I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I tried to like this book because it had the makings to be great, but unfortunately, there was so much shame on the part of Murray because she was a scholar and, therefore, not hot that the story turned me off.

Although I loved the first book by this author, I wasn't able to get in to this one. I look forward to trying again from this author. I do enjoy how she writes queer characters that end up in a variety of relationships.

In "Too Hot to Touch" by Katy James, passion sizzles on the pages as characters navigate the line between desire and self-discovery. James skillfully combines steamy romance with personal growth, creating a story that is as emotionally satisfying as it is sensually charged.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

YAY we love a hockey romance. This was a stellar one from Katy James, had an absolute blast reading this book.

Too Hot To Touch is the second book in the Firebird series by Katy James. I was so excited to get back into the world of Shady Hill. This time the romance centers around rising hockey superstar Tyler Valentine and PhD student teacher Murray Silva. It took my brain a bit before it got used to Murrays name. Not that it was a bad name or anything, it was unique and my brain had to adjust. Anyway, the two characters have crossed paths before but, never really connected. That is until Tyler winds up taking one of Murray's college classes.

Tyler's whole life has been focused around hockey and education has always been put on the back burner. When he is traded to the Firebirds as a replacement for legendary hockey player Gavin following an injury. Being around Gavin forces Tyler to reflect on what would happen for him after his hockey career. This is what causes him to go back and how Murray recognizes him in the back of her classroom.

In front of the classroom, Murray appears to be all put together but outside the classroom she is hanging by thread. She is trying to lead a classroom, work on dissertation, and work in a local coffee shop to help ends meet. She is also trying to support her family who is recovering from her mother's recent bout with breast cancer. All of this keeps pulling her in so many different directions, she isn't sure which way to go. So when Tyler enters her classroom, it is one more distraction she does not need but, it is oh so good.

Tyler is adorable. He takes such good care of Murray eeven while working through his own personal issues. Those include his roles on the Firebirds, how to navigate dating his hockey captains sister, and coming to terms with his sexuality. There have been rumors about his sexuality in the past - mainly due to an incident that occurred when he was on the other hockey team - and it is due to this that he has become very private about everything. There is alot of good discussion regarding defining ones own sexuality and defining how and when you reveal it if one chooses to do so.

Murray is a bit scatterbrained but she really does have the purest heart. She just keeps getting herself more and more involved with things and does not know how to say no. This is something I can completely relate to. She even agrees to tutor Tyler with her jampacked schedule. Of course, the tutoring is a nice distraction; and they have an easy chemistry together. I really enjoyed their dynamic together and how they helped each other work through their individual issues.

The Firebirds are such a wonderful found family. They are supportive of each other but are also not afraid to be real . Outside of the hockey team there is also a found family within the community. Both communities are open minded but very protective of the people that they love. Too Hot To Handle was a really good addition to the Firebirds series and I look forward to seeing what Katy James comes up with next.

Thank you to @netgalley and @katyjameswriter for the ARC copy even though I’m a little bit late with my review.

This book brings us a rare unicorn, a bi guy! Tyler Valentine is a hockey player for the Firebirds, a recent trade, and he’s hot for teacher, Murray Silva, his captain’s sister who also happens to be teaching his summer class. Tyler’s had it pretty rough the past couple years, dating a teammate in Pittsburgh, being outed and then betrayed by his teammate, and then subject to bullying and homophobia by some of the other members of the team. He’s closeted and lonely, afraid to trust anybody, image conscious and trying to no pun intended, play it straight after being outed ruined his life in Pittsburg.

He’s drawn to Murray almost immediately, and Murray is simultaneously thrilled and terrified that her crush seemingly likes her back. Murray is a stubborn Type A PhD student who has bitten off way more than she can chew in her life, refusing any and all offers of help. She’s overwhelmed with schoolwork, part time jobs, and caring for her mother, a breast cancer survivor. Tyler works his way into the slivers of time Murray has open for him, and they fall for each other, hard and fast. Murray’s gang of mostly queer friends welcome Tyler as quietly as they need him to, at the pace he feels comfortable being himself.

Tyler’s journey was lovely. I wish Murray would have moved faster in hers. She was kind of an inadvertent jerk, as I suppose we all can be when we’re struggling with being a people pleaser. It is hard work to say no, truly, and Murray getting to the point where she can was excellent — just wish it happened sooner because it’s frustrating to want to shake a fictional character.

I really liked this follow up to Too Much Man, liked checking in on Piper, Gavin and the gang — can I say that I hope the next book is Sloan’s and that she finds the girl of her dreams? 😍😍

I wanted to like this book. I really did. As a huge fan of hockey, I go into this pocket of sports romance with a hopeful heart. This book lacked passion for the game. The characters were okay but nothing stood out, or hooked me and pulled me to keep reading. I won't be sharing a full review of this book outside of NG. Thank for you the early copy.

This book is the second in a series, so I wasn't aware the first book had a previous relationship of Tyler's. Maybe this would have helped me get more of a handle on where some of these characters were at, but I'm not sure.

We get to know Murray (Summer) as a PhD student who is teaching a summer class. She comes across Tyler who happens to be taking the class, and as it turns out he is in the same ice hockey team as her brother, but he doesn't recognise her. It's the classic nerd / jock trope, with a twist in that Tyler is bi and is defying expectations by falling unexpectedly for a woman.

I struggled with a few aspects of this book - some of the plot details just needed to be a little tighter for me, like how is Carlos a young captain on the salary he is one, and is yet so glaringly inexperienced and seemingly not having a clue what is going on ? He wasn't great at picking up cues from Tyler early on, and definitely wasn't listening to him. Also, Summer is a grown-ass woman and at the point the pair were lamenting hiding their 'relationship' from Carlos, nothing really had happened yet ? And both were so busy, talked about how busy they were, and sometimes I felt, that if they were too busy they just should have found someone else. A little frustrating!

What was endearing about this book are the remainder of the Firebirds and the community and family these people choose. They are the winners for me, and kept me reading this story until the end. I found Tyler to be more developed in terms of his character and story than Murray, who I found didn't really interest me a great deal.

I read and enjoyed the first book in this series Too Much Man last year. I enjoyed it, so when I saw that the second was due to come out, I thought I'd give it a go. Like the first book, this one deals with a couple where one of the pair is bisexual. It's not something I've really come across before in romance books, but it worked well and added a different dimension to the story.
This time, Tyler has been put off any kind of relationship, after his previous one was exposed and attacked in the incredibly homophobic atmosphere of professional ice hockey. Now, he's interested in Murray, but he's not sure that he can face being completely open with her or what a real relationship might mean. Murray on the other hand is juggling far too much, everyone relies on her and she's just not able to say no or take a step back.
I liked this couple. I wasn't entirely sold by their reasons for being, well, a bit rubbish with one another at times, but overall it was good. There were a few sections where the story did seem to feel a bit slow, but overall I enjoyed it. I've given this one a 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Murray and Tyler. Murray is a student going to get her phd and working in a coffee shop. Tyler is a hockey player. Tyler takes a college class that Murray is teaching, there is a mutual attraction. They start dating. They each have trust issues but together they work them out and fa in love.

Too Hot to Touch by Katy James is the second book in the Firebirds series. I did not read the first book in the series, and while readers that are reading in order will have a head start on knowing some of the characters the story stands up well on its own.

He’s spent a lifetime putting up walls to protect himself, but he never expected one woman to break them all down. Between working multiple jobs and tackling her dissertation, it's hardly unexpected PhD student Murray Silva is a hot mess. What is unexpected? Tyler Valentine. When the hockey playboy and former—okay, current—crush shows up in her summer school class, he immediately becomes the kind of distraction she doesn’t need. Want, however? That’s a whole other story. Tyler Valentine understands pressure. He’s faced it his entire career. Now that he’s getting older, the pressure to figure out life after hockey brings him back to the classroom. And back into Murray Silva’s life. The fact that she’s his teacher and his team captain’s sister—thus strictly off-limits—doesn’t stop him from following his heart. Even though the last time he did that, it almost destroyed him. As their relationship heats up, a real shot at a future together seems possible…but only if Tyler can face down his past, head-to-head, and Murray can learn how to open her heart to love again, no matter how unexpected.

Too Hot to Touch is a good contemporary sports romance. I have to admit that I had some trouble connecting with Murray. I am a reformed English major that has some extreme trouble accepting help much less asking for it. So I thought in the beginning that I would relate to her, but there were moments when even I wanted to kick her as solutions presented themselves to her and she rather ignored them for as long as possible. I got her inclinations, but it just really bothered me. On the other hand, Tyler seemed much more willing to see his faults, and while not eager to face his demons he seemed much more level headed, willing to admit his mistakes, and to communicate. I think the real jewel in this book is the group of friends and the Firebird's team. Even when we only see glimpses of them they seem to be dynamic, complex characters rather than window dressing. I greatly enjoyed getting to know some of those secondary characters. I liked stress put on the importance of communicating what you need and found family and community. It was a good read, but not something that had me rushing through cooking or chores so I could hurry up and get back to it.

Too Hot to Touch is a good hockey romance and I enjoyed the read. I can think of many readers that will really enjoy this one.

I received this one from NetGalley. This series is such a mixed bag for me. I like the premise. I like that the author and characters bring their sexuality to the discussion but it also feels like something is missing. It almost feels like the bisexuality of the MC is forced. The other thing is the length of this book and the length of time it took it to get interesting was at about 47%. It just feels like a lot of the internal monologue is repeated over and over and over and over. Like I get that the main character is busy and her plate is full. I don’t need to be reminded over a full paragraph every chapter. I think if the book was cut down it would be a much better read.

I'm kind of ambivalent on this book. It was a book of pros and cons which led me to a solid 3 star rating. I really liked the representation in this book. There were many queer characters with wonderful full story arcs. I liked that the heroine was an academic which is not something we see often in hockey romances. My biggest struggle was the pacing of the book. Somehow in a book that was only a few hundred pages there were sections that just dragged. I actually fell asleep a couple times while reading, but we'll blame that on a long week at work. I found the co-dependency between these two to be annoying because it just doesn't make sense for a hockey book as the team would be traveling for so much of the year. This mean that in my head I could already see them breaking up in the future as they would not be able to function this way for long. Overall this book was fine, but it wasn't one I see myself returning to again and again. Like I said in the beginning, it's a solid 3 star book.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I have to say how much I love this cover. This isn't exactly how I pictured Tyler when I was reading, but I honestly just can't do anything else except stare at this cover. It's gorgeous.

OK - moving on to the story.

I liked this book, but that's about it. I don't really know what else to say because it wasn't bad, but it wasn't Rachel Reid level good.

What I love about books from Carina Press is they're always very inclusive. Too Hot to Touch was no exception. The journey Tyler goes on in in this story is important and I love that it was included. But everything else fell a little flat for me. I also felt as though this book was way longer than it needed to be, and I felt it dragging on in parts. And I didn't connect with Murray as the FMC at all and don't think that helped.

I should also mention that I didn't read the first book in this series, but it didn't hinder my reading experience or understanding of reading Too Hot to Touch. I'd still be interested to read about what comes next, though. So I'm definitely going to keep my eyes open for another Firebirds novel.

There's a lot to love in TOO HOT TO TOUCH, the second in the Firebirds series. Both main characters, Tyler Valentine and Murray (Summer) Silva, are complex and well developed. James hits on the nuances and idiosyncrasies that comprise real people, and so these characters felt real to me. The book also delivers a good bit of interiority, and that plays out well in terms of highlighting the importance of communication. Both Tyler and Murray are honest with each other, and that's a refreshing thing to see. Having taught at community college, I was a little worried about the inappropriateness of the relationship (audit class or not), but no one seems to have an issue with it when the professor is male and the student is female, so I'm not factoring that into my review.. The book is a sex-positive, healthy look on relationships of all sorts--Tyler is bisexual, and several other characters identify as queer--that many will enjoy.

Thank you NetGalley and Carina Press for the e-ARC of Too Hot to Touch.

Murray and Tyler are both at crossroads in their lives, trying to map out what’s next. They start spending time together during a summer college course and can’t deny their attraction.

I was really excited about this book. The premise and title seemed exciting. Overall, I felt that the story was meandering and unnecessarily long and at times redundant.

There wasn’t really any drama or angst, just a lot of codependency.

I really enjoyed the character development of the friends and Tyler’s growth. I felt like Murray’s growth was rushed and symbolic.

3.5 stars rounded up

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed a lot about it such as the creating community, the emotional journey the male main character went on with his sexuality, the fact that the diverse sexuality came from the male main character (super uncommon in straight romance!), the inclusion of updates on the couple from the previous book without it being shoehorned in, and how divergent the personalities of the two main characters were and how they tried to make it work.

There was also a lot that gave me pause. For example, the female main character is teaching a college course, albeit a non credit course, and never stopped to consider the ethical implications of involving herself with one of her students even if they did sort of know each other already. I don't mind that it was a student/teacher hook up initially but this wasn't even used as a titillating setup it was mostly ignored. I also found the female main character grating in general. She insisted on the male main character opening up and being honest with her and making space for her and yet completely refused to reciprocate due to her being a self-described "hot mess" but was really just a "boundaries lacking over-committer". She finally realized most of the crap she was saying yes to instead of the hot guy she SHOULD say yes to didn't matter and was easily fixed to be less of a drag at like 95% into the book. Which brings me to the final thing that gave me pause- the length of the book. This book was over 100,000 words but a lot of it was circular inner monologue and could've been tightened up more to help propel the story forward.

Overall, though, I was interested enough to keep reading the book until the end because I wanted to know if they would ever figure things out. I was also very interested in seeing how the male main character confronted his sexuality and how ultimately it would matter to the story because he ended up in a "straight passing" relationship. I was very satisfied with how his journey played out in the book and it was definitely a high point. If nothing else, I recommend giving this book a chance for trying something different with this.

I wanted to like this book and there were a lot of things I liked about Murray (Summer) an Tyler, but the book was just too slow paced for me. I started skipping at about 30% to try and move the story on. The book had potential, it just didn't fulfill all that potential. I will say that the book did get better towards the end, so I would say 3.5 stars, but not a strong enough 3.5 to round up to a 4. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

DNF @ 49%. I'm sorry to say that this book did not work for me. Since I didn't read the whole thing I don't want to give this book a lower rating than 3, but overall I just did not have any attachment to the characters or the storyline. I really liked the concept of this book, but from the half that I read, my main issues were the fact that while Murray and Tyler had great chemistry during the scenes they were together, SO MUCH of this book was them talking about how busy they are and how they have no time for each other!!! I get it!!! And right before I decided to stop reading, Tyler felt the need to lie about his feelings for Murray so her brother, aka his team captain (who somehow is still on a rookie salary or something??), doesn't get mad at him, and of course, Murray has to overhear this and storms away, even though 10 seconds before this scene the two of them had a really nice dance and were about to go discuss their feelings. Tyler is 34 years old but cannot, for whatever reason, tell his friend that he genuinely likes Murray. And it's not even like they've done anything remotely inappropriate at this point. They have a really nice friendship and their reading dates are adorable, and they've literally only kissed twice. Carlos would have no right to be upset that his adult sister has genuine, mutual feelings for someone on his team. I also read in another review that there's a third act break up in this book, and while I am a fan of those in some books when the tension is there and the conflict makes it all the more dramatic and angsty, I for sure do not care enough about the characters in this book to want to deal with that later on when I can't even get through their dramatic exits halfway through. And lastly, Tyler Valentine is described as having dark hair. Like, dark brown/black hair? Yet the man on the cover has dirty blondish hair???? Make it make sense.

I do think a lot of people will still like this book, but it's just not for me. I love a good slow burn filled with angst, but I just find Murray and Tyler to be boring and repetitive with how busy they are.