Book Review: Body Shot by Kelly Jamieson

I don’t always need suspense or high angst and conflict to enjoy a book. Sometimes a straightforward fling-to-love romance is just what I need to shake my reading up.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A nerdy chemist starts a hot fling with one of the co-owner’s of a local tequila bar. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

All Work and No Play
Hayden’s friends and family are constantly telling her she’s working too hard, and even though she knows it, she feels obligated to continue putting her energy into what she does, which is working to find a cure for cancer. She doesn’t want to let her team down, so she’s spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get grants to continue their research. Which is why her meet-cute with a hot guy is from her running into a light pole while trying to work and walk at the same time.

Secret Billionaire
Beck is an ex-Navy SEAL who now owns and operates a swanky tequila bar with his two best friends. Though he has a lot of money, he likes to keep that a secret, as people treat him different when they know. As someone who’s adventurous and kind of a ladies’ man, he’s amused by Hayden when he first sees her lamp accident. When she shows up at his bar for a tequila tasting, though, he doesn’t expect to feel instant lust for her.

Sneaky Sexy Fling
That lust turns into a trip to his office where they kick off a steamy fling. Neither one wants a long term relationship. Beck isn’t ready to settle down and Hayden feels she needs to concentrate on her work. But that doesn’t stop them from hooking up as much as they can, as they can’t seem to get enough of each other. Hayden starts to let herself have fun and let loose with Beck, trying to keep in mind that she’s just another woman who he’s passing time with.

Keepin’ It Simple
There was nothing crazy or complex about these two for the most part. They both had family issues, they both had commitment issues, but when they got together, there was a ton of chemistry and romance. Having read a lot of suspenseful stories previous to this, I was all about something a little more fun and lighthearted.

The Romance Factor
Watching these two fall in love hit all my catnip buttons. I loved their flirtiness and I enjoyed how Hayden came out of her shell. There’s definitely some underlying conflict and the Big Angst towards the end, but it was all done perfectly to trigger my feels. 4/5

The Steam Factor
There is a lot of sex in this book, and it is graphic and dirty. Also, lots of dirty talk. Also, I don’t even like tequila, but the things Hayden and Beck do with it totally made me forget that. Like, whoa. 6/5

Final Thoughts
I really enjoy this author and I think this is going to be another series that I really enjoy. There’s some tension between Hayden’s friend and one of Beck’s friends, so I’m hoping we learn more about that. Can’t wait to read the next one.

Book Review: Partner Games by Jessica Clare

It took me way too long to get to this book, especially because this is one of the series I auto-buy. I was hooked on the Games series from the beginning. There’s something awesome about steamy romance happening during a reality game show.

One-Sentence Synopsis
Sisters compete in reality TV game show and ally themselves with biker guys who they find different types of chemistry with. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

Sisterly Love
I’ve been reading  a lot of books with less than likeable family members lately, so it was nice to read one about sisters who actually get along and love each other. They’ve decided to go on the World Race together, but from the beginning, nerdy Clementine knows something isn’t quite right with her normally confident model sister Georgie. Clem’s stress is only compounded by the strange chemistry she has with one of the guys from another team.

Teaming Up
Swift and Plate (biker names…no joke) are drawn to the sisters from the start. Swift has a thing for nerdy girls and finds Clementine adorable. Plate recognizes Georgie from her modeling work and has a huge crush on her, even though he’s not her type (he’s a big teddy bear of a guy and she’s used to dating male models).

Nerdy Girl Gets the Guy
The dynamics between the two couples were different but still sweet. The romance and heat comes from Swift and Clementine. Clementine still has her v-card and it takes her awhile to believe that Swift genuinely likes her. It doesn’t help that they’re trying to win a million dollars, so  besides her lack of confidence, Clemmy is also dealing with being unsure of how much she can trust her allies.

Georgie and Plate are the friends of the story, but they’re super close and their relationship is adorable. Georgie is struggling with a traumatic thing that happened to her when she was modeling, and Plate has the knack for keeping her calm when she has a meltdown. They’re flirty, but Plate is the perfect gentleman, never taking advantage of Georgie and doing what he can to be supportive and kind to her.

Just Friends?
Major props to the author for being able to the tell the story of two different couples using a first person point of view from one character (Clementine) the whole time. She does add little blurbs at the beginning of each chapter which are segments of interviews the contestants gave for the show. Considering these are just short blurbs among a longer story, it was impressive that I still felt a whole range of emotion from all the characters.

The Romance Factor
I’m a sucker for a nerdy heroine, and Clementine is perfect. She and Swift have good chemistry, and there is a ton of foreplay between them. On the other side of the story, Plate is the kind of guy who’s rough around the edges but he’s the perfect match for Georgie. And while a later romance between Plate and Georgie is only hinted at, the development of their relationship and their strong friendship is genuine. Luckily, the author released a holiday short story about those two on her blog, so I was able to get a little more bliss after I finished this book. 5/5

The Steam Factor
There’s a lot of stolen kisses between Clem and Swift throughout the book, and though there seemed to be a much lower level of sex in this one than in the previous Games books, when the hotel room started rocking, it was worth the wait. Probably for the characters too. 5/5

Final Thoughts
I really can’t get enough of this series, and I’m always a little bummed when I have to wait for another one to come out. The premise is simple, so you’d think eventually they’d start to get boring, but not yet and maybe not for me. I find the whole romance/reality TV combo thing to be quite pleasing.