Jump Start

Texas Hotzone #1

by Lisa Renee Jones

A battlefield moment of clarity leads Sergeant Bobby Evans back to the Texas town he fled long ago. His new mission--winning back the woman he wants, by any naughty means necessary.Jennifer Jones spent seven years aching with the memory of Bobby's blistering kisses--and his sudden, silent departure. Now he's back, looking to pick up where they left off--naked and voracious. But Jen won't get burned again, no matter how "hot" Bobby turned out. Two torrid weeks, then she'll give him his marching orders...or not!

Genres: Romance, Harlequin Blaze, Contemporary, Military Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin, Fiction

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 21, 2010

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series. Suzanne Todd (producer of Alice in Wonderland) on the INSIDE OUT series: Lisa has created a beautiful, complicated, and sensual world that is filled with intrigue and suspense. Sara’s character is strong, flawed, complex, and sexy - a modern girl we all can identify with.

In addition to the success of Lisa's INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is presently working on a dark, edgy new series, Dirty Money, for St. Martin's Press.
Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women's Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on Twitter and Facebook daily.

Reviews

[Lisa Jones]

Three sexy standalones - BINGE THE TEXAS HOTZONE HOTTIES NOW

JUMP START
A battlefield moment of clarity leads Sergeant Bobby Evans back to the Texas town he fled long ago. His new mission--winning back the woman he wants, by any naughty means necessary. Jennifer Jones spent seven years aching with the memory of Bobby's blistering kisses--and his sudden, silent departure. Now he's back, looking to pick up where they left off--naked and voracious. But Jen won't get burned again, no matter how "hot" Bobby turned out. Two torrid weeks, then she'll give him his marching orders...or not!

BUY JUMP START ​(book one)
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Nook: https://bit.ly/2RAbFXI
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Paperback: http://mybook.to/JumpStartPB

BUY HIGH OCTANE (book two)
Well-known newspaper journalist Sabrina Cameron has arrived in Austin, Texas, to reinvent herself. Besides a new job and new friends, what better cure for her control-freak tendencies than to skydive for the first time in her life? Super-sexy jumpmaster Ryan "Cowboy" Walker is just the wild man to push Sabrina to her limits—both of them know it on sight. The high-octane experiences that follow, meanwhile, have nothing to do with leaping from a plane. Talk about losing control!

​But when Sabrina's suddenly forced to choose between new loyalties and old…it'll not only force her to choose who she's going to be…but who she's going to be with.

BUY HIGH OCTANE (book two)
Amazon: http://mybook.to/HighOctane
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Nook: https://bit.ly/2Ebm7lk
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Paperback: http://mybook.to/HighOctanePB

BREATHLESS DESCENT ​(book three)
Ten years ago, an impulsive eighteen-year-old Shay White kissed Caleb Martin, her brother's best friend. The resulting chemistry was hot enough to send Caleb running. Now he's back, an ex-special forces operative getting his skydiving business off the ground. But Shay figures that all that sexual tension was a "forbidden fruit" sort of thing. A simple kiss should put that fantasy to rest, right?

​Wrong. Instead, Shay and Caleb find themselves caught in a web of need and decide to finally do something about it, in the most exquisitely carnal way possible. Now Shay and Caleb are tumbling into a lust-fueled freefall, are they headed for a safe landing or the kind of crash that will change their lives forever?

BUY BREATHLESS DESCENT ​(book three)
Amazon: http://mybook.to/BreathlessDescent
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Nook: https://bit.ly/3kt96mn
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Paperback: http://mybook.to/BreathlessDescentPB

EXCERPT FROM BREATHLESS DESCENT
“What if we regret this?”

He laced the fingers of one of his hands with hers. “What if we don’t?”

Fretful, she rejected that nonanswer. “What if we do, Caleb?”

“The only regret I’ll have is walking away and losing another day pretending we don’t want each other.”

Sending him away would be hard. It would stink. But… “But what if something does go wrong? What if it makes you afraid to come around the family?” She frowned when she noticed he was smiling. “What about this is amusing?”

“The part where you still say ‘what if’ at the beginning of every sentence when you are feeling out of control,” he admitted unashamedly.

“I’m serious, Caleb,” she said, refusing to be drawn into playful banter designed to redirect her questions. “What if it’s not what we thought it would be? Will we act strangely? All this build-up. What if—”

“What if—” he drew her wrist to his lips “—I kiss you here.” His mouth pressed to her pulse point, and she felt it all over her body. “Or here?” He opened her palm and kissed it, as well. “Or even here?” He kissed the bend of her arm, which was really, really sexy, in a way she’d never imagined. No one had ever kissed her there. Shay shuddered with arousal.

His lips lifted with satisfaction as he asked, “At what point will I convince you…it’s going to be good?” He folded her in his arms, his body cradling hers, his lips near her ear. “Because it’s already good for me.”

Shay buried her face in his neck, inhaling the scent of him. “I’m just—” she hesitated and decided to be honest—this was Caleb after all “—nervous.” She laughed. “Yeah. I’m really nervous.”

