If you're looking for friends to lovers romance that is sweet, sexy, and a fun read this is the book for you. I've enjoyed all of Ms. Landon's books and this does not disappoint. Can't wait to read Asher's story.

Three and a half stars: A fun friends to lovers romance, but I wanted more tension in buildup in the relationship.

Zoe is sick and tired of her best friend, Dylan, overlooking her. She wants him to finally see her as a beautiful woman and not one of the guys. With the help of her friend, Dana, Zoe hatches a plan to transform from a plain, khaki wearing working girl to a knock out, all in hopes of finally landing the man she has been pining after her whole life. However, there is always the chance that she could ruin a good thing. Will taking their relationship from friends to lovers change everything?
What I Liked:
*I can’t resist the tried and true friends to lovers romance. Keeping It Hot features a funny romance that heats up when two long time best friends realize they have more than platonic feelings for one another. Granted, Zoe has always had romantic feelings for Dylan, but Dylan has had his head stuck in a hole. Only when Zoe transforms and other guys start paying attention, does he realize what he has. If you like a good friends to lovers romance without drama or angst, this is one to check out.
*I liked that the romance was simple and straightforward without miscommunication and stumbles that usually occur. Yes, there are a couple of small conflicts, but nothing over the top or ridiculous. I enjoyed the maturity and the simplicity of this romance.
*The romance itself is great. I liked that it grew from a long time friendship, so the trust and camaraderie were already in place. It felt natural and right. I also liked the heat and the passion.
*I loved that the story is told with dual view points. You get both Zoe and Dylan’s points of view. I always enjoy getting into both parties’ heads.
*I also enjoyed some of the secondary characters. Zoe's mom is a hoot. I laughed at the way she poked fun at her daughter when she encountered Zoe after a heated session in her office at work. She took it all in stride and made several funny jokes at Zoe’s expense, but they were all in good fun. Dana is the show stealer. She is Zoe’s best gal pal, and she is determined to make sure that Dylan finally see Zoe. *I liked her sass and her straight shooting way of dealing with things. I especially enjoyed the wicked banter between her and Dylan. Finally, Ash, Dylan’s brother was an interesting addition. I liked how he stepped in and took care of his brother. His is supportive and funny. There were some interesting sparks between Ash and Dana, and I will be waiting to see if the next book features them.
*The book wraps up neatly with a nice epilogue a few months down the road. No unanswered questions or lingering story lines.
And The Not So Much:
*I enjoyed the romance overall, but I wanted a bit more of the buildup and tension between Zoe and Dylan. I was completely enjoying the whole transformation of Zoe and liking seeing how jealous Dylan became. Then something happens when Zoe leaks an important piece of information about herself. After that, the relationship zooms quickly into a full blown romance. I was expecting more tension and heat and buildup. I thought it moved past that part far too quickly, which is my personal preference.
*After Zoe and Dylan are together, things got boring. Nothing really happens, and the events that do happen are far too predictable.
Keeping it Hot is a pleasant fun romance with the well worn but proven friends to lovers romance. I liked that the romance was simple and easy without unnecessary drama and angst. My only complaint was I wanted more in the buildup, but that is a personal preference. This is a easy read, perfect when you want something on the lighter side.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

Thanks to Netgalley, I've had the opportunity to explore the Romance genre in depth and have had a chance to read many different novels.mthat being said, his one just fell completed flat for me. The story was bland, there was no real chemistry and the writing was filled with cliches, as were the characters. I'm sorry, I made it about 75 pages in and then skimmed the rest to see if it would get better. Nope.

This book was so much fun! Sydney Landon has become an author I look for and enjoy reading. Great characters and fun plots!

2.5 stars!

I really, really wanted to like this book. I really did. Friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and the blurb for this book got me really excited.

Unfortunately, there are too many issues that really stuck out to me. I tried ignoring and justifying them but the more I did the more they reared their ugly heads.

Don't get wrong, the writing was good. It was well-paced and had some really cool moments. But those moments were far in between. The rest just annoyed the crap out of me.

One of the biggest flaws of the book is the hero Dylan. He's one of the shallowest heroes I've ever read. An overgrown frat boy who took the heroine for granted and only noticed her when she started changing her appearance.

I've read books where the heroine had a transformation before and ended up loving them. It's a tricky trope to get right and the ones that did it successfully had managed to establish the hero as someone who sees the value of the heroine despite her appearance.

