Mini-Comments

Two more stories I felt were very average and don't inspire that much thought from my part. Both were easier to read than I imagined  - I imagined both would be more boring than what they ended up being - but it still wasn't as great as it could be.

The government knows that Daphne Urban is a vampire, and they have an ultimatum: spy for them, or be killed. The choice is easy. She can speak 13 languages, has a genius IQ, and has escaped detection for nearly five hundred years-making her perfect for Team Darkwing. Her first mission is to get close to Bonaventure, a shady arms dealer with an unexpected gift for seduction. But when Darius, a darkly sexy vampire slayer, begins chasing her, Darius is torn between desire and duty. For his lithe, young prey is also his ultimate temptation.

Beyond the Pale is a story about a vampire woman who seems to lead a very boring, vain existence but who is asked to be a spy for the government in order to avoid being killed. She then joins a team to find terrorist and help with national security but she can't help being involved with another agent that apparently is working alone and sees herself involved in many complicated situations.

I had this book to read for a long time. I was not impressed by books published more than a decade ago I've read recently in this genre (PNR or UF) but this one surprised me because it was easy to read and the plot moved along quite nicely. However, the characters weren't that fascinating and I don't feel like reading more about them. Plus, this was a first person narrator and I've come to think not all authors can accomplish this well. The protagonist was not too annoying but still...

Grade: 5/10

* * * 

Trevor Shay has a successful career straddling the two sports he loves-football and baseball. He puts

it all on the line for old friend Haven Briscoe though, when she has a tough time getting her professional career together after the death of her father. Despite her misgivings, Haven accepts the assignment of doing a feature bio on Trevor, but he's an attractive force of nature and there's a lot more to him than meets the eye. Secrets are revealed and chemistry is added to the mix as they help each other through some tough times

Straddling the Line is the 8th installment in the Play by Play series by Jaci Burton, which follows the lives of athletes who are somehow connected. I'm glad this is the last story in this series I had to read because it seems the stories are more and more alike and too focused on superficial things. 

This is a pity because the camaraderie between characters is interesting and their family connections sweet. However, the themes are never really explored and everything feels so under done. I can understand having the same story over and over can feel tiring but the focus is on things that hardly matter to the plot or the personal development...and even when these things are addressed, it lacks depth, I'd say. 

The protagonists Trevor and Haven have a believable connection but to be honest, their romance wasn't romantic nor captivating to me and considering they start as professionals working together...nope, not acceptable. All in all, for fans I'm sure it works but for me, it was just more of the same and I can't really miss reading more.

Grade: 5/10

Jaci Burton - Melting the Ice

Everything’s coming together for budding fashion designer Carolina Preston. Only months away from having her own line, she could use some publicity. That’s when her brother suggests his best friend as a model - hockey player Drew Hogan.
Carolina and Drew already have a history - a hot one, back in college. Unforgettable for Carolina, but for Drew, just another slap shot. This time, though, it’s different. His perfect body would be for professional use only. This time, she could use him.
Drew is all for it. He’s looking forward to the exposure. Plus, it would give him a chance to prove to Carolina that he’s changed. If only he could thaw her emotions, convince her to let down her guard and let him in just one more time...
 
Comment: This the seventh installment in the Play by Play series by author Jaci Burton. Of all the stories so far, I must say the overall opinion is that this is too average, too clichéd and not completely appealing all the time. I'm at a point where I keep reading only to get books out of my TBR list as an accomplished task, even if one or two titles have been better than others.
This one wasn't that great...

In this story we have Carolina, the youngest sister of the hero from the previous book, and Drew, one of his best friends.

While at college, Carolina decided one day to seduce Drew and they spent a night together but Drew left without any further communication so although no promises were exchanged, Carolina still felt a bit rejected. They have kept a cordial relationship over the years even if Carolina never forgot that one time.

