Review: Yours to Keep

I love when a romance is super fun and kind of an escapist fantasy while also being realistic. That happened with Lauren Layne's novel Yours to Keep. I had a delightful time reading it and it was just what I needed during a really exhausting week.

Here's the synopsis:

An irresistible baseball star and a resistant hometown girl stumble into love in a flirty romance by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne.

Pro baseball shortstop Carter Ramsey is about to be Citizen magazine’s Man of the Year, but the only title that matters to him is out of reach: World Series MVP. Benched by a recent injury, Carter retreats to his hometown to recover. His ten-year class reunion and a potential reconciliation with the sweetheart he left behind could be perfect distractions. Until another old acquaintance throws Carter a curveball.

Olive Dunn admits that her former high school science partner is still a handsome charmer. But she wasn’t swayed then, and she won’t be swayed now. Because Olive remembers Carter’s little shortcoming: he tends to bail the moment it suits him, without a backward glance. Best to keep her feelings strictly platonic while he’s in town.

Except the entitled boy she knew is a changed man: solid, reflective, and generous. As they ease back in to their familiar friendship, things take a surprising turn, and Carter and Olive must decide if what they have is a passing flirtation or a real shot at love.

This is the second book in the Man of the Year series but I jumped in without reading the first or any of Layne's other novels. I don't think it matters that I hadn't met any of the other couples from other stories or the first book that features Man of the Year. It did get a bit small town romance-y with couples popping up everywhere who I was expected to know but I didn't let that bother me. I do want to read some of Layne's backlist now because this one was so much fun.

I'm a baseball fan and I love when novels feature a ball player. Typically I find them to be pretty basic with just general sportsing terms thrown around but Layne seemed to know her stuff and it felt authentic. Even if she did make Carter a shortstop of the New York MLB team...I kind of rolled my eyes at the parallel between the romance hero and a recently famous Yankees shortstop (full disclosure: I'm a Toronto Blue Jays fan and decidedly not a Yankees fan so this is all personal and all in good fun). Anyway! Don't worry if you don't like sports (Olive most definitely doesn't). The games and terms are kept to a minimum but it's a bonus for baseball fans like me.

I'm sure I've mentioned before but I tend not to reread the synopsis of a book before diving in so I can try to be surprised by the plot, if possible. Because of this, I forgot which girl was which so when Carter's sister lures him back into town because of an old girlfriend, I thought, "Goody! Second chance in a small town - my favourite!" Forgetting that that old flame has some competition in the unexpected girl next door. Which, it turns out, is another favourite of mine. And this girl next door? I LOVED her. 

Olive was the kind of quirky I aspire to be. She is confident in her choices in life and doesn't much care who judges her for it. (If they even decide to judge her...most people wouldn't because she's such a gem of a human.) She likes what she likes and isn't going to change for just anyone so I think how she was feeling for Carter threw her off a little bit. All of a sudden it seems like he's not "just anyone" and there could be major changes ahead. Changes that are for the best because they'd be together. If they could figure their shit out, of course. Also, I personally loved that Olive was 5'10". I'm 6' so a tall heroine is always appreciated. I had to giggle at the start when her height was first mentioned and she notes (via third person POV) that she's not the tall, waif-like model tall. No, she's the strong and comes from Viking stock kind of tall. The imagery that evoked was so amusing to me because, as a tall woman, I totally get it. 

I may not have told you much about the details of Lauren Layne's novel but I hope you get the sense that I had a damn good time reading Yours to Keep. Sometimes books don't need to be picked apart (yes, I realize how ridiculous that sounds for someone whose hobby is reviewing books). You just need to enjoy the story and the Happily Ever After. If you're in need of a pick me up, I'd definitely suggest this book!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, Thomas Allen & Son, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Evvie Drake Starts Over

I've been wondering how on earth I would review Linda Holmes' Evvie Drake Starts Over since I read it (last July...) because I just loved it so much. It's one of those books that I just want to yell "READ THIS!" while shoving it into your hands. If that's all you need, perfect. Go forth and read. If you want to learn more about why I enjoyed this book so much? Read on - I just hope I make some sense.

