A smart, sizzling take on a celebrity-athlete romance. Polar opposites, Lacey, an international pop-star and Jimmy, a baseball all-star, are looking for anything but each other. Will this be forever?

Heavy Hitter by Katie Cotugno is an utterly amazing rockstar/sports romance!
I devoured this book!
The storyline as well as the characters really made me feel hocked since the beginning I couldn't stop turning the pages.
A swoony and spicy read that had me hooked instantly.
I absolutely loved this story from start to finish.

Thank You NetGalley and Harper Perennial for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

A play on the Taylor/Travis romance with a baseball player on the cusp of retirement - bumping into pop star Lacey one random night in NYC.

Grumpy older player, worldwide pop star... what could go wrong?

It's a quick read highlighting some of the pressures of celebrity and how it helps. and hurts- relationships. Throw in some spice and drama - it's a page turner.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Perennial for an ARC.

**spoiler alert** I first want to say I got this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Thank you for approving me on this.

I am someone who loves sports romances specifically baseball since I grew up watching it. So this book got me excited about that. I do like the aspect of it being short and sweet with the chapters. Premises I liked and them meeting at a bar. As someone who grew up in Maryland, Baltimore and the Orioles hold a special place in my heart since I’ve been to the stadium and it holds unforgettable memories.

Now as I said I liked the short chapters, I feel as if the book needed more. More meat to it and maybe more in the relationship. It felt rushed and very fanfic of Taylor and Travis. I did like the aspect of them being in their 30s but very fanfic especially the last chapters.

Rating: 3.5/5

I went into this one not really sure what to expect. I had heard it was a bit of a nod to Taylor and Travis and wasn't sure how that would go. But I have read and loved several of this author's other books, so I thought I'd give it a try.

With four chart-topping albums, Lacey Logan is a superstar whose life no longer feels like her own. Her every move is photographed, videoed, and dissected online, and her carefully curated Instagram feed studied by fans worldwide. To maintain her privacy, Lacey skillfully controls her narrative, showing fans and paparazzi what she wants them to see.

But when Lacey discovers her boyfriend is hiding two devastating secrets—a bad cocaine habit and a pregnant girlfriend—she begins to lose confidence and control of her own story. Then big-shouldered baseball player Jimmy Hodges, a former Rookie of the Year when Lacey was in high school, walks into the bar where she’s venting to a friend. With his shaggy beard and unfashionable button-down, Jimmy is the opposite of the picture-perfect guy Lacey thinks she wants. Soon, sparks fly and inhibitions go out the window when Lacey dares to take some chances.

I really got invested in these characters and wanted it to work out for them. It really makes you stop and think about the price of fame. These super famous people really have no life of their own and have to think about the "spin" on every situation. It's really kind of sad. But the author really brought their story to life and I ended up pleasantly surprised at how much I really enjoyed it. I will definitely keep Katie Cotugno on my must read author's list!

Thank you to @netgalley, @harperperennial and @katiecotugno for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Releases on 08-20-2024.

If you are looking for a short, satisfying, steamy rockstar/sports romance with charming characters and a timely plot, look no further. Move over Travis and Taylor, I would much rather hear more about main characters Jimmy and Lacey. A star baseball player on the verge of retirement and a pop princess are an unlikely pair, but there is no denying the instant chemistry between them. I loved this story!

This is the sports romance to end all sports romances for all the Taylor and Travis fans out there. Loosely based off a Taylor Swift style megastar, Lacey Logan finds herself falling for a soon to retire baseball player a few years older than her and completely out of her league. This opposites attract, dual POV romance was swoony and oh so fun! I devoured it just a couple sittings and couldn't have enjoyed it more! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: fade to black, mild details

I loved this, I loved this, I loved this. Katie Cotugno has this way of writing that immediately sucks you into the story as if you’ve been there all along. Lacey and Jimmy are such perfectly formed and thought out characters and their chemistry worked so well. Like many of her other books, Heavy Hitter definitely had the feel of another famous singer/pro-athlete couple, but the story was still uniquely itself. I already knew I was going to love this because a) I love baseball and everything about it, and b) I’ve never met a famous person trope I didn’t like. The dialogue in this was so indicative of the fears of long-distance, the fears of vulnerability, the whip smart conversations that plays out beautifully between phone calls and texts. Talking on the phone becomes foreplay for when Lacey and Jimmy meet in person, and believe me, it’s hot. If you’re looking for a quick read to get you out of a slump, this is it—fast-paced, banter for days, and highly entertaining. I think it’s Cotugno’s best yet. I received an early copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I tore through HEAVY HITTER, finishing it the same day I started it. It was the Tayvis romance novel I’ve been craving. Their banter and flirtation was so much fun, and I’m only docking a star because some of the co flicks felt a little circuitous for me.

Katie Cotugno's latest offering has just the right amount of spice and heart in this fun, quick read. It will be easy for many readers to draw parallels to what is currently being splashed about in the headlines but Cotugno created characters that are their own people, in their own right. While the end felt a bit rushed, readers who are looking for a great beginning of a HEA will be happy with this read.

There was a lack of chemistry between the main characters, and they were constantly either sleeping together, or fighting. There was never really a good scene with them, once we got passed the scene where they first met. Both characters were also pretty unlikeable and bland, and Jimmy seemed pretty immature even though he was in his late 30s.