Now that her father is the vice president, her brother is engaged and happy and her own professional life is going on a new positive adventure, Carolina and Drew are brought together once more by Gray, her brother. Caroline needs models for her new fashion collection debut and Drew can be a great outdoor model, allying his good looks with his sports' fame to better start up her sports collection. But getting so close again will revive the sparks of that one night in the past?

As I've said, this story was very average. I can't help thinking the plot was boring and the character's actions and interactions didn't bring anything new to the table, only more sex and clichéd ideas. I wasn't even sold on the fact they were falling in love. Nothing emotional or deep was obvious and no matter how often we read their feelings were changing, that was not easily seen. When a book is so mono toned I wonder why going through all this trouble... I certainly would change things and that can't be a good reply to a work that has certainly taken the author time and effort.

The plot is rather thin. There are several scenes that I assume try to convince us both protagonists work hard in their jobs but I think they were mostly impersonal to the point any character could do them. Several things also happen to convey this need for the protagonists to interact, like fitting for clothes, like Drew spending Christmas with Caroline's family, like Carolina watching Drew's games to get "inspiration" for her sports collection... the thing is, all these things are perfectly acceptable and doable in this context but that's it. There's no advancing because of these things. I'm being picky, I suppose, I already knew about the writing style beforehand, but it still felt like a letdown because the characters were quite boring, especially together.

Another detail that doesn't always bother me but I can't help but notice is the lack of more sports scenes or related situations...this is a sports themed romance after all...

The books in this series are also labeled as erotic which means we should expect sexy times. Despite those scenes (which I skipped since they all look the same), I also expected some connection between the characters because of that. But the sex scenes didn't seem to improve anything or enhance their sentimental situation. The characters didn't seem to become that better together because they were sharing something that brought them closer. I also felt a little annoyed Carolina's feelings of sexual attraction were always so obvious to Drew. Do people really walk around always feeling horny and letting it be that obvious all the time? It felt silly, to be honest. Of course Drew would have sexy thoughts about Carolina as well and I won't even go that way just to not make myself even more annoyed.

I've come to realize this type of books aren't really something I appreciate that much. Sometimes books surprise me (I liked the previous one much more, for instance) but more often I'm left thinking there should be more to them. I need some substance in books and while some comedies manage that even without serious issues, just random repetitive things don't do it. I have one more book in the series to read but after that one I think I'll let it go.

Grade: 5/10

Jaci Burton - One Sweet Ride

Gray Preston was born into money, but he’s built his racing empire on hard work and muscle. And now that Gray has millions of fans, his senator father sends one of his aides, Evelyn Hill, to elicit Gray’s help in garnering votes for the upcoming national election. Gray wants nothing to do with his estranged father’s campaign, but Evelyn can be pretty persuasive. She’s willing to learn about racing, and maybe even get a little dirty.
Evelyn’s number-one goal is politics, which makes working with Gray difficult, because his only passion is fast cars. As she and Gray spend time together, he teaches her about the sport he loves, and she learns a lot about the man behind the wheel. The more she learns, the more she wants him. But any desire that threatens to derail the carefully laid plans for her future is a dangerous one.
With the passion Gray and Evelyn share running hotter than either imagined, one of them is going to have to compromise, or else run the risk of losing more than their hearts. 

Comment: This is the sixth installment in the Play by Play series by Jaci Burton. These books have been OK in general but obviously, some have been better than others. I actually liked this one simply because the characters looked more mature in their thinking and acting.

This is the story of Grayson Preston, he loves racing in his car, he didn't pursue a career in law because of his passion for sports, namely the motorized ones. However, his family is a prominent one in politics and his father is trying to be part of a campaign that could place them in the vice presidency of the USA. Gray doesn't remember his father worthy of his attention since a fallout eight years ago but now Evelyn, a woman who works for his father is here to try to convince him his help would be beneficial to his father's aims. But can Gray put aside what happened in the past to now accept helping a man he feels disappointed in?

Comparing to some of the titles I've read, this one feels more interesting to read because, all the sex scenes aside (which I skipped - and that's easy considering how lengthy they are), the plot felt quite mature and the situations presented were interesting.

