Mein Leseerlebnis

Beim Lesen des romance Buches, indem ein professioneller Baseball-Spieler gegen Ende seiner Karriere und eine weltberühmte Musikerin ein Paar werden, gab es für mich ein paar Startschwierigkeiten zu überwinden. Denn zunächst bin ich in keinen guten Lesefluss gekommen und empfand den Schreibstil als etwas holprig. Auch die Dialoge im Liebesroman konnten mich nicht gleich voll überzeugen.

Nach gut acht Kapiteln hatte ich mich etwas an den Schreibstil der Autorin gewöhnt und konnte mich dadurch wesentlich besser auf die Liebesgeschichte und ihre Hauptcharaktere einlassen.

In Bezug auf die Hauptcharaktere kam ich mit dem Helden spürbar besser zurecht als mit der Heldin. Im Leben der Heldin ist alles auf eine möglichst positive Darstellung in den Medien ausgelegt. Jeder Schritt wird genau geplant und mögliche Szenarien durchgespielt. In einer Szene führte dieses Vorgehen zu einer Situation, in der die Heldin im Mittelpunkt stand, obwohl es eigentlich gar nicht um sie ging.

Auf mich wirkte diese Art das Leben zu leben und zu planen als sehr anstrengend und wenig authentisch. Gegen Ende des Liebesromans hatte ich darauf gehofft, dass Lacey die Geschehnisse der letzten Zeit vielleicht mal in Ruhe reflektiert und ihr Leben etwas verändert, das passierte leider nicht. Vielmehr wurde erwartet, dass sich der Held ihrem Leben anpasst.

Die Möglichkeit mehr Freiraum in Laceys Leben einzubauen, wurde gar nicht in Betracht bezogen, wohl auch weil sie ihr Leben als internationaler Star scheinbar wirklich liebt. Für mich ist die Vorstellung solch eines Lebens ein Graus, vielleicht habe ich daher auch mit der Heldin etwas gehadert.

Man sollte bei Interesse an der Liebesgeschichte definitiv kein Problem damit haben, wenn so etwas wie Medienrummel ein großer Bestandteil der Geschehnisse ist. Ich kann auf so etwas in Büchern generell gut verzichten, die ideale Leserin war ich für die Geschichte daher nicht. Ich hätte mich über mehr Szenen jenseits des Lebens in der Öffentlichkeit gefreut.

Am Ende des Romans musste ich leicht ernüchtert feststellen, dass die Liebesgeschichte zwar interessant und ereignisreich war, mich die Beziehung zwischen den beiden Hauptcharkatenen aber nicht so richtig einfangen konnte.

🖤🖤🖤

Für wen?

Wer Liebesromane mit Charakteren, die in der Öffentlichkeit stehen, mag, für den könnte “Heavy Hitter” eine gute Wahl sein.

Cute book! If you love Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, you’ll enjoy this book! The banter and spice were okay but it was more of an emotional story. I felt it would be a good read for those who love the heart of a story rather than a comedy of the story.

Katie Cotugno is a hate to read author I cannot quit. Her romances usually work better for me than her thrillers. I liked this one because it reminded me of one of my favorites by her, Fireworks. It’s still not perfect, I didn’t totally buy into the romance but it was a quick read and nice to read at the beach.

This was the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce book I needed. I could not put it down. I wish the book had a little more about the characters; I didn't feel like I knew them well enough. I also thought the ending was a bit abrupt. Overall, though, a very fun book.

so cutieee!!!!! i had not seen a katie cotugno release in ages and it was so nostalgic to see her jump into a contemporary romance genre. the cutest baseball book and with new and improved writing dare i say? love love loved it!!

This was such a cute book! I read it in one sitting. I loved the sports element and I thought their chemistry was too good.

Rating 3.5 stars

This was a cute quick paced rom com story. The couple really reminded me of a Taylor Swift x Travis Kielce situation. Tbh the spice could’ve been better and the story and love connection could’ve been deepened. It felt a little rushed but I still was able to get through it without much critique. With some character development and plot structuring this could’ve been a 4.5 star.

So clearly this was inspired by the Taylor/Travis romance. I ain’t mad about it for sure. Like I’ve seen in other reviews, it did feel a bit rushed and short. It definitely could’ve gone past where it ended. Overall though, it was a cute story and I think Swifties would enjoy reading it.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

I had high hopes for this but I absolutely could not get into the writing at all. Immediately was so put off by the brusque tone and choppy writing. Which is a bummer because I think the author had something going but it's not for me

This was short, which was great. But it felt like fan fiction and that’s cool if that’s what you’re into but it felt like it was 100% about Taylor and Travis but with the sport changed.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for a. Honest review, all opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
This was a great book and I'll be purchasing it for the library.

(2.5 Stars!)

An interesting premise with a star studded romance straight from the headlines but an execution that left much to be desired...

