Called out was an interesting read. I was intrigued by the summary and the book did and okay job at delivering.
It's a fluffy story that I think is great for the summer. I liked the characters, I found the chemistry between Lola and Jace really well-executed. The writing was also decent.
What I didn't like, what still bothers me are the questions the book left me with, questions about some serious plot-points. Why are they left unaddressed is beyond me. It took away so much from my overall impression.

Except for what seemed a major hole in the characterizations, this was a very enjoyable read. The plot involves self-hating, future hall-of-fame pitcher, Jack Oxford, who had tanked his career by sleeping with his best friend’s fiance and getting her pregnant. Now he’s been cast off by his team and has come crawling to that former best friend to get his endorsement to be hired on to that friend’s team, the Chicago Watchmen. On the road to see Nate, his former friend, he stops to help a woman with a flat tire. That woman turns out to be Lola McIntire, a widow with four small sons, three of whom are four-year-old triplets. They’re immediately attracted to each other but Lola is a good friend of Nate’s and so is programmed to detest Jack.

The romantic plot is set. Lola, whose Army Ranger hero husband died three years ago, is quite willing to have a little fling with Jack since she misses sex. Jack is wary about indulging since he’s trying to win back Nate’s friendship and has been warned away from fooling with a woman who has suffered enough.

Jack comes from a very cold family with hateful parents who let him be raised by the servants. He’s the typical poor, little rich boy who grew up to be a major-league star pitcher. He doesn’t think he’s worthy of anyone’s friendship or love. Even though he comes to love Lola and her children, he just feels he’s bad news for her. But he’s nowhere as bad as he thinks of himself. Even Nate has forgiven him. We’re just waiting for Jack to realize this about himself.

The problem I have with the book is the set-up. We’re told that he realized that Nate was making a disastrous decision to marry his fiance and went to her to talk her out of it. Somehow, after a lot of alcohol, they ended up sleeping together one night but he can’t even remember it. Except she got pregnant.

But we’re never told what happened to that pregnancy. Maybe it was resolved in the two earlier books, but it would have been nice to have been given a hint in this book. I can’t buy that Jack is really such a great guy who would be a good stepfather to Lola’s four sons if he allowed a woman to bear his baby and doesn’t seem to have anything to do with that child. Don’t tell us that this is a great guy, a great father figure to four little boys, if he has nothing to do with his own child. If the woman had an abortion, let us know. But don’t allow that plot point to be hanging out there. It tainted the whole story for me and I really was enjoying the rest of the story.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Called Out by Jen Doyle is a romance novel that is scheduled to be released on May 29, 2017 by Carina Press. I found this romance novel to be so realistic that I felt like I was in Inspiration, Iowa with Jack and Lola. Doyle creates an amazing story of love, friendship, and town drama. The story continues with the ballplayers dealing with the game and their personal lives. This adds to the love story of Jack and Lola. I really enjoyed reading this book and found it to be a very funny and romantic novel that will melt your heart.

Just love this book and the characters in the entire series. Jen Doyle writes a story that draws you into the love, friendship and drama of the town. I loved how Jack Oxford was brought to his knees by not only the feisty Lola Deacon McIntire but her crazy, funny brood of boys. Watching Jack fall for all 5 of this family was sweet. Lola had her own issues to deal with and it was great also having her step away from just being a mom to being a friend and lover- having a life outside the identity of mom! Sweet and sexy at that same time.

Anxiously awaiting the next in this series!

I'm really a huge fan of this author and her work! she never disappointing me!

I love Jen Doyle. I am sure I said that last time I reviewed one of her books, but I really can't say that enough. This story was such a quick read, and not due to a lack of substance. The story is very well written and the character development is very well done as well. The supporting characters are all great additions to the story and having read the previous books in the series, it was nice seeing them again, but certainly not necessary to have read the books to understand what is going on. I can't imagine reading this book and NOT wanting to go back and read Nate's story, because while Jack and Lola were the stars of this story, Nate really comes through as the true hero and another character with an impressive amount of depth considering his supporting role. I recommend this to anyone who likes a good story and enjoys some humor and romance mixed in.

I am a big fan of the authors and have read all the books in the series. This is story #3 and is very much a continuation from the first book,Calling It starring Nate and Dorie. In that book Nate comes back home after his fiancee sleeps with his best friend/teammate and gets pregnant. He meets Dorie and falls in love and they live happily ever after until where this book starts.

Jack is the guy slept with his besties fiancee and then got her pregnant. He has had a really bad year since and was a baseball teammate of Nate's but now he is teamless and friendless and has found a team, Nate's team but he can't get signed unless he makes peace with Nate.

So thats how he ends up asking Nate for forgiveness. On his way into town he runs into Lola, who is the sister of Deke(book 2 in the series) and Nate's close friend. So they start out more from a place of hate then attraction. Lola a widowed mom to triplets and and 8 year old, Silas. Silas loves Jack and so he loves meeting him.

Nate agrees to forgive jack is he stays and helps to fix up this house he owns, what Jack doesn't know is that it is Lola's house. So while working on it they get to know each other. And thats all I am spoiling on this book.

The story really answered the question of how and why Jack did what he did. Which I really liked. But it does not answer one glaring question and that is what happens with the ex fiancee's child. Its Jack's child and it is a year later so the child must have been born but its not even mentioned if it was a girl or boy or anything about the child. Which would have made more sense if jack did not spend so much time time with Lola's kids and specifically Silas.

Aside from that I really enjoyed this story about Jack and Lola falling in love. Lola has ALOT of baggage but so does Jack. They were a very fun couple to watch fall in love and I especially loved seeing Nate, Dorie and Lolas kids were a lot of fun.

Ms Doyle is gifted in capturing the realism of her characters in a way that has you truly believing they are alive and living in Inspiration, Iowa. It is easy to visualize the characters and their surroundings through the imagery that is created so succinctly. The Calling It series continues with ball players finding their HEA, but not before meeting unresolved issues head on. There are many instances of subtle humor, i.e. Jack calling the triplets One, Two, and Three with a natural charisma. The story flows seamlessly from beginning to end, at times with well placed heartbreaking results.

Jack and Lola's story is a sensual and playful delight that took my breath away from the moment that he met her on the side of the road and changing her flat tire...with him leaning against the hood of his car, the stage was set for her to capture his heart...but not until she was able to break through his lack of self worth and frozen heart. At his core, Jack is a good man, it took Lola to help realize that.

I anxiously await the next book in the series, I can't get enough of these boys of summer and the women who love them.

This ARC book was provided by the Publisher and Netgalley, I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

So many great things to like about, Called Out. Jack is an amazing man, but believes the lies that his parents fed him his whole life. So he doesn't think he's worthy of love. Lola is an awesome mom and friend. And her kids are adorable. Called Out is a great book about second chances and new beginnings.