UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT is Book 4 in Kate Willoughby's In the Zone series. UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT immediately appealed to me because I love sports-themed romances, and I'm a big hockey fan. This pairing of an actress and athlete is anything but boring. Christine Caspary and Joe Rutherford meet when they are at very different points in their careers. Kate Willoughby makes both main characters easy to empathize with and like.

There are two main sources of conflict in UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT that move the story along—friction between Christine and Joe over Christine's career, and the drama that comes with the rookie hockey player Joe is mentoring. The flirty beginning between Christine and Joe is fun, sexy, and sweet. The teasing banter between the two is very natural and entertaining. Although Christine's career becomes a source of contention and barrier between them, it is not for obvious reasons. Rather than jealousy eating away at him, Joe is understandably freaked out by his girlfriend's sexual and revealing scenes in her new acting gig. I found Joe's position very sympathetic because he understands that the problem is his, yet he can't get past it. However, Christine is equally sympathetic as she battles her own distaste for the sexual scenes, with her sense of accomplishment for landing such a sought after role. Christine is further conflicted when her work causes problems in her romantic relationship. Kate Willoughby creates some very steamy scenes between Christine and Joe, while also building a very compelling character- driven story.

When Joe is asked to live with and mentor hotshot rookie CJ Noonan, he does it, but it turns into a big headache at times. Even though he's not quite old enough to actually be a father to a guy CJ's age, seeing Joe in that role gives readers a glimpse of his good nature. The drama CJ brings into Joe's life because of CJ's youth and brush with fame creates a recipe for disaster, but it also shows how tight the members of Joe's team are. I love the family feeling that exists between Joe and his teammates. Even though the players are sports celebrities, I like the maturity they show when trying to pass on life lessons to the rookie.

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT is perfect for readers who like intense drama, hot love scenes, and a dash of humor. In spite of their larger-than-life public personas, Joe and Christine seem very real and down-to-earth. I look forward to reading future books by Kate Willoughby.