Review: Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker

When a gorgeous young dancer walks through his door, a strip club owner must decide whether to follow his rules or his heart in the third novel by the author of One Tiny Lie and Ten Tiny Breaths.

Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine-year-old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that.

Twenty-two-year-old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her can’t get distracted by romance.

Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, and that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

Series:  Ten Tiny Breaths #3
Release Date: 11/04/13
Publisher:  Atria
Source: Manic Readers
Reviewer:  Karen
Rating:

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE is a captivating story about Cain and Charlie.  The story is a rollercoaster ride of emotions including suspense, tension and drama.  It kept me on the edge of my seat and I loved every minute of it.

At twenty-nine, Cain runs an adult entertainment club named Penny’s located in Miami.  It is the crème de la crème of adult entertainment clubs.  He puts his heart and soul into the business and the people working for him.  He cares about the girls too much and is always trying to help make their lives better.   It’s exhausting trying to help them all.  I fell in love with Cain who is a hot alpha male with a sensitive side.

Cain and Charlie meet when she asks for a job as a dancer in his club.   He is immediately drawn to her, but he has a policy of never getting involved with the girls at the club.  Charlie has never stripped before and she is different from the other girls.  She isn’t easy to read, keeps her emotions hidden and has secrets that she can’t share with anyone.  She is innocent, vulnerable, beautiful and sweet.  I liked Charlie, but felt sorry for her and the situation she was caught up in, at eighteen she doesn’t know how to deal with her out of control life.  As Charlie works in the club, she and Cain become increasingly aware of each other and try their best to ignore the strong attraction simmering between them.  Cain always has to help a person in need and he senses Charlie needs his help.

It’s always fun to discover a new author and I plan on reading everything K. A Tucker has written because, I loved everything about this book and think K. A. Tucker is a gifted writer.  I enjoyed the camaraderie between all of Cain’s friends.  I especially liked the Ben, a law student working at the club and hope there will be a book about him in the future.  This is the first book I have read in this series and each book is a stand-alone.  The story is alternately told between Cain and Charlie’s point of view.  Can Cain and Charlie share a future together?