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Philadelphia Patriots #1
Fastball
Baseball reporter Maddie Leclair has spent years chasing her dream job--covering the major league team, the Philadelphia Patriots. Now that she's landed the assignment she intends to make it big, with feature articles on the front page of every sports section in the country. But to do that, she needs to score an interview with the most private and elusive athlete in baseball, Patriots' superstar Jake Miller.
On the rebound from a devastating injury that knocked him out of play for a season, Jake has a lot to prove to the suits in the front office. He's sure he still has what it takes to win, and he'll be damned if he lets anything get in the way of his climb back to the top.
The last thing Jake needs is a pushy female reporter distracting him. But one look at Maddie and he knows he's in trouble. He finds himself trying for a different kind of play, one that involves bedrooms and not baseball stats. Sleeping together could damage both their careers, and Maddie is all about saying no. But when it comes to the game of love, Jake is playing to win.
On the rebound from a devastating injury that knocked him out of play for a season, Jake has a lot to prove to the suits in the front office. He's sure he still has what it takes to win, and he'll be damned if he lets anything get in the way of his climb back to the top.
The last thing Jake needs is a pushy female reporter distracting him. But one look at Maddie and he knows he's in trouble. He finds himself trying for a different kind of play, one that involves bedrooms and not baseball stats. Sleeping together could damage both their careers, and Maddie is all about saying no. But when it comes to the game of love, Jake is playing to win.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2012
94 people are currently reading
1939 people want to read
About the author
V.K. Sykes
18 books574 followersV.K. Sykes is really two people - Vanessa Kelly and Randy Sykes, a husband and wife team who write USA Today Bestselling contemporary romance. The second book in their Philadelphia Patriots Series of sports romances won the Kindle Book Review Best Indie Books of 2012 Contest, in the romance category. Vanessa also writes award-winning, Regency-set historical romance for Kensington Zebra under her own name. Her first novel, Mastering the Marquess, hit the shelves in April 2009, and she was subsequently named by Booklist as one of the "new stars of historical romance." In February, V.K. will debut a new contemporary romance series called Seashell Bay, published by Grand Central.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
July 26, 2013
Freebie from Smashwords !!!
1 Poor Star
I get quite excited when i am getting ready to read a book with sport mans but this one totally didn't worked out for me.
As much as i tried i couldn't get into it or connect with the characters what's so ever. This story just didn't seem real to me and i am sorry to say that but not good at all. When i read a book and i said this many times before i like to find in it a connection and chemistry between the MC's and in here i could not find any sparkles between them at all. I love to read love scenes but in this book i just skipped most of them (not cause they were many) but they just didn't do anything for me at all.
As i don't know much at all about baseball i can't comment on the actually story to see if was some were near to reality but over all this was a quite a dreadful read and skipped mostly thru it.
1 Poor Star
I get quite excited when i am getting ready to read a book with sport mans but this one totally didn't worked out for me.
As much as i tried i couldn't get into it or connect with the characters what's so ever. This story just didn't seem real to me and i am sorry to say that but not good at all. When i read a book and i said this many times before i like to find in it a connection and chemistry between the MC's and in here i could not find any sparkles between them at all. I love to read love scenes but in this book i just skipped most of them (not cause they were many) but they just didn't do anything for me at all.
As i don't know much at all about baseball i can't comment on the actually story to see if was some were near to reality but over all this was a quite a dreadful read and skipped mostly thru it.
March 18, 2013
Slick‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
3.5 Stars
So, I’m on a baseball romance kick right now, it’s spring training time and I’m ready for the season to start despite the fact my team traded away my favorite player. I purchased this three book box set by V.K. Sykes for 99 cents, yes 99 cents and as of today it’s still available. I figured what the heck and I’m glad I did. While I liked some books better than the others, they are good stories and the characters were pretty enjoyable so not a bad deal. Fastball pairs sports writer Maddie Leclair with outfielder Jake Miller who is coming off a rehab assignment.
I was hooked on Jake the minute he came on the scene. He’s confident without being cocky, he’s older and knows the pitfalls of being a professional athlete, and he’s a leader in the clubhouse and with his friends. He’s just hard not to like. I like Maddie and while she drove me a little nuts at times, I can totally understand her position.
Being a woman in a “man’s world” is not easy. Women sportswriters are often looked down upon which is crazy because if they earned their position, they know their sports. I know my home team, backwards and forwards and I often make comments during games that the announcers make right after it’s out of my mouth. I admire that she’s dedicated to her job, and I know the choices she made weren’t easy.
