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Title: Slow Heat
Author: Jill Shalvis
Publication Info: Berkley February 2010
ISBN: 9780425233665
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Samantha McNead is the PR director for the Pacific Heat, a major league baseball team in California. Wade O’Riley is the catcher, both in the sense that he crouches behind home plate and grabs 90-mph fastballs, and in the sense that women throw themselves at him.
ETA: Forgot a paragraph – oops! When a crazy fan fakes a pregnancy and claims the baby is Wade’s, a decision is made to have Sam and Wade pair off for awhile in the public eye to take the negative attention off of him and to give him a person in his life that will keep both crazy fangirl and other potential crazy fangirls away. Their fake relationship begins at a wedding Wade is in, and being in close proximity forces them to confront a moment in their past that both Sam and Wade have been trying to forget.
So many times Shalvis sets up what could be a cliched tension or character, and she could have stopped there. It would have been familiar, though lame. There’s a series of examples of how she could have left something before drawing it out, and each time she takes the extra step (and another and another) to make the character, the situation, the plot into something more powerful, more important, just more.
For starters, the book begins with Sam and Wade going to the weekend wedding away,sharing a hotel suite, and pretending for the public to be a couple. Shalvis could have stopped there, or kept most of the book set at that weekend wedding, or made the wedding a week long extravaganza of sexual tension. Or it could have been a long, But no: Wade and Sam deal with their past, and their fradulent-but-sort-of-not-really present relationship and then move on from that weekend to reenter their lives. It’s not as if they escape into a wedding weekend and everything works out when they return home. They escape their lives temporarily, much like they do when they travel for away games. There is still “home” and problems that come with it every time they return. And since it’s baseball, they run home a lot.
Another example is Tag, Sam’s nephew. Tag’s father is checking into rehab, and sends Tag to Sam without warning or even explanation. Just ‘Hello, there’s a kid here for you.’ Tag moves into her condo, and begins life on the road with Sam and the team, learning from a tutor and trying to figure out what to do now that he’s not wanted by his mother or father. Sam initially accepts him because he’s family, and he’s a child, and she’s got a truly good heart, but ultimately, she learns to care about Tag in a way that scares her. But even with that fear, she perseveres because Tag is more important than her fear. In most things, she’s a grown up – how refreshing.
Tag could have been just a pesky kid who disappears and reappears at convenient plot points, but Shalvis takes him, like everything else, into new and dangerous territory. I didn’t always believe that Tag was so quick to adapt to the massive changes in his life, but Shalvis didn’t blink when it came to portraying the phases of adjustment Tag was going through. First he does everything perfectly to avoid being sent home, then he tests her to try to make her make him leave and prove that her promise of permanence (or semi-permanence) was a lie.
Sam’s relationship with Tag is as important in the story as her relationship with Wade. Sam is indelibly shaped by the men in her life, and this is a male of the next generation after her own, one who isn’t weighed down by the same pressure that was thrown upon Sam from an early age. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to understand how Sam, who is not a terribly instint-driven person, goes from not knowing Tag at all and having seen him twice in his life, to feeling a deep and prominent love for him such that his place in her life is crucial within a matter of weeks or a chapter or two. Theirs is a strange kind of familial insta-love that worked on some levels, but really didn’t on others.
Tag also serves as a mirror for Wade. Both males think they are temporary fixtures in her life, and are afraid to trust her completely, even though they both want to, and even though she’s given them no reason not to. All three of them are afraid for various reasons, and the steps of their learning from each other how to trust and be trusted are tiny and real and memorable.
Wade is a piece of work. Wade’s lazy. He hasn’t had to work terribly hard to be charming, and probably the greatest effort he’s exhibited is for baseball, and even then he makes it look easy. So with Sam, he figures he’ll take what he can get and doesn’t ever see himself permanently involved with her or anyone. Wade is a master avoider, and a lazy bum to boot, and seeing him have a fire lit under his ass and watching him realize that he has to face his own feelings to ever grow in any direction is wrenching and realistic. He’s also charming for the reader, and very likeable.
