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CTU Eagles #2
The Change Up
In the midst of college life, where dreams intermingle with uncertainty, Chloe Mariano finds herself thrust into a world far removed from her comfort zone of books and solitude: baseball. A quiet wallflower with a haunted past, Chloe seeks solace in romance novels and hours spent in the kitchen. As a dedicated member of the university newspaper staff, she dreams of landing the coveted main feature this semester, armed with ambition and a passion for storytelling.
However, fate has other plans.
When her professor unexpectedly assigns her to cover the university’s baseball season, Chloe reluctantly steps onto the field, her notepad ready as she captures the essence of the game while guarding her heart.
Enter Cody Jacobs, a man who exudes confidence with a swagger in his step and a grin that charms everyone he meets. Despite his reputation as a playboy, Cody's every move drips with self-assurance. Yet beneath his suave exterior lies a turbulent sea of emotional and mental abuse. His passion for baseball burns bright, propelling him with the drive to be the best, his sole love revolving around the game.
As Cody navigates the highs and lows of college baseball, he must confront his vulnerabilities and insecurities, realizing that true strength lies not in cockiness, but in the depth of his feelings. Alongside Chloe, whose own past wounds remain hidden, they're forced to confront their demons, heal old wounds, and rewrite their story.
In a world where secrets flourish and second chances are rare, Cody and Chloe must summon the courage to embrace truth and healing, one inning at a time.
The Change Up is an interconnected standalone in the CTU Eagles series while it can be read alone, it is highly recommended to read in order as some characters and storylines are interwoven. This is an emotional, dual POV, slow burn, frenemies-to-lovers, forced proximity romance novel filled with angst, tension, and adult content. Please check the trigger warnings on my website.
However, fate has other plans.
When her professor unexpectedly assigns her to cover the university’s baseball season, Chloe reluctantly steps onto the field, her notepad ready as she captures the essence of the game while guarding her heart.
Enter Cody Jacobs, a man who exudes confidence with a swagger in his step and a grin that charms everyone he meets. Despite his reputation as a playboy, Cody's every move drips with self-assurance. Yet beneath his suave exterior lies a turbulent sea of emotional and mental abuse. His passion for baseball burns bright, propelling him with the drive to be the best, his sole love revolving around the game.
As Cody navigates the highs and lows of college baseball, he must confront his vulnerabilities and insecurities, realizing that true strength lies not in cockiness, but in the depth of his feelings. Alongside Chloe, whose own past wounds remain hidden, they're forced to confront their demons, heal old wounds, and rewrite their story.
In a world where secrets flourish and second chances are rare, Cody and Chloe must summon the courage to embrace truth and healing, one inning at a time.
The Change Up is an interconnected standalone in the CTU Eagles series while it can be read alone, it is highly recommended to read in order as some characters and storylines are interwoven. This is an emotional, dual POV, slow burn, frenemies-to-lovers, forced proximity romance novel filled with angst, tension, and adult content. Please check the trigger warnings on my website.
377 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 26, 2024
31 people are currently reading
487 people want to read
About the author
Alexis Buxton
6 books120 followersAlexis Buxton is an avid reader turned author. A lover of all things love, Alexis enjoys reading all varieties of romance novels – the steamier, the better. Writing has always been a passion of hers and with the encouragement of friends and family, Alexis decided it was time to follow a childhood dream. She enjoys writing romance novels with damaged characters who need a little extra love and leave you feeling all the feels.
Alexis currently resides in a small-town in Ohio with her husband and two small kiddos.
As an avid sports fan, when she doesn’t have a book in her hand, you can find Alexis watching sports. She prides herself on being a Cleveland Browns fan, even on the hardest days (or years). She also enjoys going on camping adventures with her family, visiting breweries to try new craft beers, attending races at her local dirt track, and supporting local businesses and restaurants.
Alexis runs on coffee, craft beers, and chaos, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Alexis currently resides in a small-town in Ohio with her husband and two small kiddos.
As an avid sports fan, when she doesn’t have a book in her hand, you can find Alexis watching sports. She prides herself on being a Cleveland Browns fan, even on the hardest days (or years). She also enjoys going on camping adventures with her family, visiting breweries to try new craft beers, attending races at her local dirt track, and supporting local businesses and restaurants.
Alexis runs on coffee, craft beers, and chaos, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
April 24, 2024
❤️ Sports romance - Baseball
⚾ College
❤️ Frenemies to lovers
⚾ Second chance -ish
❤️ Close Proximity
⚾ Bookworm FMC
❤️ Slow burn
⚾ Backwards baseball hat
❤️ Dirt talk/sexting
⚾ Nickname - "Wildflower"
❤️ Dual / 1st pov
There's just something about a baseball romance that HITS everytime. ⚾
Chloe and Cody both have trauma from family issues that have impacted them in a big way. (Don't we all 🥴). Chloe A MASSIVE bookworm (it's talked about a lot) who writes for the school paper is moved to cover the baseball team for the season. The baseball team where Cody not only plays but is the star pitcher. Cody, the guy she's been trying to ignore for years. Can they either ignore their past and issues and move on or fix thing?!
I absolutely loved how Cody + Chloe's story was told with past and present storylines. I wish they didn't take so long to have a real conversation but I understand how trauma affects our choices and decisions. Once these two got together the were fire 🔥! Their chemistry and spicy moments were 🫠.
“𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞?” 𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. “𝐍𝐨, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬.” 𝐇𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐬. “𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤.”
⚾ College
❤️ Frenemies to lovers
⚾ Second chance -ish
❤️ Close Proximity
⚾ Bookworm FMC
❤️ Slow burn
⚾ Backwards baseball hat
❤️ Dirt talk/sexting
⚾ Nickname - "Wildflower"
❤️ Dual / 1st pov
There's just something about a baseball romance that HITS everytime. ⚾
Chloe and Cody both have trauma from family issues that have impacted them in a big way. (Don't we all 🥴). Chloe A MASSIVE bookworm (it's talked about a lot) who writes for the school paper is moved to cover the baseball team for the season. The baseball team where Cody not only plays but is the star pitcher. Cody, the guy she's been trying to ignore for years. Can they either ignore their past and issues and move on or fix thing?!
