What an engrossing and fast-paced read Ms. Lacey has penned in this book, which hooked me from the very beginning with the dare Emma's friends challenge her to follow through on. Will Ryan respond to her attempts at flirting? Will she be able to convince the hero into doing what she needs to do for the dare? However, I loved the moment the hero and heroine came face-to-face for the first time, as neither are expecting to see each other in that moment. Yet, it's palpable both are happy to see each other. 

Both the main characters were entertaining due to their past history, as Emma was the annoying little sister type growing up and now she's not; their growing relationship, which is filled with plenty of heat; their back stories, which were emotional because they've lost so much and need each other to remind them that they still have someone they consider family; and the fact that this story encompasses the brother's best friend trope and Ryan does his best to honor the promise he made to his friend. Will Ryan be able to keep his promise? 

Emma is strong, brave, and has done well for herself after everything she's been through in having lost her mom and brother at a young age. She's also hard-working, and I liked her plans for her future. She has so many decisions to make when it comes to her career, and I liked the ones she did make. As it meant she could still have the dream for her career she always wanted, stay where she's always felt she belonged and hopefully have the happy ever after she desperately deserves after suffering so much loss in her life. Moreover, I like how enthusiastic she is about her career and how she makes everyone in her small town proud of her by what she does with honoring those that never came home from fighting for their country.  

While Ryan, he was a fantastic hero that I could not get enough of. He does his best to resist Emma, but there's no use. Not when she's so determined to annoy him with the way she teases him with talk about other guys and her plans to be a little bad. They have plenty of fun, which had me smiling throughout this book, and definitely get a little wild in and out of the bedroom. The hero's past wasn't an easy one either, because he was a bit of a troublemaker, but he's lucky to have found such great friends in the male secondary characters, as he, Ethan and Mark have managed to make a success of themselves with their business. 

Overall, Ms. Lacey has penned a really good read in this book, which made me smile plenty of times because of the teasing dialogue between Ryan and Emma as well as between the main and secondary characters. Yet, it also made me want to cry at times due to the main characters back stories, especially with Ryan torn between honoring his promise to Emma's brother and wanting to be with Emma. Can he find a way to do both? The way this story ended was delightful, as Ryan had to find a way to make things right with the heroine after what he did to make her mad at him. However, it was the epilogue that wrapped this story up perfectly, because of Emma's surprise. I would recommend Crazy for You by Rachel Lacey, if you enjoy the brother's best friend trope or books by authors Lori Wilde, Jules Bennett, Jessica Lemmon or Shannon Stacey.

Emma and Ryan were so perfect for each other and so fun to read. I loved this book.

I think I have found a new one click author! 
This was a fun friends to lovers story that has a couple of strong sub plots focusing on how dreams change and how family is what we make it. 
When a dare pushes Emma to finally flirt with Ryan, it starts a wild ride for both of them. I enjoyed these two together and loved how their friends could see how right they were for each other even when they couldn't. 
This is a well written stand alone that is 2nd in a series, but stands independently. I am definitely curious to go back and read book 1!

The more I read from Rachel Lacey the bigger fan I become. Crazy For You is the latest in the Risking It All series and it is a winner!

Emma Rush has always had a crush on her older brother's best friend Ryan Blake but knows nothing will ever come of it. Ryan promised his late buddy he would never hit on his sister but would always watch out for her. But when Emma decides to shake up her comfortable ordered life she knows Ryan is just the bad boy to help her. 

I absolutely adored this story. When Emma decides to change her life she doesn't do it half measures. She knows the time is right to embrace who she has always wanted to be not only on the outside but inside as well. She is brimming with guts, bravery and heart. 

Ryan has tried to not let his past and up bringing define him. He strives to be a better man and do the right thing, even if it means not acting on his attraction to Emma. 

This book has the right combinations of heart, emotion and struggle. It was sweet but not candy coated sweet, there is so much emotional struggle but it was internal. You couldn't help but cheer for this couple even as you worried they would be their own downfall. 

I am loving this series and can't wait to read more about the residents of Haven, Georgia!
~nikki

Emma was the pesky little sister of Derek. Ryan and Derek were best friends with a penchant for thrill seeking. Emma always wanted to tag along, but the boys said no. After high school Derek enlisted with the dream of going to college after he finished his service. Ryan, always feeling restless, took off on his motorcycle across country in hopes of finding the little brother who was adopted after their mom overdosed. Ryan promised Derek to look after his sister AND not sleep with her....