That wasn't the case in this book. The hero just didn't see the heroine as a woman worthy of his interest. That galled me.

It didn't help that the heroine was in love with the hero all her life and lived her life to cater to him. And her transformation was the same thing. It was all for him. There was nothing about it that was for herself. I have nothing against the whole idea of doing everything to get the guy. But come on, she already has the guy but the guy unfortunately is an idiot who only decided to pursue the heroine because he can see how amazing her tits actually are. *roll eyes*

Zoe was okay. She's a successful business woman but it's almost like she had to dumb herself down to accommodate the hero. I didn't get why she's in love with the guy when he's dismissive of her value.

Aside from the awful hero, this book runs on cliche after cliche, from the bestie to the bad guy villain to the meddling family member...it's just too much.

It was a bit meh for me. I liked some elements of this story but alot of it was pretty familiar and the characters weren’t that strong. Jealousy and possessiveness can be fun, if there’s something more to the romance. Zoe and Dylan’s relationship felt unbalanced from the start (she was ALL into him and he was oblivious to her) and never quite clicked all the way for me. Perhaps because she never felt like a priority to him. But it’s cute and there some decent story developments and some good banter (mostly with secondary characters) that gave this fairly standard virgin trope-based romance a bit of oomph at the end. If you’re into virgins/friends to lovers/duckling into (kinda) swan stories, you may enjoy this more than I did.

Keeping it Hot by Sydney Landon
Zoe and Dylan
FANTASTIC AND FUN!

This story is so charming and witty! I have loved Sydney Landon’s words since starting the Danver’s series. This one is no different. It’s packed full of humor, suspense, and sexy times.

Zoe is so damn adorable! I love this little spitfire. She’s smart, fun, and sexy, but Dylan only sees the smart and fun part until Zoe takes matters into her own hands… well, hers and her friend Dana’s! Two heads are better than one for sure!

Dylan is all kinds of sexy, but so darn blind when it comes to Zoe. It kinda made me angry at times, but the torment he goes through at her transformation is oh so good! I love to see these hunks squirm a bit, makes for a humorous storyline!

The supporting character cast is pretty small, but decent. Dana is Zoe’s employee and good friend. She is definitely the fuel to the flames that have slowly shrunk, but just add Dana to the mix and wha-lah, instant hotness! Zoe’s Momma is pretty good in this department as well. There are some undesirable characters, but I’ll let you experience them on your own!

So as usual, Sydney wrote a fantastic, funny, and loveable story. The characters are profound and funny, the storyline exciting, and the dialogue flows with ease. There is much tension that leads to an excellent climax. You won’t be disappointed. Come on, it’s Sydney Landon! Her words will cradle you, rock you gently, and let you down somewhat easy!

Zoe Hart is living the dream as an owner of a coffee shop in an upscale resort on the Florida Gulf Coast. She’s got a spunky coworker in Dana and is best friends with the smoking hot resort owner…who she has been in love with since grade school. With her 30th birthday coming up, Zoe has one mission, Operation: Make Dylan Fall in Love With Her.

Dylan Jackson works hard and plays harder. With the upcoming expansion of his successful resort Oceanix, his work load continues to increase but he can always count on his best friend Zoe to keep him relaxed when the stress gets to be too much. Except Zoe went out and got a new wardrobe and now Dylan is having a “hard” time (wink wink) keeping his thoughts strictly platonic where Zoe is concerned.

I’m a sucker for best friends-to-lovers romances so this book drew me in right away. Zoe is fed up with being single at 29 but has only had eyes for Dylan. I applaud Zoe for finally going after something she wants, especially since it could be detrimental to their friendship.

As basic as it sounds, sometimes something as simple as a wardrobe change does a wonder for a woman’s confidence (and may catch the eye of a special someone). Once Dylan finally recognized his desire for Zoe, the relationship progressed in what felt like a natural way. Now don’t get me wrong, Dylan was not without his flaws but, underneath it all, While Zoe was still the most important person in his life.

She looked incredible. Which stirred up all kinds of conflicting emotions for him. He was stunned that he’d never noticed exactly how gorgeous she was before. And strangely proud of how she’d blossomed into a beautiful butterfly. He also felt fiercely protective.
I appreciated how the author made the transition from friends to lovers. As Zoe and Dylan realized their feelings for each other have changed over time, they must work through the resulting changes in their relationship. And let me tell you, I wanted to reach in and shake them both at times throughout the book.

