Title: Catching Heat (Book 3)
Author: Alison PackardGenre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781426897788
ASIN: B00GKBHITE
Number of pages: 267
Word Count: 87,000
Publication Date: February 10th 2014 by Carina Press (first published January 1st 2014)
Goodreads URL: HERE
Plot: Life has taught Angie DeMarco that all baseball players are womanizers, and her incredible one-night stand with sexy San Francisco Blaze back-up catcher J.T. Sawyer seemed to prove it. Determined not to give in to their sizzling chemistry a second time, she’s kept her distance ever since, focusing on her accounting job with the team. But now she’s laid off…and pregnant.
J.T. was hurt by Angie’s rejection, but with one more year with the Blaze, he has no time for love. He needs to spend the off season training hard so he can negotiate a better contract with a new team at the end of the year. But when Angie shows up on his doorstep, he‘s overwhelmed by wanting to not just do right by her but pursue a relationship with her. Hoping for a second chance, he proposes.
Angie agrees to marry J.T. on one condition: the marriage will be purely a business arrangement. But as Angie spends time with him and his family, and J.T. neglects his training to spend time with her, what begins as a union in name only slowly grows into something more—something that looks a whole lot like love and friendship.
MY REVIEW:
J.T: ”Hey, I know a damn good muffin when I eat one.” He paused. “Did that sound dirty?”-“Only if by muffin you’re thinking something entirely different than..” she pointed to the pan, “..those.””I wasn’t.” He grinned. “But now that you mentioned it, I’ve tasted your muffin and I woudn’t mind tasting it again.”
Catching Heat was a lovely story in which I enjoyed a lot. As a fan of this series, I had been hoping for a J.T. and Angie story since The Winning Season . I just knew that there was an obvious attraction brewing between the two and had suspected that something had happened that one night after the game. And I was right!!
With that said, I guess we can all predict what happened that fateful night as little Miss DeMarco, (yes, like Carmine DeMarco, you SEMPRE fans!) finds herself knocked up and now laid off from her job.
With nowhere to go, she seeks help from none only then her baby daddy, J.T. Sawyer!
So now J.T….
J.T., a backup catcher for the San Francisco Blaze, was spurned but Angie’s rejection and now figures he better cut his losses and concentrate to up his game if he ever wants to start as the starting pitcher of a team next game season.
When Angie shows up on his doorstep, broke and carrying his baby, J.T. steps up and does the noble thing: he proposes marriage.
Angie, initially declines, but eventually gives in as she has no better options. She then throws in her own proposition: that the marriage be “purely business” and after two years they go their own ways with J.T. still able to take part only in the raising of their child. Sounds easy, right? Hah!
As the two estranged lovers start spending time with one another, feelings begin to grow, priorities begin to shift, walls are brought down, and J.T. finally realizes why Angie was so fearful to take the plunge with him.
Will these two ever work out? Or will they fall and catch some heat?
A definite great third installment to this series!!
I’m now really crossing my fingers for a JakexMelissa and even a LivviexJosh story as well!! Pretty please!!
Excerpt:
Just after nine,
J.T. left Matt and Kelly at Kamu’s and headed back to his condo. Across the
street, Blaze Field was dark, but the Blaze apparel and memorabilia shop
outside the stadium was open and doing brisk business. He wasn’t surprised at
the turnout, the fans were still reveling in the team’s World Series win—buying
up anything that had World Series Champs emblazoned on it.
Although he’d
reached the pinnacle of his sport, the victory was bittersweet. His playing
time had been minimal and his only significant contribution had been a double in
game six—the game that had clinched the Series. That double had scored the
go-ahead run and for a few exhilarating hours he’d felt like he’d made a
difference. Damn it. He wanted to feel that way all the time. More than
anything he wanted to move beyond being a back-up to guys like Rick Taylor and
Matt. The problem was, he’d mistakenly assumed his natural talent would be all
he needed. Not true. Matt had opened his eyes to that.
After entering
the lobby of his building, J.T. rode the elevator up to his floor. Although the
condo was nice, he wouldn’t miss it. His house in Sacramento was a lot more
spacious and had a big backyard, complete with a pool and hot tub. His older
brother, Jake, owned a gym and had agreed to train him during the off season.
