When I saw this was a romance set at a circus, I knew I had to read it. I’ve read only a few books with this setting but it’s somehow always drawn me in and captivated me. And this is my second time trying Brianna Hale so I was excited to hopefully have a different experience since I had to DNF my last one.  I’m happy to say that RINGMASTER delivered exactly what I was hoping for. A cast of misfit characters that are all broken in their own ways and struggling through some unique situations while performing amazing acts in a traveling circus. Oh and falling in love at the same time.

So this is an age gap romance and I have to be honest here. I thought it would bother me a bit because the heroine is quite young (of legal age when anything happens), but she comes from a very tragic background and I wasn’t sure how the power dynamic of falling for her rescuer at such a young age would work for me. It felt like she would be in a vulnerable position and easy to be taken advantage of. I shouldn’t have worried because we have the most caring of heroes. I will also mention that this is a slow burn romance and it fit this story perfectly.

But honestly, the reason I kept reading for was Cale.  He’s known heartbreak from a very young age, and he’s still built his life up to help others while having the freedom he needs.  He’s a total badass with a heart of gold and made this story worth the read.  I loved how attentive but also tentative he was in his relationship with Ryah.  She’s a spirited young woman finally able to spread her wings and it was fun to see that happening in this setting.  I was only missing a little more of the actual acts, even though we get plenty in practice.

I’m glad I gave this book a chance.  It’s a surprisingly sweet story and it’s certainly left me wanting to read more from this author.

i love circus books. this is an amazing one. very steamy. very sexy. loved it so much. thank you netgalley for letting me read this early. it was fantastic.

I enjoyed Ringmaster by Brianna Hale. I have read other books by her, and although not my favorite of hers, still good.

I thought that this was really great story - I loved it!

The storyline was heartfelt and true and I thought that it was very well written.

The characters were ones that reached out to you and you really did feel all their emotions as you read the story.  

It is 5 stars from me for this one, a well developed story and a really great book - very highly recommended!!

Ahh this book was fantastic! I gave it 5 stars! I loved the British Countryside setting, I loved the travelling circus, the found family aspects...all of it! This is a lovely, heart warming age gap romance that I would definitely recommend! Cale and Ryah were a cute couple!

After watching <i>The Greatest Showman</i> no less than fourteen times over the last year I was unbelievably excited to see one of my favorite authors coming out with a book featuring a hot, knife-throwing ringmaster.  It was kismet.

Those who are already fans of Brianna Hale will be surprised by the difference between this book and her previous books.  Where previous ones have been hot and heavy and scandalous, <i>Ringmaster</i> is a masterful slow burn that makes you work for the pleasure of seeing the characters together rather than just throwing it at you from the first page.

This book won't be for everyone what with the age gap, child abuse (in our heroine's history) and some of the goings-on between the pages, but if those things are your thing anyways then you'll be pleased by the sweet longing experienced by our heroine and hero. They're perfect for each other--with Ryah's desire to belong somewhere and Cale's makeshift band of circus misfits--and the love they develop for one another moves from protective to something more at its own patient pace.

Cale is a protective leader searching for justice for his murdered sister, Ryah a lost soul forced too early to become braver than any child should have to be.  They fit together like pieces of a puzzle, though it takes them far too long to realize it, challenging one another to be better, do better, and see the world as better than they've seen it thus far.  You root for them the entire time, forgetting about the age gap or the sorrow they've suffered at the hands of other people, and just focusing on the strength they lend one another.  A very special relationship built on more than insta-lust, insta-love, or any of that.

Hale brought to life a merry cast of circus performers that made what might have been a somewhat serious book into lighter form.  At times I truly felt that I was living among the ragtag group of jugglers, acrobats, and knife-throwers, riding in their wagons and taking meals in the frigid air by the warm fire.  It was such an imaginative world to step into and experience through the eyes of two individuals from very different backgrounds looking for something <i>more</i> in the world and from the world.

A great read for slow-burn lovers, age gap enthusiasts, and misfits of all kind.

Dark but very interesting book. The characters where awesome and the romance engaging and gritty!!!!

The ringmaster is a story every child thinks about at least once. Running away to the it is. But Ryahs choice is to run or potentially die. The mysterious Ringmaster Cale helps rescue her and introduce her to a life where she can be whatever she wants. 

He’s older, she’s not yet 18, but it’s not all creepy. There is so much going on in the background you can’t help but be pulled in. Seriously enjoyed this book.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read.  I felt so immersed in the setting and traveling with the circus. Cale was the hero Ryah needed and even though there was a significant age gap, and Ryah was 17 when the story began, nothing about their relationship felt tawdry or inappropriate.   This was a delicious slow burn.   This was a beautiful story of two people healing from the pain of their pasts and looking toward the future.   There were some dark themes in this book that established the tortured pasts of our hero and heroine,  they were essential to the story line and tastefully written, but those who are sensitive to some darker themes may want to be cautious.  This book was a wonderful escape from the current world reality, I would love to read more stories about this circus. 

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and voluntarily give my review.

4 stars!!
Another amazing book by an author new to me!

Cale is a ringmaster in circus, and a master in knife throwing trick. His story in the prologue alone gripped me hard.
Ryah is a runaway girl who seeks refuge in the circus that visits her town.
I absolutely loved this book!!
Cale and Rhyah's story was heartbreakingly beautiful!!!

More like 3.5 stars. This was cute slow-burn love story and I did enjoy of it. Cale and Ryah were both such a great characters. They had great chemistry between them and you could feel how much they cared about each other. I liked how Cale took care of everyone in his circus and I would love to see his circus in action.

Awww, this was my first Brianna Hale novel  although I have researched her past work just to get an idea of what I was getting into. I quiet enjoy my romance and erotica genre and for some reason I was expecting something dark, twisted and raunchy. Ringmaster was actually very tame and and a light and easy read.

Alpha hero Cale, does have a tragic backstory that does seem to lead him to be rather protective of his circus crew but not in any weird way, it was rather nice to see the friendships between the group. 
Seventeen year old Ryah has an abusive father who is absolutely despicable and when he goes on a tirade Ryah runs away and into Cale who offers her a place within his traveling circus. 
Really the age gap thing that I see people freak out about, is not that bad, Cale is what ? 30 years old and by the time anything happens with Ryan she is 18. 12 years is nothing is the grand scheme of things.
There are some cute moments and you see Ryah gain confidence in herself as she finds her place and develops friendships and creates her own family.

Overall, as I said, light and easy read. Aside from the first chapter which was probably the darkest part of the book, it is very tame. Neat circus element which I have never read about. I would definitely be interested in reading Brianna Hale's past work as it appears she has quiet a few.

4 Stars!

First off, thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book!

I really enjoy Brianna Hale and her stories because they do tend to get dark and play with taboo situations. However, this book was VERY different than what she usually writes. While it had some dark undertones, it was a light read. IT WORKED. 

I loved the set up of this story and the characters were so well fleshed out. I loved Ryah's innocence despite her awful upbringing, I loved Cale's goodness despite his horrid past, and I loved the setting.

I love books that take place in a circus and if I am being honest, there aren't that many that speak to my interests. Hale did such a good job on portraying the world of a wanderer--a soul who roams the earth, a person who can find happiness in a way that isn't conventional.

Hale did a good job of of pacing the story between Ryah and Cale where their slow progression from friendship to romance was a such a pleasure to read. I loved the purity of their relationship and how they both looked out for one another--they were equals in every sense of the word despite their age gap.

The pacing of the story was wonderfully done where I found myself not sleeping until I hear the birds chirping and the sun is rising--I couldn't put it down. 

However, there were a few things I couldn't get past and it did somewhat hinder my reading experience and that being the mindset of the characters upon one situation that arose in the story. 

As a whole, this book is an enjoyable ride and I highly recommend it to those who need to escape to a world so different than ours and a sweet romance.

This is a beautiful love story that takes place in the even more beautiful countryside.

Through alternating points of view, we meet two different characters and learn of their tragic pasts, how they meet, and their journey together on the road in a traveling circus.

The story is a great and quick read with a loving cast of characters, a crazy amount of sexual tension through a dangerous circus act, and a well executed “big age difference” relationship.

