Publisher: Avon
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: Edelweiss
Single mother Sonny Miller has spent years avoiding love. A rotten childhood and an even rottener ex-boyfriend left her determined to protect her son—and herself—against the risks of romance. That is, until hotshot ballplayer JP Trudeau swaggers into her carefully constructed life, all sin-with-me eyes and irresistible grin. Sonny can’t help but feel drawn to the sexy, confident man, even as every fiber of her being tells her to keep running the bases . . .
JP is known for being fast on his feet, not fast with his heart. But meeting Sonny and her boy sparks something in him—something he’s never felt before, not from all the cleat-chasers in the major leagues. Sonny may be hell-bent on keeping him at arm’s length no matter what, but this rookie has a plan. To get the girl, he must step up to the plate and convince her to take another chance on love . . . before this game gets rained out.
*Blurb from Goodreads*
I love my sports romance books, so when I saw the second Diamonds and Dugouts book, I couldn’t wait to see what Seasons would have in store for us next.
JP has only been in the majors for two years, but he is the kind of man and player who knows exactly what he wants when he sees it. When he sees Sonny at a charity event for kids with diabetes, he knows right then and there she is what he wants. Although she is leery of his almost celebrity status, Sonny is drawn to JP in ways she never expected.
When Sonny told the father of her son that she was pregnant, he cut and run like so many other people in her life. She never expected to be a single mom, but she’s made it work. Now that the sexy and younger JP doesn’t want to take “no” for an answer, Sonny finds herself swept up in the romance and her son’s love of JP and baseball in general.
I really liked this book, but there was one aspect that was a big disappoint to me. I hate when authors add certain dynamics to their story, and then don’t really explore that aspect of the story. I liked that Sonny’s son had diabetes, however I felt like it was hardly touched on throughout the story, especially given how much they went out to eat and had various meals during the story. I would have liked to see Seasons explore that aspect of the story more.
That being said, I really liked the other aspects of the story. I thought the romance was so well done, especially as Sonny had to deal with JP’s fame and age difference. I loved the way that JP single-mindedly pursued Sonny, and kept finding new and different ways to spend time with her and her son, Charlie. I liked that Seasons also took the time to develop a relationship between JP and Charlie, and had them work on their relationship outside of the romance.
I loved Sonny, I thought she was such a hard working and genuine heroine. She had wonderful interactions with her best friend, and the other baseball girlfriends. I liked that she was so protective of Charlie, and at the same time allowed him to make a connection with JP. It felt real and easy and flowed well within the confines of the story.
I like getting a chance to see and know more of the baseball players who will hopefully be featured in future books in the series. I can’t wait to see what happens with Pete especially. He is such a louder-than-life character, and there is definitely something brewing with him.
All in all I really enjoyed this sophomore book from Seasons. JP and Sonny were wonderful characters who had a sweet romance. I loved how Sonny’s son, Charlie, fit within the story. Although I wished we would have had the chance to explore his disease more, it was a great read. I’m looking forward to more in this series!
I give Playing the Field a B