It was a really short book, and could be read pretty quickly, and this may have contributed to it's shortcomings. So much could have been expanded on, detail and backstory wise, and it should have been expanded on. The writing was choppy, and would skip around a lot without giving any more details. Why are we mentioning trauma that the main characters have experienced, and then never expanding on how it may have affected them and their relationships/why they are the way that they are now and them working on it to recover from their traumas. The ending also fell quite flat, with an abrupt ending, and not really rounding off anything, and I feel like there was no character progression throughout the entire story.

I don't know if the ending has changed at all since the ARCs were sent out, but I do think that it could use some work overall, and with the ending. With the way that things were left off, I can't picture these two characters lasting much longer after the ending of this book.

Thank you to Katie Cotugno, Harper Perennial, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

2.5 tars rounded down. Thank you Harper and NetGalley for the ARC.

I think 1. I'm not a fan of this author' style (even Julia Whelan's narration couldn't help Birds of California) 2. I'm certainly not a fan of pop star/athlete T. Swift fan fiction. And that first bathroom hookup? Yuck.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book.
Can we just say hello Taylor and Travis? Im not mad about it but its clear they were the inspiration. Im here for it. Suck for famous people dating in books. Some twists and turns that made the story unique and a quick read. I enjoyed it

This was such a fun read! I loved Lacey and Jimmy's chemistry and was so glad this was written with dual POV. The dialogue was great, Cotugno always does such a great job with it. This was a light read that you can just dig in and enjoy.

After loving Meet the Benedettos, I was excited that Katie Cotugno had another novel coming out and quickly requested it. Like Meet the Benedettos, Cotugno brings solid humor and pop culture references to Heavy Hitter.

I was disappointed that this read pretty clearly as Taylor Swift fan fiction despite the synopsis suggesting it was inspired by multiple celeb/athlete couples. I think Taylor Swift is an incredible pop star and so business savvy, but I'm not a Swiftie, so I found myself kind of bored by all of the really close references and in some ways theorizing on Taylor's relationship with her fans.

I generally enjoyed the romance between the two main characters, Lacey and Jimmy, but it wasn't as special feeling as I'd hoped for.

All that said, I will definitely continue to check out Cotugno's work since I appreciate her sharp, funny writing.

Pop star Lacey Logan and Orioles catcher Jimmy meet one fateful evening, and their chemistry was undeniable! I really enjoyed the dual POV—it gave such great depth to both characters. The story had a similar vibe to Taylor and Travis, but with enough unique twists that it definitely stood on its own. That said, I could have done with fewer Taylor Swift parallels—I wanted Lacey to feel like her own star. All in all, a great read for anyone who loves the celebrity romance trope with a sporty twist!

Short and sweet. Loved the dynamic between the couple and loved their ages I feel like having them skew a bit older felt real.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perrenial for providing the ARC.

I am a big sucker for sports romances, but this one didn't quite work out the way I wanted.

I will start off by saying that this book is short. It's only about 240 pages and it felt like it should have been longer to give the characters and the plot ample time to develop. Because of that this author struggles to impart any kind of deep physical meaning to the story. It is hard to relate to anyone.

I'm sure people will like this particular book, especially if they're baseball fans.

Jimmy though he would quietly date Lacey Logan!

Lacey Logan was at the top of career with albums that hit the top of the charts and a sold out concert tour all over the world. Lacey had a hard time meeting guys after the last one had a drug habit and a pregnant girlfriend that she didn’t know about. But meeting catcher Jimmy Hodges in a bar surprised her since he had nothing to do with music and he didn’t need her connections since he was on the moving to the end of his career in baseball because he wasn’t getting any younger.

Jimmy thought that quietly dating the most famous woman in the world was going to be easy but now everybody knew about their dating and now they needed to deal with the public and it wasn’t going to be easy.

Heavy Hitter is a book that takes the current headlines and twist them just a bit with a baseball catcher and singer but I wanted the book to be a little longer with dealing with Jimmy's retirement.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Right off the bat (hehe), "Heavy Hitter" is heavily heavily inspired by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, if not literal Taylor/Travis fan fiction. I don't want to dive too far into the ethics of fan fiction about real people, but I think that this was interesting given that one big theme of the book was Lacey's inability to lead a normal life due to the public's obsession with her (though the book frames this as her choice, and one she vehemently accepts).

This was a quick and fun read, but Cotugno's writing style leaves a little to be desired in terms of emotional and plot development. I know that her books are short and sweet, but the abrupt ending was a little unsatisfying and left much to be desired. I think this book could have been better if it was longer and took us a little past the closing scene. There was also several loose ends that were never resolved (ex. Lacey's relationship with Claire).

Ethics of writing books inspired by real people aside, I really liked both characters. I'm a sucker for dual-POV romance and think it really aids in the emotional development of the book. I loved seeing how both Lacey and Jimmy (though especially Jimmy) evolved throughout the book, and would have liked to see them grow together a little more (both during the course of the book and after). I also enjoyed the themes of celebrity the book explored from various angles.

This was a fun read, and frankly I would have rated it higher if not for the ending, which left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.

3 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the eARC. All opinions are my own.