MELTING THE ICE - Jaci Burton
Play By Play , Book 7
Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-26298-6
February 2014
Contemporary Romance

New York City, New York - Present Day

Carolina Preston has spent the past several months completely focused on her career.  She spent years working as a fashion designer, but she's finally stepped out on her own, and is planning to debut her line of men's and women's clothing at New York Fashion Week in a few short months.  She manages to coerce her brother, Gray, a famous race car driver, to be one of her models, but then Gray insists on calling his friend, hockey superstar Drew Hogan, and roping him into modeling also.  Gray and Drew have been friends since college, but Carolina has done her best to avoid Drew since the night of their graduation, when she had a little too much to drink and boldly propositioned Drew.  While the night was amazing, the next morning Drew took off, shattering the fantasies that Carolina had about the two of them.

Drew Hogan never forgot the wonderful night he shared with Carolina, but that next morning he panicked, knowing he wasn't ready for the kind of relationship Carolina deserved.  His hockey career also needed his undivided attention, so he walked away and has regretted it ever since.  He knows now that he hurt her so long ago, and while that was what he regretted most, after agreeing to model for her and then spending time with Carolina, Drew is also beginning to regret what he threw away.  Can he convince her to give him another chance?

In MELTING THE ICE, we have two very career driven people with a shared past, trying to make something work in the present.  Carolina isn't thrilled at first to have Drew back in her life, and it's even more upsetting to realize that her body still responds to him, even though her mind and her heart are wary of getting involved.  Drew, on the other hand, is happy to see her again, and uses every excuse he can find to spend more time with her.  With his hockey season in full swing, and her deadline looming, Drew and Carolina still manage to find time together, and the passion between them burns as hot as it had the first time. 

While part of the Play By Play series, MELTING THE ICE stands well enough on its own, and is connected mainly to ONE SWEET RIDE (June 2013).  Filled with humor, romance, emotion and steamy sex, MELTING THE ICE is a winner.

Jennifer Bishop