Here's the synopsis:

In a small town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth "Evvie" Drake rarely leaves her house. Everyone in town, including her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and she doesn't correct them. In New York, Dean Tenney, former major-league pitcher and Andy's childhood friend, is struggling with a case of the "yips": he can't throw straight anymore, and he can't figure out why. An invitation from Andy to stay in Maine for a few months seems like the perfect chance to hit the reset button.
When Dean moves into an apartment at the back of Evvie's house, the two make a deal: Dean won't ask about Evvie's late husband, and Evvie won't ask about Dean's baseball career. Rules, though, have a funny way of being broken--and what starts as an unexpected friendship soon turns into something more. But before they can find out what might lie ahead, they'll have to wrestle a few demons: the bonds they've broken, the plans they've changed, and the secrets they've kept. They'll need a lot of help, but in life, as in baseball, there's always a chance--right up until the last out.

One of the things I liked about this book was it had a really great and realistic baseball element to it. I don't know for sure if Holmes is a baseball fan but she really wrote like she is. She gets the underlying feeling of the game when you're a fan (and when you live with a pitcher...as I do...though my boyfriend is not MLB level). Baseball is more than "just" a game and seeing how much Dean was struggling was really heartbreaking.

I loved reading about Evvie and Dean. They were interesting characters who have had their lives turned upside down at a time when they should be feeling pretty settled. They learn, together, that keeping secrets can eat at you and sometimes they're not secrets that should be kept. They learn that sometimes you find someone who you immediately trust and feel good with and you should trust that feeling even though your past relationships are making you scared of such a connection. And they learn the family can look different for everyone and finding your own family can make all the difference.

Holmes is a great writer. She tells a dramatic story full of pain, grief, and anger. But there's also hope, love, and humour. It's smart. It's real. It's such a good read.

Sometimes it's really hard to write about a book I enjoyed so freaking much. Evvie Drake Starts Over is one of those books. I thoroughly enjoyed Linda Holmes' debut novel and I think it's one of those books that will really appeal to a lot of different readers so I highly recommend checking this one out.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Penguin Random House of Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Bromance Book Club

When I first saw someone at Penguin Random House Canada reading The Bromance Book Club months ago, I was immediately intrigued. I mean, aren't you just based on that title and cover? Once I read what Lyssa Kay Adams' novel was about, I knew I needed to read it. I finally did a week or so ago and it was so much fun!

Here's the synopsis:

The first rule of this book club:
You don't talk about book club.
Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott's marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: his wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him.
Welcome to the Bromance Book Club.
Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville's top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. But it'll take a lot more than flowery words and grand gestures for this hapless Romeo to find his inner hero and win back the trust of his wife.

This novel had everything I look for in a good romance - a heavy dose of comedy, a lot of feels, and moments that were witty and moments that were deep. We meet Gavin and Thea when the shit has hit the fan and their relationship seems so broken you have to wonder if there's any chance they could come back from it. The great thing for this story - because it makes it more interesting and much less cliched - is that neither of them are perfect and their relationship isn't going to be fixed by some quick solution. They're flawed and have allowed their relationship to become secondary to, well, everything (so maybe "second" isn't quite the right number). It was sweet and sometimes hard to read as they worked to get back to each other when so many forces seem to be trying to keep them apart.

Thinking back on the story, I can totally see this as a rom com on screen (big or small. Netflix, work your magic). I can't always see books as movies but there was something about this story that would work so well as a movie.

If you know me you'll know that I got an extra little thrill that Gavin was a baseball player. I find it's not a sport that gets featured often in novels (though I think that's starting to change which is awesome). It's kind of a sport that, in general, doesn't get a lot of love. Or maybe that's just because I'm in Canada where as soon as the NHL starts, MLB news gets shoved to the side - even during playoffs. Anyway. Gavin was a ball player and a second baseman at that, not even a pitcher (which is the norm). It doesn't factor into the story a whole lot, to be honest, because it takes place during the off-season but there are enough little things that, as a fan, I totally fell in love with.

The Bromance Book Club is a bit of a reaction to the #MeToo movement and all the BS that has led to it. As she says in this The Nerd Daily article I stumbled upon, Kay Adams' wondered what a story would look like when so-called manly men - sports loving or playing, powerful dudes - said enough was enough to themselves and were open about their feelings and their relationships. These men will stand up for and stand behind their wives/girlfriends/partners and see their partnerships as an equal one. It was so refreshing to read this kind of story - even if it did feel like I was getting hit over the head with how in tune with their emotions these guys were.

