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A BOY LIKE YOU

NA Contemporary Romance-Book 1 in the Like You series

Scheduled to release: March 3, 2017

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BLURB:

They say everyone’s a superhero to someone. I’m not sure who I’m supposed to save, but I know who saved me.

We were kids. His name was Christopher. And up until the day he pulled me from death’s grip, he was nothing more than a boy I felt sorry for. In a blink of an eye, he became the only person who made me feel safe.

And then he disappeared.

Now I’m seventeen. I’m not a kid anymore. I haven’t been for years. While death didn’t take me that day, the things that happened left me with scars—the kind that robbed me of everything I once loved and drove me into darkness. But more than anything else, that day—and every day since—has taken away my desire to dream.

I wasn’t going to have hope. I wouldn’t let myself wish. Those things—they weren’t for girls like me. That’s what I believed…until the new boy.

He’s nothing like the old boy. He’s taller and older. His hair is longer, and his body is lean—strong and ready for anything. I don’t feel sorry for him. And sometimes, I hate him. He challenges me. From the moment I first saw him standing there on the baseball field, he pushed me—his eyes constantly questioning, doubting…daring. Still, something about him—it feels…familiar.

He says his name is Wes. But I can’t help but feel like he’s someone else. Someone from my past. Someone who’s come back to save me.

This time, though, he’s too late. Josselyn Winters, the girl he once knew, is gone. I am the threat; I am my worst enemy. And he can’t save me from myself.

About the Author:

Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless, In Your Dreams, The Hard Count, and Hold My Breath.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).

Social Media Links:

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The Distance From A to Z by Natalie Blitt

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This full-length novel by debut author Natalie Blitt is a pitch-perfect blend of Stephanie Perkins and Miranda Kenneally that proves the age-old adage: opposites attract.

Seventeen-year old Abby has only one goal for her summer: to make sure she is fluent in French—well, that, and to get as far away from baseball and her Cubs-obsessed family as possible. A summer of culture and language, with no sports in sight.

That turns out to be impossible, though, because her French partner is the exact kind of boy she was hoping to avoid. Eight weeks. 120 hours of class. 80 hours of conversation practice with someone who seems to exclusively wear baseball caps and jerseys.

But Zeke in French is a different person than Zeke in English. And Abby can’t help but fall for him, hard. As Abby begins to suspect that Zeke is hiding something, she has to decide if bridging the gap between the distance between who she is and who he is, is worth the risk.

Two reasons I picked this book: the adorable cover and French. It’s that simple!

Abby is anxious to get away from her sports-centric family to escape to a summer program where she can indulge herself in the love of her life: the French language. See, her parents and older brothers are obsessed with everything baseball and the Cubs (well after last season, who can blame any Chicagoan?) Anyway, Abby needs a break and to establish her own identity far removed from all that incessant baseball chatter. What better way to do that than to immerse herself in a completely different culture!

She meets Zeke on her first day there and it’s not exactly love at first sight. Unfortunately, Abby has very high standards and if a guy shows any sign of being remotely interested in sports, baseball especially, then she’s out. Zeke is charming, pretty laid back and interested in Abby, and even though she’s made up her mind to be off limits. Though she can’t help but be into him, too.

There were two things that I wrestled with as I read this. One, I felt that Abby’s instant repulsion to baseball was exaggerated. I mean, I’m not a football fan but I don’t think I’m anywhere as violently opposed to it as she is to baseball. On the flip side, I get it that when you’re bombarded with something 24/7 and there’s no refuge from it, it can become a negative in your life. However, I also felt her very vocal negativity about it hindered honesty in her brewing friendship with Zeke. Here’s what really irked me, and it’s not just this thing between Abby and Zeke because anyone is capable of it, and it's this: accusing someone of not being truthful with you when in the first place, you yourself have not created a sense of acceptance. It may not make a whole lot of sense now but when you read the story, you’ll get what I mean, hopefully.

