As a fan of sports-themed romances, and the first three books in the New York Kings series, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Perfect Game by Collette West. Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of this fourth book in the series, along with my impressions of it. Make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $10 Amazon GC and a print copy of this book too!
Carrie McKenzie has a love-hate relationship with her body. No longer the fat chick guys can ignore, she wins the job as the Kings' clubhouse reporter. With her svelte new figure, she nabs an exclusive interview with Scott to get his take on the scandal.
However, the two are already on a first-name basis after Scott came on to her in the hotel bar, and she woke up in his arms. The problem is that Scott doesn't do relationships and Carrie doesn't date jocks, yet the way they burn up the sheets is deserving of more than just a one-night stand.
Scott shows Carrie that he has a sweet, caring side beneath all the swagger. But can she really trust her heart to the biggest player in the game?
EXCERPT:
"Morning, Care Bear. Sleep well?"
Scott sidles up next to me inside the coffee shop at the Tocumen International Airport, knowing full well that I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night thanks to him.
"Pass me the sugar, would ya?" I ask, pretending like we didn’t just shower together a little over an hour ago.
"So, we're back to this again?" he sighs.
"No. It's just that I don't know how I'm supposed to act around you now.” I take a step away from him, aware of what we must look like as his arm brushes up against mine. “Just so you know, my boss is sitting over there by the window. Not to mention there are New York Kings milling around everywhere. It was drilled into my head when I got hired that sleeping with the players is off-limits. So we gotta keep our distance from each other."
"But don’t you know how hard it is for me to stay away from you?” he says, bumping his crotch against the side of my hip.
I bite down on my lip, and he leans in to grab a napkin, giving me an enticing hint of my mango-scented body wash on his skin. My cheeks start to burn when I picture everything he did to me when his body was covered in suds.
Somehow, I find my voice. "Well, you're gonna have to. I'm not losing my job over you by having anyone find out that I’ve joined your long list of conquests. C’mon Scott, it's embarrassing."
His eyes darken when I tell him exactly what he doesn’t want to hear.
"Fine. I was really enjoying getting to know you, but if you want me to stay away, I'll stay away,” he huffs, pushing off the counter with his hands.
"C’mon, Scott. Don’t be like that. Yeah, I want to see where this is going too, but you have to knock it off with all the sexy talk. It's inappropriate."
"But I like making you blush, and I like kissing you even more." He steps toward me again before freezing mid stride.
"Sorry to be reachin' over you two. I just need to grab a stirrer." Jake intrudes, sticking his body between us.
"How are you doing this morning, Jake?" I try not to appear as flustered as I am.
"Morning, Care Bear. Sleep well?"
Scott sidles up next to me inside the coffee shop at the Tocumen International Airport, knowing full well that I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night thanks to him.
"Pass me the sugar, would ya?" I ask, pretending like we didn’t just shower together a little over an hour ago.
"So, we're back to this again?" he sighs.
"No. It's just that I don't know how I'm supposed to act around you now.” I take a step away from him, aware of what we must look like as his arm brushes up against mine. “Just so you know, my boss is sitting over there by the window. Not to mention there are New York Kings milling around everywhere. It was drilled into my head when I got hired that sleeping with the players is off-limits. So we gotta keep our distance from each other."
"But don’t you know how hard it is for me to stay away from you?” he says, bumping his crotch against the side of my hip.
I bite down on my lip, and he leans in to grab a napkin, giving me an enticing hint of my mango-scented body wash on his skin. My cheeks start to burn when I picture everything he did to me when his body was covered in suds.
Somehow, I find my voice. "Well, you're gonna have to. I'm not losing my job over you by having anyone find out that I’ve joined your long list of conquests. C’mon Scott, it's embarrassing."
His eyes darken when I tell him exactly what he doesn’t want to hear.
"Fine. I was really enjoying getting to know you, but if you want me to stay away, I'll stay away,” he huffs, pushing off the counter with his hands.
"C’mon, Scott. Don’t be like that. Yeah, I want to see where this is going too, but you have to knock it off with all the sexy talk. It's inappropriate."
"But I like making you blush, and I like kissing you even more." He steps toward me again before freezing mid stride.
"Sorry to be reachin' over you two. I just need to grab a stirrer." Jake intrudes, sticking his body between us.
"How are you doing this morning, Jake?" I try not to appear as flustered as I am.
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
As a fan of sports-themed romances I've quickly come to count on Ms. West's baseball series for its perfect balance of love and vividly depicted sports action. Her characters are relatable with journeys to HEA that are richly rewarding. Through each book each ball player has left me with a smile on my face, but from his very first appearance in this series I've been enamored of the sweet playboy with a heart of gold, Scott Harper, like no other. Perfect Game is his turn to step up to the plate and from start to finish it held me captivated.
Scott has always been seen as the pretty boy of the team, a player afraid to commit, and on some level that's true. He's a sexy man who's had his fair share of women but he makes no excuses for his actions. He may think himself incapable of relationships but slowly but surely he and sports reporter Carrie start making a connection that surprises both of them. Readers though won't be surprised by the instant and combustible connection between the two of them. From witty banter to steamy sexual interludes their interactions crackle and put a smile on my face. Scott's a man with surprising depth. Far from just a pretty boy he's an amazing athlete seeking to break a record. Through everything he's always been there for his teammates to help them realize true love when it's staring them in the face, which made his journey to HEA all the more entertaining. He never let Carrie doubt his devotion and through every word and deed showed exactly how he felt about her which had me fall even more in love with him.
Carrie was a likable and strong-willed heroine dealing with doubts familiar to most women. She too was judged for her looks and was often found lacking. Her rich family also tended to judge her but with Scott she was always made to feel important and cherished. Even as she stuck up for herself, she had Scott there to back her up which made them a formidable and entertaining pair.
From start to finish this was an entertaining story with lots of witty and playful banter between Scott and Carrie that was teeming with sexual tension. Love caught both of them off-guard and their battle to keep falling deeper in love made for a fun journey to HEA. There was a nice balance between interactions in and out of the bedroom with each interlude full of sexual intensity. Ms. West also interspersed vividly depicted ball playing that made you feel part of the roaring crowd. Seeing old favorites amongst the players, along with new favorites, reminded me of why I adore this series and gives me even more excitement for the future. These boys of summer are compelling with very unique personalities, and with the next story supposedly about the VERY bad boy Drake, I anticipate this series becoming even more memorable. No matter what though, Scott will always be my favorite. His sweet, sexy, and playful nature puts a smile on my face even now! Those looking for an immensely romantic and fast-paced series of books will be drawn to these boys of summer and now's as good a time as any to jump on this bandwagon.
My rating for this is an A-
*I received this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Collette West grew up as somewhat of a jock-nerd hybrid. Entering the world three weeks premature, her dad nearly missed her birth because he had seats behind the dugout for a sold-out, highly-anticipated match-up between two of baseball's biggest rivals. Not to be outdone, her book-loving mom taught her how to read by the time she was three. A love of the game coupled with an appreciation for the written word were instilled in Collette's impressionable brain from a young age. No wonder her characters believe in the philosophy: sports + romance = a little slice of heaven.
Splitting her time between the Pocono Mountains and Manhattan, Collette indulges her inner fangirl by going to as many games as she can from hockey to baseball and downloading every sports romance novel in existence onto her iPad. When she's not clicking away on her laptop, she enjoys walking her dog in Central Park, satisfying her caffeine craving at the Starbucks on Broadway and keeping an eye out for Mr. Right. But above all, she loves dishing with her readers. Email her at collette_west@yahoo.com. She is the author of NIGHT GAMES and GAME CHANGER.
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