Slow Heat (Pacific Heat Book 2)

Pacific Heat publicist Samantha McNead is tasked with cleaning up the image of Major League Baseball's bad boy catcher Wade O'Riley after a paternity allegation from a stalker hurts the team's image and risks a valuable conservative corporate sponsor. To do so she and Wade are going to have to pretend to be in an exclusive relationship for a month, no matter how uncomfortable that thought makes her given their incendiary past and the memory of an erotic episode in an Atlanta elevator months ago.A memory...and a man...that Sam just couldn't make herself forget.He survived a childhood of abject poverty with an alcoholic father who was distressingly negligent. Hard work got him into college, more hard work and a gift for baseball saw him through and gave him a future, but left him forever marked by his past. Since the money started rolling in, Wade lives his life in as fun and easy a manner as possible. He gives to charities, financially supports causes, and sends buckets back to his father to pay for his health care. But light, fun, easy - those are more than words, they're his life's mantra, and the one thing Wade never gives to others is a true piece of himself. He keeps himself hidden behind a face of carefree insouciance. He's happy that way.If there was one night months ago that might have broken through the walls he keeps so firmly in place and rocked him a bit deeper than he was comfortable admitting, well...it's not like Sam ever has to know. And who cares if he hasn't been with another woman since that hot Atlanta night? That's a personal choice. Really. Hell, if he was going to be stuck with a month of a pretend relationship with Sam, he was man enough to make the best of it, especially when just looking at the woman still sets all Wade's internal fires burning.The problem is a month with Sam may just have Wade yearning to steal home. For life.This second book in the Pacific Heat series is even more charming than the first, with all of Shalvis' skill in matching two complementary, likable characters with heat and passion. Wade was surprisingly complex, though such a stereotypical male in so many ways. He's scarred by his past, wounded deeply by his father's alcoholism, and yet as generous as he can be even as he protects his heart from the pain he knew as a child. His struggles with emotional maturity made for appealing reading and the culmination of his efforts were endearing. And he's mostly oblivious to it all. But charmingly so.Sam was a smart, strong professional woman in a man's world. She more than holds her own, she commands respect and admiration in her job. Her personal life, though, has suffered. Being the only woman in a family of powerful men has given her backbone, but has forced her to sacrifice maybe a little too much of her heart. A fact she realizes when her ten year old nephew Tag is unceremoniously dumped on her and he's a total stranger to her. Shalvis did a really nice job developing Sam, rounding her out without compromising on her professional career.The concept of the plot was a little silly, sure, and the thought that one of the owners of a MLB team would essentially prostitute his daughter for corporate sponsorship is more than a little gross. I also have a hard time believing that a month of fake relationship would achieve the intended objective, nor was I able to completely buy into the idea that it could be successfully pulled off in this day of public persona voyeurism. The lack of attention given to Sam's obviously flawed family situation bothered me, and the fact that Sam's detestable brother never got any sort of comeuppance was a tragedy. Call me vengeful, but that guy needed a serious kick in the athletic supporter.The romance of Wade and Sam, though, and the subplots of Wade and his dad and Sam and Tag, were all very well done and fun to read, and full of genuine emotion that ran the gamut. I did think the end of  Slow Heat  was very abrupt, and I would have loved one more chapter or an epilogue or something, but overall it provided plenty of the sort of light, satisfying romance reading that I've come to absolutely count on when it comes to Shalvis. Her books are just flat-out fun to read. They're full of sexy heat, intense emotion, and well written story, and offer up the sort of characters that are most pleasant to spend time with. I fully expect I'll be spending my time with more of Shalvis' characters soon...and often.~*~*~*~Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

This was a quick and easy read with a good story line. It has strong willed characters each with their own sensitive issues. I enjoyed the playful banter between them. With that in mind, I didn’t see the need for all of the foul language. I figured that if I could substitute decent words for each of the offensive ones as I read, then Ms. Shalvis could surely have done the same as she wrote and she still would have had a good story. Perhaps that’s a growing trend with some authors, but it really detracts from the story for me.

This was a great addition to the Pacific Heat series with Wade, a catcher for the Heat professional baseball team and Samantha the team's publicist falling in love. My only criticism is that she ended the story abruptly after Wade told Sam he loved her. You wanted to know what happens next and Gage the team manager should have had a book because he was such an interesting character. One more book would have tied up all these loose ends which I cannot seem to find if she wrote Jill should because it was such a good series. These two characters Wade and Sam were both neglected by their families in different ways and wanted independece from anyone until that 2 hour elevator adventure changed everything for both of them. Then later when her brother entrusted his ten year old boy to Sam it opened up her heart and taught her she could love someone and he reminded her of a young Wade. I am hoping they got their happily ever after since things were implied. It was still a very good romantic love story that I would recommend to read.

One of my favs to read and reread. A permanent spot on my bookshelf. There’s the right amount of tension, spice, and humor to drive this one from start to finish. It’s light enough to not drag you deep into the feels, but leaves your satisfyingly entertained. Also, kick butt heroine.

