I enjoyed being back in the town of Haven, North Carolina and spending more like with this group of friends who are more like family. Crazy For You is a friends to lovers story with a bit of a twist, her big brother who died serving in the military was best friends with the object of her desire and he made a promise to her brother he wouldn’t lay a hand on her, but twelve years has passed and her brother is dead and she is determined to live her life, shake things up, and take some risks and she knows just the man she wants to help her fulfill those dreams. Crazy For You was a flat out fabulous and sexy contemporary romance.

On a bet from her friends on girls night Emma Rush has to take a chance and ask Ryan Blake for a ride on his Harley and while it was a bit difficult for her to do, she can’t deny the absolute rush of not only riding behind him, but having her arms around him. While Ryan is adamant about keeping Emma in the friendzone where he deems she must stay due to a promise he made her brother, watching her meet up and date other men is driving him crazy. Crazy enough that they agree to have a fling, but remain friends only with each passing day their feelings grow and their lives become more entwined with their friends and his newly discovered brother. Add in her plans to move away for a landscape design degree and there was plenty of conflict to make this book really interesting, but not so much it was depressing.

I enjoyed watching Emma and Ryan move from friends to lovers, but what I enjoyed most was the fact they both really did enjoy a lot of the same things. They had a love of the outdoors, of adventure, and the friends they’d molded into family. I appreciated that they both admired each other for their accomplishments and were quick to point out how much they accomplished without any real help from anyone. They had a common bond in losing loved ones and I felt that made their connection that much stronger. I feel like this series has such an ensemble cast, but the couple and their relationship always stands out, the secondary characters just add to an already excellent story.

Crazy For You is a completely engaging and flirty romance and I found it impossible to put down.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

This book was like one big sweet sigh… it was everything you would hope a friends to friends in love would be.  Of course, their relationship wasn’t without it’s struggles, but I really, really liked how all their friends backed them up no matter what stage of the relationship they were in.  It kind of made me want to go back and re-read Gabby and Ethan’s book while simultaneously wanting to jump forward and read Jessica and Mark’s story.

 

Emma was beyond sweet and wanting to step way out of her comfort zone and I love that her friends backed her up on it. I really enjoyed that Emma was an outdoorsy kind of gal, as I can relate to that very much.  She likes to dig in the dirt and doesn’t mind hiking in the wilderness.  Her wild side wasn’t to wild she just wanted to step out of her comfort zone, and she wanted someone to back her up someone who had already been wild once.  I liked that Ryan and she had a history, and that they seemed to be more a like than they thought.

 

Ryan as a character was a little harder for me to connect to, maybe because he was tad bit stubborn.  He did not want to let go of that promise that he made Emma’s brother way back when.  I feel like any logical male would’ve been like well that was when we were teenagers now, we are men it’s different.  I can see though how the author was putting it to the aspect of him struggling with her going for being like a kid sister to a grown woman.  Ryan’s surprise visitor (no spoilers) that comes into his life in the beginning of the book was a great turn of events.  I loved that dynamic and how the whole Haven friend’s group just took that person in.

This was a nice story in that Emma is tired of good girl life and is wanting a bad boy in her life for a change. The one she wants is Ryan and he made a promise to her brother before he left for the military to look after her and since her brother never made it home, he feels that even after four years that is what he still must do. Emma and her friends have decided that Ryan is just the bad boy for her. Tattoos, leather jacket, motorcycle and does not smile all the time. The plan is for him to see it as well. When he gets tired of her bringing in dates to the bar he works at he agrees to go out with her because in his mind she will be leaving for college soon, after saving money, and is now waiting on a letter from the college. Their time together is full of passion, with some hot scenes and she gets a tattoo as well. You get to find out about his past, and hers. A younger half-brother of his comes into town wanting to get to know him and that story is part of the overall story. Though at times I thought that this book was predictable the ending had a few twists that I was not expecting, and the epilogue really helped to tie everything together. Good characters and overall a good book. I got this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Well I just adored that! The best friend's little sister trope is one that never fails to hook me in and Lacey does a great job setting up Ryan and Emma. Ryan is hesitant to start anything with his buddy's little sister, especially since that buddy died in war and can never give his blessing. Emma is looking to push herself out of her comfort zone. Before you know it, the two of them have come together in this explosive 'friends with benefits' relationship that ventures more and more into actual relationship status with every page. But Ryan isn't looking for a relationship...and Emma is getting ready to move to Georgia for school. 

