After a drug bust goes awry and his partner is killed, Jake is nursing a bullet wound to his shoulder and he refuses to get physical therapy to return to duty. The highlight of his week is the visits with his sister to a cafe where he trades longing glances with a sexy waitress. When his sister decides to take a trip to Europe to nurse her own broken heart, she asks Jake to dog sit for her at her penthouse, not telling him that he has made arrangements for the sexy waitress, Brianne (who just so happens to be a physical therapist by day...) to move in and help get him back to health.

When the two discover the deception, both are convinced they won't succumb to temptation. That lasts about a half day, and they agree to a summer fling, as she plans to move to California where her brother will attend college in the fall. Jake knows that Brianne will discover he's back in near perfect health - something he's kept secret since he has his own plans to get even with Luis Ramirez, the drug dealer who killed his partner and eluded capture on a technicality. Luis has plans to get even with Jake by going through Brianne. As a precaution, Jake has a PI watch over Brianne when she is not with him. Soon she notices that she is being followed, and Jake is convinced it's Luis. Will he be able to protect the woman he loves from the man that killed his partner without losing his heart in the process?

Note that this is a re-issue that pre-dates Phillips' "Simply" series (Jakes sister Rina appears in "Simply Sexy" and the epilogue in this one is yet another shameless promotion to entice the reader to check out Rina's story). The writing is a bit pedestrian, the mystery and suspense kept at a minimum, but the steam that Phillips is known for is in abundance.

Body Heat is a quick summer romance novel with splash of danger and mystery. Jake is on leave from the Police Department after being shot. Brianna is a Physical therapist/Waitress who is overwhelmed with life. Jake's sister Rina finds the need to do a little matchmaking.... If you enjoy this genre, I would also suggest Body Check by Deirdre Martin , Wedding Survivor by Julia London, Glory Days by Irene Peterson and Squeeze Play by Kate Angell.

This book was a big disappointment. I picked up a Carly Phillips novel last year at the airport and was pleasantly entertained. I've read and enjoyed a couple of others since. This book, however, isn't one of them. This is a rerelease of a book Ms.Phillips wrote for Harlequin Romance years ago, and is now trying to use her recent popularity to sell once again. Let me say, she's improved in her writing immensely since she wrote this one. The book drags on and on as we wait for the inevitable coupling between the main characters. The internal dialogue is repetitive and the formulaic "romantic barrier" preventing the two characters from immediately committing is flimsy at best. The language is often stilted and the plot contrived. Thankfully, Ms. Phillips has learned to write a better book than this. Unfortunately, she's decided to foist her less-than-stellar early efforts off on her unsuspecting public, leaving at least this reader with a bad sense of having wasted my time on a crappy book and disappointment in the author.

This book was fun to read and everytime I had a free moment I wanted to read more. Breaks at work, before bed and wheneer I got to work a little early I would sit and read before I had to punch in. It kept me entertained however it was somewhat redundant. The thoughts of the main characters wer repeated over and over again. It felt like the whole novel was what they thought about their relationship and what the ultimate outcome was going to be. It was very romantic and somewhat unrealistic. The characters are loveable but I found them both to be somewhat annoying at times. The story focused more on the sex and emotions than the actual plot. For example, their relationship started as a patient/therapist relationship but everytime they start a session, things get steamy. Not that I really want to be reading details about physical therapy, but it just seemed redundant. Don't get me wrong, when the story acutally got into the plot, it was very enjoyable. I guess I just found the characters to be a little bit needy and maybe a little bit whiney.
-indifferent

While Jake sits at a table in the The Sidewalk Cafý waiting for his sister Rina, he is watching for the waitress that has captivated him and brought him back to the restaurant time and again. Jake is a detective on leave because of an injury caused by a drug dealer he was investigating, named Louis Ramirez. Jake isn't letting anyone know that he is recuperating, instead he is keeping his recovery to himself so he can decide if he wants to get back on the force. Ramirez had been caught, but got off on a technicality. Now Jake intends to get Ramirez on his own.

Brianne goes to work every night hoping to see the gorgeous man who has been appearing lately at the cafý she works in. Although he is always there with another woman, she can't help how attracted she is to him. Brianne is a physical therapist who works two jobs trying to pay for her brother's schooling.

One night Brianne is stopped by her mystery man's date. Rina asks Brianne to become Jake's physical therapist. She has an ulterior motive, though; Rina thinks that Brianne and Jake belong together. Rina sets them up in the hopes they will hit it off. Neither Jake nor Brianne are looking for a relationship, but their attraction to each other is deep and fighting it is futile. Together they decide to share a summer of passion together.

Brianne tells Jake that she notices a man following her and her description resembles Ramirez. Jake then uses their affair as an excuse to protect her. Finding Ramirez, and putting him behind bars is even more crucial now. As there relationship progresses, Jake is willing to put his career and his life on the line to protect her. Then Brianne shows Jake she is willing to do the same for him.

Body Heat is terrific! The sexual anticipation between Brianne and Jake is heady. The chemistry between them is delicious. Jake is commanding and protective. Brianne is both sweet and tough. She fits Jake like a glove. With a little nudge from Rina, Jake and Brianne's attraction grows into a lifetime love. The threat Ramirez poses and Jake's ability to protect Brianne add a thrilling element to the story. Body Heat is romantic, passionate and exciting; it thoroughly captivated me.


Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed