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Firebirds #2
Too Hot to Touch
He’s spent a lifetime putting up walls to protect himself, but he never expected one woman to break them all down…
Between working multiple jobs and tackling her dissertation, it's hardly unexpected PhD student Murray Silva is a hot mess. What is unexpected? Tyler Valentine. When the hockey playboy and former—okay, current—crush shows up in her summer school class, he immediately becomes the kind of distraction she doesn’t need.
Want, however? That’s a whole other story.
Tyler Valentine understands pressure. He’s faced it his entire career. Now that he’s getting older, the pressure to figure out life after hockey brings him back to the classroom. And back into Murray Silva’s life. The fact that she’s his teacher and his team captain’s sister—thus strictly off-limits—doesn’t stop him from following his heart.
Even though the last time he did that, it almost destroyed him.
As their relationship heats up, a real shot at a future together seems possible…but only if Tyler can face down his past, head-to-head, and Murray can learn how to open her heart to love again—no matter how unexpected.
Between working multiple jobs and tackling her dissertation, it's hardly unexpected PhD student Murray Silva is a hot mess. What is unexpected? Tyler Valentine. When the hockey playboy and former—okay, current—crush shows up in her summer school class, he immediately becomes the kind of distraction she doesn’t need.
Want, however? That’s a whole other story.
Tyler Valentine understands pressure. He’s faced it his entire career. Now that he’s getting older, the pressure to figure out life after hockey brings him back to the classroom. And back into Murray Silva’s life. The fact that she’s his teacher and his team captain’s sister—thus strictly off-limits—doesn’t stop him from following his heart.
Even though the last time he did that, it almost destroyed him.
As their relationship heats up, a real shot at a future together seems possible…but only if Tyler can face down his past, head-to-head, and Murray can learn how to open her heart to love again—no matter how unexpected.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 2022
7 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Katy James
3 books52 followersKaty James writes contemporary romance books that get to the heart of falling in love while finding one’s place in today’s world. When not writing, she works as an archivist and rare book librarian. Her free time is spent being a single mom, wrangling an ever-fluctuating number of pets, fixing up her old house, reading, playing the banjo, knitting, cooking, gardening, and generally making all kinds of stuff.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 2, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up
This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed a lot about it such as the creating community, the emotional journey the male main character went on with his sexuality, the fact the diverse sexuality came from the male main character (super uncommon in straight romance!), the inclusion of updates on the couple from the previous book without it being shoehorned in, and how divergent the personalities of the two main characters were and how they tried to make it work.
There was also a lot that gave me pause. For example, the female main character is teaching a college course, albeit a non credit course, and never stopped to consider the ethical implications of involving herself with one of her students even if they did sort of know each other already. I don't mind that it was a student/teacher hook up initially but this wasn't even used as a titillating setup it was instead mostly ignored. I also found the female main character grating in general. She insisted on the male main character opening up and being honest with her and making space for her and yet completely refused to reciprocate due to her being a self-described "hot mess" but was really just a "boundaries lacking over-committer". She finally realized most of the crap she was saying yes to instead of the hot guy she SHOULD say yes to didn't matter and was easily fixed to be less of a drag at like 95% into the book. Which brings me to the final thing that gave me pause- the length of the book. This book was over 100,000 words but a lot of it was circular inner monologue and could've been tightened up more to help propel the story forward.
Overall, though, I was interested enough to keep reading the book until the end because I wanted to know if they would ever figure things out. I was also very interested in seeing how the male main character confronted his sexuality and how ultimately it would matter to the story because he ended up in a "straight passing" relationship. I was very satisfied with how his journey played out in the book and it was definitely a high point. If nothing else, I recommend giving this book a chance for trying something different with this.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed a lot about it such as the creating community, the emotional journey the male main character went on with his sexuality, the fact the diverse sexuality came from the male main character (super uncommon in straight romance!), the inclusion of updates on the couple from the previous book without it being shoehorned in, and how divergent the personalities of the two main characters were and how they tried to make it work.
There was also a lot that gave me pause. For example, the female main character is teaching a college course, albeit a non credit course, and never stopped to consider the ethical implications of involving herself with one of her students even if they did sort of know each other already. I don't mind that it was a student/teacher hook up initially but this wasn't even used as a titillating setup it was instead mostly ignored. I also found the female main character grating in general. She insisted on the male main character opening up and being honest with her and making space for her and yet completely refused to reciprocate due to her being a self-described "hot mess" but was really just a "boundaries lacking over-committer". She finally realized most of the crap she was saying yes to instead of the hot guy she SHOULD say yes to didn't matter and was easily fixed to be less of a drag at like 95% into the book. Which brings me to the final thing that gave me pause- the length of the book. This book was over 100,000 words but a lot of it was circular inner monologue and could've been tightened up more to help propel the story forward.
Overall, though, I was interested enough to keep reading the book until the end because I wanted to know if they would ever figure things out. I was also very interested in seeing how the male main character confronted his sexuality and how ultimately it would matter to the story because he ended up in a "straight passing" relationship. I was very satisfied with how his journey played out in the book and it was definitely a high point. If nothing else, I recommend giving this book a chance for trying something different with this.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
July 3, 2022
I love this book so much - the interiority, the found family, the messy people who are trying their best. Add in the importance of community, the necessity of communication, and the power of living your truth and it's a great book. And with two characters who grow to love each other for who they are, not who they present themselves as? That's a great romance.
Tyler is 34 and starting to wonder about life after hockey. He knows that one bad injury could end his career so he signs up for a short, noncredit course at the local community college to see if he can still hack it in the classroom.
His teacher is Murray, a Ph.D. candidate in English who has a lot on her plate. She's starting work on her dissertation, preparing to TA several classes, taking shifts at the Friendly Bean to make ends meet, and helping her mom, who recently went into remission from breast cancer. She has no time for herself, never mind a relationship... but there's her hockey crush at the back of the classroom, handsome and carefree, staring out the window as she's calling roll.
The good, romance edition:
- This book has the interiority that I've been craving recently. These characters think about their feelings, talk about their feelings, and do their best while recognizing they're not perfect. If you like the romantic relationship in Alexis Hall's The Lady and the Duke, or the character dynamic in Kris Ripper's Scientific Method series, you will be all over this.
- The story doesn't exactly follow the usual plot beats, to its advantage.
