ARC Review: The Hotter You Burn by Gena Showalter

 

“Suffice it to say there are plenty of things to like about this story and it definitely carries the light hearted and sexy feel of the series.  But it’s not my favorite either.” ~ Under the Covers

Oh Beck!  How I was dying for your book.  I fell in love with him quickly in THE CLOSER YOU COME because of his fun attitude and his love for good homemade food.  He’s just so adorable.  I was really looking forward to his book.

Now it’s here and I have to admit I’m a bit underwhelmed.  Beck was still Beck and brought everything I wanted to see.  He’s a bit goofy and all alpha male.  If I had to compare him to a shifter I would say he’s a cuddly bear.  But I wasn’t sold on the heroine for him, nor the insta-attraction (sort of).

Basically Harlow’s parents used to own the house that Beck and his friends now own.  Her parents were not the nicest people maybe, and wasn’t either growing up.  She was sort of the town bully.  Now, after losing her family home and finding no love in the town because everyone hates her, Harlow has been homeless for a while.  Curiosity calls and she wants to see what the new guys in town have done to her childhood home and she “breaks in”.

Let me start off by saying I am not a fan of the homeless girl in need of rescue storyline.  I would’ve rather see that Harlow rose from her challenges on her own to feet and made amends for her past mistakes by herself.  Sadly she was a bit too immature to my liking for that and Beck was sort of her crutch to get back into the world and out of a tent on their property.  Both financially and emotionally.

This sort of love/hate relationship with the heroine progresses for me for most of this book until maybe about 70% when you hear about her back story and you sort of sympathize, but for me, it was a little too late.  Yes, it redeemed her in my eyes a little.  But I still didn’t love her.

I did love her personality when she was’t wallowing in all her baggage.  And her interactions with Beck, aside from the unexplicable instant single minded attraction, where always a lot of fun and extremely sexy.  He coaxes her out of her shell and to loose her inhibitions really well.  Sometimes softly and sometimes with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

Suffice it to say there are plenty of things to like about this story and it definitely carries the light hearted and sexy feel of the series.  But it’s not my favorite either.  I am looking forward to the next book and to see how Ms. Showalter can redeem the unredeemable for me.

Favorite Quotes:

Her whoremones cheered.

“We’re going to have ourselves a good old-fashioned ho-mance and share the bottle.  It’ll bond us.  Whiskey sisters for life.”

…wounds could be kissed better.

“I was an ice queen.  I would have ignored you.”
“I was a blowtorch.  I would have melted you.”

“Beck,” she said, breathless.  “Whatever you’re thinking about…”
He was staring at her, he realized, gripping the edge of his desk, seething with the need to pull the blinds over the glass walls and dive on her.  “You’d like it.  Ask nicely, and I’ll show you.”

“Do you need another example of what is flirting?”
Indignation has struck.  “Keep your example to yourself.  I know where it’s been.”

 

[foogallery id=”53213″]

 

What did you think of our review?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!

♡ Don’t want to miss any of our posts?
Follow Under the Covers: Facebook | Twitter | Tsu | GoodReads | Email ♡