Four Seconds to Lose: A Novel (4) (The Ten Tiny Breaths Series) Paperback – April 1, 2014

"I believe some people are inherently evil. I believe guilt is a powerful motivator. I believe redemption is something you can strive for but never fully achieve. I believe second chances exist only in dreams, never in reality. I believe you don't have years, or months, or weeks to impact a person's life. You have seconds. Seconds to win them over, and seconds to lose them."K.A. Tucker has a way of writing beautifully flawed characters, particularly men, in a way that makes me love them more because of their faults, their pasts. Cain is no exception to this rule. I loved Trent in Ten Tiny Breaths. I absolutely adored Ashton in One Tiny Lie. Cain... I'm not sure how to put my feelings for Cain into words. He's deliciously flawed. He bucks all the stereotypes. He feels guilt because of the times in his past where he was unable to help someone he cared about and he spends every day trying to make up for it by helping others. He owns a strip club, but it's not the trashy, scum-filled kind of place people would imagine. He doesn't sleep with the dancers, he doesn't charge them stage fees to try to make more money from them, he ensures they have a roof over their heads and that they follow their dreams and get off the stage at Penny's. He protects them. His staff protects them. He's beyond gorgeous and built - a former fighter - but he's more than that. To call Cain complex is a giant understatement, but I don't have a better word for him. He has a sketchy past and has been involved in some dangerous things over the years, but it's all in an effort to protect those who work for him. I just... wow. Cain."I know Charlie's coming with her own bag of secrets. But, frankly, as long as she's not willfully doing something immoral, I don't give a shit what she's done. I just want to help her get away from it."Charlie is in over her head. She's desperate to get away from her stepfather Sam's influence and his business ventures. She knows she's in danger and it's not the kind of danger she can just walk away from easily. She's going to need a lot of money to disappear. Charlie's disgusted with herself for what she's doing for Sam and she's trying to find a way out. When she arrives in Miami and meets Ginger, she suddenly has a new option: a job at the local strip club, where she can rake in a lot of money, fast. She doesn't want to strip - or do any of the other things that typically come with the job - but she's in a bad situation and this is the only way she can see to get out."He's made no effort to speak to me since hiring me. The few times I've crossed paths with him in the back hallways, I've gotten nothing more than a nod. But while I'm on that stage, I feel those dark eyes on me, like those of a predator stalking his prey, while the music vibrates through my body, and my limbs coil around the cool brass, and my hips swirl and curl and dip and bend. I really am a fantastic actress. And Cain is an even more fantastic distraction."When Ginger, one of Cain's employees, brings her mysterious new friend Charlie to the club because she's in search of a job, Cain is stunned. Not only is she gorgeous, but she reminds him so much of Penny, the woman he loved, who used to work for him, who was murdered by a jealous fiancé before he had a chance to save her. There's an instant spark between them, but neither of them are willing to admit it to themselves... or anyone else. Cain refuses to allow himself to open up to someone else, especially someone who works for him. He's all about the meaningless hookups with women who don't know who he really is. He's definitely not looking for more. But, we often find what we need most when we're not looking."She's the first person I've seen you look at twice since Penny was around. And you never used to come out and watch Penny onstage like this. Charlie's gotten under your skin. That's gotta mean something, Cain."Cain and Charlie skirt around the issue of their mutual attraction once she starts working at the club. Their fellow employees and closest friends, Ginger, Nate and even Ben, can see what's happening between them, what they're both so determined to pretend isn't. With Ginger's encouragement, Charlie begins to perform each dance *for* Cain when she steps out onto the stage. They play with fire, flirting and being suggestive with each other while she's on stage, but interact very little when she's off, until it all comes to head one night after an incident at the club has Cain believing his worst fears may come true again. That incident, along with the support of their friends, make him willing to admit that he wants more with Charlie.I would be remiss if I didn't make mention of Ginger and Nate more than just in passing. We got a small taste of Nate in TTB and it was enough to intrigue me, but he's unbelievable in this book. In a good way. Sure, he's quiet, intimidating and dangerous to the outside world, but there was a lot more to him than met the eye. More than I would have imagined from his presence in the first book. He's a great friend to Cain. He's there for him regardless of what he needs. The advice and the support he offered in this book blew me away. Ginger gave him nearly as much support. I loved her. She was spunky and sassy and real. She wasn't afraid to tell it like it was. I loved both of these characters nearly as much as Cain and Charlie. I really hope one (or both!) of them gets their own book in the future. There's no denying that K.A. Tucker writes fantastic characters. Whether they're main characters or secondary characters, she just puts something into them that makes me fall in love with them and want to get wrapped up in their lives. She keeps me coming back for more."So this is all about a second chance?""No. It's about trying to balance out the good with the bad. I don't believe in second chances, Charlie."I'm not going to get any further into the plot of the book, or the romance between Cain and Charlie, except to say both were phenomenal. This book had the perfect balance of action, angst, suspense, sexual tension, friendship, sex and drama. I refuse to spoil it for you. It's truly something you have to experience for yourself. It's gritty and dark at times. I laughed and cried, smiled and freaked the hell out waiting to see what would happen next. This book took me through the full gamut of emotions and exhausted me - in the best way possible. You might think you know what happens and how everything turns out, but you'll never imagine the path it takes to get there."And I don't think any less of Cain for it. In fact, if possible, I love him more. We are simply two good people with equally flawed pasts, looking for perfect futures. And I think we've found it, in each other."K.A. Tucker has hit the trifecta of perfection with the Ten Tiny Breaths series. I've read and loved each of the books in the last several months and, as a matter of fact, I'm in the process of "re-reading" Ten Tiny Breaths right now on audiobook because I had to go back and see if the story would affect me as much the second time around. It totally is. One Tiny Lie was amazing in its own right. I adored Livie in TTB and was so excited to read her story in OTL. But, Four Seconds to Lose absolutely blew me away. It was darker, grittier than the first two books. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and this time, for more than just wondering if the two characters would find their way to each other. There was danger and suspense and I found myself cheering on the characters for doing things I couldn't believe I was condoning. It transported me to a different place. I was totally floored. I still haven't stopped thinking about this book and the characters. It's the kind of story that will stick with you for a long time.