- Instead of being the best friend's sister Murray is the team captain's sister, which is a neat way to both use the trope and change/up the stakes.
- Tyler is a cinnamon roll. He's not good at everything, but making sure Murray eats dinner and finds her way into a bed at the end of the night? He rocks at that.
- I pumped a fist in the air when it's made clear that family is not an obligation - yes!
The good, queer af edition:
- Tyler is bi and in the closet for Reasons, which brings up all kinds of discussions about queerness. First of which being, not everyone likes to use the word "queer", and that's okay!
- Both forced outing and voluntary coming out are key parts of the storyline, and it's made clear that telling the world you're bi (or what have you) isn't a requirement. You can be selective and calculated with how you come out, remaining a private person while still living your inner truth.
- As in the first book bi-erasure is a thing. In the past those who saw Tyler with a guy assumed he's gay, unable to comprehend that people can be attracted to more than one gender ~face palm~
- The found family is thick and strong, with talk about how important community is for everyone, but especially queer folx.
- The first time Tyler and Murray have sex it's oral, and the first penetrative sex happens off page. I love this queering of the narrative - in heteronormative m/f romance penetrative sex is usually a Big Deal that cements the relationship, and it's as if James is emphasizing that one sexual act does not an HEA make.
The good, hockey edition:
- I'm delighted to come back to the Firebirds, with characters from book one playing not-quite-minor roles here. It feels like coming home.
- A new-to-us teammate went from 'hello' to 'hi-you-need-to-get-your-own-HEA-nao' in one conversation flat. That's a skill.
- In the first book some of the hockey details were off, but here everything lines up as far as I can tell.
The not-so-good:
- There's a third act breakup. I'm not overly mad at it, it makes sense... but at the same time I saw a way for the conflict to be outside of the relationship, so I was sad it didn't go in that direction.
- Murray is the daughter of at least one immigrant and presumably Latinx, but awfulness in the academic setting is attributed solely to her being a woman in that environment. Maybe she passes as white, it's unclear, but I was surprised that trouble boils down to her gender, with no mention of race.
All in all Too Hot to Touch is just the romance I need right now, with a chosen family I love and the interiority and communication I crave. I am beyond excited to see what James does next.
Thanks to Carina Press for providing a review copy.
Content notes:
Tyler is 34 and starting to wonder about life after hockey. He knows that one bad injury could end his career so he signs up for a short, noncredit course at the local community college to see if he can still hack it in the classroom.
His teacher is Murray, a Ph.D. candidate in English who has a lot on her plate. She's starting work on her dissertation, preparing to TA several classes, taking shifts at the Friendly Bean to make ends meet, and helping her mom, who recently went into remission from breast cancer. She has no time for herself, never mind a relationship... but there's her hockey crush at the back of the classroom, handsome and carefree, staring out the window as she's calling roll.
The good, romance edition:
- This book has the interiority that I've been craving recently. These characters think about their feelings, talk about their feelings, and do their best while recognizing they're not perfect. If you like the romantic relationship in Alexis Hall's The Lady and the Duke, or the character dynamic in Kris Ripper's Scientific Method series, you will be all over this.
- The story doesn't exactly follow the usual plot beats, to its advantage.
- Instead of being the best friend's sister Murray is the team captain's sister, which is a neat way to both use the trope and change/up the stakes.
- Tyler is a cinnamon roll. He's not good at everything, but making sure Murray eats dinner and finds her way into a bed at the end of the night? He rocks at that.
- I pumped a fist in the air when it's made clear that family is not an obligation - yes!
The good, queer af edition:
- Tyler is bi and in the closet for Reasons, which brings up all kinds of discussions about queerness. First of which being, not everyone likes to use the word "queer", and that's okay!
- Both forced outing and voluntary coming out are key parts of the storyline, and it's made clear that telling the world you're bi (or what have you) isn't a requirement. You can be selective and calculated with how you come out, remaining a private person while still living your inner truth.
- As in the first book bi-erasure is a thing. In the past those who saw Tyler with a guy assumed he's gay, unable to comprehend that people can be attracted to more than one gender ~face palm~
- The found family is thick and strong, with talk about how important community is for everyone, but especially queer folx.
- The first time Tyler and Murray have sex it's oral, and the first penetrative sex happens off page. I love this queering of the narrative - in heteronormative m/f romance penetrative sex is usually a Big Deal that cements the relationship, and it's as if James is emphasizing that one sexual act does not an HEA make.
The good, hockey edition:
- I'm delighted to come back to the Firebirds, with characters from book one playing not-quite-minor roles here. It feels like coming home.
- A new-to-us teammate went from 'hello' to 'hi-you-need-to-get-your-own-HEA-nao' in one conversation flat. That's a skill.
- In the first book some of the hockey details were off, but here everything lines up as far as I can tell.
The not-so-good:
- There's a third act breakup. I'm not overly mad at it, it makes sense... but at the same time I saw a way for the conflict to be outside of the relationship, so I was sad it didn't go in that direction.
- Murray is the daughter of at least one immigrant and presumably Latinx, but awfulness in the academic setting is attributed solely to her being a woman in that environment. Maybe she passes as white, it's unclear, but I was surprised that trouble boils down to her gender, with no mention of race.
All in all Too Hot to Touch is just the romance I need right now, with a chosen family I love and the interiority and communication I crave. I am beyond excited to see what James does next.
Thanks to Carina Press for providing a review copy.
Content notes:
July 20, 2022
I think there are two reasons I did not vibe with this book, 1) the oldest daughter energy of it all was suffocating, there is being seen and there is being SEEN and this was the latter and I did not enjoy it. 2) I needed more by way of showing them actually WORKING at being together, hospital confessions and epilogues are well and good but it doesn't make up for on the page development of them actually working their shit out. I also stand by my comment about Carlos being a shitty captain, like, yeah, it's great he wasn't a bigot about Tyler coming out as bisexual to him, but he's deeply shitty to him in words and deeds earlier in the book and like...just has no radar for knowing when someone is uncomfortable? Not what I would want in a team captain. Think I am probably done with this series, neither of them have really clicked for me fully.
July 17, 2022
One of those books where I wanted to simultaneously shake some sense into and hug the main characters. It was nice to visit Shady Hill again and check in on characters from the first book, and comforting to have a fictional and more optimistic version of a Philadelphia hockey team.
