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Showing posts with label Jaci Burton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jaci Burton. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

ARC Review: Love Me By Christmas by Jaci Burton


I have enjoyed many books by Jaci Burton over the years, and this one sounded really good. I have to admit I have a thing for romance stories that are on the forbidden side, and this one fit that a little with it being about Ellie and her brother-in-law. While there were things I liked here, this one was just okay.

After losing her husband while pregnant with their son, Ellie moves in with her brother-in-law Nick so that he can help her. Nick and Ellie grow closer over the years, raising her son Henry and coping with their grief together. But when both of them start to feel things for the other beyond friendship, each of them struggles with what that means for their lives going forward. 

I really liked Nick. He was a great guy, sweet and supportive, giving everything he had to Ellie and Henry. He loved those two so much and it was easy to see that his feelings were genuine and weren't out of some sort of obligation. Ellie was where I had problems. At first I really liked her. She had been through a lot and yet she was putting her son first. But as the story went on, she got more and more on my nerves. Her constant pushing Nick away and trying to set him up was beyond frustrating, and I just got to the point that I was sick of it. These two had chemistry and a connection, but Ellie's actions and second-guessing her and Nick's feelings was just too much for me to get over. 

I also felt that while Henry was in this story, he wasn't present. He was always out of the scene or going to someone else's house. It seemed as though he wasn't hardly around, except when it was mentioned about how great Nick was with him. I really would have liked for him to been more a part of the story at the end especially when Nick and Ellie were really starting to make progress. It would have been interesting to see his feelings as their relationship progressed. Overall, this one was okay, but between Ellie driving me nuts and Henry's absence this one wasn't what I had hoped for.

**ARC Provided by Sullivan and Partners**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | iTunes |






Monday, April 11, 2016

Audiobook Review: Rescue Me by Jaci Burton, Narrated by Mackenzie Cartwright


Jaci Burton is a very popular author, but I’m still relatively new to her work. I’ve heard really great reviews about her stories so I wanted to have more experience with her work and her storytelling. “Rescue Me” was written in 2006 so there are some things that seem a little dated but overall, this was a fun read.

First let’s start with the heroine, Sabrina Daniels. I really liked Sabrina and found her impossible not to like. She was so incredibly sweet and caring. Sabrina came from an awful divorce to an awful man. She is determined to start fresh and new. She’s left her controlling and emotionally abusive husband behind. Sabrina is all alone. Her father was never in her life and her mother used Sabrina’s beauty to enter her in beauty pageants. Sabrina always felt that her mother used her as a meal ticket. Now a free woman she is determined to put her business degree to use and she has invested in Kyle Morgan’s family ranch.

Kyle is another story. He was such a jerk and at times so incredibly immature. I love alpha men, and I even love the antihero that finds redemption but I really wanted to kick Kyle’s butt. He was so infuriating. There were many times that I thought to myself, “Sabrina, you can do way better.” At times there was very little difference between Kyle and Sabrina’s ex-husband even though the author tries to make us think there is. Kyle’s big problem is his humongous ego. He feels that he let his family down when he lost a huge part of their money in his divorce. Kyle is reluctant to accept Sabrina’s investment because he wants to be in control and often times makes her feel guilty for being involved. Honestly, I wanted Kyle to grow up. He seemed like a petulant child too often for my taste.

I have to confess that there were moments when I hated and loved the book. But ultimately when the couple broke up (this is not a spoiler) my heart ached for them. I was hanging on to every word that Cartwright read waiting to see how Sabrina and Kyle would finally find their way to one another. I felt that much of the story was predictable and as mentioned before Kyle’s development left me wanting. However, I really liked the heroine and I really wanted her to have a happily-ever-after.

Mackenzie Cartwright did a good job of carrying the story and keeping me interested. She seemed to really understand the characters, both the main and supporting characters, and she really brought them to life. Overall, this was a light and fun read. I would love to what the author had in store for Kyle’s brother but I didn’t see that there was a story for him which seems a shame because he was a great supporting character.

