My headspace was probably not in the mood to read this book, I felt it was too wordy. The first pages was confusing because of the formatting, the texts I wasn’t sure who was texting who at the end.

I really enjoyed this book!! I do wish the ending hadn’t been so abrupt, but that’s just because I’m DYING to know what happens! I can’t wait for the next in the series. My one complaint is the constant use of the word “hole” to describe her lady bits… it was used approximately 7 million times and every time it took me out of the spicy scenes and made me cringe.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date- 9/19/23

This was a fun and flirty read and also my first book by Amari Nylix. Austin Heat follows athlete Jake who, after a rough past relationship, bad reputation with the media and overall being fed up and frustrated with his usual flings, decides that he wants to date someone different. Someone ‘normal’. We meet some of his family and friends and cute nieces that add to his fun personality. I have to be honest that there’s a number of names starting with J that left me confused for a bit! The beginning of the book doesn’t hang about establishing things and I feel the author just jumps straight into the drama, including the breeze-by introduction to setting and characters. I think the first few chapters could have eased the reader in a bit better.
Aussie Rakell is an escort and is determined to leave that job and lifestyle behind to establish herself organically and not some false personality that helped with her work. I definitely found we saw more from Jake’s P.O.V which was refreshing. Unless a book is truly split between perspectives it’s usually focused on the female lead so it was a change getting to know the male hero on a deeper level than just a love interest like some books.
It was a fun read with sizzling heat and chemistry and kept me entertained but not intensely immersed.
Thank you for the eARC!

Wonderful entry into romance - great start to a series that promised hot hot heat!! Can't wait for #2.

I thought this was just going to be a steamy novel but it had depth. Rakell is a high end escort but wants to get out of that business but can’t do it just yet as she has one long term client. Jake is an NFL quarterback, pretty much partying all the time with many different beautiful women. But if he is to be taken seriously he has to clean up his act.

Jake and Rakell meet at the gym and Jake immediately is taken by her. Rakell is not so keen although she is very attracted to Jake. She seems afraid of commitment. Their journey is is so fun to follow, lots of laughs, some crying and hoping they will make it.

I picked up this book because I wanted a spicy romance read to cleanse myself after reading some other heavier works. This book had plenty of spice, but it just was not it. I wish I had known that this book ends on a cliffhanger, because I likely would not have committed to reading it. I wanted something to wrap up with a HEA, and at 95% that was obviously not going to happen.

There was also an issue with POV switching during scenes from Rakell to Jake and back, which was very distracting.

The thing I struggled with most was Rakell's characterization. She started off as someone who was business-savvy, street smart, and took no shit. By the end of the story, she was an anxious mess who didn't even know how to react around a boy. To an extent, it was believable that she could've been really struggling with anxiety over a new relationship, but her ability to stand up for herself and know what she wanted felt like it was completely different from that girl that we first met.

Overall, I think that some people will really love this story and watching the journey unfold, but for me there wasn't enough plot or development to keep the story moving.

Thank you to AuthorBuzz and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book, for me, was the definition of high school emotion games. I personally didnt like this book. I was hoping for an HEA but it just drug on until the very last page with the games.

There is a lot going on in the story. Jake is a quarterback in the off season. Rakell is a young lady living a double life. The plot is interesting and nothing is resolved at the end of the book. Jake and Rakell are working and figuring out who they are alone and together.

I could not get into this book. I really like romances and steamy books but I just couldn’t connect with these characters.

This is my first DNF... ever. I could not get into it and the characters all fell flat. I think a large part of it was the POV mixed with info dump.

"Austin Heat" by Amari Nylix promises readers a steamy and enthralling romance set in the heart of Austin, Texas. This novel appears to offer a spicy blend of sizzling attraction, mistaken identities, and the allure of a forbidden connection.

The characters, Jake and Rakell, seem to be intriguing and complex individuals, each with their own secrets and desires. Jake, the star quarterback looking for a normal girl, and Rakell, an escort yearning for a simpler life, are brought together by fate, and their chemistry ignites.

The story hints at a passionate and electric relationship between Jake and Rakell, with the promise of intense physical and emotional connections. Their journey from physical attraction to something deeper seems poised to be filled with twists, complications, and heated moments.

The author's writing style, which combines humor, swoon-worthy moments, and anticipation, suggests that "Austin Heat" will be an engaging and captivating read. Fans of contemporary romance, especially those who enjoy the works of Tessa Bailey and Christina Lauren, are likely to find this book appealing.

Overall, "Austin Heat" appears to be a tantalizing romance novel that will keep readers hooked from beginning to end. It promises to deliver a mix of passion, humor, and heart, making it a great addition to the genre for those seeking a spicy and emotional love story.

Amari Nylix kicks off the "Austin Heat" series with a bang! It's a slow romance with a whole lot of Texas heat. Jake, the NFL football guy, is about ditching his player reputation, while Rakell, the escort, dreams of leaving her old life behind. Set in Austin, their chemistry's off the charts, sparking severe banter. You'll be rooting for Jake's real-deal romance and feeling Rakell's need for normalcy. Secrets and misunderstandings keep you flipping pages as they struggle to make it work. The book dives into self-discovery and what society expects versus what we want. The sizzling romance and cool side characters keep things interesting. I can't wait for the next book - I'm in for the long haul with this series!

I started this book a couple of times but just couldn't get into it. For one thing, every single character who emerges in first few pages is described as to appearance, job, family connections, the backstory on the families, etc., and I did not see the need for that. The writer should probably learn about info dumping. A couple of other things made me think this writer needs to delve a little deeper into the craft. So, regrettably, DNF. I won't review it anywhere else.

This one is definitely spicy & sets you up for a sequel. Not sure I’m a fan of being left on a complete cliffhanger. This is a good story that could use a little work. Felt a little fanfiction like to me which isn’t bad but not my favorite.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

I went into this book with high hopes. Despite the fact that it is overwhelmingly difficult to find the good in the book, I always look for it. Comparing this book to Tessa Bailey or Christina Lauren is just absurd.

Many reasons contributed to this book's failure:
1. I honestly don't care what happens after our cliffhanger
2. How this book splits points of view it's so hard to follow.
3. The placing was awful the first part drug on and on then wham.. they are together?
4. I needed more character development to make the characters believable.

That being said it's a low to mid-range read and may do well with some readers.

Thanks, Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. OMG!!!! I am going to start at the end with, OMG!!! This left on such a cliffhanger. I kept thinking, this is coming to the end and only half has been resolved and than BAM the end. I truly enjoyed this book. THe banter between out main characters was so much fun to read. I can not wait to read book 2.

This book was very close to being a "did not finish" for me, though I struggled through. It did help me solidly realize that my taste runs in the romantic comedy direction, I need the banter, the playfulness and the laugh out loud moments. Compared to a more direct, drama-based read.

Some things that didn't work for me, but that I thought could possibly be worked on:
* The point of view switches sometimes between paragraphs, leading to a very jerky, unsmooth read. Sticking with one perspective for a whole chapter, or until clearly indicated line-breaks might be helpful.
* The pacing felt very rushed. While it does take time for the characters to get together, that build up was lost by the tone of the book. It felt more like there was a checklist of things that had to happen before the characters could be together, and that checklist was being ran through in the effort to get to where the author wanted to be.
* Character development. While they both had potential, it didn't seem like there was the time to develop them as individuals, which for me made it so that I wasn't very invested in them. Rakell definitely had a more interesting backstory, but even then...

Especially with the "to be continued" ending, this read a lot more like a fanfiction or fictionpress type story. For me, it lacked the structure for a novel. However, I would say Amari definitely has some room for growth in the story department, but could definitely have the potential to get there!

If you're just reading for some spicy romance, then the second half of the book is for you!

Austin Heat strikes me as the kind of book you read on Kindle Unlimited that doesn’t have a lot of joy or depth, but it can get the job done if you’re low on exciting titles. I didn’t care about these characters or the story, but it’ll work if you’re really looking for something acceptable.

I did not finish this book. I’m not sure if it was the author’s writing style or the story itself but I just couldn’t get into it. I will not be leaving a public review.

This story was hot and steamy almost too much so. Rakell has a lot of unresolved issues that need fixing and Jake might be the one to help her do it.