I couldn't finish this book, and had to DNF at 20%

I was really excited to read this since I enjoy romance, live in Toronto, and am a huge baseball fan. However by 20% there were numerous things I wasn't enjoying about the book and I couldn't continue. The romance was insta love, but not written in believable way, and that made the whole thing feel very uncomfortable for me.

Also, as a baseball fan the baseball parts seemed to be poorly researched. A lot of the times that specifics about baseball were mentioned they seemed to be incorrect to me. The whole premise surrounding the main male character being sent down didn't seem to be accurate. If he was a veteran player who had such a big fan following it seems unlikely that his contract would include options to be sent to the minors. It's also mentioned that he would sometimes go down to the minors to 'take a breather', which is not something that happens! He says that he had a 'respectable' batting average of .210, which is NOT good (average in the past few years is between .240 and .250). Also seems weird that he was made to be a star left fielder, since that is the weakest defensive outfield position, so if you aren't hitting and you're in left field you probably aren't providing a whole lot of value to the team!

While I tried to look past the baseball details, it just became too irritating. If it's going to be a main part of the story, then make sure it's done well! This combined with the insta love romance trope, I just couldn't enjoy this book unfortunately.

I had high hopes for this book, but it fell flat. I did not like the characters and did not feel there was any of the necessary banter the characters in a rom com need. And it was just not a good story line. I don't know how I managed to finish it, and I wish I hadn't.

A 'how will they make it work,' very sexy read featuring a fading baseball player and a sommelier who learns to embraces risks. This book delivers on what it sets forth in the description, which I appreciate. Perfect for a beach or vacation read, when you want to jump in with a hot scene. These two are sweet characters who are primed, hot, and ready for each other.
Thanks for the ARC!! Buzzed through this one in an afternoon.

This was a cute fun read, definitely less to it than the premise suggested but still an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. The relationship was a little too sudden for me, but I didn’t mind that much. The baseball discussions were interesting. 3 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I started this book while snuggled in watching baseball, which has become a new favorite for me. Baseball and romance, what more could I ask for in a cute book? I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I do not care for the conflict and resolution. I feel like characters in their late 20s, early 30s, should be able to communicate with each other, not through other people. There were also a few cringeworthy word choices at the beginning that really didn’t sit well in the moment. Ultimate, I’m choosing to stop at around 50-60%. Miscommunication or no communication is a big no for me in books. Thanks to NetGalley and Wattpad for a chance to read and review the ARC before release!

A cute, romantic and charming romance full of heart, loveable characters and insta-love vibes, but perhaps a little too instant for some.

I enjoyed this baseball romance. At times, I found myself not connecting with Gretchen and Josh. However, I still liked the story and thought they were sweet together.

Thank you Wattpad Books for an eARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a decent read, but I don’t think I’d read it again. It was pretty simple and easy to read. I was entertained while reading it, but it wasn’t a book I was thinking about in the moments when I wasn’t reading it.
The characters didn’t feel very real to me, and there were times where I didn’t feel like they were super consistent. I didn’t connect with any of them.
I thought the relationship was okay, but it went from insta-lust to more way too quickly. I also disliked that they wouldn’t talk about things and instead just kept going back to the physical aspects of their relationship. The miscommunication in here drove me crazy, and the time jump made me consider not even finishing.
Ultimately I did finish this book, and it was okay. It felt too long at times, and there were some very unnecessary things thrown in for drama that were solved too quickly. It was an okay read overall.

A chance meeting at the airport between Gretchen a sommelier and Josh a MLB player. No matter that he happened to be her favorite player and he just got some bad news. She bought him cup of coffee and just gave him some conversation not acting like a fan and they were on the same flight and sat together and just kept finding reasons to see each other again. 

This was steamy and quick chemistry and I always love a baseball romance. I enjoyed going to Vegas and going out dancing and eating and going to ball games. 

This book got such mixed reviews and I read a bunch of them and I am not sure I agree with any of them or maybe I'm not picky about certain things. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫
Thank you wattpadbooks and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Wattpad Books, W by Wattpad Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet, easy to read, lighthearted romance with a lot of spice!!! I loved the characters and Gretchen and Josh were perfect for each other. It was a kind of love at first sight done right. The characters were well developed even with a couple obstacles that got in their way and some rash decisions without talking it out.

Great little romance and if you like spicy then I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited when I first came across this book, as it has two of my favorite things: romance and baseball. When I went to read this book, though, I saw some not-so-great reviews that made me a little wary going into it. I will say that maybe having lower expectations helped, because overall I had a good time reading this one.

There were a couple of things I struggled with: first, there were times when I struggled to follow the dialogue and who was saying what. This could partially be from reading an unformatted ARC. I also struggled with some of the baseball talk and situations seemingly unrealistic (i.e. Josh claiming his .210 average was respectable, Josh apparently being able to walk up to a fan in left field to hand them a ball in the middle of an inning in a major league stadium?, Josh being told to take a few days off mid-season and just flying out to a random city and leaving his team while not on the IL or any other list, etc.) The plot was simple and the story seemed to mostly revolve around the steamy scenes. I also am not a huge fan of the insta-love trope, so the fact that this book was HEAVY on that was a little tough for me.

I did enjoy some of the cute moments between Gretchen and Josh and the way the story wrapped up (pre-epilogue). Some of it could have gone too far into cheesy (and sometimes it did), but their meet-cute and the way that it tied into the rest of the story was pretty adorable. I think Josh was my favorite character. He didn't let being an MLB player give him a big head. He was thoughtful about his future and how he wanted his relationship with Gretchen to progress.

Overall, this book was fine. There were things that bothered me, but I did have an enjoyable reading experience, for the most part.

Sadly, this book wasn’t for me. I appreciate the opportunity to review it.

I couldn’t get passed the stilted dialogue, and the characters didn’t feel complex enough for me to stick with it. Gretchen talks about how she’d never do x or y because it’s so impulsive, but the book opens with her buying a coffee for someone who looks sad. It’s impulsive and kind. I was hoping for the story to build on that.

As always, give it a try for yourself, because maybe it is for you!

sports romance + wattpad 2012 vibes = perfection. i loved everything about Out of His League by Caroline Richardson and read it in one sitting!

This was just an OK read for me. I did think the storyline was fun and that the chemistry was good. I found Gretchen and Josh likable and thought they made a cute couple. For me though the promising premise was derailed by a lack of depth and a heavy instant feel.

A baseball rom-com? Sign me up! Really enjoyed the plot and the chemistry in this one and that it was a quick read!
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book, but it was slow going for me and I just didn’t connect with the characters like I had hoped.

Out of His League by Caroline Richardson is a sports romance about a down on his luck athlete. When Gretchen spots her favorite player at the airport and sees he is down on himself, she offers him coffee and they strike up some conversation. They quickly realize they like each other’s company and spend some time together. This was an insta-love and connection that was quick and fun to read.

Happy reading.

This was a cute story and short romance. It started of slow but once I got into it I found myself enjoying it more. I really liked the characters.

It all started with a coffee. When Gretchen saw baseball player, Joshua Malvern at the airport she knew he was there being sent down to the minors. Joshua looked like he needed a bit of a pick up so instead of going up to ask for his autograph, she brought him a coffee. He asked her to join him in first class on the flight and from there things just get spicy. They both felt the immediate connection so since they were both in Vegas, they agreed to one night only together, but that connection was too great and after one night, they couldn't come to leave each other. However, coming from different worlds, their respective insecurities quickly began to emerge. Throw in a meddling agent, a new world unknown to Gretchen and the distance between them, things quickly begin to go awry. Both Gretchen and Joshua question everything and only time will determine if their relationship would be a home run or pop fly that's run its course.

I will say right off the bat, this book has a steam level of 10 cats. Oh my! Just be prepared if you enjoy a romance but not necessarily the steam. I really liked the overall plot and sports theme. I do feel the ending was a little rushed after spending so much time leading up the pivot point. The cover is really what drew me in as that by itself is a home run. This would definitely be a great beach read because the blushing from all the steam would hide with your sunburn. With all of the travel I do, I wish I could meet my own Joshua. I have 5 flights alone this week, so maybe there's a chance!

This book just kind of dragged out too much for me. It went into too much detail about things that didn’t matter. The storyline was good though, as were the characters.