This was definitely a slow burn book, but worth the wait. Joellyn has a crush on her boss and her new Scottish rugby playing temporary neighbor agrees to "help" her win him. Cameron grows from the annoying, arrogant, sexy neighbor to a confidence-boosting, sexy friend and kissing mentor. We all know the boss isn't worth Joellyn's time, but it takes her awhile to realize that. Her neighborlady is also hilarious.

Do you believe in love at first sight? You can sure be falling in love with a person with one look, but it takes time to learn that you can’t lose them at all time. The moment you felt lonely is the moment of truth. It take time to share moments with a person, and love them unconditionally. You fall in love not because of their beautiful, you fall in love because of their beautiful heart. Its the inside you are looking for, not the outside you are falling for. Love is tricky.

Melt for you is the first book I read from J.T. Geissinger. I never encounter a book where there is only pure love and admiration in it. As I read along the story, it’s definitely amazing, I felt like I’m part of the story, watching both characters lie to themselves and hid their feelings. Cam is totally the kind of guy every woman will desire for, not because of the fame and the money he has, but because the heart of willing to let go of one another to see them happy. On the other hand, Joellen is actually any typical girl in nowadays centuries. Girls always want to lose weight so force themselves in diet, where actually they look pretty and healthy. Wish there are more Cameron McGregor in this world, so girls would have less bad feeling towards their body shape.


I will like to give this book a 4.5 stars. And I enjoy reading through the story especially the sonnet for Cam, and for sure will read more from this author. <i>I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. </i>

You, Cameron McGregor, are the miracle. I would give this book a million stars if I could. Cam is so amazing that by the end of the book MY self-esteem was at an all time high. A sassy heroine, a super hot, engaging hero, and a fanatstically written plot resulting in perfection.

ARC received for review

I actually read book one in a series, but is this really a series when there are absolutely no characters from the first book or no underlying themes that are the same???

Joellen wants Cameron's help in landing the "man of her dreams" and it sure does take her a long time to realize that the man of her dreams is Cameron. He was so funny and just all around perfect except for his obnoxious music.

Cover people can y'all not please read the book first...Cameron would never wear a suit. He spends most of his time shirtless and often in a kilt.

I am a big fan of JT. Geissinger and this series. This addition to the series did not disappoint. This romance follows Joellen, copy editor who is in love with her CEO boss, Michael. This self-proclaimed ugly duckling's life is turned upside down when her new neighbor, Cameron moves in. Cameron, world famous rugby player, transforms Joellen into the swan she has always been. Who will win Joellen's heart? I loved every page of this book. I laughed out loud at the banter between Cameron and Joellen. I plan to buy the audiobook when it is released so I can hear Cameron's Scottish burr.
Thanks to Montlake Publishing for the ARC of this title via NetGalley.

Melt For You is book two in the Slow Burn series by J.T. Geissinger. This book! I loved the first book in this series, Burn For You, so much. Sometimes when you love a first book that much, the second just can’t live up to your expectations. That is NOT the case here. Cameron McGregor managed to have me reduced to a puddle of goo in no time. If I had one little tiny complaint with this it’s that the entire book is told from the heroine’s point of view. I would give just about anything to have gotten in to Cam’s head.

Cameron McGregor is the captain of his Rugby team, the Red Devils, in Scotland. He is a huge celebrity in Scotland and along with that celebrity comes all the pitfalls of being famous. Cam’s public relations team thought it might be good for him to get out of town for a bit. He has traded apartments for a month with his cousin in Manhattan for a sort of forced vacation.

Joellen Bixby has spent her life feeling like she is less than everyone else. She thinks she is overweight, clumsy, gets tongue tied easily. Joellen works for Maddox Publishing. She loves books and it’s a dream job. She’s been there for ten years. She’s also been in love with her boss, Michael Maddox, for the entire ten years. He’s perfect in every way but she only worships him from afar.