June 25, 2022
Another sweet romance with believable internal conflicts for both MCs, an exploration of queer identities, and a fun group of supporting characters that define found family. Really enjoying this series and it's making me more and more interested in getting back into sports romance again.
Read
July 16, 2022Some seeming cluelessness on both sides, but a lot of sweetness and vulnerability from the hero.
June 2, 2022
Thanks to Netgalley and Carina for giving me this ARC.
I had previously read Too Much ManTo Much Man and at that time, wasn't sure if I would pick up another Firebirds book.
To be honest, I'm still pretty meh about it.
Since this was an ARC, I always expect some minor issues --like the typo where the author (or an editor) overlooked inserting the type of roses her father grows (It literally says "Species Roses"...what? That's why you add TK to those notes, you know. So you can search for them in post.
Anyway.
Over all, I wanted to like these two so much. Murray (Summer) relatable to me to an extent. But the whole "she thinks she's plain because she's a scholar while he thinks she's burning hot" is...old. It's so boring. And there really isn't anything exceptional about her described beauty either...like, why should I care that she's pretty?
It's been a few days since I finished and nothing in particular is sticking with me --which is a sure sign that this was pretty blah. Like, I can't even think of anything else specific to complain about. A lot of unnecessary drama for sake of a routine formulaic plot.
Meh.
I had previously read Too Much ManTo Much Man and at that time, wasn't sure if I would pick up another Firebirds book.
To be honest, I'm still pretty meh about it.
Since this was an ARC, I always expect some minor issues --like the typo where the author (or an editor) overlooked inserting the type of roses her father grows (It literally says "Species Roses"...what? That's why you add TK to those notes, you know. So you can search for them in post.
Anyway.
Over all, I wanted to like these two so much. Murray (Summer) relatable to me to an extent. But the whole "she thinks she's plain because she's a scholar while he thinks she's burning hot" is...old. It's so boring. And there really isn't anything exceptional about her described beauty either...like, why should I care that she's pretty?
It's been a few days since I finished and nothing in particular is sticking with me --which is a sure sign that this was pretty blah. Like, I can't even think of anything else specific to complain about. A lot of unnecessary drama for sake of a routine formulaic plot.
Meh.
Read
July 2, 2022Categories
Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance, Romantic Comedy, Bisexual
Miniseries
Firebirds (Book #2)
Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance, Romantic Comedy, Bisexual
Miniseries
Firebirds (Book #2)
October 6, 2023
I have really enjoyed this hockey romance series! I was really curious about Murray in the last book so it was great to get to know her better here. If ever a character needed someone to really see her and then take care of her, it’s Murray. Lucky for her, Tyler does exactly that, once he makes up for not recognizing her at first. This is a very interior book with much time spent on Tyler and Murray making sense of their respective plights. I love strong emotional arcs so this worked well for me.
Murray is a stubborn perfectionist who is overextended. She is incapable of asking for help. She’s a PhD student and she works and she helps her family and so on. She’s driven by her anxiety and inability to say no, which means she finds herself in some sticky situations but convinces herself she can make it work, even with a toxic advisor who is clearly the wrong advisor for her. I could not understand for the life of me why she stuck with him for so long when there was a better option waiting in the wings. Advanced degrees are hard enough! She didn’t have to make it harder on herself. But that’s all she knows to do. She pushed Tyler to be vulnerable and honest but is incapable of reciprocating herself, which goes about as well as you might expect.
Tyler, on the other hand, deals with intense internalized biphobia. He stays surface level with everyone and lets the team think he’s constantly hooking up with women so that the rumors about him being gay won’t stick. He’s still reeling from a bad breakup with a team member who threw him under the bus and outing him when they were caught by other players. This eventually led to him being traded. It’s but one more lesson in why he believes no one is in his corner. Until he came to Philly, that is. But he has a hard time letting his teammates in, no matter how much they try to include him. He doesn’t think having a crush on the team captain’s sister will end well for him. And yet he can��t resist being drawn to Murray and worrying about whether she’s taking care of herself.
That’s all well and good but… the book begins with Tyler taking Murray’s class in summer school. It's non-credited but the fact remains she’s his teacher. They don’t really deal with the ethics. What is the university’s stance on teacher-student relationships? Does it matter if it’s not for credit? Is this a good way for Murray’s teaching career to begin?! Murray being Carlos’s sister mattered more than her being his teacher, which made no sense to me.
I got past it, mostly because I really liked seeing how things progressed between them. The first time Tyler called her Summer was everything!! Tyler learns how to open up, not just with Murray but the others in their circle. There’s such a great found family with all the secondary characters. There’s also a really great angsty public disavowal scene that hurt my heart but led to some really satisfying moments. I didn’t always buy their chemistry but I loved watching them look out for each other and I especially loved watching Tyler grow in accepting himself in the fullness of his identity.
Characters: Murray/Summer is a 28 year old curvy Brazilian American English Lit PhD student and barista who wears glasses. Tyler is a 34 year old bisexual white hockey player. This is set in Shady Hill and Philadelphia, PA.
Content notes: anxiety, past panic attack, past forced outing by boyfriend to their hockey team (resulted in bullying and MMC being traded to another team), closeted bisexual MMC, internalized homophobia, homophobia (by MMC’s former team; MMC rejects other closeted player on his team), past bierasure, past parental rejection for sexuality, toxic advisor, overbearing mother, hockey injury (dislocated shoulder and broken wrist), FMC’s mother is in remission from breast cancer, forgetting to eat, unsafe sex practices (use condoms for penetrative sex but never discuss STI history or prevention), on page sex, alcohol, pain medication for injury, casual ageism, gendered pejoratives, ableist language, references to homophobia slurs (word not used on page)
Murray is a stubborn perfectionist who is overextended. She is incapable of asking for help. She’s a PhD student and she works and she helps her family and so on. She’s driven by her anxiety and inability to say no, which means she finds herself in some sticky situations but convinces herself she can make it work, even with a toxic advisor who is clearly the wrong advisor for her. I could not understand for the life of me why she stuck with him for so long when there was a better option waiting in the wings. Advanced degrees are hard enough! She didn’t have to make it harder on herself. But that’s all she knows to do. She pushed Tyler to be vulnerable and honest but is incapable of reciprocating herself, which goes about as well as you might expect.