I think one of my favorite characters in the whole novel was Zoe’s best girl friend, Dana. The girl was a hoot! The things that came out of her mouth had me laughing out loud. But what I really appreciated was the confidence she instilled in Zoe. She always pushed Zoe to dream for more and not settle for anything less than she deserved. And with the interactions with Dylan’s brother Asher, I cannot wait to read Dana’s book (which is the next novel in the series).

For my first book by this author, I would definitely call it a win. I’d highly recommend to any fans of Sarah Morgan or Jamie Beck. It’s a fun, summer read while laying on the beach. And if you’re not on the beach, all the talk of the resort will make you want to be!

~ Megan

Keeping it Hot is a fairly light read, but had my attention from the first few pages. Dylan is overworked and likes to party on his down time, but he is Zoe's best friend and when she decides she wants more from their relationship he had better watch out. I loved the characters in this story, the comedic whit of the report between them will drag you right into the think of things. I couldn't put this one down.

Zoe Hart has crushed on her best friend Dylan since they were kids. As an owner of a coffee shop in his resort she see’s Dylan everyday and gets to be an eyewitness and confidante to his man whoring ways. Now, at 29, she is tired of sitting on the sidelines. With the help of her friend, Dana, she changes the way she dresses and lets down her hair and suddenly Dylan see’s that his best friend is a gorgeous woman. She goes from being his fall back girl to his crush and his safe relationship threatens to change into something more. Can they survive this change? It was fun finding out!

This was a particularly good friends to lovers romance. Zoe handled Dylan’s shock with a calmness that was slightly unreal but the goofiness of his reactions added a cartoon like humor. When he noticed she had boobs, I pictured that cartoon wolf with his tongue rolling out of his mouth and his eyes bugging and a loud boing thrown in for sound effects.

It was a shame that Zoe waited until she was 29 to take a run for his heart but when she decided to go for it she went all in.

This novel was a perfect vacation book. It is a quick read and totally captured my interest. It’s my first book by Sydney La don and I’ll definitely be checking out her others. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I thoroughly enjoyed this quick friends to lovers romp. I'm usually not a fan of virgins but Zoe made it believable. I loved Dana; she was the perfect sidekick. I hope we get her story next since it seems like there's some possible chemistry between her and Asher! Dylan was swoon worthy and his protectiveness of Zoe was so endearing. My only complaint was that their HEA came a little too easy. I would have enjoyed a little more angst but still this is a great read!

KEEPING IT HOT is the first installment in Sydney Landon’s contemporary, adult BREAKFAST IN BED erotic, romance series. This is thirty four year old Florida resort owner Dylan Jackson, and twenty nine year old coffee shop owner Zoe Hart’s story line. The BREAKFAST IN BED SERIES is a spin off from the author’s DANVER’S series but you do not have to have read the previous series to understand or follow KEEPING IT HOT.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Zoe and Dylan) KEEPING IT HOT focuses on the friends to lovers relationship between coffee shop owner Zoe Hart, and ‘Oceanix’ Resort, Florida owner Dylan Jackson. For most of their life Zoe and Dylan have been best friends but for Zoe their friendship has long passed the ‘best buddies’ stage to a woman who has fallen in love with a man who considers her one of the guys. Desperate to make Dylan see her as more than just ‘friends’ our heroine enlists her co-worker Dana Anders to bring her from frumpy to wow. Enter Dylan Jackson, the man who has no clue that his best friend has been in love with him for a number of years. What ensues is the building romantic relationship between Dylan and Zoe, and the potential fall out when Dylan’s workaholic lifestyle leaves little time for the woman he loves.

Zoe has never considered herself ‘one of the boys’ but actions speak louder than words as our heroine begins to understand that her relationship with Dylan Jackson may remain in the friends zone if she doesn’t up the stakes, anytime soon. Dylan has never looked at Zoe as anything more than his best friend and confidant but seeing Zoe in a different light has Dylan throwing caution to the wind when a drunken Zoe reveals a secret she has kept for far too long.

The relationship between Zoe and Dylan is one of friends to lovers; a relationship that comes to fruition when Dylan offers Zoe one night of passion, no strings attached realizing that neither one will come away the same when all was said and done. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic, and intense.

