Bring on the Heat

by Katie Rose

[Cocktails and Books]

I had such high hopes for this book. The author introduces us to a hot pitcher who seems like the perfect man. He is described as a bit of a loner, dedicated, hard working and talented. We’re also introduced to a heroine that is sweet and real. She’s not a hot shot celebrity, heiress, or corporate raider trying to make her mark on the world. She’s a normal person, much like all of us. She’s a house sitter turned personal assistant to an heiress. Our heroine gets the opportunity of a lifetime when her employer gives her an invitation to a formal charity event where she will get to meet members of her beloved New Jersey Sonics baseball team, including the man of her dreams, pitcher Chase Westbrook. This would be a dream come true except that from the moment she arrives at the event everyone confuses her with the heiress, including Chase, and no matter how many times she tries to tell people who she really is, no one really listens.

Being a Jersey girl myself, I loved the mention of areas and towns in my home state. So for that fact alone I set the bar high for this book. Although I was intrigued at first with this modern day Cinderella like story, the “perfect” hero quickly turned into a frog. His true colors started coming through in a startling manner, which I will not go in to for fear of giving away spoilers. Suffice it to say he was no Prince Charming and he certainly did not act like any woman’s dream man. I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to lend Darcy, our heroine, a shoulder to cry on or smack her for allowing his behavior. When it’s all said and done, they obviously get their happy ending. It is after all a romance novel. However, I really wish the author didn’t quite have to make the hero so imperfect, for lack of a better word I could actually use in print, although I can think of a few four-letter words to call him.

Would I read it again? To be completely honest, as much as Chase’s behavior disgusted me, I believe I would read it again. It was well written and realistic in a way many romance novels are not. It was a bold move not painting the hero with rose-colored glasses and making him borderline hateful. But I believe it worked for the author in this case. So if you’re looking for something you can read with rose-colored glasses where the conflicts between the characters is minimal and you still have happy feelings towards all the characters you probably want to skip right past Bring on the Heat. However, if you enjoy a good dose of realism in a relationship before your happy ending, you may actually greatly enjoy reading this.

Reviewed by Iris for Cocktails and Books