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Hot Stuff

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Hot Stuff takes on double meaning when klutzy Kate is faced with rookie cop Dallas looking for a stolen lawn statue. In her quiet, crime-free Wisconsin village, Kate has her hands full writing slogans for candy hearts and keeping her kleptomaniac brother with Asperger’s Syndrome inside the law. Even her grandmother’s famous snickerdoodle cookies can’t ameliorate the crime when a stolen lawn statue turns out to be a drug dispenser. Will Kate rise above her concern of what Dallas’s uniform represents and admit the charming Texas rookie is the man of her dreams?

47 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 10, 2016

18 people want to read

About the author

C.J. Fosdick

8 books56 followers
Cj Fosdick, born in Milwaukee, WI., flourishes now in tropical Minnesota with fiction and non-fiction published in local and national publications, anthologies & a time-travel romantic suspense series that grew out of a short story award.

She has also received a London award from the Historical Novel Society & awards from RWA and Rone. This devoted Outlander fan puts out a newsletter 4xs a year & can be followed on fb, instagram, pinterest, twitter, (Falorac13) and her website/blog at cjfosdick.com

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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Jean Grant.
Author 12 books354 followers
February 14, 2019
I found myself sucked in right away by the author's voice. This was a sweet "sit by the fire this evening" read. I read it in one sitting; couldn't put it down. Her voice is vivid, witty, and rang true with each of the characters. Polished, not wordy, and imaginative, I enjoyed this story. I found myself nodding along with Katie's sibling, as he reminds me of someone very close to me, down to his collection of yellow things! I just got her other, longer time-travel book and can't wait to dig in. Great read!
Profile Image for Katie O'Sullivan.
Author 35 books166 followers
February 10, 2016
When I read the title, I did not expect the author's play on the meaning. "Hot Stuff" in this sweet story refers to stolen goods, and a laugh out loud bumbling caper with a side of slapstick and some gooey romance thrown in for good measure. And I loved every twisty minute!

Our first person narrator is Kate, a work-from-home copywriter, who supports her grandmother and autistic brother Evan. The sticky fingered brother has a penchant for garden decorations, but luckily the local police have an equally large penchant for Gramma's snicker doodle cookies and letting Evan off the hook. That is, until they send the new rookie to the door. Kate nicknames Officer Dallas "Hot Stuff" the moment she lays eyes on his hard body when he arrives to ask questions about a missing lawn statue.

Kate and Dallas end up dating, and their kisses steamed up my ereader. But the mystery of the missing lawn statue deepens, and Kate's not sure where she fits into the officers plans... If he's dating her as part of the case or if he feels the same deep connections that she does. Slapstick misadventures ensue, making this book a fun, fast read and definitely worth 5 candy hearts.
Profile Image for April Hollingworth.
Author 17 books32 followers
February 15, 2016
Review Courtesy of April Hollingworth

This was a very sweet book. You had the hot cop with those amazing blue eyes. The protective sister, and the snickerdoodle baking grandma and of course the kleptomaniac brother with Asperger's Syndrome. Add in a stolen lawn statue and some klutzy moments and you're left with a wonderful short story. Kate and Dallas are fabulous and you could feel their attraction for one another. A wonderful story.
Only thing is, what is a snickerdoodle? Whatever one is, I'd like to try it please.

The Review:

Hot Stuff takes on double meaning when klutzy Kate is faced with rookie cop Dallas looking for a stolen lawn statue. In her quiet, crime-free Wisconsin village, Kate has her hands full writing slogans for candy hearts and keeping her kleptomaniac brother with Asperger’s Syndrome inside the law. Even her grandmother’s famous snickerdoodle cookies can’t ameliorate the crime when a stolen lawn statue turns out to be a drug dispenser. Will Kate rise above her concern of what Dallas’s uniform represents and admit the charming Texas rookie is the man of her dreams?
Author 95 books170 followers
February 9, 2016
I love a good double-entendre and the title of this story is just that. “Hot stuff” is what heroine Kate’s brother, Evan, regularly pilfers from the neighbors’ yards and brings home. Evan, who has Asperger’s, is obsessed with the color yellow—and with lawn ornaments. “Hot stuff” also applies to Dallas, the new cop in town, who comes searching for one lawn ornament in particular…one that could get Kate in even more trouble than her instant attraction to him.
Great writing and a healthy dose of humor make this book special. It had me rooting for Kate right from the start. The first-person perspective makes it easy to tumble into this quick read and left me sorry when it ended. I would gladly read more from this author, and this one is recommended!
Profile Image for Nancy.
Author 116 books699 followers
February 7, 2016
Kate Sanders has spent a good portion of her life bailing her autistic brother out of trouble. With his penchant for stealing lawn gnomes, he’s well known to just about everyone. And, luckily, most of her brother’s victims can be mollified by Gran’s snickerdoodles.

