A wallflower gets seduction tips from a playboy athlete—until love changes the rules.
Socially awkward Joellen Bixby has a date every Saturday—with her cat, a pint of ice cream, and fantasies of the way-too-handsome Michael Maddox. She’d give anything to win over the unattainable CEO of her firm, but how can she when she blends in so well with her cubicle? The answer may be closer than she … closer than she thinks.
Cameron McGregor is a cocky, tattooed Scottish rugby captain who just moved in next door. He’s not Jo’s type—at all—but the notorious playboy is offering to teach the wallflower everything he knows about inspiring desire. Though a lot of women have rumpled Cam’s kilt, Jo is special. Far from the ugly duckling she thinks she is, in Cam’s eyes she’s sharp, funny, and effortlessly sexy. Now, thanks to him, Jo is blooming with confidence and has the man of her dreams within reach.
Unfortunately for Cam, he’s just helped to push the woman of his dreams into the arms of another man—and now he’s in the fight of his life to keep this beauty from getting away.
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The ugly duckling was always a swan…& her HEA was not what she expected!
Love, love, loved! Joellen is fantastic. She has been pining for Bingley all this time when Darcy comes barreling into her life and turns it all upside down. Cameron is one hot, sexy, sensitive mountain of man. Such sweet, hot, witty, tender story. Fantabulous!
It was delightful to listen to Melt for You with Pippa Jayne narrating. Cameron is a rugby-playing Scot who brims with confidence. Joellen is spirited but doesn’t know her own worth and has been hung up on her company’s CEO, Michael, for years. JT Geissinger’s writing is so engaging and the story flowed with meaning and humor as Cameron and Joellen’s relationship develops.
I loved this book! Funny and sweet. Nice to see heroine feel good about herself with the hero’s help. I found a new favorite author!!
4,5 stars
This is the second book in the ‘Slow burn’ series and the second book that I read from the writer J.T. Geissinger. After enjoyed the first book ‘Burn for you’, I really wanted to read more books of this writer and I’m very happy that I did because I liked this story very much!!
This book may be part of a series but it’s definitely a standalone book, you don’t have to read ‘Burn for you’ first to read this one.
‘Melt for you’ is a fun slow burn story. It has a little bit of everything in it, you have the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, a Cinderella-theme, the cocky-athlete-manwhore and the older-woman-younger-guy theme. It sounds like a lot but it doesn’t feel like it when you read it. The story is very easy to read. I really enjoyed every moment of this book and I was very happy to discover that this story had an epilogue!! (It was something that I really missed in the first book.)
The story is told from Joellen’s POV, which made Cameron’s thoughts and feelings a mystery for us. But if you read very carefully you could discover them between the lines and I loved that! The banter between Joelle and Joelle was funny and sometimes hot. I was really glad with the pace of the story, the romance may have been slow but it was never boring!
Just like in the first book I was again touched by the vulnerably of the male character. The loneliness and the deep (hidden) need for love. That’s one of the things that I love about the male characters in this series.
I will definitely read more books of this writer.
This is one of the best books I have read in awhile. Witty bantering between the main characters, who I fell in love with immediately. I laughed a lot. I read some paragraphs several time because I really enjoyed them and wanted to remember them later. J. T. Is on top of my most favorite authors now. I will read all her books and the upcoming stories.
Two thumbs up. Read her books, you won’t be sorry.
This is such a great story
This book had me laughing out loud a few times and it was so sweet and hot!! Love me some Cameron McGregor
Joellen Bixby spent a decade listing after Michael Maddox the CEO of her publishing company and who, is very married. Just about the time she will maybe have a chance with him, Cameron MacGregor blasts into her life. He’s loud, egotistical, arrogant, drop dead gorgeous and has more muscles than a god. She has no idea who he is; the most famous athlete in the world, a rugby player. After a rocky start, he agrees to quit blasting his music if she will feed him. Wanting to preserve her hearing as well as her sanity she agrees. She somehow ends up confessing her lust for her boss and Cameron offers to be her relationship coach as well as her personal trainer. Cameron is a master manipulator and Joellen is his unknowing prey. Training her for another man? Yeah right! He teaches Joellen that loving herself is her goal, not changing herself to meet other’s expectations. Although Joellen keeps her eyes on the prize, the CEO, Cameron is sneaking into her thoughts at the most inopportune times quickly replacing the CEO. The event that Cameron has been coaching Joellen for, her company Christmas party finally arrives and it turns into a complete disaster. She’s convinced that after the Christmas holidays she will be fired from her job. When she arrives to work in the new year she reports to the conference room as directed and is given the shock of her life. The CEO is out, she has the job as an associate editor if she wants it but Cameron is leaving to return to Scotland without her. Even though she’s come up a list of all the reasons they “won’t work,” she suddenly realizes that she can’t let him leave without her. They end up in Scotland and get what they both want….HEA.
