Alrighty then...

Tale the first: set-up made me bristle quite a bit. H and h's late husband were both friends and business rivals. H's secretary was h's best friend. After the death of her husband, h had taken over the company. Construction apparently pays well - the h's secretary owned a condo in HI (not time share, which I might have believed, but outright), so does H. Heroine takes secretary up on offer to use condo for a week, with every intention of getting laid. Secretary lets H know, so he can stay at his condo the same week. H "rescues" h from some guy who is reluctant to understand "no", then asks h why she is really there. Apparently the thought of "I wasn't aware I needed to clear a vacation with you" never crosses her mind - she tells him she's there to get laid. H/h hook up, then afterwards, it's back to business as usual(?!). I mean; beyond the improbability of a mere secretary owning a condo in HI - while working in Tulsa, there's the notion that the h has to have approval from her competitor to take a vacation.

Tale the second. Rather poignant. Heroine is a 40-something former supermodel who trusted the wrong guy 20 years ago. His selling lewd pics of her to tabloids didn't have any affect on her career BUT...her dad was a minister. Uh oh. She's pretty much kept everyone at arm's length ever since. She's having surgery in a few days because a tumor (or polyp) was found in/on her uterus. The boss has feelings for her and after she breaks down following a business meeting, he seizes the opportunity. In this case, he offers to fulfull a fantasy for her - a threesome - and keeps her distracted up until surgery and hangs around afterward. The tumor/polyp is benign fortunately, and the H refuses to let her go.

Tale the third. So a guy walks into a fetish bar, picks up a sub, and fulfills her fantasy... Then she's gravely injured in Iraq, while he's in Afghanistan. He finds out about her injuries, and goes after her. She's now blind and nearly deaf. And a good deal of the story is his form of psychotherapy. Hmmm. I mean; I suppose snapping out orders might get a soldier up out of the easy chair but... Or maybe it's that he takes her to a club - a crowded club - 48 hours after dragging her from the easy chair she'd been moping in for close to a year. You'd think the sensory overload would leave her in a crumpled heap on the floor. Just a little weirded out by that one.

Tale the third. Odd fantasy where the language is crude earth but there are 2 moons. Hero is high ranking soldier. Heroine is slave. She's owned by an ambassador to a rival nation. There's intrigue, sex (obviously), a blocked assassination attempt, a faked death, etc. What little world building there is, is interesting.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The first in a new series following three firefighting brothers, Hot to the Touch was a steamy fast paced read. After his parents were killed in a car accident, Jackson was sent into the system, only to become a teenager living on the streets. He finds himself a sort of leader trying to take care of kids younger than him but really bonds with two other boys, Rafe and Kal. When a firefighter ends up rescuing them one night, they finally find themselves adopted and in a happy home but Jackson still bears the scars of those early years.

Rebecca “Becks” had a crush on Jackson when they were homeless kids and missed him when he and his “brothers” disappeared. When fate brings them back together, she finds herself attracted to the man. With some matchmaking brothers, healing old wounds, and sexual tension, two former homeless kids may just get their happily ever after.

I enjoyed the set-up of Jackson and his brothers being rescued by a firefighter only to be adopted by him and grow up to work along side him. In order to create some tension between Jackson and Becks, the author had him being unnecessarily rude and short to her. His poking at her for cleaning and cooking while she stayed at their home (she loses hers after a fire) was forced and had him coming off more of a jerk than grumpy teddy bear. His supposed reluctance to love anyone (he seems to have no problem loving his brothers and parents) was dragged through the whole story and only overcame/worked through at the very, very end (90ish%). I'm not even sure I understand the big deal about him not wanting to discuss and/or wallow about his past as a homeless kid.

Becks was a positive character with her raising herself up to become a business owner. However, I felt like her character was never really delved into. She ended up being adopted by a good family but there's no foundation felt from that and her journey from doodling artist to tattoo business owner delivers no emotional impact. She still visits her old stomping grounds and brings essentials to homeless kids but they are such short scenes that they never fully make an impact.

The romance between the two definitely had their steamy moments but since the emotional components weren't fully there for me, I had a hard time connecting. I got from both of them that they found the other sexually attractive and some emotional carryover from Becks' childhood crush but I was never able to feel their connection. Jackson's “don't ever want to talk about the past” dominated the story and it kind of felt like we were spinning our wheels for the majority.

The writing style had a lot of short sentences, which I think hurt the flow for me. The characters also felt very surface, their issues are stated but never expanded on, delved into, or flushed out, making this feel a little dry. There was also an inclusion of a secondary character that is probably being set-up to be a heroine in a future book and her actions felt over-the-top and forced to try and create some friction. The outline and character issues were there but the depth behind them wasn't, this was a fast read but not particularly engaging.

Great looking cover ;) and a great tasting supper.

Pre-Order Link

Recipe Link (These were so good but beware, very time consuming! I also substituted Greek yogurt for mayo in tartar sauce, loved it.)

This is book #14, in the Play By Play series.  This book can be read as a standalone novel.  For reader enjoyment and complete understanding of this incredible series, I recommend reading it in order.

Will AKA "Mad Dog" meets up with Amber through a mutual friend.  They have a lot in common.  Sports, competitive drive, attraction, and more.  When the sparks between them start flying, it is hard to fight the instincts.  

Amber has one goal - get that gold.  She has been sheltered, and does not fully understand what she is up against.  She only knows she wants to live.  Finally live!  Will brings that out in her more than most.

Such a sexy book with banter and heat right from the start.  Perfect addition to this already very hot, erotic series.  The characters make it exciting, and the story is very compelling.  I could hardly put it down.  I give this book a 4/5 Kitty's Paws UP!