The Hot Zone Series 1-4 by Carly Phillips-reviews

HOT STUFF
(Hot Zone #1)
by Carly Phillips
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

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About the book: Re-Release Date March 7, 2017

He’s about to find out … She’s not just one of the guys.

Annabelle Jordan and her two sisters were orphans in frilly dresses when they went to live with their sports-lawyer uncle in his world of locker rooms, bookies and gambling. Now the girls are publicists in their uncle’s firm, The Hot Zone.

Despite her upbringing, Annabelle is all woman. She’s naturally drawn to real men—like her latest client, businessman and former football legend Brandon Vaughn.

The chemistry is potent, undeniable, irresistible. Annabelle soon realizes that Brandon is much more than just another jock. And that she’d better hold on tight if she doesn’t want to lose her heart.

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REVIEW: HOT STUFF is the first installment in Carly Phillips’s contemporary, adult HOT ZONE romance series focusing on the Jordan sisters(Annabelle, Michelle and Sophie) and their Uncle Yank Morgan-owner of the sports agency/PR firm known as The Hot Zone. This is sports PR agent and eldest sister Annabelle Jordan, and former football star Brandon Vaughn’s story line.

NOTE: The Hot Zone series has been re-edited and re-released with all new covers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Approximately 17 years earlier sports agent Yank Morgan became the guardian and parent to his late sister’s three orphaned daughters-Annabelle, Michelle aka Micki, and Sophie Jordan-and in the ensuing years Yank and the Jordan sisters became one of the most successful sports agency and PR firms in the world of sports-The Hot Zone. The Hot Zone series is their story as Yank Morgan struggles to find a happily ever after for the girls (now women) he loves like his own, as well as the fight to keep his own heart from breaking apart.

Told from three third person perspectives (Annabelle, Brandon and Yank) HOT STUFF focuses on Heisman winner , Superbowl winner and former football player Brandon Vaughn, and his struggles to get a sports lodge open for affluent adults and a school/summer camp for kids. A series of disasters at the lodge have derailed his plans, and Brandon is looking for some positive PR to prevent the loss of his investment. Enter PR specialist Annabelle Jordan, the woman with whom Brandon will fall in love.

The relationship between Brandon and Annabelle is a second chance meeting; a partnership ‘arranged’ by Uncle Yank; a professional business arrangement that turns into something more. Annabelle is the eldest, a peacekeeper by nature, a worrier about separation and loss. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate.

We are introduced to Annabelle’s sisters: Michelle aka Micki, and Sophie, as well as Uncle Yank’s long suffering assistant Lola who has loved Uncle Yank from near and far. Lola has been Yank’s assistant for most of her adult life; one time lovers, and of course a surrogate mother to the Jordan sisters. Nick Gregory, Brandon’s lifelong friend and partner struggles with always coming in second to the man he calls best friend; and Brandon’s assistant Mara who may or may not be in love with Brandon’s best friend Nick.

HOT STUFF is the introductory story line that reveals some of the background and circumstances surrounding the loss of the sister’s parents; their rise to fame within Uncle Yank’s HOT ZONE agency; and Uncle Yank’s stubborn and emotional attitude as it pertains to ALL of the women he loves. The premise is enjoyable; the characters are dynamic; the romance is emotional and captivating. HOT STUFF is a sweet, spicy and engaging look at three sisters and the grumpy old man who adores them like his own.

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HOT NUMBER
(Hot Zone #2)
by Carly Phillips
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
About the book: Re-release March 7, 2017

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Micki Jordan is a tomboy as much at home on the playing field as in a locker room full of naked guys.

But the star publicist is looking to prove she’s also an irresistible woman in order to get a second shot at professional baseball player and major league playboy, Damian Fuller.

Micki transforms herself into one hot number Damian can’t help but notice and together they burn up the sheets and find themselves falling hard. Until Damian’s past returns, threatening their future.

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REVIEW : HOT NUMBER is the second installment in Carly Phillips’s contemporary, adult HOT ZONE romance series focusing on the Jordan sisters(Annabelle, Michelle and Sophie) and their Uncle Yank Morgan-owner of the sports agency/PR firm known as The Hot Zone. This is sports PR agent and youngest sister / Hot Zone publicist Michelle (Micki) Jordan, and professional baseball player Damian Fuller’s story line. HOT NUMBER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing story line focusing on Uncle Yank and the woman he loves. HOT NUMBER advances the series by one year.