I really enjoyed this book. These two characters were absolutely delightful. The back and forth wordplay between Cam and Joellen….priceless. The storyline was fun, evenly paced and thoroughly entertaining.
Laughed my ass off!! The writing is so funny! After I finishef I wanted to pick it back up read again!!
Quirky heroine, Swoony Hero and fun banter!
Joellen is a great quirky heroine who sees herself as the ugly duckling her family has always told her she is. She has her sights set on attracting her boss Michael who doesn’t seem to notice her until she makes a few changes and catches his eye.
“I am unruly in emotion and appetite. I’ve spent so much of my adult life trying to not be unruly, to be smaller, more contained, more acceptable, but underneath it all I’m still myself. All the passions and desires and tempestuous needs, all the wants and hurts and sorrows, all the ugly and wonderful things. I am just unruly, peculiar me, and I’m so tired of pretending otherwise.”
When Cam moves in across the hall with loud music and even louder personality, sparks fly.
I adore the fun banter that peppers this story without hiding the message and emotion.
“Ha,” I say sourly. “You have all the charm of an open grave, McGregor.”
“Tch. Just admit it. You’re in love with me.” He bumps me with his elbow, and I send him a look designed to melt his face.
“Love? Hardly. If you were on a life support machine, I’d unplug it to charge my phone.”
Melt For You has solidified J.T. Geissinger as a “One-Click and don’t bother to even read the blurb” author for me!
5 Stars!!
A great enemies to friends to lovers story. Only the heroine’s POV. I would have loved Cameron’s POV too. Joenllen had to learn to like and love herself. Cam, such a sweetie, encouraged her. Joellen had to find it for herself. I gave 4.5 stars. I just love Ms Geissinger’s writing. I followed Scandalicous’ raving reco & read book 1 and 2 (both standalones). Thank you Scandal (again).
The plot line of Melt For You is one that is used in romantic comedies of the book and movie variety: ‘nerdy’ girl is attracted to her handsome boss but feels like an ‘ugly duckling’ so in order to gain the confidence to go after the man she wants, she needs help, so who better to help her win her guy than her hot as hell womanizing new neighbor but what happens when the teacher becomes the student and learns more about life and love than he ever thought possible?
It was so easy to fall in love with Joellen Bixby; she’s a every woman heroine – one who is easily relatable because of her insecurities, her social awkwardness, and her unrequited love for a man she believes is out of her league. Watching her come into her own and truly know how beautiful and amazing she is, is what I adored about Melt For You. Cam definitely helps Joellen see herself beyond her exterior appearance, but the only way her ‘enlightenment’ takes…the only way she understands her worth is if she accepts herself and that comes from within.
Cameron McGregor’s outward appearance as well as his actions portrays him as the stereotypical cocky professional athlete, but just like Joellen, Cam is so much more than anyone sees, and it’s who he is on the inside that creates an underlying attraction between him and Joellen. But Cam is in a difficult position because what started as a ‘teachable’ moment becomes more about learning what a real connection feels like and what he’s willing to do to keep it.
Melt For You is a slow burn romance that teaches characters and readers about the true measure of a person and how essential it is to understand one’s worth. It’s a playful and hilarious read but it is also emotional and heartfelt, which makes it a perfect read for readers who can’t get enough of a nerdy girl and a sporty guy and the steps they talk to be their best selves.
4 Poison Apples
J. T. Geissinger triumphs with MELT FOR YOU, the second book in the Slow Burn series. Joellen Bixby has a crush on her companies’ CEO, Michael Maddox. She gets help from her new neighbor, Cameron McGregor, captain of the Scotland national union rugby team, to get Maddox’s attention. Unfortunately, Cameron has fallen for Jo in the process. This contemporary sports romance primarily takes place in New York. It is suitable for adult audiences.
I knew I was going to love this book just after reading the first page. The story starts out with the heroine’s top ten reasons why the Holidays Suck. It was hilarious. I love Joellen’s humor. Even her dreams were funny. I like her character. She underestimates herself. She has no idea that she is appealing, which is understandable, considering how her mother treats her. She has worked at Maddox Publishing for ten years and been in love with Michael for just as long.
Cameron McGregor is a fun character. He is vibrant. He sees Joellen for who she truly is. He respects her. He has a great outlook on life. He is good for Joellen. I love how they interact with each other.
Joellen’s boss, Portia, was a fascinating character. You hate her. She is a witch, to put it nicely. You don’t always know what to expect from her. She ends up surprising you.
