Delighted Reader

Melting Ice by Jaci Burton 
Series: Play by Play, book #8 
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance 
Published by Penguin Group 
Published on February 4, 2014 
Pages: 255 
Format: eARC 
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Rating:  

I have loved Jaci Burton from the first book in this series, but Melting Ice just fell flat for me. Hoping against hope that we would get back to what I loved about this series, the sports, the men, the women and the hot sex that makes them combust everywhere. While there was hot sex, the relationship side left me angry for some accountability.

Carolina Preston has branched out to start her own fashion line. Daughter of the current vice president, little sister to NASCAR driver, Grey Preston. During a college act of confidence, Carolina seduced Drew Hogan into one night of passion. He never calls, never writes or otherwise acknowledges they had one night together. No years later, Carolina isn’t the young, innocent girl she once was. It’s time to launch her new clothing line and Grey calls in Drew to help model.

Drew Preston never for got Carolina, but she was Grey’s little sister and he wasn’t going to jeopardize his friendship. He also needed to keep his head in the game of hockey. Now very successful, he is ready to have some fun with Lina again as adults. He agrees to model her cloths and even model a special line of mens under briefs.

The two embark on a friends with benefits relationship that slowly grows into more than either want to admit. But will Drew betray Lina’s trust? Let her down? And act like a man with no heart? You bet. And she will just take it and forgive him.

So that is the point that turned me off. Carolina was absolutely way to forgiving and understanding of everything. Drew only thinks of himself over and over and his own pleasure in everything.  He is conceited, caring when he wants to be, great at hockey but gets too involved in his own head and easily hurts Carolina without explanation.

While I love the Play by Play series, it has gone downward on my list of must buy. It lacks the umpf I used to get from it in the first books. It had real people, who play real sports but meet ordinary people in life. I don’t want to read about the rich and famous I want real people who deal with real life. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this one.