Cameron’s love of rap music played so loud it rattles the walls of the apartment building is what brings Joellen to his door the first time. She is greeted by a mountain of a man with an aversion to wearing shirts and a love for wearing kilts. To say that their relationship had a rocky start would be an understatement. But somehow Cam was able to whittle away at Joellen’s resolve and win her over. She eventually admitted her love for her boss and Cam vows to help her win him by teaching her about healthy eating, exercise, and the art of seduction.

I feel like I should stop there because the rest you pretty much need to experience on your own. When I was reading this, I heard all of Cam’s lines in my head with his Scottish accent. He was hilarious and sweet and flawed and sexy and, well, you get the picture. I loved him. He did not tolerate Joellen’s self disgust and helped her to see herself in a different way, perhaps through his eyes. The things this man said!

And Joellen! I don’t know how any family could be so unaware of the impact of their words on their own daughter. Meeting Cameron was the best thing that could have ever happened to her. I loved watching their relationship build, and the impact he had on her self confidence. He became the voice in her head, reminding her of her self worth. It was a beautiful thing.

This book is laugh out loud funny (always at inopportune times I might add.) It is sweet and sexy and I loved every word of every page. I believe this is the third book I’ve read of J.T. Geissinger’s and I now consider myself a devoted fan. You can definitely read this if you haven’t read the first book. I do highly recommend them both, though.

Loved this book, very light hearted and made me laugh. Cameron did everything he could to help Joellen to see herself as beautiful.. Even helped her try to get another man's attention.

<i>I write sonnets as a hobby. Classically structured, Shakespearean-style sonnets, because I am a pathetic human being with a nonexistent love life who will someday die alone surrounded by my cats.</i>

MELT FOR YOU is book two in the <i>Slow Burn</i> series and once again I have more or less highlighted this entire story. Sweet lines, funny quips, hilarious banter, emotional af passages.. Geissinger serves it all up on a delicious platter, alongside all the slow-cooked homestyle meals that pepper the pages of this read. I'm sensing a food trend in these slow-burny romances and I am hungry for more.

"<i>You were kicked out of Scotland because you're so annoying, right? Everyone got together and agreed to throw you out for the greater good of the country?</i>"
"<b>You'd know if you googled me.</b>"
"<i>I am <b>not</b> googling you, egosaurus.</i>"

These characters made me melt. This book is so aptly titled. Instead of offering us a broody hero ala book one, this time my newest bookboyfriend is a charming behemoth who happens to be a super famous Scottish rugby player. He's gigantic, gorgeous, and has a totally (well deserved) overinflated ego. One that chubby, frumpy, nursing-a-decade-long-unrequired-crush-on-her-married-boss Joellen can't resist wanting to pop like a balloon. Unfortunately for her, Cameron loves it.

"<i>I love that sharp tongue of yours. I love that you feel comfortable enough with me to give me a good dressin' down. I need that, y'know. Someone to stick a pin in my balloon when it gets too inflated.</i>"
"<b>Your balloon must have a lot more pinpricks since you met me.</b>"

The meet cute between these two is born of loud rap music and the sounds of a wild party emanating from across the hall of her apartment, and Joellen wanting to deal with none of it after a long day at work. But the only way the unrepentant Scotsman is willing to tone down the tunes is if she agrees to cook for him. Seven days of quiet for seven nights of meals.. with a side order of helpful advice, and -- eventually -- workouts, when Joellen realizes her crush on her boss might not be so unrequited after he not only announces he's getting divorced but also expresses interest in her. But spending all this time with Cameron, means she has to.. well. Spend time with him.

"<i>I'm jealous of everyone who hasn't met you.</i>"
"<b>Oh, c'mon now, lass, meetin' me has gotta be the most excitin' thing to happen to you since your last Pap smear.</b>"

"<b>Just admit it. You're in love with me.</b>"
"<i>Love? Hardly. It you were on a life support machine, I'd unplug it to charge my phone.</i>"

Seriously, see above where I mention highlighting the shit out of this book? <b>It's so fucking funny</b>. But the best part of the hate-ish flirtiness were the revelations that unfold throughout the story. How neither had this kind of relationship with anyone, one where they could be their unfiltered selves, and how beautiful that was. And, yeah, to ease out of some of that heaviness, again, it was funny. I lol'd 4evah.

"<i>It's too bad you got stuck in puberty, McGregor -- you might've been a productive member of society one day.</i>"
"<b>Oh, I'm <i>plenty</i> productive, lass.</b>"
"<i>Name one way you're productive that doesn't involve the amount of sperm you produce. I'll wait.</i>"

But speaking of heavy. It definitely had moments. Joellen is a wallflower, nursing her crush, living alone with her cat, and the chubby member of a family of beauty queens and parents who made a living being paid to be beautiful or maximize the beauty of others. There was a healthy peppering of dialogue regarding self-worth and image and dieting and all the toxic shit women (and men) deal with in the pursuit of perfection. How the value of beauty isn't currency, despite what some might believe, and how often it is more of a burden than a benefit.

"<i>The human body is a complex machine. A temple, as they say. You have to treat it like one!</i>"
"<b>Yeah, well, my temple is more like an abandoned ruin the jungle has taken over and a herd of billy goats is living in.</b>"

Geissinger makes it obvious right from the get-go that this isn't going to be some <i>She's All That</i> scenario where the girl takes off the glasses and the hot jock falls in love. Nope. And actually there's a whole discussion about glasses vs contacts that I could quote, but it's a little on the nose; and anyway I can't reveal all the best parts in this review so you'll just have to trust me. But back to my point. This isn't that movie. This isn't even a 'big girls appreciation' story. Nope. This is a love who you are story. Respect yourself story. Be healthy, yes, but be whoever you are most comfortable being, too, as long as it doesn't include being down on yourself for who that person is.

"<i>Toned is good. Skinny is better.</i>"
"<b>Wrong! Strong is the goal, lass, <i>not</i> skinny.</b>"

But it's also not just a 'chubby girl gets the boy' book. It's a love story about real people. Those who look perfect but are more than just window dressing, who have been hurt and want nothing more than to be loved more for who they are inside instead of how they look on their outsides. The ones who aren't size two pretty but will cook for you, care for you, give it to you straight, embrace their weird and be unique, and be all the more beautiful for it.

<i>[I] worry that if he can see me so clearly, everyone else must, too. But when I think about it, I realize he's the only one who's looking.</i>

MELT FOR YOU was a delicious slowburn romance with a heroine I can totally empathize with, the best kind of good-guy hero who is cocky and self-assured but still longing for basic connection, so many passages filled with real-talk and real-life truths, simple confessions that are as powerful as billboard-sized declarations, a deaf cat, homecooked meals, and the best kind of banter money can buy.

<i>I've spent so much of my adult life trying to not be unruly, to be smaller, more contained, more <b>acceptable</b>, but underneath it all I'm still myself. All the passions and desires and tempestuous needs, all the wants and hurts and sorrows, all the ugly and wonderful things. I am just unruly, peculiar me, and I'm so tired of pretending otherwise.</i>

I am so in love with this <i>Slow Burn</i> series not just for the hate/reluctant-to-love storylines or all the lines that make me giggle, but for how fresh these romances feel. MELT FOR YOU is the best kind of investment in your time; you'll laugh, you'll swoon, you'll wind up socked in the gut with feels, you might even end up inspired to cook something hearty for dinner. Maybe even all of the above! But whatever you do, I would particularly recommend you read the author's note at the end of this story and then, if the book didn't already make you want to do so, go hug that friend who always gets down on themselves, who never thinks they are enough. Or if that's you, go put on that dress you haven't been brave enough to wear out of the house. Be kind to yourself.

Looking for another way to be kind to yourself and others? Read this book.

4.75 "stop pretending you're a mouse, dragon lady, and go after what you want" stars

A humorous, steamy, romance novel

Scottish accent and a kilt. Check. Rugby player. Check. Tattoos. Check. Cameron McGregor is walking sex on a stick!