Tyler, on the other hand, deals with intense internalized biphobia. He stays surface level with everyone and lets the team think he’s constantly hooking up with women so that the rumors about him being gay won’t stick. He’s still reeling from a bad breakup with a team member who threw him under the bus and outing him when they were caught by other players. This eventually led to him being traded. It’s but one more lesson in why he believes no one is in his corner. Until he came to Philly, that is. But he has a hard time letting his teammates in, no matter how much they try to include him. He doesn’t think having a crush on the team captain’s sister will end well for him. And yet he can��t resist being drawn to Murray and worrying about whether she’s taking care of herself.
That’s all well and good but… the book begins with Tyler taking Murray’s class in summer school. It's non-credited but the fact remains she’s his teacher. They don’t really deal with the ethics. What is the university’s stance on teacher-student relationships? Does it matter if it’s not for credit? Is this a good way for Murray’s teaching career to begin?! Murray being Carlos’s sister mattered more than her being his teacher, which made no sense to me.
I got past it, mostly because I really liked seeing how things progressed between them. The first time Tyler called her Summer was everything!! Tyler learns how to open up, not just with Murray but the others in their circle. There’s such a great found family with all the secondary characters. There’s also a really great angsty public disavowal scene that hurt my heart but led to some really satisfying moments. I didn’t always buy their chemistry but I loved watching them look out for each other and I especially loved watching Tyler grow in accepting himself in the fullness of his identity.
Characters: Murray/Summer is a 28 year old curvy Brazilian American English Lit PhD student and barista who wears glasses. Tyler is a 34 year old bisexual white hockey player. This is set in Shady Hill and Philadelphia, PA.
Content notes: anxiety, past panic attack, past forced outing by boyfriend to their hockey team (resulted in bullying and MMC being traded to another team), closeted bisexual MMC, internalized homophobia, homophobia (by MMC’s former team; MMC rejects other closeted player on his team), past bierasure, past parental rejection for sexuality, toxic advisor, overbearing mother, hockey injury (dislocated shoulder and broken wrist), FMC’s mother is in remission from breast cancer, forgetting to eat, unsafe sex practices (use condoms for penetrative sex but never discuss STI history or prevention), on page sex, alcohol, pain medication for injury, casual ageism, gendered pejoratives, ableist language, references to homophobia slurs (word not used on page)
August 3, 2022
Too Hot to Touch by Katy James is the second book in the Firebirds series. I did not read the first book in the series, and while readers that are reading in order will have a head start on knowing some of the characters the story stands up well on its own.
He’s spent a lifetime putting up walls to protect himself, but he never expected one woman to break them all down. Between working multiple jobs and tackling her dissertation, it's hardly unexpected PhD student Murray Silva is a hot mess. What is unexpected? Tyler Valentine. When the hockey playboy and former—okay, current—crush shows up in her summer school class, he immediately becomes the kind of distraction she doesn’t need. Want, however? That’s a whole other story. Tyler Valentine understands pressure. He’s faced it his entire career. Now that he’s getting older, the pressure to figure out life after hockey brings him back to the classroom. And back into Murray Silva’s life. The fact that she’s his teacher and his team captain’s sister—thus strictly off-limits—doesn’t stop him from following his heart. Even though the last time he did that, it almost destroyed him. As their relationship heats up, a real shot at a future together seems possible…but only if Tyler can face down his past, head-to-head, and Murray can learn how to open her heart to love again, no matter how unexpected.
Too Hot to Touch is a good contemporary sports romance. I have to admit that I had some trouble connecting with Murray. I am a reformed English major that has some extreme trouble accepting help much less asking for it. So I thought in the beginning that I would relate to her, but there were moments when even I wanted to kick her as solutions presented themselves to her and she rather ignored them for as long as possible. I got her inclinations, but it just really bothered me. On the other hand, Tyler seemed much more willing to see his faults, and while not eager to face his demons he seemed much more level headed, willing to admit his mistakes, and to communicate. I think the real jewel in this book is the group of friends and the Firebird's team. Even when we only see glimpses of them they seem to be dynamic, complex characters rather than window dressing. I greatly enjoyed getting to know some of those secondary characters. I liked stress put on the importance of communicating what you need and found family and community. It was a good read, but not something that had me rushing through cooking or chores so I could hurry up and get back to it.
Too Hot to Touch is a good hockey romance and I enjoyed the read. I can think of many readers that will really enjoy this one.
He’s spent a lifetime putting up walls to protect himself, but he never expected one woman to break them all down. Between working multiple jobs and tackling her dissertation, it's hardly unexpected PhD student Murray Silva is a hot mess. What is unexpected? Tyler Valentine. When the hockey playboy and former—okay, current—crush shows up in her summer school class, he immediately becomes the kind of distraction she doesn’t need. Want, however? That’s a whole other story. Tyler Valentine understands pressure. He’s faced it his entire career. Now that he’s getting older, the pressure to figure out life after hockey brings him back to the classroom. And back into Murray Silva’s life. The fact that she’s his teacher and his team captain’s sister—thus strictly off-limits—doesn’t stop him from following his heart. Even though the last time he did that, it almost destroyed him. As their relationship heats up, a real shot at a future together seems possible…but only if Tyler can face down his past, head-to-head, and Murray can learn how to open her heart to love again, no matter how unexpected.
Too Hot to Touch is a good contemporary sports romance. I have to admit that I had some trouble connecting with Murray. I am a reformed English major that has some extreme trouble accepting help much less asking for it. So I thought in the beginning that I would relate to her, but there were moments when even I wanted to kick her as solutions presented themselves to her and she rather ignored them for as long as possible. I got her inclinations, but it just really bothered me. On the other hand, Tyler seemed much more willing to see his faults, and while not eager to face his demons he seemed much more level headed, willing to admit his mistakes, and to communicate. I think the real jewel in this book is the group of friends and the Firebird's team. Even when we only see glimpses of them they seem to be dynamic, complex characters rather than window dressing. I greatly enjoyed getting to know some of those secondary characters. I liked stress put on the importance of communicating what you need and found family and community. It was a good read, but not something that had me rushing through cooking or chores so I could hurry up and get back to it.
Too Hot to Touch is a good hockey romance and I enjoyed the read. I can think of many readers that will really enjoy this one.
May 20, 2022
Tyler and Murray (her real name is Summer) are - on the surface - a classic pairing of rogue and wallflower. But - like all things in life - when you dig below the surface, they are so much more. Murray is a very hardworking graduate student. She's working multiple jobs and spends her limited free time caring for her family and close network of friends. She does not have time for one more ball to juggle - let alone a relationship with a very hot hockey player who is also a student in her community college literature class. Tyler is taking a summer class at the community college as part of an effort to explore post-hockey career life. He's had a very difficult time the last few years - after a relationship with another player ended in a tidal wave of homophobia and heartbreak. He's trying to get his feet under him with the team in Philadelphia and doesn't want to rock the boat - which means keeping his bisexuality a secret and NOT messing around with the captain's sister (aka Murray).
My heart broke throughout this book for both Tyler and Murray. For Tyler - I was so proud of him for doing the hard work and effort he put into his relationship with Murray after he committed to it. And for working hard to be more open with his team - and push to find his own community and acceptance. The scene in the book where Murray's landlord and friend Fern talks with Tyler about finding and building a community was so wonderful. The ideas she put out there will resonate with so many - especially those with strained family relationships. For Murray - I just wanted to hug her and give her support. So many women - not just grad students - carry so much of the load for their families and others. And asking for help - or even just accepting it when it is given becomes almost as hard as carrying the burdens.
This book definitely challenges you as a romance reader - I wanted so much for Murray to make some different choices and I wanted Tyler to do the same. But the journey is very much worth it. I also want to give major credit to Katy James for also portraying healthy, supportive female relationships and the wonderful queer representation in the book.
I received this via NetGalley as an ARC, but these opinions are all my own.
My heart broke throughout this book for both Tyler and Murray. For Tyler - I was so proud of him for doing the hard work and effort he put into his relationship with Murray after he committed to it. And for working hard to be more open with his team - and push to find his own community and acceptance. The scene in the book where Murray's landlord and friend Fern talks with Tyler about finding and building a community was so wonderful. The ideas she put out there will resonate with so many - especially those with strained family relationships. For Murray - I just wanted to hug her and give her support. So many women - not just grad students - carry so much of the load for their families and others. And asking for help - or even just accepting it when it is given becomes almost as hard as carrying the burdens.
This book definitely challenges you as a romance reader - I wanted so much for Murray to make some different choices and I wanted Tyler to do the same. But the journey is very much worth it. I also want to give major credit to Katy James for also portraying healthy, supportive female relationships and the wonderful queer representation in the book.
I received this via NetGalley as an ARC, but these opinions are all my own.
August 21, 2022
Thank you to @netgalley and @katyjameswriter for the ARC copy even though I’m a little bit late with my review.
This book brings us a rare unicorn, a bi guy! Tyler Valentine is a hockey player for the Firebirds, a recent trade, and he’s hot for teacher, Murray Silva, his captain’s sister who also happens to be teaching his summer class. Tyler’s had it pretty rough the past couple years, dating a teammate in Pittsburgh, being outed and then betrayed by his teammate, and then subject to bullying and homophobia by some of the other members of the team. He’s closeted and lonely, afraid to trust anybody, image conscious and trying to no pun intended, play it straight after being outed ruined his life in Pittsburg.
He’s drawn to Murray almost immediately, and Murray is simultaneously thrilled and terrified that her crush seemingly likes her back. Murray is a stubborn Type A PhD student who has bitten off way more than she can chew in her life, refusing any and all offers of help. She’s overwhelmed with schoolwork, part time jobs, and caring for her mother, a breast cancer survivor. Tyler works his way into the slivers of time Murray has open for him, and they fall for each other, hard and fast. Murray’s gang of mostly queer friends welcome Tyler as quietly as they need him to, at the pace he feels comfortable being himself.
Tyler’s journey was lovely. I wish Murray would have moved faster in hers. She was kind of an inadvertent jerk, as I suppose we all can be when we’re struggling with being a people pleaser. It is hard work to say no, truly, and Murray getting to the point where she can was excellent — just wish it happened sooner because it’s frustrating to want to shake a fictional character.
I really liked this follow up to Too Much Man, liked checking in on Piper, Gavin and the gang — can I say that I hope the next book is Sloan’s and that she finds the girl of her dreams? 😍😍
This book brings us a rare unicorn, a bi guy! Tyler Valentine is a hockey player for the Firebirds, a recent trade, and he’s hot for teacher, Murray Silva, his captain’s sister who also happens to be teaching his summer class. Tyler’s had it pretty rough the past couple years, dating a teammate in Pittsburgh, being outed and then betrayed by his teammate, and then subject to bullying and homophobia by some of the other members of the team. He’s closeted and lonely, afraid to trust anybody, image conscious and trying to no pun intended, play it straight after being outed ruined his life in Pittsburg.
He’s drawn to Murray almost immediately, and Murray is simultaneously thrilled and terrified that her crush seemingly likes her back. Murray is a stubborn Type A PhD student who has bitten off way more than she can chew in her life, refusing any and all offers of help. She’s overwhelmed with schoolwork, part time jobs, and caring for her mother, a breast cancer survivor. Tyler works his way into the slivers of time Murray has open for him, and they fall for each other, hard and fast. Murray’s gang of mostly queer friends welcome Tyler as quietly as they need him to, at the pace he feels comfortable being himself.
Tyler’s journey was lovely. I wish Murray would have moved faster in hers. She was kind of an inadvertent jerk, as I suppose we all can be when we’re struggling with being a people pleaser. It is hard work to say no, truly, and Murray getting to the point where she can was excellent — just wish it happened sooner because it’s frustrating to want to shake a fictional character.
I really liked this follow up to Too Much Man, liked checking in on Piper, Gavin and the gang — can I say that I hope the next book is Sloan’s and that she finds the girl of her dreams? 😍😍
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October 8, 2023
Trigger & Content Warnings
Homomisia & internalised homomisia including parental estrangement
Forced outing recounted
Anxiety & panic attacks
Alcohol consumption
Sports injuries including dislocated shoulders and broken bones
Parent in remission for breast cancer
* Context : The protagonist was outed by his partner to their hockey team in the past, resulting in bullying and being traded to another team.