I absolutely loved how Cody + Chloe's story was told with past and present storylines. I wish they didn't take so long to have a real conversation but I understand how trauma affects our choices and decisions. Once these two got together the were fire 🔥! Their chemistry and spicy moments were 🫠.
“𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞?” 𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. “𝐍𝐨, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬.” 𝐇𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐬. “𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤.”
May 10, 2024
4.25⭐️
chloe mariano is a hopeless romantic whose always reading a spicy romance on her kindle and loves being in the kitchen. this year she hopes to get the main feature in the university newspaper, that’s until her professor decides otherwise. chloe has to cover the baseball season this semester, but that’s not the catch. its that she has to keep her heart from being broken again by a certain baseball player.
cody jacobs may be a playboy, but he’s the ultimate charmer. he’s always confident no matter the amount of emotional abuse he’s faced. the only thing he cares about is baseball. it’s his driving force and only love that’s until a certain wildflower comes back into his life.
{⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ⚾️💐☕️🍕🎀🌨️🎥🕯️🧁˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆}
this was my first baseball romance and let’s just say it was a hit😉 it started right off the bat. i loved getting to see chloe and cody get their second chance. there relationship went from acting like they didn’t know each other to a healthy, vulnerable one. i loved how they were finally able to open up to each other after everything they have been through. this has a dual timeline which helps to understand why it took them so long to get to where they are now. there was this one scene (🪞) that i loved!! as someone who has never felt like enough, i was able to relate so much to chloe and her struggles. cody is such a softie!! the way that he kept certain things from his past with chloe🥹 not only that but the tattoo that he got!!!
thank you @author_alexisbuxton for sending me an arc! i loved getting to go back to ctu and can’t wait to see what comes next in the series!🫶🏼
read if you like:
⚾️ forced proximity
⚾️ found family
⚾️ bookworm x reformed playboy
⚾️ baseball romance
chloe mariano is a hopeless romantic whose always reading a spicy romance on her kindle and loves being in the kitchen. this year she hopes to get the main feature in the university newspaper, that’s until her professor decides otherwise. chloe has to cover the baseball season this semester, but that’s not the catch. its that she has to keep her heart from being broken again by a certain baseball player.
cody jacobs may be a playboy, but he’s the ultimate charmer. he’s always confident no matter the amount of emotional abuse he’s faced. the only thing he cares about is baseball. it’s his driving force and only love that’s until a certain wildflower comes back into his life.
{⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ⚾️💐☕️🍕🎀🌨️🎥🕯️🧁˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆}
this was my first baseball romance and let’s just say it was a hit😉 it started right off the bat. i loved getting to see chloe and cody get their second chance. there relationship went from acting like they didn’t know each other to a healthy, vulnerable one. i loved how they were finally able to open up to each other after everything they have been through. this has a dual timeline which helps to understand why it took them so long to get to where they are now. there was this one scene (🪞) that i loved!! as someone who has never felt like enough, i was able to relate so much to chloe and her struggles. cody is such a softie!! the way that he kept certain things from his past with chloe🥹 not only that but the tattoo that he got!!!
thank you @author_alexisbuxton for sending me an arc! i loved getting to go back to ctu and can’t wait to see what comes next in the series!🫶🏼
read if you like:
⚾️ forced proximity
⚾️ found family
⚾️ bookworm x reformed playboy
⚾️ baseball romance
May 6, 2024
The Change Up is such a fun second chance baseball romance. Right from the start I wanted to know more. This is the story of Chloe and Cody.
Chloe has always felt that she was not enough. She loves to read romance novels, de stresses in the kitchen baking and cooking, and writing for the CTU newspaper. She is assigned to write about the baseball team this year, which means spending a whole lot of time with Cody and his team mates. For the last 2 years they have stayed away from each other because they have a past no one else knows about.
Cody is the star pitcher for the baseball team, who only focuses on baseball. No one knows it’s because he fell for a girl years ago and ghosted her. He has never forgotten her though.
If you love sports romance, second chance, forced proximity you should absolutely read this book. Alexis Burton did a great job with character development, interactions with her amazing words. I received this as an ARC.
Chloe has always felt that she was not enough. She loves to read romance novels, de stresses in the kitchen baking and cooking, and writing for the CTU newspaper. She is assigned to write about the baseball team this year, which means spending a whole lot of time with Cody and his team mates. For the last 2 years they have stayed away from each other because they have a past no one else knows about.
Cody is the star pitcher for the baseball team, who only focuses on baseball. No one knows it’s because he fell for a girl years ago and ghosted her. He has never forgotten her though.
If you love sports romance, second chance, forced proximity you should absolutely read this book. Alexis Burton did a great job with character development, interactions with her amazing words. I received this as an ARC.
April 26, 2024
ARC REVIEW
🌸 Cody Jacobs is the change up I never saw coming. 🌸
What to expect
⚾baseball romance
🌸frenemies-to-lovers
⚾forced proximity
🌸slow burn
⚾angst & tension
🌸open-door SPICE
⚾found family
This story follows Cody the all star college baseball player, and Chloe the bookworm writer.
🌸First off I found Chloe to be extremely relatable, she shares so many qualities and hobbies that I have and it made her character so much fun to read! The way Alexis has made this college almost feel “small towny” with the connections of these characters truly just feel like a part of the family is so amazing!
⚾️ Cody’s character I found to have so many layers. It was so great to see his character develop throughout this story. I will gladly annotate a book for this man to read ANYtime!
⚾️“You, me, us, it’s been a long time coming, and now that I have you back, I want you. Your mind, your heart, your body, all of it, but you set the pace.”⚾️
All together this book flowed seamlessly and the connection (and re connection) really roped me in. It’s always a good time reading about the CTU world and I’ll definitely be looking forward to Book 3!