Rookie cop, Dallas Johnson, is sent to investigate the latest theft and he and Kate hit it off immediately. However, this latest procurement comes with strings attached...namely a stash of drugs.

Author Cj Fosdick deals with the drug snafu with humor and Kate’s brother’s autism with family support and compassion. Well done.

What’s a little gnome between friends??
Profile Image for Ally.
Author 10 books44 followers
March 18, 2016
This was a really fun read. I instantly loved all the characters and hoped for a happily ever after. From Kate’s relationship with her brother and grandmother, to her fun flirting with Dallas, it was hard not to like her. I was smitten with Dallas as well and was glad he wasn’t too-good-to-be-true.
Profile Image for Kayden Claremont.
Author 8 books516 followers
February 11, 2016
Hot Stuff is a cute story of falling in love, literally. C.J. Fosdick has handled an autistic brother with kindness, and love making this book a must read for everyone.
77 reviews
August 29, 2022
25/08/2022 - 28/08/2022 (Ava Lohan)
Libro leggero, semplice e a tratti ironico, l'autrice è molto descrittiva e le descrizioni tecniche del basket sono precise ma non prolisse, tali da non annoiare i non tifosi di questo sport.
La storia è passabile, ma non originale.
Di che parla la storia? Sesso ce n'è un sacco (e fin qui, è un erotico, nulla da dire, anche se è un sesso scritto malissimo), ma il resto fa acqua da tutte le parti, nessun plot twist, nessuna svolta che ti costringe a non mollare il libro perché "Devo sapere cosa succede"... solo ordinaria amministrazione tra un amplesso e l'altro, con qualche lite infantile su incomprensioni (c'è da dire che le conversazioni tra lui e lei, a parte i "Vuoi il mio ca--o?" non hanno un gran spessore, quindi le incomprensioni ci possono stare).
La relazione si basa solo sul sesso e non a creare una storia che stia in piedi da sola. Anche per questo, infatti, non capisco su quali basi i due si innamorano. Ignorando il fatto che lui, anche durante la "relazione" con lei va a letto con altre e lei lo perdona sempre...
I personaggi secondari non hanno senso di esistere, come i due migliori amici di lei (che non ci sono mai nel momento del bisogno, la lasciano ogni volta da sola a piangere o sconvolta) o il migliore amico di Malcom che alla fine si scopre essere gay e innamorato di lui (nulla da ridire ma mi è sembrato un "colpo di scena" forzato e inutile). Vogliamo parlare di Pitt (agente e buon amico di Malcom), della mamma e del coach che poi intraprende una relazione con la madre? Tutti buttati lì a caso e mai analizzati in maniera approfondita.
Capisco che Hot Stuff preferisca avventure da una notte e sia che sia tanto straffottente; ci sta anche Sam sia giovane, inesperta, totalmente votata al basket, MA...
Quando ho letto "uccello di fuoco" mi è caduta la mascella e non per una impressione positiva: veramente la scrittrice trova erotico aver a che fare con un uomo che definisce in questo modo i suoi genitali (si può dire ad ogni rapporto) e che viva per sentirsi il dio del sesso usando le donne (tutte, compresa la protagonista) come oggetti? E la nostra protagonista come fa a passare dall'odio all'amore se il buon Malcom non si smentisce MAI e si comporta costantemente come uno stron@o, egocentrico? Solo perché non perde l'occasione di mettersi fisicamente in mostra pavoneggiandosi davanti alla squadre di ragazze che deve allenare? Veramente chi scrive pensa che una donna possa spegnere il cervello e cadere in preda a passione solo perchè si trova davanti ad un uomo bello si, ma che la tratta come uno straccio?
La cosa che meno ho digerito è stata proprio Samara... ma non tanto perché nel giro di un secondo da totale inesperta è diventata più brava di qualsiasi femme fatale... ma perché l'ho trovata una zerbina pronta a farsi mettere i piedi in testa dal figo di turno e che per la maggior parte del tempo voleva sempre e solo piangere! Inoltre ha quasi rischiato di perdere una partita importantissima volontariamente (ricordiamo che il basket è sempre stato tutta la sua vita) perché voleva una relazione esclusiva con Malcom, ricattandolo (senza alcun obbligo eh...) perché se non gliela avesse concessa avrebbe fatto perdere la sua squadra...
Mio parere, assolutamente personale, ma preferisco personaggi femminili che si fanno rispettare... che sanno tenere testa a chiunque e che mostrano la loro dignità senza prostrarsi in nome dell'amore.
Spesso, inoltre, i capitoli narrano lo stesso tassello di storia, ma riletto dal POV dell'altro protagonista, quindi ci ritroviamo con un'inutile ripetizione che nulla aggiunge alla progressione della trama.
Per concludere, la storiella non è una "storia d'amore" perchè non basta il finale infiocchettato di cuoricini per salvare l'assenza di trama che porta all'evoluzione dei personaggi. Tanto sesso, nemmeno originale e poco altro.
Il libro è, appunto, troppo incentrato sul sesso, va bene l'attrazione fisica tra i due protagonisti, però non fanno veramente altro che saltarsi addosso.. e a parte due o tre volte in cui si intravede il loro background... non si scopre quasi nulla di loro, se non che insieme si trovano bene sessualmente !
Carino ma ho letto di meglio, non credo lo rileggeri.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Isabel Nicholson.
495 reviews9 followers
March 12, 2021
What a lovely short read! The book is great, it has romance, excitement and humour. A combination of factors I love in books. The characters are the type of people you want as friends, even at their most quirky. The book acted as a lovely teaser, I want to know more about the town and the unexpected events that could take place there. It’s a fun, feisty and enjoyable read from beginning to end. CJ Fosdick is an excellent writer and I am certainly going to look out for more books by her.
90 reviews5 followers
March 26, 2021
Beautiful Story

