I loved the concept of this series! I admire Kurt for wanting to provide his brother with a better future and stepping up to be his guardian, even though it meant they needed to move to a completely different place and basically start over.

If you're a fan of the authors Amish series this might not be the series for you, as it contains swearing and alcohol. I had NO issues with it and didn't feel like it took away from the storyline, but I know there are others that don't particularly care for it, so fair warning.

My only gripe is there wasn't a valid punishment or consequences for certain actions (you'll know when you read it!) I was also hoping for an epilogue, but the book ends quite suddenly, leaving the reader wanting more, hence it getting 3.4 stars instead of 4. Neither of those will stop me from continuing with this series and I'm looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

Ok, I have to confess, I received this book back when I went to Book Con! I regret that I waited so long to read this! What was I thinking? I received the digital copy from Netgalley after that and actually read that copy. You can get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BS53X75/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

This book is a love story with a life lesson hidden along the way. It is something that a guy could also get into. It isn't as cheesy as I like my love stories, but it was a really good read! We begin this with a Tip for Beginning Poker Player's. It then takes us to the Principal's office. Kurt had just gotten guardianship of his brother, Sam. Kurt was at work when he got the call about Sam's fight. Kurt was astonished that this involved Sam. Sam was everything that Kurt was not- friendly, clean-cut, smart and he had their mother's goodness. Sam was defending Kayla Everett, a cheerleader who had her photo taken in the locker room in her bra. Garret had forwarded this photo all over the school. Despite him defending her honor, Sam was punished with a one day school suspension. Once Kurt finds out all the implications of being suspended truly means, he pursues the change of punishment, as he was sticking up for another student and did not throw the first punch. Unfortunately, Sam wants to just take the suspension and move on, Kurt submits. Sam soon learns that the school that he attended in West Virginia where he was top of the class wasn't the best school when he comes to Ohio and needs to get help in some subjects. He ends up getting some tutoring by his counselor, also one of his teachers. His brother ends up being quite the Guardian with little experience. The two end up learning quite a lot from each other and about each other. Kurt wasn’t there for him when Sam was little, it was just their mom that did most of the raising with their dad in the mines all day working. We learn about taking matters into our own hands to handle them, when others won’t, sometimes you just need to handle your business! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! There were so many moments where I stopped and thought- hmm my son is almost a teenage boy, if I were in those shoes, what would I do? Did I also mention that my son’s name is also Sam? Yeah, so this book really made me stop, think and woah baby. I better get my seat-belt changed to a harness for the teen years! I really think I am going to need it! The ending is the hug we all need in this social distancing era.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

This was a great story about Kurt and his brother, Sam, who left their home so that Sam could get a chance at a better life. Kurt meets Emily when Sam runs into trouble at school and they just click from the very start.

I really liked that both Kurt and Sam were such gentlemen and treated their women with respect and had such manners to all.

Lots of drama was involved as Sam and Kayla kept having to deal with the photo that was passed around school which lead Sam to keep getting into trouble. I only wish that Garrett had got punished for his part in this as it seemed like he got away with this.

More drama as old friends and family come to visit and some visits are good and another pretty bad. I hope that in the future books that we continue to hear about Sam and how he is doing and keep updated with Emily and Kurt! I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

Shelley Shepard Gray has long been a "go-to" author for me, so I was excited to see she had a new contemporary romance series coming out that was a departure from her usual Amish fiction. I listened to this one through my Libby app, and thought I was hearing things when the first crude curse word flew out of one of the character's mouths. When it kept happening, I checked and discovered that this series is being written under a new publisher, one that is decidedly NOT Gray's usual Christian fiction. While the lead characters discuss going to church together, they both also contemplate spending the night together and engage in some pretty hot and heavy making out. I'm way more familiar with writers who started out in the secular world, then chose to step away and concentrate solely on Christian fiction than I am with authors who have a strong CF following but choose to go secular. I can't say I'm a fan of the change.

The story centers around Kurt and Sam Holland, brothers who moved to Bridgeport, OH to give Sam a chance at a better future. Sam scored off-the-charts on a standardized test at his home school in Spartan, WV. When their father ignores the guidance counselor's requests for a sit-down, Kurt goes and is convicted that moving to a better school district will give Sam the improved education he needs, while avoiding the boarding school that the counselor is recommending. However, soon after school starts, Kurt is called in to the principal's office because Sam got into a fight at school. Upon discovering that Sam was defending a girl who was being bullied, Kurt has a dilemma. Punish Sam for getting in trouble at school, or give him a high five for standing up for what is right?

Emily Springer is Sam's English teacher, and his advisor. She knows Sam is a good kid, and is willing to help him adjust. She has a hard-and-fast rule about not dating parents of students, but do brothers count? As Kurt and Emily work together to get Sam through this rough patch, they discover an attraction that neither wants to deny. Can they walk the fine line between teacher/guardian and being a couple without compromising Sam's education?

I liked the basic story of this book. I just didn't like feeling that Gray compromised her values, and thereby her long-time fans, to write it. If you're into contemporary fiction, you will probably like this book. If you're looking for a typical SSG novel, pass this one up.

Have you ever took a chance? Well, if yes, you'll definitely understand the characters in New York Times Bestselling Author, Shelley Shepard Gray's Take a Chance, the first book in the Bridgeport Social Club series. Unlike her Amish or historical fiction I'm familiar with, this will be my first contemporary romance from the author. So, you can say I took a chance there too. I'm glad I did.

Take a Chance is about life and the unexpected, and how the characters journey through. A story that asks readers to dig deeper and think about what they would do if they were put in the same situation. Though not inspirational or categorize as Christian Fiction, the author did not deviate from putting a purpose and theme in Take a Chance. From relationships between family to community and aspects of bullying, this is one story that takes a chance, and I think you should too.


For my clean readers, please note there are slight profanity in this book.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

Let me start with the saying I am a huge fan of Gray's Amish romances. I was not a fan of Take a Chance.

This was marketed as a clean romance but I would not say it was completely clean. It does discuss wanting to have sex outside of marriage and there are a lot of curse words.

My biggest problem was it felt like it was written geared to a young adult or new adult reader. I have a feeling I would have really loved this book when I was in my late teens/early twenties (not so much in my forties).

I did enjoy the fact Gray incorporated so much of Cincinnati in the book. It was nice to see a town I spent four years in represented nicely.

If you are looking for a romance that will let you read the afternoon away, Take a Chance is for you.

I received a complimentary copy from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Not the quality I was expecting from Shelley Shepard gray. Disappointed. There was foul language and the story line was just not on par with the stories I’ve read from Gray before. I had a hard time finishing the book because it just was so far from what I’ve come to love. It seemed like she was stretching to fit into a new genre and it just doesn’t really work.

This was a very different venue for Shelley Shepard Gray, and I admire her for pulling it off well! Good story with strong characters and a modern, fresh appeal. What I liked about it was the theme of doing more than is expected of you because you are capable of it...you have a right to live up to your own potential without letting others tell you that you can't do it.
I was given a digital copy of the book without expectation of a review, but I give the review gladly and it is my own opinion.

This review was posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes and Noble. Also posted on Facebook. I have trouble accessing links but I wanted you to know that I favorably reviewed this book.

I'm so used to reading Amish fiction by Shelley Shepard Gray that Take a Chance was a nice off the path read. For me, this was a quick read, because I needed to know what was going to happen next. I could feel the emotion in Ms. Gray's writing. And the weekly poker nights with the guys sort of reminded me of an Amish quilting bee, but this time the guys were sharing things amongst each other. I'm' looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Honestly, I didn't finish this book. I went into this thinking that I was going to read another wonderful inspirational book by Gray, but that was not the case. Gray has completely changed her writing. This book is worldly and contains bad language. It was a surprise and disappointment to see this familiar author switch gears like this.

My rating: 3.5 Stars

Kurt Holland is a man with very good intentions. He moves to the town of Bridgeport after taking guardianship of his seventeen-year-old brother Sam. When Sam gets into a fight in school, Kurt has to go and meet with his teacher. Meeting Emily Springer goes a bit differently than he would have expected. She is quite beautiful and he wonders how he can deal with being attracted to his son’s English teacher.

Emily has always kept to her hard-set rile of never dating a student’s parent, but The all-too handsome Kurt is Sam’s brother, not his father. After running into Kurt at the supermarket, Emily decides to see where things can go between them.

While Kurt and Emily test the waters of seeing one another, Sam and his new girlfriend contend with a very serious issue. This gives Kurt the difficult opportunity to test out his role as pseudo parent. Kurt’s biggest goal is to give Sam the opportunity to become prepared for college. This includes making difficult decisions that ultimately affect his relationship with Emily.

Take a Chance is a warm read with several sensitive characters. Although a romance, I found this book a bit more focused on the angst that Sam and his girlfriend were contending with and the resulting consequences. There are other scenarios at hand, and that includes Kurt’s adjustment to living in a new town and fitting in with the community. There is a strong message of taking chances in this book, thus the title is quite fitting.

I am not familiar with the author, but I would have liked to see the relationship between Kurt and Emily grow a bit more. Instead the story reached a sudden conclusion. Sadly, I turned the page thinking the book was moving on to the next chapter. But. It was just over. I would have liked to see a bit more of a resolution, but as this series continues with the next book in the series, All In, in February. Perhaps the stories will have a better sense of finality.

Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Take a Chance

Bridgeport Social Club Series - Book 1


By Shelley Shepard Gray

Blackstone Publishing - September 2018

Contemporary Romance



Kurt Holland had known that there was only one chance for his younger brother to have the opportunity to reach his full potential. So he was now Sam's guardian, and they had moved to start new lives. Sam was in a new school with tougher education that hopefully would mean scholarships. Sam had agreed and was well aware that he needed to study hard and not get into trouble. That was why Kurt was shocked to learn that he had gotten into a fight at school.

Emily Springer could sympathize with Sam's reason for getting into a fight, but as his teacher, and with a zero tolerance for fighting in the school, she couldn't condone it. But Sam was a good kid, and with good intentions, so she was willing to give the extra effort with him. When she meets Kurt, she finds herself fascinated with this man who is willing to give up so much for his younger brother. Kurt and Sam have taken a chance by moving to Bridgeport and Emily definitely wants to take a chance with Kurt.

Take a Chance is a sweet romance with engaging characters struggling with everyday issues. Both Kurt and Sam are trying to adjust to their new surroundings. Finding friends and fitting in is always difficult, but their background seems at first so different than their new neighbors. Luckily, the Bridgeport Social Club, aka poker night, is formed bringing in friends new and old. I enjoyed watching them both grow and adjust. Even better was seeing Kurt and Emily's romance blossom. I look forward to the next story in this series.





Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

Take a Chance by Shelley Shepard Gray is a sweet romance. If you are looking for a romance with a wonderful community, this is the book for you. Readers of romance novels like those of Debbie Macomber would love this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Take a chance that things will work out if you make a major move. Take a chance that sacrificing for your brother will make his dreams come true. Take a chance that you just might have found the right girl even if she's your brother's teacher. Kurt Holland takes a chance and it's a great romantic read.

Kurt is Sam's big brother and guardian. They've moved from West Virginia to Bridgeport, Ohio, a larger town with a great school system so Sam can have a better chance to earn a scholarship to college. Kurt has put all his savings into a landscaping business that's doing pretty good and a comfortable house but they have left all their friends and their dad who is grieving the loss of his wife and his job. Some days are full of struggles and they aren't sure that it was the right move to take a chance at all.

Sam is having difficulties fitting in at his new school but he has a girl he likes and ends up in trouble defending her honor. Kurt goes to school for a conference with his teacher, Emily Springer. He finds that she is passionate about her students and willing to help Sam succeed. Later, he runs into Emily again, and through their mutual attraction and his loneliness they decide to have a casual dinner date at her apartment.

I really like anything Ms. Gray writes. This is a great 5 star read and part of a series called the Bridgeport Social Club. Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for allowing me to read this book through Netgalley.

I feel a little bad for the reviews this book is getting.  A lot of the negative comments are based on what the readers expected from the book, which is for it to be like the author's previous religious love stories.  They are understandably a bit upset that instead they got a "clean" contemporary romance that included cursing and more amorous moments than her previous books.  I'm there with them that when a book is not what you thought it would be, it will usually lower the enjoyment of it.  And I can even see why they would expect a certain thing if that is what the author always delivered before.  (Who doesn't get a little thrown when a favorite author changes things up significantly?) 

Fortunately for me, I didn't come in with any expectations and I really enjoyed it.  

Gray's writing is very smooth, which made for an easy read, and I found myself engrossed in the characters and everyone's lives.  There are actually 4 POVs for this story - Kurt, Emily, Sam, and his classmate Kay.  They all come across as super realistic and have to deal with some pretty difficult situations. 

Take a Chance is as much about the Holland boys as it is a love story between Kurt and Emily ... and is all the better for it.    I found myself rooting so much for those two as they try to get their footing in a new situation & a new town, finding love and friendship as well as the hope for something better.  Things aren't easy for them but they deal the best they can, giving readers a wonderfully heartwarming tale.  I'm really looking forward to what Gray has in store for us next.

