Book Review: Kat & Mouse: a Crosscannon Roller Derby romance by Jacquelyn Heat

What’s the Story – from Goodreads:

Katrina Brooks is a gifted photographer and an excellent roller derby referee. When she’s wearing her stripes, she’s focused and professional—and she rarely misses a call. Problem is, Kat’s got her eye on a “Mouse” who has a knack for getting into trouble.

Dorothy Mauser (Dot) is a trash-picking junk artist with a big heart but a volatile temper. She’s also the most penalty-heavy skater in Crosscannon Roller Derby. Far from realizing our ref has a thing for her, Dot thinks Kat has it in for her.

As Kat prepares her work for display at Crosscannon Pridefest, Dot gets a chance to see her true colors. A tentative collaboration between these two artists quickly reveals a mutual attraction. But with playoffs on the horizon, their newfound connection may not survive their on-the-track tension—or the deeper insecurities it brings to light. Can Kat & Mouse overcome the instincts driving them apart? Or, for them, is animosity just the nature of the game?

Review:

Jacquelyn Heat popped my roller derby romance cherry. I have never seen roller derby but now have a better understanding of the game. Granted, I did have to take pause to remember what some of the terms meant, but it was worth it during the derby scenes.

The one thing I will say while reading this book was that I wanted more from Kat and Dot. We really started to get to know them a little over halfway through the book and I was left with wanting more. I wanted to see more about Kat and her upbringing that made her the woman she was today. I wanted to see more of Dot’s battle with borderline. There were times that I thought that the relationship was rushed.
The secondary characters were amazing. I loved how they interacted with each other and moved the story along. I loved the camaraderie between the women. They all came together and stood by one another, which is wonderful to see. Girl power!!

The love scenes were steamy and there was definitely emotion between Dot and Kat. There was no denying that they had a natural chemistry. I particularly loved the last full steamy scene in the book. It was the first time I really felt the love between them. It was written perfectly.

This was a solid book for Jacquelyn Heat. I would like to see a growth in voice and more character development, but the stories are there. I would definitely pick up the next book by Jacquelyn Heat, especially if it was about some derby girls.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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