A fun romance, perfect for summer reading. (You do not need to be a TS superfan to enjoy this.)

Lacey and James have tons of chemistry and it was lovely to see their relationship develop. We get dual POV and therefore a good sense of both Lacey’s and James’s true feelings and their doubts. The novel is short but I felt the pacing worked (even though I would have loved to spend more time with the characters). It’s charming, there’s a bit of drama, humor, celebrity romance - what more can you ask for?

I enjoy the author’s writing style and adored Birds of California and Meet the Benedettos - I’m looking forward to reading whatever she writes next. 4.5 stars.

Thank you very much to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

I really enjoyed this book! The style of writing was different, but when I started reading in Desperate Housewives narration everything clicked for me.

This is great for a quick, happy romcom read! I hope we will get more sports romance from the author.

Dual POV
(I am ambivalent towards the whole Taylor/Travis thing and I thoroughly liked this book!)

I would like to thank Netgalley for the copy of this book in return for an honest review. Although a short read, this was a DNF for me. The story is mirrored to Taylor Swift/Travis relationship and written in the third person. I’m not a fan of that writing style and it ended up throwing me off and it was basically a fan fiction. I gave it two stars for those that are swifties and want a quick read.

Heavy Hitter by Katie Cotugno was a homerun for me!

I know it was intentional, and it absolutely worked with me - making the main character, Lacey Logan, have a lot of characteristics of Taylor Swift, at least superficially. I was easily able to picture Lacey in my mind, but I'm glad that I was able to picture Jimmy Hodges as I wanted to.

I was hooked from the beginning and stayed up late into the night, finishing this in one sitting, because I just didn't want to put it down.

Pop-star Lacey and MLB catcher, Jimmy meet at a night club and uncharacterstically for both of them they leave together and are both left wanting more from their single night together. The story follows their relationship, that mainly develops from weeks of texting and then talking on the phone to the awkwardness of translating that not-in-person connection to real life.

I was able to feel their angst and the awkwardness they felt when suddenly being there in real life, as opposed to the intimate detachment that you can get from a relationship that isn't in person all the time.

The book had a good flow, was easy to relate to and made me want more! I want to know what happens in the aftermath of the World Series and Jimmy's retirement. I'd love a follow up novella, at least, of their (hopefully) adventures through the European leg of Lacey's tour.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own. I enjoyed this so much that I'm off to buy the author's backlist.

This was a perfect summer read - a quick and easy romance that's sassy and a little steamy. Each reviewer is probably going to say something about a very blatant Taylor Swift (super famous popstar with very avid fanbase with insane level of dedication to her work, concert prep, and fans)/Travis Kelce (pro athlete - even though he plays football & not baseball) romance comparison. I say - who cares? It was fun. Unless you truly hate pop culture, you can either embrace it or get past it. Could it have been longer, with more backstory & more "meat" from the side characters? Absolutely, but I still think it was good as is. Would I like it as much in five years - not sure, but it certainly feels sweet right now. Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the ARC opportunity.

I loved the premise of this book, because I like a well written romance and I love baseball.
Neither of those things were good in this book.
The writing style is just not for me, and the baseball was there for the sake of the story.
Overall, didn’t love it. I am not the target audience for this book.

5 stars

If you're looking for a Taylor Swift-coded pop star x pro athlete romance then you should definitely check this book out.
I could not put this book down. These characters just felt so real and relatable that I wanted more of them. This was a super quick read that was light and fun but had enough serious moments to feel interesting and authentic.
Because this book was so short you don't get super in depth to the characters backstories and things like that but I found it didn't take away from the story. This book feels like mix of romcom and literary fiction. It was like watching two regular people (or as real as celebrities can be) fall in love while dealing with their own lives and all the things that entails.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!!

HEAVY HITTER is a homerun!!!! I was instantly hooked into James and Lacey's story... I'm telling you.... their banter and chemistry was some of the finest I have ever read in a romance (and I've read an embarrassing amount of romance). Immediately after finishing it, I wanted to read it all over again which rarely ever happens to me. I would have done anything to have this book be 200 pages longer... who am I kidding.... I would do anything for just one more page. If it's coming across like I am an addict to this book, it's because I fully am. Even being about a international pop star and a major league baseball player, it still felt so real and grounded (which is what I always want in a romance), and I was easily able to connect with and love the characters.