Homomisia & internalised homomisia including parental estrangement
Forced outing recounted
Anxiety & panic attacks
Alcohol consumption
Sports injuries including dislocated shoulders and broken bones
Parent in remission for breast cancer
* Context : The protagonist was outed by his partner to their hockey team in the past, resulting in bullying and being traded to another team.
January 8, 2023
Warm, sweet, and sizzling
Another great hockey romance from Katy James! I love Murray’s friends and family, and it was a joy to see Ty discover he could be himself with them and then on the ice, too.
Another great hockey romance from Katy James! I love Murray’s friends and family, and it was a joy to see Ty discover he could be himself with them and then on the ice, too.
June 11, 2025
Overall I found this book be pretty mid, I did not feel as connected or engaged as I would have hoped, it felt kind of bland and forgettable.
I found it hard to believe that Tyler does not recognize Murray multiple times? But then later he describes her as such a total hottie and of course she just thinks of herself as a plain Jane. In fact Murray is basically halfway in love with Tyler before the start of the book, and therefore I did not feel that there was enough emotional development on her side and really I didn't understand why Tyler was interested in her either. I feel like the blurb presents the fact that they are in a teacher/student relationship as a titillating or taboo element, but this was never framed from that perspective and it was also not discussed between them as an issue, so to me this trope fell flat.
I thought it was well done that Murray had so much on her mind and had such a packed schedule, but also this became very frustrating. Multiple times solutions were presented to Murray as alternate options and she consistently turned those options down for too long.
A lot of this book is focusing on the internal dialogue for the characters and they have multiple miscommunications that require resolution. I did appreciate how often these two were communicating but I found it frustrating that it seemed like there weren't any parts of their relationship that were easy. Even the times when things were good and they were just hanging out, most of that was not presented on page which I felt could have upped the amount of emotional advancement.
I felt that to some extent it was hard to care about Tyler's secret sexuality, he seemed to be erasing his own identity in a way? He was especially hetero-passing once he was in a relationship with Murray, I just never felt like there were many stakes there because he didn't need to come out in any sort of public way?
After reading others reviews: I think the one of the strongest elements was the found family/community present throughout the book, these were secondary characters who are well-drawn and supportive, I assume this cast is a through line of the series and it is a strong element. There is a lot of interiority and inner dialogue to slog through throughout the course of the book, and I felt that this centered each person individually instead of developing the relationship between the two of them. I agree with one review that said that this book does not follow a typical beat for beat romance plot line, but I did not find it to be special or unique in a way that stood out either.
I found it hard to believe that Tyler does not recognize Murray multiple times? But then later he describes her as such a total hottie and of course she just thinks of herself as a plain Jane. In fact Murray is basically halfway in love with Tyler before the start of the book, and therefore I did not feel that there was enough emotional development on her side and really I didn't understand why Tyler was interested in her either. I feel like the blurb presents the fact that they are in a teacher/student relationship as a titillating or taboo element, but this was never framed from that perspective and it was also not discussed between them as an issue, so to me this trope fell flat.
I thought it was well done that Murray had so much on her mind and had such a packed schedule, but also this became very frustrating. Multiple times solutions were presented to Murray as alternate options and she consistently turned those options down for too long.
A lot of this book is focusing on the internal dialogue for the characters and they have multiple miscommunications that require resolution. I did appreciate how often these two were communicating but I found it frustrating that it seemed like there weren't any parts of their relationship that were easy. Even the times when things were good and they were just hanging out, most of that was not presented on page which I felt could have upped the amount of emotional advancement.
I felt that to some extent it was hard to care about Tyler's secret sexuality, he seemed to be erasing his own identity in a way? He was especially hetero-passing once he was in a relationship with Murray, I just never felt like there were many stakes there because he didn't need to come out in any sort of public way?
After reading others reviews: I think the one of the strongest elements was the found family/community present throughout the book, these were secondary characters who are well-drawn and supportive, I assume this cast is a through line of the series and it is a strong element. There is a lot of interiority and inner dialogue to slog through throughout the course of the book, and I felt that this centered each person individually instead of developing the relationship between the two of them. I agree with one review that said that this book does not follow a typical beat for beat romance plot line, but I did not find it to be special or unique in a way that stood out either.
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May 16, 2023DNF @ 49%. I'm sorry to say that this book did not work for me. overall I just did not have any attachment to the characters or the storyline. I really liked the concept of this book, but from the half that I read, my main issues were the fact that while Murray and Tyler had great chemistry during the scenes they were together, SO MUCH of this book was them talking about how busy they are and how they have no time for each other!!! I get it!!! And right before I decided to stop reading, Tyler felt the need to lie about his feelings for Murray so her brother, aka his team captain (who somehow is still on a rookie salary or something??), doesn't get mad at him, and of course, Murray has to overhear this and storms away, even though 10 seconds before this scene the two of them had a really nice dance and were about to go discuss their feelings. Tyler is 34 years old but cannot, for whatever reason, tell his friend that he genuinely likes Murray. And it's not even like they've done anything remotely inappropriate at this point. They have a really nice friendship and their reading dates are adorable, and they've literally only kissed twice. Carlos would have no right to be upset that his adult sister has genuine, mutual feelings for someone on his team. I also read in another review that there's a third act break up in this book, and while I am a fan of those in some books when the tension is there and the conflict makes it all the more dramatic and angsty, I for sure do not care enough about the characters in this book to want to deal with that later on when I can't even get through their dramatic exits halfway through. And lastly, Tyler Valentine is described as having dark hair. Like, dark brown/black hair? Yet the man on the cover has dirty blondish hair???? Make it make sense.
I do think a lot of people will still like this book, but it's just not for me. I love a good slow burn filled with angst, but I just find Murray and Tyler to be boring and repetitive with how busy they are.
I do think a lot of people will still like this book, but it's just not for me. I love a good slow burn filled with angst, but I just find Murray and Tyler to be boring and repetitive with how busy they are.
August 15, 2022
This book is the second in a series, so I wasn't aware the first book had a previous relationship of Tyler's. Maybe this would have helped me get more of a handle on where some of these characters were at, but I'm not sure.
We get to know Murray (Summer) as a PhD student who is teaching a summer class. She comes across Tyler who happens to be taking the class, and as it turns out he is in the same ice hockey team as her brother, but he doesn't recognise her. It's the classic nerd / jock trope, with a twist in that Tyler is bi and is defying expectations by falling (somewhat) unexpectedly for a woman.
