Review from BookLife Reviews
Austin Heat: THE ONE...Who Undid Me (Book 1 of 6) (Austin Heat Series)
By Nylix, Amari
This spicy romance series starter from Nylix centers on the tangled courtship of two gorgeous people making new starts in Austin, Texas-and, as their attraction percolates and their connection firms up, not quite coming clean to each other about who they are. Jake Skyler is an NFL pro with a reputation for womanizing, now eager to find the right girl. One day, at the "demilitarized zone" (as in "no fighting, no flirting") of the gym, he meets Rakell McCarthy, a new arrival in Austin eager to explore non-serious dating while transitioning out of her work as an elite international escort to billionaires.
The sparks are intense and immediate, with Rakell admiring Jake's "charming fierceness" and "broad chest," and Jake "so focused on her eyes and her smile he hadn't noticed her breasts, a first for him." The two circle each other, both keeping their secrets-his career and bad rep; her career and current gig as the pretend girlfriend of gay billionaire Matt-even as they grill kebabs, go to karaoke, and feel the sweeping, exciting intensity for each other that readers crave. Nylix deftly describes and stirs those feelings, balancing frank scenes of intimacy with strong character work for both leads. Each of the couple's perspective sections plumb their depths, desires, and secrets convincingly.
Nylix handles high-end sex work with sensitivity and not-too-much fantasy, especially what romance feels like for a woman who, before now, has known "men through one lens only: that of an escort." Nylix's dialogue is sharp and engaging, especially when Jake and Rakell drop their guards a bit, whether discussing the complexities of dating or daring each other to sext. The novel's hefty length and its lack of a clear resolution for Jake and Rakell may put some readers off, but romance fans who like stories that are heated, convincingly human, and dashed with celebrity will be eager for more.
2023-09-26
An NFL player and a sex worker fall for each other while hiding their occupations in Nylix’s romance novel.
Jake “Pretty Boy” Skyler is the starting quarterback for a new NFL team, the Sacramento Condors, and is spending the off-season at home in Austin, Texas. Training at the gym one day, he encounters the mysterious and gorgeous Rakell McCarthy, an escort for wealthy clients around the world. Rakell has moved to Austin to pose as the girlfriend of Matthew Edward Waterman III, who hires escorts to hide the fact that he’s gay from his conservative and wealthy family. Jake has recently taken a break from dating after his first attempt at a long-term relationship went badly (the actress he was seeing publicly cheated on him). Before that debacle, Jake had garnered a scandalous reputation in the media as a playboy; the Condors' coach stipulates that Jake must get his dating life and public image together as a condition of his employment. Jake decides he needs a “normal girl,” and Rakell seems to fit the bill. The attraction between Jake and Rakell is undeniable (“She flinched at the way the command in his voice titillated her skin, as if he’d slowly run his fingers from her knees up her inner thighs”); as they begin to spend time together, Rakell and Jake hide the truth about their careers from each other, each pretending to just be “normal” people. This pretense becomes more difficult as their relationship intensifies, leading to complications and confrontations amid spicy rendezvous. The novel is sexy and truly grounded in its emotional intelligence. The characters, particularly Jake, have a fascinating interiority. A few choices in verbiage mar the sex positivity of the book slightly, as Rakell looks disparagingly on other sex workers and uses the term “clean” to refer to her STI status. Still, the novel responsibly depicts safe sexual practices, including consent and thoughtful conversations about health issues.
An emotional and steamy female pleasure-centric romance series opener.