Joellen, is a curvy woman working a publishing firm. She is “in love” with her soon-to-be divorced “perfect” boss and she believes the she is invisible to him. She suffers from low self-esteem when it comes to her looks having grown up with a runway model mother and her beauty pageant sister.

Cameron is Joellen’s annoyingly loud neighbor who offers to help her boss notice her. He sees her for who she is - a beautiful woman whose parents have belittled her looks and self-worth throughout her life - and is anger that she looks down on herself. It becomes obvious that the more Joellen’s boss pays attention to her, the more Cameron sulks.

Will Joellen overcome her self-esteem issues? Will she be with her “perfect” boss or will she choose with the egotistical, annoying rugby player who has always seen her?

The scenes with Cameron and Joellen are hilarious. Some of the conversations between them have left me snorting back a laugh (also earning me the side eye from my husband who’s wondering what is so funny). Then the officemate, Denny, and his fart jokes. Oh this book was hilarious, steamy, and romantic.

Joellen is a woman we can all relate to sometime in our life. Whether it be work, love life (or lack thereof), or unrequited love. Throw in a cocky Scot who runs around in a kilt, with looks to die for and you have the setting of one the best romantic comedies you will read all year. I loved their story and laughed at the snarky comments Joellen and Cameron threw each other. The books is more than a modern day Ugly Duckling, it’s the bringing of two lives together with one kicking and screaming all the way!
A wonderful story that you can’t put down.

Oh my goodness, this book is basically perfection. I started reading it this evening thinking I'd read a few chapters and then put it down and carry on with my night. That definitely didn't go as planned! I read the whole thing in one sitting! Right from the start I was pulled in. There were so many laugh out loud moments, my husband kept looking over at me like I was crazy. I loved all of the Cameron/Joellen scenes although I wanted to yell at Joellen quite a few times. There were lots of sincere sweet moments too, there were a lot of lines that were so good that I found myself highlighting a lot on my Kindle. Overall I adored this book, it was charming, sweet, and so funny! This was only my second book by this author, but I can absolutely see J.T. Geissinger becoming a favorite author of mine!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for the advanced copy!

This one far exceeded my expectations. It was super hilarious. The heroine is snippy and in a good way - socially awkward but so appropriate- loved her❤. Cameron has become one of my all time favorite and unforgettable character. Loved him too. They just seemed so right for each other...he had me cracking up too. A damn good read

I absolutely adored this book, beginning to end. The characters were written to perfection, and even though we only got the heroine's point of view, I truly felt like we could see Cam's emotions through Geissinger's writing (which, by the way, is also excellent!) I loved how he treated her, right from the very beginning, and he didn't hesitate to call her out on her negative self-worth... or get fully annoyed when her parents didn't treat her like they should.

It is a quintessential slow burn that gives you all of the subsequent feelings it should, and I devoured it in one sitting. 5 perfect stars from me.

My first book by this author and I give it 5 stars for keeping me entertained and sometimes emotional.

The chemistry between Joellen and sexy Scottish rugby player Cameron is intense and I loved their banter and friendship. Joellen has low selfesteem due to her family and has been in love with her boss for 10 years. Cameron promises to help her land him and gives her some good advise on the way. I loved how he tried to convince stubborn Joellen of her beauty and how she should do things for herself and not to please others.

Not just another book were the heroine loses weight and becomes attractive to everyone. The story is from Joellen's POV and although I would have wished some from Cameron's, it is right for this story.

I requested and received an ARC via Netgalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Starting ‘Melt for You’ was quite an apprehensive step to take, I’ll readily admit.

Considering that I loved the spunk and the unexpected but fun retelling of Beauty and the Beast in J.T. Geissinger’s first book in this series (which made me request this ARC), the blurb to this one—so different from the first—gave me pause. The inexperienced woman vs. the experienced commitment-phobic womaniser CEO/athlete/military man etc. ranging from fun-loving to sleazy is one of the tropes all too common in the romance genre and one that I most dislike with a vehemence that rivals my hate for, say, bad public transport management.