Gray had a bad fallout with his father in the past, he didn't seem to accept Gray's choice of being in sports rather than in law and now Gray simply lives his life apart from his father, having only contact with his sister and mother. I guess it's understandable why Gray chose this, why he decided to go on his own despite how that affected his relationship with his father but, conveniently, he also had his grandfather's inheritance to start up his racing career and team. I liked how Gray was conscientious of his surroundings, though. He didn't act as arrogant as I'd expect, considering his background and impulsiveness. His characterization was appealing and I could accept his personality and choices based on what I was reading.

As one can imagine, part of the plot revolves around building bridges with his father again. This aspect was developed well enough, I'd say, not much fuss but the way things happened and that made it look believable because it wasn't too sugary, too obvious. It's still fictional, so understandable it happened quickly on the page. The relationships between Gray and his family members, close friends and even older acquaintances were well portrayed I think and this has given me the impression he acted mature, which helped me to appreciate him as a character.

The romance was a good one I think. Evelyn starts as being just someone from his father's office but they have things in common, they share great moments and slowly they start understanding each other. I guess what can be a bit annoying is how the changes in the relationship seem to be followed by sex and that sort of undermines the emotional impact a bit. Just my opinion of course. When they are finally ready to declare themselves to one another, even if this happens in a sweet and almost believable manner, I keep thinking a more emotional attitude would add to the decision, to the validation of their choice and feelings. It seemed, as usual, too much attention was given to the physical and how they impacted their reactions instead of focusing more on the emotional. Still, this was one of the romances I liked best in the series.

There is talk of racing, cars, things related to this and I suppose the elements presented are good enough but because this is not a subject I know a lot about, what I was "told" feels good enough.

The end could have been done in a more polished way but it was sweet and too bad there isn't an epilogue say, 5 years in the future, so we could see what was happening.

All in all, a great installment...it does give me hope for the next books but at the same time they will both be about what looks to be the lovers reunited trope and I don't always enjoy those, so... let's see.

Grade: 8/10

Jaci Burton - Thrown by a Curve

For Alicia Riley, her job as a sports therapist for the St. Louis Rivers baseball team is a home run—until she becomes the primary therapist for star pitcher, Garrett Scott. Out of the lineup with an injury, he’s short-tempered, hard to handle, and every solid inch, a man.
Right now, the only demand he’s making on Alicia is that she get him ready to pitch in time for opening day. Except the sexual chemistry between them is so charged, Alicia’s tempted to oblige Garrett just about anything. But both their careers are at stake—one bad move and it’s game over for both of them.
Garrett also feels the hot sparks between them, and the way he figures it, what better therapy is there than sex? Now all he has to do is convince the woman with the power to make the call.

Comment: Here is another installment in the Play by Play series by author Jaci Burton, and one less book in the pile for me. Although I've been trying to go through the books in the series I own, I have to say that as a rule, the stories are not as fantastic as I imagined and not to the level of covers they show. Readers know a book should not be judged by its cover but to me, these ones are slightly more amazing than the books they portray.

In this 5th installment we have Alicia Riley's story, she's the sister of the hero in the previous book and cousin to protagonists in the first three.

Alicia works as a physical therapist for a baseball team where her cousin Gavin also plays in. Alicia sort of offers herself to help player Garret Scott regaining his shape after an injury but only because she sees his efforts so far haven't had results and she feels she might help by changing his workouts.

Garrett isn't feeling very positive but he still loves the game and wants to play so he accepts Alicia's "dare" and starts doing what she says, which means they spend a lot time together. As time goes by, however, it starts to become difficult to separate their professional side and the personal one, which Garrett thinks isn't as personal as it can get...

I'm sure I've said it before but here it is again: what a pity this series isn't more character focused instead of sex scenes and erotica hints. Even in private conversations Alicia has with friends the talk seems to always go to sex. I can accept it as normal but in the stroy about Alicia and Garret and a potential relationship, why does it matter... sex should be the reflection of their relationship not the reason why it exists. I guess I'm old fashioned.

