Customer Reviews

Hot Property

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Center Fielder for the New York Renegades, John Roper, has had his share of publicity in the past. But since his last season, one that included an injury and losing the world series, that publicity has turned from positive to negative.

Amy Stone moves from Florida to New York to work as a publicist with her uncles company, Hot Zone, her first client is John. She has to get him into shape so he will be ready for spring training. But with his family pulling at him in every direction and their attraction blooming, her assignment gets harder and harder.

The Hot Zone series is what first hooked me into Carly Phillips books. I loved the first three in the series and John Roper was a character I was dying to hear more about. I loved him as Micki's best friend and his metrosexuality and his charm really added to the previous books.

I didn't hate this book, but I didn't love it like I did the first three. The problems that Amy has with her family and the problems that John has with his, really got on my nerves, I thought the issues were rather silly. For John to be all consumed with his family 24/7 and for Amy to be proving herself to a father who has been dead for so long, just didn't ring true to me.

That being said, there was plenty that I did enjoy. I liked Amy and John as a couple and thought their relationship was believable. I was happy to see him settle down. I laughed at some of the antics the side characters indulged in and I also liked catching up with some of the previous characters in this book. The epilogue was a little over top on the fromage scale for me, but all in all I enjoyed this book. I think Hot Property is a good day at beach or rainy afternoon read.

Hot Stuff (Hot Zone, Book 1)

Hot Number (Hot Zone, Book 2)

Hot Item (Hot Zone, Book 3)

Cherise Everhard, July 2008

Professional baseball player John Roper is used to being in the tabloids. After aiding in losing the World Series, and nursing an injury, he's suddenly on the receiving end of some negative press and a little too much attention from a deranged fan. Add to that the smothering family that looks to him for everything and he's spread far too thin. New Hot Zone publicist Amy Stone is assigned to help shield him from his family and unadoring public while he recuperates and gets ready for the next season in upstate New York. Amy is new to the Big Apple and is happy to have left her nutty mother and aunt in Florida. Sparks fly between the duo making her job more difficult, especially when their families pull them in all directions and the press closes in. Will John ever be able to put himself first? Can Amy find a common ground with her family?

Phillips opposites attract story illustrates just how similar two seeming different people can be when familial obligations pull them in different directions. Roper has had a couple cameos in other Hot Zone novels, so it's nice to see him get his own novel. As much as I liked the story, I really wanted him to send his family packing. With an out of work actress for a mother, a ne'er do well baseball player wanna-be for a brother, and a sister who can't stand up to her mom all draining his wallet and time, it just got to be too much. It was a cute end to the series and as always, nearly blind Uncle Yank and his Labradoodle "Noodle" steal the show.

© Tracy Vest, September 2008

I'm not a big fan of Carly Phillips, but I've read several of her other books and really enjoyed them. This book made me think that someone else wrote the book and used her name.

John Roper, major league baseball player was the only character that was likeable. He puts the needs of everyone else before himself, he's having a lousy season, a stalker fan is making his life miserable, his brother is jealous of him and constantly leaking his whereabouts to the press, and to top it off his selfish mother wants his sole attention at any given moment.

A very meek, inexperienced, Amy Stone becomes his publicist and tries to get him to focus on himself for a change and she promptly starts an affair with him. She spends most of the book whimpering and whining because she doesn't know how John feels about her. Her kooky mother and aunt come to town and damn near ruin her professional relationship with her colleagues; I'm sure they were added for comic relief, but that whole concept falls flat to the point that they were just annoying.

After reading the first three installments of Ms. Phillips' Hot Zone series, I was really happy to hear that she planned to give Roper his own story. I always loved his fun-loving character in the background of the other books and I thought he'd make an excellent leading man. That assumption proved true.

I love the contrast between Roper and Amy Stone, the new Hot Zone publicist assigned to be John's "handler" in the off-season. I really felt like her personality balanced Roper's perfectly and you could argue that they make one of the best matches Ms. Phillips has ever written.

I also have to say that the "declaration of love" scene, that's to-be-expected whenever you read a romance novel, was refreshing in its placement. It came much earlier in this book than it would normally in most other books of its genre. This earlier placement left room for other aspects of the story to take on a more important focus within the novel.