I realise this puts me in the minority and I can’t count myself as one of those readers who claps and whoops for the uber-manwhore and feels triumphant that some lone woman finally manages to ’tame’ him even as it takes a process as elaborate and sensitive as sprucing up her self-esteem or image issues. That, pitted against how much I do enjoy Geissinger’s writing and the promise of the loose retelling of ‘The Ugly Duckling’ however, the latter won out…marginally.

‘Melt for you’ starts off with the kind of self-deprecating, smart-alecky talk of Joellen Bixby that rambles on about Christmas shopping to fatness and hair-colour, done in the uncanny style of Bridget Jones: a stream-of-consciousness type, neurotic mash of ageing fears and randomness manifesting as humour.

Because of this, Cam obviously stands in sharp contrast to an awkward, thirty-six heroine who has far, far lower self-esteem than a bacne-ridden teen—cocky, obnoxious, and insufferable about his well-earned reputation with the ladies. The build here isn’t quite between 2 protagonists who have their eyes on each other; instead, Joellen’s fixation with her boss while Cameron McGregor with the panty-dropper reputation isn’t the most romantic setup that I can buy into, not when the weird love triangle goes on up until the last quarter of the book.

More disturbingly though, there were many things I found myself wishing. I wished Joellen thought better of herself, from the very start, because those issues of hers struck hard (and too close to home as a family member struggles with this) and made me somewhat heartsick. I wished she saw her own self-worth without the need of some help from a well-known player who’d actually spent the entire book playing reaffirming aunt.

Above all, I wished I laughed more and took this less seriously like the rom-com it’s meant to be, but I couldn’t. Not with the deep-seated issues that I know go deeper than perfect physical appearance being the apparent answer to everything, a commonly-held hypothesis that Joellen was determined to get on board with. Not when I’m passionately against women feeling as though they need to do to extreme lengths so they get noticed by a man. Dour as this review is—which is influenced clearly by what I’ve seen happen to others—, ‘Melt for You’ if anything, throws this starkly into the spotlight and strangely, what mattered more than the HEA is Geissinger’s reinforcement of this past the epilogue.

Melt For You, Slow Burn Book 2, J.T. Geissinger
Montlake Romance
Standalone
 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐

This is the first book that I've read from this Author. Even though this is Book 2, it can be read as standalone.
One-sided. Heroines POV.

Joellen is socially awkward, too nice for her own good, lacks confidence in herself. Due to her family constantly putting her down, just because she's not like them. Lives with her deaf cat. Her inner monologue is hilarious. But she's also smart and witty.
She's had a crush on her married boss for the past 10 years and he tells her that he's getting divorced so tells her that he's noticed her from afar but couldn't do anything about it until now.

Enter Cameron, who's moved in next door to Joellen. He's the Captain of the a Scottish Rugby team. Huge, tattoos, plays loud music and a revolving door of women. He drives her crazy.
Then, he offers to help her get the man she's craved. Getting her motivated, teaching her tips and guiding her to get the guy she wants.

With spending so much time together their back and forth banter between them is great.

Throw in some bumps along the way.
Does all their hard work pan out?
Will she get her HEA?
Is she destined to be a lonely cat lady?

Would have been nice to have read some from the males POV too. But a lovely wee mushy read.