Wade’s father was a neglectful abusive alcoholic, and his father now wants to be part of his life. Wade avoids him, too, until he can’t avoid his father anymore, and must face his father and his father’s alcoholism and his past. Shalvis did a real job of portraying Wade’s dad’s withdrawal from alcohol. She could have left alcoholic father to experience miraculous recovery, but Wade’s dad goes through everything, and it’s painful. Shalvis also doesn’t flinch from revealing how badly Wade needed to tell his dad what a shit he was so they could both recover. Wade’s dad is a painful but powerful character to read.
Wade’s father, however, provides an unhappy contrast with Sam’s family: for a force of males who have influenced her profoundly, we don’t see much of them, and when we see them, they’re stereotypes or fixtures. I wasn’t sure how she hadn’t told one or all of them to go fuck themselves a long time before the start of the novel because they did little of importance and mostly existed as distant, cold, scary assholes or just complete wastes of breath. I think Sam, though not as explicitly as I would have liked, identified with Tag as an outcast in his own family, and she was instantly sympathetic to him because she could create the kind of family environment that she and he both ought to have had. But the Insta-Love for kids is a tough sell when there’s nothing to contrast that with, especially since her brothers and dad were really absent, and the reader had to take Sam’s word for it, and Wade’s to a lesser extent, what real buttholes they were.
Wade avoids, and Sam gives, and eventually, the two of them step over their own fears and challenge one another – and the last scene, though not nearly long enough for my liking, was a powerful moment for Wade. As usual Shalvis delivers a memorable hero, and a heroine who is his match, both in the coupled sense and the game opponent sense. There were moments when I couldn’t stop reading, especially in the first two-thirds of the book, because so many “could have been cliche” moments coalesce into big, real, and delicately powerful problems that I had to keep reading. The resolution is too fast in some ways, and I wanted more of the “more” that Shalvis built on standard cliches, but either way, I finished with a smile on my face.
Want a copy? I’ve got 15 to giveaway to random commenters. Just leave a comment here and tell me about sports romances – like or not? Baseball or no? One thing about Shalvis’ Pacific Heat series, it’s made fans out of readers who proport not to like baseball (Can you imagine?). I’ll pick 15 winners after midnight on Sunday, 31 January, 2010. Standard disclaimers apply: I am not being compensated for this review and the copies are being provided by the author from her stash from the publisher. Freshest if eaten before date on carton. Limited time offer, call now to insure prompt delivery. Beware of dog.
Slow Heat is available from Amazon.com, Book Depository and Powell’s.
Not being a sports fan, I wasn’t sure if i’d like sports romances but I do enjoy Jill’s sports themed books!
I’m not sure I’ve ever read a sports romance. I did watch an Indian movie, Lagaan, though, that had a bit of a romantic triangle and, more to the point, spends a large chunk of the movie on a cricket match and makes it exciting.
points57—appropriate!
Love baseball! Love Jill Shalvis! Love characters in novels that are grown-ups! Grand slam! 🙂
I am a fan of sports romances. My favorites are Deirdre Martin’s “Body Check” and Rachel Gibson’s “See Jane Score.” I’m also a fan of Kate Angell’s baseball romances.
I think this is a terrific idea. In support of the effort I’ve asked Allromanceebooks to offer my M/M contemporary novel A BIT OF ROUGH as a free download for the weekend. No commission for anyone just a free read for romance lovers!
Laura Baumbach
I don’t know that I’ve ever read a “sports romance”. I would guess whether or not I would read one would depend on my usual guidelines. Since I really don’t understand anything about sports, I would treat like a romance about any other subject I’m unfamiliar with. As long as it had an interesting story and didn’t use a lot of jargon I was unfamiliar with, I’d be game for it. I plan on reading “Slow Heat” since it does sound like a story I’d like.
A lot of people think baseball is boring but beleive it is NOT. I love baseball and was lucky enuf to watch the LA Dodgers win in 3 straight the last 2 years in the first round of the playoff, but then did not not go well in the next to get the World Series. Maybe this year.