And yes, I knew this would be more oriented to sexual situations but the way characters act even in professional situations doesn't seem the type of thing I would want people working for me to act. Now, if the plot was better balanced between the two things maybe it wouldn't be such a noticeable thing for me.

So, Alicia is not an effective worker at the baseball team and although it shouldn't matter if she falls in love with a player, the reality is they don't fall in love before becoming intimate. Where is the professionalization? She keeps saying she can't jeopardize her job because she likes it and she wants to help the players and so on but even when recognizing the signs, she still gets involved with Garrett. For me, how amazing it would have been if they were to go through sexual tension situations and only after both their futures and feelings were understood and obvious, they gave in, then the relationship would feel even stronger. The way things happen when they talk about love I don't think it's believable.

In the previous two books the balance between the protagonist's relationship and the overall plot seemed better done but in here it felt like the baseball stuff was just an afterthought and not even the personal doubts and actions each character has seemed to matter in the whole scheme. They often mention challenges, difficulties and such, but at the end all those things haven't played such a big part in leading them to the HEA. From co-workers to friends to lovers isn't such a stretch but I don't feel convinced from all those things to being in love was shown to us.

Alicia is a pragmatic character and I liked her but yes, when she was thinking about sex, no matter how realistic, it's not what I wanted to know about her. Same for Garrett, the serious conversations they had weren't developed as well as they could even accepting they wouldn't discuss important things all the time.

At the end of the book, I guess what I wanted to have seen was obvious passion from realistic feelings and situations. So much dedication to the sex side because it sells, because people want to have sexy stories or because erotica catches people's eyes and then the plots, the romances are secondary and not sweet enough. I know romance novels don't always need to be sugary but a bigger amount of thoughtful situations and conversations makes it easier to convince the reader it will be a strong HEA at the end after all.

Grade: 5/10

Jaci Burton - Playing to Win

Football star Cole Riley is notorious for doing as he pleases—on the field and off. He parties hard and fights harder, but if he doesn’t clean up his act, his career is over—so Cole reluctantly agrees to work with image makeover consultant Savannah Brooks. He’s not used to being told what to do, especially by some (admittedly hot) Southern belle. As for Savannah, she’s not convinced she can transform this cocky (and aggressively sexy) force of nature. But she’s determined to give it her best shot.
When the sparks start to fly, Savannah lays down the ground rules: no personal complications. If she can turn off the tingle she feels every time Cole gives her a hot stare with his gorgeous baby blues, he can turn off his desire as well. But for two people determined to have it all, a hands-off policy can only last so long before one of them yields. 

Comment: This is the fourth installment in the Play by Play series by author Jaci Burton. I've been trying to go through these books not only to get them out of the pile but mostly because sports romances can be interesting and offer different dynamics on how a romance happens, especially if the characters take heir careers seriously.

Cole Riley is a football player who hasn't had much luck in the teams he's played for, not in terms of performance but when it comes to his relationships with others and the media. Now, Elizabeth (heroine from book #2) is his agent and he is playing for the Traders, a team in his hometown. He is feeling good but keeping to himself again and so Savannah Brooks is asked to help him improve his social persona and help him change from a bad boy when talking to the media to someone with a better attitude.

The two of them spend a lot of time together and they are attracted to each other but can they do something about it without putting it all in jeopardy?

As it happened with the previous installments in the series, this story was also interesting, had good elements but the focus in things not as important (in my opinion) sort of washed out what could have been, again, a stronger romance.

This necessity to add an erotic feel to these little stories is understandable from a marketing POV but the content doesn't always seem balanced because, to simplify a bit, why does it matter if they are sexually compatible? Neither needs it to evolve as a character... I get it and I knew it would have erotic scenes but I just could do without it.

In fact, I skip the sex scenes and I don't think I'm missing much development because of that.