Many thanks to Montlake Romance for providing me with this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

5+++ stars.
"Melt for You" had me in a pool of liquid !
This was one hell of a juicy read. The so very delicious and wickedly sexy banter between Joellen and Cameron is what pushed this rating up, off the charts for me.
I love snarky and biting humor and this book had it, I smiled and laughed my way through this fabulous read.
Perfect slow burn/rom-com. One of my favorite book-couples. The writing is wonderful and everything I could hope for-I read this book in one sitting.
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Cameron McGregor is the cocky, tattooed Scottish rugby captain who just moved in next door to Joellen Bixby . Joellen Bixby is a socially awkward book editor that has a date every Saturday—with her cat, a pint of ice cream, and fantasies of the way-too-handsome Michael Maddox, the unattainable CEO of her firm. But she blends in so well with her cubicle, how is this going to happen? The answer may be closer than she thinks. Cameron's not Jo’s type—at all—but the notorious playboy is offering to teach the wallflower everything he knows about inspiring desire. Though a lot of women have rumpled Cam’s kilt, Jo is special. Far from the ugly duckling she thinks she is, in Cam’s eyes she’s sharp, funny, and effortlessly sexy. Now, thanks to him, Jo is blooming with confidence and has the man of her dreams within reach.
**************************************
Amazing series so far. I had previously read the equally wonderful "Burn for You" and was thrilled to receive an ARC for this book as it has long been on my radar for publication.
J.T. Geissinger, I also award you "5 stars" - you are officially one of my favorite authors.

I adored this book. ADORED it. Joellen is a character that I relate to a little too well minus the gorgeous Scottish neighbor. Cameron, the gorgeous Scottish neighbor, drives her crazy as he insinuates himself into her life and offers to help her win the man she has had an unrequited crush on for a decade. It is a slow burn romance with witty banter and some surprising emotional depth. Definitely one for the keeper shelves.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

At work, Joellen was the yes woman. Never declined an assignment and always on time. Then there’s the unfortunate fact she’s been in love with her married boss for a decade. And all I was thinking was girl, please get a life! There’s so much more out there! Outside of work, she had this snarky vibe that I just felt was hiding someone who had the potential to be more, except she lacked the self confidence to find and explore it. When her new neighbor Cameron offers to help her catch her divorced boss’s attention, she takes a leap of faith.

Cameron was my absolute favorite character hands down. He’s got the brains, self confidence, emotional acumen, brawn, cocky arrogance, and holy heck he’s Scottish, but seriously, his intelligence was a beautiful thing to see in action! He was an annoying neighbor, yet his boyish charm made him a little irresistible. Celebrity status aside, he’s also just a guy with ghosts in his closet, so he’s not perfect by any means, yet smack me silly because it took Joellen freaking forever to see past the perfection to a regular guy with his own issues. His lessons with Joellen were hysterical and spot on and I looked forward to whatever bit of advice he tossed out, because it meant tantalizing banter would occur!

Joellen was hard for me to like and I really wanted to! She wasn’t naive, she was just really unaware of her potential. She lit the room on fire with her passion, but was blinded by what she perceived as perfection. I struggled waiting for her to wake up and smell the roses, not just about Cameron, but more so about her own self image. I completely understood her reasoning of not being good enough, but it didn’t mean I had to enjoy the pacing of her decision making process.

Cameron was a one man cheerleader and positive support group. His cocky remarks kept things at a reasonably lighthearted level and balanced out Joellen’s heavy self-berating, and their banter?! It was the best! Granted, it oozed one sided awareness sexual tension, yet I looked forward to whatever off the wall remark would pop out next!

Overall, I liked most of the story. This was an ugly duckling tale full of snarky quips, sexy banter, and steamy kisses I loved. There’s the topics of body image and self esteem that sent a good message. My only issue was that the story dragged on plot progression and the ending just hit out of nowhere.

And I wished Cameron could have kicked Michael’s overinflated, snotty ego across the room.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the first book I have read from this author and I really enjoyed it. It is very one sided and we really only know Joellen's thoughts. It starts out where she has a neighbor she hates, Cam, and he drives her crazy. Joellen has had a crush on her boss for ten years and so when he is suddenly single again, she wants him and she finds that he wants her too. Cam offers to get her into shape and teach her to dress better and that is how they get to know the other.

It is a slow burn story but it really worked and I really enjoyed it. It took me a bit to get into it as it took time to get to the main plot of the story but when I did OMG it was fun, sweet and so romantic.