Unfortunately, that's where things started to fall by the wayside. I don't know if it was a question of Ms. Phillips being uncomfortable in a slightly different format or if she just wasn't allowed enough pages to accomodate what could have been. But, the wrap-up of this novel (and this series) felt rushed and incomplete.

Oh sure, the epilogue told about how everything was tied up for the characters with a neat little bow. But I think that another 50 pages and some more details about those wrap-ups would have gone a long way to making this story great, instead of just mediocre.

Hot Property (Hot Zone) by Carly Phillips

Mass market paperback release date: July 1, 2008

Rating 4 Stars

Carly Phillip's latest book Hot Property is a romantic story about a big-league ball player and a small-town girl.

John is quite the package: an experienced man, but not self-serving, who wants a monogamous and committed relationship (how sexy is that?!). Amy is practical, attractive and has the brain to easily solve problems. The secondary characters are irritating family members intruding on their budding romance.

After Amy loses her job, thanks to her family's meddling, she moves to NYC and takes the position of Sport Agent where she is assigned John as her client. Together they navigate the sticky water that is their families and his high profile career. Amy has her hands full with a gorgeous man, a dysfunctional high maintenance family and a career plagued by bad press.

A winter break to an exclusive resort, catering to professional athletes, is Amy's solution to help John focus on playing ball, rather than his family and fans. The retreat serves to bring them together. But the story is not over yet!

This is a `warm' vs. `hot' read. The amount of narrative reduced the intensity of living vicariously through the characters. However, I kept reading to find out how the story panned out; a tribute to a good storyline.

I would read more of Carly Phillips based on this book. I think that she is imaginative, not overused or trite. This is an easy read with good solid elements that take you forward though a few 'heavy' plot lines.

Reviewed by Kate at Bookaholics Romance Book Club

I've really enjoyed the Hot Zone series and was glad to see that Carly Phillips continued it on. Book's 1 & 2 were by far the best of the series, but this one is not too far behind. I found this to be a long awaited page-turner...

I did not love this book in fact 3 stars is probably to generous. The characters got quite annoying at times and his family is just down right ridiculous. If your looking for a juicy romance book skip this one.

Wonderful additon to the Hot Zone series. I look foreward to reading more from Carly Phillips.

Amy Stone left her slightly wacky family in Florida to work for her uncle¢s PR firm, Hot Zone, in New York. John Roper, New York Renegades center fielder, is her first client. Which would normally be great except that John and Amy already met at Amy¢s cousin¢s wedding when John hit on her even though he had a date with him. Amy is very attracted to John but she is determined to keep things professional between them. John has his hands full with an injury, a very disgruntled fan, and his family pulling him in every direction. Now he¢s got the added pressure of being around Amy all of the time. Not that he really minds that. John is really attracted to Amy but she¢s decided they can¢t get personal. While Amy works on getting his life in order, John is working on bending Amy¢s rules about keeping things professional between them. John's family and his life in the public eye are threatening any future he might have with her though. If he can¢t get his life on track he¢ll lose Amy before he ever really had her.

Hot Property is fun and sexy. John is such a great guy. He¢s torn between his own life and his family¢s. Amy is a trooper. She sticks by John and helps him while slowly falling in love with him. When the going gets too tough though, Amy understandably gets going. And when they kiss and make up, it¢s sweet and hot! Hot Property is another romantic and light-hearted story from Carly Phillips. Reading her books always puts a smile on my face!

Nannette

reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

It only takes one foul up, albeit one costly enough to lose the World Series, for Golden Boy John Roper to fall from grace and need the services of Yank's girls at Hot Zone Publicity to save him from himself. So, Amy Stone finds herself with a man who in some ways is too good to be true, but who also seems to be constantly at odds with her plans to revive his career. Complicating matters include stalkers, an oddball family, Roper himself, and the fact that conflict of interest or not, she's falling for him.

*** Though this is ninety five percent fluff, it's good fluff. Even women who hate sports can have a few chuckles while reading this heart-warming story that is also fast paced and saucy. ***

Amanda Killgore