**Audiobook Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | B&N | iTunes |


Monday, March 7, 2016

ARC Review: Unexpected Rush by Jaci Burton


Jaci Burton has been one of my go-to authors since I first started reading romance. Her Play by Play series has been one of my all-time favorites, with the first two books (Mick and Gavin Riley) being on my permanent list of book boyfriends. I am sad to say that the last few books in this series though have lost steam, and haven't had the same feel to them. I debated on reading this book because of that, but Unexpected Rush is one of my absolute favorite tropes and I decided that Jaci Burton was worth taking another chance on. Unfortunately, this was my least favorite book of hers to date, and I think that I am calling it quits with this series. 

Barrett Cassidy plays defense for the Tampa Hawks. Harmony Evans is his best friend and teammate's little sister. Though the attraction is there, Barrett knows the unspoken rule that sisters are off limits. But Harmony is determined to show Barrett and they could be great together. When Harmony begins to work for him designing and renovating the house he just bought, they begin to spend more time together and Barrett begins to realize he can only put up so much of a fight.

I felt no connection to these characters, and that was one of the biggest problems for me. Barrett was a good guy, and yet I didn't fall in love with him. I liked him, but it was all on the surface. Harmony however I did not like from the very beginning of this story. While she got a bit better over the course of the story, I never did come to like her character. My biggest issue with her was how hard she pursued Barrett. I am all for the woman chasing the guy, but Harmony was so relentless that it became pathetic how much she was throwing herself at him. If it had been the hero doing the things she did, readers would be up in arms about it. She bordered on sexual harassment more than once and it was such a turn off. While there was attraction between them, their actions here just never got me there in believing that they had a real connection. I never saw it really develop, and I didn't see why they supposedly liked each other or how they had anything more than lust.

I also thought that this book was very predictable and didn't offer anything new. This was the same familiar trope, with nothing special to stand out. The sex scenes were sadly repetitive and while they weren't cringe worthy, they weren't exciting. They didn't pack the same amount of steam I am used to Jaci's books having, and it just felt like they were going through the motions. Unfortunately, this book was uninspired and it really felt like Jaci Burton's heart wasn't in this one. If I hadn't known she was the author, I would have probably DNF'd this one and wouldn't have been able to tell you it was her writing. I really thought that this one would turn around at some point, but I ended up being really disappointed here.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |





Thursday, February 18, 2016

Feature and Giveaway: Unexpected Rush by Jaci Burton


In the new Play-By-Play novel by the New York Times bestselling author of All Wound Up, a football hot shot and his best friend’s sister are breaking all the rules.

All the Right Moves

For Barrett Cassidy, playing defense for the Tampa Hawks is a dream come true. And now he may have discovered his dream woman. Harmony Evans, once the sweet, gawky teenage sister of his best friend and teammate has grown into a smart, gorgeous woman with moves he finds hard to resist. But he knows he can’t get involved with his best friend’s sister—it’s guy code.

Harmony has always gone after what she wants with single-minded determination, from her independence to her education to her career in social work. She never expected her youthful crush on Barrett to develop into something deeper. And she’s not about to let some ridiculous man rules or her brother stand in her way.

When the chemistry is this combustible, lines tend to get crossed. And when Barrett and Harmony’s secret gets out, it just might be game over...

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

Friday, December 4, 2015

ARC Review: Make Me Stay by Jaci Burton


Make Me Stay is the fifth book in the Hope series by Jaci Burton. While I have been a huge fan of Jaci for years now, I haven't read any of this series before. I love her books though, so I was really looking forward to this story. While it did have plenty of sweet moments, this wasn't my favorite book of hers. I liked the characters well enough, but I just felt like some of the heat was missing here and it didn't captivate me the way her books usually do. I wasn't sucked in right away and I kept putting it down and walking away. 

