Changing the Game

Changing the Game
Jaci Burton
Erotic Romance
Play by Play/Book 2
Berkley/August 2, 2011

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.

After Liz's actions in the first book, many a reader didn't care for her and felt she had a lot of redeeming to do before being worthy of heroine status. Personally, I didn't have as much of a problem with Liz. I liked her and understood why she did what she did regarding Mick, Tara and Tara's son Nathan. It was a case of poor judgement based on Mick's previous dating history. If you didn't read The Perfect Play (book 1), let's just say Liz used underhanded tactics to get Tara out of Mick's life. Not cool but she did try to make amends and now the only one who's still pissed off about it is Mick.

Gavin knows his agent has been avoiding him and he's tired of it. He's very much an alpha male and knows how to push Liz's buttons. Right off I liked the chemistry between Gavin and Liz. It's intense with a dash of playfulness that lets both of these high achievers release the stresses their careers bring into their lives. Gavin is highly dominate in the bedroom and that seemed to be exactly what Liz needed.

Liz Darnell suffered not only a professional blow but a personal one when Mick Riley fired her as his agent. She's been trying to recover as well as not lose Mick's brother Gavin as her client. It's not only a professional relationship Liz has with Gavin but person in that she is very much attracted to her star client. Liz's life is her career, with a daddy complex pushing her to excel. Through Liz's actions we see how hard she must work in a male dominated profession. I liked Liz with all her flaws and after getting to know her better, felt sorry for her. Not only for her background but where her life had taken her to this point. I truly wanted her to be happy.

As it was in The Perfect Play, the sex scenes are smoking with Gavin and Liz going wild and leaving their inhibitions at the door. But what I really liked was their friendship. They have known each other for years, Liz is considered family to the Riley clan, and Gavin doesn't want to give her up. Gavin's family does play a large role in the romance since they are a close family and Liz is part of that closeness. One problem I had was Mick's role in Gavin and Liz's romance. Even after everyone has not only forgiven Liz but told Mick it was time to get over it, he still proved to be a blockhead and an ass towards Liz.

While I liked Gavin I found Liz to be the driving force of the story. She's what kept me turning the pages, wanting to know more about her. Gavin captured the physical element and Liz captured the emotional. That's not to say Gavin didn't show emotions, but Liz was written with far deeper emotions that got to me in a way Gavin didn't.

As mentioned, the Riley family plays a big role in the story, maybe a little too big. At times I wanted them to back off and give Gavin and Liz more breathing room to work at their evolving relationship. I did like the close-knit family aspect but my favorite parts were Gavin and Liz playing, laughing and loving.

The next book, Taking a Shot is about sister Jenna Riley and hockey star Tyler Anderson who are both featured in Changing the Game. I'm totally looking forward to their story and thankfully only have a month to wait!

Rating: B+

The Perfect Play
Changing the Game
Taking a Shot (March 6, 2012)
Playing to Win (September 4, 2012)

Serious Love for These Covers!

April Reads...

*So sweet. Holding paws while sleeping*

April was one of those months that I'd rather not repeat. I usually associate April with happiness and warmth but this year all I can think of is stress and worry. I don't even want to think of what I would have done without books to escape into. So here's hoping May proves to be a better month all around.

Reading wise, I'm surprised at the number, mostly because much of the time it felt like everything was in a holding pattern. Waiting for this and hoping for that, it didn't feel like I read much at all. But apparently I did manage to keep up my usual pace.

Audio Books

1. This Side of the Grave/Jeaniene Frost/UF/
2. Silent on the Moor/Deanna Raybourn/Mystery/B-
3. Mercy Kill/Lori Armstrong/Mystery/B+

My audio books list is short for the month because I seem to have the patience of a 5 year old. There should be two other books on the list but listening was going too slow for me. At one point I was even reading along while listening to Karen Rose's Silent Scream, trying not to read ahead but couldn't help myself. (Seriously, who does this if not a 5 year old?) I finally gave up, turned on some music and read the darn book! The other book I tried to listen to but ended up reading was Rose's I Can See You. Clearly, mysteries and Bones' accent are what held my attention when it came to audio books. :)

Print/Electronic Books

1. The Sweetest Thing/Jill Shalvis/Contemporary/A
2. I Can See You/Karen Rose/Romantic Suspense/A
3. Demon from the Dark/Kresley Cole/PNR/A
4. Absolutely, Positively/Heather Webber/Romantic Mystery/A-
5. The Vampire Dimitri/Colleen Gleason/Historical PNR/A-
6. Silent Scream/Karen Rose/Romantic Suspense/A- (review to follow)
7. The Perfect Play/Jaci Burton/Contemporary/B+
8. Pleasure of a Dark Prince/Kresley Cole/PNR/B+
9. Mommy Said Goodbye/Janice Kay Johnson/Contemporary/B+
10. Mustang Wild/Stacey Kayne/Historical Western/B
11. Backstage Pass/Olivia Cunning/Erotic Romance/B (review to follow)
12. Blood Knot/Tracy Cooper-Posey/Erotic Romance/B (review to follow)
13. Revelations/Janice Kay Johnson/Contemporary/B (review to follow)

The Numbers

Contemporary ~ 4
Erotic Romance ~2
Historical ~ 2
Mystery ~ 1
Romantic Suspense ~ 2
PNR ~ 2

Format

Print ~ 8
E-book ~ 5

Not bad, certainly more than I expected. And no stinkers in the bunch! That's always a good sign of some excellent recommendations from all of you. So thank you! Now I just need to catch up on the reviews!

