THE HEAT IS ON (The Boys of Summer #4) by Katie Rose-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 5, 2015

When veteran catcher Connor Jackson gets traded to the New Jersey Sonics, he welcomes the opportunity to possibly cap his career with a World Series ring in his home state. But there’s another reason Connor is glad things have come full circle. In pursuit of hardball glory, he left behind his college sweetheart, the one girl he could never forget. Seeing her again stirs up long-lost desires . . . and this time, he’s determined not to strike out.

A divorced mother of four, Tracy Coleman no longer aspires to gossip-mag glam—but she’ll make an exception for a date with Connor. Their chemistry is hotter than ever, and being alone with him is more seductive than she anticipated. Who could blame her for leaving out a little detail like the kids? Now all she has to do is come clean and convince the man of her dreams that they—Connor, Tracy, and her children—have a future together.

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REVIEW: THE HEAT IS ON is the fourth installment in Katie Rose’s contemporary, adult THE BOYS OF SUMMER baseball, romance series. This is New Jersey Sonics catcher Connor Jackson, and divorced mother of four/medical transcriber Tracy Coleman’s story line. THE HEAT IS ON can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. All of the previous storyline couples play secondary and supporting roles.

Told from dual third person perspectives THE HEAT IS ON is a second chance romance between Tracy and Connor. Tracy and Connor were college sweethearts but Connor’s dream of making it big in the majors found our couple going in opposite directions. Fast forward to present day wherein Tracy finds herself a divorced mother with four children under six years old, and Connor returns home to New Jersey for one final shot at the World Series and a championship ring. What ensues is a rekindling of a relationship that finds Tracy keeping secret her young family of four.

Tracy Coleman is a woman scorned whose ex husband kept a secret family on the side. While pregnant with child number four Tracy found herself a single parent with no stable support system from her children’s father. Connor Jackson is a thirty seven year old baseball player whose best days are behind him. When he is traded to the New Jersey Sonics Connor is given a chance to make the team a contender for the championship ring-think Bull Durham-an experienced catcher whose leadership is needed to bring about a winning season. But a trade to New Jersey places Connor closer to the woman he has never stopped loving-a woman whose own life moved forward without the man that she loved.

The rekindling of the relationship is a slow build to a second chance at love but our heroine keeps secrets her life at home. In this, I did have some issues with her reluctance to reveal the truth but in the end Connor is more of a hero; a man who is willing to accept everything and everyone in Tracy’s life even though Tracy’s attempts to protect her family could have come at a cost to both her relationship with Connor and hearts of her young children. The $ex scenes are seductive and provocative without the over the top erotic, graphic imagery and text.

THE HEAT IS ON is a sweet storyline with a little bit of suspense, romance, $ex and love. Tracy’s ex-husband adds some uncomfortable moments when he threatens our heroine but the resolution to this particular aspect of the story is quick to resolve and with some moments that were not quite realistic. Connor’s fellow baseball players add friendship, friendly banter and an overall feeling of familiarity and cohesion to the story. The premise is engaging, lively and encouraging; the characters are charismatic and colorful; the romance is passionate and hopeful. There is plenty of baseball play by play to be enjoyed.

READING ORDER and previous reviews

Bring on the Heat
Too Hot to Handle
The Heat of the Moment
The Heat is On

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy