Audiobook Review: Straddling the Line by Jaci Burton, Narrated by Lucy Malone

It’s been awhile since I’ve read Jaci Burton and I always loved her books so I was glad to get back to her. This is part of her Play by Play series and though it’s book #8, I had no problem with reading it out-of-order. Each book is stand-alone however some of the characters from previous books are in this one. But since it’s romance and you know each book has a happy ending, the couples getting together is no surprise to be ruined and I don’t remember that any other storyline was ruined either so kudos to Ms. Burton for making this a true standalone that is also fun for readers of the series to see couples from earlier books.

Haven just can’t get it together at her dream job as a network sportscaster so unknowingly her Mom talks to Trevor Shay and convinces him to let Haven have the exclusive interview on him that is very sought after and he has managed to avoid. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for the wife of one of his mentor’s so he agrees and Haven takes the job. What a hardship, living with a major football and baseball player, getting a glimpse into his world, especially when she crushed hard on Trevor when she was his tutor in college. I like the connecting link in this series. Originally it was about the Riley siblings, but it has branched out to other guys who went to college together and were taken care of by Haven’s parents. A very interesting concept and it worked very well to start this book off.

Of course the sexual chemistry between the two is off the charts, Haven is quite different from what Trevor remembers, but then again he was less on studying and more on playing ball back in college. So it’s hard for him to keep his hands off of her, and of course she has the same problem since she has also had a crush on him for awhile. But what I really liked is they were friends. They had an easy camaraderie that I think is just as important in a romance novel as the chemistry.

The book continues, and leaves you wondering if Haven can get it together and find her true passion and what is Trevor’s big secret, the one thing he’s not letting Haven know. And can a man who is devoted to two sports commit to a woman and make a relationship work? These are the dilemmas of the book. Add in some great chemistry, fun characters from previous books and hot sex scenes and this book will make you melt in many ways. There are hot moments, sweet moments and moments you want to kill both Haven and Trevor, but in the end you fall in love with both of them and the friends that surround them.

If you haven’t picked up a book in the Play by Play series, you simply must do it now. I loved Haven and Trevor’s story, can’t wait to read more of the previous stories and I’m excited about future stories as well. I listened to this on audio courtesy of Tantor audio and the audio version was very well done. It kept me engaged, the narrator used different voices for the different characters and it was easy to keep up with the characters and the story. I highly recommend the audio version of this book, just not with kids in the car ;)

**Audiobook provided by Tantor**

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