Review: All Wound Up

ALL WOUND UP
Play by Play #10
Jaci Burton
Adult Contemporary Romance
336 pages
Berkley
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Tucker Cassidy is going through a slump—but not on the field. It’s his dating life that’s suffering. After having a painful altercation involving his ex-girlfriend’s knee, Tucker is convinced it couldn’t get worse…until a gorgeous doctor comes to the rescue at his most embarrassing moment.

As the daughter of the owner of the St. Louis Rivers, Dr. Aubry Ross has been around jocks all her life. She knows the ins and outs of all their games, and she isn’t interested in playing.

When Tucker repeatedly lands in the hospital where she’s working, Aubry starts to think he’s getting injured just to see her. Tucker is both funny and sexy, and Aubry is pleasantly surprised to discover he actually respects her job.

When her father disapproves of their relationship, Aubry knows she’d rather lose Tucker than have him lose his job. But Tucker isn’t about to let threats of a trade get in the way of a game-changing love…

MY THOUGHTS
All Wound Up is another hot sports romance from Ms. Burton, an easy read from beginning to end that leaves a contented smile on our faces as we look forward to the next couple. The Play by Play series is one that's blissfully low on angst and high on swoon, Tucker following in the super sexy footsteps of the athletes who came before him, delivering in the sexual prowess department in only the way a romance hero can and leaving us no choice but to add him to our list of book boyfriends when all is said and done.

Aubry and Tucker's romance is one that starts in familiar fashion, the two of them agreeing to a casual arrangement due to their equally busy schedules with absolutely no plans for it to go any further. What's so nice about the two of them though is they don't spend majority of the book in denial, refusing to acknowledge that their relationship has taken a more serious turn and frustrating us as they war with themselves over the complications of a love they never intended to have. Instead, Aubry and Tucker both accept the progression of their romance as it happens, enjoying their time together by alternately making one another laugh and setting their bedroom on fire.

The only minor drawback to this otherwise cute and light read is with Aubry's father, a man whose repetitious lectures regarding her inability to maintain both a medical career and a personal life grates on our nerves. Luckily though, his constant reminders that her mind should be fully occupied by medicine and nothing else irritates Aubry as well, and when he finally crosses the line she isn't shy about letting him know it. Overall, All Wound Up is everything that makes this series fun to indulge in, giving us a strong couple, blistering heat and a very sweet happily ever after.

Rating: 4/5

Find Jaci:

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This book was  sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Mini Reviews: Give It All & Quarterback Draw

GIVE IT ALL
Desert Dogs #2
Cara McKenna
Romantic Suspense
352 pages
Signet
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Keep your friends close—and your enemies closer....

Bar owner Raina Harper can’t say for sure what Duncan Welch is to her. With her small Nevada town under siege by a ruthless casino development and still reeling from a spate of murders, she knows that trusting the public face of the corporate invaders is risky to say the least. Though, damn, it’s one fine-looking face.…

Duncan may be a mercenary when it comes to getting the job done, but he’s no villain. In fact, the calculating fixer soon finds himself in the bad guys’ crosshairs, framed and facing professional ruin. To clear his name, he’ll need help from Raina and her roughneck motorcycle club, the Desert Dogs. Gaining their trust won’t be easy, and the molten sexual tension between Raina and Duncan only makes things more complicated—especially since Miah Church, Raina’s friend and ex-lover, would sooner strangle Duncan than shake his hand.

One thing’s certain, though: If they don’t deal with their incendiary attraction soon, the whole damn town might go up in flames.…

MY THOUGHTS
Give It All is a grittier installment than its predecessor in terms of the romance, Raina and Duncan's edges significantly more jagged than that of Kim and Vince's, thus making their journey to happiness a sometimes painful but ultimately beautiful one. Many times with romances featuring damaged characters we spend a lot of time learning exactly what caused all the injuries we can't see, but with both Duncan and Raina very little time is spent dwelling on the past and we're simply allowed to live with them in the present, watching as they learn the nuances of the person each is now. It's not a story of the two of them figuring out how to mend one another through sex, love and everything in between, rather it's one of acceptance, each wishing to let themselves be seen with the type of honesty few others have been gifted.

Duncan is arguably the one whose past has manifested itself in his present in a more life-altering way, his various compulsions dictating his day to day schedule to such a degree that he suffers full-on panic attacks should he not be able to complete certain tasks. What's so striking about his relationship with Raina though is that she never tries to avoid triggering his compulsions or change his life so that she can better address his needs, instead she simply accepts everything about him (and mocks his extreme Britishness at times, much to our delight) and simply stands by his side, there for him should he need her. Duncan is much the same way with Raina, pushing her to let him see all her dark corners, but respecting the woman she is and giving her the space and independence she fiercely craves at the same time. The two of them together are gorgeously messy, and their romance is one destined to be read over and over again.

Rating: 4/5

Find Cara:

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QUARTERBACK DRAW

Play By Play #9

Jaci Burton

Contemporary Romance

336 pages

Berkley Trade

Available Now

Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)

Grant Cassidy knows how to be a football star—flash that dazzling smile, throw the winning pass, get the girl. But while the hot quarterback loves the game and the lifestyle, no woman has come close to catching his heart. Then he matches wits with a smart, gorgeous model, and Grant finds himself wanting more than a fling.

Supermodel Katrina Koslova might live in a world of glitz and camera flashes, but she works hard to provide for the family that relies on her. She doesn’t have time for fun—much less a boyfriend—but Grant seems determined to be the exception to Katrina’s rule.

Their explosive chemistry is undeniable, but Katrina’s afraid to let go and rely on anyone but herself. Grant intends to ease her fears and prove he’s a man of style and substance.

MY THOUGHTS
Quarterback Draw, the latest installment of Ms. Burton’s oh-so sexy Play-by-Play series, gives us a very familiar (but still smoldering) hero in football star Grant Cassidy, but she changes things up a bit with heroine Katrina. Ms. Burton’s heroines are always strong, feisty and independent, but with Katrina we have, on paper, our least relatable heroine yet given her profession as a supermodel. While we might not be able to fully relate to being an image consultant, event planner, bar owner or any number of other careers the women in this series have, there’s something about the career of a supermodel that seems so much further outside the realm of our reality.

That being said though, Katrina is as easy to settle in with as the women who came before her, more than able to hold her own against the big personality that is Grant Cassidy as well as the teenage antics of her younger brother and sister. Family plays an enormous role in this story, Grant and Katrina's respective siblings ensuring they both, despite their high profile careers, feel as real and genuine as they come. The chemistry between them is nothing less than we’ve come to expect from this series, and we’re treated to the slow deepening of feelings with very little angst or unnecessary drama. Overall, Quarterback Draw is a fantastic addition to the Play-by-Play series, and I can’t wait to see what Grant’s brother Tucker has in store for us next.

Rating: 4/5
 

Find Jaci:

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These books were sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Mini Reviews: Straddling the Line + Then Came You

STRADDLING THE LINE
Play by Play #8
Jaci Burton
Adult Contemporary Romance
320 pages
Berkley
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Trevor Shay has it all—a successful football and baseball career, and any woman he wants. But when he finds out his college mentor’s daughter is in trouble, he drops everything to come to her aid.

Haven Briscoe has finally landed a dream job as a sportscaster for a major network. But she hasn’t been able to move past the recent death of her beloved father, and it’s affecting her career. A plum assignment following the daily life of sports superstar Trevor Shay might be just the inspiration she needs…

Trevor will do anything to spark life back into Haven, including letting her into every aspect of his world. The chemistry between them flames higher than one of Trevor’s home runs and faster than his dashes to the end zone. But as they grow closer, Haven stumbles onto Trevor’s closely guarded secret, one he’s hidden his entire life. And despite his protests, now it’s Haven’s turn to put everything on hold to help Trevor. Will he let her in and trust her with a secret that could blow his professional and personal world apart?

MY THOUGHTS
Straddling the Line is a quick and sexy contemporary romp, perfect for those days when we crave nothing more than a little heat and a satisfied smile when we reach the last page. The Play by Play series never fails to deliver in the steam department, our newest couple Trevor and Haven exhibiting the same combustible chemistry we've come to expect from Ms. Burton, and thankfully that chemistry comes largely free of drama. There are obviously problems our lead pair must overcome before they find their happily ever after, but never do our scalps tingle from the weight of fingers in our hair tugging mercilessly in frustration.

Haven, for all that she's as sexually adventurous as the rest of the women in this series, comes across a touch more timid than expected when we first crack the spine, and at times it almost feels as though the wildlife around her might burst into song at any moment in celebration of her sweetness and understanding. Luckily as the story progresses though, Haven finds her footing a bit more, comfortable enough with Trevor to reveal a flaw here and there which then helps us relate to her in a way we didn't in the beginning. While both begin their fun with no intention of it ever turning serious, when the inevitable occurs they don't fight it overly hard, instead finding their way over the hurdles between them with an ease that perfectly suits a lazy afternoon of romance.

Rating: 3.5/5
 

Find Jaci:

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THEN CAME YOU
Animal Magnetism #5
Jill Shalvis
Adult Contemporary Romance
304 pages
Berkley
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Veterinary intern Emily can’t believe she wound up in the small town of Sunshine, Idaho, instead of the Los Angeles clinic she had always imagined. Now she has to put her plans to move to L.A. on hold for a whole year while she fulfills the obligation of her vet school scholarship.

Then Wyatt, her gorgeous one-night stand from a Reno vet conference, introduces himself as her new boss. And Emily is just as drawn to his seductive looks and quiet strength as she was on that very steamy night. She soon learns that Wyatt isn’t just a laid-back doctor, but a delicious alpha male tempting her away from her carefully laid-out plans...

MY THOUGHTS
Then Came You is a story full of adorable characters and sweet romance, the type of novel we pick up knowing we’ll find something light–but with substance–between the pages and will be left with a smile on our faces when we close the back cover. Ms. Shalvis always writes characters who feel incredibly real–cute with being cutesy, and with problems that aren’t so blown out of proportion for dramatic effect that our blood pressure rises to an unhealthy degree. Instead, Emily and Wyatt (and the crazy group of people who work at Belle Haven veterinary clinic) are a joy to spend an afternoon with, delighting us when their smooth moves are often accompanied by a social ineptitude that grounds them in reality even amidst the fiction of a contemporary romance.

Emily is an absolute trip, honest in quite possibly the most endearing way possible as she continually owns up to the fact that she can’t get Wyatt out of her head. She blurts out the fact that she’s absurdly attracted to him whenever they're together, and we can’t help but smile at the fact that coy is something she will never be. Wyatt is equally charming, just as suave as we like our romance heroes to be, but not so shiny and perfect that it feels as though he could only exist in the imaginations of women. The two of them do have a standard lack of communication issue toward the end, but it’s not drawn out to an infuriating degree and their reunion is laced with the same humor found throughout the book to ensure we’re left giddy with satisfaction. Overall, Jill Shalvis has written yet another fun and flirty installment in this series, rich in character development and chock-full of animal sidekicks (complete with a parrot who likes to yell out “boner” at random times) who win us over the minute they appear on page.

Rating: 4/5
 

Find Jill:

Website • Blog • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

These books were sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.