Years later, Ryan returns to Haven to run an outdoor adventure business with his friends Mark and Ethan. Derek didn't make it back from war. Ryan also works part-time as a bartender. When Emma walks up to the bar, on a dare, he can't help but notice how she's grown up. Emma is all Ryan can fantasize about, but can't have. Emma enlists Ryan's help in becoming more "wild, sexy, adventurous". Ryan says yes, even though he knows nothing can come of a relationship between them.

As Ryan and Emma spend more time together, it becomes harder to deny their connection and love. Emma struggles with following her dream to earn a degree in landscape architecture, while Ryan struggles with a promise he made 10yrs ago to Derek. I loved how supportive Ryan is of Emma. He introduces her to new experiences and helps her tackle her fears to achieve her dreams. I love that Emma supported Ryan's quest to form a relationship with his brother Trent. This novel was sweet, sexy, and funny. I did want to smack Ryan over the head about his reluctance to pursue Emma due to honoring a promise. Otherwise, this was a truly enjoyable read! I read a gifted copy and all opinions stated are my own.

Emma has been in love with Ryan since she was a young girl he was her brothers best friend, and her brother made him promise to look out for his sister.
Emma has decided she is sick of being boring so she is gonna start taking chances and it starts with trying to seduce Ryan. Ryan is trying so hard not fall for Emma but he is quickly losing the battle but maybe they could have fun till she goes back to school in Georgia. As Emma starts to try new things she wants and has Ryan right beside her and she is starting to fall in love with him but she knows she is leaving and she can't. I just love this little town Haven that they live in and how everyone knows everything but can it keep Ryan and Emma together?

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second in this series and continues with the story of another member of the group of men and their Haven based outdoor activity business.

Ryan is a man who has had to work hard to succeed, and whilst outwardly he may be tattooed and ride a Harley, he is still a man of honour and sensitivity. His reputation as a player may have once been justified, but right now he is just working hard to get the new business running. So when his dead best friend's little sister, Emma, flirts with him, he friend-zones her immediately. She is not going to let it rest though and watching them dance around each other is great fun.

This is a good story, which shows just how complicated it can be to navigate through life. No really major dramas to get round, just the things in life which remind us all how a decision can have such different outcomes to those we might have planned.

We get some very strong hints as to whose turn it will be next... but I resisted reading the first chapter at the end of the book, because I would only be frustrated at having to wait!


Lee'Anne – ☆☆☆☆
This is a sweet romance that really sucks you in from page one!

Emma has had a crush on her brother’s best friend, Ryan, forever. When her brother is killed while in the military, Ryan takes on the role of protector for Emma and they’ve never stepped out of that friend-zone. Then Emma decides she needs a walk on the wild side and Blake is the route she’d like to take. Ryan does everything he can to resist in the beginning, but the more time they spend together the less resistance he has until the sparks explode between the two.

I really love both Emma and Ryan’s characters. They’re well-written and though the plot line isn’t exactly original, it’s done in a way that will have you unwilling to set stop reading. I really love Mark and Jess’s characters and from what I’ve read their story is next… can’t wait!

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, motor cycle 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.

Unfortunately, I did not care for this book as I had Run to You, the first in the series. The writing in this one is not nearly as good, and I never connected to the characters. I did not post the review because this was part of a book tour, and I don't post negative reviews when participating in a tour. I did, however, promote the book. I added the link.

Run to You got me started with this series and I was excited to get to Crazy For You. Ryan’s bad boy, tattoos, and motorcycle made him the wrong guy for good girl Emma. But this good girl had decided to go a little wild. She wants Ryan to show her how to let go and have a good time. Life ends sometimes on a dare, but for Emma life only opened up for her and showed her what she was missing when she was dared to do the unimaginable for her good girl persona. 

Good girl, Emma, and bad boy, Ryan, cliché I know, makes for an entertaining read in love, honor, respect, friendship. Emma and Ryan both need to learn to live outside the shell they have both been in. It takes the other to move them in to action. Living life can be that much sweeter when you decide to open-up and live for yourself. 

I think some more details could have taken this one over the top for me. I loved being back in Haven. It was great seeing the small-town vibe was still alive and kicking. The build of their rekindled friendship and lovers’ relationship was just what the other needed to live again.

4.5 stars

Crazy for You by Rachel Lacey was a well written and very entertaining read, and I loved it!

Emma and Ryan's story captured my heart, they were both beautiful, relatable and entertaining characters that I easily connected with. I was thoroughly entertained all throughout the book.
I loved watching their relationship move from friends to lovers. They made me smile, they made me laugh and they made me swoon. 
And the chemistry was off the charts!!

Overall, Crazy for You is a heartwarming read with characters that will take you on a emotional ride while they get to their happily everafter.

Crazy for You is the second book in the Risking It All series, each book has been a joy to read and I highly recommend them.
Looking forward to Can't Forget You which comes out October 31st 2017.

*Purchase Links*
Amazon -> https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-You-Risk...
B&N -> http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crazy...

*Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.*

Crazy for You  is a fun  sibling’s best friend romance with some heart..  Emma has always had a crush on Ryan the resident hottie of their small town . Ever since she can remember she had an interest  but he saw her as Derek’s little dorky sister. You get the general gist of the story.

Now they grown adults but they are still firmly in the friend zone even though  Emma has plenty of ideas of what she like to do with him. And they aren’t fit for this good girl image.

Well Emma decided to risk it all and take a walk on the dark side. She tired of being the good girl and   wants  to see what it like to be naughty. And who no better  then Ryan but  he doesn’t want exactly anything  to do with it.  He isn’t the man for Emma especially with his screwed past and the fact is he promised Derek her brother that he wouldn’t cross boundaries.

He would look after her and be there for her as a  friend and  surrogate brother, but Emma got Ryan thinking  of anything but that. ..

Especially now that he is all that is left, there no chance  right ?

I love  a cliché romance but there  was so much more to this story . Both  shared common back stories and so it was obvious this book wasn’t going to be straight forward as I thought . They both longed for what they lost and it was cute seeing this two realise what they had in front of them . They both saw each other is purely as friends  before so  I loved watching them explore the  new side to their relationship. It was fun and  exciting time for them I loved that the author took her time exploring this new  side.   As a romance like this should be considering they were trying to find their place in the world exactly.

Crazy for You was everything I expect  when I picked up this book and started reading.  Whilst I was new to the series, I didn’t find myself missing a beat and immediately falling in love with the setting and characters. Whilst fun and sweet there was plenty of sexy moments that was the perfect balance given the  characters. I enjoyed my visit to Haven and I love the author’s storytelling.

Crazy for you is such a fun book to read. It is book #2 of the, A Ricking It All series. If you haven't yet read the novella and book that comes before this one you should give them both a try. Well worth the read. 

I really loved both Emma & Ryan. We all (including the other characters) knew they were meant to be together. If only Ryan would get with the program. The man needed a knock upside the head more then once.

Even with Ryan being bull headed you knew where this story was going. I'm glad he was able to finally reconnect with his brother, he deserved that. Ryan might have grown up a little rough around the edges, but inside where it counts, he was a good guy. 

I'm also glad that Emma got her dream and Ryan too. I bet your now wondering what that dream is. You know what you'll have to do to find out. 

Both Emma and Ryan might have a lot to work though, but I will say that I enjoyed reading about it. Crazy for You will keep you reading from the first  page till the last. For all of us that have read the first two books you'll enjoy visiting with some of those characters. 

I really love this series and at times while reading it I thought about putting my book down and climb a wall, then I realized that I'd rather see what was going to happen to next to Emma & Ryan. Ha!

3.5 “Motorcycles & Flowers” Stars

ARC via NetGalley.

Thank you, Forever!

In Crazy For You, Rachel Lacey brings you another sweet, small town romance packed with tons of chemistry.

The second title in the Risking It All series that follows three friends who started a new business called Off-The-Grid Adventures and the love of their lives focuses on Ryan and Emma.

We got to see a little bit of them in the first book, and I remember saying I was super excited to read their story because it featured one of my favorite romance tropes, the “brother’s BFF” or “BFF’s sister”.

Ryan and Emma go way back, since Ryan was best friends with Emma’s brother. Before he went to war, Emma’s brother asked Ryan to take care of Emma, and made him promise to not go after her, which made sense at the time because Ryan was a “bad boy”. But that was many years ago, and since her brother never came back from the war, Ryan could never let go of that promise. The trouble is Emma isn’t the innocent girl he wanted to protect back then. She’s grown up and looking for trouble.

Tired of being the good girl who goes for safe guys, Emma is looking to shake things up. In fact, she’s looking to act upon her long-time crush on her brother’s BFF. Ryan is sexy and used to be trouble, but now he’s kind of a reformed bad boy who still intrigues her. After her friends dare her to have some fun, Emma flirts with Ryan and things escalate from there.

