Tag: baseball

Book Review: Caught Stealing (Southern Sports Sweethearts #1) by M.J. Padgett

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Rating: ★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 270 pages
Author: M.J. Padgett
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 24th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Charlotte Clarke’s life revolves around numbers and facts. But when life throws her a curveball, will she rely on her brain or her heart to guide her?

Love is the last thing on Charlotte’s mind. She’s too busy teaching uninterested high school students mathematics to make time for dating, despite her best friends’ protests that she needs a man. They seem to forget that the breakup with her long-time boyfriend shattered her heart.

When Charlotte’s friends discover a new dating app, they sign her up, surprising her with a list of men interested in stealing her heart. Not wanting to disappoint them, Charlotte chooses the first name on the list, preparing herself for utter humiliation and rejection. What she doesn’t know is the app is a cover for athletes looking for serious love. And one thing Charlotte doesn’t need is another athlete breaking her heart.

Andrew Rossi is sitting out with his second injury of the season. At his age, he’s beginning to worry his career with the Savannah Sharks might be coming to a close. What’s worse is he has no one to share the rest of his life with. Sick of superficial dating and flimsy relationships, Andrew decides to sign up on an elite, super secret athlete dating app. The second his eyes land on a gorgeous, brainy redhead with a deep love for dogs, his heart leaps in with cautious optimism.

The only problem? His sunshiny, sweet date despises athletes.

Keeping his athletic stardom a secret gives Andrew the chance to get to know Charlotte. As the two grow closer, he knows it’s only a matter of time before he has to come clean. But how do you tell a woman you’re falling for that you’re the one thing she hates?

Caught Stealing is a sweet, secret identity baseball romance with light faith elements, a side of comedy, and two show-stealing pups!

This is the first book in the Southern Sports Sweethearts series and the first in the Savannah Sharks baseball mini-series! The books in this series can be read in any order, mixed and matched, and moved around!

THIS DID NOT WORK FOR ME.

I was initially enjoying this one. I’ve been looking for some more baseball romances and was excited to try a new author out. Buuuut, this ended up not clicking on many fronts.

One of my main issues was that the whole plot felt centered around Lottie’s ex. Why the broke up, why she has a hard time trusting, why she STILL has a hard time trusting, him trying to win her back, him trying to win her back AGAIN, and so on and so forth.

And while there were some sweet scenes with Andrew in there and some of the dates were cute, it felt very ordinary. It was missing swoon and heat (even though I admit Andrew had some quotable lines).

I thought the writing was fine and I know this will work for others. I don’t know that I would try another book by this author.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Content warnings: cheating (previous relationship)

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Book Review: The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Alicia Thompson
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 18th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A professional baseball player and his heckler prove that true love is worth going to bat for.

Daphne Brink doesn’t follow baseball, but watching “America’s Snoozefest” certainly beats sitting at home in the days after she signs her divorce papers. After one too many ballpark beers, she heckles Carolina Battery player Chris Kepler, who quickly proves there might actually be a little crying in baseball. Horrified, Daphne reaches out to Chris on social media to apologize . . . but forgets to identify herself as his heckler in her message.

Chris doesn’t usually respond to random fans on social media, but he’s grieving and fragile after an emotionally turbulent few months. When a DM from “Duckie” catches his eye, he impulsively messages back. Duckie is sweet, funny, and seems to understand him in a way no one else does.

Daphne isn’t sure how much longer she can keep lying to Chris, especially as she starts working with the team in real life and their feelings for each other deepen. When he finds out the truth, will it be three strikes, she’s out?

WELL.

I’m on a quest to find some good baseball romances and this one came up a few times so here we are.

Why in the world is this whole book based off of a catfishing miscommunication? I think if this plot point had been resolved sooner the book would have sat better with me. I hate seeing MULTIPLE opportunities to come clean about everything and being dismissed.

The rest of the book is good though. I liked the chemistry between Chris and Daphne. It’s kind of a benefits situation but the feelings are so clearly there that a lot of sweet moments are included too. Plenty of baseball content too! Definitely a sports romance, just had some resolution issues.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary sports romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: multiple open door
  • Content warnings: loss of a loved one (suicide), divorce

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ARC Book Review: Love Catch (The Love Playbook) by Laura Langa

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 253 pages
Author: Laura Langa
Publisher: West East Publishing
Release Date: February 13th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Jilted at the game. Roommates by chance. Catching feelings by accident.

