Blog Tour/ Excerpt Reveal: The Hot Shot (Game On #4) By: Kristen Callihan

I'm so excited to get to share my review and a super fun excerpt of THE HOT SHOT with ya'll today.

I absolutely adore Kristen's GAME ON series, and Chess and Finn's story was a super fun romantic read.

I want to give a huge thanks to InkSlinger for sending out this pretty for review too. Ya'll are the stinking best 😉

First we were friends. Then we were roommates. Now I want more…

What can I say about Chess Copper? The woman is capable of bringing me to my knees. I know this about five minutes after getting naked for her.

No one is more surprised than me. The prickly photographer my team hired to shoot our annual charity calendar isn’t my usual type. She’s defense to my offense, a challenge at every turn. But when I’m with her, all the regrets and darkness goes away. She makes life fun.

I want to know Chess, be close to her. Which is a bad idea.

Chess is looking for a relationship. I’ve never given a woman more than one night. But when fate leaves Chess without a home, I step up and offer her mine. We’re roommates now. Friends without benefits. But it’s getting harder to keep our hands off each other. And the longer we live together the more I realize she’s becoming my everything.

Trick is… Now that I’ve made her believe I’m a bad bet, how do I convince her to give this player a true shot at forever?

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Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather be. She is a three-time RITA nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal , best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.

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I was so excited to get my hands on this book. while it wasn't the next one is was expecting in the series, it sounded just as good and I really was happy to get an early copy to review.

The characters sounded cute, and hey I get to see more Dex in this one.... happy reader right there hehe.

And while I have to admit. This one wasn't my favorite of the series (sorry no one will beat out my man Dex and even Gray holds a tight push for my top one haha)

I did like Finn and Chess's story too.

The two characters for the most part were pretty fun and easy going. and I loved the easy witty banter between them.

I found myself snorting a few times at some of the dialog. And even enjoyed the the little retro feel this book had at times.

Plus it actually had some football being played in it. Which was a plus for me. I see so many sports romances lately where there actually isn't even hardly any sports being played. And as a sports lover, I want to see at least glimpses of it.

Chess was a fun character. she's a little outside the norm and I liked that about her. She's smart and funny and a whole lot sarcastic, and that played right into my love for characters that can do that.

I will admit she probably isn't one of my all time favorite female characters. But ya'll know how I feel about them, and if I'm saying good things that means she's pretty good. Plus there is just something about her and the way she interacts with everyone that made me smile. I could easily see myself being friends with a real person like her.

And then there's Finn and her. They really do make an adorable little friendship. I'm a sucker for a good old guy girl friendship. And thought it was totally adorable him and Chess together. They dish it out just as well as the other takes it. And the 2 honestly are hilarious to read the dialog between. It's flirty and a tad ribbing. But fun and so so cute.

And Finn is just to adorable and sexy. And a total goofball. That man had me laughing so hard. But we also get this vulnerable unsure side too. And I loved seeing the contrast of two when reading about this big old muscular football player on the field. And silly joker off it. He made the story easy and fun. And while I wanted to smack him in the head with his own football a couple times, I loved the big guy.

Plus I loved James. He's one of those background characters I kept wanting to see little glimpses of. Because he's so funny. And a little out there at times. He would be the ultimate friend to have. And I loved how easy going and silly he was, down to his crazy clothing choices.

There were a few things that didn't jive with me on this book. But nothing too big to write home too. I still enjoyed the book a lot. And thought it had a great story line. Plus it was fast paced and read like the super cute romance I hoped it would (how many times have I used the word cute now? hehe)

And don't think I won't be ready for the next book in the series. I'm just as excited to get my hands on whatever Kristen has planned for us as I was for this one.

I give THE HOT SHOT ⭐⭐⭐⭐4 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐

CHESS

Grumbling, I toss on some black lounge pants and my oversized Tulane t-shirt and head to the drugstore. 

My head throbs by the time I get there, and my insides are writhing. I rest my hand against my lower stomach and grab a basket before calling James to complain. 

