The Perfect Play

I bet I could count on one hand how many bought this book for the fascinating story.

To be honest (and I prepare for someone to put a hit out on me), cover model Jed Hill doesn’t actually do much for me. Don’t get me wrong, as far as clean-cut beefcake goes, he’s doing fine. But I’m not sure I’d faint if he walked into the room.
That said, credit must be given to the most impressive cover of the century.

When it comes to contemporary romance with more, ahem, sexified content, Jaci Burton’s one of the few I can read. Unlike Maya Banks, Burton writes heroines I actually believe are mature enough to have graduated from the sixth grade – so I don’t spend half the book being squicked out by the naughty stuff being done to the show more innocent fairy. And unlike Lora Leigh, Burton doesn’t bother with a whole lot of garbage about souls being touched by way of the heroine’s arse.

This is basically a fairly standard contemporary romance about a football (meaning American football) star and the event organiser heroine he meets and falls for. Even if you’re not into erotica, there’s really not a lot here that’s going to frighten you away.
What made me really happy was that while everything was pointing towards this being one of those books where the ugly wallflower who’s never been kissed because she dresses in housecoats gets the world’s hottest, richest man (and he loves her for no reason other than to fulfil over the top reader fantasies) – it wasn’t. I hate those books because – with the notable exception of Lover Eternal – I’ve never been convinced of the too good to be true hero’s obsessive adoration.
This heroine, Tara, isn’t some frumpy sixty year old virgin who’s spent her entire life being bullied by supermodels. She’s just a normal, fairly attractive, accomplished woman. I believed Mick would want to be with her.
I also understood Tara’s hesitations and the way she didn’t really believe they could be together. I get that it annoyed some readers, but honestly if Jed Hill approached you and announced he wanted to give you babies, would you take him at face value or would you wonder why he’s interested in you instead of the orange-tanned, plastic-breasted, Botoxed to the point of paralysis, wart-free Oscar winning actress at the next table?

I certainly had my issues with the book, the first of which was that I had no bloody idea what the author was on about with all that sport talk – but then that’s my fault for not being from America, so I can hardly blame her.

What did annoy me was the way Tara and Mick spoke in THOSE scenes. It’s a common problem I have with books with erotic scenes, because it’s so difficult to reconcile the family-oriented society do-gooders of 90% of the book with the porn star performers in the bedroom.
This one in particular read as so wrong. Tara has a teenaged son, and she and Mick spend a lot of time playing happy families with him. When that’s not happening, our hero and heroine are sharing plenty of Big Emotional Revelations, and then jumping into the smexin’.

Maybe I’m a sheltered prude, but honestly, I don’t like it when we have:

“I had a horrible childhood. Boo hoo. I’m so traumatised.”
Cry, cry, cry.
“It’s okay my sweet darling, I love you.”
Wah, wah, wah.

Followed ten seconds later by:

“F*ck me!”
“No, you f*ck me!”
“Up the butt! HARDER!!”
“Oh yeah baby! I’m f*cking you!”

Perhaps I’m not cool enough, but after drama and tears and declarations of love, maybe the cursing could be given a rest.

So, anyway, I actually liked this, and I really didn’t expect to. It’s no masterpiece, and even with Jed and his mighty pecs it’s not making it anywhere near my ‘Favourites’ shelf, but it was a whole lot better than the body oil and the wax and the author’s connections to Lora Leigh would have you believe.

The heroine of the next book is horrid, and I’m not sure I want to read about her, but other than that The Perfect Play was not bad. show less

Review By Alaiel Kreuz:

There is no way to start this review without fearing that the only thing you are going to really pay attention to is the cover. And I can't blame you, hahaha, I mean, seriously, this cover?! Is PURE HOTNESS. I'm sure I would have bought the book even without hearing the great things about it. But before continuing with the review please, remember to clean the mess your mouth just did by drooling at the screen.

Ready? Great, here we go! So, right fromt he start we are set with Mick, one of the biggest stars in the industry of sport and not by coincidence, his manager, the sexy and heartless Elizabeth Darnell knew how to promote him using girls, major events and advertisements. He owned her all the money he had. But show more he money was not important for him, he was one of the best quarterbacks out there and he played because he loved the game. And not long ago he used to love the girls Elizabeth threw at his arms but not any more.

And here is where our female protagonist comes in: Tara Lincoln had being planning the biggest event her small company, The Right Touch, had ever had, an event for the Mick's team "San Francisco Sabers". They had met briefly when she needed directions to find her way to the main office so she could get her contract singed but they didn't get exchange names and the party was the perfect moment.

Mick and Tara had a connection, a real connection. They both felt it during the party and they both kept feeling it during the sex. But Tara had a very important person in her life to think about, her 14 years old son Nathan. And she wasn't going to introduce any man in her life for him, meaning: bye-bye, Mick Riley.
Why you ask? Well, Mick had a big reputation being a player and there was no way he would want something serious with her.