Reid McCormack left his hometown of Hope years ago for Boston, but when he returns for his brother's wedding he finds a reason to stick around a little longer. As a successful architect, Reid is looking forward to renovating the old town mercantile. But he knows that once the project is done, he will return home to Boston which is why he shouldn't start anything with Samantha Reasor. Sam is looking for love and is ready to settle down, and as much as she is drawn to Reid she knows that he isn't what she needs. But while Reid is in town, she figures that they can become friends and possibly even have a fling. As Reid and Sam get to know one another and grow closer, they find themselves feeling far more than they planned on. 

I liked both Reid and Sam. Reid was sweet and sexy, and just an all around good guy. Sam was smart and kind, and really easy to root for. While these two did have friendship and chemistry, their relationship was definitely a slow burn. They took their time to get to know one another, and while that was enjoyable there were times that I wanted more. I didn't think that their story packed the same punch as some of Jaci's other books. It was great to see them get to know one another though, and I did find their relationship and the connection they shared to be believable.

Part of my problem here though was one I have had with the last few books of Jaci's that I have read. While I love a series and getting to see familiar faces, I feel like lately she puts too much emphasis on past characters. They already had their books, and while it is enjoyable to catch up with them, they should not play such a huge part that their role in someone else's story becomes almost as big as the main characters. Even if I had read the previous books in this series, I really think that I wouldn't have enjoyed just how much the others were focused on here. I wish that more of the focus had been on Reid and Sam as I think that was a lot of what I was missing here. While I do think that this is a good book, it wasn't as great as I had been hoping for. As likable as the characters were, I just wasn't fully invested in their story and that had me losing interest from time to time. I still think that Jaci Burton is a great writer and this is worth the read. Fans of the series will enjoy this one, and I know I will read more from Jaci Burton in the future. I just hope that she focuses more on the main couple in her future books than she has in recent books as I feel like their connections are getting lost in the details and HEAs of other characters where they should be shining in their own stories.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depository | iTunes | 





Friday, August 7, 2015

ARC Review: All Wound Up by Jaci Burton


All Wound Up is the newest book in Jaci Burton's Play by Play series. With each book being about a different couple, they can be read out of order as standalones. The characters are interconnected though, so if you like to read a series in order you should know that this is book ten. I love that Jaci Burton has given us so many different stories in this series, and that they aren't always the same sport. This book features a baseball player, so if you are a fan of baseball romance stories you will want to check this one out for sure. 

When Tucker Cassidy gets kneed in the worst possible place by his very recent ex, the last thing he needs is for anyone to witness it. But when the witness turns out to be a pretty doctor, Tucker can't help but be drawn to her. When he finds himself in her ER twice right after that embarrassing incident, he knows that he needs to get her to let him take her out. But Aubrey Ross isn't just a random pretty doctor, she also happens to be the daughter of the owner of the St. Louis Rivers, the team he pitches for. Tucker repeatedly asks Aubrey to go out, but she turns him down every time saying that she is too busy to date and that it isn't a good idea for them to date anyway. But Tucker isn't willing to give up, and finally convinces her to give them a shot. But Aubrey isn't the only thing standing in their way, and her dad will be harder to convince than she was. 

I liked Tucker a lot. I thought that he was a great guy, and I loved his persistence. He didn't give up on what he wanted, and I liked that he was able to have fun with Aubrey and get her outside her head for once. I thought that he was great for her, and that he was very easy to like. Aubrey on the other hand drove me nuts for most of this story. She was hot and cold, and her wishy washy ways got old rather quickly. One minute she is turning him down, and the next she is mad that Tucker sent her a text rather than called her. She didn't want to go out with him and kept turning him down, but then she was disappointed that he didn't make more of an effort. I thought that these two had chemistry and were great together, but honestly Aubrey got on my nerves and I did begin to wonder why Tucker kept putting up with her crap. Not only that, but then he would always be the one to apologize to her as if he was the one always to blame. She had every bit as much responsibility in the things that went wrong for them, and it really irritated me that she wasn't ever the one to accept any of the blame. 