Anyway, love sports books, particuarly baseball ones – Kate Angell,
SEP – football, Deirdre Martin – hocky – all wonderful. And of course Jill’s first in the baseball series was wonderful and so look forward to the next one. All of Jill’s books are great and she has a very funny blog too. So I would definitely love winning one of Jill’s books.
I’ve loved all the ones by Rachel Gibson, Carly Phillips, Deidre Martin, Kate Angell, SEP & Double Play by Jill. They are sports related but it’s the background of the story. If you are not a sports fan you will still enjoy the books as they don’t get technical about the sport. It’s the person’s job – you don’t have to be a doctor to read about one. great post BTW
I enjoyed the review. As always, it was well written and up-front. I’ve dipped my toe in a couple of sport romances, this review whetted my taste for more-
I would love to win Jill’s book. I love sports romance. And we come from a big baseball family, so this would be a nice win.
I love baseball romances since baseball is my favorite sport and with the foot of snow I can’t get it soon enough. For anyone else who love baseball romances make sure to check out Kate Angell she writes great ones too…
I love all kinds of books, but really like series books. I have read severak of Jill’s and liked them very much. As for sports romance stories, they are very very good. So please count me in. Thanks.
hahaha..the disclaimer is hilarious. Thanks for the great review 🙂
I’m not a fan of baseball at all, never seen a game, don’t know the rules, always wondered what the big deal with ballpark hotdogs was all about..but I adored Jill’s Double Play. So I can’t wait to get my greedy little hands on this one 🙂
I’ve only read one sports romance,. It was by Roxanne St. Claire – Dangerous Curves. I loved it; but haven’t read any since then. Would love to have a chance to read Jill’s newest book.
For me, I haven’t given sports romances a try yet. Not that I don’t like sports, I played several when I was in school and still follow football and hockey, it’s just never really come up. Complete non-issue so far.
So I’d be willing to give it a shot! *throws name into hat*
I’m not very sporty but I do go on sports romance sprees every so often. I like Gibson and SEP’s, although a few of SEP’s males make me want to hurl. The women generally grow and learn while the men seem to have sudden unexpected leaps in wisdom. Ah well- it’s still fun to read.
I also recently read a book about car racing that I loved, but it wasn’t one of the Nascar series. Does car racing count as a sport? I’m not really sure.
I really enjoy books where the characters and storylines are realistic instead of cliched. I’d be interested in trying this one, and thanks for the opportunity!
Hmm sports romances aren’t my thing – unless we are talking ice skating, but I have noticed that Nora Roberts/JD Robb has baseball in almost every book. I now have a greater understanding of baseball than I ever could have imagined 🙂
I do think though that sports is nice safe place to put an alpha male so he doesn’t come across as too I AM BIG MAN which can be offputting ;P
WV – activity37
Playing sports is activity 37 on my “can I be bothered” list 🙂
Totally love Shalvis and having raised two baseball players myself love this series!
I have found that reading sports novels makes it hard to attend actual sporting events without daydreaming…That being said this seems like a good one. I would love to read it.
Sports & Romance = yummy!!!
SEP (football), Kate Angell (baseball), Rachel Gibson (hockey), Deidre Martin (hockey) to name a few!!
Can’t wait to try Jill’s newest !
spam word: provide96 – why, yes, these books have provided me with hours of fun . . . not sure it’s been 96, though!
I’m not big on sports romances, but in the hands of an author I trust, I would read one. I love the SEP Chicago stars series. I’m also a big fan of Jill Shalvis’ Wilder Adventures series, so I will be reading her Pacific Heat series.
I’ve never read a sports romance. However, my marriage broke up in part because I said on October 27, 2004 that the Red Sox 2004 World Series win was the best moment of my life (having completely forgotten that, y’know, my husband might be offended that I didn’t rank my wedding day as the best moment of my life). I think that shows how important baseball is to me, and this book is probably made for me!