Why don't book covers match the story?The guy on the cover is nothing what I pictured the main character to look like - this guy is way to thin...(okay - that has nothing to do with this review...sorry - I am looking at the graphic while I write this and it's completely bothering me)Charlie is a very young girl (she is of legal age, though) who is breaking into the world of stripping. She is looking to make a big chunk of money as fast as she can. Her motives are pretty clear early in the book. She needs money to be able to be independent and break away from someone. She is a young girl that has had to grow up very quickly. Deal with big issues that most people would not be able to comprehend.Cain is the owner (he's 29) of a strip club. His story is one of redemption and guilt. He believes that he needs to save as many 'lost' girls/women as possible since he was not able to 'save' his sister (who died in an unsavory manner). So he runs the club in the most ethical manner possible for a business that uses sex as it's product; helps the girls in anyway possible (tutoring then, paying for therapy, chasing away abusive boyfriends) and keeping things safe within the club. This is running Cain ragged and he's exhausted. He has a rule that he never dates or sleeps with any of his 'girls' - until he meets Charlie.Charlie's story is an interesting one. It was very compelling and sad. She is between doing something illegal, yet she's been somewhat brainwashed by her stepfather. Some may claim that she should have run away early on, but I can see how you want to have some loyalty to a person that have overall raised you in a very protective and loving manner.The story is pretty interesting overall. The characters outside of the main ones add a lot to the story as well. Each character has their own issues, add depth to the story.I think both characters are pretty well developed. I liked Charlie more than Cain. Felt like she had more backbone and strength than Cain. Cain bent over backwards for his 'girls', sometimes too much. Like he was a pushover sometimes. I like it was meant to endear us to Cain, but sometimes I just wanted him to draw the line somewhere. But overall, the guy was sexy, strong, caring, loyal and protective. He also is willing to fire one girl over another because the one he would fire would be able to land on her feet better; versus choosing to fire the person that deserves to be let go...that bothered me. He's supposed to be fair?Charlie is so strong. She has had to live her life for someone else during the latter part of her life. But she is willing the break away from this destructive person, even though it could me that her life would be in danger. She isn't whiny nor does she feel sorry for herself - she just makes her plans. For the most part, she is an honest, direct person - she hides the major part of her life from Cain to keep him safe.The only negative - The story ended in a slump.Cain and Charlie get their HEA. Cool.No Cliffhanger. Cool.The ending had a 'surprise' element (Charlie's real name) that pissed me off. I felt like the author was insulting the reader by thinking that we could possible believe it. It threw me off. Made me want to give the book 2 stars for throwing that out there. Wish the author could rewrite the book with that piece of the story removed. Almost completely ruined the book for me.The other part of the book I didn't like was Charlie's age. Eek. She was way too young.Overall, it was a good book to read. Two lost and broken people that find each other and help to heal and save one another.Honestly can't remember how many steamy scenes there were. Definitely one or two. But there was a lot of sexual tension.it wasn't about the sex in the book, but how they try to keep from falling in love, yet it happens anyhow, and how they can be together, safely. Lots of other characters that beefed up the book. Would even love to read more about them, but so glad that I was able to read this as a standalone book. I didn't read the other two novels that preceded this one, and it was no problem.The ending wrapped up really fast. A bit too quickly and easily for me - but there it is.It's not a super angsty type of book; no major misunderstandings. There is one smaller one at the end, but it gets resolved fairly easily. I don't like books with misunderstandings that last throughout the book.