It has been a while since I read a romance and this was a wonderful one to reintroduce myself to the genre. I won't give a plot summary. You can look at the product information to see that. But I will say that I especially liked the baseball quotes that began each chapter. It was fun guessing what the quote would have to do with the chapter. Wade is a super, yummy character. I admit I have a soft spot for professional athletes - especially baseball players. He was sexy, competent, kind, and confident. I liked Samantha too. She was trying so hard to be an excellent PR person for the baseball team. I liked that both characters had hidden depths and vulnerabilities. I liked that it wasn't easy for them to fall in love. The book had high emotion and some humor too. Excellent book! Now I am off to read Double Play.

Having read Jill Shlavis' Double Play I knew the characters and had enjoyed getting to know them so to me it came as no surprise that i thoroughly enjoyed Slow Heat.Right from the beginning I loved the dialogue and tension between Sam and Wade. As a couple I think they are pretty adorable and what made the book so fantastic was that both of them had to confront their pasts with their families in order to become better people but start a relationship. When Tag came into the picture it got even better since I thoroughly enjoy seeing the characters in a book interact with a child, it made Wade even more likable.All in all a fantastic book in a wonderful AE with the Heat playing many of the popular and famous "real" baseball teams, and I can't wait to see more of the team in future books.

Enjoyed this book. Read the first book in series so had to get book #2.

Part of the Heat series,Slow Heat is another good read, although I don't think it's as great a book as Double Play, hence only 4 stars. However, if it's your first Jill Shalvis book, it will definitely keep you coming back for more. This book follows Wade, the ace catcher on the Heat baseball team, as he struggles through a difficult pretend relationship with a woman that he is already in love with, as part of a PR exercise for the team. It is a good read - the characters are very likeable and it's easy to see through the arrogance to the vulnerable people beneath. Well recommended as a first jill Shalvis novel but does somehow fall short compared to Double Play. Definitely worth the read though but buy both novels - you'll see what I mean!

Just loved reading this book, I didn't want it to end.It has all those special ingredients to make this a fab read

I have to say I was quite impressed. Having read Double play before this which was good but Slow heat really ignites the reader. It might sound cliché but it was a page turner could not put it down. A great beach day read and Shalvis did not disappoint an excellent contemp romance.

I do like the style of writing, but there's not a lot of plot and it goes on and on and on.

"Slow Heat" ist der zweite Teil der Heat-Reihe von Jill Shalvis über Spieler des (fiktiven) Baseball-Clubs "Santa Barbara Heat".Im Mittelpunkt der Geschichte stehen der Baseball-Profi Wade O'Riley (bekannt aus dem ersten Teil) und der PR-Frau des Clubs, Samantha McNead.Wade stammt aus einer zerütteten Familie: Seine Mutter ist weggegangen als er ein Kind war und ließ ihn mit seinem Alkoholiker-Vater zurück. Wade lernte schnell, Verantwortung zu übernehmen und die Familie über Wasser zu halten. Aufgrund seiner Kindheit bzw. Jugendzeit leidet er an einer chronischen Bindungsphobie. Diese bekommt vor allen Sam zu spüren:Als Tochter des Clubbesitzers und PR-Chefin des Vereins hat sie permanent mit den Spielern zu tun. Bei einem der Auswärtsspiele des Vereins haben Sam und Wade ein spontanes Techtelmechtel im Hotelaufzug. Seitdem versuchen sie, sich aus dem Weg zu gehen. Bei unvermeidlichen Konfrontationen giften sie sich an. Und nun sollen sie auch noch der Öffentlichkeit vorgaukeln, sie seien ein Liebespaar um Wades Ansehen und das des Clubs wiederherzustellen!Wade sieht darin kein Problem, fühlt er sich doch zu der hübschen Sam hingezogen. Sam hat damit jedoch sehr wohl ein Problem, denn sie schwärmt heimlich für Wade, weiß aber, dass er keine feste Bindung eingehen will. Sollte sie sich also in ihn verlieben, ist der Herzschmerz vorprogrammiert...Im Laufe des Buches lernt der Leser die familiären Hintergründe der Protagonisten kennen: Wade stammt aus armen Verhältnissen, der seinen suchtkranken Vater finanziell unterstützt, ansonsten aber Abstand zu ihm hält. Sams Familie dagegen ist sehr reich. Das bewahrt sie leider nicht davor, von ihrer Familie, bestehend aus Vater und Brüdern, nicht ernstgenommen zu werden und zur Krönung auch noch ihren Neffen aufgezwängt zu bekommen.So gegensätzlich sie erscheinen mögen, können sie im jeweils anderen das finden, wonach sie ein Leben lang gesucht haben. Sie müssen nur den Mut aufbringen, danach zu suchen.Das Buch ist sehr einfühlsam geschrieben. Die Protagonisten besitzen Tiefe und der Leser kann sich gut in sie hineinversetzen. Die Handlungen der Charaktere ist nachvollziehbar und nicht überzogen.Das zweite Buch der Reihe übertrifft sogar den Vorgänger ("Double Play"), sodass ich das Erscheinen des nächsten Teils kaum abwarten kann.Anmerkung: Auch ohne Kenntnisse des Baseball-Spiels ist das Buch lesbar, da der Sport nur die Rahmenhandlung vorgibt. Jedoch erleichert Grundwissen über Baseball das Verständnis an manchen Stellen des Buches. Davon sollte sich aber keiner abschrecken lassen.