Still So Hot

Still So Hot
by Serena Bell
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Review:
Dating coach, trying to move up in the world by taking on a celebrity client. News anchor, trying to clean up his image but feeling inadequate to portray the image of a stable, family man. Celebrity, who's not really interested in being “advised” or coached.

I go back and forth about celebrity-based books. I usually find them a little over the top and frustrating. I often end up feeling like “why did you put yourself in the spotlight if you didn't want people to look at you?”. This book turned out a lot better than that. While there were paparazzi and some celebrity sighting people, they only had a background role.

This story was really about Elise and Brett figuring things out, finally. They were best friends in college and for some time after, but had a passive-aggressive blow up when a kiss happened and having spoken to each other in two years. When Elise finds Brett on the same flight to St. Barts, and hooked up with her celebrity client, she goes ballistic. She's always seen Brett as going after anything in a skirt and she's almost insane with hatred that his current “24 hour girl” is her client. Although she is still physically attracted to him.

I thought the attraction was really well written. It sort-of flipped stereotypes on their heads that Elise is over-the-moon physically attracted to Brett still, but, while Brett does want Elise, he really misses their friendship most of all. Elise completely dropped him two years ago and he doesn't really get why, and she's not really emotionally intelligent enough yet to explain it.

Elise was a hard character to like. She felt very human, but rather too judgmental and pessimistic through the first 2/3s of the book. She's this really great dating coach and has an almost preternatural way of seeing chemistry, but that all goes out the window when she's around Brett. It took me a while to figure it out, but she was at her best when she wasn't very close to people. She could see attraction in a couple she met right off the street, but if she actually knew something about them, she was blinded by her cynical attitude. Luckily she does heal and make up for her judgmentalism by the end.

Brett didn't want to be deserving of Elise's judgment, but he truly felt that's the way he was. Although he couldn't help wanting to be with Elise and doing whatever he could to prove he's not trying to hurt her. He looked down on himself a lot, but he was a really likable guy. It was hard to see him as the hook-up sort of guy because he was just so nice. He's pretty much Elise's sidekick throughout the book and it was cute to see him following her around and being helpful while still being attracted to her. He also had some very touching and sweet lines.

Now, this is a Blaze novel, so it doesn't have quite a bit of sex. These two go at it like rabbits a lot. It's graphic but not raunchy. Both characters are comfortable and open with their sexuality. I'd put it about average explicitness for a Blaze.

If it hadn't been for the holidays, I would have stayed up and read this book in one sitting. I felt sad every time I had to put the book down. I really liked the writing style and felt connected to the characters (even the times when I got frustrated with Elise). If you're looking for a fun, sexy read with characters that have a history, this one is a good choice.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.