Thank you Alexis for the opportunity to read this title in advance. 🫶🏼
🌸 Cody Jacobs is the change up I never saw coming. 🌸
What to expect
⚾baseball romance
🌸frenemies-to-lovers
⚾forced proximity
🌸slow burn
⚾angst & tension
🌸open-door SPICE
⚾found family
This story follows Cody the all star college baseball player, and Chloe the bookworm writer.
🌸First off I found Chloe to be extremely relatable, she shares so many qualities and hobbies that I have and it made her character so much fun to read! The way Alexis has made this college almost feel “small towny” with the connections of these characters truly just feel like a part of the family is so amazing!
⚾️ Cody’s character I found to have so many layers. It was so great to see his character develop throughout this story. I will gladly annotate a book for this man to read ANYtime!
⚾️“You, me, us, it’s been a long time coming, and now that I have you back, I want you. Your mind, your heart, your body, all of it, but you set the pace.”⚾️
All together this book flowed seamlessly and the connection (and re connection) really roped me in. It’s always a good time reading about the CTU world and I’ll definitely be looking forward to Book 3!
Thank you Alexis for the opportunity to read this title in advance. 🫶🏼
April 26, 2024
“If I’m presented with the opportunity to face my troubles head-on or escape reality through the pages of fictional characters, I’m choosing the book every damn time.” — The Change Up by Alexis Buxton
I am so damn proud of this girl and her dedication to writing this book! Everyone needs to go download The Change Up right now!
This book is so good! I love Chloe so much and she is so freaking relatable with her love for books and her kind as heck soul. And then there’s Cody 😮💨 this guy! He’s funny and caring and hot as heck, I mean what more do you need?!
These two characters have so much baggage dragging them down that they can’t see what’s right in front of them and I loved it haha. This story has surprises and drama and all the feels and I truly loved it. It’s my favourite book Alexis has written to date and you can really see her growth as an author in this story.
If you haven’t read The Late Hit or The Christmas Scramble, I definitely recommend checking them out but The Change Up can be read as a standalone, just be wary of spoilers for the other stories.
I am so damn proud of this girl and her dedication to writing this book! Everyone needs to go download The Change Up right now!
This book is so good! I love Chloe so much and she is so freaking relatable with her love for books and her kind as heck soul. And then there’s Cody 😮💨 this guy! He’s funny and caring and hot as heck, I mean what more do you need?!
These two characters have so much baggage dragging them down that they can’t see what’s right in front of them and I loved it haha. This story has surprises and drama and all the feels and I truly loved it. It’s my favourite book Alexis has written to date and you can really see her growth as an author in this story.
If you haven’t read The Late Hit or The Christmas Scramble, I definitely recommend checking them out but The Change Up can be read as a standalone, just be wary of spoilers for the other stories.
May 9, 2024
4,25 ⭐️ 2 🌶️
„The idea of making you mine, of being yours forever, it makes me feral. There’s no way I picture my future, and it doesn’t have you in it. You’re my sun. My world orbits around you. You’re my best friend and the person I want in my corner. You’re the person I want in the stands cheering for me.“
I had sooo much fun reading this one omg! My very first baseball romance and I was here for it! Alexis Buxton‘s writing is so enjoyable and sooo bingeable omg. I was invested from the first page! The story between Cody and Chloe was so cute and I was soo happy it was Dual POV so we got also his POV 🤭
this one was giving some tropes I love:
- it has always been you
- second chance
- found family (i adored them so much and I wish I could be part of this group 🤭)
- nicknames! 😮💨
- golden retriever MMC
- shy girly x baseball captain
And did I mention that our girl Chloe is a book girlie and obsessed with reading her (mafia) romance books on her kindle? LOVE THAT! One of my newest obsession chestnut spring series made also an appearance and I was screaming 😭😮💨
Cody Jacobs‘s love languages are acts of service and words of affirmation 🥹 the little notes he wrote for her had me go „awww“ all the way and all the details he remembered what she liked? Ahhhh find yourself such a man 😮💨👏🏻
I really enjoyed this so much and binged it in 24 hours! Thank you Alexis Buxton for the ARC ❤️ - all thoughts are my own of course!
„The idea of making you mine, of being yours forever, it makes me feral. There’s no way I picture my future, and it doesn’t have you in it. You’re my sun. My world orbits around you. You’re my best friend and the person I want in my corner. You’re the person I want in the stands cheering for me.“
I had sooo much fun reading this one omg! My very first baseball romance and I was here for it! Alexis Buxton‘s writing is so enjoyable and sooo bingeable omg. I was invested from the first page! The story between Cody and Chloe was so cute and I was soo happy it was Dual POV so we got also his POV 🤭
this one was giving some tropes I love:
- it has always been you
- second chance
- found family (i adored them so much and I wish I could be part of this group 🤭)
- nicknames! 😮💨
- golden retriever MMC
- shy girly x baseball captain
And did I mention that our girl Chloe is a book girlie and obsessed with reading her (mafia) romance books on her kindle? LOVE THAT! One of my newest obsession chestnut spring series made also an appearance and I was screaming 😭😮💨
Cody Jacobs‘s love languages are acts of service and words of affirmation 🥹 the little notes he wrote for her had me go „awww“ all the way and all the details he remembered what she liked? Ahhhh find yourself such a man 😮💨👏🏻
I really enjoyed this so much and binged it in 24 hours! Thank you Alexis Buxton for the ARC ❤️ - all thoughts are my own of course!
October 23, 2024
This book had me in my feels from start to finish. After reading the first two books in this series, I was very excited to get to Cody and Chloe.
Chloe does everything she can to stay in the background. While she wants to be a journalist, it’s pretty terrifying to put yourself out there. An unexpected assignment puts her directly in the path of Cody Jacobs.