He pulled back, his hand sliding down her hair. “I’m still me,” he said, his eyes warm with comfort. “The same guy you once pushed into the swimming pool, ruining my boots.”

A sudden spell of laughter bubbled from her lips. She should have known he’d come up with the perfect thing to calm her nerves. “You were so mad. I’d venture to say you were furious.”

“And you never told me why you did it,” he reminded her.

“I don’t remember,” she said coyly, but of course, she did. She’d worn a dress to get his attention, and he’d told her it was too old for her, treated her like a kid sister. Not fifteen minutes later, she had the opportunity and took it. Caleb went into the pool, fully clothed. Seeing him sopping wet had done a lot to ease the bite of his reprimand.

“Liar,” he purred, nibbling at her neck and picking her up, his hands sliding around her backside. Shay wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms wrapping around his neck. “Why’d you push me into that pool?”

“I was sixteen and hormonal, and you were in the way,” she said, which was the truth—just not the whole truth. She intended to keep her youthful pettiness to herself.

Caleb headed down the stairs toward the living room, rather than toward the bedroom, and she knew it was because she’d told him she was nervous. The man was full of all kinds of awesomeness. Big, brawny and manly, yet he could be so darn sensitive.

“Liar,” he accused, sitting down on the couch and taking her with him.

Shay automatically leaned into him, her hands leveraging her weight on his shoulders, the V of her body intimately spread across his cock. He was hard, his eyes hot, his hands gentle as they caressed her back. Thin layers of clothing separated them, but nothing more. Clothes that would soon be removed. And she knew he was thinking the same thing. She could see it in the heaviness of his eyelids, the tightness around his mouth.

“You were mad at me over the dress,” he said softly, sliding his hands under her T-shirt, his calloused fingers brushing the skin of her midsection with delicious friction. “I wanted to turn you over my knee and spank you for strutting around half-naked, inviting that kind of attention. You were asking for trouble.”

“Spank me?” she repeated. Something about her bare butt across his lap was so erotic. Maybe because she knew he would never really hurt her. But what he might do was please her, and that intrigued her. A slow smile slid onto her lips, and the familiar teasing between them banished her nerves. “Might have been fun.”

He didn’t laugh. Heat flared in his expression, arousal etched in his face. He molded her closer, pressing her body tight against his, bringing his lips a warm breath from hers. “Watch out,” he warned softly, “or you might get more than you asked for.”

Had any other man said that to her, she would have probably run for the hills. She certainly wouldn’t have volleyed the seductive challenge back at him. But this was Caleb, and they not only volleyed, they volleyed well together. “Or maybe you will,” she warned softly.

He studied her, his eyes hungry and a bit primal, before he smiled and nipped her lips with his teeth, soothing the bite with his tongue. “I thought you were nervous?”

“I changed my mind.” Her fingers went to his face, her mouth to his, where she whispered, “I’ve wanted you too long to waste our time being nervous.”

A low growl escaped his lips, the intensity matching that look he’d given her—masculine and rough, in a way that stroked a path down her nerve endings and right to her core. A second later, and not soon enough, Caleb’s tongue parted her lips, tasting her with hot, wet demand. And she loved it—loved that after all those years of wanting him, of trying to push him over the edge, he was falling and taking her with him.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Harlequin romance which was really well written and I enjoyed reading it and would definately recommend it. I turn to Harlequin when I need something that is nice easy and not too heavy a read and this didn't disappoint.

I felt the connection between Jennifer and Bobby and almost fell in love with Bobby myself lol. Usually with most Harlequin books we only really see the angst from the female side of the story and in the main only discover the male angst nearer the end of the story but with Jump Start we were privvy to Bobby's angst almost from the beginning which made him vulnerable and therefore loveable.

Although I didn't approve of the Jennifer's best friend keeping secrets from her I kind of understood why and was glad that Jennifer did finally (after giving her a hard time) forgive her. In fact I really liked Marcie (the best friend) even though she was a bit dappy at times but she was obviously a very sweet and harmless sort of person who loved her friends and only really wanted the best for them. I really laughed over the episode with the shoes at her wedding and thought it was typical Marcie!

A very good story which is well written.

I am now reading Ryan's story in High Octane and will then go on to read about Caleb in Breathless Descent.

[Bec · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually love LRJ stories, however this second chance didn’t appeal to me. To the point now, almost two months later I can’t remember it in its entirety. I can recall he left her comes back seven years later and expects all to be well. What I can remember is I didn’t like how the bestie kept in contact over all this time. Seven years and you don’t tell your best friend anything? Weird.

I’ve read second chance where one party leaves due to home circumstances. To leave abruptly and not say goodbye. To never contact for this period of time requires a big grovel and I don’t remember this one having one. 🙃

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/15/2023)! 🎁

[Wminbc · Rating 3 out of 5]

series may be good...I liked Bobby a lot, but I would personally not speak to Marcie if she were a "supposed" friend...don't go behind my back for 7 yrs and then expect me to be happy about it???

That point erked me over and over again...Can't wait for Caleb's book!

