Showing posts with label Lulu Moore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lulu Moore. Show all posts

Friday, March 24, 2023

6 Baseball Romance Recommendations

Two years ago I wrote a similar post to this. In that Baseball Romance Series recommendations post I listed 4 series that I thought all baseball romance lovers would enjoy. I stand by those recommendations to this day. I loved all of those books, and still think of them fondly. Heck I still recommend them to people who are looking for baseball romances!

So here we are in 2023 and I'm back with new recommendations. These titles have come out in the last 18 months or so. They all captured my attention for various reasons, and I think you should read them.

Since spring training is currently in full force it is the perfect time to grab a baseball romance, and immerse yourself into the world of baseball. Which books do I suggest? Let's head to the field and find out.


Vegas Heat by Lisa Suzanne


This series should come as no surprise. I've read the first four books, and am eagerly awaiting the fifth to arrive on my kindle. This first season of the Vegas Heat follows Cooper and Gabby. They met at a blackjack table in Vegas on Gabby's 21st birthday. Gabby had no clue who Cooper was, all she knew was that she was instantly attracted to him. It was only later that she found out that 1) there is a 12 year age gap, 2) he's moving to Vegas for his job, and much much later she found out that 3) he's her dad's best friend. Naturally they are keeping this relationship quiet because Troy does not want his daughter with a baseball player, nor does he want her dating someone THAT much older than she is. Yet the attraction is strong, and these two cannot stay away from each other. Should you choose to pick up this series, I actually suggest waiting until April 13 or at least pretty close to that. Why April 13? That is the day that Hardball, book 5, releases. If you wait until then, you don't have to really subject yourself to the cliffhangers, as you'll have all the books available to you.

The Wrong Pitch by Brittany Taylor

This college romance from Brittany Taylor was SO GOOD! I loved the meet-cute, I loved the hate-to-love, then there was the brother's best friend trope as well, and I was just hooked. The Wrong Pitch just released today, and if you'd like to read my full review you can do so here.


The Third Baseman by Lulu Moore

Full disclosure...this book isn't out yet. It comes out on March 29, and I read an advanced copy of the book. My review can be read in this blog post. I'll be honest and say that I had mixed feelings with The Third Baseman. I enjoyed many aspects of it, but there were others I didn't enjoy as much. Part of that I attribute to the fact that this was my introduction to the author, and the content of this book really carried over to previous titles. So why should you read it if I had mixed feelings? The obvious answer is that everyone experiences books differently, and my feelings won't be yours. Alternately it's a good second chance romance. It's set 14 years after the heartbreak, and the storyline bounced between modern day and the past. It was interesting to see how the characters have changed, and in some ways how they've remained the same.


Fake Love by Jocelyne Soto

This book was a bit of an emotional roller coaster. From the drug issues, to his mom’s health issues, to being traded, to meeting Jen, to coming up with this fake relationship plan, to everything that happened next, I was hooked. Jocelyne Soto created a wonderful story. While Maddox wasn’t always my cup of tea, in the end I came around to him. This book was emotional, it was steamy, and I could not put it down.


Wild Card by Ashley Munoz

This college sports romance was a doozy! There's drama, suspense, and of course a romance. Mallory is a school journalist, and she just got the tip of a lifetime. Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Only this potential story is going to cause some issues. Decker happens to be on the baseball team, and while he knows a bit about this card game he doesn't know the full story. He's also not keen on Mallory digging into it. Yet they work together. The connection these two had was impressive, even with them trying to deny it. Should you read Wild Card, be prepared for slow burn. Although I will say it is worth it. I absolutely loved Wild Card from start to finish. Loved the book. Loved the characters. 


Caught Looking by Aven Ellis

It's no secret that I am a major fan of Aven's storytelling, as well as her characters. There is just something about the way she brings these people to life that has me wanting to befriend them. Chase and Meghan were no different. I was drawn to them, and just wanted to stay with them for as long as possible. This may have started as a fake relationship, but it quickly morphed into something real. Yet things were not going smoothly. There were issues to be discussed, to be worked through, and trust to be built. Caught Looking is the FOURTH book in the DC Soaring Eagles series, and while you can read them out of order, I think it gives the best effect to start at the beginning.


So tell me, have you read any of these titles? If you did, how did you rate them? If you haven't, do you think you'll pick them up? What are some of your favorite baseball romances? Give me some recommendations!

Happy Reading,
Laura




Please note:

I participate in the Amazon Affiliates program.

Purchases made through links above allow me to earn a small commission.

Thank you!

Monday, March 20, 2023

What I Read Last Week


Spring break is officially over, and my kids are back to school. We had a great week together, and didn't let that little bug ruin too much of our plans. My kids did a lot of fun activities, and hopefully made some good memories. I think the highlight was bowling. We all had a good time, and bowled decently. 