MELT FOR YOU is skillfully written and entertaining. It is a story that is hard to put down. It has multiple examples of why you should not judge people until you get to know them. I loved that the epilogue starts off with another top ten list (also amusing). I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
Loved this book, OMG I laughed so hard!! Joellen is as snarky and salty as they come, and Cameron..These two are a perfect pair. The slow buildup was so worth it, because…dang it was smoking hot. I loved everything about this book. The pacing was great, there was always something to keep my attention glued to the pages. Such a great read. Told in Joellen’s POV.
Melt for you was my first read by J.T. Geissinger. It started out a little slow but definitely picked up. I ended up loving this book! I loved the words that helped me visualize the story so vividly, and had me feeling so many emotions.
Cameron McGregor is my new favorite book boyfriend. He is honest, sexy, kind, caring, accepting, patient… the list could go on! Not to mention picturing that sexy Irish brogue & him sporting that kilt sans underwear! YUM! lol. Did I mention that he’s a famous Rugby player from Ireland??? He’d be at the top of my morning! lol. When I finished reading this book, I thought of this bible verse:
1 Corinthians 13:4-13 – “Love is patient, love is kind.” I won’t put the entire verse down because I think most know it, but Cameron embodies this with Joellen. He was so selfless, loving, patient, and kind. It was touching.
Joellen is smart, witty, sassy, sexy (even though she doesn’t realize it), & ambitious! She doesn’t take any of Cameron’s crap & takes his ego down a peg (which he needs). She is also totally clueless, lonely, & low on self-esteem and confidence.
I loved the banter between Joellen and Cameron. At times I literally laughed out loud! I also loved that Cameron lifted Joellen up. He never allowed her to speak negatively about herself. He was the friend she needed. I loved that. The story was a slow burn but it was so worth it! This story was funny, swoon-worthy, sexy, & heart breaking at times with a great message. The plot was unique. The characters were relatable and real. I highly recommend reading it! Thank you for a great start to reading your books. I look forward to reading more from you!
Loved it!
5 KILT WEARING, DARLIN’, EXTRAORDINARY, FANTABULOUS, PRANCER STARS!!!!
I am not sure how to say this, I am not sure how she does it, but every time I read a book by J.T. Geissinger I am floored by the emotional whiplash I receive and it’s always for the Hero. I mean, Really? Seriously? Please tell me how you do it Ms. Geissinger? Please, I beg of you to explain how every bloody freaking time, I am coo coo for cocoa puffs over the hero? Lol. This story was truly amazing from the witty sarcastic retorts, to the serious minded nature of the emotional and mental abuse that women and men go through, to the over the top love that I have for Cameron McGregor. Joellen has been made to feel unloved all her life it seems until a younger famous Scottish rugby player tells her that she is sexy and gorgeous all on her own. Joellen only has eyes for her boss, Michael Maddox (booooooo) I didn’t like him at all, but I’ll fault Joellen’s self-esteem for her serious lack in judgement. I totally saw what Cam was doing with her the whole time, to bad she just couldn’t get the obvious hints in their situation and I can honestly say that it would have flown over my head too, she and I are kin like that, Lol. Excellent read, excellent writing, excellent on a job well done, again! I Loved it so much!!!!
You, Cameron McGregor, are the miracle. I would give this book a million stars if I could. Cam is so amazing that by the end of the book MY self-esteem was at an all time high. A sassy heroine, a super hot, engaging hero, and a fanatstically written plot resulting in perfection.
I totally fell in love with J.T. Geissinger’s writing and characters when I picked up Burn for You earlier this year. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Melt for You. It sounded fantastic and, unsurprisingly, it was. I loved it every bit as much as the first book. Now I just have to wait for the third one, which is several months away, but at least I have time to tackle her backlist now…
First off, I absolutely loved the characters. Jo was one of the most relatable heroines I’ve met in a long time. At times it felt like she was literally inside my head. I understood her struggles and her mindset. I also loved that she was an older heroine. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy reading romances about characters of all ages, but it’s especially great when a character is closer to my age. I was Team Jo from the very start.
Oh, Cameron. He was basically heaven sent. What I wouldn’t do for a hot, Scottish, rugby-playing neighbor… Cue all the swoons. Just imagining his words in that Scottish accent made me melt. While things between he and Jo started out a bit rocky, I loved the path of their relationship. Of course, I was cheering for them to be more than friends because the other guy Jo was interested in just seemed a bit too good to be true — I wasn’t wrong — but I was still happy with their banter and everything else about when they were just friends. Cam made me swoon all over the place with the way he treated Jo and talked to her. Something about a man like him being so deep and sensitive and reassuring a woman who struggled with self-esteem and body issues that she’s enough, MORE than enough, made my heart really happy.