I very much enjoyed the “chase” in this book. Jake had to work at getting Maddie, something he really hasn’t had to do in his life and it was interesting to watch. Poor Maddie was so torn but Jake was pretty damn irresistible. Their sex scenes were very enjoyable to read and there is no denying their chemistry. However, they had to keep things on the down low which of course always leads to some complications. In addition Jake is trying to help out a fellow player and friend with a problem and he and Maddie do not agree on the way he’s handling it. Maddie has her own issues as she’s dealing with her mother being several states away in a facility for Alzheimer’s patients. They both have plenty of baggage and sometimes it really gets in the way.
While I enjoyed the fact that their relationship didn’t come easy, I’m not sure I approved of how some of the situations were handled. Jake and his friend, Nate, have to rescue Maddie from a fairly serious situation and never think to call the police or how their actions might affect their careers. I found that somewhat unbelievable. The second thing that bothered me is that we never see Maddie take Jake to meet her Mom and yes, her mother is in the late stages of a horrible disease but considering how much she claims she means to her I just found that off. Nor was her Mom at her wedding which again could have been explained with a few sentences or even with an empty chair there for her Mom who was unable to travel. Some of the plot issues were well done like Maddie’s concern with her job and some felt a little over done like the issue with Jake’s friend, Robbie.
Overall I enjoyed Fastball; there was enough baseball to make it interesting but not so much that a non sports fan wouldn’t enjoy the sexy romance. The characters more than made up for the somewhat messy plot lines and the characters alone will keep me reading this husband and wife writing duo!
3.5 Stars
So, I’m on a baseball romance kick right now, it’s spring training time and I’m ready for the season to start despite the fact my team traded away my favorite player. I purchased this three book box set by V.K. Sykes for 99 cents, yes 99 cents and as of today it’s still available. I figured what the heck and I’m glad I did. While I liked some books better than the others, they are good stories and the characters were pretty enjoyable so not a bad deal. Fastball pairs sports writer Maddie Leclair with outfielder Jake Miller who is coming off a rehab assignment.
I was hooked on Jake the minute he came on the scene. He’s confident without being cocky, he’s older and knows the pitfalls of being a professional athlete, and he’s a leader in the clubhouse and with his friends. He’s just hard not to like. I like Maddie and while she drove me a little nuts at times, I can totally understand her position.
Being a woman in a “man’s world” is not easy. Women sportswriters are often looked down upon which is crazy because if they earned their position, they know their sports. I know my home team, backwards and forwards and I often make comments during games that the announcers make right after it’s out of my mouth. I admire that she’s dedicated to her job, and I know the choices she made weren’t easy.
I very much enjoyed the “chase” in this book. Jake had to work at getting Maddie, something he really hasn’t had to do in his life and it was interesting to watch. Poor Maddie was so torn but Jake was pretty damn irresistible. Their sex scenes were very enjoyable to read and there is no denying their chemistry. However, they had to keep things on the down low which of course always leads to some complications. In addition Jake is trying to help out a fellow player and friend with a problem and he and Maddie do not agree on the way he’s handling it. Maddie has her own issues as she’s dealing with her mother being several states away in a facility for Alzheimer’s patients. They both have plenty of baggage and sometimes it really gets in the way.
While I enjoyed the fact that their relationship didn’t come easy, I’m not sure I approved of how some of the situations were handled. Jake and his friend, Nate, have to rescue Maddie from a fairly serious situation and never think to call the police or how their actions might affect their careers. I found that somewhat unbelievable. The second thing that bothered me is that we never see Maddie take Jake to meet her Mom and yes, her mother is in the late stages of a horrible disease but considering how much she claims she means to her I just found that off. Nor was her Mom at her wedding which again could have been explained with a few sentences or even with an empty chair there for her Mom who was unable to travel. Some of the plot issues were well done like Maddie’s concern with her job and some felt a little over done like the issue with Jake’s friend, Robbie.
Overall I enjoyed Fastball; there was enough baseball to make it interesting but not so much that a non sports fan wouldn’t enjoy the sexy romance. The characters more than made up for the somewhat messy plot lines and the characters alone will keep me reading this husband and wife writing duo!
May 7, 2012
Oh the melodrama!!! I tried. I really did. I wanted to give this book up around 30%, but some of the reviews said that the 2nd half was better, so I kept at it. But by 80% I was done. It was just SO cheesy. And over the top. And melodramatic. Maybe it's just me, I'm not a huge fan of the media to begin with so all her threats and her "solution" to the problem irritated the crap out of me. Plus I had a hard time believing the romance between the h/h. I just didn't feel the passion between them. It felt forced to me.
I give this book a thumbs down. And I'm a HUGE sports fan.
