Rules of the Game - Lori Wilde (Avon - June 2015)

Series: Stardust, Texas (Book 2)

Just uttering the word "wedding" makes Jodi Carlyle break out into a cold sweat. So a year after she'd been dumped at the altar, and two days after turning the big 3-0, she decides to break some rules -- by dressing to the nines, hiring a limo,and crashing a swanky wedding . . .

. . . Where she catches the eye of the Dallas Gunslingers' new star hitter Jake Coronnado. He's hot. He's sexy. He sticks by her side all evening. He's the perfect fling. After a wild weekend, where they do everything and then some, Jodi thinks she'll never have to see him again . . . hey, she's even told him her name is Gwendolyn! But she thinks wrong.

Because guess who's the best man at Jodi's sister's wedding? And guess who's still as seductive as ever? And guess who's determined to turn their one-night fling into happily-ever-after?

Very good book, with two people who have some pain from their pasts to let go of before they can have the future they want. Jodi is the maid of honor at her sister's wedding, but the mere thought sends her into a mental freeze. A year ago she was left standing at the altar and getting past it has been a challenge. On the advice of her therapist she blings herself up and crashes a celebrity wedding in Dallas. Caught without the invitation she swiped from her future brother-in-law, she is saved from embarrassment by Jake, who makes her his date for the evening. 

The attraction between them is instant and hot. Jodi has spent her life being the "good girl" and following all the rules. Indulging in a one night stand with a hot guy is not normal behavior for her, but she figures she'll never see him again. Jake has given up on casual hookups but something about Jodi has him ignoring that rule for this one night. He'd really like to get to know her better, but she isn't cooperating. After they part ways, neither has much luck in forgetting the encounter. Then Jodi is horrified to discover that her walk on the wild side is none other than the best man at her sister's wedding. That means she's going to have to work with him over the next few weeks, while keeping the truth from her family.

I liked Jake right from the start. He doesn't want a meaningless fling and tries his best to get to know Jodi. He can't stop thinking about their night together and is thrilled when he finds her again. Being with Jodi makes him feel alive again after the tragic death of his wife three years earlier. At first he isn't sure if he's truly ready for a new relationship, but the more time he spends with her, the happier he is. He knows that it will be a challenge to overcome Jodi's reluctance, but he is determined. I loved seeing him try to follow her rules while still pursuing her the way he wants to. He's sweet and protective and wants to take care of her. The only thing holding him back is the grief and guilt he feels over his wife's death. As he gets closer to Jodi, he opens up to her about his feelings, which helps him but creates some misunderstandings with her. I loved his big moment at the end, which was sweet and romantic and really funny, too.

Jodi is a bit of a complex character. Like her sisters, she was adopted, though she remembers her earlier life with a neglectful mother. Being adopted by the Carlyles was like a dream come true for her. She never wanted to do anything that would make them regret it, so she was always careful to follow all the rules. She also watched over everyone else. Making sure she had her life under control was very important to her, right down to the way she ate her food. When her fiance jilted her, it wrecked her self confidence and made her feel that she had lost control of her life. Her therapeutic crashing of the wedding was only supposed to be the wedding itself, not a fling with one of the guests. Her encounter with Jake affected her control in a way nothing had before, and it freaked her out. Having him show up in Stardust threatened her control all over again. I loved seeing Jake bring her out of the shell she has built around herself, as she slowly learns to let go a little at a time. Jake works his way into her heart, but she's afraid that his feelings for his late wife will keep him from loving her. I loved seeing her take the risk in the end.

Also as part of the story was Jodi's turn with the mysterious hope chest that was found in the first book, Back in the Game. Jodi finds a bottle of perfume that only she and Jake can smell. The chemistry between Jodi and Jake is hot, but that heat seems to burn even hotter when she wears it. There are a couple of really steamy scenes that come about because of it.

The secondary characters are also great. We get a little more of Breeanne and Rowdy from the first book. Rowdy is the catalyst to get Jake to Stardust as he tags Jake as his best man and also advises him about moving forward through his grief. Jodi's closeness with her sisters plays a big part also, as each of them has something to say about her relationship with Jake. Jake's friend and teammate Talbot is also present, with an attitude that is just begging for karma to catch up with him. I can't wait until it does!

