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.

Pop star Lacey Logan is one of the most famous women in the world who, after a night out meets her teenage celebrity crush, professional baseball player Jimmy Hodges who is near the end of his career.

While its a short read, at times it was slow-going because it comes off as a heavy-handed fan defence of Taylor Swift. Katie Cotugno was clearly inspired by the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Kelce pairing, and while she wrote Jimmy as a baseball player at the end of his career, she didn't bother to disguise Lacey, and this is why I think the book suffers.

While I do get that Taylor ... sorry Lacey is astute enough to understand her fame and what it means for her day-to-day life (like lack of anonymity), I couldn't help but agree with Jimmy about Lacey's constant machinations with her fans. As such I didn't feel any real character development or connection between the two to really root for them to be together.

This book is very much one for the diehard Swifties who love Swiftie fan fic.

Thanks to Harper Pernniel and paperbacks and NetGalley for the ARC.

Taylor swift/ Travis kelce fan fic vibes
Abrupt ending
Baseball player/ pop star

This book was a cute fun quick read. I wish the ending wasn't so abrupt but I liked the characters and I love baseball books

I have such mixed feelings about this one! I have read and loved pretty much all of Katie Cotugno's other books, and celebrity romance is one of my ultimate favorite tropes, so I was really looking forward to HEAVY HITTER! I did enjoy certain aspects of the story, but it fell a little bit flat for me in other areas. The book introduces us to Lacey Logan, a renowned pop star at the height of her career, and Jimmy Hodges, a famous baseball player contemplating retirement, and hoping to have one last good season. They might seem like an unlikely pair, but there's no denying the sparks that fly between the two when they cross paths unexpectedly in NYC. Can Lacey and Jimmy's connection survive the spotlight?

I always enjoy Katie Cotugno's writing style and the witty banter she includes in her books, and this one was no different! Lacey and Jimmy's voices were both so strong, and I personally enjoyed the third-person POV—dual POV can sometimes be hit-or-miss for me, but I really liked the way Cotugno handled it. It's an overall quick read, and is so easy to get engaged in!

That being said, I felt like it was almost too rushed at some points, which affected the character development for me. The story is heavily inspired by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, which isn't necessarily a bad thing—I love Taylor's music, am not super invested in her and Travis's relationship, but I was still really interested to see how Katie Cotugno tackled this type of love story. However, I feel like this book was almost treated too much like fanfic in that the characters feel a little too similar to their real-life counterparts and therefore a little underdeveloped, especially Lacey. Maybe this was just my experience, but I couldn't stop seeing Lacey as Taylor, right down to the diary-like, literary songwriting, Easter eggs in her work, intense parasocial relationships with her fans, and massive world tour where she performs songs from all of her "eras" (and even rehearses the exact same unique way as Taylor does). I think it's a fun touch to include some similarities, but I wish Lacey had also been portrayed as more of her own person, if that makes sense. There were lots of interesting threads with her story (complicated relationship with her mom, struggles making real friends, etc.) that I would have loved to see more of!

Even though I wished some things in the story had been expanded on more, I'd still recommend HEAVY HITTER as a fun, fast-paced read, especially if you're a Swiftie and/or you love celebrity and sports romances! Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC.

Happy to have received this ARC book. If you love to follow Travis and Taylor, this book has the same vibes.
Lacey, a huge singer has recently ended her relationship when she found out he got someone pregnant and he had a cocaine habit. Her life is carefully curated on Instagram and she is constantly under supervision.

One night she goes out with her friend. they're hanging out and she sees Jimmy, a professional athlete who was rookie of the year when she was in high school. They are complete opposites and Sparks fly between them.

This book is super cute, and a quick read. I thought some chapters could be developed a little bit more in the story could have been a lot longer. But it's a cute read,very easy. You can easily finish it in about 3 or 4 hours.

Thank you for allowing me to read it as an advanced reader