Expanded Roster: A Why Choose Sports Romance

I was provided an advanced copy of this book by the author, (via netgalley) and feel particularly fortunate to have read this ahead of its January 2024 release.

I admit to feeling a little jaded with books about college students but found myself reading a book featuring exactly that, for the most part here. I have to say this is a bright shining rainbow strobe light in college romances.

This is a book where the FMC Victoria is working her heart out with a year of college to finish when she finds out her mother has a hefty tax bill which will impact her sister’s eligibility for tertiary funding. Despite her lack of dating experience she decides to start an OF page, and advertises for a ‘business partner’. Enter Mike, the catcher for the college baseball team who agrees to Victoria’s proposition, knowing full well his baseball bro Jonathon is smitten with Victoria and she’s technically off-limits to both as the equipment manager for the team. The story continues, developing into a why choose including Jonathon, and much later on, Victoria’s ex step-brother Tyler )no biological connection to be clear).

What Aimee Rivkin succeeds in doing with Expanded Roster is to not only give each character quite distinct voices and character arcs, but also write great scenes with these characters collectively that just work. There is so much said but a lot unsaid, as they navigate their evolving relationships with one another individually and collectively. It’s messy, there’s miscommunication and misunderstanding, but so much warmth, connectedness, and simply realising (initially as a triad) they want to be together though for each this comes with a potentially different cost.

Expanded Roster is set against the backdrop of baseball, alot of behind the scenes work involved, the injuries, the road to the draft and the after for those not in contention. Characters experience the ups and downs of social media infamy, college life in general, as well as individual life histories that are as varied as can be. None of the characters seem to set out with the aim of living their dynamic.

If I’ve not said it succinctly, this is a fantastic book, full of growth and learning experiences, where none of the characters have it all figured out, some with life pathways clearer than others. I found myself absolutely wanting everything for them that they wanted, especially when they felt they were undeserving .

What a great introduction to this genre for Aimee Rivkin!

Loved it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
All thoughts and opinions are my own

I absolutely loved this book, from the start I was hooked. Victoria is a smart independent woman and she does everything she can for her sister even if she's nervous and or of her comfort zone. The fact that she was smart about it was great to, sometimes strong smart female characters seem to have all brainsells abandon them when they see some nice abs. She blurred faces, tattoos, did std testing, be safe was a main rule for them from the start. I think that was my favorite part, besides seeing her really come into herself and go for what she wants by telling these men what to do. The laughing during the sex was such a real detail to add that most authors don't include.
The fact that Jon and Mike were attracted to one another for the entire time and both kept their mouths shut baffled me, years and they never acted on it!?! I enjoyed that Victoria pushed them gently toward eachother. She's the real hero of the story. The on page chemistry was of the charts between all of them, i love that there was history between them and not just "oh he/she's sexy i want to fuck her/ him now". The instant attraction can be a good trope but its so much deeper when they get to know eachother at least a bit. I was honestly so relieved when Tyler turned out to not be a total dick, the whole rich jerk thing is very overdone.

Overall I loved this book and would say everyone should read it!

Thank you to Onsub Press & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Woah baby, did I start the new year out with a bang reading this book! Incredibly sexy, it draws you right in, and all characters you’ll fall in love with. This was also my first “why choose” romance and Aimee set the bar so high for it, I don’t think anything will EVER top this trope for me!

Victoria is a junior in college, and she also works as the equipment girl for her college baseball team. But even so, she needs money and a lot of it. She has a brilliant idea to film her first time having sex on camera to stream on onlyfans to make some quick cash; and advertises looking for a partner to do this with. Except the person who shows up is Mike from the baseball team. They shouldn’t do this because fraternizing isn’t allowed on the team, but they decide to go for it anyways. As it starts to feel like a relationship between the two of them, another baseball teammate Jonathan confronts them, and he ends up in bed with them too. You might think three would be a crowd… but it’s not. Everything is going perfectly for them until someone on campus recognizes Victoria and outs all of them on the campus Reddit page. Will Mike and Jon’s budding baseball careers be able to handle this blow? Can the three of them weather this storm together? Will Victoria need to leave school after all this is spread around campus? And most shocking, what happens when Victorias ex fake step brother finds out about all of this and wants to join in too? Is it possible everyone here can get a happily ever after?

Just do yourself a favor and pick up the book, I promise you will be obsessed and day dreaming about baseball bros forever!

This books was such a surprising delight! I don't generally read either poly romance or new adult romance, but I was absolutely riveted to this story from the beginning. The tension between characters and the way they worked through all of the complicated issues around their relationships was wonderful. Also it was beyond sexy! HIGHLY recommend!