Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Love Between the Bases (Book 2)
Format: Paperback; 384 pages
Publisher: Avon (December 29, 2015)
ISBN-10: 006237219X
ISBN-13: 978-0062372192
Author's Website: http://jenniferbernard.net/
Notes:I received an eARC from the publisher for review purposes.
Donna and Mike have been flirting all season with it never going beyond. That suited both of them just fine. Everyone knows Mike takes a Vow of Celibacy at the start of every season and Donna, well, her life is complicated enough without adding a relationship into the mix. The attraction between the two is strong, and Donna likes nothing better than to tease the handsome young catcher for the Kilby Catfish. Knowing Mike always keeps Vow has made Donna a little more daring and reckless with her flirtation than she would otherwise be. Things, however, are about to change...
'"I've got news for you, Red." he whispered (...) "Season's over. The Vow of Celibacy has expired."
Donna's entire body, including her suddenly dry mouth, reacted to that piece of information. With a strangled squeak, she hurried toward the desk. (...)
"I'm going back to Chicago tomorrow, But before I go, I'd like to do something."(...) "We've been dancing around each other all season. Don't you want't to see if there's anything to this chemistry?"
Her eyes widened, "Here? Are you trying to add public indecency to all those fines?"
"Just a kiss. One kiss. There's nothing indecent about a Kiss."(...)
"There is if you do it right." And she lifted her mouth to his.'
This was a fun story showcasing Ms. Bernard's hilarious brand of humor which keeps me chuckling, and looking forward to each new book she writes. Her stories give me that warm fuzzy feeling that puts you in a good mood long after you've read. This is the second book of the Love Between the Bases series and while I recommend you read 'All of Me' first, you won't feel lost if you don't. The reason for the recommendation is that this romance truly starts in 'All of Me', so if you want to see this one from start to finish, you'll want to read the first book in the series.
Donna is the kind of person people flock to. She's fun, good-looking, and the type of person who stays with you through thick or thin. While she looks like someone who is carefree, her life hasn't been all rainbows and fairy tales. She's got problems and her philosophy in life is you can either let things get you down and cry or, as she prefers to do, laugh at what life throws at you, and never let it get you down. That philosophy has worked great until now. Four years ago, at the age of 18, she got pregnant and had a child. While he's been living with his grandparents, the goal she's been working towards is standing on her own two feet and taking care of him full time. Suddenly that plan is put into jeopardy when her ex-boyfriend, her son's father, decides after years of having nothing to do with his child that he wants full custody.
Mike Solo is an all around nice guy with a grin that promises every kind of fun. He's also a talented baseball player who's been working towards getting himself into the major leagues. He's the kind of guy you expect to go places and do big things. His position on the team is catcher and he's got a reputation for being able to help pitchers become better. He has a knack for boosting their confidence and assisting with their pace. Many of the pitchers he's worked with have moved on to the majors. He's hoping his time has finally come.
What I liked about this story is these two seemed perfectly suited for each other. They each had been burned by someone they trusted which is one of the reasons why taking things slow during the season worked out well for each of them. They got to know each other's character prior to entering an actual relationship. The book does delve into some heavy material, so it's not as lighthearted a read as Ms. Bernard's The Bachelor Fireman of San Gabriel series, but it was well done and added some drama.
Overall, I gave this one 4 out of 5 roses. The heat between these two radiated off the pages. The flirty banter and teasing that went on between the two was grin worthy. Mike Solo is definitely one of Ms. Bernard's more swoon worthy characters. The only thing that bothered me is that Donna told no one, not ever her best friend, about her son. I wondered how often did she see him? I'd think keeping a child a secret for four years would be a hard thing to do in a town like Kilby. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating this one gets a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.
Order of the series:
