It’s a combustible connection from the very start between an up and coming ballplayer and a young woman finally ready to start living her life. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of The Locker Room by Meghan Quinn, along with my impressions of this tale full of heart and soul, then add this entertaining romance to your bookshelf!
Have you heard the rumor around campus about the locker room?
If you haven't, let me enlighten you: Legend has it if you bring a girl into the sacred after-game domain of the baseball locker room, it will end with a walk down the aisle. One rowdy and naked encounter against the lockers with the girl of your dreams will make her your wife.
Translation: baseball players are stupidly superstitious and believe the locker room has magical powers.
But not all baseball players are superstitious, me included.
So when the girl I've fallen for brushes me off, I start to question if I need to switch my way of thinking. Maybe it's time I finally hand out a coveted invitation to the locker room.
The only question is, will she accept?
EXCERPT:
This map is useless.
Easy to read, my ass. I need a magnifying glass to make out any of the color-coded buildings on this thing and unfortunately, I left my magnifying glass in my other skirt. That was sarcasm, if you didn’t catch it.
Standing next to a wonky-looking tree, I try to act as casual as possible—hip popped out, interested glances, the usual—as I hide a school map beneath the pages of Pride and Prejudice, while off-handedly looking for the MacMillan building. But the wind—though subtle—isn’t making things easy.
Recently transferred from Cal State, Fullerton, I’m attempting to avoid making a fool of myself on the first day of fall classes at my new school, Brentwood University.
Unfortunately, I’m way out of my element.
For one, I know nothing about this school other than they have the best library sciences program in the country. Making the transfer a no-brainer for me the minute I realized I wanted to be a librarian. I dabbled in business at Cal State, but who was I kidding? I had no right trying to figure out micro-and macroeconomics.
A California girl through and through, Illinois is nothing like the palm trees and beaches I’ve grown up with. Don’t get me wrong, there are trees here, huge, plush, green trees everywhere, the kind of trees Bob Ross made dance on his canvas. But the smog . . . I have no idea where that is. Breathing fresh air almost feels wrong. And apparently pizza is a big deal here. I’ve heard at least three separate arguments since I’ve moved about which pizza in town is best. Let’s all be friends and be grateful there is good pizza here.
And even though this is a “small” school town outside Chicago, it’s larger than life with boisterous personalities and ivy-covered buildings that cause me to believe I’m walking on the hallowed grounds where the prosperous were educated.
Plus, I had to buy leggings for all my skirts, because the temperature doesn’t call for bare legs out here.
The wind picks up again, lifting my skirt and map at the same time. Not wanting to be known as the resident flasher on campus, I save the skirt—because even though I have leggings, I chose not to wear them today—and tamp it back down on my legs as the map lifts from my book, floats into the air, twirling and swirling only to smack a passing guy right in the face.
Whap.
“What the—?” He startles and I jump into action.
“I’m so sorry,” I say, scrambling to hold my skirt down while clutching my parted book at my chest.
The map is slowly peeled away and a pair of beautiful light blue eyes peek past the paper first, followed by the sharpest jawline I’ve ever seen, defined and tense. Light scruff matches his dirty-blond hair that is swept to the left and cut short on the sides. Dressed in a green Brentwood baseball sweatshirt and wearing a jaw-dropping smile, he chuckles and hands me the map while eyeing me up and down.
Why is he so familiar?
Those eyes.
“Not a problem, but you could have asked for help if you were lost. Slapping me with a map is an aggressive tactic, effective, but aggressive.”
That voice, that smirk. I know it from somewhere.
Feeling a light blush creep up my cheeks, I say, “Not used to the wind.”
He nods and thumbs behind him. “Lake Michigan. It’s a bitch in the winter.” He studies me for a second and then nods at my map. “Where you headed? I can help.” There is the smallest southern drawl in his voice, nothing strong, but enough to tell me he’s not from Illinois.
I know that voice. I remember specifically thinking it was hot.
Tamping down my map and folding it in my book that I snap shut quickly, I say, “I promised I’d figure this all out on my own, but looks like I might need a little help after all.”
“Don’t blame yourself; this campus is a maze with no rhyme or reason. I was lost my entire first semester. Can’t tell you how many times I was late to class.”
“That’s reassuring.”
He tilts his head to the side and gives me a small once-over. “I know you.” I don’t say anything and just as his eyes land on my chest, a smile creeps over his face, a light bulb lighting in his head. “You’re the girl who helped me find my room on Saturday.”
Oh.
Shit.
It’s the yellow-door baseball guy.
He leans forward, hands stuffed in his pockets and says, “I never forget a good pair of tits.”
As if I wasn’t blushing enough already.
FIND AT GOODREADS here.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
From the moment I started reading this book I found myself utterly charmed by the characters and completely captivated by the friends-to-lovers romance of the main couple, Knox and Emory. With her trademark witty banter on display once again, Ms. March has crafted a romance that had me laughing one moment then warming my heart before breaking it. From joyous and carefree exchanges to banter full of sexual tension and ultimately moments of heartbreak, readers are taken on a realistic rollercoaster ride of emotions that came full circle to reach a cheer-worthy conclusion.
Knox Gentry knew at a young age that he wanted to be a baseball star and accepted a full ride scholarship to Brentwood University as that’s where stars are honed. When readers first meet him he’s clearly focused on his goal of reaching the big leagues, working hard on the field and off to be a success. He’s enjoyed college life though with parties every weekend and a few casual hookups along the way. From afar he’s your typical college athlete, adored by the girls while the boys want to be him. The more readers learn about him though the more wonderful he becomes as his heart shows itself to be as big as his talent when it comes to the new college transfer. The moment he sees the strong-willed yet guarded Emory he knows she’s the one, the one worth working hard to get, and the one ultimately worth waiting for. Knowing the pain her ex caused her over the last six years has him going very slowly to win her over in a slow burn full of sizzling interactions. Sweet and sensual words and deeds are what brings them together as they go from friends to lovers in a decadently delightful journey that put a happy grin on my face. Knox dug deep in getting to know Emory, let her set the pace with each step showing his kind heart and steady focus on making her happy. Throughout this book Knox is completely charming, playful yet serious when need be, and with each turn of the page I fell a bit more in love with him. While he definitely wants to be a baseball star he also recognizes the importance of love and satisfaction off the field. This reality had him making tough decisions, realistic ones that made for a more engaging tale, and showed a growing maturity and other new layers to Knox that endeared him to me. For all that he’s the latest addition to my list of book boyfriends and he still makes an appearance in my nightly dreams.
Emory Ealson thought she had the man of her dreams and for six years she devoted herself to him, gave him her life and her love, losing bits of herself along the way. Finding him in a compromising position had her finally standing up for herself in a moment that made me cheer and set her on a path to starting her life over. Reuniting with the two friends she lost touch with over the years brings her to a new college and new life experiences. From the outside Emory’s bold, a young woman who gives as good as she gets. She’s witty too and is one of the few women not obsessed with the baseball players. Beneath that tough exterior though is someone full of self-doubts when it comes to sex and love as her ex made her feel lacking. She’s definitely erected a wall around her heart and it’s clearly on display the moment she and Knox have their unforgettable first meeting. From there on it’s a charming journey of Knox trying to earn her trust as well as playful banter that felt more like foreplay. On a whole their relationship was immensely entertaining with realistic highs and lows that resonate with those wanting love while achieving their dreams. Throughout the story Emory shined courtesy of her kind heart and tender soul that’s just starting to heal. She was funny, snarky at times, a bit playful, and definitely cautious and all combined it made her one of my favorite heroines. She may have been bruised by the words of her ex, but Knox empowered her through his words and I cheered her putting her heart in his care as it ultimately made her stronger.
On a whole this was a thoroughly entertaining read with an unforgettable main couple whose interactions were scorching yet charming too. With a romance that built slowly, readers became fully invested in the future of Knox and Emory, rooting for them every step of the way as they juggled both their love and their dreams. Theirs was a realistic romance that pulled at my heartstrings while putting a smile on my face and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Along with this delightful main couple came an equally wonderful cast of secondary characters with Emory’s friends, Lindsay and Dottie, and Knox’s friends/teammates, Holt and Carson. These characters were a strong support with interactions that were easily relatable with playful banter and gentle mockery as well as being sounding boards for this couple. Each secondary character has personalities just starting to emerge and I long to see more of them as the glimpses I got are truly tempting. From start to finish I found this a near-perfect romance, realistic with likable characters, set in a world I fondly remember being a part of. Readers looking for a charming and scorching romance full of heart and soul need look no further than this gem!
Knox Gentry knew at a young age that he wanted to be a baseball star and accepted a full ride scholarship to Brentwood University as that’s where stars are honed. When readers first meet him he’s clearly focused on his goal of reaching the big leagues, working hard on the field and off to be a success. He’s enjoyed college life though with parties every weekend and a few casual hookups along the way. From afar he’s your typical college athlete, adored by the girls while the boys want to be him. The more readers learn about him though the more wonderful he becomes as his heart shows itself to be as big as his talent when it comes to the new college transfer. The moment he sees the strong-willed yet guarded Emory he knows she’s the one, the one worth working hard to get, and the one ultimately worth waiting for. Knowing the pain her ex caused her over the last six years has him going very slowly to win her over in a slow burn full of sizzling interactions. Sweet and sensual words and deeds are what brings them together as they go from friends to lovers in a decadently delightful journey that put a happy grin on my face. Knox dug deep in getting to know Emory, let her set the pace with each step showing his kind heart and steady focus on making her happy. Throughout this book Knox is completely charming, playful yet serious when need be, and with each turn of the page I fell a bit more in love with him. While he definitely wants to be a baseball star he also recognizes the importance of love and satisfaction off the field. This reality had him making tough decisions, realistic ones that made for a more engaging tale, and showed a growing maturity and other new layers to Knox that endeared him to me. For all that he’s the latest addition to my list of book boyfriends and he still makes an appearance in my nightly dreams.
Emory Ealson thought she had the man of her dreams and for six years she devoted herself to him, gave him her life and her love, losing bits of herself along the way. Finding him in a compromising position had her finally standing up for herself in a moment that made me cheer and set her on a path to starting her life over. Reuniting with the two friends she lost touch with over the years brings her to a new college and new life experiences. From the outside Emory’s bold, a young woman who gives as good as she gets. She’s witty too and is one of the few women not obsessed with the baseball players. Beneath that tough exterior though is someone full of self-doubts when it comes to sex and love as her ex made her feel lacking. She’s definitely erected a wall around her heart and it’s clearly on display the moment she and Knox have their unforgettable first meeting. From there on it’s a charming journey of Knox trying to earn her trust as well as playful banter that felt more like foreplay. On a whole their relationship was immensely entertaining with realistic highs and lows that resonate with those wanting love while achieving their dreams. Throughout the story Emory shined courtesy of her kind heart and tender soul that’s just starting to heal. She was funny, snarky at times, a bit playful, and definitely cautious and all combined it made her one of my favorite heroines. She may have been bruised by the words of her ex, but Knox empowered her through his words and I cheered her putting her heart in his care as it ultimately made her stronger.
On a whole this was a thoroughly entertaining read with an unforgettable main couple whose interactions were scorching yet charming too. With a romance that built slowly, readers became fully invested in the future of Knox and Emory, rooting for them every step of the way as they juggled both their love and their dreams. Theirs was a realistic romance that pulled at my heartstrings while putting a smile on my face and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Along with this delightful main couple came an equally wonderful cast of secondary characters with Emory’s friends, Lindsay and Dottie, and Knox’s friends/teammates, Holt and Carson. These characters were a strong support with interactions that were easily relatable with playful banter and gentle mockery as well as being sounding boards for this couple. Each secondary character has personalities just starting to emerge and I long to see more of them as the glimpses I got are truly tempting. From start to finish I found this a near-perfect romance, realistic with likable characters, set in a world I fondly remember being a part of. Readers looking for a charming and scorching romance full of heart and soul need look no further than this gem!
My rating for this is an A.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.
No comments:
Post a Comment