Cody’s first love is baseball. He faces a tremendous amount of pressure to be the best pitcher for his team. When he learns of Chloe’s assignment, things get even more complicated. You see, they have a history that no one knows about. While she may wish to stay hidden, he’s always seen her.
Cody’s backstory really broke my heart. In the previous books, we know he’s a good guy with a big heart. Even though he had a loser of a father, he still loved those around him with his whole heart. I resonated with Chloe’s feelings of not being good enough. Boy did I feel her pain in my soul. However, I loved how she became his biggest cheerleader. I loved how he made her feel seen. This book was so amazing and I cannot wait for what’s next!
Chloe does everything she can to stay in the background. While she wants to be a journalist, it’s pretty terrifying to put yourself out there. An unexpected assignment puts her directly in the path of Cody Jacobs.
Cody’s first love is baseball. He faces a tremendous amount of pressure to be the best pitcher for his team. When he learns of Chloe’s assignment, things get even more complicated. You see, they have a history that no one knows about. While she may wish to stay hidden, he’s always seen her.
Cody’s backstory really broke my heart. In the previous books, we know he’s a good guy with a big heart. Even though he had a loser of a father, he still loved those around him with his whole heart. I resonated with Chloe’s feelings of not being good enough. Boy did I feel her pain in my soul. However, I loved how she became his biggest cheerleader. I loved how he made her feel seen. This book was so amazing and I cannot wait for what’s next!
April 24, 2024
“life is constantly evolving, and why shouldn’t our dreams evolve with us?”
・❥・
there’s just something about baseball romance that will get me every time. i had such a blast reading cody and chloe’s story. it was such a good slow burn and the tension was so well done! i found myself wanting to know more about them right from the start of this book. found family is also another favorite trope of mine and this one hit all those found family feels! definitely got me wanting to read more about the baseball players and some other side characters!. this story was also just so beautifully written, alexis for sure has a way with words! excited to check out some more of her stories in the future!
so if you love baseball, found family, slow burn, and forced proximity then you absolutely need to go preorder this now! you’ll be able to give the change up a swing (pun intended) this friday, april 26, 2024!!! ⚾️📚💕
・❥・
there’s just something about baseball romance that will get me every time. i had such a blast reading cody and chloe’s story. it was such a good slow burn and the tension was so well done! i found myself wanting to know more about them right from the start of this book. found family is also another favorite trope of mine and this one hit all those found family feels! definitely got me wanting to read more about the baseball players and some other side characters!. this story was also just so beautifully written, alexis for sure has a way with words! excited to check out some more of her stories in the future!
so if you love baseball, found family, slow burn, and forced proximity then you absolutely need to go preorder this now! you’ll be able to give the change up a swing (pun intended) this friday, april 26, 2024!!! ⚾️📚💕
April 24, 2024
A second chance romance but add in baseball? I’m smitten! It’s fun, lots of drama, emotions, spicy, you will feel all the feels.
Chloe and Cody met and had a worldwind summer love two years ago. Present day he is the star pitcher on the college baseball team and Chloe is an aspiring journalist. They have the same circle of friends but both despise one another. She’s in love with him and he is in love with her. The chemistry is there why can’t these two finally see it!? Their friends all see it. I do not know or understand how they Cody could wait two years to talk with Chloe!! That boy is crazy! Young love. Both main characters have past trauma they are dealing with, college life and just trying to be the best person they can be. The book is told in a dual point of view so you get both sides to the story. The title is perfect for this story in many ways!
Chloe and Cody met and had a worldwind summer love two years ago. Present day he is the star pitcher on the college baseball team and Chloe is an aspiring journalist. They have the same circle of friends but both despise one another. She’s in love with him and he is in love with her. The chemistry is there why can’t these two finally see it!? Their friends all see it. I do not know or understand how they Cody could wait two years to talk with Chloe!! That boy is crazy! Young love. Both main characters have past trauma they are dealing with, college life and just trying to be the best person they can be. The book is told in a dual point of view so you get both sides to the story. The title is perfect for this story in many ways!
May 2, 2024
✨ARC Review✨
So lucky to receive this ARC from Alexis Buxton! This is my first read of this author and it did not disappoint.
This college sports, second chance romance was adorable. Cody and Chloe had so much history and a lot to work through, personally and together. There was also many other loveable characters that hope get their own book➡️Ty! The spice was amazing!
Overall, a good read that I would happily recommend to others. I would also read more of this series in the future.
So lucky to receive this ARC from Alexis Buxton! This is my first read of this author and it did not disappoint.
This college sports, second chance romance was adorable. Cody and Chloe had so much history and a lot to work through, personally and together. There was also many other loveable characters that hope get their own book➡️Ty! The spice was amazing!
Overall, a good read that I would happily recommend to others. I would also read more of this series in the future.
April 26, 2024
• ARC REVIEW •
“𝑪𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝑱𝒂𝒄𝒐𝒃𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒂𝒘 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
Chloe has been assigned the baseball team for the newspaper, which is the last thing she wants. Her and Cody has a history she’d rather forget.
This is such a fun baseball, second chance romance! I loved seeing all the previous characters woven into the storyline. You really get a sense of how close this group of friends is. And while this story is a fun read, both characters have their own demons to deal with. Both have less than ideal parents and have their own traumas to work through. Expect some bumps along the way, but I promise the end is worth it!
I liked learning about Cody & Chloe, both past and present simultaneously throughout the book. I love how Chloe is a bookworm! She has great tastes in books. I was so happy to recognize the books she was reading because some of them are also my faves. Very excited for the next book, which I’m hoping will involve Leah 🤞🏻
“𝑪𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝑱𝒂𝒄𝒐𝒃𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒂𝒘 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
Chloe has been assigned the baseball team for the newspaper, which is the last thing she wants. Her and Cody has a history she’d rather forget.
This is such a fun baseball, second chance romance! I loved seeing all the previous characters woven into the storyline. You really get a sense of how close this group of friends is. And while this story is a fun read, both characters have their own demons to deal with. Both have less than ideal parents and have their own traumas to work through. Expect some bumps along the way, but I promise the end is worth it!
