Turning a certified disaster into a certifiable dish!
Image consultant Haven Hoyt needs to take former pop superstar Mark Webster from boozing, brawling mess to presentable musician—capable of keeping his tacky boot out of his mouth. Mark has no interest in being molded, but once she’s finished with him, he’ll be a work of art.
Haven has very simple rules for herself: be perfectly put together, don’t crack under pressure and never sleep with your client! But under the scruff and the surly attitude, Mark is hot. Haven’s careful image is unraveling with every look of lust and too-tempting touch. This talented musical hunk wants to pluck her strings. If she’s not careful, she’ll fall for her work of art…and break each of her rules in the process!
| Title: | Hot and Bothered |
| Author: | Serena Bell |
| Series: | n/a |
| Pages: | 224 |
| Category / Genre(s): | Harlequin / Mills & Boon (Blaze) |
| Trope(s): | Makeover Rockstar Romance |
| Point of View: | |
| Location: | US |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 1st January, 2015 |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Enjoyable but lacked connection
The premise of this Blaze story is slightly different than any I have come across before – an image consultant making over, and essentially falling for, a scruffy, bad-tempered former boyband singer.
I was a bit surprised by Mark to begin with. Normally in a Blaze story at the very least the heroine can see beyond the scruffiness, bad manners and bad dressing of the hero, to see the man beneath. I’m not sure she did and I certainly didn’t. I also got an image of dirtiness (not the good kind) which made it a little icky for me when our heroine, Haven, first whispered in his (to my mind dirty) ear. That feeling soon wore off for me, thankfully.
“…a good read but in the end I was left wanting more.”
The strange thing about this story was that I actually really liked it. It was well written, kept my attention and did have a good depth to the story. There wasn’t as much sex as in other Blaze stories I have read but what there was was enjoyably sexy if not off the charts hot.
I liked both Haven and Mark and liked who they were when they were together. There wasn’t as much focus on the expected drama of falling for someone’s image rather than who they are on the inside, which I was pleased about. Instead, the conflict comes from other sources and felt true to life.
My main issue with this book was that I didn’t feel that connection between the main characters. There was no sizzling, jumpy feeling in the pit of your stomach, or chemistry between the pair which really did disappoint me. The book was still a good read but in the end I was left wanting more. 3 stars.
USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.
Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.
When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
No Comments