Maggie Kingston is a woman working in a man’s world…and doing a damn good job. Being Steele Ridge’s first female sheriff isn’t easy. Especially when your cousins are magnets for trouble. The Steeles do everything the hard way, but Maggie’s tougher than she looks. Nothing shakes this sheriff until her cousin brings one of his superstar players—and the accompanying media circus—to town. The press … press can’t get enough of the sexy quarterback. And neither can Maggie…
Jayson Tucker devoted his whole career to the New York Knights. So when the team takes a rookie’s side over his after a locker room brawl, he takes refuge from the spotlight. Except reporters aren’t the only ones after him. Someone wants Jayson benched. Permanently. When the threat becomes deadly, hiding won’t be enough. And in Steele Ridge, security comes in the luscious form of its gorgeous, no-nonsense sheriff.
Jayson’s always fought his own battles. The closer he gets to Maggie, the less he’s willing to risk her being caught in the crossfire. Yet Maggie is no damsel in distress. She’s more than capable of keeping her town—and her man—safe. But can she say the same about her heart?
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Craving Heat is a slow burn that’ll have you fanning yourself. Adrienne Giordano did a great job of bringing Maggie Kingston to life in Craving Heat, the first of the Steele Ridge Kingstons edition. I’ll admit, I haven’t read ALL of the Steele Ridge series, but no worries! I didn’t have any trouble following the storyline in Craving Heat and did recognize more than one supporting character as we followed Maggie and Jayson’s rather bumpy ride though Steele Ridge.
I have to say, I LOVE Maggie. She’s strong and confident. Being the sheriff isn’t easy, and being a woman, well that can’t simplify the situation. Maggie is dedicated to helping and protecting her town, but she’s really hiding. I love the ah-ha moments we see Maggie have as she starts to figure what she wants, other than to beat Reid’s time on the obstacle course.
Jayson needs control, so when both his professional and personal lives start spinning, he struggles to find balance to get back on track. Jay’s been hiding secrets for so long, it was natural for him to duck and cover when the locker room incident happened. He’s feeling betrayed and hurt, so when Maggie stirs up a whole different set of emotions, it’s not surprising Jay has to find ways to control what’s happening.
I love the role reversals Giordano uses in Craving Heat. Jayson Tucker is carrying a lot of secrets and Maggie just needs to loosen up and set some boundaries. I don’t want to give anything away, but be ready for a ride complete with the Sexiest Man Alive, a media circus, obstacle courses and, if we’re very lucky, a happy ending!
4 1/2 STARS!
Love when she least expects it! If you’ve been a fan of the Steele Ridge series, you will most definitely recognize the heroine of this book as the Steele family cousin, Maggie. She’s always riding to the rescue when they need it, and this first book in the spin-off series about her family The Kingstons is no different. She might have met her match this time in a take charge alpha male that gives her a run for her money! I loved them together! Great read, and I’m looking forward to more of the sibling stories!
Maggie Kingston has her job cut out for her as the Sheriff in Steele Ridge, but as we’ve seen time and time again from seeing her clean up after her trouble-attracting cousins, she’s up to the challenge! When Grif brings one of his high-powered clients to town, it brings a media circus like the town has never seen before and leads to problem after problem for Maggie. She’d be even more mad about it … if she wasn’t enjoying every sexy inch of this guy so much!
Quarterback Jayson Tucker just had his career crumble down around him after a moment of anger towards a teammate in the locker room played out in front of the media. He’s trying to pick up the pieces of the betrayal by the team he’s put his all into for all of these years, and finding out there’s something shady going on with a charity endorsement is just icing on the cake. Danger seems to be rearing it’s ugly head in his direction, and the law in Steele Ridge makes it her personal mission to make sure every inch of him is protected … and lusted after!
When an author creates an off-shoot to a series I like, I always hold my breath until I know that it is as good as the original. Is Steele Ridge: Kingstons is good as the first books in the series? My vote is an unequivocal, YES. Depth of character, an exciting plot, and enough steam to sweeten your dreams for nights to come make this newest release a true winner for the outstanding Adrienne Giordano.
All of the Steele Ridge cousins are around and just as tough and hilarious together as always. Tough Sheriff Maggie Kinston doesn’t fall easily but once she does, she is gone…and not fighting it has hard as I expected. One bad moment has turned star quarterback Jayson Tucker into a pariah as the team execs refuse to stand up for the man who has led their team and kept them in balance for years. An old man in football years, Jayson should have still had some playing time left and he wants every minute and Griff is determined to get it for him but someone seems to be working against them. Jayson may be the stuff sweet dreams are made of but the flood of media is more of a nightmare for one small town sheriff.
I requested and received an ARC of Craving Heat from the author intending to review it because I love all of Ms. Giordano’s books. Now I can add one more to that list!
This book is the offshoot of the series, the Steele Ridge books by various authors. I really enjoyed all those books, and it looks like a new series may be unfolding with related characters. Adrienne Giordano is the author of this book and it is about Maggie, who is a Steele family cousin and also the town sheriff. Her cousin, Griff, one of the original Steele brothers, is an agent for a football player who has run into trouble, and is hiding out from publicity in Steele Ridge, this little mountain town near Asheville, NC. A fun book for me because I am from NC. This is definitely a standalone but it was fun to read about characters from previous books, and also to visit the small town. I enjoyed the personalities of both Maggie and Jay, the football quarterback. They both had some trust issues and it played out very well during the story. Very enjoyable for me.
Craving Heat by Adrienne Giordano
The Kingstons #1
Maggie is sheriff of her town and does a great job though she has always had a secret dream of more. Jayson has worked hard to achieve success as a quarterback in the NFL. Both have responsibility and do well in their jobs but sometimes giving everything to your job means you may not have much of a private life. Jayson finds himself suddenly on the outside looking in, relying on his agent for a safe haven and meeting Maggie and a family like none he has ever been around…a loving, caring, there-for-one-another family that he truly admires. His sister running into trouble while he is dealing with issues of his own makes for more complications as Maggie and he sizzle with attraction for one another. With two dominant take-charge alphas in a couple it is not always easy but finding a way to a HEA is on the table as they fight the bad guys, thwart death and find more than romance together.
Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
I loved reading this book, it was like going home and catching up with old friends. However, this time Maggie Kingston the sheriff of Steele Ridge is the main attraction. Maggie has had to prove herself as tough, strong, and dependable as the first female sheriff in Steele Ridge and the town has come to rely on her. At the urging of his agent quarterback Jayson Tucker has come to Steele Ridge to lay low after being released by his team for his role in a locker room fight. Not only does Maggie have to protect Jayson from the media, but it appears someone wants him dead also. Jayson is used to fighting his own battles and not relying on others. The attraction between Maggie and Jayson is instant and off the charts but for them to move forward they must stop a killer and learn to trust each other. I was given this ARC for an honest review.