But our hot guy wasn't the kind of man who would give up so easily, he really liked her and what if she had a son? He was good with kids and he was going to prove it.

What he didn't expect was that his best friend and former agent, Liz, didn't like his relationship with Tara and the media consequences of it...

And now, in a more personal way: Before reading the book go and get a fan, I assure you you will need it. The sex scenes in this book are AWESOME, Jaci doesn't hesitate when it comes to describe feelings, sensations and places... body places. The way the characters talk is hot, the way they make you feel is hot and I promise that if it weren't for Tara I would have jump above him. This book was eroticness itself.

I loved the fact that Jaci Burton actually developed Nathan's character. There are lots of books where the sons and daughters only appear once or twice and then are forgotten, but no in this book and I enjoyed that.
And it doesn't stop with him, far from it, Mick's family have a role in the story and in the next book ;)

Now, please, stop reading and buy the book. show less

full review @ http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot.com

Mick is a drop dead gorgeous hunk with black hair, blue eyes and a body to die for (have you seen the cover? *swoon*) He chases Tara with the tenacity of a Jack Russell with a bone; I really did like his character! His courtship of her was a fabulously unrealistic extravaganza of events, the likes of which only exist in romance novels, and I wanted him to win her over. When he started to build a relationship with the hero-worshipping, teenage boy who obviously needed a father figure...well that was it for me, I was in lust! Tara was a bit less likeable, but that’s because she used the circumstances of her life to treat Mick quite horribly at times. When they first met, it was clear show more that the attraction was both mutual and strong. However, when Tara woke up the morning after, the self-doubt started to set in. She wasn’t a movie star, she worked every hour that she could and she had a teenage son; it was clear she was not exactly Mick’s “type”. He did everything that he could to prove to her that he liked her anyway; he wooed her, he bonded with her son and he generally was the most gorgeous man on the planet. Still, she jumped to conclusions repeatedly about his actions. I understood why; her son came first, and he was in danger of being hurt if it all went wrong. It still annoyed me. I think you could say I became a little protective of Mick. I liked her as an individual (the way she dealt with the bitch that was Mick’s agent was awesome) but I wasn’t convinced she could get over her many issues and become part of a healthy relationship. I wanted them to work it out; I just couldn’t see how all the issues she had could be resolved.

The important bit of the book is, of course, the sex scenes (Well to me anyway!) The sex scenes were smoking; we had oral sex, anal sex, anal play, beach sex...the list is endless! The chemistry is well written and the scenes were definitely enough to make my heart race. I only had one problem with the sex scenes and that was the dirty talk. I like dirty talk, but this was in every scene and became slightly annoying. It wasn’t particularly sexy and, to be honest, had pretty much the same script in every scene. I could have done without them, and I ended up skipping through the dialogue to get to the juicy descriptions of the glorious man flesh that surrounded them!

Overall, a very sexy tale with the drool worthy Mick taking centre stage in this story of two people falling in lust at first sight and having lots and lots of rampant sex.
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The Perfect Play
3 Stars

Synopsis:
Tara Lincoln has been unlucky in love and has no intention of becoming involved again, especially with a certified heartbreaker like football pro, Mick Riley. But Mick has his heart set on Tara and will allow nothing to get in his way. Can Mick and Tara overcome their differences?

Review:
It is necessary to preface this review with a disclaimer that I am not a huge fan of either contemporary romance or books that revolve around sport. I read this book because one of my Goodreads challenges required reading a book with an athlete hero.
As suspected, this book suffers from the customary flaw of most contemporary romances, i.e., what little conflict exists between the couple is based on a series of show more misunderstandings that could have easily been solved if they actually had a proper conversation instead of falling into bed at the drop of a hat.
The plot is predictable and the sex scenes are excessive and contribute absolutely nothing to the romance.
The characters, however, have definite potential. Mick is seriously sexy and caring, and Tara is single-minded and sweet, although she does have a tendency to over-analyze and whine every so often. The secondary characters are the real gems in the book, especially Mick’s brother Gavin (who has some of the best dialogue) and Mick’s agent, Liz whose bitchiness seems to conceal her softer side.
In sum, fans of erotica, sports romances and football will probably find this book entertaining. I may read the next book if only to find out how Liz redeems herself. show less

Bought for Myself (I mean really look at that cover)
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 4.25
Hotness Rating: Off the CHARTS!