Back in the Game - Lori Wilde (Avon - Feb 2015)

Series: Stardust, Texas (Book 1)

Wanted: ghostwriter. Must be female, a baseball fan, and have a great pair of legs.

Ex-pitcher Rowdy Blanton never saw a woman he couldn't conquer or a team he couldn't beat. And now that he's off the field he's ready to tell all about when he played the field. So he chooses Breeanne Carlyle to do the job -- she's got the requirements, but more important, there's something about her that makes him want to be a better man.

Convinced there's more to Rowdy than a good fastball, a wicked smile, and a tight pair of pants, Breeanne can't help but be tempted. After all, it's boring always being the good girl, and Rowdy dares her to be just a little bad. The stakes are high, but win or lose, this time Breeanne's breaking all the rules playing the game of love.

A sweet and spicy romance, with a touch of magic and a little bit of suspense. Rowdy is an ex-pitcher for a big league team, trying to come to grips with the end of his career. He's been asked to write his autobiography, and has a couple motivations for doing so. To do it, he's going to need a ghostwriter. Enter Breeanne, a self-professed baseball addict, writer, and huge fan of Rowdy's since she was a kid. With the help of a magical hope chest, she gets the chance at the job of her dreams.

Breeanne is a young woman who is ready to start living. After spending most of her life with a heart defect, enduring many surgeries, she is finally healthy. She is also ready to get out from under the overprotective umbrella of her family. A chance encounter with Rowdy at an estate auction gets her fantasies going, and a wish for a writing job brings them together.

I loved their encounter at the auction, as sweet and innocent Breeanne is totally flummoxed by Rowdy's assistance when she gets hit by a baseball. Rowdy is drawn to her and doesn't understand why, as she's nothing like the women he's always pursued. When she shows up to interview for the ghostwriter job, he has every intention of turning her down, but ends up hiring her instead. That scene is really funny as he uses her appearance to get rid of the other applicants.

Rowdy has an agenda in writing this book, dealing with the general manager of his former team, his injury, and some other reason that is hinted at but not explained until the end of the book. The problem is that he really doesn't want to talk about any of the things that will be included in the book. Instead, he uses his attraction to and fascination with Breeanne to distract her.

I loved the two of them together. Rowdy easily sees that Breeanne is an innocent, and once he finds out why, is determined to help her have some fun in her life. He doesn't treat her as if she's fragile, instead he sees her as a strong survivor. As for Breeanne, she wants to do right by the book, and knows she has to get Rowdy to open up to her. Because of the pain she's had in her own life, she can see that there is something that is haunting him. She pushes at him when she needs to, backs off when she sees he's reached his limit. She also has no problem standing up to him when he's being a jerk. I liked the way that they became friends first, before anything else happens.

The romance itself was good. Rowdy doesn't do commitment and makes sure that women he gets involved with know that. He doesn't expect to find himself wanting more out of his developing relationship with Breeanne. Even though she puts the moves on him (a really fun scene), he doesn't want to take advantage of her. His "Rookie Rules" were really sweet as he tries his best to do right by her. Breeanne knows that she's probably going to fall in love with him and get her heart broken, but she can't imagine being with anyone else that way. His insistence on taking things slow frustrates her, but she can't deny that she enjoys it. I loved seeing the changes they went through, thanks to the caring they experience from each other. It's all going great until something happens that drives them apart. Rowdy behaves like a jerk, and though he regrets it right away, making amends doesn't happen immediately. I loved his big moment at the end, as he did a fine job of groveling. 

The suspense of the story centers around Rowdy's scumbag of a general manager. A little bit is revealed at the beginning, with more exposed as Rowdy's trust in Breeanne grows. Rowdy is a man who is caught between a rock and a hard place, as he wants to do what is right, but he also wants to protect those he cares about. The tension built as he got closer to confessing all to her. What happened next was something that could be seen coming, though the method was a bit of a surprise. Once it was out there, Rowdy had decisions to make, and what he did was very satisfying. Breeanne also had her moment to shine as she confronted the person responsible.

Family relationships also play an important part in the story. I loved Breeanne's family and their obvious love for each other. Though she often feels smothered, Breeanne knows that they love her and will support her in whatever she does. Each of her sisters has a unique personality and I'm looking forward to their stories. I also liked Rowdy's brother, though he definitely has some growing up to do.