The story is really, really low on drama. The main thing keeping them apart is Ryan’s hesitation to hook up with someone he wasn’t supposed to touch, but since Emma is willing to give the whole “friends with benefits” a try, we don’t spend a lot of that on Ryan’s hesitation. They quickly move into more-than-friends territory, which means we spend most of the book seeing those two fall in love. They’re adorable together and their chemistry is just as hot as I’ve come to expect from this author. Rachel Lacey knows how to write cute, but hot romances, that’s for sure. Her sexy scenes never disappoint. Add a motorcycle and a tattooed, former bad boy love interest in the mix and you have all the fire you’re looking for.

Despite being a “good girl”, Emma brings a lot of fire on her own. She’s curious about how different her life could be if she turns just a little bad, and that reflects in all her sexy scenes with Ryan.

For those who read the first book, we also get to see Gabby and Ethan again. Mark and Jess (the spa lady) also make an appearance, and I’m guessing their love story will be more drama-heavy than this one.

I’d recommend this book (this series, in fact) to readers who want to enjoy a sweet romance with likable characters, low drama and a fair amount of sexy scenes.

An adorably hot couple, a group of friends and lots of laughs! Rachel Lacey has slayed the friends to lovers trope with this latest installment in her Risking It All series. I love this group of friends in general, but Emma and Ryan together just tore up the pages! STEAMY! Can’t wait for more out of Haven, NC!

Good girl Emma Rush has a hankering for a bad boy … and she knows just where to find one!

Ryan Blake is a bad boy personified! The sexy swagger, the no commitment attitude, the motorcycle, the tattoos … HOT! He came back to Haven, NC a few months ago to open up an outdoor sporting facility with his buddies Ethan and Mark. They are having the time of their lives getting this thing up and running, but being around Emma again after all these years is sweet torture! He was best friends with her brother back in high school and when he went off to join the military, he promised him he’d take care of her for him … that might have been a dozen years ago, and her brother might have never made it home, but Ryan still feels the weight of that promise to his core. He might want to get his hands on the sexy doll she’s become, but he can’t do that to his friend … it would be wrong … wouldn’t it??

Every moment as I read this story I fell a little bit more for  Emma and Ryan. They were so easy to like, love, and relate to. The warm, fuzzy, cozy feelings the book gave from the passionate yet adorable romance, with the angst and uncertainty from the past, promises made, and the questions about the future, the story just wrapped around me like the favorite blanket, and I enjoyed it immensely. 
The small North Carolina mountain town charmed me. The images of Haven were easy to create in my mind and the group of friends, who's lives and loves we get to observe captivated my heart and mind. This best friend's sister in a small town romance surely got the heat up and me sighing and swooning and smiling while being entertained. 
Emma and Ryan both had lost their family at a young age and had to learn early on to fend for themselves. They were both tough, capable, and not afraid to take risks, very similar in nature even though Ryan had always been labeled as a bad boy while Emma carried the good girl reputation. Under the tough exterior, Ryan was a kind, considerate, generous, and sweet person, just don't tell him, I said that. His love for his friends and long lost brother was palpable, I loved his loyalty, honesty, and sense of honor. 
Emma had finally found her footing in her hometown. The loneliness she had always felt starting to fade, she had the courage and curiosity to take life by the horns and to live fully, make changes, and experience new things. 
Together Emma and Ryan had an amazing chemistry. The sexy scenes are sizzling hot and often detailed, but they get to spend time off the sheets as well, getting to know each other in a new and exciting way, sharing life and challenging themselves as Ryan is guiding Emma to 'be bad'. 
The angst of promises made and the concerns for the future were played well in the story. Just long and deep enough to be believable, but not to the extend to irk and exhaust the reader. And you definitely get all the feels from the delightful and delectable epilogue. This is a story that left me smiling, and that smile still hasn't faded. The author surely knows how to create a story, with a wide variety of emotions, that is seamlessly flowing from the pages and enchanting the reader's mind. I'm looking forward to the next installment of the series! 
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

Wow, this book is H-O-T. Well the chemistry between Emma and Ryan is hot. It was building and building that if Emma did not make a more on Ryan soon I was going to (well in my head). It sure did not take Emma long to turn from the good, boring girl to the wild woman. Before Ryan; Emma was so boring that she was dumped (ouch). Ryan did hold up his end of the deal with Emma's late brother to watch over her. Although, I have to admit that if it was not for Ryan, Emma probably would have still been the good girl. Not that there is anything wrong with good girls as I am one. No matter where Ryan or Emma were, they could heat up a room. 

