ARC Review of A Little Too Hot by Lisa Desrochers

[Barbara Ann RS]

A Little Too Hot is the third novel in Lisa Rocher’s sexy new adult romance series, A Little Too Far, and this story centers around Samantha West, or Sam, who is introduced in the first book,  A Little Too Far as one of Lexie’s best friends. Although this book can stand alone without having read the previous two installments, I would encourage you to read A Little Too Far first because Sam plays a significant role in Lexie and Trent’s story, and you will have greater insight into her situation and state of mind when A Little Too Hot begins. Regardless, Rocher provides enough of Sam’s backstory for you to enjoy and follow this protagonist’s journey toward self-discovery and growth.

I have to admit I wasn’t too fond of Sam’s character when I started the book based on how she was depicted in A Little Too Far, and I didn’t expect to enjoy this novel as much as the other two based on my initial assessment of her, but Rocher has a great knack for taking seemingly flat characters who are easy to judge and perhaps dismiss, and really fleshing them out so they become dynamic and well-rounded.  Sam is a prime example of the author’s ability to bring out the complexities of a flawed character and bring her to life on the page.

Sam is at a precipice when her story picks up in A Little Too Hot. She’s on a downward spiral and really floundering from all of the setbacks she’s recently experienced. The boy she’s had a crush on for the past five years has dumped her for her best friend; she’s partied too much instead of studying and has flunked out of college; her disappointed parents have decided to take the “tough love’ approach and made her move out; and to top everything off, she’s just gotten fired from her job. Although working at a gentleman’s club isn’t what Sam imagined doing with her life, she finds the easy money too hard to resist. 

It took me a while to warm up to Sam because of her attitude. I found her to be self-absorbed, apathetic, and unmotivated in general. Moreover, I didn’t like that Sam refuses to take responsibility for the choices she’s made. Instead, she blames everyone else for her problems and the unfortunate circumstances she finds herself in. In the first half of the book, I did a lot of eyeball rolling and head shaking as I watched Sam just seem to mindlessly float along instead of taking control of her life.  Yet, readers are also given a glimpse into another side of Sam that seems incongruent with the other aspects of her life when we discover that she teaches self-defense classes at the local women’s shelter.  In order to learn Karate, Sam has had to be focused, dedicated, and disciplined, so I know she has the potential for success. She just needs a push in the right direction.

However, instead of a “gentle nudge” she gets full-force “take my breath away” knock down in the form of a sexy Texan who unexpectedly turns Sam’s world upside down soon after they meet and things get just a little too hot! Then the real drama begins to unfold, which puts Sam’s life in danger and becomes the catalyst that forces her to take a good long, hard look at her life. Her ongoing self-reflection and her burgeoning relationship with Harrison are two primary forces driving her to change and rise above the mistakes she’s made.

The chemistry between Sam and Harrison ignites right from the start, and Rocher knows exactly how to tease and draw out the sexual tension between them until it becomes downright explosive!

 I wish I could go into more detail about the plot, but I cannot without revealing spoilers, and I don’t want to ruin any surprises for readers. Harrison is a drool-worthy hero who is easy to like but sometimes I think his desire for Sam overrides his best judgment causing him to make some mistakes that become problematic in the long run. Although Sam isn’t one of my favorite characters, her journey clearly shows that if we face our struggles head on, we can, indeed, change the course of our lives for the better.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 Link to Review

https://sunmountainreviews.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/blog-tour-revie...