When the “Bat Pack,” the bad boys of the Richmond Rogues baseball team, meet three beauties with faster pitches than they’ve ever seen, it’s sure to be a triple play of romance!
*Blurb from Goodreads*
Many of you may already know that I am obsessed with Sports Romance books. I love them. I go out of my way to find them, and I gobble them up whenever I get the chance. Susan Elizabeth Philips Chicago Stars, Rachel Gibson’s Chinooks Hockey Team, Carly Phillips’ Hot Zone and Jaci Burton’s Play by Play are amongst my favorites. I’ve recently added Kate Angell’s Richmond Rogues Series to the list. If you have any others that you love, PLEASE… let me know!!
I received the first book in her series as a freebee from Kobo (I think…) and after reading through the first one, immediately bought books two through four. The 2nd book in the series, Curveball was by far my favorite, and so fun to read. It follows the three all stars of the “Bat Pack” who are the hardest hitting all stars of their team. They work hard, they play hard, and they party hard.
The three guys: Psycho, Romeo and Chaser start off the book on a suspension for in team fighting, and have to deal with the hardest sentence of all, sitting out of the first few weeks of the season. But as these guys struggle with their suspension, they all also have to deal with the introduction of each of their lucky ladies. And let me tell you, they all have a wild ride ahead of them!
Psycho is a nudist, and with the recent purchase of his home, has been hounded to renovate it to its former glory. Enter Keely, the down on her luck designer who weasels her way into the role of Psycho’s designer. As they work side by side restoring his home, they also find a way to heal both of their souls. I really enjoyed the story between these two. They were both from somewhat disadvantaged childhoods, and yet they found a way to really come together and find comfort and a home within each other. I loved Psycho, and I thought that Keely fit him perfectly.
Romeo is the smooth talker in the group. He never has a problem with women, and they tend to fawn all over him. When he tried to apologize to Emerson, female reporter, he finds himself smitten with the one woman who didn’t instantly fall at his feet. Romeo for the first time ever has to chase after a woman he wants, and is constantly thrown by the fact that Emerson doesn’t fall easily. I loved the slow build of their relationship and the way that Romeo had to fight to prove to Emerson that she was exactly what he wanted. The slow and tension filled build of their relationship was so fun to watch unfold.
Chaser is the more subdued of the Bat Pack. His lifelong best friend Jen is home for good, and after one almost kiss, the two realize that there might be more between them. Jen wants to settle down, and Chaser tries to set her up on date after date, putting himself through hell as he watches her date other men. I’m a HUGE fan of friends to lovers stories, and Chaser and Jen got the least amount of page time, which was a disappointment to me. These two danced around each other, not sure if the other would be committed to taking their relationship to the next level, yet dying on the inside watching each other date the wrong people. I wish we could have had more of them, but it was easy to see just how easily they were able to fall in love.
The only thing that disappointed me about Curveball was the length. It was somewhat short for a novel that tells three romance stories in one. Although I was completely satisfied with the progression of each of the Bat Pack’s journey to love, I wish there would have been more.
All in all, I give Curveball a B+!