For me, the most interesting details are related to the protagonist's state of mind, why will they become better characters if they are in love or if they realize the support of the other person means something to them...the psychological attitude is what drives me to try these books.

Savannah was the most intriguing element of the couple. She doesn't immediately reveal things about her past but when we learn about them, some of her actions make sense. I actually liked her as a character and her positive look on things even if her role models weren't always good. This proves people don't need to be a copy of their surrounding, we can all be better.

Cole isn't bad but I struggled a little bit more to like him because his issues seemed a bit out of tone to what a professional athlete must think of...but I don't know any personally so... still, his character seemed too "fake" to make me truly believe in his social behavior in certain situations. But when it came to his relationship with his family he did win points.

The relationship between Cole and Savannah started well enough, they were supposed to be professionals but feelings got the best out of them. But I have some difficulties to accept people can so quickly go from polite professionals, to buddies to lovers. Savannah tried to avoid a personal relationship with him but we are just told at some point, after several situations, they are in love. Ok... but then what makes them perfect to one another so quickly? I think the sexual aspect just makes everything faster and I miss a more "soulful" connection first.

Despite the things I'd change or remove, I still think this is an interesting story, I especially liked all the elements related to the protagonists' jobs and what it entailed and also the character interactions with family members and such.

Not the best thing ever, but still, pretty much acceptable to spend time with.

Grade: 7/10

Jaci Burton - Taking a Shot

If you want to score, you have to get in the game...
The last thing Jenna Riley needs is more sports in her life. While her brothers are off being athletic superstars, she's stuck running the family's sports bar, whether she likes it or not. Then in walks pro hockey stud Tyler Anderson. As much as Jenna would like to go to the boards with him, she's vowed to never fall for a jock-even one as hot as Ty.
Ty, intrigued by the beautiful bar owner, becomes a regular. He senses that Jenna wants to do something more with her life. And as he gains her trust, the passion between them grows, as does Ty's insistence that Jenna should start living for herself. With his encouragement, Jenna starts to believe it, too...
But first, Jenna has to figure out what she wants, what she needs, who she loves, and if she has the passion and pride to take a shot at having it all-including Ty... 

Comment: This is the 3rd installment in the Play by Play series by Jaci Burton. I don't have all the books in the series but the ones I have, I intend to read. This is contemporary sports romances with some mild erotica in between.

In this story we have Jenna's romance, she is the sister of both Mick and Gavin, heroes from the previous books. Jenna doesn't want to date any guy who's into sports or who is part of a sport but she is attracted to Tyler Anderson, a hockey player. She thinks she can forget about him but the more she tries, the more attracted she gets. Somehow Jenna starts to trust Tyler and they share thoughts and wishes and start to date. But can Jenna ever fully let go of her fears and assume not only her dreams but the fact Ty is perfect for her?

The previous two books in the series were average to me because I felt the balance between the sex/intimacy and the plot's development was off. In this book, what surprised me the most was how better was this dynamic, I think the emotional development was much better and the sex parts not the focus as happened in the other books. Or, to be honest, maybe what helped me the most was the fact I skipped them all, which basically got me an interesting story. I really think to mix erotica with everything else is difficult and mostly annoying to me. Who cares about how they do sex when there more interesting things to discuss and see happening? But each one has their own POV. I just think is sad that captivating ideas get mixed up with sex and often aren't dealt properly.

This said, I thought the plot in this book was better done. I liked the emotional challenges Jenna, in particular, had to face. She has dreams and ideas she doesn't think have room to grow because she feels stuck at the family's bar. It was interesting to see her struggles to tell herself she could do what she always dreamed of...It's not easy to put your ideas on the line and to prove yourself you can accomplish difficult things. I also liked that she didn't just change her mind because the hero advised her or told her she could do it. Change is hard and in real life it's easier to settle and let things go. Of course, this is a fictional romance and eventually Jenna makes up her mind to make her dreams come true but what I really liked was how she reasoned her lack of action. It's certainly difficult.

