Heated Rivalry

Having read and enjoyed all of Patricia Sargeant's previous books, I was looking forward to the release of Heated Rivalry. And I was not disappointed. The sheer quality of her writing in combination with an engaging storyline is truly a joyful experience. Ms. Sargeant's characters are very well developed. She has painted a three dimensional picture of her main characters. Not only was I able to see them, I was also able to feel their emotions. Steve and Valerie's story was very special. The pain and frustration that Valerie was experiencing as a result of her father's negligence was palpable. It had stymied her growth emotionally. She was stuck, unable to move forward with her life. And yet Steve was able to see beyond that to her inner being and appreciate her true value, something she was unable to do for herself. At the same time, in spite of her own flaws, Valerie was able to hone in on Steve's major issue, people pleasing. The way Ms. Sargeamt was able to go inside, outside, and bring it all together, AWESOME!! I've been completely enthralled with everything Ms. Sargeant has published so far. Kudos to Patricia Sargeant!!

Heated Rivalry by Patricia Sargeant is another exceptional story of love and emotional growth. Valeria Parker pushes herself to excel at her fathers ad agency. It seems no matter what she does she falls short in wining his approval. Now she has to deal with the new hot shot partner Steven Crennell. Val feels she is ready for more challenging accounts and a much deserved promotion but Steven keeps getting in her way. Former NBA star Steven Crennell wants to prove he is more then just a basketball player. His work at the Parker Ad agency is challenging and fulfilling. When his ex tries to worm her way back into his life he needs Valerie to run interference. Val agrees to work with Steven on his ex's account by posing as his new fiancé. Working so closely with Steven on the account has their normal competitiveness turning into an all consuming passion. Can Steven get Valerie to trust him and turn their fake relationship into the real deal? Heated Rivalry has compelling characters that have problems that are touching to watch them work them out. Steven and Valerie are both driven to succeed but have to learn to let the really important things like love into their lives. Patricia Sargeant writes books that are keepers for me, I can go back to them at any time and fall right back in love with the characters.

This is the first Patricia Sargeant book I've read and I loved it! The main characters, Valerie and Steven, are smart, funny and hot, but both have human frailities that make them our friends as well as interesting characters. What I liked most about this book was the development of the supporting characters, from Valerie's Dad and Aunt to Manolin, her co-worker; from Steve's family and friends to his ex-fiancee, each character lived and breathed and generated interest and emotion from the reader. This book is carefully written, the detailing is wonderful and the love scenes are hot. A slam-dunk for Patricia Sargeant.

Valerie Parker has fought tooth and nail in her father's ad agency, doing everything necessary to advance herself and convince him to give her her own account team. It didn't look like that was going to happen anytime soon, seeing how he's insisting that she share a prospective, very lucrative account with junior partner Steven Crennell. Steven's capability is inarguable; he's charming and extremely attractive. Add the fact that he's a former NBA star and the man is downright irresistible to many, Valerie's father included. Being forced to work together has Valerie and Steven spending considerable time together and the attraction between them is undeniable and intensely heated. Despite Steven's tender affections, Valerie remains deeply hurt by her father's repeated, almost blatant, rejection. Steven wishes things were different between Valerie and her father, but he sees Garrison Parker as a mentor and doesn't want to interfere in their personal matters. His budding relationship with Valerie has him over the moon, but he's quickly brought down to Earth when Valerie makes a drastic, unexpected decision that has serious ramifications for both of them, professionally and personally. Readers will quickly fall for Valerie and Steven. Steven is a former NBA star who suffered a career-ending injury. He is an incredibly likable hero, and despite the typical playboy reputation of sports stars, he has maintained a level head and has consistently given back to the community. Valerie continues to mourn the loss of her mother years ago because it seems that she lost her father at the same time. Despite working together, there is an invisible wall between them and Valerie's heartache at times seems almost tangible; her frustration and pain are excellently written. I highly recommend HEATED RIVALRY to all romance readers. I feel certain that you'll find it as emotionally satisfying as I did.

Valerie Parker was smart, attractive, and a work-a-holic. After gaining the interest of Good N Healthy Foods, she was ready to prove that she was more than capable of bringing in the big accounts as well as serving as artistic lead. But her father, Gerry, co-founder and senior partner of Parker Advertising, had other ideas. He assigned the account to his junior partner, Steven Crennell, retired NBA star, who was also drop-dead gorgeous. Steven had an idea that could benefit them both - but Valerie wanted guarantees that she would get what she wanted. In Patricia Sargeant's Heated Rivalry, Valeria found herself fighting for accounts, her father and her heart. Sargeant gives readers an interesting twist to a repeated theme. Valerie and Steven had to learn to trust each other and to accept a few hard truths about themselves. I found the story entertaining and would recommend for romance readers. The book was provided by the author for review. Priscilla C. Johnson APOOO BookClub