Sparks fly when international pop star and a major league baseball player meet by chance

Immediately, the plot hooks you. I wanted to know these characters and get swept up in their celebrity and I did! They're both a bit broken with some previous hardships but also widely successful. Early on, I was interested enough to root for them, however, that changed quickly...

I didn't really like either Lacey or Jimmy. They're both extremely toxic early on. Lacey is self involved and oblivious, while Jimmy is truly just mean and jaded. After their first (of many) fight, I was done. Outside of the characters, I found the writing to be easy binge but very surface level. I feel like we could've got more about Jimmy's family, Lacey's mom, Lacey's past relationship. It felt like no one in their lives was really there for them or their to offer support consistently. Lacey's best friend is her assistant and even she turns on her! And justice for Jimmy with that open ended ending!

Overall, it's a short, fast read with a interesting and relevant premise but the characters and the "romance" just didn't do it for me.

I'm not a Swiftie but even I felt like this was a rough take...oof

Thank you to the publisher for my free electronic advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || HEAVY HITTER [thank you to @harperperennial and @netgalley for my #gifted copy!]

Title: Heavy Hitter by Katie Cotugno
Genre: Romance
Format: Digital
Star Rating: ★★★★☆
Would Recommend: 👍🏻

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:
Lacey Logan, a superstar with four chart-topping albums, carefully controls her public image to maintain her privacy. However, her life spirals when she discovers her boyfriend's cocaine habit and his pregnant girlfriend. Enter Jimmy Hodges, a former baseball star, whose unpolished charm contrasts sharply with Lacey's curated world. As they get to know each other, sparks fly, and Lacey begins to take risks, wondering if Jimmy might be the unexpected forever she needs.

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
Short, sweet, spicy, and fun - that’s how I would describe this one! It was such a fun ride to see the developing relationship from both MCs viewpoints and see the absolute disbelief in all of Jimmy’s chapters that Lacey would be interested in someone like him. I laughed, I cried, I could not put this down! Definitely the perfect quick summer read.

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Princess Diana
Taylor + Travis
Celebrity Romance
Sports Romance
Opposites Attract
Age Gap
Dual POV

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 3.75 ⭐️
# of Pages: 240
Pub Date: August 20, 2024

First I’d like to say Thank you to NetGalley , and Katie for the opportunity to
Read an ARC of their upcoming book.

I really wasn’t a huge fan of this book. I felt like a lot was doing on and overall just wasn’t my cup of tea . That being said the book wasn’t bad, it was enjoyable just not for me . I still recommend for anyone looking for a short cute read.

Heavy Hitter is obviously a Taylor/Travis inspired romance with Pop Star Lacey and baseball catcher Jimmy and told in dual pov.

This book was the cringest book I have read all year. The characters were unlikable, and there was no depth to their story, very surface level. Honestly felt like a was reading a fanfic.

Quick read- definitely gave me Taylor swift and Travis kelce vibes.. it just didn’t do it for me.if you are extremely into t swift then you will like it.

This was a very short and sweet romance between mega pop star Lacey Logan and MLB catcher Jimmy Hodges. I loved the beginning stages of their relationship where they’re in their respective hotel rooms giggling on the phone playing 20 questions getting to know each other. The way their relationship starts off is very much like an average person who’s out of the limelight. It was cute and felt relatable. But like I said, it’s a short and sweet romance. I wish there was a little more. More background on Lacey’s mom and why she’s the way she is, more on Jimmy and Lacey’s relationship post retirement, and also how did the World Series go??? Left it on a little cliff hanger there. Overall a cute book.

Solid 4 stars. Well paced plot, cute couple who gave major Taylor & Travis vibes, cliché but in a cute way, & overall, a great summer read! Only thing I did not like how the book ended. What happened to Jimmy? Did he win the World Series? Why was the ending so abrupt? It can really use an epilogue, but overall, solid sports romance book:)

The premise of “Heavy Hitter" seems a guaranteed grand slam — an international pop star and a major league baseball player meet one night in the city and the rest is hot and heavy history. And Katie Cotugno’s attempt to blend humor, sizzle, and a ripped-from-the-headlines vibe does occasionally hit the mark. Unfortunately, there are plenty of swings and misses in this story.

When characters are not-so-loosely-based on two real people as famous as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, character development in the fictional versions becomes extremely important.

Heavy Hitter by Katie Cotugno is a pop star x baseball player romance. This was such a cute and cliché romance story and I was here for it. The characters were adorable. The plot was well paced but I was not a fan of the ending. I thought it was an abrupt ending and left me with a lot of questions. I really wished we at least got an epilogue. The book was good minus the ending.

Lacey and Jimmy were cute. I liked that we got to see their personal struggles and the masks they put on for the media. Their relationship was fun to follow and I thought they had good chemistry. I think it was very cliché but that did not bother me. I was really enjoying this book until I got the end. We are left with questions and I really wanted to see more of Lacey and Jimmy together. Also I wanted to know if Jimmy won the World Series. I felt like the ending was super abrupt. The rest of the story was good and I enjoyed reading this romance.