I struggled with a few aspects of this book - some of the plot details just needed to be a little tighter for me, like how is Carlos a young captain on the salary he is on, and is yet so glaringly inexperienced and seemingly not having a clue what is going on ? He wasn't great at picking up cues from Tyler early on, and definitely wasn't listening to him. Also, Summer is a grown-ass woman and at the point the pair were lamenting hiding their 'relationship' from Carlos, nothing really had happened yet ? And both were so busy, talked about how busy they were, and sometimes I felt, that if they were too busy they just should have found someone else. A little frustrating!
What was endearing about this book are the remainder of the Firebirds and the community and family these people choose. They are the winners for me, and kept me reading this story until the end. I found Tyler to be more developed in terms of his character and story than Murray, who I found didn't really interest me a great deal.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a digital copy to read and review.
We get to know Murray (Summer) as a PhD student who is teaching a summer class. She comes across Tyler who happens to be taking the class, and as it turns out he is in the same ice hockey team as her brother, but he doesn't recognise her. It's the classic nerd / jock trope, with a twist in that Tyler is bi and is defying expectations by falling (somewhat) unexpectedly for a woman.
I struggled with a few aspects of this book - some of the plot details just needed to be a little tighter for me, like how is Carlos a young captain on the salary he is on, and is yet so glaringly inexperienced and seemingly not having a clue what is going on ? He wasn't great at picking up cues from Tyler early on, and definitely wasn't listening to him. Also, Summer is a grown-ass woman and at the point the pair were lamenting hiding their 'relationship' from Carlos, nothing really had happened yet ? And both were so busy, talked about how busy they were, and sometimes I felt, that if they were too busy they just should have found someone else. A little frustrating!
What was endearing about this book are the remainder of the Firebirds and the community and family these people choose. They are the winners for me, and kept me reading this story until the end. I found Tyler to be more developed in terms of his character and story than Murray, who I found didn't really interest me a great deal.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a digital copy to read and review.
August 7, 2022
I read and enjoyed the first book in this series Too Much Man last year. I enjoyed it, so when I saw that the second was due to come out, I thought I'd give it a go. Like the first book, this one deals with a couple where one of the pair is bisexual. It's not something I've really come across before in romance books, but it worked well and added a different dimension to the story.
This time, Tyler has been put off any kind of relationship, after his previous one was exposed and attacked in the incredibly homophobic atmosphere of professional ice hockey. Now, he's interested in Murray, but he's not sure that he can face being completely open with her or what a real relationship might mean. Murray on the other hand is juggling far too much, everyone relies on her and she's just not able to say no or take a step back.
I liked this couple. I wasn't entirely sold by their reasons for being, well, a bit rubbish with one another at times, but overall it was good. There were a few sections where the story did seem to feel a bit slow, but overall I enjoyed it. I've given this one a 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.
This time, Tyler has been put off any kind of relationship, after his previous one was exposed and attacked in the incredibly homophobic atmosphere of professional ice hockey. Now, he's interested in Murray, but he's not sure that he can face being completely open with her or what a real relationship might mean. Murray on the other hand is juggling far too much, everyone relies on her and she's just not able to say no or take a step back.
I liked this couple. I wasn't entirely sold by their reasons for being, well, a bit rubbish with one another at times, but overall it was good. There were a few sections where the story did seem to feel a bit slow, but overall I enjoyed it. I've given this one a 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.
July 11, 2022
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, I have to say how much I love this cover. This isn't exactly how I pictured Tyler when I was reading, but I honestly just can't do anything else except stare at this cover. It's gorgeous.
OK - moving on to the story.
I liked this book, but that's about it. I don't really know what else to say because it wasn't bad, but it wasn't Rachel Reid level good.
What I love about books from Carina Press is they're always very inclusive. Too Hot to Touch was no exception. The journey Tyler goes on in in this story is important and I love that it was included. But everything else fell a little flat for me. I also felt as though this book was way longer than it needed to be, and I felt it dragging on in parts. And I didn't connect with Murray as the FMC at all and don't think that helped.
I should also mention that I didn't read the first book in this series, but it didn't hinder my reading experience or understanding of reading Too Hot to Touch. I'd still be interested to read about what comes next, though. So I'm definitely going to keep my eyes open for another Firebirds novel.
First of all, I have to say how much I love this cover. This isn't exactly how I pictured Tyler when I was reading, but I honestly just can't do anything else except stare at this cover. It's gorgeous.
OK - moving on to the story.
I liked this book, but that's about it. I don't really know what else to say because it wasn't bad, but it wasn't Rachel Reid level good.
What I love about books from Carina Press is they're always very inclusive. Too Hot to Touch was no exception. The journey Tyler goes on in in this story is important and I love that it was included. But everything else fell a little flat for me. I also felt as though this book was way longer than it needed to be, and I felt it dragging on in parts. And I didn't connect with Murray as the FMC at all and don't think that helped.
I should also mention that I didn't read the first book in this series, but it didn't hinder my reading experience or understanding of reading Too Hot to Touch. I'd still be interested to read about what comes next, though. So I'm definitely going to keep my eyes open for another Firebirds novel.
July 16, 2022
I'm kind of ambivalent on this book. It was a book of pros and cons which led me to a solid 3 star rating. I really liked the representation in this book. There were many queer characters with wonderful full story arcs. I liked that the heroine was an academic which is not something we see often in hockey romances. My biggest struggle was the pacing of the book. Somehow in a book that was only a few hundred pages there were sections that just dragged. I actually fell asleep a couple times while reading, but we'll blame that on a long week at work. I found the co-dependency between these two to be annoying because it just doesn't make sense for a hockey book as the team would be traveling for so much of the year. This mean that in my head I could already see them breaking up in the future as they would not be able to function this way for long. Overall this book was fine, but it wasn't one I see myself returning to again and again. Like I said in the beginning, it's a solid 3 star book.
May 18, 2025
Soooo
Many
Words
Saying the same thing over and over again. I skimmed almost from the beginning through the loooong paragraphs of repeated woe is mes. Then hundreds of words of her being detached and non-forthcoming. I was very tired of it.
And then it only gets like a half a chili pepper for spiciness, as low as a bell pepper. It gets like a 3 out of 10 for amount of actual on-page ice time.