Told from several third person points of view HOT NUMBER focuses on two relationships: the contemptuous partnership between The Hot Zone owner Yank Morgan, and his PA and one time lover Lola : and the building relationship between Micki Jordan and injured professional baseball player Damien Fuller. Micki is the ‘tomboy’ of the family. From a young age, Micki followed her Uncle Yank to business meetings, into the boardrooms, and players lockers rooms getting first hand knowledge about the ins and outs of the business she would one day become part owner and partner. A life hanging out with a single male meant Micki grew up to be less than feminine, rough around the edges, and always viewed as ‘one of the boys’ but a hot New Year’s Eve kiss six month earlier between Micki and Damien had shaken Micki’s world and shown our heroine what she had been missing in her life. A night out with the boys found Micki and Damien caught in a compromising position that resulted in some down time together for our leading couple. What ensues is the building relationship between Micki and Damien that will implode when Damien’s past comes baring some life altering news.

Micki is a heroine with issues of self-esteem, self doubt and insecurities. Believing she is not worthy of love or the attention of an all-star sport hero, Micki accepts that her relationship with Damien is temporary; a part of their current circumstance until something better or different comes along. Damien is a professional baseball player who never had any plans to settle down let alone go quietly into the sunset with a potentially career-ending injury.

The romance between Micki and Damien is one of instant attraction. Neither one has forgotten about the New Year’s Eve kiss-a kiss that changed their lives forever. The $ex scenes are intimate, intense and erotic without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text. There is a definite lack of communication between our couple in light of some life changing news for them both. Micki begins to withdraw and finds herself on the outside looking in.

There are a large number of secondary and supporting characters including Micki’s sisters Annabelle and her husband Brandon (Hot Stuff #1), middle sister Sophia, Uncle Yank and his PA Lola; Yank’s best friend and competition Spencer Atkins ; Micki’s best friend and Damien’s teammate John Roper, fellow teammate and center fielder Ricky Carter; and Carole-a woman who comes between Damien and the woman with whom he will fall in love.

HOT NUMBER not only follows the relationship between Damien and Micki, but brings some resolution to Yank and Lola’s ongoing love, and opens up a potential future for Ricky and the woman that calls to his heart. The premise is entertaining and energetic; the characters are colorful and realistic; the romance struggles with self-doubt and the fall out from an earlier affair.

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HOT ITEM
(Hot Zone #3)
by Carly Phillips
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
ABOUT THE BOOK: Re-release March 7, 2017

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He’ll push all her boundaries and make her realize rules are made to be broken.

Cool, collected Sophie Jordan loves her daily routine running her family’s top sports management agency, as long as she gets to stay behind the scenes. But with big sister on maternity leave and little sis on her honeymoon, she’s forced to step up to the plate. And a recent media crisis surrounding the disappearance of super agent Spencer Atkins is not going to make the job any easier.

Enter star quarterback and notorious bad boy Riley Nash who, for reasons of his own, needs to track down Atkins. Up until now, Sophie has kept a strict no-dating-clients policy, but each day with Riley makes her rule near impossible to follow. With her job and her heart on the line, Sophie will need to make the toughest choice of her life!

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REVIEW: HOT ITEM is the third installment in Carly Phillips contemporary, adult HOT ZONE romance series focusing on the Jordan sisters (Annabelle, Michelle and Sophie) and their Uncle Yank Morgan-owner of the sports agency/PR firm known as The Hot Zone. This is sports PR agent and middle sister and Hot Zone co-owner Sophie Jordan, and professional quarterback Riley Nash’s story line. HOT NUMBER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing story line focusing on Uncle Yank and the woman he loves. HOT NUMBER advances the series by one year.

Told from several third person points of view HOT ITEM ventures downs several paths including the search for Spencer Atkins, and the building romance between Sophie Jordan and quarterback Riley Nash. With the merger of Athletes Only sports agency and the PR firm of The Hot Zone meant the merger of friendship between Yank Morgan and his long time friend Spencer Atkins but a merger that reveals the secret past and life of Spencer Atkins. Hoping to run interference for both of the men that she loves Sophie Jordan finds herself stretched beyond her capabilities when a stranger comes forward looking for answers to the new crises that begins to tear apart the family that she loves. Enter Riley Nash, a man who wants answers as much as Sophie wants answers to Riley’s past.

The relationship between Riley and Sophie begins as a business arrangement such that Riley and Sophie go searching for answers but to different questions and concerns from the past. Riley is a single father who wants nothing to do with settling down, and Sophie needs order in her life, not the chaos that falling in love could potentially bring. The $ex scenes are intimate without the use of sexually graphic language and text.

All of the previous story line couples and characters play secondary and supporting roles including Sophie’s sisters and their husbands: Annabelle and Brandon, Micki and Damien, Uncle Yank and Lola, as well as several employees and temps that come in and out of their lives. We are introduced to Riley’s parents Senator and Mrs. Nash; his teenage daughter Lizzie and ex-wife Lisa; Spencer’s eccentric sisters Darla and Rose, and his niece, Rose’s daughter Amy Stone, as well as fellow and competing sports agent Miguel Cambias, and Hot Zone publicist Cindy James. Amy and Micki’ best friend John Roper’s story is next in Hot Property.