August 12, 2014
3.5/5.0
This is a fairly quick read and though there is nothing really new here, it is well-written.
Read full review in the 2012 May/June issue of InD’tale Magazine.
This is a fairly quick read and though there is nothing really new here, it is well-written.
Read full review in the 2012 May/June issue of InD’tale Magazine.
May 31, 2012
Maddie is five months into her job as a sportswriter for a newspaper in Philadelphia. It is currently baseball season, which means she is traveling with the major league team, the Philadelphia Patriots. She has earned most of the guys respect on the team as well as her colleagues. Her boss is always pushing her to come up with a bigger feature, and now Maddie has an idea. Recently, superstar Jake Miller was called up from the minors now that his injury is healed. Maddie and Jake have chemistry on the sidelines and she asks Jake for an interview. Knowing it is against the rules for them to set up an interview themselves (they have to go through certain people) they sneak off to have dinner together where Maddie gets a great scoop on Jake, and the sexual tension between them continues to build.
But Maddie knows it would not be professional to start a relationship with one of the players she is reporting on. They also get in trouble for doing an unauthorized interview. Then a gambling scandal sprouts out of nowhere and this book takes an odd turn.
I wanted to like this book, as I love baseball romances but this one didn’t quite do it for me. I think the baseball world was set up well and the atmosphere at the games and in the locker rooms I enjoyed. I like that Jake is a well known baseball player struggling with an injury and his place on the team again. What I didn’t like was Maddie. She comes across as too much of a goody-goody. If anything bad happens, it’s somehow not her fault and everyone should know it. Her attitude of being too perfect, but pity me if something does go wrong, really got on my nerves.
Further, most of the book there is drama because Maddie and Jake want to be together but ethically and professionally they shouldn’t be because of their reporter/baseball player status. Which okay, I get. Yet, all of a sudden towards the end of the book, this gambling scenario comes into play and – spoiler
So the gambling takes center stage and the conflict of why Maddie and Jake can’t be together is only briefly resolved in the epilogue. I was also not a fan of how Maddie handled the gambling story and I don’t see how Jake could still be madly in love with her afterwards.
This one had potential but fell apart for me towards the end and had an unlikeable heroine.
Rating: C-
But Maddie knows it would not be professional to start a relationship with one of the players she is reporting on. They also get in trouble for doing an unauthorized interview. Then a gambling scandal sprouts out of nowhere and this book takes an odd turn.
I wanted to like this book, as I love baseball romances but this one didn’t quite do it for me. I think the baseball world was set up well and the atmosphere at the games and in the locker rooms I enjoyed. I like that Jake is a well known baseball player struggling with an injury and his place on the team again. What I didn’t like was Maddie. She comes across as too much of a goody-goody. If anything bad happens, it’s somehow not her fault and everyone should know it. Her attitude of being too perfect, but pity me if something does go wrong, really got on my nerves.
Further, most of the book there is drama because Maddie and Jake want to be together but ethically and professionally they shouldn’t be because of their reporter/baseball player status. Which okay, I get. Yet, all of a sudden towards the end of the book, this gambling scenario comes into play and – spoiler
So the gambling takes center stage and the conflict of why Maddie and Jake can’t be together is only briefly resolved in the epilogue. I was also not a fan of how Maddie handled the gambling story and I don’t see how Jake could still be madly in love with her afterwards.
This one had potential but fell apart for me towards the end and had an unlikeable heroine.
Rating: C-
May 1, 2013
I got this book as a freebie, and that was the best thing about the book..Once I started reading it, I had to finish it but to be honest I skipped a few pages (and by a few pages I mean a couple of chapters)..it was just really slow and then when something did happen it was cheesy..the writing felt old..like it wasn't within the last couple of yrs.the only thing that let me know it was current was that the lead guy drove a Tahoe..I kept asking my self "who talks like that" and the "mobster" guy was straight classic 50's movies..there was no real feelings between the main couple..they were really kinda bland..and it was like " oh I like u, Oh really I like u too..but don't tell anyone" them wham-bam thank you ma'am, cheesy mobster guy does a bad thing, lets get married.. the end..wanted to like the book..the blurb that I read before getting the book sounded good..but it's like when u see a movie trailer, and ur super excited to see the movie because all the adds look sooo good and when u see the movies u realized they showed all the best parts to get u to pay to see the movie..that's how this book felt to me..
June 21, 2019
Loved it. Everything I look for in a good sports romance. Wonderful hero and strong heroine.
April 3, 2013
It started off really well (Despite the 8/9 mistakes I spotted in amazon's look inside preview alone) and I really enjoyed it up to a point.
