Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: NetGalley
Reviewer: MinnChica
Katherine Whitton doesn’t purposely avoid men and relationships, but she doesn’t mind that side effect of immersing herself in her job with the San Francisco Blaze. Years ago she was betrayed by her one true love, and she’s never fully recovered, though she’s tried by building a new life in a city she loves.
It’s taken seventeen years for Tom Morgan to get over Katie—Katherine now. Sober now and faced with the incredible opportunity to manage the Blaze, he thinks he’ll finally be able to handle working with this beautiful woman without falling to pieces…as long as she doesn’t get too close.
A crisis with the team’s star pitcher forces Tom and Katherine to put in long hours together. Years of animosity melt away as the sexual tension between them ignites. But it’ll take more than scorching kisses to avoid the wreckage of the past. And neither Tom nor Katie are sure they’re ready to trust each other or risk their hearts for a second chance at happiness.
*Blurb from Goodreads*
I am a big fan of Packard’s writing, and the Feeling the Heat series. I’ve enjoyed each and every book, and the little twists that Packard puts on each book. This was no exception!
Katherine loves her job with the Blaze, and although she is a bit of a workaholic, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her life in San Francisco is more than she ever hoped for, and she loves everything about it. But when her first love Tom is hired as the team manager, Katherine is forced to look back at their past and figure out why she was never able to get over him.
Tom never forgot his Katie, and taking the job with the Blaze puts him in never close proximity to her on a regular basis. Having to deal with a PR nightmare with their star pitcher, and Tom and Katherine will be spending even more time together at home and on the road. As the trouble brews with the team, Tom and Katherine will have to face their history, and figure out if they want to move toward a future together.
One of the things I love most about Packard is how she is able to take such a different and unique spin on the sports romance genre. I don’t think I’ve EVER seen a book that features a team manager and a PR executive. These two weren’t athletes (anymore, at least) and yet their dedication to the team was one of the things I loved most about them. Katherine and Tom desperately wanted the best for the team, the organization, and each and every player. I loved them both so much because of it.
I am such a sucker for second chance love stories, and I thought Packard did an amazing job with this one. Katherine and Tom ended their relationship in a way that was a huge disappointment to them both. There were miscommunications and misunderstandings and so much more. Top it off with a bit of ego problems, and they had a lot of unresolved issues to work through. However, I liked the way that all panned out. I liked the way their past slowly unraveled throughout the book, and we were slowly given little glimpses into what exactly went wrong between them. It was such a sweet way to develop their romance.
I have to say, while I absolutely adored them as a couple, I loved Tom and Katherine as individual characters even more. They were both just so sweet and kind and caring and gentle and everything wonderful. I loved that Katherine was such a force to be reckoned with in her job, and she was never put down for being a strong and confident business woman. In fact, she was given other professional opportunities because of her dedication and work ethic. Seeing that come together on the page made me smile. Likewise, Tom was just so caring for everyone in his circle, coaches, team members, and family alike. It was wonderful to see.
All in all, Packard has another winner on her hands with this book. The Feeling the Heat series continues to be original and sexy and so much fun. I can’t wait to see where she goes next. But whoever the hero and heroine may be, I’m almost positive I’ll enjoy it!
I give Stealing Second an A-
This sounds like a good one, I will keep this author in mind, thanks for the review.