The romance between Jenna and Ty had its moments, all the parts where they weren't having sex were interesting and I liked seeing the evolution of what was supposed to be a simple affair to become a relationship.

The secondary characters contributed to this because they helped them to put certain things into perspective. The fact we see them interact with different people also gives this a community vibe, a family sense feeling that makes decisions and actions look more special or interesting.

I actually think the personal development in this book was better. It also helped that Ty is a good hero, someone I liked knowing more about, especially because of what happened to his parents' divorce but he didn't use that to hide from the fact he was falling for Jenna.

Jenna was more complicated in terms of personal attitude when it came to date Ty but her other issues made up for that and overall, this was a good read.

All things considered, I enjoyed the book, I liked to spend time with the characters, seeing previous ones too and if the erotica was out of the picture, even with sex descriptions, I bet this would be much better. I know, then it wouldn't be the same story but I can't help but seeing it like that!

Grade: 7/10

Jaci Burton - Changing the Game

Most people play by the rules. Gavin and Liz aren't most people...
Win at any cost. That's always been the mantra of sports agent Liz Darnell. When she carries things too far and risks losing her number-one client, baseball pro Gavin Riley, Liz realizes that she'll have to work extra innings to win him back. It might not be too much of a stretch. She's had a thing for this player's moves since she first laid eyes on him, and by the looks of it, he wants her just as bad.
Gavin's more than ready—especially when Liz is offering herself as part of the bargain. And as much of her as Gavin wants. For added thrills, he decides to throw a little curve ball Liz's way to see just how far she's truly willing to go to keep him as a client. But when love unexpectedly enters the playing field, neither Liz nor Gavin are ready for the biggest game-changer of them all.

Comment: This is the second installment in the Play by Play series by Jaci Burton. This books follows the first one almost immediately and it can be read as a big continuation. The series are labeled erotica but there are some interesting elements to look for anyway.

This is Gavin's story, he's the brother of Mick, hero of the first book. Gavin wants to talk to Elizabeth, his agent and his brother's former agent too. Mick has fired Elizabeth because she did something that hurt the woman Mick is in love with. Elizabeth feels bad and apologized but she knows the easy relationship she used to have with Gavin and Mick's family is gone.

Gavin, however, hasn't fired her and one night, after a party, they are slightly drunk and give in to their attraction. But can they maintain a professional relationship when things are so weird and apparently superficial in private?

This book has left me the same sort of impressions as the previous one. The concept is quite good, the little emotional elements too but the delivery... such a pity.

I know this is labeled erotica and that is what I should wait for when I start the book. But there's still hope every time that the erotica isn't as heavy as this. I mean, there's erotica and erotica. I don't read a lot of it because I find it too repetitive but when it's done well, it can add layers to the character's personality and add in their personal relationship. But with these novels I don't get that feeling. Everything simply seems repetitive and annoying because with important things to deal with, both professional and emotionally, they just have sex. Sure, it can be great but...priorities? This makes it look like any scene is an excuse for sex and what a pity because this could be so much better, overall.

Some elements are interesting and I wish I could have seen more of them, namely the character's past and how that affected them now. Most things related to this, though, have felt superficial. Obviously dealing with sentiments and how those affect us is something difficult to just get over, especially within bad or less good situations/scenarios. But wouldn't it be important to deal with them in a better way and certainly not mix everything up with sex? I really get the sex idea and content but it's not even a direct cause of their attraction, there's no sexual tension or seduction, we just know Gavin liked Elizabeth, we are told she has been in love with him and they agree of a no stings attached sex. But we don't really see how important they are to one another before they got into sex. I think when romances are executed this way, it makes it feel lacking.

The secondary characters all play an interesting part, Mick especially as he's the biggest conflict persona here and gain, it would have been interesting to explore this - we know all along things must get solved at the end - but the sex distracts and certainly doesn't seem necessary.