Despite that part of the story, I enjoyed everything else. I majored in French in college (though don’t ask me to speak it because I’ve not used in since) and it was such a treat to return to the language. I liked how Abby studied it and tried to live it as much as possible. Her love of the language and the culture is evident through the writing. It’s as if you’re inside her head as she’s absorbing and processing everything. Another highlight is Abby learning to help her roommate who suffers from social anxiety. I think it was a good lesson for her to see how people adapt to the hand that they’re dealt. Abby matures a lot by the end.

The Distance From A to Z is one of the cutest reads I’ve experienced. It’s sweet and funny with some challenges along the way. Abby is your typical teenager so this summer program is very much a learning curve for her in multiple ways. I say definitely give it a go!

~ Bel

Screwball (Hard Hitters #2) by Linda Morris

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Reviewed by Bel

Passion dominates the diamond in the second novel in this fun and flirty baseball romance series by the author of High Heat.

Paul Dudley, president of the Plainview Thrashers, is spinning out of control. Preserving his family’s baseball legacy in these tough times takes everything he’s got, and constant clashes with his father have left him struggling for authority over the team and even his own future. So when sports reporter Willow Bourne, a one-night-stand from a year ago, walks back into his life, he knows he can’t give into his feelings for her—no matter how strong they are.

Willow never expected to see Paul again, and she’s got her reasons for keeping her distance. Except the more time she spends around Paul, the harder it is to hide her secrets—or stop herself from falling head over heels.

As the sparks between them fly, Paul discovers what Willow has been concealing from him, leaving him with a difficult choice—keep the team his top priority or make his own legacy by following his heart…

I was skeptical initially about another reporter-meets-sports-star romance because there are so many of them, but this one is told from a slightly different perspective with the hero, Paul being the owner of a local team.

Willow's latest assignment for the sports blog she works for has her covering a local Indiana baseball franchise, the Plainvew Thrashers. Little does she expect to be hit with a blast from her past. Paul and Willow have met previously a year ago when they had a one-night stand in Florida and neither has forgotten that encounter. In Willow’s case it was really hard because that brief union left her with a memento of their hot, passionate night. They went their separate ways after that and it looked like they’d never run into each other again. Then Willow gets this assignment which is a good career opportunity and a chance to make something good come of it for herself and her child. When they meet again, it’s as if all the stars aligned to make it happen. This brings up mixed feelings for Willow who  wants to maintain professionalism and keep her private life to herself. She doesn’t even want to bring it up to Paul that he’s a dad. Paul on the other hand wants nothing more than to to have what he's been yearning for for the past year – to be with the girl that he let slip away.

Since they have to work on this article together and be on their best behaviour, they maneuver around each other rather awkwardly. Paul tries to get close but Willow tends to make excuses to push him away. She'd like nothing more than to throw herself into his arms but will Paul want the same thing once he finds out they share more than that one night? And as if things aren't complicated enough, there seems to be an interesting back story regarding the Plainview Thrashers and the team’s ownership which could propel the story in a far different direction. Will Paul be so amenable to the idea of them as a couple if she does her job right and exposes some unsavory details about the club?

Screwball was fun to read and I really enjoyed the setting. Like I said at the beginning, I felt it had a different tone since this time there’s no dealing with athletes’ egos (well, maybe the unruly team manager’s but he’s fun!). There's not a whole lot of angst –just two adults working out their problems and making compromises. Screwball is the second in the Hard Hitters series and since I’ve not read the first one, High Heat, I plan on correcting that soon!

~ Bel

Curve Ball by Sloan Johnson

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Jason Klein’s living with the fallout from a decision he knew was the right one at the time. He never told anyone about the love of his life, which left him to mourn alone when he found out the man he gave his heart to had been killed in combat. Now, his heart has had time to heal, but he’s not sure he’s ready to let himself move on. Until he meets Cam Morgan…

Without a job lined up following graduation, Cam Morgan took his best friend up on his offer to move to Milwaukee and stay with him until he could get on his feet. The last thing he wanted to do the day after getting to town was go to a party filled with a bunch of jocks. Sure, they were “professional athletes” but Cam was convinced that bigger bank accounts didn’t make them any more accepting of people like him. He certainly didn’t expect to meet Jason, the Mavericks’ catcher who broke every stereotype he’d had.

What started out as one hot, sweaty night together quickly grows into something deeper. Jason welcomes Cam into his home and his life, but now he has to teach the younger man that it’s not a sign of weakness to let people help you. 



Review:


Cam Morgan has spent the last few years not only putting himself through culinary school but also surrounding himself with people that accept him.  Something he had little of while growing up.  After working so hard to build himself up, it's no surprise that he's a bit leery of hanging out with his best friend's major league baseball teammates.  Sure, the hosts of the party may be the first out gay couple in MLB history but that one example can't override the years of bullying endured at the hands of the high school baseball team. 

Jason Klein has made baseball his life.  When he's not playing ball, he's hanging out at home.  Being an older (hey, thirty is older compared to those early twenty somethings!) player has its  perks.  The biggest being that no one bothers him when he decides to forgo the bar scene and no one questions when he's never seen picking up one of the hundreds of girls trying to hit on the players.  Jason isn't quite in the closet.  The fact of the matter is, he lost his boyfriend in Afghanistan 7 years ago and he's been grieving ever since.  He won't be holding any press conferences to announces his sexual orientation, but he certainly won't actively hide who he is if he ever pursues a relationship again.  Which is why, when Cam shows up at his friend's birthday cookout, Jason doesn't hesitate to engage him a private conversation and offer to drive him home. 

That one night turns into another and then another and then another.  Before too long Cam is basically living at Jason's apartment.   Every moment that Jason isn't playing baseball and Cam isn't juggling his growing catering business along with his interim job feeding the players before and after games, is spent with each other.  But as their relationship grows, Cam becomes more skittish. Not surprising for the guy who believes he has to take care of himself  because no one (other than his BFF) has stuck around long enough to do that for him.  The more their relationship grows the more Cam is ready to bolt.  Jason will have to balance Cam's desire for space with the need to show Cam that sometimes it's okay to take the risk to trust someone with your heart.    

There was so much I enjoyed about this story.   I loved how Cam and Jason first met.   Even though Jason is going out of his way to show a romantic interest, Cam is completely oblivious.  Or maybe cautious and distrustful are better descriptors.  You'd think the bottle of wine and two glasses would be a dead giveaway.  But not for someone that has more than a little bit of justified prejudice against ball players (his best friend being the exception).  The way their relationship grew was fast but completely believable.  Jason's calm and reserved demeanor was perfectly matched with Cam's defensive and slightly bitchy attitude.  The banter between Cam and Mason (former player and the starting pitcher's husband) and a couple of the players' wives/girlfriends was highly entertaining.  It was fun to see them pull the reluctant Cam into their group and slowly teach him that it's okay to make attachments.   

I don't think anyone (least of all Bel and Shel) will be surprised at how much I enjoyed this story.  I mean, it contained two of my favorite romance elements - baseball and two heroes!  Not to mention that cover - it's utter perfection!  Oh, and the story contained a date scene (can't tell you more since it would be spoiler-y) that I will totally be stealing for me and the Executive Officer.  Then there is the fact that it was written by Sloan Johnson, who is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me.  So yeah, Curve Ball had my name written all over it.  

Are you looking for a wonderfully sweet baseball romance?  A story about two absolutely hot and adorable heroes surrounded by hot baseball players?  Then Curve Ball isn't just for me.  It's for you too.

Nat

No One Like You by Kate Angell

***

From Kensington:

No One Expects a Curveball

For Rylan Cates, the gloriously sunny beachside town of Barefoot William may be home, but the pro baseball player needs to focus on spring training. Hiring a personal assistant to keep him and his four dogs organized for the next eight weeks is the first step—and Beth Avery is the perfect pinch hitter.