Beyond the issues I had with Aubrey, I also felt like the conflict in this story was very predictable and was so common in romance stories that it wasn't anything new or different. I was waiting for something about this story to stand out to me, and unfortunately this one was similar to so many other stories that I have read before. While that is all good and fine if you are looking for a run of the mill contemporary sports romance, I wanted something to really make this one unique or memorable and that just never happened. I didn't like how Aubrey reacted to the situation with her father, (again blaming everything on Tucker), and I felt as though she was way too quick to judge when she should have also thought about the situation he was in and given him the benefit of the doubt. Add all that to a rushed ending, and this one was just okay for me. While I have loved books in this series, this one wasn't my favorite. I will also say that things got a bit confusing at times with all the secondary characters here. It was great to see some familiar faces, but at times it got to be too many and too much. It was a little bit like how many names can we drop here, and for those not familiar with the series I would think it would be very confusing and hard to keep track of who was married to who, related to who, and played for which sport/team. It was hard enough for me to keep track and I have read most of the books in the series. While that didn't kill this book for me, I did think that the focus should have been more on Aubrey and Tucker and kept the other characters limited to those necessary to the story rather than just wanting to have as many as possible make an appearance. Tucker's brother Barrett is up next in Unexpected Rush, and it will be interesting to see what happens in his story.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depository | iTunes





Friday, November 28, 2014

Audiobook Review: Nothing Personal by Jaci Burton, Narrated by Elizabeth Hart


“Nothing Personal” is an earlier story by Jaci Burton. I haven’t read too much by her so I wanted to see what “Nothing Personal” would be like. Ryan McKay is a multi-millionaire. He is handsome, obviously very rich and very powerful. He has it all except the one thing he needs-a wife. Ryan doesn’t want to get marry but his grandfather stipulated in his will that Ryan could only inherit the family business if he was to get married and have a child. The terms of the will are very specific and if Ryan does not comply he loses the company that he has been working hard to run.

Faith Lewis has been working for Ryan for many years, fresh out of college she was highly recommended. Faith is nothing like Ryan. She is very insecure and has been in love with Ryan since she started working for him. When Ryan’s intended bride backs out of their intended marriage, Ryan is desperate because he does not want to lose his company. He asks faith if she will help him out and she says yes.

Ok, so Faith. For the first half of the book she was so spineless I don’t know how she didn’t just keel over. She was so insecure and so down on herself it was almost irritating. It seemed that she was grateful just to breathe and even at times she didn’t seem to deserve that. Ryan was so cold and unfeeling that I didn’t particularly care for him.

BUT, and here is a big BUT. I really began to like them both. This is not instant-lust at first sight. Far from it. Ryan doesn’t even really care about Faith until he really starts to get to know her. Although they have worked together for years, Ryan was all business. I did have a couple of issues with the book. One it was super predictable. Faith was innocent and naïve to and extreme. But I liked how the author evolved some aspects of her but essentially still kept her as her own person. Ryan was harder to get. Since his parents, family were all cold and distant it makes sense that he was too, but I would have liked for him to have more depth. As expected he begins to fall in love with Faith and he realizes that he has been keeping people at arms lengths all his life. He also realizes that if he doesn’t do something quick he will lose Faith.

Although I had some issues with the story, when Faith and Ryan “break up” it was so sad and heartbreaking that I wanted them to work out their issues. The grandfathers will was a little far-fetched and the cousin that was supposed to oversee the authenticity of their marriage was a little creepy but overall I really enjoyed this story. I wanted the characters to be happy and I wanted to see how they would resolve their marriage. Also, I enjoyed the narration by Elizabeth Hart except that she made Faith sound so whiney it made her seem almost too childlike. But overall, her narration was enjoyable.

**Audiobook provided by Tantor Audio**

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | B&N |




Friday, October 17, 2014

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**

Purchase: | Audiobook | Amazon | Kindle | B&N |




Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Interview with Author Jaci Burton and Giveaway

Meet Jaci Burton, author of Hope Burns.