Ooooh! Lovely, beautiful “Ladies of Bitchery” ! I worship and adore you as the godesses of the Printed Page that your are! I beg you, nay, BESEECH you and fall prostrate at your feet! Give me a copy of this HUNKALICIOUS TALE and I will sacrifice a chicken in your honor!! Please, please, please….smooch, smooch, smooch.
Sports romances …. All of them that I’ve read, I’ve enjoyed. NASCAR (the Erin McCarthy books, which I learned about here), football, hockey. I can’t remember ever reading a baseball or basketball.
I think I fell in love with sport stories when I first saw the movie The Longest Yard…..don’t laugh…I know that dates me!!! I’d love to win a copy Of Jill’s novel.
I fell in love with sports romances after reading See Jane Score. Who knew hockey could be so sexy?
I loved Jill Shalvis’ Wilder series and would love to try Slow Heat!
I don’t usually read sports romance. The only one I can recall was a category from the 80s which also about baseball. I’m willing to give one another go.
I don’t usually pay attention to whether or not it’s a sports romance or not. If it’s good, it’s good and I need no other incentive to pick it up or to read it. The couple that come to mind (from the dark recesses of before baby brain addling occurred) I really liked.
Thanks for the opportunity to win!
Please count me in! I love sport romances, and can’t get enough of them. It all started with Susan Elizabeth Phillips and then I found Rachel Gibson. I loved Jill Shalvis’ “Double Play”, which was actually my first book by her, and have been waiting to read Wade’s book ever since.
Ironically, I am reading See Jane Score right now. I’ve always liked sports-roms, sometimes they get too cliche but sounds like Shalvis might break the trend…count me in! Thank you.
I haven’t read any of support romance books before..I’m pretty sure want to start with this book : )
I adore sports romances and can never get enough (especially hockey. Go Avs!). I’ve read SEP, Deidre Martin, Rachel Gibson, but never any Jill Shalvis, so I’m definitely going to track this one down.
First time commenter (all it took was a giveaway for my personal fave genre, *headdesk*), but I LOVE you guys.
Like any type of book, ie, SEAL romances, pirate romances, etc, some are awesome and some suck. I really like Lori Foster’s series about the MMA fighters and the hockey ones by Rachel Gibson. I love baseball movies, but hate the actual game. (The movies don’t show the boring, nothing-happens-for-hours part.) In other words, I’d love to give this book a try!
Rachel Gibson has written some fun romances with hockey players. I really enjoyed ‘The Trouble with Valentine’s Day’.
I’ve never read a sports romance in the book sense, although (WARNING: NERD ALERT) I have read a few sports romance mangas, as well as just straight-up sports-oriented ones. Not being a sports fan myself, although I was fairly athletic in my school days, I don’t tend to pick up things based on a sports premise. However, when I do find a good sports story, there tends to be a certain charm to it that I don’t find elsewhere.
My fiance’s mother did recently give me her accidentally ordered extra copy of Nobody’s Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, which is in my TBR pile. Secretly smart football star and baby-crazy genius professor? Sounds fun to me. Anyone read this one?
I’ve read a few sports romances over the years and none of them really stand out to me as outstanding. I love sports and I love romance so combining them seems like a good idea, but I haven’t read anything truly great. (Movies, however, are a different story. Fever Pitch comes to mind, although the main characters don’t play sports. Hmm, maybe that’s the difference? ) Anyway, I’m always up for something new and this sounds like it had some really great other elements other than, “oh, he happens to be a major NFL quarterback AND recently inherited some sort of title”.
You know, I don’t think I’ve ever read a sports romance! So I can’t really be for sure if they are my thing or not!
I don’t think I ever would’ve picked up a sports book had it not been one of SEP’s. I definitely like them but they aren’t the first thing I seek out. I do like Jill’s work though so I’d love to read this one.
I haven’t read any sports romances so I couldn’t say whether I like them or not. Although I will admit to being intrigued by the Nascar romances I see every month.