Beth is still looking for her place in the world, and a couple months caring for Rylan’s two dachshunds, his golden retriever, and a Great Dane named Atlas should shore up her finances before she moves on. Except it’s Atlas who won’t budge, pushing her toward tanned, scruffy, sexy Rylan every chance he gets. One more strike and she’s calling the dog out—unless she and Rylan admit that the attraction they’re feeling is a game-winning grand slam…

Beth is running from her past; from a disastrous professional event that turned her life upside down and had her fleeing like a criminal.  She takes odd jobs, traveling around, never staying in any place long - just learning to be herself; to accept herself.  When she lands a temp job as the personal assistant/dog sitter for baseball star Rylan Cates, who can help falling for a gorgeous athlete who is a genuinely good guy? 

While the book is set in the world of professional baseball, the characters are down to earth and very real.  No One Like You is a romance without (mostly) the angst that is so common in romances these days.  While their relationship takes both Beth and Rylan by surprise and requires adjustments in both life and mentality, there's something comforting in the thought that love can come without all the angst.  I'm not sure an author would like me saying her book was comforting and felt "normal" but that's how I felt about No One Like You.  And who doesn't love a book with crazy dogs in it, right?  Rylan's dogs are awesome!

Kate Angell does great sports romance.  If you haven't checked out her Richmond Rogues series, you definitely should.  Find out more here:  http://www.kateangell.com.  

~ Shel

The Hot Corner by Amy Noelle

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Professionally, Danielle Pierce is making a name for herself writing biographies of famous athletes. Her star is on the rise, and her publisher is pleased. Her personal life isn’t going as swimmingly, and she’s recently back on the market after calling off her engagement to Mr. Perfect-On-Paper, not that she’s looking for anyone special. Her career is her focus and it keeps her content.

Her agent and publisher throw her a curveball she never saw coming when she’s assigned to cover the hottest baseball player—on and off the field—Bradley Reynolds. Brad, the Dodgers’ third baseman, spends as much time on the covers of tabloids as on the sports pages, dating models and actresses, each one more beautiful than the last. But he doesn’t let them distract him from his need to excel on the field. Baseball comes first, and it always has, ever since the love of his life walked away from him years ago. Danielle Pierce had been the only woman who ever mattered to him, the only one who ever would.

Dani never thought she’d have to see Brad in person again, let alone spend weeks with him writing his biography. He broke her heart in college, and she’d never risked it since. Seven years later he selects her to write the story of his life, and she’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. If she refuses, she looks like a coward. If she gives in, he wins. Can she be around him without falling for his Southern charm and deadly looks again? Can she show him that he didn’t break her? She doesn’t know what his game is, but she hopes she’s strong enough this time to play without getting burned.

Dani's career takes off thanks to her first two sports biographies that are fast gaining attention, and as a result her publisher wants to capitalize on this. Her current assignment is to interview Brad Reynolds, mega-talented baseball player and tabloid fixture, for his biography. Her publisher is very well aware that the two have a previous history but the opportunity to write a book about one of the hottest athletes around is too good to pass up. Despite her own reservations, Dani goes with it because even she admits she’s a bit curious about Brad.

When they meet for the first time in seven years she’s irritated to find herself still physically attracted to him. This makes keeping him at arms-length difficult. But she has a job to do and she intends to do it properly. They get on well enough but in the back of her mind, she’s always viewing him as he’s portrayed in the tabloids – a womanizer with a trail of broken hearts behind him. It doesn’t help that one of those is her broken heart from when they dated in college and eventually had a messy break up. In the flashback scene, you see what happened from Dani’s perspective and why she broke up with him. She gave Brad a different story though claiming it was for the sake of his career. Problem is, she was rather hasty in her decision and we can go ahead and chalk that up to immaturity. But she didn’t know that then and hindsight is such a pain in the behind.

In the present, Brad employs everything in his arsenal to woo Dani back, trying to convince her as best he can that he’s the same guy he was in college. He has never known the real reason she broke up with him. Trusting Brad is not something she’s going to do willingly but as she interviews some of the more important people in his life, she learns that he just may be the same man she fell for.