I liked learning about Cody & Chloe, both past and present simultaneously throughout the book. I love how Chloe is a bookworm! She has great tastes in books. I was so happy to recognize the books she was reading because some of them are also my faves. Very excited for the next book, which I’m hoping will involve Leah 🤞🏻
April 27, 2024
ARC REVIEW
I absolutely loved this book! A spicy, fun rom com perfect for enjoying outside in the nice weather this spring!
Cody and Chloe were adorable, and I am such a sucker for a good second chance romance. Also, Miss Chloe?? I need you to come with me to book club!!!
I definitely recommend picking this one up, and I’m very excited to read more from this author!
I absolutely loved this book! A spicy, fun rom com perfect for enjoying outside in the nice weather this spring!
Cody and Chloe were adorable, and I am such a sucker for a good second chance romance. Also, Miss Chloe?? I need you to come with me to book club!!!
I definitely recommend picking this one up, and I’m very excited to read more from this author!
May 6, 2024
The Change Up was my first baseball romance and I really enjoyed it! I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t wait to find out more about Chloe and Cody! Chloe and Cody both come with trauma from their families and these traumas definitely have an impact on them and their relationship! Alexis did a great job with character development! Even the side characters were interesting and made me want to know more about them too! I also really loved Chloe’s relationships with the guys on the team! I felt like they would have done anything for her! If you love sports romance, second chances, forced proximity, and spice you should definitely check it out.
April 26, 2024
I loved this college baseball romance story of Chloe the wallflower who is focused on bettering herself to prove her worthiness. Cody is the star pitcher on the baseball team. He’s best friends with Chloe’s best friend and has a history with Chloe. When she gets assigned to covering the baseball team for the paper she finds it impossible to ignore Cody. Both have family issues where she feels abandoned by her mom, he has a verbally abusive dad who has always bullied Cody. No matter what he has accomplished, it’s not good enough for his dad. Such a great frenemies to lovers story. I devoured this book and a huge fan.
April 26, 2024
Another great read from Alexis!! This book was so good, following Cody and Chloe’s story!! Both of them are secretly crushing on one another right from the get go, but neither are quick enough to catch on. Chloe ends up working with the baseball team and Cody can’t help but get protective over her around his teammates. Both oblivious but terrible at hiding it from others. This book is full of found family, banter, spice and sweet moments all wrapped up in to one!! Absolutely worth the read!
May 8, 2024
4.5
The Change Up is book 2 in the CTU Eagles series, which can be read as a standalone. HUGE thank you to @author_alexisbuxton for the ARC, I absolutely ✨ loved ✨ it!!!
Cody. Jacobs. That’s it, that’s the review. (kidding, but also so very serious) Chloe and Cody’s frenemies-to-lovers, was jam packed full of tension, and was so so worth the slow burn. Even after their past they still can’t help but be drawn to each other, and after Chloe is assigned to write the sports stories in their school paper, they are forced to be around each other, more than they probably would like. We get to experience them together and how they resolve their past problems, the way they love each other, was so pure. They both love so fully, after having pasts like they do, it’s understandable that they want to give their all once they find someone worthy of it.
Cody is absolutely the blueprint book boyfriend, he has Chloe stand in front of the mirror and point out what she sees, while he tells her why he loves what she doesn’t 😭😭😭 he remembers every detail about her, the groveling he does *chefs kiss*, he never gave up and I love that for them. The friendships on the side were so fun too, and I am so so excited for book 3 I could scream!!! But Chloe and Cody hold my heart right now, so definitely give them a shot 🫶🏻
What to expect:
⚾️ Baseball Romance
❤️ Found Family
😤 Frenemies-To-Lovers
🔥 Slow Burn
🤗 Forced Proximity
📕 Reformed Playboy x Bookworm
🌼 Secret Tattoo
🫶🏻 “You’re Enough”
😇 Praise
The Change Up is book 2 in the CTU Eagles series, which can be read as a standalone. HUGE thank you to @author_alexisbuxton for the ARC, I absolutely ✨ loved ✨ it!!!
Cody. Jacobs. That’s it, that’s the review. (kidding, but also so very serious) Chloe and Cody’s frenemies-to-lovers, was jam packed full of tension, and was so so worth the slow burn. Even after their past they still can’t help but be drawn to each other, and after Chloe is assigned to write the sports stories in their school paper, they are forced to be around each other, more than they probably would like. We get to experience them together and how they resolve their past problems, the way they love each other, was so pure. They both love so fully, after having pasts like they do, it’s understandable that they want to give their all once they find someone worthy of it.
Cody is absolutely the blueprint book boyfriend, he has Chloe stand in front of the mirror and point out what she sees, while he tells her why he loves what she doesn’t 😭😭😭 he remembers every detail about her, the groveling he does *chefs kiss*, he never gave up and I love that for them. The friendships on the side were so fun too, and I am so so excited for book 3 I could scream!!! But Chloe and Cody hold my heart right now, so definitely give them a shot 🫶🏻
What to expect:
⚾️ Baseball Romance
❤️ Found Family
😤 Frenemies-To-Lovers
🔥 Slow Burn
🤗 Forced Proximity
📕 Reformed Playboy x Bookworm
🌼 Secret Tattoo
🫶🏻 “You’re Enough”
😇 Praise
November 9, 2024
Chloe: FMC, she is one of Brynn’s room mates and best friends and was Macys best friend. Cody calls her wildflower
Cody: one of Brynn’s close male friends and the captain of the baseball team
It starts off with Chloe at a party and she’s watching Cody and Monica together. She states how “We live in opposite spaces. If he is the entire galaxy, I am only one star. He doesn’t see me. He never does.” “Cody Jacobs is a gift. He was handpicked by God himself to touch people’s lives. He’s imprinted himself in me, only I wish I’d done the same to him.”