Definitely pick this up if you have ever dreamt of dreamy, older man swooping you up on his horse and carrying you away into a whole different world 🌎 

*Was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley*

More 3.5/5 stars

As soon as I soon the cover and read circus, I couldn't request this book from Netgalley fast enough!! I was so excited just from the premise alone. I loved the circus, the found family, and many of the little details scattered throughout. I was completely caught up in Cale and Ryah from the beginning. Although it is an age gap romance I think it was handled well. Being able to read both perspectives really helped convey that well. The one drawback for me was the lack of communication for a good chunk of the book. Sometimes I am able to overlook it, but with this, I felt it only lead to more confusion for her and it could have been solved with communication. Outside of that, I really enjoyed reading this and want to pick up more from this author in the future.

3.5 Stars

Unique. Original. 

Don't get me wrong with the rating, I did enjoy the story, however it didn't WOW me like some of Brianna's novels have done in the past. Yes, there were moments that intrigued, swooned me but overall I am not dying over this book. I love how the author used her creative side and brought her adventures from her reality and illustrated to her fans a wonderful story of bewilderment, amazement of a circus, similar to the greatest showman atmosphere with a unique spin of a gypsy theme. 

Her descriptions were on par, and the setting of the actually circus scenes were great. made you feel you were in the crowd watching it live. The parts I had a hard time connecting with were the chemistry between Cale and Ryah. yes, there is an age difference and Ryah has a young love, smitten attitude toward him... but I was wanted more. maybe more from him? *shrugs.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Book Length: Novel
POV: Alternating First Person
Hero: Cale is a traveling circus owner and ringmaster with a tragic past in his youth. He’s 31, has collar-length black hair and brown eyes.
Heroine: Ryah is a young woman who lives with a very abusive father. She’s 17, has long blonde hair, blue eyes and is an expert horse rider.
Heat Level: Low
Frequency of Sex: Low
Angst Level: Low
Standalone or Series: Standalone
Cliffhanger: No
Epilogue: Yes
HFN or HEA: HEA
Thoughts on Ending: Sweet ending, very satisfied.
Would I Recommend? Yes
My Review: Ringmaster is a wonderfully sweet and gentle romance. It is definitely a SLOW BURN and the heat between the H/h doesn’t turn on until 80% in and Ryah turns 18. The story is of two broken people who find each other and develop a deep friendship and then fall in love. Cale is protective, kind and rescues Ryah from her abusive father. Ryah is sweet and innocent and helps Cale face his own demons and heal with the power of her love. I really enjoyed this book, it was tender and left me feeling warmhearted.
Disclosures: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

When his latest rescue becomes more than he ever dreamed ...

I do think I picked up this book because of the world it was set in. I knew I would travel all along the circus caravans, and I loved visiting the English countryside.
It was a two tales in one book, one about closing the door of the past in order to healing and also of coming of age to find one’s true home.
Cale is every girl’s dream’s boyfriend, kind and caring and a bit broody with a dark past. 
After running away from his home, he followed the road of a passing circus, there he found a kind of peace and a new family.
Ryah is living a waking nightmares, and sees no end to it, until she encounter a man who takes her under his wings, offering her a new home. She enters shy and full of doubts her new life, still soon with the other members, she finds her calling and voices what she wants.
Because if their age gap, Cale refrains to express his feelings, refusing to act on them. Why their romance takes time following them on the roads, each new stopover bringing them closer, Cale named himself her champion, and protector. First offering his shoulders for support and comfort, then making his lifelong project to be her knight in shining armor.

Their romance is a sweet and sensual one, while she learns to trust, he let the past rest to open his heart to love.
I liked their journey toward one another, with Cale  taking a path down memory lane until he realizes he is the sole artisan of his happiness, if he is up to share his grief and hopes.
4.5 stars

I was granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Ringmaster is amazing! It is definitely a top read of 2020 for me. I love Brianna Hale and she always blows me away with her writing. Ringmaster is both sweet and sexy. I loved it

From the moment we meet both characters you could tell there would be chemistry, and it did not disappoint! I liked them and their story, plus the detail on the circus was great and learning everyone’s acts was interesting. 3.5/5 stars!