Taking a Shot

Jenna Riley is used to being around sportsmen. Running a popular Sports Bar, and growing up surrounded by brothers who are all exceptional at various sports, she has had her fill of that type of man. Vowing never to date a Sports star, she tries her hardest to keep her attraction to the gorgeous Hockey player Tyler Anderson at bay. Problem is, he doesn’t want her to keep it at bay.

Tyler has never been short of willing bed-mates but Jenna fascinates him in a way that he can’t understand. He finds he always wants to go to her bar after a game, always wants to see her or be near her. She is an itch he can’t scratch. He knows she feels the heat too but is running from her desires. Deciding to pursue her, he starts to push at the show more feisty bar manager. When Jenna realises that the sparks she feels for Tyler overwhelm any attraction she feels for other men, she knows that she will have to get him out of her system one way or the other. Will she take a shot on Tyler?

Wow, this series has got better and better with every book! This book contained all the ingredients of the perfect romantic book; a reluctant heroine, a completely swoon-worthy hero and a variety of lovely smutty sex :D I read it in one sitting I enjoyed it so much....Ms Burton, you have me hooked! This book has a very different feel to the other two in the series. Tyler is not the reluctant alpha hero and Jenna is a lot feistier, and more immediately likable, than the first two heroines. It made the book seem a lot softer and more romantic than the first two and I enjoyed the change of pace (Don’t get me wrong here...nothing wrong with the smuttiness of the first two books....AT ALL! :D ) It is my favourite to date.

Jenna is a lovely, intelligent heroine. The only issue is that she doesn’t know herself very well. Sport’s is in her blood, in her heritage, yet she tries to bar a whole section of men from her life because she feels that she needs to be something else. I really enjoyed her feistiness and her humour. She could hold her own in a bar full of men and not even bat an eyelash; it was nice to read a genuinely nice ladies book. I loved that she was so in tune with everyone else’s feelings. This lead to some genuinely touching moments with Tyler when his emotional baggage becomes something he needs to deal with.

Tyler is AWESOME. He is smart, funny, supportive and a little bit of a sneaky sod to be honest. From the second he jumps behind the bar to help her out on a busy night, I knew I was going to love him and I was spot on. Not only was he a great character to read about, he was great for Jenna. He knew when to push her, knew when he had gone too far and knew how to be creative when it came to worming his way past those defences that she attached to her heart. He pushes her into becoming something that she was too afraid to become and I adored him for it. It’s very rare that you meet a character that has motivations so pure; he genuinely doesn’t care what the implications are for him because he wants the best for her. I have added him to the book boyfriend Harem...in-fact there are a few that are being kicked out because of him!

I mentioned the sex scenes above and now I’m dedicating a section to them. Phwoar..... *fans* There is ice sex, snooker-table sex, private box sex......it’s all so freaking hot! Jaci Burton writes very very hot sex and I have enjoyed all the scenes throughout the series. There is no pretence in them, no glossing over the details with flowery euphemisms that drive me to distraction. They are sensual and erotic (and a little acrobatic in this one :D). I adore them. It was another feather in Tyler’s cap that he was so damn sexy and considerate in them; the man has very few faults :D

Overall, a fabulously sexy book that is definitely my favourite so far in the series. In fact, it’s so good I’m buying the paperback for my keeper shelf even though I have an ARC. With two characters that instantly engaged me, I was rooting for their HEA from start to finish. show less

" ... The characters are real and believable. Their success and failure is completely relatable. Sure, it it is a bit of a fairytale with all of these hot jocks, but have you looked at the cover? Wait til you read the scorching hot intimate scenes. Orgasmic as a rating is an understatement! I loved that Jenna and Ty had to work for their happiness. Each had their own misconceptions to overcome and they had to do it in their own time and their own way. They maintained a level of independence with just the right mixture of dependency and complimented each other perfectly. For those of you who like the familial component, this book fills that need with recurring characters. ..."

Review completed for Just Erotic Romance Reviews (JERR) - show more Please visit their site for the full review. eBook provided by JERR in exchange for an honest review.
http://bit.ly/Tu8A4W show less

DNF at 40%

It's OFFICIAL>>This book feels like a replica of the prior two with minor details changed (and actually the beginning felt fresh, Ty felt really different)

I got through the last one because of the sexy times. I quit this one partially due to the overuse of the word sexy. Go figure.

It's a total shame that this felt like it was borrowed from Burton's prior work because
I like Ty’s brand of alpha more than anything about this book. He’s so confident, he doesn’t flip when he sees Jenna pick up another man. Sure, he’s slightly jealous, but he notices they lack chemistry, and keeps his chill.

I think I’ve seen that approximately never in a romance before. Not purposefully that I can recall any way. Why is this amazing? I show more feel like it’s how a mature confident man would typically act. My husband is not really either of those things but he still manages to be confident in me ending up with him without being a jealous d-bag.

What a bummer. Because, like, these covers. Maybe it's just better to eat these than read them anyway... show less

Jenna Riley runs the sport bar her family owns. Her big brothers are famous sport's superstars and after her dad had a heart attack last year she is the only one who can take care of Riley's.

Not that she complains... much. She doesn't mind taking care of the place and running it but she is drop-dead tired of being surrounded by sports every single day of her life. And that is a lot.
Every football, basketball or baseball game means that Riley's will be full packed with clients and full of players, actual players, thanks to her brothers who have turned the bar into a hot spot.

No one seems to notice that Jenna wants something more except Tyler, a hockey player who has been flirting with her for the last couple of months with no success. show more And is not because his looks, you know? Because he sure is as hot as hell, in fact his only problem is his career... Jenna has only one rule: She will never date a guy who is into sports.

But Tyler won't give up and after peeling a few of Jenna's protections layers off he discovers something: she likes to sing and compose. And she is really good at it. Without seing the problem Ty asks her THE question: why is she wasting such an awesome gift?!
Which ends up with him getting tossed out of Jenna's house and the realization that he stumbled upon a secret: her family doesn't know about the music stuff and she doesn't want to speak about it. In fact, she prefers to stay where she is, unhappy.

Fortunately for her Tyler is the kind of person that doesn't give up easily. And there is no way he is going to let her go when they have such good chemistry on the bed... and maybe outside too.

Personal opinion:
I can't get enough of the Riley family, I'm telling you. Jenna's story has been very entertaining, funny, clever and touching.

I have no brother or sisters and when I read about this family I truly miss having any siblings... specially with the girl talks that Jaci creates between Jenna, Liz and Tara, they are hilarious! The way they talk, the way they are with each other and how much they trust the other is just refreshing.

Jenna's fears felt real and I could relate to her situation right away while I rooted for Tyler to help her get through it. I mean, he is just an amazing guy, you know? Caring, sexy, snarky, confident... did I mention sexy? Ladies, believe me, I know I've said this before but it's true and you have to do it: get a fan before reading the book! OMG... the sex scenes? Steamy to say the least. Pure hotness, pure awesomeness and a LOT of details.

Jaci's style, once again, hit the right spot and I can only say this: I'm dying to read the next book and meet Cole Riley who is Jenna, Mick and Gavin's cousin.

Finally I just want to say I'm really grateful for the eARC and that, starting today, we are a month away from the publication of Taking a Shot... days can't pass faster enough! show less

This was another sexy romance in the the Play-by-play series. The youngest Riley - Jenna - is running the family sports bar. She is in charge since her father's heart attack. Her brothers are busy with their new loves and their sports careers and Jenna is stuck. While she loves her family, she doesn't really love the bar. Too much sports and too many athletes for her. She is determined not to have a relationship with any guy into sports. It is hard to find a guy to date since she spends all of her time in a sports bar.

Tyler Anderson is new in town. He plays pro hockey. He also gets under Jenna's skin. Even with her dislike of athletes, he has something. They have a powerful chemistry which Jenna tries to deny. However, they manage to show more hook up at her brother Mick's wedding. She thinks it will be just a one night stand to get her need for him out of her system but Ty isn't that eager to be gotten rid of.

They enter into a relationship very tentatively. He doesn't have any faith in relationships and hasn't since his parents' acrimonious divorce when he was fourteen. She doesn't want a relationship with an athlete. But they do get to know each other outside of bed too and find that they are each fascinated by the other.

Jenna shares a secret with him. She sings and writes songs but has never told her family. She has a dream of opening a second Riley's that focuses on music but feels she will disappoint her family by leaving the sports bar. Ty tries to encourage her to pursue her dreams but she is afraid of failure. Her fear of going for her dreams is the thing that causes the major tension in their relationship.

This was a great romance and it was wonderful catching up with Mick and Tara, Liz and Gavin and the Riley parents. It is also great seeing Jenna work through her problems and decide to go for her dreams. It was very satisfying to see two strong, stubborn people decide that their relationship was worth the fight.

This was another entertaining episode in a series that has very spicy intimate scenes and also strong romance. I recommend it to those romance readers who like their stories hot. show less

I love Jenna so much! Thankfully Tyler is her equal. She sacrificed so much and did the best she could and she wasn't perfect, which I appreciate. I loved him encouraging her to go after her dream. I loved the girl talk with the heroines of the previously two books. And the sex scenes were so hot!

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A love story about a girl that doesn’t know what she wants and a guy that knows exactly what he wants; her.

Opening Sentence: Jenna Riley wanted nothing to do with sports.

The Review:

There are people out there that are stuck in a rut within their lives. They are unhappy with their jobs or their relationships, but are afraid to change. Sometimes, the devil you know is easier to handle than the devil you don’t. This is Jenna Riley’s lot in life. At least it was, until a sexy hockey player named Ty Anderson strolls into her bar and shakes her whole world up.

Jenna Riley loves her family. She runs the family sports bar so that her dad doesn’t have to worry about it. She talks show more sports with all the patrons, even though she’s really not that excited about it. Her own wants and desires have taken a back seat to her brothers’ and parent’s. It is not as though she made known her dreams, but she instead allowed her family’s achievements and expectations to overshadow her own. They didn’t even know that she wants to be a singer one day, or that she was once in a band. While using her family as a shield, she reinforces it by declaring anyone into sports as off limits dating-wise. This is the main reason why she fights her attraction with Ty, though she agrees to one night with him after her brother’s wedding. After several tries and his relentless pursuit of her, Ty gets her to agree to more. He’s constantly pushing her to break out of her comfort zone, which makes her lash out at him. She doesn’t see what a great guy he is because she is too confused about her own desires to notice. Can Jenna stand up for what she wants, in both a career and in love? Or will she remain miserable and alone within the prison of her own making?

Ty Anderson is a very confident man, on and off the ice. As many times as he gets shot down by Jenna, he continues to pursue her. He even uses one of the best tactics I have ever heard of: He gives Jenna exactly what she wants in a potential date. He sets her up with guys that she says she wants, but knows that they will never have the chemistry with her that he does. By letting her see that, Jenna chooses to come back to him. I appreciate a man that gives a girl what she asks for, whether or not he agrees with it. Even though he isn’t looking for love, he can no more get Jenna out of his blood than he can stop playing hockey.

The two of them have explosive chemistry together. Though Jenna is hesitant to have a relationship with Ty outside of “friends-with-benefits”, she cannot deny she loves what he does in it. The physical relationship that they share lead to them getting to know each other better, even so far as falling in love. But throughout the entire book, Jenna rallies against Ty and all he stands for; change. Will Ty convince her to follow her heart or will he give up and move on himself?

I enjoyed this book for the romance novel that it is. Though previous books in this series have more sporty references, I liked that it was not a prevalent theme in this one. I must admit that the various locations for the sex scenes are a nice break from always being in the bedroom or on the couch. Yes, Ty and Jenna even have a scene on the ice! Overall, this book was a nice blend of smut, sappy romance, and sports.

Notable Scene:

Since Dylan had left and Renee was off waiting on her customers, the guys had moved back to the pool tables. Jenna didn’t relish the idea of wading into a sea of Ice players to talk to Ty, and getting him alone might be problematic.

She pondered the situation, even considered giving Renee a not to give to him, then thought better of it. What if he shared it with his friends? They’d all laugh.

And this isn’t high school, you idiot. Where are your balls?

FTC Advisory: Penguin/Berkley Heat graciously provided me with a copy of Taking a Shot. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. The only payments I receive are hugs and kisses from my little boys. show less