Rachel Blaufeld: In Bed With a Romance Author

Hi there, I'm Rachel Blaufeld, national blogger and romance author, who happens to have some of the most fascinating conversations while in bed. Whether chatting with my husband or texting with one of my friends, I never know where these chats are going to lead. I also happen to have an overflowing nightstand and e-reader full of hot reads waiting for me to crack open. So I'm going to be here a few times a month, sharing my recs and what really happens In Bed With a Romance Author.

Picture this: I'm in bed, Pandora streaming through my iPad, when I feel him gaze over my shoulder.

Him: What the heck are you looking at?

Me: You know those things that hold you all together when playing sports …

Him: A jockstrap?

Me: Yea.

Him: Who for? Dare I even ask?

Me: Oh, my character. Do they come in sizes?

Him: I'm not answering that.

—

I don't know if March Madness or spring training has turned me jock-crazy, but I can't get enough athletes this month. Traditional and not so traditional, funny or cocky, collegiate or professional, I've been caught in a full-court press with sports romances.

Such as …

The Hooker and the Hermit by L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid

No, that title doesn't mean what you think it does. A hooker is actually a rugby position. One I'd never heard of before — either. It is a forward of sorts and Ronan Fitzpatrick is Ireland's finest. Ronan, who is visiting America trying to lie low and ride out a bad breakup and media massacre, sadly falls prey to a blogger — New York's Finest by The SocialMedialite. The blog, written anonymously by Annie Catrel, self-proclaimed hermit, puts Ronan's currently tormented mood even more on the defense. He starts a-n email exchange with The SocialMedialite not knowing she's one and the same with Annie, who also happens to be the PR person assigned to cleaning up his mess. Except, Annie's role is not only relegated to consulting, she's also tasked with being his faux girlfriend.

What happens when you mix a diet-obsessed, mostly dominant athlete used to being in the public eye and a girl who likes to stay home in her pajamas, hide behind her laptop and eat baked goods? Sparks fly. This book, full of equal parts humor and tension will have you laughing, then crying and laughing again by the time you grab your tissues.

—

Later that evening …

Me: Look at his abs. Aren't they hot?

Him: No.

Me: No, they're not?

Him: No, I'm not looking!

—

The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton

The first book in the Play-by-Play series stars Mick Riley, bad boy of professional football, and Tara Lincoln, single mom who owns her own event-planning business. Tara is tasked with planning a party for the football team, and Mick, who normally goes from woman to woman, is smitten with her. He begins to chase her, visiting her office, whisking her off for dinner and showing her a life she's never known. As someone who is responsible for a teenage son and protecting her own heart, Tara is unsure if Mick is able to desert his womanizing past. We begin to see a different side of Mick, though. Deep in his heart, he's a family man –– except in bed, where he's quite naughty.

One look at the cover, and you know this one is going to be a hot read. Burton doesn't disappoint. And even better news, this is only the beginning of the series.

—

The following week …

Him: Whatcha doing?

Me: Watching sports.

Him: Again?

Me: Yeah, more research. On the game, the rules.

Him: Really? What are you learning?

Me: Oh, you know … LOOK at his traps! Did you see that when he moved right what happened in his shoulder blade?

—

The Deal by Elle Kennedy

Hannah Garrett is smart, sassy and determined, except when it comes to between the sheets. After suffering a painful past, she avoids the party scene at college like the plague. Except, she has a crush on a football player, and in an effort to make him notice her, she agrees to date Garrett Graham, playboy hockey player. Garrett, who has never committed to anything but playing hockey, needs a tutor and makes a deal with Hannah to tutor him, but gets way more than he bargained for when he actually falls for her.

He's never been jealous, too cocky to believe anyone is a better choice than he is. Falling for Hannah catches him by surprise and now he needs to beat out the competition. The story, told in dual POV, shows his transformation from the king of the one-night stand to love-struck young man. He's also hiding his own past, and he finds Hannah is the only one he wants to let in and help him heal.

Together, Hannah and Garrett grow up, and their journey is funny, sweet and beautiful.

—

That's what is on my nightstand this week. I wonder what kind of trouble I will get into next week.

Rachel Blaufeld is a social worker/entrepreneur/blogger-turned-romance author. Her obsessions include running, coffee, icing-filled doughnuts, antiheroes and mighty fine epilogues. She is the author of the Electric Tunnel Series and Redemption Lane, and can be found at rachelblaufeld.com or on Twitter (@rachelblaufeld).