UNEXPECTED RUSH - Jaci Burton
Play by Play , Book 11
Berkley
ISBN: 978-0-425-27681-5
February 2016
Contemporary Romance

Tampa, Florida - Present Day

Barrett Cassidy has done his best to avoid Harmony Evans for the past few months because of the guy code – never date your best friend's little sister.  Barrett and Drake Evans have been best friends since college and now play defense for the Tampa Hawks football team.  Barrett considers the Evanses his second family, and his recent attraction to Harmony is a bit of a problem.  Avoidance has worked well for a while, but now he's been maneuvered into hiring her to help with the renovations on his new house, and Barrett is having difficulty ignoring how much he wants Harmony.

What started out as a crush on her brother's friend years ago has become something much stronger, but Harmony is having a difficult time convincing Barrett to ignore his “guy code.”  Considering how overprotective her brother can be, Harmony understands Barrett's reticence, but knowing that the attraction is mutual makes it worth the risk for Harmony.  Fresh off a break-up, Harmony's not looking for anything too intense, which may just be the way to get Barrett on board.

UNEXPECTED RUSH is a fun and sexy friends-to-lovers story. Though they've known each other for years, it was only a few months earlier that Barrett realized that Harmony is very much grown up.  She's always been interested in him, but knows he's never seen her that way – until now.  When her mother throws them together to renovate Barrett's new house, Harmony plans to take advantage of the situation and show him just how interested, and willing, she is.

The last couple of books in the Play by Play series have featured the Cassidy brothers, all of whom are professional athletes.  Their father was a legendary football player, and three of the four sons play football, while the fourth plays baseball. This novel stands on its own, as each book in the series focuses on the couple involved.  Fans will get a chance to catch up with the Cassidy family, and they will also enjoy the relationship between Harmony and Barrett.  Make sure to pick up UNEXPECTED RUSH.

Jennifer Bishop