However once the hero and heroine get together, other than sex, you don't really get to see them interact, talk and fall in love you just know that they are. It's all summarised into small paragraphs.
Add in the uninteresting conflict (aka Robbie) and then the way O T T ending where the hero doesn't even call the police (Wth?) and yeah it was just far too dramatic for me.
I was looking forward to reading and watching their relationship develop and I can't really say it did.
I liked the heroine right up until she said she was going to put it in the paper. I mean really? No one I know would do that to their boyfriend, and I definitely wouldn't like anyone who did.
However once the hero and heroine get together, other than sex, you don't really get to see them interact, talk and fall in love you just know that they are. It's all summarised into small paragraphs.
Add in the uninteresting conflict (aka Robbie) and then the way O T T ending where the hero doesn't even call the police (Wth?) and yeah it was just far too dramatic for me.
I was looking forward to reading and watching their relationship develop and I can't really say it did.
I liked the heroine right up until she said she was going to put it in the paper. I mean really? No one I know would do that to their boyfriend, and I definitely wouldn't like anyone who did.
May 2, 2012
Really enjoyed this baseball romance between star hitter Jake Miller and sports reporter Maddie Leclaire. Jake's is one of my favorite hero types--blond and charming. The chemistry between these two was great and the reasons they weren't supposed to get together were valid. The twist of romantic suspense at the end made for an exciting finish. If you like sports romances--especially Jill Shalvis' baseball books--I think you'll love Fastball. Also it's 2.99 at Amazon. What have you got to lose?
April 27, 2012
A great sports romance! I really liked Maddie and Jake...you could feel the attraction they had for one another right off the bat. I am not sure why it took me so long to read this one being a sports romance fan, but I really liked it!
April 9, 2012
The first half of this book moved really slowly for me and lacked dialogue and character interaction. The second half was much better but it was a little too late to salvage the book for me!
April 7, 2012
Another good book by this author! This book has baseball with a bit of suspense... Great read!
July 28, 2012
Enjoyed...:)
March 2, 2016
Maddie and Jake were perfect together!!!!! I loved them along with Martha and Nate!!! It was a pleasure reading this book, looking forward to Hardball.
July 21, 2017
Just an ok read for me. I had read another book, out of order, from this series, and felt similarly, but felt like reading a sports-themed romance. These books are all capable romances. They're easy reads and provide an interesting take on what happens behind the scenes of a professional baseball team. But they lack any real depth. In this installment, the hero, Jake, is a private, but stellar baseball player coming back from a serious injury. The heroine, Maddie, is a "play by the rules" reporter who has finally achieved her dream of being a beat reporter for the Philadelphia Patriots. She's committed to carving out a space for herself in the male-dominated press corps. When Maddie gets the idea to ask Jake if he'd be willing to grant her an interview, he counters with an interview and dinner in a private locale. Though they know its a conflict of interest to be involved, eventually Maddie gives into Jake's advances. But can they have a relationship when it's her job to objectively report on the team, and she has unprecedented access and a perceived bias? When a serious and potentially dangerous conflict presents itself, will they be able to survive it? Sounds deeper than it was, but as I mentioned, it's an easy read if baseball romance is your thing.
June 23, 2019
This one started out really great and I was really enjoying it. I liked Maddie and Jake and I liked the dilemma Maddie faced of not being able to get involved with Jake and still be respected in her career field. I did think Jake didn't respect that quite enough and just assumed he could make everything okay if they got caught sneaking around. It is actually pretty believable that he'd think that though since he is a super star used to being able to get what he wants and bend the rules because the franchise needs him. However, once they jumped into the plot with the player with the gambling problem things went very wrong for me. It was silly and contrived and seemed like a plot device to cause problems between Maddie and Jake when her career issues would have been enough and much more believable.
February 22, 2023
Climax was awful
The whole thing was slightly off. The stakes were established to be life changing then not that big a deal. They were discreet but everyone knew I guess. The climax was a bumble that made the Wet Bandits look like Thomas Crowne. It started out sweet but then turned into a whole bunch of nothing.
The whole thing was slightly off. The stakes were established to be life changing then not that big a deal. They were discreet but everyone knew I guess. The climax was a bumble that made the Wet Bandits look like Thomas Crowne. It started out sweet but then turned into a whole bunch of nothing.
July 1, 2017
Not my cup of tea really it was a fast read but not what I normally would read. The story seemed to fairy tale like and really did not seem like it would happen in todays time. If a person is into romance than they probably would like this book but I am more of a thriller/horror type person.
March 27, 2017
Good baseball romance. The baseball part seems very realistic(my son played independent ball), and the ethical twists kept it from just being a romance. Couple of explicit scenes. Recommended.