“If I’m presented with the opportunity to face my troubles head-on or escape reality through the pages of fictional characters, I’m choosing the book every damn time. Real life sucks.”Give me a broody book boyfriend, someone else’s drama, and all the steamy scenes.
Amen sister 🙌
Chloe thinks Cody doesn’t notice her meanwhile he’s thinking “The only problem is I see her. I’ve always seen her. No matter how hard she tries to melt into her surroundings, those bright eyes call to me like a siren singing her song to lure me into her depths. Those bright eyes beg me to dive head-first into her soul.”
We get some back log into Chloe. Her dad is Scott Mariano. Now Scott Mariano is a Michelin-star chef and one of the country’s top chefs. He owns two restaurants—an Italian restaurant in Dallas called Amore and Mariano’s Prime Chophouse in Boston. Seeing how crucial featured pieces are to newcomers in the food industry, it really inspired chloe to pursue a degree in journalism. Chloe was hopeful to get to cover the new festival coming to town but instead she is given the sports coverage. That means she’ll have to travel with Cody’s baseball team. Chloe’s dad calls to warn her of an ice storm on the way. She thinks this is Texas, why am I getting an ice storm. Brynn went to stay with Quinton, she plans to cozy up with her kindle. She’s cooking with their gas stove when there’s a knock at the door and it’s Cody, she assumes he came for Brynn but he says he came for her. He brought her a generator and a dvd player so they can watch movies but she just wanted to read. The ice storm got worse and trapped him there. He ends up asking her if he can read a book too and she gives him her tablet which also has her annotations. He thought they were having a moment and he almost kissed her and then she went upstairs and excused herself to bed. He goes to check on her when she’s sleeping and he sees the purple rabbit on her bookshelf. He can’t believe she kept it but we don’t know what the significance of this purple rabbit is. The next day he leaves as soon as he can to save himself from the awkwardness. We know Cody isn’t trying to have a relationship. His only priority is baseball. Cody brings up his sister Leah. She’s a senior this year. He mentions how his dad is a massive control freak so he tries to keep the attention off of her for as long as she’s stuck in that house. It’s time for the first baseball game and Chloe is on the bus. Cody walks past her and she can tell he looks upset that she didn’t warn him about this. Ty ends up sitting with her and gives her a honey lavender latte and she doesn’t know how he would know that. Back at their room. Her door is swung open and it’s Cody. He says they got an extra pizza and wanted to know if she wanted some. She tells him that coach puts the rooms in alphabetical order so lucky her will be next to him and Hudson every time. Hudson senses something off and he confesses that he almost kissed her during the ice storm and Hudson tells him to figure it out. Cody gets a call or text before or after or both from every game from his dad. “I know I should stop the cycle, but I’m afraid that if he doesn’t have me to punish, he’s going to find a reason to punish Leah. I can’t have that. She’s been through enough and doesn’t need any more of his attention on her. Until she’s out from under his roof, I’ll be the punching bag he chooses to hit over and over again. In a weird sense, maybe I need the hits. Maybe they make me tougher, stronger.” Chloe goes down to the gym to work out some tension but then Cody follows her down there. The next day Niko confronts her on what’s going on and she tells him that Cody did hurt her and this upsets Niko. Hudson tells Cody “I want this season to be our season. We’ve been busting our asses for two years to get where we are today, and I’m not going to sit by and let a girl ruin our chances. So either the three of you work your shit out and then, Cody, you work your shit out with Chloe, or I’m going to Coach and getting her reassigned. We don’t need the distraction.”And there I sat on a Tuesday evening before a road game, spilling the secret I’ve kept about the girl who’s stolen my thoughts.
No matter how hard she tries to hide away from us and pretend to be the wallflower she wants to be, her personality is like sunshine, and we all crave her rays.
How chloes describes Cody “To me, he’s pain, he’s sleepless nights, he’s self-doubt.”
I don’t feel pretty enough. I don’t feel smart enough. I don’t feel like I’m ever good enough to get the guy. I want so desperately to be the girl picked first. The girl who gets the fairytale story, the happily ever after.
Cody shows up at Chloe’s and says “I’m sorry for fucking everything up.”
Then we get a flashback to Chloe and Cody meeting. He had started coming into the diner she was working at with Hudson. He would leave notes for her.
You have a beautiful smile. You pour a mean cup of coffee. You’re sunshine on a rainy day. Wildflowers. That’s what your scent reminds me of. The blue of your uniform makes your eyes shine bright. I love the ribbons you wear in your hair. Rough practices are worth it when I get to see you after.
He asks her to go on a date with her in one of them and she says she won’t go out with someone whose name she doesn’t know and he introduces himself as Cody Jacobs and his friends as Hudson Larsen. So she says yes. For the next seven weeks, my days start with a ‘good morning’ text from Cody. Hudson and he have the same breakfast every morning—unless they are traveling—and the rest of my days and nights are spent with Cody Jacobs. It was a summer when we were inseparable. It was a summer where we didn’t talk about what came next. It was a summer where we lived in the present with no talks of the future. Day dates, baseball games, breakfast at the diner, a weekend trip to Galveston, and everything in between. It was the summer of Chloe and Cody… Until it wasn’t.
We find out Cody had ghosted her. He just up and disappeared. She tells him ““You’ve had two years to apologize, and you haven’t said anything. Why now?””You were my first everything—date, kiss, more. But it was never serious.”
He tells her There was so much happening at home, but I wanted to keep you away from that part of my life.but when I saw you on campus with Brynn, I couldn’t believe it. It felt like fate was giving me a second chance, but then you acted like you didn’t know who I was. So I kept up with the facade that we didn’t know each other. But I never forgot you.”
He tells her “I got a phone call in the middle of the night that my dad had a heart attack. “Of course not. I didn’t think we’d ever see each other again. We never talked about college or what was next. I knew there was no way I could’ve made a long-distance relationship work, not with school and baseball.”
