My Thoughts: Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker

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

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

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

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

**Review copy received from publisher**

I think K.A. Tucker is quickly becoming a new favourite of mine. I read her debut Ten Tiny Breaths last summer and for the most part I really enjoyed it. Then I read One Tiny Lie and I absolutely loved that one. There was little I found wrong with that book. Now, here I am having read Tucker's most recent story Four Seconds to Lose, and again, I was pleased with what I got.

Four Seconds to Lose tells Cain's story. The enigmatic strip club owner we first meet in Ten Tiny Breaths. Cain's an interesting fellow: Strip club owner, who is fiercely protective of the girls he employs, a real vigilante. When Charlie walks into his club, Cain is flung back in time, and he's unsure about his feelings and what to do with them. Charlie is having to deal with her own issues, and walks into Penny's with an ulterior motive. To make enough money to get out of there. She's keeping secrets of her own, and isn't interested in making friends. So, naturally. Cain and Charlie end up battling this intense attraction... and you get the picture.

I was expecting a little more steam from Four Seconds to Lose. After reading One Tiny Lie and seeing what Tucker could do, I was expecting there to be more sexual tension between Cain and Charlie. However, sadly, I was disappointed. It could have been so much more. I also, wasn't a huge fan of the setting. I didn't like how the majority of the story took place at the club. I know that Cain owns the club, and Charlie is his new dancer, however, there were plenty of opportunities for them to interact outside of the establishment. I didn't like that emphasis.

Four Seconds to Lose wasn't my favourite out of the bunch, but it was good. It is grittier and darker than it's predecessors, because it deals with heavier themes. Such as, drug trafficking, the mob, beatings, murder and so on. This may seem like a lot, but Tucker has a real talent for not overwhelming the story with a lot of heavy material. She's able to keep the story moving without making things feel overly dramatic and over done.

Overall, While Four Seconds to Lose may not have been the strongest of this series (so far), it was still an entertaining read and I enjoyed the story immensely! K.A. Tucker did a good job and I am SO excited for Five Ways to Fall, and what she has in store for Ben.

~Happy Reading Everyone!