All in all, this was an average installment. I knew it wouldn't be something amazing but I hoped I'd be more impressed. I understand the idea, the concept and the possibilities do seem good. But then things happen in a way that feels so unrealistic and lacking in the important aspects... not that sex isn't important in a relationship but page after page with it makes everything feel redundant.

Too bad the great, gorgeous covers can't match the content as fabulously...

I'll read the next one one day, I already have it and well...one always hopes the next one is the one that makes it all worth it.

Grade: 5/10

Jaci Burton - The Perfect Play

From the national bestselling author of "Riding the Night" comes an erotic story about love and the games people play.
The last thing event planner Tara Lincoln needs is the jet-set lifestyle of a football pro like Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand proved that Mick is an all-star-both on the field and in the bedroom.
Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn't intend to put herself out there again, especially with a certified heartbreaker. But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind to catch this sultry vixen.

Comment: I've been curious about this series for a long time, first because it's rather obvious how lucky the author was by being able to get such wonderful covers and second because some people whose taste can be similar to mine have liked it. I've been collecting the first titles for some time now and this month decided to start the series and I even had a few titles to keep going, so I was expecting wonders but ended up slightly disappointed instead...

This is the story of Tara Lincoln, an event planner, with a solid small business, looking to improve and get bigger and the chance comes when she has the opportunity to do an event for a football team. There she meets Mike Riley, one of the most important players from the team and they have a one-night stand Tara thinks will give her good memories. But things don't end in one night and they start seeing each other. Apparently they are developing a relationship and Mike even cares about her teenage son. But there's something stopping her and Tara feels she might get hurt too much...at least until she realizes Mike has feelings too and what if theirs are helplessly in sync?

Well, I have to say I expected this to be more like another title by the author I've read which surprised me a lot. I thought it would be more erotic than what it truly was.

This title, however, was the opposite. I thought The Perfect Play wouldn't be as heavy on the erotic content which would appeal more to me, but I was wrong. I do admit it affected my perspective and made me not enjoy it as much as I thought, but I still have the hope the next titles won't be like this, at least as long as the series moves forward...

 

Yes, I know the series is labeled erotic too, but the definition of erotic changes a lot in countless books. What we think is erotic may change from publisher to publisher, from reader to reader, from book to book. I just set my hopes at a certain level and wasn't expecting this. My biggest issue about this story is precisely the sexual content and, more important, the amount of sex scenes. I think we get a pretty basic idea about how well matched the main couple is with the first two sex scenes, and they are very repetitive. There's no real importance in them when it comes to help the couple move forward or something. I get why they exist and why they are so many but I confess I skipped most of them and then, if I were to do the math, the actual story development isn't that much. I respect the idea and why this is erotic but I can't help feeling how such a pity it is to have interesting subjects here and they are underdeveloped because of the sex. Oh well...

 

The main characters, Mike and Tara, have interesting personal stories which, honestly, did add a lot of interest to the story, especially because that helped shape their personalities, their mental characters. I liked having the notion we shouldn't judge people by their looks, especially when it came to Mike, I truly thought he was just another rich guy after women but I was proved wrong and I liked getting to know him better.

Tara has a son and a sad story behind that but what I liked best about her is that she learned from her mistakes and she is now trying to be a good mother and be an example to her son.

In a way, this couple does match quite well and I liked how slow - in a way - their feelings grew. But really the unnecessary sex content makes this sound much weaker than what it truly is, but unfortunately the reader's attention is led too much towards the sex and what a pity because the drama/emotional aspects better dealt with would have turned this into a spectacular read.

I suppose some might say is a matter of balance, of respecting the author's voice, it is what it is! But personally I was bored with the sex parts and thought that didn't allow for the interesting elements to be developed at length.

 

The secondary characters are interesting too, some of them act as good support system for the family, in fact that was one of the things I liked more, Mike's family. Too bad their presence wasn't developed further than suitable scene filling. I'm curious about Mike's brother and really hope his story has more substance... or at least, that it can be better used.

