This was my 1st book by Kathryn Kincaid and it won't be my last. This is the 2nd book in a series but can definitely be read as a stand alone.
This book dives much deeper than just a 2nd chance romance. It touches on difficult family and how that changes the course for kids as adults. Make sure you are aware of any possible triggers because of this.
I didn't want to put this book down! Sometimes dual time lines can make the book hard to grasp but it worked so well with Kathryn's writing. Bren and Nathan were written so well you could just feel this relationship in your bones. Sometimes your 1st love just never goes away.

I was lucky enough to score an e-arc of Call Your Shot, thanks to Net Galley!

First of all, I've been a sports romance girly for over 20 years at this point, so this was an immediate yes for me. I don't read many baseball ones, and I haven't EVER read one where BOTH mcs play! I loved that aspect so much!

I also love the friends->lovers->strangers-> friends->lovers pipeline! It's a great take on the it's always been you trope!

The drama, including the familial issues and grief, were top tier, as was the banter and dynamics between the characters! It was also surprising to see in inclusion of HSP!

Overall, Nathan and Brenna were so fun to meet and get to know!

Brenna had a difficult home life and found escape through baseball and spending time with Nathan's family - unfortunately, Brenna's mom is a hot mess and ruined everything. Brenna and Nathan had just changed from friends into more, and Brenna is left heartbroken and Nathan is left hurt and bitter. Nathan's dad dies and leaves some stipulations in his will that forces them to be in the same space for the first time in six years. Brenna needs the money they'd get from selling the house and/or business to try to win custody of her sister Molly, and Nathan is a minor league baseball player with a shoulder injury he's hiding from his team. Brenna and Nathan have always made a good team, so it's not really a surprise when their feelings for each other start to reemerge.

Second chance romance! Baseball! I have to side with Molly - hockey is definitely more interesting than baseball, but this book was very cute nonetheless. Brenna and Nathan were adorable together, and the plot was interesting, especially the subplot with Brenna trying to help her sister. I read Kathryn Kincaid's other book, Play Your Part, so I had some expectations, and I wasn't disappointed.

Tropes:
-baseball romance
-small town
-second chance
-forced proximity
-estranged childhood friends to lovers
-dual POV
-"it's always been you" vibes

I'm such a sucker for sports romance, especially if it involves baseball or hockey. Call Your Shot is book two in the All In series. This is Nathan and Brenna's story.

Brenna and Nathan were childhood friends that dated and then went on to despise one another. They are forced to reconnect after inheriting a house and business together. Years ago, they had played baseball together. Brenna had always had a crush on Nathan, and everyone could see their special connection. Something occurs between his father and her mother, which leads to their breakup. It's rough on both on them.

Six years later, they're back in town. This slow burn definitely takes it's time, but it is so worth it. The author did a good job with writing this story and the characters.

This was a really lovely second chance romance. The premise was fun and caused for a reunion that wasn't expected, but was definitely meant to be. I loved how there was so much depth within each of the characters. I was flying through the pages, desperate to know how the downfall of Nathan and Brenna's began. It was a beautiful story with a happy ending and I really enjoyed the baseball aspect of the book too, as I have been telling myself I need to venture more into the world of baseball.

I am absolutely in love with this entire story. It’s more than just a love story. It’s about hurt, loss, change, second chances, family, and there are so many unexpected layers to this story. Shoutout to NetGalley for my very first ARC; this one knocked it out of the park!

Call your shot is a really sweet rom-com told in two voices. Nathan and Brenna share a lot of history. They were on the same baseball team as teenagers, they fell in love with each other, and they broke up when their family imploded. The action picks up with Nathan's father leaving his house and cafe business to Nathan and Brenna to be owned and managed jointly.

Overall I enjoyed this read, but there was one thing that didn't work for me. This book flips a lot between two time periods: 8 years ago, and now. This explained a lot of what was going on in the present, but I felt like it went on a little too long. After a while, I began to think that revisiting the past wasn't really revealing that much about the characters, and I would have rather stuck to the present. That's totally just my take on it.

This was book 2 of a series, and I never read book 1 but I think the stories are completely seperate. Also, this book is a medium spicy read, which really heats up after a long wait.

Tropes include childhood friends to lovers, second chance, and close proximity. Nathan and Brenna were next door neighbors who grew up playing together and eventually started dating. After a scandal rocks both their worlds, they both leave town with no plans to return. When Nathan's father passed away and leaves them an intertwined inheritance, they both feel forced to return home and they rekindle their romance.

Small-town, hometown, second-chance, friends-to-lovers, forced proximity sports romance

CW: infidelity, broken family, emotional manipulation, gaslighting, death of a parent

Synopsis:
High school sweethearts Nathan Sharpe and Brenna Quinn are the dynamic duo; best friends and next door neighbors who fell in love. On the diamond, Nathan pitches and Brenna can handle the heat. She knows him better than anyone. After a scandalous affair hit too close to home, the two left for their different corners of the country post-graduation, fully expecting to never see or speak again. When Nathan's father passes away and leaves them an inheritance that they can only accept together, the past takes its swing.

By working and living together, Nathan and Brenna discover that they may not have left their past in the dust. Can they get back out there to play for keeps? They've each got their own battles to fight, but maybe, just maybe, they're better together.
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Review:
This was a cute read. It was my first small-town/hometown novel and only my second sports romance. It perfectly fits into the tropes referenced above, and I learned about a new condition for how certain people experience the world. I had never heard of an HSP before, which stands for Highly Sensitive Person. The author's note at the beginning and Brenna's descriptions and experiences throughout the story highlight this unique experience.

Much of the plot/conflict points in this story are M-E-S-S-Y. If you are here for the drama, then you'll definitely enjoy reading about what got Nathan and Brenna to the point they're at when we meet them in Call Your Shot. There are several great side characters to love, and I can see this world continuing to expand to show some of their stories.

As the sister of a lifelong softball player, I remained a bit confused about the HS team setup. It referenced the state championships, but I couldn't fully discern if this was a community team, high school team, or "select" private team. I was not the one directly involved in this world, but I personally never saw a non-gendered team roster while I grew up in the south. I let this thought come to mind a couple of times then just instead chose to focus on the characters and watching their development.

Overall rating: 4/5
Spice rating: 3/5

If the hometown trope is your jam, then you will LOVE this! All of the messiness and drama pays off with our HEA at the end.
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Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an eARC of Call Your Shot by Kathryn Kincaid in exchange for this review!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6356601618
Review post will go up on Instagram @bostonkatreads shortly

I am an absolute Stan when it comes to sports romances they are my all time favorite. This is a super cute small town second chance romance with friends to lovers and forced proximity what I absolutely loved the most was no third act breakup YESSSSSSS will be reading any other books that come out after this :) thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this arc copy

*4.5

This book was really cute. They both had to work through quite a bit before they could be together again. Their parents really messed the two of them up. I love that they never really fell out of love with each other. I want to see more of the two of them raising Molly.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I loved the first one a whole shit ton and this one almost surpassed it. I really found myself invested in their love journey and the friendships.

4.5 stars

tropes:
- baseball romance
- estranged childhood friends (frienemies) to lovers
- small town
- second chance
- dual timeline
- dual POV
- forced proximity
- roommates
- one bed
- it's always been you

I'm a sucker for sports romances, especially if they revolve around hockey or baseball. So, when I saw the cover for Call Your Shot had both the MMC in a baseball uniform AND the FMC wearing catching equipment, I immediately requested it on NetGalley.

As someone who has experienced both sides of the pitcher-catcher dynamic in softball, I was impressed by Kathryn Kincaid's portrayal of the connection between players in those positions. It goes beyond mere teammates; you really have to be able to read each other.

One aspect I really enjoyed was the use of a then-and-now timeline for the second chance romance. This approach adds so much depth to the relationship between Nathan and Brenna, by gradually revealing insights into their past and present struggles.

Kincaid masterfully crafted dynamic characters. Nathan grapples with the grief of losing his father, with whom he had a strained relationship, and faces a potentially career-ending injury. Meanwhile, Brenna is determined to rescue her sister from their toxic mother's clutches while pursuing her dream of completing her master's in physical therapy. Their individual challenges add layers to their strained relationship and make their journey all the more compelling.

