Category Archives: Jaci Burton

Taking A Shot
Series: Play by Play #3
Author: Jaci Burton

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

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…

Taking A Shot is the third book in the Play by Play series by author Jaci Burton.  The main characters for this book are Jenna Riley and Ty Anderson.

Read one page then close the book. Swoon over the cover and imagine licking every drop off that cover models chest. Repeat.  Yep that is about how it went while I read this book.  Then I realized that if I ever wanted to enjoy the story I would have to actually read instead of drooling.

Jenna Riley is the youngest Riley child.  She is sister to the previous books characters, Mick and Gavin.  She is busy running the family owned sports bar after their father had a major heart attack.  While she enjoys her job at times, running a sports bar was never her dream.  After being surrounded by sports all of her life, the last thing she wants is to date anyone who is a sports fan.

Enter Ty Anderson.  We got to meet Ty in the second book in the series and I was glad to see him featured in Taking A Shot.  He is a pro hockey player and is attracted to Jenna.  He finds her piercings, tattoos and attitude sexy and wants to get know her better.  Unfortunately, since he is a pro hockey player, he gets shot down before he can even melt the ice around her heart.

I have to say that this was my least favorite book in the series even though I was anxious about Ty’s story.  I loved Ty and everything about him.  I think the main problem I had with this book was Jenna.  I wasn’t a fan of her.  What man isn’t going to at least like one sport? I am sure they are out there, but I have never met one single guy who hasn’t at least enjoyed on sort of sport — even if it is just one game a year.  I also didn’t like how she kept thinking she had to put her dreams on hold and run the Sports Bar.  She had good management in place and the means to open up a separate business of a music bar.  The hold up was thinking she had to give up everything just to do this.  I also didn’t like her being so back and forth with her feelings for Ty.

I will say this though–
Sex.
On ice.
Standing up.
On ice skates!

Whew! I wasn’t sure if the ice was going to break beneath them because that scene was HOT.  I still enjoyed the book as a whole, but I wish the main character of Jenna could have been better. Ty deserved more than what Jenna gave him.

Changing the Game
Series: Play by Play #2
Author: Jaci Burton

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

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.

Changing the Game by author Jaci Burton is the second book in the Play by Play series.  The main characters are Gavin and Liz (Elizabeth).

This author has been blessed by the Cover Gods above for this series.  Seriously, even if I wasn’t a fan of the plot or author, I would purchase this series just to drool over the covers. After each chapter I would flip the book closed just so I could enjoy the view of that fine male specimen.

I was a little scared about reading this story though.  I wasn’t a huge fan of Liz and her actions in the first book.  I didn’t know how the author was going to change my view of her and was a little hesitant on her starting a relationship with Gavin.  I understand that Liz made a mistake and tried to atone for her that big blunder, but I still couldn’t form an alliance with her.  Gavin was the player of the family.  He didn’t have a shortage of women before and he didn’t do relationships.  So when these characters entered into a relationship of sorts, I was curious to see how it would evolve.

Mick was a pain in the butt in this book.  I loved him in The Perfect Play, but this man can hold a grudge! Dang, there were times I wanted to slap that man silly and tell him to mind his own dang business.  I might have shouted at his attitude several times while reading this story and my family kept giving me funny looks.  I did enjoy how the author was able to redeem Liz though.  By the end I didn’t loathe her character as much as I did before reading Changing the Game.  Gavin was oh so sexy, but even though he was the main character of this book, I felt that Liz was the one who shined the most.

This series is one that keeps getting better with each new character.  We were introduced to future characters and plot lines for future books which makes the reader even more anxious to get their hands on the next book.

The Perfect Play
Author: Jaci Burton
Series: Play by Play #1
Genre: Steamy Romance

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

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.

Why have I waited so long to read this series? Maybe the hot cover side tracked me all this time because let’s face it, that cover is smoking hot!  I kept closing the book just so I could get another peek at that hot body.  I studied it long enough that I even noticed the sweat running down his chest!

I am not a big fan of sports in my romance, but author Jaci Burton really pulled it off in this one.  I didn’t feel too overwhelmed with statistics and sport plays in this one.  There was no shoving of the play book down my throat and the players actually seemed like real people.  I loved the character of Mick!  Hot, sexy and athletic all in one glorious package.  I could certainly see that cover model being Mick.  He seemed down to Earth without letting fame go to his head.  Tara was a little annoying at times with her constant reminders of being a single mother and having to give up so much to give her son a better life, but I shelved my feelings on that because the chemistry and attraction between the two made up for it.  Nathan, Tara’s teenage son, was actually portrayed as believable.  The side characters were also something I enjoyed reading about.  While I wasn’t a fan of Elizabeth, I can’t wait to see how her story will unfold with Mick’s brother Gavin.

While I felt the beginning of Mick and Tara’s romance was rushed and not that convincing, I did like how the relationship developed after their initial meetings.  Their relationship grew with real problems, emotions and turmoil.  I am really looking forward to reading about them again in future books.  A new series for me and one I will keep reading!