Jaci Burton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Play by Play and Hope series. She’s a total romantic and loves a story with a happily ever after, which you’ll find in all of her books. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband and her dogs.

Find Jaci at:
| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

ARC Review: Hope Ignites by Jaci Burton


Jaci Burton has been on my to-read list for a long time. Burton is a very accomplished author and many of her books have very high reviews. Since this is my first time reading her, I found that I really enjoyed her writing style. Her writing was engaging and easy to follow. She presented a great setting- a small town. She presented a great plot- movie star meets rancher. Burton was able to balance the contrast between small city life and the lifestyle of movie stars. This was definitely a story of opposites attract.

Desiree Jenkins is a big movie star. She is in the small town on Logan McCormack’s ranch filming a movie. When she meets Logan there is an instant lust between them. Des is forward with her interest. She is fun-loving and bubbly. She loves exploring life in the small town and takes interest and joy in the cozy feeling of a small town. Logan is very different. He is more stand-offish and quiet. He is often observing and not responding. Logan is the handsome and silent type but it’s often difficult to understand who he is as a character. He is attracted to Des but he knows that they come from different worlds.

I usually like the opposite attracts scenario and this was definitely the scene here. Not only did Des and Logan have different personalities but they had very different life-styles. I enjoyed this story but I did not love it. I like when characters fall in love and when they push each other’s comfort level. Although Des really pushed Logan’s comfort and lifestyle I found most of their interactions to be flat. I also found some aspects of the story to be a little boring. I thought the support characters were fun, like Martha and Colt. I’m not a fan of the lust at first sight scenarios and for most of the book that was the only relationship that Logan and Des had.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N |



Saturday, December 21, 2013

ARC Review: Holiday Games by Jaci Burton


Jaci Burton has been an auto-buy for me for a really long time. I love all of the stories that I have read by her, and the Play by Play series is definitely one of my all-time favorite series. So when I found out that she was releasing a holiday novella featuring Gavin and Liz, I knew I had to read it. I figured that even though novellas can sometimes seem too short and unsatisfying that this one would be different since Liz and Gavin are already together. This one was the opposite of that for me though, and I found myself becoming distracted and wanting to skip whole paragraphs.

Gavin and Liz have been married for awhile now and having been trying to have a baby for the last year. Even though every negative test upsets and disappoints Liv, she becomes more determined than ever to make it happen. Liz is not one to easily give up and she never stops until she gets what she wants. Liz takes every opportunity to jump her husband in order to make a baby. Meanwhile, the entire Riley family is also preparing for Jenna and Ty's wedding. As they try to balance wedding plans, Liz is also preparing to host her first ever Riley family Christmas dinner. Will Gavin and Liz get the news they are hoping for in time for Christmas?

I really love the characters in the Play by Play series, and I especially love Gavin and Liz. They are absolutely perfect for each other and I have rooted from them from the very start. I love that Gavin is so head over heels for Liz and that he has always put her first. I also love Liz despite some of the things that she did when we first met her. I always knew that she was only trying to do the best she could for her clients even if it wasn't the right thing. But ever since she realized her mistake and made things right, I have thought that she was great. She is determined and smart and I really enjoyed seeing the softer side of her. At first you never would expect that she would be the mother type, but being with Gavin seems to have really brought out a different side to her. I love that the two of them are able to balance each other out and have such a great connection. They still had every bit of steam and were really sexy together.

My problem with this story is that it really didn't have much of a plot besides Liz and Gavin having a lot of sex in order to try and make a baby. I felt like everything else was just used as opportunities to bring back well known and loved characters. Even though it was great to see them, it was really sort of a jumbled mess to me. There was so much going on in order to bring everyone back, and yet really there wasn't much to keep the reader interested. Unfortunately this one just wasn't what I have come to love and expect from Jaci Burton, and I was just wishing for more to keep me interested. I think if you are a fan of the Play by Play series that you might enjoy this novella. Besides the fact that Christmas is approaching, it really doesn't have anything to do with the holidays though as the focus is Liz and Gavin's baby making and Ty and Jenna's wedding. The thing I liked about this one was that we did get to see our favorite characters and get to catch up with what is going on in their lives. It was nice to see how their HEAs were going and to see just how happy they were. But other than that, this one was a bit of a disappointment for me.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase:  | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |





Saturday, June 8, 2013

Feature and Giveaway: One Sweet Ride by Jaci Burton


To get what you want you have to move fast.