We are introduced to Dylan’s brother Asher Jackson; his friend and buddy Josh; his PA Lisa Merck, Zoe’s bestie and co-worker Dana Anders, as well as Zoe’s mother Vivian and her significant other Marcus There is definite palpable sexual energy between Asher and Dana-their story is next in ROOM FOR TWO(February 2018). I am looking forward to any potential story line for all of Dylan’s brothers: Rhett at the Miami Oceanix, Luke in St. Croix Oceanix, and Asher in the Charleston Oceanix. The back and forth banter, and sexual innuendos is great especially between Zoe and Dana, as well as Dylan and his brother Ash.

KEEPING IT HOT is a fun and sexy read; a lighthearted and heartwarming story of $ex, romance and love between best friends who finally discovered what it is each has been missing all of their lives. The premise is energetic and engaging; the romance is passionate, inspiring and provocative; the characters are realistic and playful. KEEPING IT HOT is my first Sydney Landon book but it will not be my last.

Copy supplied for review

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This year I decide that I wanted to try new authors, and I'm glad I did because I found some really good authors.One of them is Sydney Landon.Keeping It Hot was a sweet,steamy and sexy story. It's a friends to lovers romance.

I fell in love with both characters, Zoe and Dylan are lovely characters.Zoe is funny and I could easily in some parts relate with her.Dylan is super hot and he make me swoon and melt over him.

Overall it was a great story with a sweet and sexy romance plus amazing secondary characters and enough suspense to keep your interest till the end!!

Oh My! I really loved this book. It was a great mix of sex, comedy and romance. The characters in it were really interesting. I loved the plot of the unnoticed best friend.
Zoe owns a coffee shop in her best friend Dylan’s hotel. She has been in love with him for years, only to be in the friend zone. She really wants Dylan to notice that she could be more than a friend. When Zoe listens to Dana (her girl BFF) and changes the way she dresses, she gets her Dylan to sit up and not only take notice, but drives him to the edge of insanity. I love the comradery between Dylan and Zoe. Zoe seems to be a very straight forward person, except when it comes to telling Dylan how she feels. I loved Dylan’s brother Ash and Dana’s chemistry. I am hoping that the author will think of putting out a book with them in it.
I have heard good things about this author. I am told that this is a series, so I am definitely looking to find more books with some of these characters. They seem to be so much fun.
If you love fun-loving individuals with sass and loyalty, then you will love this book. I recommend checking this book and others by Sydney Landon. I really don’t think you will be disappointed. I know I wasn’t.

I have come to the conclusion that one of the hardest reviews to write is about a book that you totally loved. I want to tell you the whole story, I want nothing more than to spoil the whole book. I couldn’t stop reading it, I loved Keeping It Hot, I want more from Sydney Landon.

Zoe was a riot in her attempts to get Dylan to notice her as more than “one of the guys”. The one man that she truly wants, has been beside her through thick and thin, has no idea that she’s still a virgin. What happens when he finds out that she is on a quest to lose it before she turn’s thirty is hysterical. She may not be comfortable with “all” the attention she is getting from the opposite sex but she knows that she finally has Dylan’s attention.

What the hell is up with Zoe? That’s all that keeps going through Dylan’s mind. She is turning his world upside down and he has no idea how to handle it. OMG, she’s sexy, beautiful and catching the eye of every man that walks into the coffee shop! He can’t handle it. Then she tells me she’s a virgin and is looking for the guy to lose it to? Nope, not happening, no one gets Zoe but me. Whoa, what am I thinking? This is my buddy, my best friend, the woman who knows everything about me. How have I never noticed how hot she is? Yep, this is what we put up with throughout the whole story. Dylan freaking out and Zoe loving every minute of it. It. Was. Wonderful.

I loved every aspect of this story. The way it was written. The way it was told. The way Zoe turned from the caterpillar into the beautiful butterfly. The way Dylan finally noticed what has been standing in front of him his whole life. I just had a wonderful time reading Keeping It Hot. Sydney Landon really brought the characters alive and brought us a light, fun story. I was totally lost in the story and cannot wait to see just where she is going to bring the rest of this series.

4.5 Stars

I really fell for this story. It was a darling best friend to lover romance that had the sparks flying. The author did a wonderful job with this cute romcom type romance.

Dylan was an absolute doll and so oblivious to his best friend, Zoe. To him she was just one of the guys until she started shedding her outer layer. Then the humor of the story started to shine. His reactions were so funny!