The whole premise behind The Bromance Book Club seems so outlandish and ridiculous but Lyssa Kay Adams makes it work. This is a novel you're going to fly through because you're enjoying the ride so much. And, if you loved it, good news. It's part of a series! Undercover Bromance is coming our way in March 2020. Have you read this one yet? If so, what did you think? I'd love to hear!

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Take Me Out

It's been awhile since I've read a short story anthology so I immediately requested Take Me Out on NetGalley when I saw it listed. I was really interested in this one because I'm a baseball fan and I've read and enjoyed other Crimson Romance anthologies in the past. I devoured the book in one day because it was so much fun!

Here's the description for this anthology: 

The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd… Four rising star authors celebrate the love of the game with these sweet and seductive baseball romances.
Trade Off by Elley Arden: Traded and jaded, catcher Ben Border is considering stepping out from behind the plate. Then he runs into former flame Scarlett Dare. Turns out the sexy marketing executive still sends him into a fever pitch. But is she willing to trade Fortune 500 success for a happily ever after?
Slugger Gone South by Alicia Hunter Pace: When New York Yankee Marc MacNeal comes to Merritt, Alabama, for a charity golf tournament, he’s shocked to be reunited with his ex-fiancee Bailey Watkins. It could be the perfect chance to get some long-awaited closure—or the start of a whole new ball game…
That Ol’ Team Spirit by Bea Moon: Someone’s haunting the Sharks’ stadium and creating some major league mischief. So psychic Peg Noonan and her granddaughter Trish are determined to discover who’s menacing their concessions stand. With the help of Trish’s high school love, sportswriter Rob Hanks, they just might have a ghost of a (second) chance.
Safe at Home by Leslie P. García: Amanda Warner hates baseball, but knows it’ll take a swing for the fences to save her dad’s hardware store. Hoping his star power will bring the crowds in, she sets her sights on Scorpions’ All-Star Josh “Hotstuff” Arrevalos. But is her heart ready to play ball again?

With all anthologies, there is always a story that stands out as the best, in my opinion. In this collection, I think my favourite was Trade Off (though it's hard to tell since it was the first one I read). There was just something about that one that stuck with me and kept me turning the pages (well, technically pressing the button on my Kobo...). All the stories were pretty good but that one was particularly enjoyable. I think it was the history between the two characters that made it stand out.

I found it interesting that three of the four stories featured couples that actually used to be a couple. I think that really helped when reading about the romances because things always move so quickly in short stories. Which I think was one of the issues I had with Safe at Home - I just couldn't quite understand where the attraction was coming from because there weren't many typical romance indicators. Not only were most of the couples former lovers but they had all been apart for different amounts of time. If I remember correctly, Ben and Scarlett had been apart for twenty years, Marc and Bailey for eight, and Trish and Rob for five. That really helped make the stories different since all couples were different ages and at different stages in their lives.

I mentioned in my intro that I'm a baseball fan. I've always played sports (basketball was my sport of choice) so when I started dating someone whose first love was baseball, I figured I should probably pay attention to the specifics of the sport. I've learned a lot in the past eight years (nine ball seasons) so I'm probably way more into the sport than the average romance reader. I tried to make sure that didn't affect how I read the stories and it didn't, for the most part. Terms were used correctly, the feel of the sport and the players were right. There were two instances, however, that had me shaking my head. One was the use of the acronym for Major League Baseball. Well, it was supposed to be the acronym. It was actually MBL. Say oops. I really hope the editors caught that before the official published copy went out (remember, I was just reading an advanced e-copy). Another issue popped up in the final story, That Ol' Team Spirit. Rob, a former ball player and currently a sports journalist, has written a story about a former pitcher who was involved in some sketchy dealings fifty years previous. Rob said the pitcher had "pitched a perfect no-hitter game." That, my friends, is a redundant term. You can pitch a no-hitter or a perfect game but you wouldn't say perfect no-hitter. This really wouldn't bother many readers but it irked me so I wanted to include it.

Take Me Out was a really enjoyable anthology. I liked that it was sports focused, not too common in romances, and that it included four great stories. I would still recommend this one to romance readers even if they're not a baseball fan, or even a sports fan. I do have to say that was also nice to read about the ball season now that I'm gearing up for winter. Is it April yet? :)

Happy reading :)

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*