Chloe tells him “Thanks for finally giving me the apology I’ve deserved for two years, but I think you need to go.”
Chloe’s shocked to find out he ghosted her because his dad was sick and he figured he’d never see her again but she still was hurt by him.
Back at the baseball house. Ty asks him to grab his bag. There’s a ribbon tied to the bag and a receipt from the diner. She’s shocked to see it. When Cody walks in the door she kisses him, in front of everybody. Hudson tells her he’s sorry he screwed things up between them and that he should have handled the situation differently.
Cody and Chloe go back to his room and he thinks to himself. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face as I lean down and kiss the top of her head. This is my year. This is the team’s year. But maybe it could be our year, too.
Chloe: I still can’t believe I made the first move. But when I opened up that bag and saw my ribbon and note, everything escaped my brain. It was the sign I needed to realize Cody viewed our summer together as something; it wasn’t nothing.
Chloe was on a run when she runs into Cody. They kiss at the coffee shop. She has to go see her professor to go over how her journaling is going. Her professor lets her know there’s a picture of her in a compromised position with Cody and she needs to keep it more professional. She’s so embarrassed that she just goes home and goes to bed. Cody wakes up and goes to her. He tells her he came to check on his girl. Cody makes her stand up in front of the mirror. He asks her what she sees. She tells him ““I see a six-year-old girl who isn’t good enough. I see the little girl who wasn’t even good enough for her mom to stay.” He tells her that “I see a strong, beautiful woman with perfect curves. A woman who values her health by working out and taking care of the body.” Cody realizes For years she’s battled the feeling of not being enough and the abandonment by her mom, and here I did the same damn thing.
Chloe has a flashback to the night her mom left. “I never wanted this. I never wanted to be a mom at nineteen. She might be your whole world, but she isn’t enough to make me stay. Take care, Scott.”
Cody had told Chloe “You are enough. You are more than enough, Wildflower.”
Chloe finds out Cody had been behind her latte deliveries that Ty would always bring to her. He brings up the purple rabbit.
On the inside of his bicep toward the back of his arm is a tiny drawing I’ve never noticed before. It’s a single-line flower tattoo. “Cody?” I prompt. Did he get this tattoo for me? “I never forgot about you, Wildflower,” his eyes sear into me, and I feel the words. “You’ve always been with me.”
We had found out that Chloe lost her virginity to some random guy at a party because she was tired of being reminded of Cody. She doesn’t want to tell him no to sex but she’s not quite ready for that yet. So he eats her out and says “I knew you’d taste like my favorite dessert. So sweet. So perfect.” “Tonight was about you. You’re special to me, Wildflower, and anyone who doesn’t see how perfect you are can fuck right off. You’re enough for me.”
At one of Cody’s games, he hears someone call out for him. And realizes it’s his sister Leah. He introduces Leah to Chloe and they seem to hit it off right away. He realizes then that he loves Chloe and he has since that first summer. He pitches a no hitter at that game. They go back to celebrate for Leah’s birthday. Chloe ends up taking Cody into the bathroom and giving head for the first time. When he asks how she knew what to do she told him “i read a lot of romance books.” He chuckles. “I’m never giving you shit again for having your nose in a book.”
Leah lets Cody know that “I heard from CTU and I got in—” She stops me mid-breath from congratulating her. “But I’m waiting to hear back from the University of Washington.”
Chloe comes downstairs and he realizes I don’t think there’s anything better in the world than seeing your sister and girlfriend get along so seamlessly.
Cody began to realize It was then I realized he wanted me to fail. He couldn’t make it so he didn’t want me to make it. I’m his son, and he’s jealous of me. He wants me to fail like he did.”
Cody goes to take Chloe home and Macy is there. She says “I’m sorry for interrupting your Sunday, but I think it’s time we hash things out. I really miss having you in my life Chloe.”
We are sent back to the night of their fight when Macy had said “You stare at him like he hung the moon, but you’re too childish to say anything. You act like a lost puppy. Either man up and tell him, or get over it.”
Macy tells her now that At that moment, I was seeing how short life is, how quickly things could change. I was getting my second chance, a chance to move in with Gregg and help him with his recovery. I hadn’t slept, and the stress was so insurmountable that I erupted on you.”
Chloe tells Macy how her father was getting her a weekend at a spa for her birthday and she wants her to go that it wouldn’t be the same without her. “Macy, I want you to come with us. Seriously, the last couple of months have been hell. I miss you, and it’s time to just put the past behind us.”
Chloe Mariano thinks I’m her soulmate. If you would’ve asked me six months ago if I believed in soulmates, I would’ve told you no. But now, after being reunited with the girl who stole my heart and got away, I’d say maybe. Maybe there’s someone out there for all of us. A lost soul out in the universe searching for its mate. For so long baseball has been my only love. It’s the only love I thought I’d ever have, but something inside of me has changed. I love my pretty Wildflower. She’s mine, and I’ll stop at nothing to make sure she knows how much she truly means to me.
They are all out at the bar after a game and he slips out that he loves Chloe. And the guys heard it too so there’s no taking it back.
Chloe Mariano has owned my heart and soul for as long as I can remember. I was naïve in thinking that we’d never work out. That our past was too damaged for either of us to come back from. That baseball would be my only love. It turns out baseball was just a filler until we both were smart enough to see what’s been in front of us this whole time. “I said, ‘I love you.’” She tells him that she loves him too
And I know I’m jumping the gun. This relationship is fresh, but I do not doubt that Chloe and I are endgame. I don’t believe we were put in each other’s path again without being destined for something bigger. Chloe Mariano has stolen my heart, and one day, I hope she steals my last name.
They end up having sex for the first time and he goes downstairs in his boxers and her dad shows up and says they’re cooking dinner together. Her dad put on the tough exterior but ended up warming up to him. Quinton and Brynn end up showing up too.