The world building continues to focus on the business of public relations for the rich and famous, and up and coming stars of sports. Uncle Yank believes his matchmaking abilities have found each of his nieces a ‘happily ever after’ and now he is waiting for the grandchildren that each successful relationship is about to produce. I did have one issue in that Micki was supposedly pregnant at the end of book two but no further mention occurs in book three-in fact when Yank ‘demands’ grandchildren from each of his nieces, Micki makes no mention that she is expecting or otherwise- an error in the story line or a miscue in the story.

HOT ITEM is a predictable story line in that the premise is similar in nature to the previous two installments: the men are afraid to commit; the women are afraid to love fearing another loss in their life. The characters are colorful but battle one another for control; the romance struggles with a lack of communication and fear of the unknown. Sophie’s obsession with order and control finds our heroine struggling in both life and love when she runs from the man that calls to her heart.

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HOT PROPERTY
(Hot Zone #4)
by Carly Phillips
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
ABOUT THE BOOK: Re-release March 7, 2017

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / ibooks / Google Play /

Just one short season ago, major league center fielder John Roper had it all: the looks—and personal life—of a sports hero and the public’s adoration. But this hot property’s lucky streak has run out. After a World Series disaster, fans diss him, shock jocks mock him and his dysfunctional family hassles him for money he really can’t spare.

Now it’s up to him, and Hot Zone publicist Amy Stone, to get his life back on track.

Amy finds it’s easier said than done. What with the constant intrusions of his nutty family, a crazed fan playing stalker, and Roper’s refusal to put his own needs first, she’s starting to think that life in the fast lane isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But when the two retreat to a secluded lodge, the sexy center fielder throws Amy a curveball—one she never saw coming.…

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REVIEW: HOT PROPERTY is the fourth (and final) installment in Carly Phillips contemporary, adult HOT ZONE romance series focusing on the Jordan sisters (Annabelle, Michelle and Sophie) and their Uncle Yank Morgan-owner of the sports agency/PR firm known as The Hot Zone. This is new sports publicist Amy Stone and all star center fielder John Roper’s story line. HOT PROPERTY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order . HOT PROPERTY advances the series several months. Amy Stone is Spencer Atkins ( Hot Zone/Athletes Only co-founder) niece; John Roper is Micki Jordan’s best friend.

NOTE: The Hot Zone series has been re-edited and re-released with all new covers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Yank Morgan considers himself an amateur matchmaker. Having wed off his three nieces to professional sports stars Yank sets his sights on his business partner’s niece-Amy Stone-and struggling center fielder John Roper.

Told from several third person perspectives HOT PROPERTY is a bit of a diversion from the original series as the story line no longer focuses on the Jordan sisters but on extended family and friends. John Roper is a struggling professional baseball player whose personal and professional life are spiraling out of control. A disastrous playoff series and ongoing injuries find our hero struggling with negative media and a stalker hell bent on destroying his life. Enter Amy Stone, Hot Zone’s newest publicist and the woman that calls to John Roper’s heart.

Having met several months earlier at Sophie Jordan and Riley Nash’s wedding Amy and John had a bit of history-something that didn’t go unnoticed by Yank Morgan. Yank has a propensity to play cupid whenever possible, and John and Amy are his next targeted couple.

Like all of the previous story lines in the series HOT PROPERTY follows several paths including John Roper’s battle with his extended family-his co-dependency with his mother, brother and sister, and his inability to say no where his family is concerned. Amy takes matters into her own hands and forces John to look at the bigger picture and the need to get healthy before baseball season starts. We are also up close and personal as Amy battles not only her feelings for a man whose lives his life in the glare of the media spotlight, but with a mother and aunt who have a propensity for getting into all sorts of trouble.

The relationship between Amy and John is one of immediate attraction but Amy’s history with the news media finds our heroine struggling with her attraction to a man who is rarely out of the news. The back and forth, push and pull continues throughout the story until Amy pushes John away one last time. The $ex scenes are intimate and intense.

HOT PROPERTY is an entertaining but predictable story of romance and family, betrayal and revenge, second chances and falling in love. The premise is enjoyable; the characters are colorful and spirited; the romance is spicy and hot. The HOT ZONE series is an imaginative look at family, love and the business side of professional sports management.

Copies supplied for review

Reviews by Sandy

Carly Phillips:

Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels featuring hot men, strong women and the emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. Carly’s career spans over a decade and a half with various New York publishing houses, and she is now an Indie author who runs her own business and loves every exciting minute of her publishing journey. Carly is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs (two wheaten terriers and one mutant Havanese) who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at www.carlyphillips.com.

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