[Vicki Shaff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

Bobby and Jennifer were in love and planning a future. Then he just leaves her without telling her why. What she doesn't know is his father is a mean drunk and he's afraid of turning out to be like him. So he leaves and joins the service eventually becoming part of the special forces. Seven years of dangerous missions and he's never forgotten her. Now his mission is to try and win her back. Jen's heart broke when Bobby left and in all the time he's been gone she never heard a word from him. Her best friend is getting married and guess who is back in town. Can they find what they lost? Great reading.

[Becky Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jump Start is a fantastic start to the Texas Hotzone series. This is Bobby's second chance to get things right with Jennifer. I love how he keeps at it and proves that he will be worth taking another chance at their love. Jennifer is sweet and you can tell she is still hurting over what happened years ago. Bobby is special forces and can handle just about anything thrown at him. I just love how Jennifer gives him a run for his money and doesn't make things easy. I love Bobby and Jennifer. I really cannot wait to see where Lisa Renee Jones takes us next in this sexy, sweet military romance.

[Melanie Marnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with many Lisa Renee Jones books you get put right in the middle of some heart pounding action in the first pages and it sets up the story perfectly. Bobby Evans and Jennifer Jones are wonderful characters set amidst a swirl of strong emotions. He walked away seven years ago with no explanation. She's had seven years to learn to hate him and move on with her life. He owes her the truth. She's not interested. He has two weeks to change her mind.

[Phyllis Lopez]

So Exciting!

Rekindled love after seven years apart. It was so sexy and hot! Bobby Evans joined the Army to escape a drunken father, but he also left the love of his life. Jennifer Jones broken hearted followed her dreams, leaving memories of Bobby buried in the past. But sometimes the past shows up and hits you in the face when you least expect it too. A great read! Loved it!

[bookjunkiejane · Rating 1 out of 5]

The girl best friends in a lot of books are such bullshit characters.. They are hypocrites and obviously give shit advice.. It's always - sleep with the guy who broke your heart... Really? How can those girls be so desperate? No ounce of self respect in their body to be honest.. It's like you'll die if you don't have sex with the guy who left you.. Pathetic is an understatement..

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay read

Had higher expectations from this author but this was just an okay read. Female character wasn’t my cup of tea. Full of anger and bitterness then thinking she’s got it all sorted in her head she turns bitter again. My head swivelled so much with her I was glad to get to the end of the book. Not a fan.

[Delaine Mclafferty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new beginning.

What a wonderful way to start a new series. It's got heartbreak, love, alpha males, trouble, and a great way to say you made a terrible mistake. Loved it and can't wait to start the next book.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite but I will read the series

I was really looking forward to this series but I was somewhat disappointed. Bobby seemed like such a jerk to me and I would never have let him back in my life. The whole wedding party seemed like a bunch of juveniles that ran interference between Bobby and Jeniffer. Jennifer was a yoyo. Yes no yes no. I wanted to smack them both by the end.

I will read the rest of the series because I love Lisa's writing. You know, sometimes you just don't like people for whatever reason, I'm looking forward to the next couples.

[Jo Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

hotshot happy ever after

After 7 years of no communication Bobby is ready to go home and leave the army special forces behind him but will Jen still be waiting? The wedding of their mutual friends give him the opportunity to show her exactly how he feels and wants.

[Will Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alpha male, hot strong heroine, throw in some really good spices and it all comes together in a very entertaining story. I really like this author's writing style. The characters are believable, even the sub-characters. Good book!

[Rise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it. Sad, Happy, conflict... what more could you want from a romance novel?

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Through all the twist and turns they had to go through love and trust won out and made them better.

[Lora Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Lisa Renee Jones books, never boring,loved this book,bought the next one.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written second chance romance.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOTZONE

Good read, some serious hot & sexy scenes! A bit of mystery & mayhem too. A no brainer easy to read story.

[Diana Proto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some loves never die…they just keep existing until both parties come to terms with the inevitable. That is the story about Bobby, who left a drunken father and ran away to become a kickass military guy and his high school girlfriend Jennifer, who stayed behind and created a life in her hometown becoming the veterinarian she always aspired to be. They were apart for 7 years and as soon as they saw each other again it doesn’t take them long to get back together to figure out all the issues they needed to deal with when they were younger. If you are looking for an enjoyable read…without a lot of angst…this book is for you.

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the ‘Texas Hotzone’ series out of order. I started with the 2nd and then the 3rd and I wanted to come back to see how Bobby’s and Jennifer’s relationship started and this book was my favorite out of the three. It was full of love, heart break, a lot of spice in and out of the bedroom ;-), love again, relationships being rekindled, and I thought it was humorous too. Marcie (Jen’s BFF) is a hysterical Bridezilla!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far my favorite Harlequin Blaze series /Author. I could not put it down. I loved everything about this book and I wish Lisa Renee Jones would write more Blaze books asap. This is one of the few books in my reread pile. I think I have already read it four times. I love it.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Texas Hotzone

[Robin *loves sexy books* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great 3.5 stars, sweet stories!!

[Tracy Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending was great!

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

04/05/13