Strong willed, independent, and competitive as hell, Heather Phillips isn’t going to let anyone beat her in the show ring … that is until Grant Crowley started taking away her blue ribbons. A wealthy cattle rancher with an attitude and taste for beautiful women, Grant is the only person who ever made Heather feel second best. Yet she is determined to beat him, no matter the cost. When an accident … accident brings the two rivals together, their heated dislike has to be put on hold. Outside of the show ring, they slowly get to know each other. But what happens when these passionate competitors discover a different kind of spark? Will Heather use what she learns about Grant to take advantage of him in the ring, so she can be number one?
Winning can mean everything until something sexier comes along.
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4.5 stars—RIVAL SEDUCTION is the sixth installment in Alexandrea Weis’s contemporary, adult Cover to Covers erotic romance series. This is ER nurse Heather Phillips, and wealthy Texas cattle rancher Grant Crowley’s storyline. RIVAL SEDUCTION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty as can all of the installments in Weis’s Cover to Cover series.
Told from dual third person perspectives RIVAL SEDUCTION follows Heather and Grant’s acrimonious relationship on the competitive horse jumping circuit. Heather has continuously placed second to Grant’s first place wins over the season, and with it comes the animosity between winners and losers. Grant’s reputation as a manwhore, both in and out of the bedroom, is the stuff of headlines and gossip news, and Heather wants nothing to do with the man who plays a lead in all of her fantasies and dreams. When Grant is injured while working on the family ranch Heather is hired by Grant’s father Tad as Grant’s personal and private nurse. What ensues is Grant’s pursuit of Heather and the potential of a promise for the future for two people whose history and past lives are filled with heartbreak and betrayal. Grant’s success hides a the broken heart of a young boy whose mother walked away without looking back; Heather’s family history is rife with scandal, addiction, and the fall out of a criminal past.
The relationship between Heather and Grant begins as competitors on the horse jumping circuit wherein Grant continues to best Heather in each successive event. Heather’s anger at her inability to succeed finds our heroine lashing out at friends, family, co-workers, and Grant Crowley. As Grant continues to pursue Heather in the hopes of a sexual relationship, Heather’s past and her personal perception of the events finds our heroine pushing away the people that she loves. At times, Heather comes across as acerbic and angry with a tendency to quickly lash out but her family history finds our heroine on the defensive for something that is out of her control. The $ex scenes are erotic, passionate and seductive. Grant and Heather like to play a little rough in the bedroom.
Rayne Masterson and Trent Newbury (The Riding Master #2) play secondary and supporting roles throughout RIVAL SEDUCTION as Trent is Heather’s ‘riding master’. The addition of this couple adds cohesion to the series by way of familiarity and history. We are introduced to Grant’s father Tad, and Grant’s sister Gigi, as well as Heather’s brother Stewart-a researcher in the cardiology department at Baylor. The characters are relatable, engaging and charismatic. The requisite evil(s) presents itself byway of Grant’s soon to be ex Vanessa; Dr. Ben Eisenberg who pursues Heather for something more permanent; and Heather’s inability to see the potential for a future with Grant.
RIVAL SEDUCTION is a well-paced, engaging and provocative storyline. The characterization provides all of the necessary tools to get up close and personal with Grant and Heather, as well as providing information about the people and places close to their hearts. The storyline conflict follows several paths but the major battle between Grant and Heather is Heather’s inability to let go of the past-a conflict within Heather’s heart and mind. While Grant’s reputation precedes his introduction to the reader, his present actions do not parallel his history with women in the past-we do not ‘see’ his manwhoring ways. The epilogue fast forwards the storyline approximately one year wherein we get a glimpse at Grant and Heather’s future, family and love.
RIVAL SEDUCTION is my favorite COVER TO COVERS installment thus far.