Bring on the Heat / Too Hot to Handle (The Boys of Summer 1&2) by Katie Rose-a review

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Too Hot to Handle
The Boys of Summer #2
by Katie Rose
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic romance, baseball

Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

Nikki Case is no fan of baseball. Her ex gambled away a fortune on the sport, and now her PR firm has tasked her with cleaning up the league’s most notorious bad boys. The New Jersey Sonics are known for wild womanizing and booze-fueled brawls, so Nikki expects the worst. Her first stop in the battle to win hearts and minds is star hitter Jake Baldwin—a legendary ladies man so smokin’ he threatens to melt her tough-girl armor.

Although his teammates prank her without mercy, Jake admires the way Nikki gives as good as she gets. She may be the queen of frost, but there’s kindling beneath those sultry curves—and he’s just the man to ignite it. But when a PR nightmare lands the Sonics in headlines across the country, Nikki is ready to walk. Only then does Jake realize how important she is to the Sonics’ success—and that winning the love of a good woman is no game.

REVIEW: TOO HOT TO HANDLE is the second installment in Katie Rose’s contemporary, adult The Boys of Summer erotic, romance series focusing on the members of the professional baseball team The New Jersey Sonics. This is shortstop Jake Baldwin and PR representative Nikki Cases’s storyline. Although TOO HOT TO HANDLE is the second in the series, it can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

The premise follows Nikki’s foray into the world of professional baseball. The New Jersey Sonics are a PR nightmare with womanizing players and drunken brawls. Nikki’s latest assignment is to clean up the players; present a more professional team; and work magic with the media. What Nikki never expected was to fall in love with the team’s resident bad boy Jake Baldwin-an all star hitter with a reputation with the ladies.

The relationship between Jake and Nikki begins on a dare. Jake’s teammates bet that he can’t seduce the uptight and professional Nikki Case into bed, and Jake is more than willing to prove them wrong. While the other players watch from the sidelines, Jake persuades Nikki to give him a chance. When Nikki accepts, all bets are off when Jake begins to fall for the team’s new PR representative. The love scenes are erotic, passionate and electric.

The secondary and supporting characters include all of The New Jersey Sonics including Darcy and Chase from book one-BRING ON THE HEAT; team management; Nikki’s sister Natalie; and a young Hispanic boy named Joaquin whose life will become entangled with the all star player. The world building continues to pull the reader onto the outfield, behind the bench and into the bedrooms of The New Jersey Sonics.

TOO HOT TO HANDLE is a fun and entertaining read with a little bit of romance, heartbreak and heat. The quick resolution to a particular plot point between Nikki and Jake was a little abrupt; too quick to settle. I wanted a little more in depth groveling from Jake. When the truth was revealed Jake basically threw up his hands in defeat and walked away-he didn’t need the crap and wasn’t going to beg for forgiveness but in the end, that is exactly what he needed to do. There is a slight ‘Bull Durham’ feel to the series-give it a try-you will see what I mean.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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BRING ON THE HEAT
(The Boys of Summer #1)
by Katie Rose
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic romance, baseball
Release Date: August 26, 2014

Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

In Katie Rose’s irresistible battle of wits, a case of mistaken identity lands a female fan in bed with a sexy superstar—and in major-league trouble.

House-sitting for a rich and famous friend has its perks, and Darcy Hamilton isn’t shy about enjoying them. Especially when it means scoring a ticket to an exclusive fashion show hosted by the New Jersey Sonics. An avid baseball fan, Darcy has always dreamed of meeting the team—especially the starting pitcher whose body is as hot as his fastball. But there’s a catch. The gala is by invitation only. To get behind the velvet rope, mild-mannered Darcy will have to pose as party girl Lydia Logan.

Schmoozing is one of the downsides of fame, but Chase Westbrook knows how to liven up even the dullest event. And nothing spices a night up more than a beautiful socialite with a naughty reputation. What Chase doesn’t expect is a hint of sweetness beneath her sultry façade. Flirtation turns to seduction and leaves him aching for more. Chase just doesn’t know who the real Lydia is: the spoiled tease crying foul over some missing diamonds or the alluring woman making a play for his heart.

REVIEW: BRING ON THE HEAT is the first installment in Katie Rose’s contemporary adult The Boys of Summer erotic romance series focusing on the members of the professional baseball team the New Jersey Sonics. This is pitcher Chase Westbrook and house sitter/writer Darcy Hamilton’s storyline-a Cinderella esque story of mistaken identity

The focus of the storyline is Darcy Hamilton. House sitting for the Logan Chip heiress and bad girl Lydia Logan, Darcy jumps at the chance to attend an exclusive fashion show and fund raiser sponsored by the New Jersey Sonics. Darcy is an uber fan of the Sonics pitcher Chase Westbrook and ultimately finds herself on the receiving end of Chase’s attention. Chase believes he has met the Logan Chip heiress Lydia Logan and throughout most of the storyline Darcy (who bares a striking resemblance to the heiress) continues to impersonate Lydia wherever she goes.

The relationship between Chase and Darcy is one of mistaken identity but an identity that Darcy continues to perpetrate throughout the story. Darcy will fall in love with Chase Westbrook but her fraudulent and deceptive acknowledgement of all things Lydia Logan will find her in hot water when the real Lydia Logan shows up at the same event as Chase and Darcy. Heated and hurtful words will be exchanged leaving a grieving and heartbroken Darcy to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams. Lies, deceit and a fraudulent identity does not make for love and a happily ever after.

The secondary and supporting characters include the members of the New Jersey Sonic baseball team; Darcy’s best friend Cara; Chase’s less than enthusiastic parents; as well as several members of the media and the rich and famous. We will be introduced to Jake Baldwin-the Sonics womanizing shortstop-whose storyline will be told next in TOO HOT TO HANDLE. The world building brings the reader front and center into the game of baseball, the deals and contracts; and the men and women who control the show.

BRING ON THE HEAT is a fast paced, quick read that was, at times, frustrating as it pertained to the continued premise of mistaken identity. As the storyline builds, so too did this reader’s anxiety knowing that Darcy’s deception was but a reveal away. No matter how many attempts to tell the truth, the opportunity to come clean was always brushed aside when the glitz and glamor of fame reared its’ media focused head.

Reviewed by Sandy