July 12, 2017
Ok read!
December 24, 2019
1,5. Started out okay, but then went downhill and got really bad by the end.
books-boxed-sets
April 14, 2021In boxed set - "Play Hard"
February 25, 2018
Not really my cuppa tea. It was an ok read.
April 30, 2013
Overall Rating: 2.10 // Action: 1.0 / Emotion: 0.0 / Romance: 3.0 / Sensuous: 4.0 / Suspense: 0.0 // Laughter: 0 / Tears: 0
Fastball: 2.10:
A Contemporary Romance (with Erotica leanings) that failed to engender that emotional connection between the characters and the reader that makes for a great read. The everyday "ordinary-ness" of the characters didn't elicit much interest in their story.
Hero: 4.50:
Loved Jake Miller. First, he was a baseball player. (Always had a thing for sports guys.) Second, he was smoking hot. Third, he was a team leader, a loyal friend, and a down home farm boy who didn't let his fame and fortune go to his head.
Heroine: 1.00:
Disliked Maddie Leclair. This quote says it all: "For her to adopt such a rigid and self-righteous attitude completely threw him. She'd obviously thought it necessary to appoint herself judge and jury -- and maybe even executioner -- before she even had all the facts."
Story Line: 3.00:
The story line had great possibilities. It just wasn't developed to the proper degree to endear all the characters to the reader. After Maddie breaks her adherence of 'playing by the rules' to promote her career by agreeing to interview Jake out from under the watchful eyes of the Patriots front office, they begin a 'hot and heavy' relationship.
Action: 1.00:
The one 'serious' incident that required an action scene in the book didn't seem to fit the 'casualness' of the rest of the story.
Emotion: 0.00:
This was the most disappointing aspect of the story. The authors failed to generate an emotional connection to Jake or Maddie. It seemed like the reader was being told what Jake and Maddie were feeling instead of causing the reader to "feel" the turmoil Jake and Maddie were experiencing.
Romance: 3.00:
The romance aspect of the story was very well done. The 'off the charts' attraction between Jake and Maddie was potent. Maddie's waffling about wanting to go out with Jake, but couldn't because of her career just got in the way for a while.
Sensuous: 4.00:
The sensuality was the most powerful aspect of the story. There were numerous hot, sizzling lovemaking scenes and interactions.
Suspense: 0.00:
Even though Sykes did try to interject a bit of suspense into the story near the end of the book, it just didn't work. Didn't feel any of the fear that Maddie or Jake should have been experiencing in such a supposedly life-threatening situation.
Secondary Characters: 2.00:
Although not richly developed, Sykes did begin painting a picture of characters who will star in other books of the series. The most memorable being, Nate Carter (Hardball) and Martha Winston (Bigger Than Beckham). The other secondary characters (like Maddie's friend, Emma, and Patriots player, Robbie Benton) seemed to be inserted into the story just to drive the plot.
See Wolf Bear Does Books for a more in-depth, detailed review of Fastball.
Fastball: 2.10:
A Contemporary Romance (with Erotica leanings) that failed to engender that emotional connection between the characters and the reader that makes for a great read. The everyday "ordinary-ness" of the characters didn't elicit much interest in their story.
Hero: 4.50:
Loved Jake Miller. First, he was a baseball player. (Always had a thing for sports guys.) Second, he was smoking hot. Third, he was a team leader, a loyal friend, and a down home farm boy who didn't let his fame and fortune go to his head.
Heroine: 1.00:
Disliked Maddie Leclair. This quote says it all: "For her to adopt such a rigid and self-righteous attitude completely threw him. She'd obviously thought it necessary to appoint herself judge and jury -- and maybe even executioner -- before she even had all the facts."
Story Line: 3.00:
The story line had great possibilities. It just wasn't developed to the proper degree to endear all the characters to the reader. After Maddie breaks her adherence of 'playing by the rules' to promote her career by agreeing to interview Jake out from under the watchful eyes of the Patriots front office, they begin a 'hot and heavy' relationship.
Action: 1.00:
The one 'serious' incident that required an action scene in the book didn't seem to fit the 'casualness' of the rest of the story.
Emotion: 0.00:
This was the most disappointing aspect of the story. The authors failed to generate an emotional connection to Jake or Maddie. It seemed like the reader was being told what Jake and Maddie were feeling instead of causing the reader to "feel" the turmoil Jake and Maddie were experiencing.
Romance: 3.00:
The romance aspect of the story was very well done. The 'off the charts' attraction between Jake and Maddie was potent. Maddie's waffling about wanting to go out with Jake, but couldn't because of her career just got in the way for a while.
Sensuous: 4.00:
The sensuality was the most powerful aspect of the story. There were numerous hot, sizzling lovemaking scenes and interactions.
Suspense: 0.00:
Even though Sykes did try to interject a bit of suspense into the story near the end of the book, it just didn't work. Didn't feel any of the fear that Maddie or Jake should have been experiencing in such a supposedly life-threatening situation.
Secondary Characters: 2.00:
Although not richly developed, Sykes did begin painting a picture of characters who will star in other books of the series. The most memorable being, Nate Carter (Hardball) and Martha Winston (Bigger Than Beckham). The other secondary characters (like Maddie's friend, Emma, and Patriots player, Robbie Benton) seemed to be inserted into the story just to drive the plot.
See Wolf Bear Does Books for a more in-depth, detailed review of Fastball.
January 17, 2013
I might have liked this story line better than Hardball. I did notice similarities though- the relationship was too good to be true, the girl was in some kind of crisis and her stud muffin of a man comes to rescue her.
Hot, firey journalist Maddie LeClair falls for her Patriots baseball hero Jake Miller (from his description I think I would have had a crush on him too...lol). One problem stands in their way of ever having any kind of relationship though. Maddie is the Patriots main journalist and if she were to start dating Jake her career could be at risk, as could his. She badly wants an interview with him when he comes back from his ankle injury and he suckers her into an off the grid interview without the proper red tape that normally follows such an event. From there these two realize how much they need each other and from this point on they try to meet as often as they can without being caught. (oh so steamy!)
I like Maddie and Jakes relationship a lot better than Holly and Nates, Maddie and Jake are more like the "Joneses" where as Nate and Holly were more like a hot, steamy, greys anatomy episode. (Since I read Hardball first). Maddie and Jake built something throughout the story that reminded me a lot of my husband and I. There was a genuine love for eachother and I like that these two characters came out and said it instead of freaking out and almost breaking up over it. There weren't as many sex scenes either which was kind of a relief. After reading Hardball I didn't know how much I could take anymore ;)
Their story is sweet, genuine and bursting full of love. I just had to keep reading to see where their relationship was going to end.
You want a quick hopeless romantic story?? V.K. Skyes has it. Now if there was only a third book showing the new baby and Nate and Holly getting married.... oh that would be nice :)
Hot, firey journalist Maddie LeClair falls for her Patriots baseball hero Jake Miller (from his description I think I would have had a crush on him too...lol). One problem stands in their way of ever having any kind of relationship though. Maddie is the Patriots main journalist and if she were to start dating Jake her career could be at risk, as could his. She badly wants an interview with him when he comes back from his ankle injury and he suckers her into an off the grid interview without the proper red tape that normally follows such an event. From there these two realize how much they need each other and from this point on they try to meet as often as they can without being caught. (oh so steamy!)
I like Maddie and Jakes relationship a lot better than Holly and Nates, Maddie and Jake are more like the "Joneses" where as Nate and Holly were more like a hot, steamy, greys anatomy episode. (Since I read Hardball first). Maddie and Jake built something throughout the story that reminded me a lot of my husband and I. There was a genuine love for eachother and I like that these two characters came out and said it instead of freaking out and almost breaking up over it. There weren't as many sex scenes either which was kind of a relief. After reading Hardball I didn't know how much I could take anymore ;)
Their story is sweet, genuine and bursting full of love. I just had to keep reading to see where their relationship was going to end.
You want a quick hopeless romantic story?? V.K. Skyes has it. Now if there was only a third book showing the new baby and Nate and Holly getting married.... oh that would be nice :)
May 20, 2012
This book took me longer to finish than it really should have. But parts of it simply put me to sleep. I would literally fall asleep, only to wake up a couple hours later.
This story has too much monologue and dialogue; a lot of tell instead of show. Which makes for a very slow pace.
The characters could have been very likable, but with not a whole lot of showing of emotions, they ended up being pretty bland. I never 'got' that they were attracted to each other, I was just told they were.
A few too many typo mistakes and grammar issues made me want to bang my head against something really hard. Where was the editor in all this? They were easy mistakes to catch.
One of my biggest peeves when it comes to books, is authors who are afraid to use the words they really want to use. Like in this one, Ms Sykes used "for gosh sake" instead of "for God's sake" which would have made more sense. Swapping out words with faux swear words just makes the reader annoyed. Even "for fuck's sake" would have been better here than "gosh".
When the excitement with all the blood and gore and guns at the end isn't all that exciting, it's time to revisit writing-style. Less telling readers what happens, and more showing. I wanna feel what the characters are feeling. I want to cry with them, laugh with them, be pissed off with them, and fall in love with them. Those pesky emotions are key to making me love a book and come back for more from the same author.
This story has too much monologue and dialogue; a lot of tell instead of show. Which makes for a very slow pace.
The characters could have been very likable, but with not a whole lot of showing of emotions, they ended up being pretty bland. I never 'got' that they were attracted to each other, I was just told they were.
A few too many typo mistakes and grammar issues made me want to bang my head against something really hard. Where was the editor in all this? They were easy mistakes to catch.
One of my biggest peeves when it comes to books, is authors who are afraid to use the words they really want to use. Like in this one, Ms Sykes used "for gosh sake" instead of "for God's sake" which would have made more sense. Swapping out words with faux swear words just makes the reader annoyed. Even "for fuck's sake" would have been better here than "gosh".
When the excitement with all the blood and gore and guns at the end isn't all that exciting, it's time to revisit writing-style. Less telling readers what happens, and more showing. I wanna feel what the characters are feeling. I want to cry with them, laugh with them, be pissed off with them, and fall in love with them. Those pesky emotions are key to making me love a book and come back for more from the same author.
December 11, 2018
Fastball was a really interesting read. I thought it was okay. It wasn't something that I would want to read more than once, but it did have a nice story line.
It has lots of baseball, romance, and drama to keep you occupied. And most of the character's were very interesting, and I enjoyed them greatly.
The only thing I didn't like about this book was Maddie. I liked her at certain points but other wise I thought she was a complete idiot. I mean really through the whole first half of the book, she doesn't know what to do about Jake, and she has to be told basically the same thing twice from two different people before she actually lets her self have a relationship with him. I thought that was just ridiculous. Then towards the end I truly hated her guts, I couldn't believe she was going to treat Jake like that. I really felt sorry for him because of the things she did, and they just led her to getting into even more trouble. She should have just listened to Jake to begin with, and not been such a "jerk" about it all.
I really loved Jake though. I enjoyed reading the book through his point of view, and I loved how he was willing to help his friends in a time of need. I also loved the fact that he knew he wanted Maddie, and he wasn't going to let anything get in the way of that. He was truly an awesome alpha male, that just went after something he wanted, and it made the book worth reading because of it. I do recommend this book, it was a fun read.
It has lots of baseball, romance, and drama to keep you occupied. And most of the character's were very interesting, and I enjoyed them greatly.
The only thing I didn't like about this book was Maddie. I liked her at certain points but other wise I thought she was a complete idiot. I mean really through the whole first half of the book, she doesn't know what to do about Jake, and she has to be told basically the same thing twice from two different people before she actually lets her self have a relationship with him. I thought that was just ridiculous. Then towards the end I truly hated her guts, I couldn't believe she was going to treat Jake like that. I really felt sorry for him because of the things she did, and they just led her to getting into even more trouble. She should have just listened to Jake to begin with, and not been such a "jerk" about it all.
I really loved Jake though. I enjoyed reading the book through his point of view, and I loved how he was willing to help his friends in a time of need. I also loved the fact that he knew he wanted Maddie, and he wasn't going to let anything get in the way of that. He was truly an awesome alpha male, that just went after something he wanted, and it made the book worth reading because of it. I do recommend this book, it was a fun read.
March 28, 2015
Heading for a grand-slam
Overall, this is a good book. It is built around a sport I know little about, but the book is only minimally about baseball. It is primarily a "relationship" book.
The main characters are drawn to each other, but resisting the pull. This is a very standard plot for a romance. The glory of the genre is that the character development, and plot twists, can take center stage instead.
This author develops very strong female characters. The primary female character is successful, ethical, faithful to her family, but a bit on the naive side. Secondary females are scarce, but they are also strong, and somewhat humorous.
The males in the book fall into three categories: strong he-men, total jerks, and guys who are slightly unpleasant, but have rules they live by. The hero and his best friend are of the he-man variety. As is often the case, they try to do things right, but being slightly he-man, kind of miss what that is.
The villains are one of the only weak points in the story, and it may be their very weakness that makes them a problem. They are, admittedly, weak individuals, but instead of building any explanation of their weakness, they were introduced as if a ton of bricks were dropped into the story. They did provide an interesting counterpoint, and allowed the hero to rescue the girl.
All in all, a nice story.
Overall, this is a good book. It is built around a sport I know little about, but the book is only minimally about baseball. It is primarily a "relationship" book.
The main characters are drawn to each other, but resisting the pull. This is a very standard plot for a romance. The glory of the genre is that the character development, and plot twists, can take center stage instead.
This author develops very strong female characters. The primary female character is successful, ethical, faithful to her family, but a bit on the naive side. Secondary females are scarce, but they are also strong, and somewhat humorous.
The males in the book fall into three categories: strong he-men, total jerks, and guys who are slightly unpleasant, but have rules they live by. The hero and his best friend are of the he-man variety. As is often the case, they try to do things right, but being slightly he-man, kind of miss what that is.
The villains are one of the only weak points in the story, and it may be their very weakness that makes them a problem. They are, admittedly, weak individuals, but instead of building any explanation of their weakness, they were introduced as if a ton of bricks were dropped into the story. They did provide an interesting counterpoint, and allowed the hero to rescue the girl.
All in all, a nice story.
March 5, 2013
I enjoyed reading this book, and bought it as part of a boxed set. I don't see the boxed set listed here, so I'll review each of the books separately. I love books that have a baseball setting--there aren't very many out there, at least not in traditional publishing.
I liked this story, and liked Maddie and Jake. I also loved Martha as secondary.
However, I found three problems with the book that keeps me from rating it higher:
1) The love scene in the cab, where the driver wasn't paying attention wasn't very believable to me. I have a friend who drives a cab for a living and I find it hard to believe he wouldn't have said anything to a couple making out in the back of his cab.
2) The Mafia characters were very stereotyped--I felt like I was watching an old soap opera.
3) All through the book, we're told that Maddie is so close to her mom, and so concerned about her Alzheimer's. She's so worried because the facility her mom is in is in Massachusetts, not Philadelphia, so she can't see her as much as she'd like. At the end of the book, her mother is not only not at the wedding, but there's no mention of her at all. Maddie just walks off into the sunset with her new husband, and his family.
Sorry, that just didn't seem right to me.
I liked this story, and liked Maddie and Jake. I also loved Martha as secondary.
However, I found three problems with the book that keeps me from rating it higher:
1) The love scene in the cab, where the driver wasn't paying attention wasn't very believable to me. I have a friend who drives a cab for a living and I find it hard to believe he wouldn't have said anything to a couple making out in the back of his cab.
2) The Mafia characters were very stereotyped--I felt like I was watching an old soap opera.
3) All through the book, we're told that Maddie is so close to her mom, and so concerned about her Alzheimer's. She's so worried because the facility her mom is in is in Massachusetts, not Philadelphia, so she can't see her as much as she'd like. At the end of the book, her mother is not only not at the wedding, but there's no mention of her at all. Maddie just walks off into the sunset with her new husband, and his family.
Sorry, that just didn't seem right to me.
May 1, 2013
***Detailed Review***
FASTBALL was a pretty good book.
Baseball reporter Maddie Leclair is reluctant to get involved with baseball superstar Jake Miller despite the instant connection they both fell.
While a relationship really wouldn’t affect Jake, it could be fatal to Maddie’s. It’s a choice she struggles with, but eventually they both decide to keep things a secret and see where things may lead before they face the world.
Everything is great until Maddie overhears Jake with fellow teammate Robbie arguing over the gambling debt that has him in potentially massive trouble. Maddie wants Robbie to own up to his own mistakes and not take Jake down with him, which Jake is willing to cover the gambling up if Robbie gets help.
This certainly puts a strain on their relationship as they are both only trying to do their jobs, unfortunately before they can find common ground, Maddie is taken by the mobster after he gets wind that she’s threatening his operation.
Together with the help of his friend Nate (featured in book 2), Jake is able to find and rescue Maddie.
After finishing the season, Jake and Maddie are celebrating during their rehearsal dinner and announce the news of a baby on the way.
FASTBALL was a pretty good book.
Baseball reporter Maddie Leclair is reluctant to get involved with baseball superstar Jake Miller despite the instant connection they both fell.
While a relationship really wouldn’t affect Jake, it could be fatal to Maddie’s. It’s a choice she struggles with, but eventually they both decide to keep things a secret and see where things may lead before they face the world.
Everything is great until Maddie overhears Jake with fellow teammate Robbie arguing over the gambling debt that has him in potentially massive trouble. Maddie wants Robbie to own up to his own mistakes and not take Jake down with him, which Jake is willing to cover the gambling up if Robbie gets help.
This certainly puts a strain on their relationship as they are both only trying to do their jobs, unfortunately before they can find common ground, Maddie is taken by the mobster after he gets wind that she’s threatening his operation.
Together with the help of his friend Nate (featured in book 2), Jake is able to find and rescue Maddie.
After finishing the season, Jake and Maddie are celebrating during their rehearsal dinner and announce the news of a baby on the way.
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