Gray Preston was born into money, but he's built his racing empire on hard work and muscle. Now, with millions of fans, his senator father sends one of his aides, Evelyn Hill, to elicit Gray's help in garnering votes for his upcoming national election. Gray wants nothing to do with his estranged father's campaign, but Evelyn can be pretty persuasive. She's willing to learn about racing, and maybe even get a little dirty.

Evelyn's number-one goal is politics, which makes working with Gray difficult, because his only passion is fast cars. As she and Gray spend time together, he teaches her about the sport he loves, and she learns a lot about the man behind the wheel. The more she learns, the more she wants him. But any desire that threatens to derail the carefully laid plans for her future is a dangerous one.

With the passion Gray and Evelyn share running hotter than either imagined, one of them is going to have to compromise, or run the risk of losing more than their hearts. them, and the way he figures it, what better therapy is there than sex? Now all he has to do is convince the woman with the power to make the call.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Feature & Giveaway: Thrown by a Curve by Jaci Burton


She thinks she knows this player—but he has a few surprise moves.

For Alicia Riley, her job as a sports therapist for the St. Louis Rivers baseball team is a home run—until she becomes the primary therapist for star pitcher, Garrett Scott. Out of the lineup with an injury, he's short-tempered, hard to handle, and every solid inch, a man.

Right now, the only demand he's making on Alicia is that she get him ready to pitch in time for opening day. Except the sexual chemistry between them is so charged, Alicia's tempted to oblige Garrett just about anything. But both their careers are at stake—one bad move and it's game over for both of them.

Garrett also feels the hot sparks between them, and the way he figures it, what better therapy is there than sex? Now all he has to do is convince the woman with the power to make the call.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Monday, March 18, 2013

Review: Thrown by a Curve by Jaci Burton


I'll admit that Thrown by a Curve took me awhile to warm up to it. I liked it and really enjoyed it, but it was until the last quarter of the book that things really picked up for me and I fell in love.

First let me say that the chemistry between Alicia and Garrett is hot! Seriously, explosive! There were a few scenes that I had to put the book down because I couldn't stop blushing. I really liked these two together and I loved that they treated each other as equals. Garrett was such a great hero and honestly at first I wasn't so sure about him. When we first meet him, he comes across like a spoiled athlete with an attitude problem. He's injured and in rehab for his arm and he is in the mainframe that it's never going to get better. I liked that Alicia tells him like it is and flat out tells him to stop acting like a petulant child.

As the story progresses and we get to know Garrett a bit better you see that his attitude is just a front and that he's really afraid that he will never pitch again. He's being faced with the possibility of never being able to  do the one thing that means the most to him and I get his attitude. I like that once we get to know him, we see that he's really a great guy. He's funny and charming and wicked hot.

With Alicia, I really liked her. I like that she's so career driven and independent. She has worked hard to get where she is and she's not about to let some man (no matter how sexy) mess things up for her. With a character like Alicia it's easy to come across as bitchy but that was not the case at all with her. She's down to earth and sweet and I really enjoyed her.

I loved the relationship between Alicia and Garrett and I loved that things didn't just happen over night with these two. There was a slow burn to their relationship that I quite enjoyed. Alicia, not wanting to put her career in jeopardy is the one that is constantly putting a stop to the growing attraction between her and Garrett. I liked that Garrett is the pursuer of the two yet he never pushing Alicia too far or comes across domineering.

This was another great book in the Play by Play series by Jaci Burton. We were introduced to a few new characters that I am sure will act as heroes in future books and I can't wait. Thrown by a Curve was a great read and it definitely left me wanting more.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |