Sports-themed stories are fast becoming my favorite kinds of books so I'm excited to bring you Playing the Field by Jennifer Seasons. Keep reading to get a glimpse of this book along with my impressions of it..........
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.
EXCERPT:
“Hey, Charlie. Want to see a magic trick?”
The kid nodded vigorously, “Yeah!”
Glancing behind him to make sure the photographers were watching, JP held up the ball and announced, “Now you see it, now you don’t.”
That got their attention. Camera shutters started clicking as he went about amazing the boy with the one and only trick he knew. Even Sonny seemed to be fascinated. She kept leaning forward from her hideout a few feet away to get a better view. When he held out his hands in front of him and the ball had disappeared, Charlie’s eyes went wide.“No way!”
“How did you do that?” came her sexy voice behind him.
Not finished, JP shot her a wink and relaxed his stance. “Magic.”
She gave him a face and he outright laughed. “I don’t believe in magic.”
Now that was really just too bad. Everybody needed a little magic in their lives. “Here, Charlie. Why don’t you take my hat for a second?” He took off his cap and handed it to the kid.
Thoroughly engrossed in the trick, the boy grabbed it eagerly and asked, “Where’d the ball go?” He’d been scanning the ground like he was hunting for Easter eggs.
The kid nodded vigorously, “Yeah!”
Glancing behind him to make sure the photographers were watching, JP held up the ball and announced, “Now you see it, now you don’t.”
That got their attention. Camera shutters started clicking as he went about amazing the boy with the one and only trick he knew. Even Sonny seemed to be fascinated. She kept leaning forward from her hideout a few feet away to get a better view. When he held out his hands in front of him and the ball had disappeared, Charlie’s eyes went wide.“No way!”
“How did you do that?” came her sexy voice behind him.
Not finished, JP shot her a wink and relaxed his stance. “Magic.”
She gave him a face and he outright laughed. “I don’t believe in magic.”
Now that was really just too bad. Everybody needed a little magic in their lives. “Here, Charlie. Why don’t you take my hat for a second?” He took off his cap and handed it to the kid.
Thoroughly engrossed in the trick, the boy grabbed it eagerly and asked, “Where’d the ball go?” He’d been scanning the ground like he was hunting for Easter eggs.
Sonny stepped up beside him and added, “The real question is if you can bring it back.” The skepticism in her tone implied she didn’t think he could.
How wrong she was. “Thanks for holding my hat, kid. I’ll take it back now.”
Charlie handed it back and JP made a display of putting it on his head. “Ouch. Man, what is that?” Faking confusion, JP pulled off his hat and turned it over, inside facing up. And right there in the center of his cap was the ball, snowy white in the afternoon sun.
The boy practically shoved his face into the ball cap. “Holy cow! How did you do that?”
One of the guys from the Post piped up nearby, scribbling furiously on a tiny notepad. “Hey, Trudeau. Want to introduce us to your friends?” He glanced up from the pad and adjusted his eyeglasses. “You know, for the byline.”
JP flashed his best grin. “Sure. This here is Charlie Miller, shortstop for . . .” He trailed off and glanced down at the kid in question. “What’s your team’s name?”
Charlie puffed out his chest and stood as tall as he could. To the reporter he boasted, “I play for the Longmont Hawks.”
Sonny spoke up, her voice soft and kind of tense. “Is this just your normal? I mean, all these photographers and stuff?”
Glancing down, he noted she looked tense too. He was so used to being in the public eye that he forgot how uncomfortable it could be to some. “Yeah, it’s pretty much just part of life. You get used to it.”
She looked up at him and her gorgeous eyes shuttered. “I couldn’t do it.” He opened his mouth to respond when a thump thump on a microphone turned his attention toward the low stage. The event coordinator was almost ready to give her speech. That was his cue to get moving.
“Hey, I have to go. But it was great meeting you, Charlie.”
His gaze slid to Sonny. A lazy smile curved his lips. “It’s been a real pleasure.”
He watched color bloom in her cheeks and couldn’t stop the heat that started to coil in his belly. Didn’t particularly want to, if truth be told. He’d never dated a single mom before, but then again he’d never encountered one like her either. It was more than just her looks and the fact that he was seriously attracted to her.
She had something.
BUY LINKS: AMAZON | BN | ITUNES
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
As the second book in the Diamonds and Dugouts series we get to revisit the Boys of Summer as they're on the hunt for the women of their dreams. Playing the Field features an older woman, younger man theme and realistically displays all the issues pertaining to a single mother and the perceptions of what a young man wants out of life. The romance of upbeat and confident JP and the overly cautious Sonny, who's quick to assume the worst, is a slightly rocky one that's both sweet and teeming with sexual tension. From start to finish it's a fun story that had me falling completely for JP while being left frustrated by Sonny at times.
Sonny is a strong-willed woman who's devoted her whole life to her son, Charlie. She's neglected her own love life to make his dreams come true when possible. She's been hurt emotionally numerous times throughout her life and it's made her completely suspicious of everything that remotely promises to bring her happiness. She was immediately attracted to JP but fought against him every step of the way using her son as a shield. JP did everything to prove himself but Sonny was a hard one to win over. Even when they appeared to be heading towards a HEA she overreacted in a childish way that left me disappointed in her. It took a grand gesture to finally convince her and though their HEA was satisfying, I still think JP deserved a bigger apology from her.
JP is the ideal hero, charming and sexy. He's young in years but mature in his heart and soul. He knows what he wants out of life and who he wants in it. He's immediately drawn to Sonny and has no problem becoming an instant father to Charlie. He's immensely good interacting with Charlie and though he longs to jump Sonny's bones he understands she's gun shy and is willing to take their relationship slowly. Watching him woo her makes him even sexier as he shows a sweet and caring side in his dealings with her, right alongside the overpowering sexiness that radiates off him. His grand gesture was especially endearing though unnecessary as their falling out was clearly Sonny's fault. It just shows how important she and Charlie are to him that he was willing to take the steps necessary to bring them all back together.
This story brought a smile to my face as JP and Sonny were a delightfully compatible couple. Their sexual interludes were steamy but not too hot. The majority of their time together was spent getting to know each other which allowed us to get to know them. Not only do we get to meet a wonderful main couple but we get glimpses of the other ball players who are all charming and sexy themselves. I can see many wonderful stories still to come in this series as these players are to die for. Barring my momentary unhappiness with Sonny I found this story a wonderful read and can't wait for the next installment.
My rating for this is a B+
*I received this book from Avon for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Jennifer Seasons is a Colorado transplant. She lives with her husband and four children along the Front Range, where she enjoys breathtaking views of the mighty Rocky Mountains every day. A dog and two cats keep them company. When she's not writing, she loves spending time with her family outdoors, exploring her beautiful adopted home state.
http://www.jenniferseasons.
https://www.facebook.com/
https://twitter.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/
http://www.jenniferseasons.
https://www.facebook.com/
https://twitter.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/
Thanks so much for the terrific review! I'm so glad you enjoyed Sonny and JP's story.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Jennifer Seasons