So how did April treat you? Any books that Wowed you?

Review: The Perfect Play

The Perfect Play
Jaci Burton
Contemporary Romance
Play-by-Play/Book 1
Berkley Heat/February 1, 2011

From the author's website ~

Football pro Mick Riley is an all-star, both on the field and in the bedroom. But a sexy, determinedly single mom just might be the one to throw him off his game...

For years Mick has been taking full advantage of the life available to a pro athlete: fame, fortune, and a different girl in every city. But when he meets and beds confident, beautiful event planner Tara Lincoln, he wants much more than the typical one-night stand. Too bad Tara's not interested in getting to know football's most notorious playboy any better.

As the single mother of a teenage son, the last thing Tara needs is the jet-set lifestyle of Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand was unforgettable. Tara's life is complicated enough without being thrust into the spotlight as Mick's latest girl du jour. Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn't intend to put herself out there again, especially with a heartbreaker like Mick.

But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind.

This is the cover that was making the rounds and making a lot of readers dying to get their hands on it. And yes, I will admit I did my share of simply staring and gazing at all that male beauty. But if you think the cover is hot, wait 'til you read what's inside!

Tara Lincoln is a hard working single mom who has little to no time for herself between running her own event planning business and raising her teenage son. So when she meets Mick Riley, famous quarterback for the San Francisco Sabers and he shows an interest in her, she decides to live a little, just for one night. I liked Tara right from the start. She knows what she wants and while she had a very rough childhood, she hasn't let that keep her from going for her dream. She's also very attentive to her son Nathan and makes it clear to Mick that Nathan comes first.

Mick Riley is a crowd pleaser and he enjoys it. He enjoys getting out there with the fans, signing autographs and talking football. When he meets Tara he's at a point in his life that the celebrity is beginning to get old. He knows he doesn't have a lot of years left playing and he really just wants to concentrate on playing the game not being a celebrity. I liked how Burton showed Mick distancing himself from the media spotlight. It was very real to see this guy coming up for air and realizing that his focus on life had shifted. Mick was mature in knowing what he wanted and going after it. He did have one flaw - he was too perfect. I kept wondering what he was hiding in his closet because this guy didn't seem to have any skeletons rattling around in there. But then he goes for the big reveal and that's when I finally understood him.

I did think that Tara and Mick fell too quickly. With Mick going full speed ahead, bringing Tara and Nathan home to meet his parents and siblings. That happened really fast and I think some of it had to do with Mick's celebrity and Tara wanting Nathan to experience what Mick could offer them. Mick kept saying how Tara was so different from the women he was usually seen with. That, plus the fact that Tara was realistic about their chance for a seriously relationship. She didn't see it happening which I think made Mick want her that much more because he's very goal oriented.

I did love the closeness of the Riley family. It's not only the bond that Mick and Gavin have as brothers but that complete bond that the entire family has. The brothers,along with their younger sister Jenna and their parents all have a deep respect and love for each other. The Rileys are no-nonsense parents, making sure their famous sons stay grounded, not giving them any special treatment when they come home. Which I think Mick really needed. He seemed to be weary of the constant spotlight and enjoyed being able to simply be himself. One of the reasons he was attracted to Tara.

This book was seriously hot - from gorgeous cover model to the fogging up the windows, twisting up the sheets and coming back for more, sex scenes. Is the Berkley Heat line their erotic line of romances? Because the sex scenes were scorching. A pitcher of ice tea wouldn't cut it - you'd need a box of Popsicles to cool you off after these scenes. Mick and Tara may have some communication issues but they don't have any problem communicating what they want when the clothes come off. Although I was surprised at how often Tara used the f-word during sex. She doesn't come across as very experienced, having her son so young and no time for a romantic life but she acted very experienced in bed. Bossy too, which Mick seemed to like. :)

I'm glad I actually managed to open and read The Perfect Play. It was difficult at first to keep it open, I just kept going back to that cover. But once I started reading, I was able to forget about the cover for a while and get into the story. The very hot, very sexy, very enjoyable story. The next book is Mick's brother Gavin Riley, baseball star and is set for release August 2. I'm not a baseball fan but I'm a fan of Gavin's so I will definitely be reading his story. You can go here to learn more about Changing the Game and stare at another incredible cover. The cover gods must really love Ms. Burton!

Rating: B+

Books in this series ~

The Perfect Play
Changing the Game (August 2, 2011)

Review: Riding on Instinct

Title: Riding on Instinct
Author: Jaci Burton
Genre: Erotic Romance
Series: Wild Riders/Book 3
Published: April 2009
ARC Review

From author's website:

Department of Justice agent Shadoe Grayson is out to prove she’s no rookie, and eagerly accepts her first undercover assignment at a strip club in New Orleans. Working with the Wild Riders, a government agency of bad boy bikers, her goal is to bring down a corrupt DEA agent. All she has to do now is learn to strip like a pro.

Standing in her way is the arrogant and smokin’ hot Spencer King, her partner and one of the Wild Riders. Spence thinks she looks more like a schoolteacher than a stripper, and doubts her ability to do the job. But when he mockingly challenges Shadoe to strip just for him, he finds out there’s more to the surprisingly sexy agent than by-the-book rules and Government Issue pantsuits.

Now Spencer has to resist his baser instincts while Shadoe learns that taking off your clothes doesn’t always equal losing control…

Riding on Instinct is my very first book by author Jaci Burton. Why I haven't read anything by her before, I have no idea. The book was incredibly hot with the hero and heroine building up the sexual tension. There were plenty of sex scenes but they were only part of the story. The relationship that develops between Shadoe and Spence, how they work together in very tense situations was also a big part of the over all storyline.

When Spencer King first meets Shadoe Grayson she is wearing her usual work uniform of pantsuit, no makeup and her hair in a very confined bun. She looks nothing like the stripper she will soon be portraying. She has to prove that she deserves the undercover assignment but it won't be easy to convince Spencer King. At first he sees only the fact that she looks nothing like a stripper and tells her exactly what he thinks. Being blunt is part of Spence's charm. Shadoe's ace in the hole is her photographic memory and the fact that she wants this assignment so bad she's determined to succeed.

I liked Shadoe right from the start. Took me a little bit to get used to her name but she is a character that on the surface you think you understand her and yet she continued to surprise me. She's a resilient field agent when she needs to be, willing to do whatever it takes to reach her goal. She stands up to Spence's disdain for her and leaves him speechless the first time he sees her dance.

And that brings us to Spencer King. Bad boy. Biker. Loner. They all describe him but he is so much more than that. He's smart, funny, sexy as all hell and loyal to his fellow Wild Riders. Spence may be a real ass at times but he's still manages to be likeable. You know the kind that will make a smartass remark then follow it up with a wink and a grin. After meeting and working with Shadoe, Spence must try to convince himself that he doesn't want any serious relationships. That he prefers shallow sex to anything long term, or so he keeps saying. He's really just afraid of taking things beyond sex. Of feeling more than just the physical side of sex. There's a scene at the end that Spence says what I think he was trying to tell Shadoe throughout the story.

Spence to Shadoe ~

"I don't know how to do this, Shadoe."

"How to do what?"

"Love someone. I've never done it before."
page 293

Awe, doesn't your heart just melt for him? Yeah, he's a hardass, arrogant SOB at times but he still made a wonderful hero.

So Shadoe and Spence head to New Orleans to try to find a rogue DEA agent. The rogue has been helping the Colombian drug dealers stay one step ahead of the DEA. Shadoe will work at the strip club where the transactions happen and Spence will be her bodyguard. Two other Wild Riders, AJ and Paxton will pose as customers (tough job guys!), keep an eye out for anyone suspicious and be Shadoe and Spence's backup.

I'm not all that familiar with strip clubs, it's been years since I've been in one but I certainly got a feel for what it was like for Shadoe to work in one. The atmosphere of the club was well written as were the descriptions of the various women working at the club. The camaraderie of the dancers was fascinating to read as was the rivalry between some of the women. I liked the fact that Ms. Burton showed how Shadoe connected with some of the other dancers. She gave them personalities apart from simply being strippers.

This is an erotic romance and Burton certainly knows how to write erotica. The way Shadoe and Spence steamed up the pages I'm surprised the edges didn't curl. The plot was one that I completely fell for and who wouldn't love hot guys riding Harleys? The first time Shadoe rode on Spence's bike was very sensual. Shadoe held on to Spence using not only her arms wrapped around him but her thighs against his and her chest to his back. And poor Spence, lol. He was just a wee bit uncomfortable having just seen Shadoe strip on stage and then having her cuddled up against him on the bike. He kept envisioning her on stage in her very revealing costume. Yep, he was just a bit uncomfortable.

What a fun ride Ms. Burton took me on with Spence and Shadoe. I will definitely be getting the first two books, Riding Wild and Riding Temptation, in this series. I need to find out about Mac/Lily and Diaz/Jessie, the couples from the first two books. And I definitely want to read more about AJ and Pax. Let's just say that their very good at sharing and leave it at that. I'm hoping their book is next in the series.

Riding on Instinct was released yesterday so if you can't find it in stores yet it should be there very soon. Jaci Burton has written a number of books, both erotica and romances. She also writes the Demon Hunters series with three books currently out and the fourth due out this June. You can read more about all her books at her website.

Rating: A-