this book was really boring. ( )

Straddling the Line
3 Stars

Following the death of her beloved father, sportscaster Haven Briscoe’s life is adrift and she is in dire need of an intervention. Haven’s mother appeals to family friend and gifted athlete, Trevor Shay, who responds by offering Haven not only the interview of a lifetime, but promises of a more personal nature as well ...

Just when I think this series has run out of steam, Burton provides an installment that pulls me back in. Don’t get me wrong - Straddling the Line is not a masterpiece of contemporary romance, but it is a lighthearted and fun read with a sweet couple and relatively little angst.

Haven and Trevor are very open about their attraction and their scenes together are hot and spicy albeit repetitive and not as emotionally engaging as some of the previous couples (Gavin & Liz, Garrett & Alicia).

As with most of the Play-by-Play books, there is very little plot to speak of, which is disappointing as Trevor’s “secret” is compelling and could have made for captivating reading had it been developed throughout the story rather than being pulled out at the end to cause a convenient conflict.

Although the expected cameo appearances by couples in earlier books are cute, especially Haven’s lunch with the women, they serve little purpose and are more filler than any meaningful interaction.

All in all, Straddling the Line is good enough to have me adding book #9 to the TBR. Looks like the series is moving on to a new sports family, the Cassidys, and perhaps this will breathe new life into it. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: While certainly steamy and well written, this story just didn’t have enough plot to keep me entertained.

Opening Sentence: “Haven’s in trouble.”

The Review:

Haven hasn’t been the same since her dad died. She has what she always thought was her dream as a sports reporter, but she just can’t get herself motivated to work. Her mother sees this happening, and contacts Trevor, an old friend who is now a famous baseball and football star. Haven’s mother asks him if there is anything he could possibly do to help. Trevor contacts Haven’s boss, saying that he wants her to do a piece on him. Even in her grief, Haven can’t pass up this opportunity. So, she agrees to follow Trevor around during the end of the baseball season and beginning of the football season. As Haven and Trevor begin working together, it’s obvious there are sparks between them. Haven wants to keep their relationship professional, but she just can’t resist Trevor’s charms. As their relationship evolves, they both want to keep an emotional distance for their own reasons. Love, however, might have a different plan for them.

I was hesitant starting this book. I wasn’t thrilled with the last Jaci Burton novel I read, and I was worried that this book might go the same way. Unfortunately, I was right. There just wasn’t a whole lot of plot here for me to sink my teeth into. It seemed like once Haven and Trevor admitted their attraction, all that was left was a bunch of sex, with some other scenes thrown in here and there. I have no problem with sex scenes in general, but when that appears to be the only basis for a relationship, it makes it very hard for me to suspend my disbelief when the “I love yous” are finally shared. Sure, Haven and Trevor knew each other in college, but not on a really personal basis, so I couldn’t even use that as an excuse for why there wasn’t much relationship building going on.

The next thing that annoyed me is really just a personal quirk of my own and no real fault of the book’s. I kept getting yanked out of the story every time Trevor’s baseball team was mentioned because it’s not an actual professional team. Again, just a personal quirk of mine. Living where I do, I’m very familiar with both Chicago and St. Louis sports, so hearing the St. Louis team referred to as the Rivers just served to remind me that I was just reading a story. I couldn’t let myself get caught up in what was going on. I am fully aware that this probably won’t bother most readers. It was such a big source of frustration for me though that I had to mention it.

I also couldn’t help but feel that Trevor’s big secret was just thrown in to add some last minute drama. He literally mentions nothing about it until maybe the 70 percent mark, and then it’s suddenly such a big deal that it’s the reason he feels he can’t be in a serious relationship. It just felt very random and once again yanked me out of the story.

On the good side, the book is well written, and the sex scenes are certainly steamy. There’s no denying Trevor and Haven have chemistry. While light on plot, I was interested enough in what was going on that I feel I have to give the book more than two stars. I just wish there had been a little more to it than what there was.

Notable Scene:

“You take the game seriously.”

He shot her a look. “Hell, yes, I do. This is my career. I love this game. Every guy on the team does. We hate losing, especially when getting into the postseason was within our grasp.”

“There were some tough calls out there, and every game was close.”

“And we made a lot of mistakes. I made a lot of mistakes. I struck out with the bases loaded. That right there was the potential to turn that game around.”

“So you take personal responsibility for losing tonight’s game.”

“I do.” He looked around. “Talk to any guy on the team tonight and every one of them will say the same thing.” He paused to take a breath. “Look, I know I tout myself as some kind of superstar. That I play two sports and I like to think I do both of them well. But at the end of the day, we’re a team. We win as a team and we lose as a team. And right now we the team think this sucks. And we’re going to continue to think it sucks until the start of next season, when we get together again, bound and determined to take the team all the way to the postseason again.”

FTC Advisory: Berkley/Penguin provided me with a copy of Straddling the Line. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

3.5 stars. This wasn't my favorite of the series but it was still good. I would of liked more a bit more connection put into the story and the couple. ( )

I absolutely love this series and this book was another great addition to it. I don't know why it wasn't a five star read for me, but there you go. The chemistry between the two main characters was freaking awesone and totally off the charts hot! Great to see some old characters, specially my very favorite couple: Liz and Gavin and their cute little daughter. ( )