Friday 26 September 2014

Review: Her Best Shot by Shannyn Schroeder

Her Best Shot ( Hot & Nerdy#1) by Shannyn Schroeder
Publisher: eKensington
Publication date: September 29nd 2014
My rating:  3.5 stars 
Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18755773-better-homes-and-hauntings
With college graduation looming, three childhood friends vow to make spring break their last blast of pure fun. But at least one of them didn’t count on such incredible heat…

Layla Sharpe is definitely more math ninja than bikini babe, and her future has been calculated with razor precision. Convinced to let loose over spring break, Layla is finally ready to party—until her car breaks down halfway to her destination, leaving her stranded in Georgia with a mouthwateringly hot pool shark. She knows more than enough about angles to learn the game, but this week she wants him to appreciate her curves…

Phin Marks has never met a girl like Layla. She’s more Star Wars geek than seductress, and when he offers her a place to stay while her car is in the shop, he’s counting on the attraction between them to set the nights ablaze, no strings attached. But every moment he spends with Layla makes it harder to let her go. Can he persuade her to gamble in the most dangerous way possible…on forever?



My Thoughts:
I’m a big fan of the novella done right because as a romance junkie it provides me a quick fix. But novellas can be tricky because the author has a short amount of time to capture the reader’s heart and mind, and do it successfully. Her Best Shot accomplished that in just 130 pages!

Layla is on her way to spring break to celebrate landing a job and finishing school.  When her car breaks down in a small Atlanta town her plans are derailed.  Passing the time while she waits to get the verdict on her car, she goes into a bar for a drink.  Immediately Layla’s drawn to a pool player as he wins game after game, dazzling her with his talent as well as his looks. 

Phin is mesmerized by the smart, determined and super sexy, Layla. They connect so well and have an amazing time together, and instead of looking at pool as a way to earn some extra cash, he truly has fun playing the game with Layla.  At the bar they dance around their attraction with flirty glances, intentional brushes, and then a searing kiss, won by a bet, ignites their fiery attraction. When all of Layla’s belongings are stolen Phin offers up his place as a crash pad until she gets everything sorted.  Being alone, in close quarters they have nothing holding them back and they give in to the lust that had been building.

She dug her fingers into his shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“Taking you to bed.”

Yes, please!

Feeling scared at the prospect of finishing school and being pinned in by a 9 to 5 job, Layla is enticed to leave it all for this sexy pool player.  His carefree life appeals to her, he seems to take jobs at wherever he chases down the next pool tournament and this suddenly sounds like an attractive option to Layla.  Little does she know that Phin left his family and Gypsy way of life, drifting and conning, for everything Layla is now trying to run from.  He’s been saving his money to settle down somewhere permanent.  Panic clouds Phin’s judgment; he doesn’t want Layla to regret her spur of the moment choice.  Can these two get on the same page and make more of their brief time and intense physical and emotional connection?

I was definitely rooting for Layla and Phin’s romance in spite of them just meeting and falling in such a short time. I felt they had a real connection that could be built on and survive for the long haul, enough for a HEA.  I was a little disappointed with Phin over his reaction to Layla’s plans, but I quickly got over it; especially because it forced Layla to face her future instead of throwing all her education and hard work away.  Yes, he went about things a bit stupidly but I admired his determination to fix things and win Layla’s heart for good.

If you’re in the mood for a short, HOT, and fulfilling romance Her Best Shot is the book for you.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out this is a series with the next book focusing on one of Layla’s college friends, Charlie in Her Perfect Game.  




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6 comments:

Mary @ BookSwarm said...

This sounds like a pretty fun NA...lest angsty and drama-filled than most NAs. Plus, yay for the brainy girl!

Joy said...

*smirks. I'm always in the mood for "short, hot and fulfilling romance". :)

Emma said...

I swear I don't read enough novellas. For me, I tend to read the series first before I even know there is a novella, then I never remember to read them, hehe. But I'm always in for a short romance. I'm a sucker for them, with a much needed escapism with some steamy scenes. Great review, Rachel.

Unknown said...

I love that Quote! qood novellas arE hard to come by, so thanks for the rec!

Keertana said...

Who isn't in the mood for a HOT (love the capitals there, Rachel!) read? I know I am! ;) Definitely hunting this one down so thanks for putting it on my radar!(:

Unknown said...

Wow, Rachel! This seems like a perfect short, steamy read! There's something very romantic between opposite attractions. <3 I'm a bit cautious at the mention of "just meeting and falling in such a short time", but I'm ready to overlook it because this book seems too sweet to pass. :P Please, who can resist a hot pool player? (It reminds me of Puck in Hush Hush haha)

Wonderful review, darling! :)

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