“I swear,” I tell him as I grab a bottle of painkillers. “It’s like this entire day has been cursed.” 

He snickers. “Curse. Get it? Curse?” 

I roll my eyes, even though he can’t see me. “Laugh it up. Meanwhile, it feels as if someone is playing Battleship in my uterus.” 

“Poor Chessie bear. At least we know why you were in such a foul mood.” 

A flush washes over my cheeks. “Yeah.” Lie. Lie. Lie. A tub of salted caramel gelato makes its way into the basket. 

“Tell me you’re getting some gelato,” James says. 

I smile. “Just grabbed it.” 

“Salted caramel?” 

“You know it.” 

I find the feminine products aisle and search for my brand. “I’m going to go home, take a long bath with my gelato, and forget this fucking day.” Forget Finn. “And then I’m going to go on Amazon and buying a freaking year’s supply of tampons so I don’t have to make these kinds of emergency runs anymore.” 

A low, deep chuckle rumbles from behind me, and all the tiny hairs lift on my arms. 

“But you’ll still need your gelato,” a familiar—fuck me, seriously?—voice points out. 

My insides swoop even as my cheeks burn. 

“Who is that?” James asks in my ear. 

I slowly turn on one heel. “The plague,” I say, glaring up at Finn Mannus’s smiling face. 

“From asshat to plague.” Finn scrunches up his brow. “I’m not sure if that’s a step down or a tie.” 

“Who is that?” James nearly yells now. 

I don’t take my eyes off Finn. “I’ll call you back.” 

James’s squawks of protest cut off as I hit the end button. 

“Are you stalking me, Mannus?” 

Finn a rests his hands low on his lean hips. “Having a healthy amount of conceit myself, I have to admire yours, but no, buttercup. My buddy Woodson lives a few blocks away. It’s poker night. I’m stocking up on beer.”

It’s only then I notice a twelve pack tucked under his other arm. 

“And tampons?” I ask, with a pointed look around the aisle we’re standing in. 

 “Not tonight,” he says easily. “Though we used to keep a pack of them back in college. Light flows were perfect for stopping up bloody noses.” 

A snort escapes me. “Now there’s a visual.” Somehow, I’ve taken a step closer to him. He’s freshly showered, the golden brown strands of his hair still damp at his temples. And I wonder if he’s just come from the gym or practice. “So back in college you went and bought these tampons?” 

“Nah,” he says with a cheeky smile. “I’d ask one of the girls hanging around to get me some.” 

“Of course you did.” My nose wrinkles with annoyance. 

“Give me a little credit, Chess. I’d buy them now if I had to.” 

“Hmm…” I eye him, trying not to return his smile. If only because it’s more fun when he teases. “So why are you in this aisle now, if not for potential nosebleed needs?”

“That’s easy.” He steps closer, a warm wall of muscle and clean scent. “I heard your voice.” 

For a second I just blink. “You recognized my voice?” 

His gaze darts over my face as if he’s trying to get a read on why I’m gaping at him. “Not to be…ah…rude, but you’re loud when you talk on the phone.” 

“Yeah, but… You recognized it.” We’d only just met. It occurs to me that I’d recognized his both times he’d snuck up on me. Then again, his voice is distinctive, flowing like hot honey when he’s relaxed or hammering down like iron to rock when he’s taking command of a situation. 

A soft flush of pink tints the tips of his ears. If I wasn’t staring at him, I might have missed it. He shifts his weight. “Was I not supposed to?”

“No. Yes.” I shake my head and laugh. “I don’t know.” 

He grins then. “You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

“I’m not flustered.” I am. 

The Game Plan (Game On #3) By: Kristen Callihan

So this is one of the few reviews I get to do just for the fun of it, so I have no one really to thank like I normally do here. So instead I will just throw a huge shout out to Kristen Callihan for writing such an amazing book and series in general. I LOVED The Game Plan and cannot wait to tell ya'll why ;)

A beard-related dare and one hot-as-hell kiss changes everything.