Brad is committed to her right away whereas she still doesn’t trust him fully. And how can she when she sees women falling all over him? When she does decide that a second chance is worth the potential heartbreak, she falls all over again. And because of this second chance she considers the possibility that may be she had things wrong seven years before. The great thing is that she’s admitting to her mistake. Now she has to fess up to Brad and who knows what that would do to him, to them.

Aside from Dani and Brad, there’s also his good friend Pamela, an actress who happens to be his ex. You’d think that would make things difficult for Dani but no. Pamela’s say-it-like-it-is personality adds some very funny moments and she quickly becomes a good friend to Dani. She helps Dani see past all the glitz and glamour of Brad's life and encourages a reconciliation between them.

I had a great time reading The Hot Corner. It was exactly what I needed – a more grown up romance featuring two people rebuilding a relationship and finally being honest with each other. The chemistry between Dani and Brad is spicy but it’s the romantic gestures that Brad offers Dani that are utterly swoon-worthy.  And as I'm waiting for Spring to get here and counting down to baseball's opening day, what better way to bide the time than by reading about one of the boys of summer?

~ Bel

You and Everything After (Falling #2) by Ginger Scott

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I’m that teenaged girl who has MS. You haven’t met me, but you’ve seen me around. You probably know my sister. We’re twins, and she’s the pretty one. Maybe you’ve heard about my reputation, how much I like to hook up at parties—how easy it is to get me in bed, get what you want, and forget about me after.

Forget what you think you know. I’m leaving that girl behind.

College is all about new beginnings. So from now on—I’m just Cass. And the rest…it isn’t written yet. And no one else gets to write my story for me.

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“Tyson Preeter doesn’t do can’t.”

That’s exactly what I want people to think when they see me. I am strong, invincible, confident, intelligent—arrogant. I’m the man who always finds a way around, over and through—until there’s nothing left. Since losing my ability to walk six years ago, I’ve relearned life. I don’t need sympathy. I don’t want charity. And I don’t do love.

It’s better this way, saves my disappointments for me, and me alone, and it saves my strength for everything I want.

But Cass Owens is about to wreck everything. She’s about to steal all of my strength away from me, because she needs it more. She’s about to break all of my rules, and break down all of my walls. She’s about to own me…completely.

And I’m about to let her.

Ever since I read that sneak peek that was included at the end of This Is Falling, I’ve been itching to get my hands on You And Everything After. Ty and Cass’s brief but memorable encounter at Sally's diner had me so excited for more of them. It was just too much to ask to be patient. Theirs appeared to be an unlikely match though it was apparent they were seriously in to each other. This is their story and it’s every bit as wonderful as This Is Falling.

We were already well aware of Ty’s disability and his "no-relationships, no-attachments" philosophy. Cass’s revelation that she suffers from MS was surprising as never let on about it previously. Cass is desperate to break out of the bubble wrap her parents have encased her in because of it. At college, no one knows about her condition, more importantly, they know nothing about her sordid high school past. It’s a chance to start anew though she still has those moments of doubt that can’t be erased so easily. Ty initially sees a sexy and vivacious young woman whose sassiness matches his own wit. Call it kismet or coincidence, he becomes her personal trainer and from there their relationship gets deeper. He believes in her and encourages her to pursue her dream of playing soccer again. Unfortunately, pursuing this dream also means facing old rumors that have resurfaced.

As Cass learns to battle her problems, Ty has to also face his own past - that being his ex-girlfriend Kelly who still has a hold over him. Realizing that Cass is the first girl since Kelly that he has fallen for is unnerving but he’s not stupid. He knows how happy he is with her and wants her to be just as happy. In This Is Falling, Ty comes off as a jerk … a lot. He has those moments here too and he fesses up to them. Only this time, you get to see where it’s coming from and how his jerk demeanor is not only his defense against attachments but also a way to keep others from feeling sorry for him.