When it comes to reading my week was really good. I read 6 books, and enjoyed the majority of them. Four books were advanced copies from the authors (and/or PR teams), and two were already on my kindle. There were 3 small town romances, 2 sports romances, and 1 paranormal. It was a nice little variety.


So what were the six books that I read this week? Keep scrolling to find out!

I would love to hear about the books you read, or booktubers you watched, and anything bookish. Please share!

Happy Reading,
Laura



 Yours to Take by Emily Silver



The meet cute in this book had me laughing. The setting was fabulous. I love a good small town, and it being set on a family ranch was just that much better. Our heroine was lovable. Our hero had potential. While the story was good, this wasn't my favorite. It felt lacking, and that connection between the characters wasn't strong. I'll still be returning for the next book in the series because the Winchester family intrigues me. I want to see each of them get their happily ever after. I went into a little more detail with my review over on Goodreads.


A False Start by Elsie Silver



I LOVED this story. Seriously so good. Elsie Silver is an amazing writer, and the characters she creates are some of my favorites. While I did enjoy this story, I felt like it was missing a lot of Griff's point of view. I wanted more of his history, and his struggles. Plus there was that reveal that seemed major at the time, but then didn't really amount to anything. Again, I went into more detail over on Goodreads if you're curious.


Batter Up by Hallie Bennett

Oof, this book was a hot mess. I went in knowing it was a baseball romance with a plus size female main character. I also knew it was instalove. Instalove is fine. It is. As long as there is a connection between the characters. I did not feel that what so ever. Our heroine clearly hated her body, and her self esteem was in the trash. Then there was our hero who was over the top and quite annoying. He was trying to be all alpha-ish, but it was a miss. Thankfully this book was a novella so it all went quickly. Unfortunately I still wasted time reading it. 


Captive of the Night by Meg Anne & K Loraine

The Mate Games: Pestilence continues to pull me in. Not as much as War did, but that's okay. Different characters, different storylines, same world. I still am enjoying it. Now when the second book ended I thought that someone else was taken over. So when this book started and it was a different character I was confused. That could have just been my reading though and not fully paying attention. I liked this change up though, and how the possession played into the story. Also when the one characters past was revealed that was interesting. I knew there was something "special" about the character, but didn't know what it was. So this new piece of info just has things making sense. I am curious as to what will happen in the future, and how everything will play out. If you're wanting to read this book, it will be releasing on April 10, 2023. (although paperbacks are typically available a bit before hand.)


Almost Goodbye by Nola Marie


Oh Nola! This author continues to pull me into her storytelling, and has me falling for the characters. Almost Goodbye is Henry's story. We met him in the Sons of Sin series, and while I knew his story was coming, I didn't know what to expect. This age gap romance duet ends on a doozy of a cliffhanger. It is very much a second chance romance, and it is forbidden. Plus this small town is completely against Henry. Now because of what happened the town is also against Ashleigh. I loved that we were able to get to know Henry, and see all that he had been through over the years. I wish we had a point of view from Ashleigh during the same time. I would love to know what she dealt with during those 5 years. The way the secret came out was just what I was expecting. That being said I wasn't expecting what went down with Carter. Then there is Ashleigh's dad, and OOFTA he's a lot. I'm not a fan. I need the second half of this duet ASAP, but I have to wait until May. 


The Third Baseman by Lulu Moore

I don't even know what to say about this book. It wasn't really what I was expecting. Maybe it had to do with this being my introduction to Lulu Moore's storytelling. Or maybe it was the adding in of british terms (diary for schedule/calendar being one). Or it could have been the way the high school was portrayed that felt very hollywood, and not realistic. Or perhaps it was Jupiter and Marnie that I just didn't completely vibe with. I still cannot fully understand why 18 year old Jupiter did what he did. Yes it's been explained, but it still isn't sitting right. Now flash forward 14 years, and I'm confused as to why 32 year old Jupiter did what he did. I mean yes, he wanted her back, and was using that influence to make it happen, but again, not sitting right. Then there is Marnie, and I don't understand why she accepted the job. It doesn't matter how irresistible the owner is, you can still say no if it's not something you're interested in. Now did these two have a connection? Absolutely. From day one they had that connection. I'm not denying that. They are meant to be together. That much I can see. Now don't think I didn't like the book, because I did for the most part. I'm always up for a second chance romance, add in that it's sports related, and I'll read it. Will I read another book by Lulu? Possibly. I mean now that I know what to expect, I might give her books another go. The Third Baseman releases on March 29, 2023.



Thank you Emily Silver, Nola Marie, Lulu Moore, Meg Anne, and K Loraine for the advanced copies you provided me with.

Please note:

I participate in the Amazon Affiliates program.

Purchases made through links above allow me to earn a small commission.

Thank you!