I love K.A. Tucker's stories, and this series is no exception. I just had to read it and as always; I loved it!

I honestly can't get over how amazing K.A.Tucker is. Her books are all just SO fantastic.They are riveting, and honest, and just so gosh darn romantic.Four Seconds to Lose had me bawling my eyes out.I honestly fell in live with the characters over and over again.I cannot stress how important these novels are.If you have never read this book or any of the other in the series, DO SO.I PROMISE you will love them just as much as I do.

This book initially attracted me to K.A. Tucker way back when it was released at the end of 2013. At the time I thought it was quite a high price to pay considering it was a Kindle book, however, after reading ten Ten Tiny Breaths and One Tiny Lie I knew that I was going to have to download this straight away regardless of cost!It’s the third book K.A. Tucker’s Ten Tiny Breath series and features on character who we already know a bit about (Cain) and brad new character Charlie.I was really looking forward to reading this. One big hit for me in this book was the dual narrative between both characters. I love reading from the guy’s point of view and after reading Burying Water I knew that the author executed a dual narrative in a way that I liked. The narrative flicks back and forth between the characters and I really liked getting to know Cain more.Cain’s past is all sorts of shades of grey with some very very dark years thrown in. He strives to do his best for his staff even though owning his own strip club makes him seem like a shady character. He really does seem to look out for them and goes above and beyond to help them study or get through addiction and even puts a roof over their heads if that’s what they need. This demonstrates just how much of a kind and caring guy he actually is.Charlie Rourke is a mysterious one. She has a shady present to rival Cain’s shady past and there is so much more to her than initially meets the eye. I found her to be quite a shifty character and always felt tense reading from her POV. Cain tries to resist the pull he feels towards Charlie but his protective side overtakes his rules about not sleeping with his staff and the constant feeling the Charlie gives is that she needs to be rescued although you’re not entirely sure what from in the beginning.Charlie hasn’t been my favourite leading lady so far – Kacey definitely has that title. However I loved the fact that this was a dual narrative and learning about the man behind the strip club owner was great reading. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

I have so thoroughly enjoyed this enjoyable series of Ten Tiny Breaths and I was so keen and just so excited to read the third book, Four Seconds to Lose. So beautifully written by KA Tucker. This is Cain Fords's story. Where he owns and works at Penny's the Strip Club in Miami Florida. He is strong and most definitely so gorgeous. Another sexy blockbuster, this book is the most emotional story everyone must read. I loved it.Although he was a real fighter in his past, Cain is now a real business man. He was worried about the management of his business at the club. Penny's top dancer wasn't available for at least the next 14 days, so now he needed someone to fill in. That's until Cain finally met Charlie.Such a fabulous story we have here, I loved the romance. Such a wonderful journey this story was. So incredibly written by K.A Tucker . Such marvellous characters all through this book too. A winner!!* I recommend this book to everyone!!

This book exceeded my expectations by a mile!! It was a great way to conclude the series or is it not done. Guess that's a question for the author eh!! Thanks for your books they are amazing.