The latest from Jill Shalvis - SLOW HEAT - she's giving away a copy!

You all know that I squee when my good pal Jill Shalvis has a new book out - SLOW HEAT is her current release and it is worth checking out, especially if you're a hopeless romantic! Obviously, it has a baseball theme but trust me, you don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy it.

After a woman claims she's pregnant with Wade O'Riley's love child, Major League Baseball's most celebrated catcher and ladies' man is slapped on the wrist by management and ordered to improve his image. His enforcer is the team's publicist, the tough and sexy Samantha McNead.
When Wade needs a date for a celebrity wedding, Sam steps up to the plate as his "girlfriend." But given her secret crush on him and that one awkward night a year ago in a stalled elevator with too much Scotch, the whole thing is an exercise in sexual tension.
Wade is thrilled when the pretense turns into an unexpected night of hot passion. But the next day Sam is back to her cool self. As a catcher, Wade's used to giving the signals, not struggling to read them. Now, to win the love of his "pretend" girlfriend, he needs a home run -- even if it involves stealing a few bases...
Jill has an excerpt on her site - you can check it out here.
My review:
Wade O’Riley, catcher for the Santa Barbara Heat Baseball team, has landed himself in PR trouble and corporate sponsors are demanding that he clean up his act. Owners decide that no one can make Wade look better than Samantha McNead, the team's gorgeous, strictly business, publicist. Given their one-time alcohol-fueled tryst in an elevator a year before, Sam isn’t initially open to the idea. Turns out that Sam has no say in the matter and ever the professional, she's determined to make it work. Wade is still attracted to Sam and loves "messing her up" and making her squirm every chance he gets when they’re in public. Wade makes every attempt to appear laid-back and carefree, but there are complex layers to him and he’s surprised when Sam gets close enough to find and understand them.

Sam isn’t at all happy about acting as Wade’s girlfriend. She’s far too serious to act like just another one of his playthings. Not only does she have to “babysit” Wade, but serious family issues have Sam’s young nephew, Tag, being sent to stay with her. Tag is bent on driving her crazy, acting out as a cry for attention, and Sam is seriously stressed. She's in a constant state of sweet frustration between the two "men" in her life, but determined to take good care of Tag and show him the unconditional love that he so desperately needs. When it comes to Wade, her feelings aren’t quite so easy or understandable. It isn’t long before Wade and Sam’s attraction is undeniable and they both discover that there’s much more to the other than meets the eye.

Jill Shalvis writes the most delicious heroes and Wade O’Riley is no exception. Despite being a constant in baseball’s fast lane, Wade has painful secrets that are keeping him from finding true happiness. Sam appears a little starchy early on, but it isn’t long before readers see her vulnerability, just as Wade is finding them for himself. The two are like oil and water at first, but they quickly mix and it’s almost immediately obvious that there’s something powerful going on between them. I don’t typically care for children in my romance, but Tag is beautifully written as a somewhat neglected, emotionally needy little boy and Wade’s interaction with him is priceless, serving to make him even more endearing. Check out SLOW HEAT, I feel certain you'll be glad you did.

Jill is graciously offering a copy of SLOW HEAT to one lucky reader here (once she has copies) - thanks, Jill! If you'd like to be in on the draw, just leave a comment - preferably about Jill, her books, or her blog about family and fun in the Sierras. I'm going to let this contest run for a while and will announce an ending date in the next couple of days. There's plenty of time for you to get your name in and send your friends over - you know how that works, right? For every friend who comments and mentions your name, I'll throw your name in the hat an extra time!
Have a great weekend!
Laurie