A Tycoon's Rush (Sin City #2)

She heads to the Italian mountains to bring an Olympic hero back home. But will she lose her heart instead?

Natalie Schaffer has accepted that she’ll always be an assistant at her sports agency. That’s okay—her dream job is her outdoor photography, not the wheeling and dealing of agency life. But she jumps at the chance to take an endorsement deal to the reclusive Olympic champion Charlie Ahlers, who stepped off the gold medal podium and disappeared from public eye. Natalie never crushes on her agency’s clients, but Charlie holds a special place in her heart—from a distance, of course.

Charlie Ahlers is perfectly happy hiding out as a nobody in sleepy European ski towns. He knows he’s supposed to capitalize on his Olympic victory and train for the next Games. But, for reasons that are his own, his heart isn’t in it. When the sexy American girl prances into his bar and slaps a contract down next to his glass of scotch, he can’t believe she’s an agency rep. He hasn’t found a girl so interesting in months. When she dares him to take her out on the slopes, he can’t tell her no. When skiing turns into dinner—and more—he realizes he might be in bigger trouble than he thought.

With Natalie’s agency job on the line, and Charlie’s secrets holding him back, will they be able to let go of their fears and find hope—and happiness—together?

*May Contain Spoilers*

This second installment in the Sin City series, A Tycoon's Rush by Avery Laval, is a novella that cuts straight to the point of falling in love. Or becoming romantically entangled. Either way, this short and sweet shot of romance is incredibly enjoyable and offers up realistic characters while staying away from getting too deep. 

Natalie and Charlie are both interesting characters and Laval gives them a backstory that readers can connect with but doesn't overwhelm the easy nature of a contemporary romance novella. Natalie wants to be a photojournalist in the sports world and being an assistant at a sports agency based in Las Vegas, NV allows her to work, take classes, and get great shots. Charlie is a former Olympic gold medalist with a family issue that he thinks will be solved by staying off the podium and out of the limelight. When Natalie is sent to convince Charlie to come back to center stage, they immediately hit it off. I think readers will like Natalie's focus on her larger goals while maintaining a healthy interest in a career position that she's good at. I also liked her persistent attitude and fearlessness to try new things. In Charlie's character, I appreciated his desire to fix his familial issues, even though his plan was too indirect. Overall, I really liked his humor and his unique and fresh personality.

Readers who need a little break or a little excitement and enjoy romance novels, will certainly like A Tycoon's Rush. Though it was over before I really wanted it to be, the short and lighthearted read made me smile. And sometimes, that's all we need from a book. I would highly recommend this quaint story to readers who feel the same, are between longer reading projects or are just taking a few hours for themselves. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups