Caught in a FAB Romance (@TheLoveJunkee)

PJV Quickie: Eight books into her Play-by-Play series and Jaci Burton is still keeping the stories fresh and the sex hot! In addition to a drool-worthy cover, I always know what I'll be getting when I pick up a Play-by-Play book: A good story, likable characters, sexy athletes, and a desire to read the next book immediately.

Review: I am a huge fan of Jaci Burton's Play-by-Play series and she just keeps hitting it out of the park (<-- see what I did there?). Trevor and Haven have a professional relationship with a slow sexual simmer that's not too fast but doesn't drag on either; they already knew each other and even though they hadn't seen each other in a while, they weren't total strangers, which made the chemistry feel easy and natural.  The pacing is just right and believably hot.

One of the things I like about Jaci Burton's characters is that they aren't perfect - Trevor has a secret he's been hiding from his friends, family, and fans; he gets defensive when Haven pokes at his secret and lashes out.  Haven has been struggling with depression about the death of her father and was actually going to quit her job before Trevor contacted her to do his story.  I love that they both step up to help the other and don't ask for anything in return - it's about caring for the other person and not quid pro quo.

I do wish that we got to see more of their professional sides - Trevor's teammates, prep for the game and more specifics about playing two sports, and more of Haven's interactions with Trevor as a reporter and not a lover.  I was interested in the professional life of both characters, but perhaps most readers might find that boring...

One little complaint is that the end wrapped up very quickly. Although she didn't specifically show it, I turned the last page feeling certain that Trevor and Haven have a fabulous future ahead of them.  And, as I said in my PJV Quickie, I am already looking forward to the next book in the series, which is going to feature a quarterback whom we meet at a party that Trevor hosts.

Random: I live in New Orleans and I am a Saints fan.  There is a scene in Straddling the Line where Trevor's team plays the Saints - I cannot lie, even though it was a fictional game I wanted Trevor's team to lose! #whodat #geauxsaints

Recommendations: Straddling the Line will entertain any fan of Sports Romance, as well as fans of Second Chance Romance.  If you like Jill Shalvis' Pacific Heat books or Allison Parr's New York Leopards, then you'll want to give Straddling the Line a try.