The Heat Is On by Katie Rose
Series: The Boys of Summer, #4
Romance Sports Contemporary
January 5, 2016
Loveswept
Reviewed by Tori
Famed catcher Connor Jackson is getting ready to retire and when he gets traded to the New Jersey Sonics, he’s excited for one last shot at a World Series championship. He’s also looking forward reconnecting with the one that got away-his college sweetheart. Seeing her again makes him think of home and family, and he is determined not to screw up this second chance he’s been given.
Tracy Coleman is pleasantly surprised to see Conner back in town. Though he did leave her with a broken heart, she harbors no ill feelings over what happened. However, Tracy is not the same girl she used to be. For one thing, she’s a divorced mother of four children all under the age of 6. She is positive that no sane man in the world would want to take on her and her baggage but she wouldn’t mind a couple of steamy walks down memory lane.
As Tracy and Connor grow close again, proving that for some people the right person only comes along once, Tracy needs to learn to trust her instincts and come clean about her little family before she loses the only man she’s ever loved for good.
The Heat Is On is the 4th in Katie Rose’s Boys of Summer series. Though I haven’t read the first three in the series but this one was easily read as a standalone. This lighthearted second chance romance reveals a funny, smart, sexy, and sweet story that revolves around a single mother struggling with how to be both mom, dad, and a woman while raising four young children and a major league baseball player who’s finally ready to settle down. While the overall atmosphere of the story isn’t too deep or serious, Rose does lightly touch upon the weight placed on parents when one parent doesn’t help out and the difficulties in dating and building a romantic relationship when kids are involved.
Tracy hasn’t had the easiest time of it. Divorced after finding out her husband had not only been cheating on her but had gotten another woman pregnant while she was pregnant with their fourth child, she now is raising their children on her own and struggling both emotionally and financially. Dating is not even an option as she neither has the time nor the ability to bring someone casually into her children’s lives when their world has already been disrupted by their unreliable father.
Connor is an all around good guy. A straight shooter and honest, he regrets hurting Tracy when he left, but he had to follow his heart, and he doesn’t regret the choices he’s made. His interactions with Tracy and his team are both inspiring and heartwarming as he is a natural protector and champion. He has an easy way about him that offers encouragement and hope to those around him.
The story itself is pretty straightforward in it’s delivery. There is a nice balance between the romance and their separate lives. We see Tracy doing the everyday with her kids and Connor playing ball and interacting with his team. Tracy and Connor are very easy to relate to. Their joys, fears, wants, and needs are laid bare as they experience the ups and downs life has to offer. They aren’t perfect by any means; both are plagued by uncertainty but Rose deftly handles their concerns and miscommunications with a smooth hand and little drama. The narrative is offered in dual points of view, which I enjoy, because it gives us the ability to see what they are both thinking during key moments.
The romance moves quickly sexually speaking but the emotional aspects are harder to pin down. And this makes sense as Tracy does have her children to think of and Connor is realistic enough to understand taking on a relationship with four children requires some serious consideration. Strong chemistry and a willingness to act on it without any real guilt was nice to see. Too often single moms are treated like the Virgin Mary who shouldn’t want or enjoy a sexual relationship.
A wide cast of secondary characters offers depth and humor to the storyline. Tracy’s children are adorable and when Connor finally meets them, his reactions are genuine. He doesn’t see them as competition, a hassle, or a way to win over their mom. He likes them for themselves and grows to love them as much as he loves their mother. Tracy has a wonderful best friend in her corner who offers advice, a strong shoulder to lean on, and impromptu babysitting services. Connor’s teammates and Tracy’s family are both voices of reason and give them some food for thought when it becomes clear they are getting serious about one another.
I did have a few issues with the story. I found Tracy thinking she could hide her children from Connor until he could reassure her he was in it for the long haul was odd. It was completely unrealistic but thankfully, Rose doesn’t draw that aspect out very long. There were also was some inconsistencies in regards to Tracy’s finances that didn’t mesh up. She has some past due bills but can afford to get manis, pedis, and new outfits? Regardless, most of my issues were mild inconsequential items that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.
All in all, The Heat Is On is a nice bit of escapism for those who enjoy sweet unencumbered romances with some spicy heat in the bedroom.
Grade: B-
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