What starts as just a fun time quickly becomes more as they fall into a routine and each sees how the other has grown and matured since they were younger. But will it last or will they sabotage what they have? 

I love the amount of emotion that Lacey put into these characters. I was invested in this group of friends and I was rooting for them all...even when they were being butt-heads (and yes, I used butt-heads). I'm excited for Mark and Jessica's story...that's going to be one for the record books.

Crazy for You is the second book in the Risking It All series by Rachel Lacey. I enjoyed this book even more than the first one! 

Emma is in her late 20's and working at a landscape design company. But it's her dream to go to college and get her degree so she can one day start her own landscaping company. Her mother died when she was 15 and her brother, Derek, was killed in Afghanistan just two years later. She also feels like her life is very boring, so Emma decides that she needs to break out of her shell. At a girls' night out, she tells her friends she is thinking of getting a tattoo and talks about having a fling with a "hot guy". 

Ryan is the "bad boy" who was best friends with Derek. He also made a promise to Derek that he would never date or sleep with Emma. So when Ryan finally returns to Haven and notices that Emma has grown up, he keeps reminding himself of that promise that he made to Derek ten years ago. 

 Emma gets Ryan to give her a ride home on his motorcycle after her girls' night out, that starts the beginning of a relationship between the two of them...although neither one of them is quite sure exactly what that relationship will turn out to be. Emma wants Ryan to help her release her "wild side" by helping her learn to rock climb, get a tattoo, and a number of other different activities. 

Ryan seemed to have a very troubled past, including losing his mom and his baby brother. But after a number of rough and tumble years, he turned things around and got his life on track. His brother's adoptive parents wouldn't let Ryan be a part of Trent's life due to his wild lifestyle. However, Trent drops out of college and finds Ryan. He tried to help Trent as best he can and they are able to begin forming a brotherly bond. Emma also grows to care for Trent as well. 



 It was great fun seeing Ryan and Emma trying to navigate their relationship and figure out what they each wanted from one another. I also appreciated that Ryan's past mistakes didn't seem to haunt him so definitively. We know he had a rough life, but we don't know the nitty gritty details and he seems to have mostly dealt with that part of his life. Ryan just has difficulty coming to terms with how Emma fits in to his life now. 

 Emma had some wonderful mentors and I think she resolved her major dilemmas in a positive way. I thought her character was strong and confident. I appreciated the way she approached her life, especially given the circumstances she grew up with regarding the loss of her mother and brother. 

 I really loved the Epilogue of the book. I thought it was a fitting ending to the struggle both Emma and Ryan have had feeling alone in their lives. 

 Crazy for You is definitely a great book for those who like romance novels. I look forward to the 3rd book in the series! 

 Content: Sex & language

First of all, this is part of a series and I  recommend you read them all. Not because you need to, but you will want to. 
Emma the resident good girl has loved Ryan forever and she wants the resident bad boy.
While this story is fiction, it could very well be someone's life story in truth. 
Emma wants to test her wings and who better to do it with than Ryan.  There's a few slight problems with that tho, lol.  The poor man really gets put to the test. 
Without saying what the book is about, you will love the heat, laugh a lot and shed a few tears.  A well written contemporary romance  that makes you feel as if it's happening and you're a part of it. 
I absolutely love Rachel's books. She is a fairly new author who, I think, has the great gift of story telling and is on my auto buy list. I received an ARC from the author and in return I am giving my honest opinion

Crazy for you was mediocre. I have a feeling the review will be short because I don't have much to say about the book. I didn't have any problem reading it, but in the end, it didn't manage to leave me with a good or even bad impression. It was kind of flat. I feel like the characters needed something more to spice them up. I found myself caring more about Jessica and Mark that for Ryan and Em. That has led me to have some high expectations for their book. I wanted for either Ryan or Em to find a letter from Em's brother saying that be hoped one day to see Ryan and Em together. I think the whole " I promised your brother I wouldn't touch you" thing was silly and it lasted way too long for my liking. I wasn't a fan of Trent. Looking back, I don't feel like he had to offer something to the story, besides creating some minor drama. I have mixed feelings about the book and I am not sure if I would recommend it.

When Emma Rush runs into an ex it reminds her that she had a plan in place to lose her good girl and find her wild side. Deciding to enlist local bad boy, Ryan Blake in her new outlook is a bit harder than she expected especially since the crush she once had for him is still in full bloom.