I love a great slow burn romance and that’s exactly what I got with Melt for You. There was a smidge of a love triangle, but it’s not something that bothered me a bit. I always suspected that not only was Michael a total DB, but that she and Cam were endgame, too. They had too much chemistry not to be. Bottom line is I just loved everything about this book. It made me so smiley happy that I basically felt like I had turned into the heart eyes emoji while reading.
FAVORITE QUOTES
December in the mall is like The Hunger Games meets Lord of the Flies, completed with a reenactment of Death Race in the parking lot when you finally try to leave after twelve hours of spending money you don’t have. Fun times.
Dear God, he’s a Scotsman. A huge, half-naked Scotsman in a kilt. Smiling at me like he knows all my secrets, what color my panties are, and that I’m curious what it would be like to have a man pull my hair during sex.
“Ah, lassie. If it were anyone else but family who made you cry like this, they’d already be in an ambulance.”
“Your body isn’t a thing to be looked at and judged against some standard of perfection that doesn’t even really exist. It’s the vessel that takes you through life, allowin’ you to experience all the beautiful things life has to offer.”
“I’m gonna get you naked. Then I’m gonna make love to you. Then you’re gonna tell me if you want it sweet and tender again, or if you want it dirty and hard.”
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Avid Reader –
4.5 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: Scandal, Attempted Rape/Blackmail
Joellen is a somewhat awkward, curvy woman who has been in love with her boss since she was hired. She works with some great people and some people who seem slightly off. As you get to know Joellen, you see that her family life is less than ideal and that she grew up with horrible self-esteem. I felt bad for Joellen when it came to interacting with her family. They never quite understood her and didn’t really try. Mostly her interactions were with her mom and I just wanted to smack her mom most of the time. I think that we could have gotten the gist of their relationship without having her mom actually be in the story. She just annoyed me.
Joellen’s new neighbor is a famous rugby player who is hiding or regrouping after a scandal has followed him around. He is arrogant, sexy, huge, and has a kind heart. Cameron is a conundrum – on the one hand, he is fantastic at annoying Joellen. But on the other, he is also fantastic at showing Joellen exactly who she is.
When Joellen and Cameron hatch a plan for Joellen to seduce her boss, Michael, you get to see a different side of Joellen and Cameron’s relationship. It becomes more than friends and you see Joellen work through all of the emotions associated with that.
I really enjoyed this story and loved the banter between Joellen and Cameron a lot. They had chemistry between each other, but it wasn’t so overwhelming that it made the story drag on.
I can’t wait to see who gets the next story.
Ruthie –
This is the second in a series, but a completely separate story.
This is a wonderfully fun and romantic story. Cameron and Joellen are neighbours, and definitely start off by having a love-hate relationship. We are given insights into their feelings and soon work out what should happen, even if their plans are completely different.
When Joellen is suddenly being paid attention by her boss, Michael, at work, after 10 years of being in unrequited love with him (or at least the thought of him), she enlists Cam to help her improve her dating skills. Some very amusing situations arise in the pursuance of this aim, and at one point Joellen is given a hilarious makeover by her elderly neighbour.
Ms. Geissinger has created a funny, romantic story with a strong message of developing self-esteem, as well as a few indications of how badly a parent can destroy it with careless words.
Lee’Anne –
Right from the very first page I was sucked into this book and unable to put it down. I loved Joellen and Cameron’s story – one of my favorite books of the year so far.
Cameron is a rugby player who has gotten himself into trouble overseas and been banished to the States. He’s now living in an apartment next door to Joellen and she’s not having any of his loud partying and music – knocking on his door on his very first day to tell him to keep it down. Cameron is immediately smitten with Joellen, but Jo has her eyes on her super handsome CEO boss whom she doesn’t even think knows her name. Though it’s obvious (to everyone but Jo) that Cameron has feelings for her, he offers to help her change her image just enough to capture her boss’s attention. Lo and behold, it works… a little too well.
Cameron and Jo’s interactions are laugh-out-loud funny, they’re the perfect balance for one another. Jo has serious self-confidence issues and Cameron is there to help her battle it out, I found it inspiring. I also seriously loved the surrounding characters, especially the elderly neighbor who lives in their building – she’s a treat. J.T. Geissinger was already one of my favorite authors but I think she’s earned a spot in my top five with this book.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Melt for You (Slow Burn #2) by J.T. Geissinger to read and review.
Close, but no cigar…
This book was very well written and the plotline was easy to follow. Who doesn’t love an ugly duckling to swan story? Joellen wasn’t the heroine to pull this off. It began to get heavy when her self-confidence never came into the storyline and made her the swan she truly could have been. Cameron owned his role and I just wish Joellen would’ve came into her own. I couldn’t resolve this issue and is the reason for my 2 star rating.