The story is sweet, sexy, and Dylan is so so hot. My one issue is that a 29 yr old virgin is a bit of a stretch, but the writing and story overall made this so enjoyable!.

With good supporting characters that will become a part of the series, this is one not to miss. I will definitely be reading more by this author!

Had he wasted years when he’d had the perfect one for him by his side all along?

Not so long ago, I read a book by Sydney Landon that happened to be book nine in a series. I liked it, a lot, but admittedly, I felt slightly overwhelmed by a backstory I wasn't familiar with. So, when I saw Keeping It Hot was book one, I knew I had to get my hands on it…

Y'all, I am SO glad I did. It was what I hoped it would be—what I expected after having enjoyed the way Ms. Landon wrote Wishing For Us—and it left me giddy at the thought of getting in on this series on the ground floor, so to speak.

Dylan and Zoe have been best friends for years, and the way the author moves them effortlessly from that relationship to lovers was delightful. Though I took a little umbrage at the fact it took a makeover to make Zoe beautiful in Dylan’s eyes, I loved their chemistry. His reactions and uncertainty. The way it made him see her consciously, and realize what he'd been missing. But most of all, I loved Zoe, and her friendship with Dana. Their interactions were both heartfelt—friends helping friends, no matter what—and hilarious, and absolutely the highlight of this book.

Having said that, though, there were so many other things to recommend this book. Dylan has brothers, so oof, there's more of that deliciousness to come, and there's so much simplicity, angst-free joy in this book that it is incredibly easy to read. And though I maybe wished for the ending to be a little slower, I closed this book having loved it—and loving that this is just book one of (I hope) many.

All was fair in love and war and this might be a little of both before it was over with.

~ 4.5 Khaki STARS ~

Keeping it Hot was an enjoyable romance, with well-developed characters, realistic dialogue and enough chemistry and tension between the main characters to keep the reader hooked. I am a fan of contemporary romance novels, and this one fit the bill for me! Thanks for the opportunity to read the e-galley!

Sydney Landon kicks off a new series with Keeping it Hot and it’s a laugh out loud fun contemporary read that will have you glued to the pages and ready for more.

I’m a huge fan of this author and I was not going to pass up the opportunity to read a new book from her. That said I kind of accidentally read the whole book in one sitting. Whoops, sorry, so not sorry. It was so damn good I have zero regrets doing it. I absolutely loved it.

If you have read the Danvers series (if not, why haven’t you?!?!, it’s awesome), you will be familiar with the Jacksons. The uber hot brothers who own and run a series of hotels. Well this time out we get Dylan’s story and believe me, you will want to read it.

I admit that the friends to lover’s trope is one of my favourites. So imagine my excitement when this pops up. Oh this story was so much fun to read. Watching Dylan literally sweat it out over his best friend was a hoot. Seeing them not only cross the line but obliterate it….priceless.

Dylan and Zoe are so good together it’s ridiculous. Seriously, they are the epitome of perfect for each other. If only it didn’t take them so long to realise it. But I guess when you have been friends for so long, it’s hard to change gears into more. But when a determined Zoe decides it’s time to get her man’s attention, well change is good don’t they say?

I adored Zoe and especially her drive to finally go after the man she’s been in love with forever. Seeing her change into the real Zoe and gain confidence only made me love her more. Plus her eagerness to learn new things sexually had me cheering her on. Okay and maybe cringing on her behalf after a lunch turned into more. (and maybe laughing at her expense too as she deals with the fallout)

It’s a no brainer that I would love Dylan, he’s a Jackson (did I mention they are all UBER HOT?), loyal, hard-working and about to have his well-ordered life turned upside down by his best friend and it’s so unbelievably fun to see it happen. Seeing him realise that his bestie is actually a desirable woman and one he wants desperately, was to use it again, priceless.

Add in some seriously alpha moves by Dylan, a caustic but hilarious friend (every woman needs a friend like Dana) a playboy brother who actually gives sound relationship advice and helps with the big HEA grovel (so adorable) and the kind of bone deep need every woman wants from her significant other and you have an excellent way to kick off a new series, one that every contemporary romance reader needs to read in my opinion. I can’t wait for the next book.

I was not able to connect with this story. I emailed Ryanne with the info that I was going to DNF and not review or feature this on the blog.

Thank you,
Laura