NFL center Ethan Dexter's focus has always been on playing football and little else. Except when it comes to one particular woman. The lovely Fiona Mackenzie might not care about his fame, but she's also never looked at him as anything more than one of her brother-in-law's best friends. That ends now. 

Fi doesn't know what to make of Dex. The bearded, tattooed, mountain of man-muscle looks more like a biker than a football player. Rumor has it he's a virgin, but she finds that hard to believe. Because from the moment he decides to turn his quiet intensity on her she's left weak at the knees and aching to see his famous control fully unleashed. 

Fi ought to guard her heart and walk away; they live vastly different lives in separate cities. And Dex is looking for a forever girl. But Dex has upped his game and is using all his considerable charm to convince Fi he's her forever man.

Game On

Where to start with this book????
Where oh where?

I only ask because there is just so much love I have to share for this book.

I started this series back a little after book 2 came out, and let me tell you... the hype for Gray Grayson was astonishing. But like any good Bookie I dove in with Drew's book and didn't stop till I was I was on the other side of Gray's. I am pretty sure I spent that whole weekend without food, water, or human contact. I may have even growled at my family members when they tried to talk or even look at me in that time. I can't say I'm particularly proud of my behavior in that dark dark book induced crazy time. But I can tell you that it was completely worth it. Because when the weekend was over I had fallen for a fictional guy, and I had fallen hard.

Gray-Gray was seriously my honey. But oh boy... I am pretty sure after finishing TGP I have a new honey. and his name is Ethan "Dex" Dexter. 

Ok so incase you don't know, I am a total nut when it comes to all things bearded and man bunned.

So guess how excited I was to find out that the next book in this awesome series was going to star the rather quiet, brilliantly smart, bearded, tatted, and bunned Dex???

Oh yes... there was some major freaking out happening. 

I liked the guy back in the 1st 2 books. He's always been the quiet one who just kinda stood in the background but yet was there to give advice when anyone needed it. We knew he was pretty artistic and a great player as well. But those things were about all we did know.

And then BAM!!!! Here we have this whole book dedicated to him and Fiona, and seriously I squealed when I started reading it.

Ok so I guess before I totally go off on my Dex gushing I should talk about Fi. Because we all know when I get going on my fictional men, it can sure go on and on hehe.

So Fiona Mackenzie.

I sort of love this girl to be honest. She is spunky, and pretty funny. A little flighty (I'll get to that in a minute) and just one of those girls that wants to enjoy life. And while she is finally starting realize that she may want more than a quick fling and a fun party she is still not sure of everything she wants in life.

Enter big man mountain, bearded, and bunned Dex. He makes her see things that she hadn't. How fun a beard can be (Told you I'm obsessed hehe) that it's ok for her to keep changing her mind until she finds what makes her happy. Because something about Fi is that she kind of bounces from one thing to another. And let me tell you I kind of found that refreshing to read. I know I've probably said it more than once over past reviews but I like characters I can relate to. And Fi I can relate with. For the longest time I had an idea in my head of that I wanted and how to accomplish it. 2 years ago I got big into the book world, decided that as much as I loved the idea of being a nurse that that life just didn't fit into what I wanted anymore. Instead I found myself drawn to wanting to work more in the field of publishing or PR. I mean I run a bog, I work as a PA for an author (I am pro at this right?) Ha wrong. While I still wouldn't mind going that route in life I just don't think it will ever happen. I made the decision of this big life course change at the start of my junior year of college and yeah, after realizing that I would essentially have to start over to do that... I gave up, chose to switch to a bio degree to later go to a master's program for physical therapy. And here I am now, hoping to be done with my bio degree here soon.

So yes, I can relate to that feeling of searching for something. For your purpose in life to just smack you one day while you're looking for it. The difference between Fi and myself though? And something I really liked about her, was that she wasn't afraid to keep looking for that thing. While I love the road I'm taking (I have some pretty personal reasons for taking it) I know I've settled. I just want to be done and in my profession and happy. And here is Fi who is trying to make things work so she won't let anyone down and in doing that she actually finds herself. She realizes that sometimes you have to move on from one thing to something new to be happy. And yes I know she isn't real... but for someone like me who lives more in the fictional world than the real one I look at her as this stunning role model.

And I really respect Kristen Callihan for writing a character like her. Now don't get me wrong. Fi goes through some pretty terrible stuff near the end of this one. And like anyone would she shuts down. But her ability to take back her life after what happens was pretty amazing. And having authors like Kristen that are willing to write characters like that makes me all warm and fuzzy. We need more people out there willing to do that. To create strong characters that go through real problems and work their way to overcome them. (Yes I know there are a lot of books that do that. I  totally will fist bump all these authors too. Ya'll are the bomb diggity)

So on that note I guess I'll takel Dex now. He plays such a big part in why Fi is as strong as she is. He supports her, and loves on her, and just wants t take care of her and make her happy. And I love that in a big hairy man.

Dex is seriously everything a girl could dream of. Well a girl like me who's into all that hehe. But it isn't just the excessive amounts of hair and ink that draw me to him. It's how deep and (profound?) I think that's the word I want. But it may be a bit too extreme, he is. He is literally the guy you turn to then something is wrong because he will make you think about your problems and figure out a solution without really even giving you a long lecture or too much advice. He makes you question yourself and your own actions and then see what the problem you're having is. But he is also the quiet type that keeps to himself. he's had some screwed up things happen to him (nothing too major) and he finally starts to realize that is artsy alone time may not be all he needs. And Fi and Dex are literally perfect together. The chemistry between them was sizzling and I couldn't stop reading once things got going between them.

And ok. I know I'm totally changing the subject, but we just talk about how vulnerable Dex is too. I mean we are talking this guy who is a hot pro football player who I may or may not be a virgin. He's never been close to a girl in that sort of way and seeing those walls go down for Fi sort of amazed me. To see how much trust he gives her. But also to see a male character in general that isn't just sex on a stick "oh baby come and get it" I'm a successful cocky dude who knows exactly how to make you crazy and be successful at the same time kinda guy. Dex is learning how to be the man Fi deserves and needs, but he's also finally discovering the person he wants to be. To not hold back everything till the timing is right. And I love that Kristen took the risk and gave us a character like him. So many of the times everyone assumes those things can't happen to men and yet here is a prime example of the fact that even big burly football players can be scared and upset and not know what to do all the time.

For real though, Dex just is one of those people (Yes yes fictional people) that I could see myself becoming friends with if he were real. And oh Dex has so many secret quirks. One in particular I will tell you I found so extremely hot. Just everything the man does screams yummm with a side of muuummm and as much as I have loved some book boyfriends in the past this guy it totally getting ranked pretty high up there.

I also want to just talk about Gray and Ivy real fast too because Gray was my favorite before the tatted bear made his way in my life. The two of them are still adorable as ever and I was so happy to see things working out for them. If you've read the series you know they went through their fair share of heartaches and to see them happy and a little sleep deprived was something that made the fuzzies come back. I love books like this that overlap characters, I love that I always get to see more of how everyone is doing. And just to see them so settled and enjoying life was something great. (Also I guess I should warn you Game On series fans. This books takes place 2 years in the future from Gray's book. Just so you know)

Also I was happy to see Rolando again. I don't know what it is about the dude but he makes me smile. He's one of those characters that you just love to see pop in time to time, and I will admit I'm not a big M/M fan. I wouldn't mind seeing a book or even Novella starring him farther down the line.

So just incase you weren't sure after all that... I seriously LOVED this book. It just had everything I look for in a good sports romance, and I really truly loved the characters in this one. They were so dimensional and fun. I can't wait to see what Kristen has in store for us next. And you can bet I will be counting down the days ;)

I give The Game Plan: *****5 Stars*****