Body Heat

The Kappa Psi Kappa Men #3

by Adrianne Byrd

Nikki Jamison didn't know being a playwright in New York would end up like this. After a few financial and creative flops, she's determined to put her Broadway dreams behind her. Recalling a friend's story about an empty villa in St. Lucia, Nikki decides that it's the perfect place to recover—in luxury! But when the home owner shows up unexpectedly, Nikki's little white lie leads to an out-of-control marital charade.Hylan Dawson is married. Only problem is he doesn't know it. When Hylan takes off for his vacation home, his plan is to get a little R & R…maybe indulge in a summer fling. But as soon as he arrives on the island, the locals begin congratulating him on his recent nuptials. Hylan feels for his sexy wife, even if she is an impostor. Are the "newlyweds" falling into a bed of sizzling summer seduction—or marching toward a lifetime of wedded bliss?

Genres: Romance, African American Romance, Contemporary Romance, Adult

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 22, 2010

About the author

National Best-selling author Adrianne Byrd has always preferred to live within the realms of her imagination where all the men are gorgeous and the women are worth whatever trouble they manage to get into. As an army brat, she traveled throughout Europe and learned to appreciate and value different cultures. Now she calls Georgia home.

Looking back, Adrianne believes her passion for writing began at the ripe old age of thirteen. It was also the age when she was introduced to romance novels by a most unlikely source: her fifteen-year old brother. The book was probably given to keep her out her brother’s hair, but it was a gift that changed her life.

In books, Adrianne found a way out of her awkward teenage years and into a world of fictional friends that would stay with her for a lifetime. It wasn’t long before her imagination took flight and she was writing her own love stories. Within a year, she completed her first book, which she vowed would never see the light of day.

Writing remained a hobby until 1994 when a co-worker approached her with an article on Romance Writers of America. Who knew there was an organization of women just like her? By 1996 she sold her first novel, Defenseless, to Kensington Publishing.

Her first release received rave reviews by Romantic Times and fans. Her other novels were consistently selected as the Magazine’s Top Pick. In 2001 Slam Jam nominated, Say You Love Me, for best romance. Her 2003 release Comfort of a Man won Romantic Times Best Multicultural Romance, Romance in Color’s Readers Choice Awards for Favorite Book, Favorite Hero, and Favorite Heroine; Shades of Romance’s Best/Arabesque Romance Book; Slam Jams Emma Award for Favorite Traditional Romance; Romance in Color’s Reviewer’s Choice Award for Author of the Year, Book of the Year and Best BET/Arabesque Book. And lastly Comfort of a Man was a 2003 Georgia Romance Writers Maggie finalist for best Contemporary. In 2004 she released her first romantic suspense novel, If You Dare, with HarperCollins. In 2006 her novel Measure of a Man was nominated for Best Multicultural Romance while her Harper Torch novel Deadly Double was nominated for an Emma. In 2007 she won an eharlequin.com Joey Award.

In 2006 Adrianne along with fellow writer Niobia Bryant penned her first Urban Novel, DESPERATE HOODWIVES, writing as De'nesha Diamond. The book is set for release February 2008 from Simon and Schuster. For more information, visit http://www.deneshadiamond.com.

Ms. Byrd has been featured in many national publications, including Today’s Black Woman, Upscale, and Heart and Soul. She has also won local awards for screenwriting. For the future, she looks forward to continue creating characters that make people smile, laugh, and fall in love.

Reviews

[Delaney Diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny. This book reminds me of a romantic comedy movie.

The heroine is quirky and downright zany, and I loved her character. It was nice to read how their relationship blossomed over time and get to watch them be flirtatious and silly with each other.

[E.A. DeBoest · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unlucky playwright, Nikki Jamison, bombs on her plays opening night. And since she's had an unlucky streak, plus dealing with her father's disappointment, she escapes without looking back.
Hylan Dawson, a successful business man, needs a much needed getaway at his vacation home in the Caribbean. But when he arrives, he's congratulated over and over on his marriage. The only problem is that he doesn't know he's married.

I loved it! It's romantic, sexy, fun, and full of surprises!

[Angelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Byrd has been doing here thang.....This book was sooo good...Nikki and Hylan were TOO FUNNY you will be LOL all through this book....Body Heat was definitely the right name for this book cause the HEAT was jumping off the pages....You will not be able to put this book down once you pick it up...LOVED IT.....”

[SassyMama · Rating 5 out of 5]

A HILARIOUS, ROMANTIC, FUN, SEXY read...I was CAPTIVATED from beginning to end by the WITTY dialogue, the ENTERTAINING storyline and the UNFORGETTABLE cast of characters...the romance between Hylan and Nikki is SIZZLING...and I can't wait to read about the next Kappa Psi Kappa man to lose his "playa" card...Ms. Byrd has done it, AGAIN!

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual Ms. Byrd has written a delightful read. This is a nice twist on the secret marriage storyline and despite knowing how the story will need it is the journey of getting there that will keep the reader turning the pages. Colorful characters, hot sexual chemistry, humor, and an exotic setting makes for a complete romance read.

[Caletha · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh I loved every second of this story.. I wish I would've. devoured it the moment I picked it up. this series is amazing for it to be so small. it's packed with much I just can't get enough. on to the next book in the series... to bad Stanley doesn't have a book I really want to know his story too. Ms. BYRD ITS NEVER TO LATE TO ROUND OUT THE STORY!!!

[Pierrette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start but good material

After reading book two, I was a bit skeptical but this was completely hilarious, romantic and worth while. After the story takes off, you just can't stop reading. Totally worth the read.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick lovable funny read

Couldn't put it down. I have never read anything like it. It was fast paced, but enough character development and the couple are hilarious.

[clinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love will find away

Story line build up was good. Enjoyed how it was pulled together. How all the characters are pulled together in the book

[Delano Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Body Heat requires a higher level of maturity and really envelopes Adrianne Byrd's position of love and pleasure. At first, I was convinced that this was a mature 18 plus book for adults and shouldn't be in my hands, but soon realized the book has hidden connotations within. The female protagonist, Nikki Jamison,wants desperately to pursue her dreams of becoming a top Broadway writer however, many dilemmas formulate along the way, delaying Nikki's dreams. To solve her problems, Nikki chooses to run and hide in an unknown vacation resort where she persuades the villagers she is the wife of the Hylan, the males protagonist that owns the house. Hylan is a lifetime player, he takes advantage of women and wishes no more than to get inside a lady's pants. Byrd's attempt to consolidate both love and pleasure clashes and formulates perfectly.

Women are rarely allowed to be bold and devious in society; most directors are men, and they see women as goals, prizes, enemies, lovers, but rarely as a prominent figure. This book reveals this concept to be false and stereotypical. Women are generally grouped as tools, objects that are expendable and replaceable. However, Adrianne Byrd mixes the sexual pleasure of men and the amorous women to compensate for such gender stereotypes.

[Teleyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Body Heat had me in suspicion of what was going to happen next...in the beginning; eventually, one can conclude what was going to happen next after the first sex scene. In my opinion, Hylan was a stereotypical male that only chased the ladies for sexual pleasure. However, that soon changed after he met his "wife". Nikki,on the other hand was someone that you never knew what they were going to do next. It was very surprising to me when Nikki went the extra mile to go live in another man's house for a year. It was even more intriguing when Hylan actually went along with the lie for so long, he could've easily exposed her for who she really was. Unfortunately, the book became less interesting to me when the Nikki's father quarreled with Hylan. I didn't like him as a character because he was so ignorant towards the whole situation. At first I thought that he destroyed the love that Hylan and Nikki had for each other, but to my surprise Hylan still fought for her. Overall, this was a good read.

[Shonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

HEAT!!! HOT!!! STEAMY!!! I really liked this story. I wish the heroine was a little bit more self confident but other than that, it was a good read. This is definitely a story I will reread. Especially the basement scene.

Oh yeah, I had one additional comment. I wish that when authors have stories that are part of a series that they didn’t let the old stories take up so many lines, pages. When I’m reading this story, I don’t need a recap of what so and so did in book one. Just let them talk in the story and move on. It’s nerve wrecking when I have to have recap/summary of previous books or that the characters get so much time. At one point his frat brothers were at a barbershop or pool hall (I don’t remember) and they were talking but the hero wasn’t there so what’s the point. Okay, that’s my 2 cents but I still think this was a good read. I’ll just ignore the parts I don’t like when I reread this story.

[DeeReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adrianne Byrd's "Body Heat" was hilarious!!!!!!!!!!! Nicole, the heroine of this "funny as all get out" novel was just down on her luck and needed a break after her off, off, off broadway play ends overnight. Listening to her and loud friends, she actually claimed being married to the owner of lovely house in the Carribean. Little does she knows was that eventually Hylan, the player and hero would eventually come home for a must needed vakay.

You will truly love how Nikki impulsiveness and Hylan's living for the moment cause them both to generate large quantities of unadulterated "Body Heat". I strongly recommend this as a true Goodread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FYI: This is book 3 in the Kappa Psi Kappa series

[Sash Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING,
welll... at least to me.
I was caught up from beginning to end.
I mean the chemistry between Hylan and Nikki was HOT.
I Loved Nikki's crazy but cute personality, and the
fact that Hylan was a player who swore he'd never fall
but fell hard the first time he saw Nikki.
Definitely one of the best books I've read so far this year.
I LOVED IT.
Yuup ... Adrianne Byrd definitely brought it with this one.

[Lady Raven RAVE! · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had crazy steam coming from it OMG this book is juicy. The sex alone deserve and academy award. And can I get my own Hylan that man could fake being my husband any time. Nikki love her character was really out there but I loved it I love everything about this book. Get this book read it it's good from start to end KEEPER

[Texas Diva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one bites the just!!!

A must read. Hylan is a playa. Nikki is reinventing her life-vía a make-believe marriage to Hylan. They've never met...and it only gets better from there. This is a funny, heart-warming, just too damn cute love story. Oh and very Hot love scenes. You Will love this journey of another Kappa brother throwing his playa card in. Great job Ms. Bird.

[V. Rena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though the setting seemed so soreal, the writer made it work for her characters. Nikki felt like a constant failure while Hylan always was the confident one. Life situations brought them together, but they're acquaintance with each other and eventually love kept them together. It was fun read.

[Des · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the most improbable stories I've ever read. It had witty & funny dialogue though.

[Kyra Gates · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this a while ago

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would love to see this one become a LifeTime Movie. It has become one of my favorites.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written and cute. The storyline is bit far-fetched and borderline Lifetime movie. Other than that, an enjoyable read.

[Cf · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first book in the series it was ok. Probably won't continue with series.

[Stephanie Sinkfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

[Teaguem2005 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok read. Nikki pretends to be Hylan's wife and he goes along with it. Meh.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. Nikki is crazy. I was laughing from the beginning to the end.

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was better than I expected. Although I really hated her father, she should've been the one to tell him to shut to hell up.

[JOYCE]

Great read

[Toniette · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOL this book is funny and that girl is cray cray. How do you get mad at the home owner for coming home when you lied to an entire island saying you were the wife of a man you've never met? Really!?!