I have no interest in Travis and Taylor, but am a forever fan of James and Lacey, who will always have a special place in my heart. It felt like a privilege to witness their story. This book makes me want to start watching baseball and I could care less about baseball. The author knocked it out the park and I don't know how long I can wait (I can't at all frankly) to read whatever she decides to grant us with next.

Many thanks to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book is clearly a representation of the current "Tayvis" phenomenon in pop culture. This book felt rushed and not well thought out. It seems unrealistic that an athlete with over a decade in the major leagues would be quite so clueless about the media machine surrounding this singer.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advanced copy.

Heavy Hitter is about a pop star who falls for a soon to be retired professional baseball player. The main characters try to navigate their famous careers and navigate their new romance. I loved these characters but the ending was too short for me.

I was so enthralled with this story! The characters were enjoyable and entertaining. I liked their banter and a look into their celebrity lives. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I thought this was really cute. This was a really cute baseball romance novel. We have a popstar, Lacey Logan, and MLB's hottest catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, Jimmy Hodges. Think Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. To me, this was more of a 4.5. I enjoyed this and thought it was cute, as I said earlier. This is a perfect beach read.

This was such a cute book! Very short, read in one sitting, maybe 3 hrs- it could have been expanded on a LOT because the story is so good, but feels unnecessarily rushed!

Other posters have already said it, but this book gives strong Tayvis vibes- if you’re sensitive about that pairing, be warned. If not, this book is a very sweet fictionalized version- even the FMC’s workout regimen is familiar :)

Lacey was so cool and strong- confident without being self absorbed. I loved her personality and looked forward to her chapters. Jimmy is an athlete, but luckily not a boring or overly macho one, as many sports-romance MMCs tend to be. He had a personality and depth that sometimes is missing in other books. Their whirlwind romance was sexy, believable (and realistic for their ages) without being gross. Minor, but present, spice 🌶️.

Some parts felt underdeveloped- the first chapter felt confusing, mentioning several characters with no introduction, but quickly that shook itself out. In the last/HEA/ILY chapter, I got really confused- one person says “ILY too” but (I thought) the first person never said it. Seemed like it was missing something, I even looked for missing paragraphs- I had to go back and use my kindle search- I overlooked the first person saying ILY completely. That’s on me, but it maybe was too rushed! Finally, the ending was too abrupt! Definitely could have used a few more chapters or even just a long epilogue. Is someone telling Katie to wrap it up quickly? It doesn’t work! She’s a great writer, let her cook!

I’ve loved all of Katie’s books so far and I’m very thankful for this ARC! Keep up the great writing.

I devoured this one. It is heavily Taylor Swift inspired, but also touches on the pressures of being in the public, athletic injuries, and addiction.

A super smart and fun take on Taylor and Trav. Cotugno is a must read for me. The characters were different enough than their inspirations but the points where they overlapped was fun to read about.

This was a really fun book to read and I really enjoyed the characters and the story. I'm grateful I got to read this book thanks netgalley for allowing me to read this book

This book was amazing and I devoured this book in just a few sittings! I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

Sooooo cute and refreshing book. I knew what I was getting into when I read it and I am not disappointed.

Thanks to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for this eARC.

This was SO FUN. Think Taylor and Travis, but Travis is more a Mark Paul Gosselaar from Pitch (RIP to Pitch, what an incredible show). If this description compels you, you should absolutely read this, I think you'll like it. If you are not interested in Taylor/Travis, this may not be the book for you!

Like <i>Meet the Benedettos</i>, I thought the ending of this one was too abrupt (the book is short, give us one more chapter/an epilogue!), but that's really my only complaint. Literally read this in one sitting on a rainy day and it was just as delicious as the biscuit I had for breakfast.

Straight up Taylor/Travis fan fic if Travis were a single Jason as a baseball catcher - meh
I finished it but it was predictable