The other characters in this book were good. They did not have as strong of roles but they sure were not in the story for just fillers. The last third of the story is when things really got real. This is also when I saw the more emotional side of Ryan. Calling all romance fans, you have to check this book out.

Crazy for You is the second book in Rachel Lacey’s Risking It All series and returns to the small town of Haven. Emma has had the hots for her deceased brother’s best friend, Ryan, for years. He is also attracted to her but has a strict hands-off rule when it comes to Emma, because he promised her brother before he went off to war that he would watch out for her. He also believes too “bad” for a good girl like Emma.

She is actually tired of being the good girl and is looking to get a little crazy. Her childhood friends dare her to kiss Ryan, and she accepts. When they do kiss, Ryan finds it hard to resist this new, grown-up version of Emma.

Ryan and Emma have great chemistry and Crazy for You had an interesting sub-plot that added complexity to the story. If you like small town romances with endearing characters and plenty of heat, you'll want to add this to your to-be-read shelf.

Gosh! Crazy for You was so freaking good. I didn't expect to enjoy it this much but I fell in love with this book and the characters. Everything felt so real and I might have even shed a tear or two.

Emma and Ryan had been friends since their childhood and Emma had always harboured a crush on Ryan but she had never acted upon it. When her friends dare her to do something dangerous and bad, she takes on this opportunity with Ryan. But when feelings come in the way, it's up to Ryan and Emma to decide what they really want.

I enjoyed this story soo goddamn much! I have to say, although the plot was predictable it still felt a whole new story... if you get what I mean. There was so much to love in this book, the friendship and the romance took me in for a ride and it all started with that one dare.

When Emma decides to spice up her life and her friends dare her and she makes a deal with the devil, aka Ryan. Ryan has never been the one to settle down and he didn't even dare to look at Emma any other way after he promised her brother who was his best friend as well, that he would never take advantage of her. But he decides to give in when Emma manages to persuade him. I loved the relationship between them, they had already been friends for years and the author made a really good job because it certainly felt like they knew each other so well. Their relationship felt so natural (in the best way possible) and I absolutely loved the chemistry between them.

This book also focused on a great deal on friendship which I fell in love with. Emma and Gabby were just bff goals! I seriously adored those two sooo much. And on the other hand, we had Ryan, Ethan, and Mark who were practically more like family than friends. Trent provided another interesting aspect in the story though I would have loved to see some more brotherly bonding between the two.

Overall, Crazy for You was a great read. I loved how the plot was executed and the characters were layered. The romance between Emma and Ryan was everything!! I loved those two so much. The writing was smooth and easy to read and the pace was even throughout the book. We got a glimpse of Jessica and Mark in this book and I can't wait to read their story next!!

Recommend it?

Yes.

Last year I was fortunate enough to read and review both of the first entries in the Risking It All series Rock with You and Run to You by Rachel Lacey. For this reader, Lacey really hit all of the right notes, combining involved love stories in a small town with lots of interesting and fun background characters.

Crazy for You started out great with the main character Emma Rush deciding that when she’s dumped by a boring man for being too boring that she needs to make some changes and she takes up the dare suggested by the other girls on girl’s night. As happens, the dare goes a little south and Emma is thrust into the company of Ryan Blake, the guy who was her brother’s best friend and whom she has been crushing on forever.

Unlike Rock with You and Run to You, Crazy for You felt like a very standard romance. Many of the background characters that made the previous two entries so much fun, namely the rollicking group of old ladies, were no where to be seen. There was a strangely deja vu experience of having disapproving parents appear, much as what happened in Run to You, and then there was this  parallel college decision in which Ryan’s younger brother, Trent, is told how impoortant college is for his future and, yet, Emma, given the opportunity to go, doesn’t see how equally important it is for her. It was like at 27, her character was already written off as being too old and needed to get on with the “more important things in life”. That left me feeling a little dissatisfied.

Don’t get me wrong, Crazy for You is still well-written and has its own charm, it just doesn’t have that small town quirkiness of the previous two or the depth of Run to You that makes it above average. The romance between Ryan and Emma isn’t as memorable as either of the previous stories as well maybe because so many romance writers are writing about the “bad boys and the good girls who love them” that it’s more difficult to make it fresh.

I am looking forward to the next book as there is more than a hint of mystery surrounding the past of Mark and Jessica and here’s hoping that there’s a return to small town quirk.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.