One of the joys of reading You and Everything After is seeing the camaraderie between the Preeter brothers again but from Ty’s point of view this time. They have the typical sibling relationship and he clearly loves Nate. It’s amazing how he can be his brother’s biggest supporter of pursing his baseball dream even when his own died after his accident. The other dynamic of interest is that between Cass and her twin sister Paige.  She longs for some independence and space but also for Paige to have her back no matter what. This has been a divide between them since high school. Ty’s belief in her is the very thing she has been missing from her family. She doesn’t need coddling, she needs people in her corner. And that's exactly where Ty is with his firm resilience and no bull attitude.

“Yeah, I heard you. You have MS. I can’t feel my legs. La di f***in’ da. Are we training or what?” His expression hasn’t changed once, and the armor I just started to build up around my heart is already cracking.

Ginger Scott has fast become one of my favourite writers. I simply love how she describes these very personal, life-altering experiences, getting to the heart of matters without making it feel like an afterschool special. These people, with their innermost vulnerable pieces that are slowly put back together, eventually become their own champions by the end. And speaking of the end, Scott's done it again by giving us another sneak peek, this time into Paige's story. So now I get to "patiently" wait for book number 3, The Girl I Was Before. In the meantime, please catch up with the Falling series, the Preeter boys, and these fascinating, strong women who love them!

~ Bel

*** Interview ***

I knew I'd wanted to interview Ginger for a while now but coming up with questions is always hard since there's just so much I'd want to know. Thankfully, Ginger was gracious enough to discuss her work and give us an insight into her writing process.

Let’s start with the inspiration for the Falling series. How did that come about? And did you have an idea that you’d have three books-worth to share?

It all started with an ASU baseball game. I was sitting in the grass, near the bullpen, on the third base side, and the players were stretching. I started watching this college girl in front of me, sitting on a blanket by herself. She was staring at one of the players, and he kept looking at her. It was all just very flirtatious, but there was something so precious about it. It sparked this idea of these two characters, and I pulled out my ticket stub and scribbled it full of notes. I had the character names and basic story outlined and stuffed in my purse by the ceremonial first pitch. I knew it would be three books by the time I got my cast of characters down. Ty's character was so rich, and I needed to explore him more. And then Paige was so different from the other two girls, and that just felt like it needed to be shown as well. When I realized what I had in this series, I got super excited!

Your characters face some heavy issues – autism (How We Deal With Gravity), post-traumatic stress (This Is Falling), MS and disability (You And Everything After).  What was it like getting inside their minds to write their stories?

I like to pull at the threads of things that sometimes slip by unnoticed. Writing the autism story was deeply personal and important to me, and it was a story I had been wanting to pen for quite some time. I have a fairly deep understanding of autism given my experience with it through family and friends as well as my volunteer work with an organization here in Arizona. For me, getting inside the heads of Gravity's characters was both an honor and a risk--something I wanted to get exactly right. 

I drew from my reporting experience a great deal in writing This Is Falling. I've covered scenes similar, eerily similar, to the one that played out in Falling, and in many ways, Falling let me tell a side of that story I don't think gets shown often--the lingering effects and how a tragedy like the one in the book touches so many lives.

Getting inside the minds of Ty and Cass was my biggest challenge yet. I wanted to tell their stories right, honorably and accurately. I was extremely blessed to have guidance

from two close friends affected by MS and paralysis, and I took their advice on every single note they made. I was intimidated by Ty and Cass, and I think that's a good thing. It kept them honest.

How much of your personal experiences factor in to your writing?

I think my personal experience is always woven into the fabric of my stories in some way, though probably with far less drama. I have an ongoing promise with myself to write feelings accurately, even when it might be uncomfortable. I like to make people react as they would in real life, and sometimes, that means admitting how I may react or how someone has treated me at one point in my life. It's all part of falling in love, feeling new feelings, growing up. I think if I didn't tap into my personal experiences I'd be missing out on some of the ingredients for realism.

In You and Everything After, Ty mentions how superstitions and rituals are important in sports. Do you have any rituals or routines that help you write?

I do! I have a lot of go-to music; The National tends to play often. I also have a very nerdy outlining method that would probably look like organized chaos to anyone else (alright, maybe organized isn't an entirely accurate term). I also get in a serious groove when I'm about six or seven chapters from the end, and I will have power nights--all in a row--where I sit in bed, laptop in front of me, husband hiding under covers trying to drown out typing, while I literally am so obsessed with seeing where the story goes that I forgo sleep. I even know how it's going to end! It's all crazy.

Now for a bit of fun… the BiblioJunkies motto is “books, boys, pie”.  So …

What was your favourite book in school?

I have to answer this three ways: Junior High, the book "Forever" by Judy Blume. High School: "Gatsby." And in college: "Friday Night Lights."

Photo: Details.com

If you could cast Nate and Ty Preeter, who would they be? 

It's funny, I tend to agree with a lot of readers on this one, and I like the idea of Liam Hemsworth in both roles. Would that be weird?

Finally, can you attribute a dessert to each of the following characters: Rowe, Nate, Cass, Ty? What’s your favourite dessert?

Rowe is a chocolate chip cookie, sweet and all-american, but in need of milk.

Nate (while also the milk) is a s'mores! Oh my god is he so a s'mores!

Cass is a lemon torte, sweet and sour, and sort of ready to fight.

Ty is fudge. Pushy, decadent, rich, filling, taunting and impossible to resist!

My ultimate dessert is the perfect slice of wedding cake. It's my favorite food in the world. Moist white cake, multiple layers of butter cream, a hint of raspberry or lemon or both, and the width of a tire. And now I want a piece!

Wow! I love that that one tiny observation at the baseball game led to these two phenomenal stories in the Falling series! Thank you Ginger for taking the time to answer my questions. And congratulations once again on You and Everything After! Check the links below to learn more about Ginger and her books.

Connect with Ginger:

Website    I    Facebook    I    Twitter    I    Goodreads

Buy links:

This Is Falling    Amazon    I    Barnes & Noble    I    Kobo       

You and Everything After    Amazon    I    Barnes & Noble    I    Kobo        

How We Deal With Gravity    Amazon   I    Barnes & Noble    I    Kobo

 

Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

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Life loves a good curveball…

Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas's life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she's living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals' super-hot rookie pitcher.

But nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team. Annie has enough on her plate without taking their friendship to the next level. The last thing she should be doing is falling in love.

But baseball isn't just a game. It's life. And sometimes, it can break your heart…

Review:

When Jim Lucas is offered a job as a pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals, his daughter, Annie, makes him take it.  Annie realizes that this is not only an amazing job opportunity for her former MLB pitcher dad but she also thinks it  might be the perfect way to avoid her wandering mother who only shows up time to time to wreak havoc on the Lucas household.  But although there are amazing perks to moving to Kansas City (a new house, an amazing school with the best track team in the state, a caretaker for Grams) there are also some obstacles.  There’s the fact that the team owner is not amused with the team manager’s decision to hire Jim Lucas.  His job is tenuous at best.  The other obstacle?  Jason Brody.  He’s super hot.  He’s not much older than her.  And he’s completely off limits.

The ball club is buzzing with rumors about rookie pitcher, Jason Brody.  He’s a drop out.  He’s an ex-con.  He killed a man.  Just kidding.  Not that last one.  Fortunately, Brody is smart and he keeps his mouth shut as his teammates talk shit about what he may or may not have done in his past.  The only rumor he’s willing to confirm or deny is the fact that he’s an amazing pitcher.  He might be young and new but Jason Brody is determined to show the world that he and his new coach, Jim Lucas, are indispensable. 

