Macy Beckett welcomes readers back to Sultry Springs, Texas. In Sultry with a Twist, she introduced us to June, Luke and all their friends and family. Now we’re back, this time with Luke’s sister, Bobbi, and Luke’s best friend, Trey. Bobbi is a documentary film-maker, but a scandal has ruined her career. Now her only way back is to work on a sleazy dating reality show filmed in her brother’s small home town. A chance to fix her reputation is very important to her and she can’t afford to be distracted by her brother’s oh-so-sexy friend. Trey has an opportunity to clear the Other Than Honorable discharge from his military record by spending two years doing private security in Dubai. But when Luke asks him to help watch over Bobbi while she’s in town, Trey may find it hard to keep his promise, and his hands off his best friend’s little sister, until the end of the summer.
I absolutely could not put this book down – in fact, I read it in just a day. Bobbi was only a mention in the fist book, but Trey played a prime role and he was one of my favorites in a long list of well-loved characters. I’m so thrilled he got his own story. He has that standard romance novel issue of commitment issues, but he has his reasons. He’s had almost no examples of a good marriage – pretty much only Luke & June – not only has he had a couple of unfaithful girlfriends, plus Luke’s first wife, but his own dad has been cheating on his mother for years.
Bobbi has her own issues. She had a less than typical upbringing – an addict mother who cared little about food, hygiene or clothes for her young daughter. When her mother died, she ended up in foster care and then adopted by two wonderful men. But by that time she had quite a few scars from spiteful children. She may still struggle with feelings of adequacy but not as much as she struggles with her intense attraction to Trey. And together they are witty, funny and quite sexy.
As much as I loved the extended cast in the first Sultry Springs book, I could not get enough of the supporting characters in A Shot of Sultry. Trey has a wonderful teen who is spending a community service stint working for him and the relationship between the two is so sweet, in a guy kind of way. The quirky guys working on Bobbi’s documentary crew add a touch of hippie charm to Beckett’s small Texas town zaniness. But the best is by far Sherriff’s deputy Colton. He’s quite the womanizer but he’s got problems of his own and I absolutely cannot wait to get to the bottom of them in Surrender to Sultry coming in August.
A Shot of Sultry is that perfect mix of charm, humor and warmth. The characters are quirky and fun, with the perfect mix of banter and heart, and quite a bit of heat to keep things spicy. If you are looking for a steamy book on those hot summer nights, Beckett is your go-to-girl.
