TEST
The gang’s all here in Burton’s latest Play-by-Play romance, which is packed with the signature athletes — often self-described as dumb jocks — and the strong, gorgeous women who put up with their hard bodies and wicked lovemaking. If you’ve read a previous book, you’ll find that couple in this one.
Bad boy wide receiver Cole Riley of the St. Louis Traders professional football team falls in lust with PR agent and image specialist Savannah Brooks from the minute he lays eyes on her, even before he knows she’s been hired to clean up his image. But when he learns the truth, he tries to persuade her that his reputation is bad because he’s been maligned by the press and not because he’s a hothead who doesn’t take negative questioning well.
As they get to know one another, Cole proves himself to be a lonely guy who’s been traded around, even though he’s a top-notch player, because he’s never integrated himself into any of the teams for whom he’s played. Fortunately, he’s always had a very supportive extended family cheering him on.
Because she comes from an opposite background with virtually no family, Savannah is a self-made woman and is determined to earn every dime the team pays her. She studies Cole and then sits down to analyze his behavior and make recommendations to help him blend with his new hometown team and improve his public image.
All of this is well and good, not particularly revolutionary as a plot until Cole and Savannah start having sex which may not be unethical but is certainly unprofessional. Then the book becomes nearly unbelievable.
Fortunately, Burton is a whiz at writing snappy dialogue, which keeps the book moving and readers interested. As long as a reader doesn’t think too heavily about the plot, the book is an easy, enjoyable way to pass a few hours. Having Mr. Torso on the cover also helps.
Analyzing the book makes its flaws stand out. Cole and Savannah are cases in point. Cole is never seen to be a bad boy at the beginning of the story. His reputation is hearsay only. In fact, everything he does and says around Savannah shows him to be the product of loving, caring parents who raised him to be polite and courteous whenever he’s in public.
Savannah, for her part, while said to be a savvy businesswoman who practically raised herself, comes off like a breathless cheerleader in many of the scenes with Cole. While she gives him some good suggestions — answer negative press questions in a positive light and integrate himself into the team by becoming friends with his teammates — these aren’t particularly exciting tips. But Burton dwells on them as if they are.
And then there are the three couples that starred in the preceding books. They inhabit the story like multiplying rabbits. All are related in some fashion, two of the men are Cole’s cousins, so Burton is able to give readers of the other books updates on the past players and their wives. But mixing baseball and football might get a little confusing to readers who don’t know about American professional sports.
While I enjoyed the book mainly because I enjoy Burton’s style of writing, this isn’t the strongest of her books. Cole in the end realizes he’s been coddled and is a cry-baby and must man up. Savannah goes from strong to gushing and realizes she must let her past be past. Even in the world of sports, these revelations are non-news.
Grade: B-
Book Type: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 10/01/13
Publication Date: 2012/09
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.