I have been reading Shelley Shepard Gray for years (though not her Amish novels) and so I was super excited to see that she had written a contemporary romance (that was not Amish)! Let’s just say, this book was a bit of a surprise. My thoughts:

What I liked

The characters. I liked Kurt who had so much faith and love for his brother that he would pick up and move for him. Heroes who sacrifice their dreams and desires for others are always a win in my book. Also, Kurt learns to establish male friendships which I think is not something that is necessarily addressed for men past the age of high school. You could begin to see where the series was going with the different men that Kurt knew. I liked Sam, who even though he struggled a bit with the move, recognized and appreciated his brother. I liked Emily who isn’t one to just take stuff. She’s a tough cookie, but in a good way. This was definitely a more character driven novel than plot driven, but the characters were such that you didn’t mind being in their heads. And sometimes it’s nice to read a book about relationship dynamics be it father-son, brother-brother, or teacher-guardian.

The writing. I’ve already alluded to this, but the story, though it’s not complicated, does a lovely job of pulling you in.

The romance. While it wasn’t exactly a forbidden romance, it was a romance that was tinged with possible overtones. You can see Kurt and Emily’s hesitation and reluctance, and that’s what makes it sweeter as they are constantly thrown together. Kurt and Emily worked well together and even though they had their miscommunications and frustrations, those were not the things that drove the book.

What I didn’t like

This is not exactly what I didn’t like, but more like what I didn’t expect. Obviously, I approached Gray’s novel expecting a christian contemporary and while this book was clean and the characters mentioned church…I’m not sure about the christian (at least not mature christians, yes, let’s say that). I’m not knocking the book for this per se, just saying that my expectation was one thing, and what I read was another.

Romantic scale: 8

Overall, I enjoyed this book because Shelley Shepard Gray is a fabulous writer. I’m looking forward to book two.

**I received a copy from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**

3.5 Stars

Let me start with a bit of a warning for those who have read Shelley Shepard Gray’s Amish or Inspirational books. Take a Chance is not those books. Gray moves into the general market with a new publisher and a new genre—a genre that includes some suggestive scenes and several curse words.

OK, now that we’ve got that over with, let’s get down to the first book in The Bridgeport Social Club series. Kurt Holland and his brother same have left the coal mines in West Virginia and moved to Ohio. Kurt finds himself drawn to one of his brother’s teachers.

There are some adorably awkward exchanges between Kurt and Emily while Sam is protective of Kayla—a girl in his class he likes. Gray touches on the subject of bullying (someone posting pictures of someone else without their approval or knowledge is a form of bullying) but this story is 80% about the relationship between the two brothers.

With perspectives from Emily, Kurt, Sam, and Kayla, readers get a well-rounded picture of this little corner of Bridgeport, Ohio. I’ll be watching for the next installment to see who’s introduced next (and how much the poker club grows).

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This the the first in a new series by Gray and is also from a new publisher. I have read many of her previous books which all focus on the Amish. With this book, Gray has switched to contemporary romance.

I enjoyed the storyline in this book which focuses on Kurt Holland and his younger brother, Sam, as well as Sam's high school English teacher and senior advisor, Emily Springer. Kurt has moved his brother from West Virginia to Ohio with him and has become his guardian. Sam is very intelligent and Kurt feels he will received better schooling in Ohio which will increase his chances of getting into a good college and receiving a good scholarship. But Sam makes some wrong choices for the right reasons, and Kurt has to deal with parenting issues he has no idea how to solve.

I did appreciate that Gray dealt with a topic that is invading lots of our high schools and that is inappropriate pictures of young women being sent around the internet. But my problem with this book was that Gray obviously has switched from clean fiction to very secular. The book included foul language, a lot of beer drinking, and a lot of intimate kissing between Kurt and Emily. Sorry to see that Gray has headed in a different direction with her writing. I will not be reading any more books from this series.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

Take a Chance by Shelley Shepard Gray was about Kurt Holland who moved to Bridgeport, Ohio to give his brother Sam a better chance of getting a scholarship to college. Sam is super smart and the school he had been in suggested he get into a better school to enable him to be better prepared for college. Kurt put his savings into a new landscaping business, bought a house, and learned how to fulfill the role as Sam's guardian. When Sam got into trouble at school, Kurt met Emily, which was Sam's English teacher as well as his advisor. He felt something for her from the start but was it advisable to care about your brother's teacher. A sweet clean story about taking a chance on a new experience of life. I received an advance copy of this book for my honest review.

I could see the title of this book resonating with so many of the characters presented, and it sure applied.
The author shows us that there are so many ways that you have to take a chance, and it isn’t always the right decision.
While I may not agree with all choices that are made we are shown a lot of different characters, both likeable and unfortunately bullies. I did like the manners that these southern boys showed.
This is a story that made me think that part could have come from the local headlines, especially with the coal mines.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Blackstone, and was not required to give a positive review.