I adored the representation of having an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) FMC. Although I was not aware that HSP was a diagnosable trait, as an empath, I can sincerely appreciate the emotional rollercoaster that is life and experiencing it differently than many people.

Arc

This book was so cute. The connection Nate and brenna have is incredible. They are the perfect children bestfriend to lovers couple. The banta was amazing

I really enjoyed this book. I do not read much second chance romance. But I really enjoyed this book. The romance was so cute and the angst was so good!

Nathan Sharpe’s path in life was clear from the moment he first picked up a baseball. He never thought anything would rival his love of the game… until he fell for Brenna Quinn—the girl next door, his high school teammate, his best friend. They were the couple everyone expected to last. Then a scandalous affair hit too close to home and upended their world. After high school, Brenna and Nathan each left their hometown, never expecting to see it—or each other—again. Six years later, Nathan’s father leaves them an inheritance—his house, his business, and four cats—but only if they accept it together.

Neither of them can afford to walk away from the opportunity to flip these properties. Brenna needs the money to support a custody fight for her sister. And Nathan, fearing his baseball career might be cut short by a shoulder injury, needs a safety net. But working and living together proves their history may not be in the past at all. It isn’t long before Nathan and Brenna remember why they fell in love all those years ago. Resisting the blazing attraction between them is almost as impossible as overcoming their painful past. But maybe it will be okay… they’re only stuck together for the time being.

Second chance romances are not typically my go-to, but I enjoyed Kincaid's previous book and decided to give this one a try. I'm so glad I did. (This can be read as a standalone.) This was so sweet, watching these two forgive each other and fall back in love. I loved the growth Bren and Nate each went through. The characters are well-developed, and the chemistry between them is HOT🌶️. Highly recommended if you like second chance sports romances!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Bren and Nathan’s story. I can’t believe I ever didn’t like the second chance trope, cause it is so delicious. There was so much angsty longing oozing from both characters that it made my mouth literally water. Their hurt and anger over past events as well as trying to deal with everything happening in their lives as adults.

I wasn’t necessarily all that interested in all the side stories or subplots but I was all in on uncovering what happened all those years ago and how they were going to sort through it to be together again.

Thanks to #NetGallery and publisher for a copy of this book.

Genre: Romance
Format: Digital
POV: Dual
Tropes: second chance, girl/boy next door, baseball, forced proximity, no third act breakup.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Age suggestion: 18+

4.25 ⭐️ ARC, these are my own thoughts and opinions.

This was super cute! I don’t read a ton of second chance romances, and every time I do I kick myself for not reading it more 😂 This was a fun second chance sports romance with forced proximity. LOVE a good forced proximity. Found family without a third act breakup? Yes please! This is Kathryn’s second novel and I loved it! Releases 4/11!

Received as an ARC in return for my honest review.

🏡 Friends to lovers
⚾️ Forced proximity
🏡 Second chance
⚾️ Baseball romance

I was super excited at being giving the opportunity to review this book and it did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed Kathryn’s writing style and her ability to draw you into the story of her characters was perfect 👌🏻 I adored Brenna and Nathan together, the fact that they were clearly pining for each other all along making this truly a second chance romance was so nicely done, my heart broke for them at times.

I hadn’t read book one going into this but I’m for sure going back to read it now. I can’t wait to see what’s the come from Kathryn now, I’m a true convert to her books.

4.5⭐️- I’m not usually a fan of second chance romances but Kathryn Kincaid has my whole heart with this book 🥹 this was so adorable and funny, but was also scattered with important messages on grief, family dynamics and sensitive personality traits.

I loved the representation of HSP 🫶🏼 this is the first book I’ve ever seen this spoken about in and as an extremely sensitive person myself, I felt so seen and understood in Brenna’s character.

The angst and tension was so heart wrenching in this book for Brenna and Nathan, I loved that it was written in dual POV so we could get inside both of their heads. Their love and longing was evident from start to finish, they really had to fight to get back to each other and I love that they never shied away from the heartbreak of their past. The side characters were incredible too, you don’t have to read book 1 first but I highly recommend it as the characters do pop up!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review 💕 I can’t wait to see what else Kathryn releases in the future.