This is a short story but full of love, fun, witty, wonderful characters, cookies, and of course candy! I love that Evan brought Dallas and Kate together. The fact that Grans snickerdoodles softened Dallas and paved the way for Dallas and Kate to get to know each other.
Profile Image for Mary Ann  Clarkson.
97 reviews1 follower
May 23, 2016
This is a great love story. Kate is taken by surprise when she meets the new cop in town, Dallas. He is “Hot Stuff.” He is looking for a garden gnome that was stolen from a neighbor of theirs. Her place was the first place that the cops always looked because her brother liked collecting or stealing things for his garden in the back yard. Little does Kate know that her brother did take it and it was in their house?

She decides to try and return it but can’t take it back. Then she winds up on a date with Dallas and she has the item in her trunk when the tire needs to be changed. She worries about him finding the item that was stolen and then it is taken from her.
She doesn’t want to lie to Dallas but she fears for her brother not knowing there is more to the story of the garden gnome.

I liked this short story. It was sweet with a little spice in it.
Kate and Dallas hit it off right away. I think it took them both by surprise which is a nice surprise for me the reader too.

I recommend this book.
Profile Image for Heidi Kneale.
Author 47 books22 followers
August 22, 2016
Who doesn't love a sweet cop? When officer Dallas comes to Kate's house to inquire about her brother's tendency to pinch garden gnomes, there's a few sparks. I loved Dallas' sense of honesty--good qualities in a hero.

Thank goodness for snickerdoodles, even if they can't solve every problem. (I've also got a soft spot for Volkswagens.)

I found this novella sweet and funny with a well-structured plot.
Profile Image for Annette Miller.
Author 14 books40 followers
March 20, 2016
I wasn't sure what to expect from the title, but what I got was a fun romance with great characters. The heroine could be you or anyone you know. Her faults make her endearing. The hero is tough, but in a sweet, caring way. All in all, a lovely story.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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