Humiliated after my MLB fiancé called off our engagement—in the middle of a baseball game, I did what any rational, rule-following girl would I climbed on top of the dugout to give him a piece of my mind.

I just didn’t expect to slip—or fall straight into the arms of Trevor Chapman.

Awkward? Totally. Except the team’s veteran catcher also happens to be my roommate. Trevor’s protective, patient, and ten years my senior—but I’m the one sharing custody of his rescue calico and handling the personal taxes for half of the Waves lineup.

To shake off my post-breakup funk, I make a list of adventures—and rope Trevor in. With every item we cross off, it’s harder to ignore that I’m catching feelings faster than Trevor snags fastballs.

I’ve already been burned by a Waves player, so letting myself fall again feels risky—even when Trevor has always been there to catch me.

Love Catch is a closed-door sports romcom featuring a jilted bride, her protective MLB roommate, and one very sweet calico rescue cat.
It’s perfect for readers who love playful banter and sizzling kisses with no third act breakup!

The Love Playbook series—where swoony athletes, laugh-out-loud romance, and happily-ever-afters meet adorable rescue animals who steal the show. Each book is a standalone, full-length, closed-door romcom featuring a different sport and an adorable pet! Books can be read in any order.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

THIS WAS CUTE.

Your girl is always after a good baseball romance because I feel like there’s not enough floating around out there. I would add this to the list if you enjoy a closed door romance with friends to lovers, two cute cats and a man who is INCREDIBLY down bad.

I loved all of the soft and quiet moments between Travis and Kenzie. Helping with animals, going to a wedding, attending games, all add up to the flirtatious pull between them. They are both sweet characters that are easy to love on and this book is only about 230 pages so it’s a perfect quick read to put a smile on your face.

I wish there had been less of the ex content because that overshadowed a large portion of the plot. I did love Kenzie finding a new strong female friendship at least.

Overall audience notes:

  • Baseball romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: physical altercation

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Book Review: Last Night Was Fun by Holly James

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Holly James
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: June 10th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

You’ve Got Mail meets The Hating Game! Vying for a promotion against a bitter rival as the only female data analyst for a professional baseball team, Emmy finds solace in the text-flirting relationship that started as a wrong number exchange—unaware that the man she’s texting is the one she’s fighting for the promotion.

Emmy Jameson lives by three no dating, no sharing personal news at work, and baseball above everything. As the only female data analyst for a professional baseball team, Emmy is constantly trying to prove herself.

Especially when she’s put up for a senior analyst position against her arrogant, infuriating coworker Gabe Olson. Sure, he’s gorgeous and smart and he was a baseball star in college who knows the sport inside and out, but so does Emmy. She is not going to lose to him again. There will be no distractions this summer. Not even her sister’s pending destination wedding in Mexico for which she needs to find a plus one.

But then she receives a text from an unknown number with a simple  “Last night was fun.” When she strikes up a conversation with the mystery texter, they realize that he was given a fake phone number after a bad date that just so happened to be Emmy’s. Despite her rules, Emmy can’t deny the instant connection she feels and soon finds herself falling for the stranger on the other side of the screen…and inviting him to her sister’s wedding.

Thank you to Avon Books for the gifted copy.

IT WAS FUN.

This was a new to me author and I did like it y’all!!! Random book mail success story here.

I thought most of it was super cute. I loved the texting conversations and banter and the way that the reader knows what’s happening but the characters haven’t clued in yet. It’s got an overall sweet quality to the story line.

BUUUUUT. Y’all know I will rant about a ridiculous third act and here we are. I haaaaate the let me interrupt you ten times rather than just letting you finish one sentence so I can understand what’s happening trope. Gabe deserved ONE SENTENCE. Meh.

Anyways, I think I would read another book from this author. It was a quick read that was overall on the lighter side and hit the spot.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild+
  • Romance: 2ish open door
  • Content warnings: loss of a brother (recounted, addiction)

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