Next, we have the “he said it’s not serious” trope. In reality, she wanted it unserious so she could skip out. Then went on and on and on about how he wanted it unserious. It’s all Tyler’s fault.
I feel Tyler did all the work in the relationship. Then Summer’s dad did all the work for that relationship. Her friends moved Tyler along. Oh and that “illness” like this was a Regency novel and she might expire. And then just SKIP over both their bedridden selves for more and more internal monologues, through which I also skimmed.
Then Tyler says he’ll follow her anywhere after that whole messy 3-4 months. Ick.
That’s all. 3 stars cause I finished it.
Many
Words
Saying the same thing over and over again. I skimmed almost from the beginning through the loooong paragraphs of repeated woe is mes. Then hundreds of words of her being detached and non-forthcoming. I was very tired of it.
And then it only gets like a half a chili pepper for spiciness, as low as a bell pepper. It gets like a 3 out of 10 for amount of actual on-page ice time.
Next, we have the “he said it’s not serious” trope. In reality, she wanted it unserious so she could skip out. Then went on and on and on about how he wanted it unserious. It’s all Tyler’s fault.
I feel Tyler did all the work in the relationship. Then Summer’s dad did all the work for that relationship. Her friends moved Tyler along. Oh and that “illness” like this was a Regency novel and she might expire. And then just SKIP over both their bedridden selves for more and more internal monologues, through which I also skimmed.
Then Tyler says he’ll follow her anywhere after that whole messy 3-4 months. Ick.
That’s all. 3 stars cause I finished it.
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July 3, 2022There's a lot to love in TOO HOT TO TOUCH, the second in the Firebirds series. Both main characters, Tyler Valentine and Murray (Summer) Silva, are complex and well developed. James hits on the nuances and idiosyncrasies that comprise real people, and so these characters felt real to me. The book also delivers a good bit of interiority, and that plays out well in terms of highlighting the importance of communication. Both Tyler and Murray are honest with each other, and that's a refreshing thing to see. Having taught at community college, I was a little worried about the inappropriateness of the relationship (audit class or not), but no one seems to have an issue with it when the professor is male and the student is female, so I'm not factoring that into my review.. The book is a sex-positive, healthy look on relationships of all sorts--Tyler is bisexual, and several other characters identify as queer--that many will enjoy.
May 12, 2022
Murray (a woman despite the name) is a PhD student with way too many balls up in the air but she’s hot for Tyler. Tyler is the NHL player who’s bi in a homophobic profession and who’s really hot for Murray.
This is such a sweet romance. Murray is so recognizable, overworked but still taking on responsibilities but won’t share the burden. She really feels she has to do everything. She is also so drawn to Tyler but can’t free herself up to give their relationship priority and time. And Tyler, through his love for Murray, is just learning to be vulnerable. He doesn’t want to be a burden but he really needs her to be present in the relationship.
And oh yeah, as they’re really hot for each other the saucy parts are quite enjoyable.
I received this ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.
This is such a sweet romance. Murray is so recognizable, overworked but still taking on responsibilities but won’t share the burden. She really feels she has to do everything. She is also so drawn to Tyler but can’t free herself up to give their relationship priority and time. And Tyler, through his love for Murray, is just learning to be vulnerable. He doesn’t want to be a burden but he really needs her to be present in the relationship.
And oh yeah, as they’re really hot for each other the saucy parts are quite enjoyable.
I received this ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.
July 3, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and Carina Press for the e-ARC of Too Hot to Touch.
Murray and Tyler are both at crossroads in their lives, trying to map out what’s next. They start spending time together during a summer college course and can’t deny their attraction.
I was really excited about this book. The premise and title seemed exciting. Overall, I felt that the story was meandering and unnecessarily long and at times redundant.
There wasn’t really any drama or angst, just a lot of codependency.
I really enjoyed the character development of the friends and Tyler’s growth. I felt like Murray’s growth was rushed and symbolic.
Murray and Tyler are both at crossroads in their lives, trying to map out what’s next. They start spending time together during a summer college course and can’t deny their attraction.
I was really excited about this book. The premise and title seemed exciting. Overall, I felt that the story was meandering and unnecessarily long and at times redundant.
There wasn’t really any drama or angst, just a lot of codependency.
I really enjoyed the character development of the friends and Tyler’s growth. I felt like Murray’s growth was rushed and symbolic.
July 18, 2022
I received this one from NetGalley. This series is such a mixed bag for me. I like the premise. I like that the author and characters bring their sexuality to the discussion but it also feels like something is missing. It almost feels like the bisexuality of the MC is forced. The other thing is the length of this book and the length of time it took it to get interesting was at about 47%. It just feels like a lot of the internal monologue is repeated over and over and over and over. Like I get that the main character is busy and her plate is full. I don’t need to be reminded over a full paragraph every chapter. I think if the book was cut down it would be a much better read.
October 24, 2025
A likeable story of found community and stumbling towards happiness.
spoiler alert: Hockey player gets outed, betrayed, hassled and traded as troublesome. Bisexual and closeted, Tyler tries to evade rumours with womanizing and start again in Pittsburgh. False for team captains sister, Summer. Summer teaches his night school class! Too late he realizes the clever beauty is a sister and should be off limits. Summer is brilliant but way overcommitted and works herself into sickness. Tyler finally tells a couple of team mates about his scarring and troubled past. New community better. Injury, recovery,... He gets the (crazy busy) girl.
spoiler alert: Hockey player gets outed, betrayed, hassled and traded as troublesome. Bisexual and closeted, Tyler tries to evade rumours with womanizing and start again in Pittsburgh. False for team captains sister, Summer. Summer teaches his night school class! Too late he realizes the clever beauty is a sister and should be off limits. Summer is brilliant but way overcommitted and works herself into sickness. Tyler finally tells a couple of team mates about his scarring and troubled past. New community better. Injury, recovery,... He gets the (crazy busy) girl.
Want to read
June 13, 2022I wanted to like this book and there were a lot of things I liked about Murray (Summer) an Tyler, but the book was just too slow paced for me. I started skipping at about 30% to try and move the story on. The book had potential, it just didn't fulfill all that potential. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.
August 26, 2023
In "Too Hot to Touch" by Katy James, passion sizzles on the pages as characters navigate the line between desire and self-discovery. James skillfully combines steamy romance with personal growth, creating a story that is as emotionally satisfying as it is sensually charged.
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