though, and I’m kind of hoping we’ll get Nico’s story in the future…and maybe Victoria’s…or…maybe Victoria and Nico…together.

If you're looking for a quick fix with a sexy HERO and a smart and loyal HEROINE, I definitely suggest giving All-In a go.




I’m an Aussie chick who loves to read and review romance, drink coffee, be a Style Setter and stalk David Gandy. To see more of my reviews, fashion, food and pervathons -