Jake assured him he would put him through his paces and knowing his brother,
there would be torture involved. That tub would come in handy to soak his sore
muscles.
The moment he
stepped out of the elevator he saw her. A flood of hot, rough sensations slid
down his spine as she turned and those mesmerizing eyes of hers locked with
his. His breath caught in his throat and he silently cursed himself for still
being affected by her. It had been that way since the first moment he’d laid
eyes on her and from the telltale thundering of his heart, not much had
changed.
Quickly
gathering his scattered wits, he strode toward the woman who, for the past
couple of months, had been extremely successful at avoiding him—the woman who
had shared his bed for one extraordinary night and was gone before sunrise.
Angie DeMarco.
J.T. wasn’t sure
why she was standing at his door and didn’t speculate on the reasons as he
approached her. Her arms were crossed over her chest, obstructing his view of
the ring he still hadn’t seen but knew she’d started wearing a few weeks after
their night together. His gut tightened. He shouldn’t care that she was
engaged—they barely knew each other. It hit him then that he didn’t know much
about her, yet he was intimately acquainted with almost every inch of her
slender yet curvy body.
Halting in front
of her, he didn’t say a word. Instead he let his gaze wander over her face. Her
skin was porcelain smooth, her cheekbones high, and her mouth, with its slight
upward tilt at the corners only hinted at the beautiful smile he’d coaxed out
of her that night so many weeks ago. Her dark hair spilled around her shoulders
in wavy corkscrew spirals that almost begged to be touched. It was soft. It
ticked him off that he remembered not only that, but every single thing about
the night they’d spent together.
“What are you
doing here?” he asked, more harshly than he’d intended. A twinge of guilt hit
him but he quickly got over it. They’d had a one night stand—end of story.
Angie loosened
her arms from over her chest to push her hair back. Something she did quite
frequently. “I—I need to talk to you.” She paused, bit her lower lip and
continued, “It’s important. May I come inside? I don’t want to talk about it in
the hall.”
“Why not?” He
fished for his keys in the pocket of his jeans. “This should be interesting,”
he muttered as he unlocked the door and hit the light switch by the door as he
moved inside. “Sorry about the mess. I’m packing up to head home.” He waved a
hand toward the boxes still strewn around the room. Some of them were packed
and taped up, but a few were still waiting to be filled.
“When are you
leaving?”
“Sunday
morning.” He closed the door to find Angie standing with her back to him,
surveying the disaster that was his living room. It was the perfect opportunity
to check out her ass, showcased to perfection in the snug black pants she wore.
When she turned, he forced his gaze upward to meet hers. She had the most
beautiful eyes he’d ever seen—a startling blue that reminded him of the
aquamarine gemstones that glittered in the necklace his mother wore on special
occasions.
“Sacramento,
right?” Angie fidgeted with the strap of her purse on her shoulder, then
clasped her hands together in front of her. She seemed nervous. Why?
“Yes.” J.T. set
his keys on the table next to the entry. “So why are you here?”
“Now that I’m
here, I’m not quite sure how to say it.” She paused and took a deep breath
before exhaling. Her face had turned pale and there were dark shadows
underneath her eyes. Whatever she had to say seemed to be weighing heavily on
her. But what could it be? Was she sorry for avoiding him for weeks? Was she
sorry she’d gotten engaged?
Angie let out
another breath. “I’m pregnant.”
About
the Author:
Originally from the San Francisco
Bay Area, Alison now lives in Southern Nevada where she’s still getting used to
the blistering summers and slot machines in every grocery store.
When not working at the day job
that pays the bills, keeps a roof over her head, and supports her book and
chocolate habits, she spends most of her free time writing. But when she takes
a break, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with her family
and friends.
Website: http://alisonpackard.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alleyfics
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/alisonpackard/
GIVEAWAY!:
* 10 digital copies Catching Heat by Alison Packard (Kindle, Nook, or Kobo-winner’s choice)
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GIVEAWAY!:
* 10 digital copies Catching Heat by Alison Packard (Kindle, Nook, or Kobo-winner’s choice)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for having me on your blog! I'm thrilled you enjoyed J.T. and Angie's story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win! :)
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