Ryan made a promise to Emma's brother when he enlisted to protect her and there is a line in doing so he can't cross. However, the more time he spends with Emma the more irresistible she becomes.

Wonderful read. I like this series a lot, I think the charm of it is that you feel like you are a part of their everyday life. Emma is delightful and I felt for Ryan because he has a reputation tat has lingered and it is not who he is. Can't wait for whats next

There is something special about a favorite author that'll lift the dense fog that is a slump. Before picking up Rachel Lacey's Crazy for You, I was sliding into a reading slump. While I could finish a book, it took me over a week to do so. I actually really enjoyed the books I was able to finish, it just took me forever and a day to get through them. When I started celebrating a finished book, the blogging slump reared its ugly head and, well, the joke was on me. To say that I was a little hesitant to start Crazy for You would be an understatement. I adore Rachel's writing and I didn't want the book to fall prey to the reading slump. Thankfully, the opposite happened and I devoured Crazy for You in two nights. Hooray! 

I adored Crazy for You. Rachel's characters are so damn lovable. It's inevitable that I add her heroes to my long list of book boyfriends. Ryan was sexy as sin bad boy with an inner good guy. He's unable to resist Emma, despite his promise to her brother. Ryan fought the attraction for as long as he could, but once Emma started to push back, he was a goner. Good girl Emma is a bad girl at heart. It's hidden beneath all her layers, but it is there. I loved these two together. With their friend's support, there is nothing they can't handle. Speaking of friends... Yay for more Carly! Now if only Sam could make an appearance or two. That is another element of Rachel's books that I love - the friendships between her characters. We get to see the sparks start to grow between Mark and Jessica. And I'm hoping that there is someone in Mandy's future. Overall, Crazy for You was another adorable contemporary romance from an author that has firmly settled herself on my favorite authors list.

Crazy for You has me even more bananas for this series than it did before. From page one I was swept away in this friends to lovers romance. Ryan's love for Emma has grown from kid sister of his best friend who died in the war, to he can't seem to keep her off his mind or heart, whether he wants to admit it or not. His promise so many years ago to Emma's brother to never touch her holds him back until he can't deny his attraction any more. It drove me nuts a bit that he couldn't get past it but he's too damn sexy and sweet to not have him sweep you off your feet. 
Emma is sass and spunk. You can't help but love her character and hope for her long crush on Ryan finally be returned. She's his perfect match to Ryan's hard headed ways. Just as his wild man ways complete her.
Rachel Lacey has a way of making readers feel like they're in the story and easily become emotionally involved with her fun unique characters.  If you're looking for an amazing romance that leaves your heart pounding and happy then I highly recommend checking out Crazy for You.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer jerjen

Emma Rush has been interested in Ryan Blake for as long as she can remember.  She does not even care that he is a “bad boy” and not right for her.  In fact, the “bad boy” image makes her want him more.  But she has to convince Ryan that opposites attract and that she does not care about his reputation.

Ryan is trying very hard to honor his promise to Emma’s brother, to watch out for her and to keep her safe.  He knows that he is not the right person for her and that he is just the type of man Emma’s brother wanted her protected from.  But when he is with her, he finds himself wanting her more and more.  He has a problem and does not know what to do about it.  But if Emma has her way, she will solve his problem by being with him, in all ways.

The characters are well rounded and well developed.  Emma has always been a good girl but with her brother gone, she feels that she needs to relax and have a little fun.  She knows that tomorrow is not promised to us.  Although Ryan comes off to the world as wild and reckless, he has a much deeper side, that only a few people have seen.  It was really heartwarming to see the two of them transform into the people that they wanted to be.  I enjoyed getting to spend more time with Ryan, who I had met in book one.  I was hoping he would have his own story, and here it is.  The secondary characters were also well developed and added a lot to the story.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book was a quick easy read.  The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and I was drawn into the book right from the beginning. The book had a cozy feel to it because of the small town setting, which I liked.  But it also had sadness, humor, drama, romance and heat.  It was a unique combination of all those things, blended together nicely.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted women’s contemporary book.  I do not think it is appropriate for young adults but for everyone else I think you should give it a try.  And while you are at it, read book one, because it was a great read too.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