NOTE: Put on your big girl panties before reading because this is one hot, sexy read. I mean seriously sizzling about every other chapter :)

What I Loved: Mick and Tara rocked my socks off (to borrow Ashley's term) as a couple! They truly were sizzling chemistry personified! I think what I liked most was Tara's single parent story. I know plenty of single parent woman that date (or not date as the case may be) just like her. It was a bit refreshing to see a leading lady that rang real and true. I didn't always like her reactions to Mick but it fit with her personality and dating style! I also show more liked that Mick was flawed, real, down to earth despite his very high profile job!

What I Liked (and why i am immediately reading Changing the Game): The whole entire Riley family ROCKED! I can't even begin to understand how Jaci is going to reform a certain character (no spoilers) but I have no doubt she will. I am excited to see Gavin tamed and hoping the third book is about their sister.

What I would like to see more of (since I have no complaints): Can we get some short stories and/or books for Tara's friends? They were kind of her family and I really liked those ladies!

Why I gave it a 4.25: The Perfect Play was a perfect combination of story, romance, and hotness. The only reason it didn't get a 5 from me is the over use of 2 words I can't stand (c*ck and p*ssy) but honestly that is just a personal thing :) In other words, go out and get the book! show less

I can't talk about the book without first expressing my love for the cover. There are very few covers out there that do the book justice and this is one of them. It's very hard to find that perfect cover, you know? And it's sexy. I can't imagine a better cover for this book. And all the covers for this series are amazingly beautiful and sexy.

Now that I've covered that up, I can return to the book in question. When it comes to sexy books, Jaci Burton is one of the first authors that pops into my head. Not only are her stories sexy, they're funny and full of good characters. And her books aren't filled with unnecessary sex scenes, when you feel it's more sex than action. Knowing that, I was a little afraid to pick this book up. Why? show more Because of the sport part. I know nothing about sports. Not one little detail. So I putt it off for a few weeks, mainly to gather my courage and try to look past the sports details. I'm glad I finally managed to do so, because I liked this book a lot.

I loved the characters. Tara is such a strong woman. She's not one of those women that swoon at the sight of a famous guy and she doesn't seem to care about his pockets more than him. She's also a devoted mother. She's willing to sacrifice her happiness for that of her son and I think that says a lot about her. I totally understood her reasons for being weary of having a relationship with Mick. He's a famous guy and a relationship with him could have a bad influence on her teenage son.

Mick is one of those guys that don't change much once they become famous. He has managed to get away from trouble and I think that makes him a very strong guy. He's also sexy, or so he is in my head. He helps Tara's son when he makes a bad decision, knowing that by doing it he could be risking his career. I think this is what made me see him as a really nice guy and the perfect partner for Tara and the perfect father for her son. Maybe it's not much, but to willingly hand over a secret that could ruin his career forever to a 13 year old means that he really wants to be a part of their lives.

I honestly can't say a thing I didn't like in this book. Well, there's actually one little thing that made me want to smack Mick, but I can't talk about it here, without going further into the second book in the series, Changing the Game.

I am waiting impatiently for the third installment, Taking a Shot, due March, 2012. Until then, I have all the time in the world to reread the first two books. show less

When I picked up The Perfect Play I definitely wasn't expecting what I got. I wasn't familiar with Jaci Burton so I assumed the book would be a fluffy contemporary sports romance, something along the lines of Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I certainly wasn't expecting a super hot, steamy romance bordering on erotica. I really enjoyed the book though but I was off balance when I first started reading. It was so different from what I was expecting that I had trouble getting into it at first. My advice is to go into reading this book knowing that there's hot sex in nearly every chapter and Burton shares all the yummy and explicit details.

I started reading this book for it's cover. Ladies, you can't possibly convince me that you don't find the show more cover beyond swoon worthy. I could stare at it all day. I'm so glad that the romance turned out to be just as great as the cover because I honestly didn't even read the summary when I grabbed this book. Mick and Tara were wonderfully flawed characters to read about. Their issues were what really drew me to them because often times in romances either the hero or the heroine are nearly perfect. My only problem with the book arose from a possibly unintentional flaw Burton gave Tara, which drove me absolutely insane. In the beginning of the book Tara kept saying that she loved talking and that she wasn't with Mick just for sex, yet whenever Mick tried to talk with her, Tara would use sex to shut him up. This made her come off as incredibly skanky which was frustrating for me because I never had that opinion during the rest of the book.

I would definitely recommend this book to any 'hotter than usual' romance lovers. I'm not a sports fan but football was integrated so well into the book that I almost wished that I was a fan. I believe that true fans will especially love this book as I'm sure it's a lot of woman's dreams to end up with an insatiable football player. I'm so excited that Burton is writing a sequel. I'm a little nervous because I loved the upcoming hero, Mick's brother, but absolutely loathed the heroine because she was such a bitch in this book.

See my blog for quotes and my thoughts as I read: http://bitten-books.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-perfect-play-play-by-play-1-by.h... show less