The Heat Is On

Katie Rose

Jan 2016 · Bad Boys of Baseball Book 4 · Sold by Loveswept

About this eBook

Perfect for readers of Joanna Blake and Sawyer Bennett, hailed as “charming, sexy, and smart” by Lauren Layne, the Bad Boys of Baseball series from award-winning author Katie Rose heats up as a homegrown baseball star returns to snag the one that got away.
 
When veteran catcher Connor Jackson gets traded to the New Jersey Sonics, he welcomes the opportunity to possibly cap his career with a World Series ring in his home state. But there’s another reason Connor is glad things have come full circle. In pursuit of hardball glory, he left behind his college sweetheart, the one girl he could never forget. Seeing her again stirs up long-lost desires . . . and this time, he’s determined not to strike out.
 
A divorced mother of four, Tracy Coleman no longer aspires to gossip-mag glam—but she’ll make an exception for a date with Connor. Their chemistry is hotter than ever, and being alone with him is more seductive than she anticipated. Who could blame her for leaving out a little detail like the kids? Now all she has to do is come clean and convince the man of her dreams that they—Connor, Tracy, and her children—have a future together.

Praise for The Heat Is On
 
“Katie Rose’s story had me cheering from the stands as a sexy baseball player and his college sweetheart get a second chance at love.”—USA Today bestselling author Alexis Morgan
 
“Rose once again creates a great addition to this series. The reintroduction of past lovers who must discover who they are now will grip readers.”—Library Journal

“The story is sensitive and heartwarming, and readers will appreciate the realistic reactions of all the characters as the relationship unfolds.”—Publishers Weekly

“A sweet second-chance romance that’s sure to be a big hit!”—Elisabeth Barrett, author of The Best of Me

“The Heat Is On is recommended for folks who like sweet stories with kiddos, adults finding their (delayed) happily ever afters, and baseball fans alike.”—Fresh Fiction

“The Heat Is On is a really heartwarming, fun second-chance romance with lots of sweet family moments and some steamy scenes to keep things hot, and the characters are easy to root for and love. I’d say this one is perfect for both sports romance fanatics and second-chance romance junkies, both of whom will be swooning over Connor within just a few chapters.”—FicCentral
 
“This whole series has been a blast to read. . . . [These] guys certainly bring it, and the ladies in their lives are amazing as well.”—(un)Conventional Bookviews
 
“A win-win all around!”—LeAnn’s Book Reviews
 
“Well-written, fun and entertaining . . . It’s good to see a hero [who’s] the kind of all-around great guy that Connor is.”—Always YA at Heart
 
“Definitely a favorite of the series.”—Mignon Mykel Reviews
 
“If you are into baseball players and like to read about the dynamics of the team, as well as a sweet and sexy romance, then add this one to your list!”—Kilts and Swords
 
Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

Ratings and reviews

Katie Rose's Bad Boys of Baseball series is a fun, enjoyable series. The New Jersey Sonics are back this time with a new catcher, Connor Jackson. He was originally from the area but left to play baseball in Arizona. Knowing he was going to be let go, Connor decided to be transferred to New Jersey. He figured it was his last year playing before he would retire and what better of a place than his home town. Plus as an added benefit, his old college girlfriend, Tracy Coleman Carter, whom he was still in love with, had recently gotten divorced. Figuring he might be able to rekindle the attraction, he figured a move to New Jersey was worth the try. I loved Connor. He was a smart, sweet and determined guy. He is the type of guy every girl wants to marry, and his hope was that it would be Tracy. Tracy has been divorced for less than a year and has 4 children, six years old and under! She is trying to make life work for her and the kids but her ex is making it difficult. When Tracy sees Connor for the first time, all of her feelings for him come flying back. She is just not sure he could deal with someone with 4 kids. I loved the way these character got to know each other again. I really enjoyed the interaction with the kids....very real! Overall I really enjoyed this story and the characters. If you enjoy stories about baseball, hot men and sweet romance then try this book out. It was a fun, quick read.

This is another great romance from Katie Rose. Connor Jackson is happy he has been traded to the Jersey Sonics baseball team. Connor has always had serious feelings for Tracy, his college sweet heart. Now that she is divorced, he wants another chance with her. But Tracy’s life has changed dramatically since Connor last saw her. While Tracy is interested in this second change, she has reservations. She now has four children and knows she has to take them into consideration in whatever decisions she makes. She is not sure how Connor will feel about getting involved with a single mom. After all, why would this famous, successful baseball player want to saddle himself with the responsibility of four children? You couldn’t help but love all the characters, well except for the ex-husband. They were sweet, caring and overall good people. Tracy is a strong woman. Life is not easy with four small children but she handles it marvelously. There was not a lot of drama involved. The dialogue flows easily but was a little slow at times. One thing I think I would have liked to see more of was a relationship between Connor and Mason. Mason was always disappointed by his father, so I think having a “boys” day out with him and Connor would have been sweet. I know it says 4/4 books but hopefully we will see more stories from the Jersey Sonic boys (hint).

Another great book in The Boys of Summer series / Bad Boys of Baseball series – no cliffhanger This is the third book in The Boys of Summer series but you don’t have to have read the other books to enjoy this one; they all standalone. Gavin King was a hitting star with the Dodgers but he injured his knee and they traded him to the much less desirable New Jersey Sonics. Jessica Hart is a sports therapist for the Sonics and Gavin is assigned to work with her to restore his knee so he can begin playing again. Jessica doesn’t like or date baseball players. Gavin has a girlfriend when he moves to New Jersey but she soon breaks up with him. There is an attraction between Gavin and Jessica but neither of them is interested in a relationship. Working together so closely creates sparks that eventually come to a head. I enjoyed this book a lot; it was a nice summer read. The pace was good and the characters interesting. If you’ve read the first two books you will be happy to revisit those characters in this book but you won’t be missing anything vital if you haven’t read them. The Boys of Summer is a good series and I look forward to reading more books from Katie Rose. Note: I was given an early copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my review. I see that the name of the series appears to have been changed to the Bad Boys of Baseball.

About the author

Katie Rose is the award-winning author of twelve historical, three novellas, and five contemporary romances published under the names Katie Rose and Colleen Quinn. Katie made her contemporary debut in 2014 with a Loveswept baseball romance series entitled Bad Boys of Summer and is now debuting a new series, Hard to Play. Hard to Hold, the first book of the series, will release in September 2016 and features a soccer player and his beautiful nanny. A graduate of Temple University with a B.A. in journalism, Katie is the recipient of the J. Douglas Perry Award, and the Romantic Times Achievement Award. Katie lives on a lake in Medford Lakes, New Jersey.