 

All in all, this was an average read, I feel bad that some issues weren't better used considering the setting and the subjects. Some situations in the life of Tara and Mike were like decorations, like what cinema/theater people call "props", meaning they were there, thy might matter but the author only used them as a supporting system and not as the interesting concepts thy could have been. I do hope this changes as the series moves along. I

 

I already have more 6 or 7 titles...and I'll try to read them after waiting for so long to start this but I hope it won't be an average story after another.

Grade: 6/10

Jaci Burton - Dare to Love

A romantic game of chicken-and they're both too stubborn to flinch. Lucy Fairchild, lawyer and heiress to the Fairchild fortune, has just had the worst day of her life. Her father has found the perfect man for her to marry. Yes, she's thirty and single, but that doesn't give her father the right to run her life. She'll choose her own husband-someday. 
Jake Dalton is struggling to make his fledgling construction company a success. Ever mindful of his father's derogatory comments that he'd never amount to anything, he's spent his entire life trying to prove he's not a failure. From their first meeting on a construction site, verbal sparks fly. Their argument escalates into a dare for a date-and the game is on. Lucy thinks Jake is the perfect fake boyfriend to parade around in the hopes of getting her father off her back. Jake is amused by the chance to annoy both Lucy and her dad-he doesn't intend to take the dating thing seriously. 
But the heart is a fickle thing, and not above playing dirty. In their quest to prove something-to each other, or maybe to themselves-they find themselves building a case.for love. And suddenly all the rules have changed. Warning: This book does NOT contain hot monkey lovin', threesome action or anyone swinging from the chandeliers (sorry 'bout that). It does contain sexy romancin' on a trampoline under the stars, fun one liners, a dog named Rascal and a smokin' hot construction worker named Jake that the author is convinced you're going to fall madly in love with. She dares you to read it.

Comment: This was the first book by this author I've tried. I've had it for years and I got it because I saw in a message board it would have two opposites attract protagonists and most of the time I like stories like this where two apparently unsuited people find matching interests and overcome obstacles with love and joy. I was hoping this book would be like this.

This story begins when Lucy Fairchild replies to some workers in a construction site after they call on to her. Then the foreman answers her and somehow they ended up setting on a date. They both think it would be a waste of time as they don't seem to have anything in common, but after that first date things don't seem as simple and they start a relationship of sorts. With time they learn it's not the differences that define them, but what pulls them together.

By seeing the cover of this book, I was ready for some novel with a bitchy, annoying heroine more worried about her status or her clothes or her value as a woman or something and I thought it would be another of those boring contemporaries we see all the time about a woman's "needs" or whatever. I have to say the best thing in this story was, in fact, Lucy Fairchild. I liked her character so much! She seemed one thing, but she wasn't uppity or arrogant or superior to anyone else, she was quite humble sometimes insecure and a good person doing something she wasn't really passionate about. She didn't treat Jake bad because he as poorer than her and throughout the book we got to know her at the same time Jake did and with every small thing her charm would be more evident.

I've read this book in one day and I couldn't out it down. Lucy has some obstacles to overcome but with Jake's trust in her and her growing confidence she goes from insecure and living under her father's wing to someone willing to take risks and claiming her love for Jake.
I really liked how she progressed. Her relationship with Jake was funny and perfect to watch, they feel in love over small things, I really loved to see Lucy's inner charm along with Jae and it was amazing to see how he realized she was perfect for him.

Of course there some plot related issues, like her father wanting to marry her like an asset to someone and how the father tried to separate her from Jake using low class schemes...and the way she find out the truth about her father was a bit over the top, but I was too happy with the story to let it ruin it for me. I really enjoyed to see the balance of Lucy and Jake's relationship and how they saw their differences weren't as big as that and they had so much in common, acceptance, trust, goals and idea of how a good life should be. I liked their sintony.

All in all, this was an almost perfect story, something that surprised me quite a lot. I was ready to dismiss it but I actually loved it and I hope other works by the author have a similar tone and style..I'll buy something else by her one day and I just hope it can be as special as this one!