My Book Review - In the newest book in this series it's Emma and Ryan turn. They have always been friends but when her brother left for the military Ryan promised him to stay away from his sister. But the 15 year old Emma is all grown up and making her minds up about things. In this great friends to lover book -life will change for these two as they begin a relationship and fall in love. Emma needs to make a lot of decision and leaving Ryan and Haven. Can be the biggest one.
Loved the story and its definitely a stand a lone because I had not read the other books. But I'am planning to change that because I loved all the characters in the book. It;s a book that was a great read but left now want to read the next book. So I can find out what happen to this great cast of characters. Thanks for a great book !  Lisa

I loved Crazy For You by Rachel Lacey!!
Emma and Ryan were so swoon worthy! In many ways, they were complete opposites. They came from different walks of life, had different professions, and different ways of living. Despite all these things, they also were so similar, and were able to understand each other like no one else.
The chemistry and connection between them was beautiful. It felt very real to me. It wasn't forced or made up.
This novel was filled with passion and need between the characters. They had an undeniable spark between them, that will make any reader want to keep on reading to see how everything will play out!
4/5 Stars!!

With Crazy for You, we head back to Haven to see Ryan and Emma find their happily ever after! It's a mix of bad boy/good girl and best friend's little sister kind of romance. They've known each other since forever; Emma has always had a bit of a crush on her older brother's best friend, and Ryan's promise to protect Emma like his own sister. But now years later, there's a spark between them that can't be denied!

""You drive me absolutely crazy, you know that?" he whispered against her lips, his words sending a thrill through her.

"Good.""

I found both Ryan and Emma to be so sweet. Emma has always been the good girl, but with the motivation of her friends, she tries to be more adventurous. And Ryan is the perfect guy to help her. Ryan (though somewhat reluctantly at first) gives Emma the "crazy" ride she's looking for. I really enjoyed their spark and chemistry but  more than that I appreciated that their relationship is based on friendship and not just that lust/attraction. The moments where Ryan taught Emma to rock climb were definitely one of my favourites. It's one of those cute longtime coming kind of romance.

The book continues with it's small town feel and while the romance is the focus, there's still other relationships that we get to explore.  With Ryan's half  brother popping back into his life, I think this is where Ryan really shined as guy who really cares for the people he loves. The group of friends are always near by to add their two cents and I'm looking forward to Mark and Jessica's second chance romance.

Overall, with minimal angst and lots of cute moments Crazy for You was a sweet-lighthearted romance. It was a nice addition to the series and I look forward to more of these sweet small town romances.

What a delightful weekend read that had me smiling as I read. You will find yourself hoping for the best for Emma and Ryan but understand the difficulties that their relationship faces. No one wants to go against their word but when it comes to love and what truly may be for the best, is it worth the sacrifice? If you are a fan of happy ever afters, this is the story for you.

In the second book of Rachel Lacey’s RISKING IT ALL series, we read the good girl taking on the bad boy. Okay, not exactly. Well, somehow. You know how reputations are, they have a bad habit of sticking. And Emma, in one corner with her good sticker, together with Ryan who happens to own the bad, they give a pretty decent, hot, romantic friends to lovers story. 

It’s been a while since I’ve read the first book of the series, but I did remember as soon as I started Emma and Ryan’s story. And perhaps it was the friends with benefits turning into lovers thing, but though I liked the first one, I loved this. The friendship between Emma and Ryan, their own personal histories, and the slow burn of their love was very entertaining to read. Just like in the first book, Rachel Lacey sprinkled the story with some serious issues, but just like the first book, they never stole from the main theme, instead making everything seem deeper. I liked how the author handled all that and was able to give me the satisfaction of a romance well convincing.

I’ll definitely be back to Haven. Not just because I’m curious to the extreme about the next couple, but also because it’s always fun to be back to a small town romance where emotions are high but not exhausting, and the sex is hot. Ha!

I’m adding four spoonfuls of this story into my hodgepodge.

You know that taking a walk on the wild side by having a fling with the former bad you had a crush on for years is not going to go the way you plan. This is exactly what happens when Emma decides that Ryan is the perfect guy to fool around with, especially since she plans to leave town in a few months. Ryan on the other hand is no longer the bad boy of his youth and he promised Emma's late brother he would look after her and never touch her. They actually have a really fun and sweet relationship with lots of heat between them. They've both had extremely hard and sad moments in their lives, but that somehow makes them perfect for each other. They hit a few bumps on the road, mainly due to Ryan's stubbornness, but it all works out in the end. I love the circle of friends and can't wait for Mark's story - loved the sneak peek at the end of this book!
4.5 stars