 |
||||
Here's
what the reviewers are saying about
ISBN 0-373-79082-1 |
||||
Romance
Reviews Today
Romance Reviews Today (highly
recommended) Mace Duvall's fifteen minutes of fame isn't quite over, and he'd still be playing baseball if not for a freak motor vehicle accident that landed him on the retired list. It was so cliché to hear that he was lucky to be alive, but Mace suffers many regrets - not playing ball tops that list. Oh, he doesn't miss the cameras flashing in his face and the dwindling link to celebrity that his rogue tendencies had landed him at all. What he misses most is baseball; true love for the game still lives in his heart. Reluctantly agreeing to instruct batting for a minor league team is the outcome of a bet made with a friend, and it's only pride that forces Mace to fulfill that promise. Hey, if he doesn't like it, he can always duck out and no one's the wiser. That is, until he first lays eyes on the trainer, Becka Landon. They just don't make women like that anymore… In a contest of wills, Becka tries to fight her attraction for the sexy sports hero, and Mace tries to drive her crazy with lust. He knows what he wants, and he goes after it - now he just has to make Becka see reason, and not the notoriety that plagues him. I love a good, sexy book and this was just what I was looking for. Fast paced, sparkling dialogue, and characters that are just fun, all complete a package that's sure to please many readers. Becka is stalwart and never looks for more than what she's expecting in any relationship. She's almost chagrined to see her best friend Ryan from My Sexiest Mistake -- so happy, in love, and wishing to spread that cheer to everyone. Maybe Becka's chemical make-up doesn't have the gene for true love, but that theory may very well be tested by Mace. Although he's known for his prowess with women, that façade only serves to cover up the heart of gold this man has. Peeling off those layers one by one, Becka becomes more and more astounded by the man he truly is, and shocked to see that he's not what she imagined. A personal note: Aesthetically, there's something sexy about a man in cleats who knows how to swing a bat. Is it any wonder I've got pictures of Mike Piazza hanging all over my office now? I first met Becka in Kristin Hardy's debut book, My Sexiest Mistake, and was thoroughly intrigued by the tomboyish character. Color me happy when I found out she would have her own book; now imagine my elation to find out that Scoring is the first book in a new trilogy titled "Under the Covers." This book is a delight to recommend to any reader who enjoys a very sexy, fun book that not only sets the heart pounding, but caused me to sigh in contentment by the last page. --Amy Cunningham The
Romance Reader's Connection (4 stars) Becka Landon doesn't give a second thought to being a female sports trainer in the male-dominated world of baseball. She is committed to doing her part to ensure the success of the team. Though not part of her job description, advances by hot-blooded young players are handled with the greatest of ease. Advances by a sexy instructor, however, might pose a little more of a challenge. When I started reading Scoring, I thought that this was going to be a tough sell since I am not that much of a sports fan; especially with respect to baseball. Thankfully, the author proved me wrong. Scoring is an energetic read filled with a wide array of characters, from the passionate to the absurd. The reader will be willingly immersed in the highly competitive world of minor league baseball; where performance is everything, both on and off the diamond. Once again, Ms. Hardy has created a memorable pairing in Becka and Mace. Their strength is evenly matched and their rocky road to romance is one heck of a ride. The supporting characters, which include an appearance by Ryan and Cade (My Sexiest Mistake, Blaze #44,) enhance the overall story and are not simply used as filler or "window dressing". In Scoring, readers will delight in wonderfully creative love scenes, witty banter and a most satisfying ending. Fans of the Blaze line expect heat and will not be disappointed. I personally cannot wait to see what the author offers next! --Melissa Freeman Wordweaving
(Very highly recommended) Becka Landon has been around locker rooms most of her life, and does not take the sight of testosterone-laden, naked men seriously. The players call her Attila behind her back, and Florence Nightingale to her face as she happily replaces the team's sports trainer while he is out with carpal tunnel. Keeping her spot with the team is a long shot, and she refuses to waste her time with a sexy hitter who will only be around for a week. But despite her intentions, Becka's body desires Mac, and he knows it. Her sassy belligerence challenges him to give both the coaching and the woman a try. Perhaps another bet, one that will land her in his bed, will have them both scoring a homer. Author Kristin Hardy's gift for creating an engaging tale, by turns romantic and gritty, absolutely sparkles in Scoring. Perhaps better named scorching, Scoring overlays a strong character driven plot with enticingly steamy sensual encounters and red-hot lust. Women see Mace has a hot player; little recognizing that much of his reputation is the result of the media madness that surrounds athletes on the arms of stars. Becka is a sassy, tomboyish, woman with an extraordinary ability to handle every player except Mace with great finesse. Despite her verbal protestations, Becka's profound attraction to Mace is visibly apparent to them both. Unfortunately, she falls into the trap of judging Mace by his reputation, adding a bittersweet dynamicism to their exchanges throughout the novel. Secondary characters likewise sizzle, including the Mallory Carson. Add Scoring to your keeper shelf, as Hardy scores a homerun with this enticingly sensual romance! Scoring comes very highly recommended. --Cindy Penn All
About Romance (B+) Becka Landon has red hair, green eyes, and an attitude. Three months earlier, she broke up with her cheating boyfriend and hasn't given any man a tumble since. As team trainer for a minor league baseball team - the Lowell Weavers - Becka has had plenty of chances, but she's kept all the hunky players at bay and now they've come to think of her as just one of the guys. Becka is tough, smart, competent, and just a tad sexually frustrated. Enter ex-superstar ballplayer, Mace Duvall. His stellar career abruptly ended by a devastating car accident, at the urging of a friend, Mace is trying on a new job as the league's roaming batting instructor. Since the accident, his life has been without purpose and he's bitter about having his future stolen out from under him. Mace is scheduled to spend only one week with the Lowell Weavers, but when he sets eyes on Becka, he sees a bigger challenge than teaching young ballplayers how to hit, and getting the feisty redhead into bed becomes a top priority. But Mace's reputation with the ladies has preceded him, and Becka wants nothing to do with the man who has escorted some of the world's most beautiful actresses and models on his arm. In his effort to seduce Becka, Mace comes on strong, which convinces her he's nothing more than his playboy tabloid personae. Although Mace tries to convince her his reputation was mostly hype, she's not buying it. He's too good looking to be true, and she doesn't want to be just another notch on his belt (though she finds him so sexy, she can barely concentrate when he's around). One night, while blowing off a little steam playing pool, a wager is made, the outcome being if Becka loses, she spends the night with Mace. Becka loses. After a night of blistering sex, Becka realizes that in losing, she won. But she's not going to let Mace get the upper hand, so she leaves him an inflammatory note - in lipstick - on the bathroom mirror and sneaks out of his room. Since he was due to leave that day, she figures she'll never have to see him again. But after one night with Becka, Mace has decided to stick around a little longer. Thus begins a series of wagers and one-upmanship that drives Becka and Mace's relationship. Finally, Mace has had enough of the game and proposes the two of them admit their attraction, and make the most of their time together before he leaves to go home to Florida. Mace still feels like a failure and that the league just handed him a courtesy job for old times' sake. He doesn't believe he can really make a difference to the team, even though Becka insists he's a terrific coach and the boys really need him. Even though their relationship began firmly and simply with lust, as Mace and Becka get to know each other, love begins to creep in underneath it all. They are each insanely strong people and are truly a match for each other. Mace may think he runs the show, but Becka rises to every occasion, meeting him head-on, setting rules of her own. When the real test of their relationship comes, I was a tad disappointed that Becka didn't immediately take Mace's side and defend him rather than question him, but every story has to have a Dark Moment, and fortunately, Becka moves past it pretty fast. I'm always impressed when an author does her homework; Ms. Hardy sure knows her stuff when it comes to sports. As a baseball fan myself (Go, Mariners!), I was on the lookout for errors, but she never took a swing and a miss, thereby adding credibility to the world in which Becka and Mace operated. The central theme of the story is the romance between Becka and Mace, yet the peripheral characters and action all have their places and serve to move the story forward. Scoring strikes a good balance between sex, humor, and those things that drive people to do whatever it is they do. Becka and Mace are one hot couple, and they couple often, hotly. AAR is always pleased to discover talented new authors. This is only Ms. Hardy's second book and it sure was a hit with me, so the trend here is looking very good. If you're up for a sexy read with the emphasis squarely on the romance between two strong, smart people, then I recommend you give Kristin Hardy a try. --Marianne Stillings Writers
Unlimited After baseball legend Mace Duvall was critically injured in an automobile accident he knew his life would never be the same again because with the loss of his hip came the loss of the career that meant everything to him. When his friend conned him into working as a batting coach for minor league baseball teams as a way to get him back on the field and living his life to the fullest again Mace figured he’d humor him by giving it a try for a couple of days thus fulfill his obligation to his friend and that would be that. Oh the best laid plans of mice and men. Mace never counted on meeting his match in the team’s female Athletic Therapist. She managed to do the impossible and challenge him both on and off the field as she dared him to stick to his commitment for the whole season and shot down his advances even though he knew full well that she could feel the burning attraction between them as well as he could. Mace couldn’t deny the thrill that coaching was giving him or the fact that the attraction he felt for the willfully stubborn beauty was burning out of control. One way or another he would conquer her just as he conquered baseball again. Becka Landon’s finally been given the opportunity to prove herself as an Athletic Therapist and she is not about to let some hot shot playboy get in her way. So what if he is drop dead gorgeous and manages to make her heart beat triple time as she imagines what it would be like to be with him in the most basic sense of the word? Luckily, even Becka knows her limits and saying no to Mace isn’t one of them. But she refuses to let him think he’s won and sets about seducing him instead of letting him be the one to seduce her and therefore win their little game. As they tear into each other and tear up the sheets from one end of the country to the next on the team’s road trips, will these two characters who realized they belonged together in the bedroom stop burning up the sheets together long enough to realize they belong together period? Or when the season’s over will pride stand in their way causing them to allow the best thing that ever happened to either of them walk out the door? Readers could literally feel their heart rates become erratic every time Becka and Mace had a moment alone together. The intimacy between Becka and Mace was heightened literally by her hands-on approach to everything in life due to her career as a team trainer for a minor league baseball team and her lack of inhibitions with men because of her chosen career. Becka and Mace’s charged attraction, both in the locker room and in the batting cages, is so hot that you could feel the heat radiating off the book as it sizzled your fingertips and left you with steam rising from them. As Becka and Mace set about the fine art of seduction and try to see who can seduce whom without succumbing to the seduction themselves and thus keeping control of the situation, readers are torn between laughing at their attempts to remain on top while at the same time melting in a pool of their own sweat as Mace and Becka bring everything to a fevered pitch of want and need. How long will Becka and Mace be able to fight their own wants and desires in order to keep the upper hand and remain in control when losing control with each other is what they most want to do? Those readers smart enough to grab this one up will be thrilled to discover they scored a home run, because Scoring touches all of major senses from taste, touch, smell and feel as it hits all of the bases of erotic reading on its way to home plate. Scoring is so wickedly delicious it just might very well be too hot to handle, so brace yourself and be prepared to be left a withering pile of mush just imagining how to incorporate some of Mace and Becka’s moves into your own love life. I know I was. --Diana Tidlund Romantic
Times
|
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |