Romance Book Craze: Review: The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton

Book one in the Play by Play Series

Football pro Mick Riley is an all-star, both on the field and in the bedroom. But a sexy, determinedly single mom just might be the one to throw him off his game...

For years Mick has been taking full advantage of the life available to a pro athlete: fame, fortune, and a different girl in every city. But when he meets and beds confident, beautiful event planner Tara Lincoln, he wants much more than the typical one-night stand. Too bad Tara's not interested in getting to know football's most notorious playboy any better.

As the single mother of a teenage son, the last thing Tara needs is the jet-set lifestyle of Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand was unforgettable. Tara's life is complicated enough without being thrust into the spotlight as Mick's latest girl du jour. Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn't intend to put herself out there again, especially with a heartbreaker like Mick.

But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind.

Mick is an NFL quarterback and Tara is a single mother of a teenager and an event planner. They meet at one of her events and the sparks fly instantly. You can almost feel the attraction coming off the pages. Mick definitely feels the chemistry and wants to get to know Tara better. Tara on the other hand feels the chemistry but has been burned by a man before and is not about to let it happen again. She is all about putting her son and career first and is willing to push Mick out of her life, but still enjoying a summer fling, in order to keep order. Soon the attraction takes over and the feelings get stronger allowing secrets from their pasts to come out. When things get to hot for them to handle, it takes a little outside influences for them to see the truth and accept it.

This book was absolutely amazing. I read it in one day because I could not put it down. The chemistry was smoking in and out of the bedroom. Both characters were strong, sometimes a little stubborn and you wanted to smack them, but all their feelings and desires made a lot of sense. Mick was just simply wow...he accepted the challenge of her having a 15 yr old son without a blink of an eye and took that acceptance beyond where it needed to be. He stepped in and acted like a father figure right from the beginning. This book has a very emotional pull to it along with burning up the pages. Very good balance of humor, emotion, hotness, and story. Ms Burton did a fantastic job with this one and I can't wait until the next in the series hits the shelves.