"Slow Heat"

This is the second book of Jill Shalvis that I read and I enjoyed reading her books. Her romance novels catch your attention and are realistic with the whole relationships and issues couples face or pretend couples in this case as the book potrtrays Samantha and Wade.

Characters:

Samantha McNead-Heat PR, loves Wade

Wade O'Riley-Heat Catcher, loves Sam

Tag-Sam's nephew

John O'Riley- Wades father

Wade, the Heats star catcher, has helped them win many games and was getting paid a nice sum of money for working hard. Wades bad reputation with woman is costing the public eye to look down on the Heat, besides other bad media attacks they've had in the past. Their sponsors aren't happy with the bad media so the head McNead (Sam's father) and his associates set Samantha to pretend to be Wades girlfriend for a month to settle all the bad news spreading around the media. She reluctantly agrees to pretend to help the team of course and make the sponsors happy. Sam and Wade have history, sharing one passionate night in the elevator when it was stuck for one hour..They had a memorable night that she hasn't been able to live down and is ashamed but had no regrets. Her and Wade have that love-hate thing going on..

Wade goes along with the pretend to be girlfriend and boyfriend facade to make the sponsors happy, but we can clearly see what they are going through and feeling is not pretend, its all REAL! Even though they act like its all pretend and make cute and happy couple faces and kisses in front of the camera, they both know they have feelings for each other. During the whole pretend stage, Sam feels it in her gutt, that she is allowing herself to fall for Wade and bad too. At the same time, he feels the same way, but won't allow himself to accept it and has a hard time expressing himself as do all guys UGH..don't you just hate that..sheesh!

Sam is surprised when her brothers son (Tag) has become her responsibility since Jeremy (her brother) has gone into rehab. She's never taken care of a 10 year old before. She's been devoted to her job and has control of everything. Her young nephew has grown on her and she develops a sweet relationship with him and loves him. The thought of him leaving her in 3 months when his dad is out of rehab has her down, and not knowing where her relationship with Wade is going is even more heart wrenching. She knows she's the pretend girlfriend but things have changed. she loves Wade and she knows how he is, unsettled, always with different ladies and doesn't want to get her heart broken, but its inevitable.

After one month, Wade and Sam didn't have to play pretend girlfriend and boyfriend anymore and her job would be done. But, she didn't want it to end and neither did he. Wade was never clear to her what he wanted and they both admitted that they wanted each other, but Sam knew that he was the easy going guy and was not one for committment. Wade got along well with Tag, seeing himself the way Tag was, a young boy, needing to be loved and reassured that he would not be alone. Wades father who has been a drunk for 30 years, pops into the story nnd tries to make ammends with Wade after all these years. John (Wades father) wants to be a part of his life again and really tries to stop drinking. Wade has a hard time with it, but in the end he helps his father out.

One of the parts I loved was in the end, where Sam and Wade are slow dancing at the charity function and she stops and tells Wade, I don't want to do this. I lied. I can't do this. I can't fake this with you, not even for the team. Wade looked at her and said, I know. I can't either. When I'm with you, I can't fake anything. I've never faked anything. He whispers in her ear, its just us, there is an us. But it was Sam, Wade, John and Tag- they would be together..That was some good stuff.

It took him long enough geez! But, I get it and Sam wasn't the only one falling hard, so was Wade, he just couldn't get it all out and let her know. He wasn't even sure about himself having a committed relationship, but he felt different with Sam, and felt so real and relaxed that he knew she was the one to settle him, and with that, he let himself go and told Sam on a truth or dare that he loved her!

Another good book, by Jill Shalvis..thanks for the good reading..Enjoyed it!