Loved this introduction to the Mindf*ck Series. I wish the author, S. T. Abby, had condensed all of the novels together into one book, instead of making each audiobook super short (each book is only 3-4 hours long with at least 4 or 5 books in the series.) I understand and recognize that it probably makes more sense for the author to make multiple short novels so she can: #1 release installments of the story sooner, and #2 actually earn a living while practicing her craft. However, as a reader it's kind of irritating to switch novels every 3 hours when a book "conclusion" feels like the ending of a chapter, not the ending of an actual story and/or an actual cliffhanger.

With my complaining out of the way, I really enjoyed listening to The Risk as an audiobook. Marie Hawkins did a beautiful job of ensuring Lana's voice and thoughts were nuanced. You could feel her confusion, anger, and other emotions throughout her audio performance. T.J. Clark, the male narrator, did an acceptable job voicing the MMC, Logan. I didn't particularly love his voice (nothing wrong with it, just not what floats my boat. Wish it had been Jacob Michael or Troy Duran.) 

I went into the novel mostly blind and didn't know much about the plot. Synopsis: Lana and her family suffered a horrific attack when she was a teenager. As an adult, Lana is on a revenge mission to make the perpetrators pay for their heinous actions. Her revenge plans are complicated when she falls for Logan, an FBI profiler who hunts serial killers -- like Lana.

Originally I thought this story was more of a novella (didn't realize it was a series). The plot moved quickly. We are slowly fed information about Lana's past traumas as we navigate her present day life. The slow feed keeps the reader hanging around, waiting for the next morsel of information to be dropped as we strain to fit the jumbled pieces of the puzzle together.

Despite wanting to hate Lana's violent desires and actions, she is an incredibly empathetic character. I was torn between disgust with her euphoria during her bloody revenge escapades and rooting for her / scared that her secrets would be exposed too soon.

Logan is also incredibly relatable and lovable. He is sweet, honest, and wicked smart. I adore his insta-lust / insta-love with Lana. I like that he doesn't pry into her past but tries to trust her to share her traumas when she feels ready. 

This book definitely ends on a big ol' cliffhanger and I can't wait to see how the rest of this story unfolds. I predict I will be buying way too many installments of the Mindf*ck series in a very short amount of time so I can learn what happens with Lana and Logan.

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

POV: Dual

HEA: Not yet?

Cliffhanger: Yes

Tropes: Past trauma, Dominant male in uniform, First Responder

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book

⭐️⭐️ Meh…  bored or annoyed

⭐️ Seriously? Not worth it

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing hot

🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking

🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired missionary

🌶️ Does weak foreplay count?