Julie Cross does an amazing job of treading that sometimes fine line between Young Adult and New Adult.  Since Brody and Jim are constantly working together, it’s no surprise that Annie and Brody become friends.  Annie is a seventeen year old high school junior.  In a different world, the 1 ½ year age difference between her and Brody would seem rather inconsequential.  But considering he’s a rising MLB star that is constantly in the limelight and she is just a regular kid that still has a year and a half before heading to college, the gap between their ages and their current positions in life seem insurmountable.   Annie feels like a kid next to Brody and the life he is leading.  Brody definitely doesn’t see Annie as a kid, but a relationship between them would cause all sorts of issues.  With Jim Lucas.  With the team owner.  With the media.  Together, Brody and Annie need to figure out if the relationship they both want so much is possible and if the risks are worth it.

I have a confession.  I've been unfaithful to the American League.  I’m a White Sox fan.  So you would think I’d be cheering on the Kansas City Royals during this year's World Series.  But no, I’m a fickle baseball fan.  I have so much shame (not really) in admitting that I think Buster Posey (San Francisco Giants catcher) is cuter than fluffy puppies, prickly hedgehogs and smiling turtles.   And I pretty much would do anything to again see that cuteness rushing the pitcher mound after winning the Series.   And by “anything”, I mean cheering on the Giants. 

But today?  After reading Whatever Life Throws at You?  As I simultaneously write this review and watch the second game of the Giants/Royals series?  Today I’m feeling a little guilty.  You see, I’m also a little in love with Jason Brody.  And although he might be a fictional character, I can’t help but imagine him up there on that pitcher’s mound when the Giants are up to bat.   And if a book can make me consider switching baseball loyalties to support its main characters, then that’s a good book indeed.

If you love romance and baseball do yourself a favor and buy yourself a copy of Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross.  You won’t be disappointed.

Nat

Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis

***1/2

From Berkley Sensation:

Baseball player Wade O'Riley's bad-boy image is about to be cleaned up by publicist Samantha McNead. But the sexual tension between them is about to drive Wade to his knees.

Jill Shalvis story-telling in a baseball setting = total awesomeness.  Need I say more?  Yes? Well ok.  Slow Heat is the second in this series (is it technically a series if there are only two books?).  Wade is the bad-boy catcher, who turns out to be the caring good boy who helps Samantha take care of her young nephew.  Is there anything hotter than a beautiful alpha man that is great with kids, or animals (see Jill’s Animal series for additional swooning)?  Well, that’s the combo we get here and it is sizzling hot and entertaining.  

I know I rave about Jill Shalvis, but only because she is so awesome.  My only complaint about Slow Heat is that it appears to be the last of the baseball books and I was really looking forward to Gage getting some love in a future book, hint, hint Ms. Shalvis.  J  Check out Jill’s daily misadventures and hilarity at her blog - http://jillshalvis.com/blog.  And then make sure you “like” her on Facebook!

Spring has finally sprung here in the greater Chicagoland area and this book hits the spot!  In fact, my dear brother suggested a BiblioJunkies field trip to see the Cubs or the White Sox, which I think is brilliant and makes me want to go read this and Double Play again.

~Shel

Double Play by Jill Shalvis

***1/2

From Berkley Publishing Group (Penguin):

He's a great pitcher...and a great catch.

With the end of his career looming, the last thing ace pitcher Pace Martin needs is a distraction, even if it comes in the form of a tough, beautiful, tell-it-like-it-is writer who sees past his defenses.

I picked this book up for two reasons: (1) it’s a Jill Shalvis book and (2) hot boys and baseball.  Jill never disappoints.  This isn’t my favorite of her books, but certainly a great read, especially in the winter when we are all dreaming of summer and hot boys in baseball uniforms… and out of baseball uniforms.  I found Pace to be a fun and engrossing hero and the story was compelling.  Read the book and tell me that you don’t have a new appreciation for the superstitions of athletes!  With Jill Shalvis’ trademark steam and hilarity, you will definitely enjoy your time spent with the Pacific Heat."A Jill Shalvis hero is the stuff naughty dreams are made of."
-VICKI LEWIS THOMPSON

~Shel