And that’s how I find myself on a Thursday evening having an unplanned dinner with family. We might not all be blood, but family doesn’t have to come from blood. Family can be those who have your back no matter what. The people who pick you up on your hardest days. Or cheer the loudest on your best days. Family stems from love, and when you love someone with your whole heart, you cherish each moment that you spend with them because you never know when the day may come when you find yourself alone. I didn’t know how accurate those words would feel.
Chloe is at another game when a women calls her name and she realizes it’s her mom and 4 kids are coming for her. Her mom invites her for dinner and she leaves. She can’t believe her mom would act like everything was fine.
“You’ve had fifteen years for your replacement family to meet your original daughter. The daughter you neglected and forgot about. The daughter who spent her whole childhood waiting for her mother to come back. The daughter who has never felt like enough in this world because if her own mother couldn’t love her, why would anyone else?”
And then she runs up on Cody telling his dad “Jesus, she’s nothing. Nothing more than someone to help release the stress of the game. She’s not the type you marry, so get off my back about it. I’ve told you that I don’t have time for distractions, and I refuse to let a girl get in the way of my game.”
What chloe misses is Cody telling his dad “You know what? Fuck it. I’ve been so scared of you for fucking years, and all I’ve ever wanted is for you to be a dad to me. To tell me ‘great job, son’ or hell, that you’re proud of me. It’s been years of me wanting the approval of my dad, and it’s never come. It’s been years of slurred words and insults to the point where I can’t even tell you about something—or someone—that makes me happy. You’ve got me downplaying a relationship over the woman I love, and enough is enough. This relationship, or whatever the hell you want to call it, is over. I’m done with you and your control. Don’t call me. Don’t text me. Don’t come to my games. We’re done.”
Hudson tells Cody “What matters is that girl has given you a second chance. She gave you her heart, and you ripped it apart before stomping on it. Not to mention she ran into her mom tonight.”
Chloe goes to hide out at Macy and Gregg’s house. “Oh yeah, nothing like fifteen years of trauma smacking you in the face the same night you hear your boyfriend say you’re not wife material.”
Chloe finally talks to Cody “I know deep down you weren’t trying to hurt me. In some twisted way, I see that you were trying to protect me from your dad, but it still hurts like hell to hear that I’m not enough. You know the baggage I’ve been carrying for years and to hear you use that against me, it felt like you reached inside my chest and ripped my heart out.
He tells her “It wasn’t presumptuous. The idea of making you mine, of being yours forever, it makes me feral. There’s no way I picture my future, and it doesn’t have you in it. You’re my sun. My world orbits around you. You’re my best friend and the person I want in my corner. You’re the person I want in the stands cheering for me.
“I never should have said you weren’t enough because the thing is, I don’t feel like I’m enough when I’m in your presence. You’re so good, Chloe. You have the purest heart, and I feel like I’m going to dim your light.”
Cody had given her flowers from her favorite florist and a note that said Wildflower, The sun shines brighter with you in my life. I’m lost without you. Since the day I met you, I knew you were it for me. My world is trapped in your orbit, and it spins in chaos when you’re not around. You’re more than enough for me. You’re my everything. I love you. -Cody PS-Put the boy out of his misery. Life’s too short. Don’t let love pass you by, sweet girl.
Cody decided to block his dad’s number.
I never would have gotten to this point without the change up that I thought was ruining my life. Cody Jacobs is the change up I never saw coming.
The epilogue is post season. Leah moved in with the guys 4 weeks ago so now the pressure of keeping his dad away from her has eased.
The article I wrote on Coach Weber for The Eagles Gazette went viral and went national. It’s baffling to me that an article I wrote—about sports, nonetheless—was picked up by a reputable sports broadcast company. Professor Weaver has insisted I stay on as a reporter through the rest of the season, which is why I have a press badge for the College World Series. She also insisted I apply for sports journalism internships, as well as lifestyle options.
It’s the last game. Cody gets another no hitter. He did a perfect change up and striked out the last guy. They won the college World Series.
This season I got the boy, he got the hardware, I got my self-confidence, and the journalism break. I think it’s safe to say that I, Chloe Mariano, got her happily ever after. Bring it on, universe. I’m ready for you.
My review is a lot of copy and paste but should have all the main points. I binge read this while in the hospital with my papaw. Perfect distraction, some baseball romance and brought back to the perfect college town and the friend group. I really enjoyed Cody and Chloe’s story. Chloe having her insecurities and Cody had pinched at those but resolves that in the end. And getting to see what the tension between them was was nice too. Since we sensed it in the other books but had no idea what had happened. And now to start the last book in the series!
Cody: one of Brynn’s close male friends and the captain of the baseball team
It starts off with Chloe at a party and she’s watching Cody and Monica together. She states how “We live in opposite spaces. If he is the entire galaxy, I am only one star. He doesn’t see me. He never does.” “Cody Jacobs is a gift. He was handpicked by God himself to touch people’s lives. He’s imprinted himself in me, only I wish I’d done the same to him.”
“If I’m presented with the opportunity to face my troubles head-on or escape reality through the pages of fictional characters, I’m choosing the book every damn time. Real life sucks.”Give me a broody book boyfriend, someone else’s drama, and all the steamy scenes.
Amen sister 🙌
Chloe thinks Cody doesn’t notice her meanwhile he’s thinking “The only problem is I see her. I’ve always seen her. No matter how hard she tries to melt into her surroundings, those bright eyes call to me like a siren singing her song to lure me into her depths. Those bright eyes beg me to dive head-first into her soul.”
We get some back log into Chloe. Her dad is Scott Mariano. Now Scott Mariano is a Michelin-star chef and one of the country’s top chefs. He owns two restaurants—an Italian restaurant in Dallas called Amore and Mariano’s Prime Chophouse in Boston. Seeing how crucial featured pieces are to newcomers in the food industry, it really inspired chloe to pursue a degree in journalism. Chloe was hopeful to get to cover the new festival coming to town but instead she is given the sports coverage. That means she’ll have to travel with Cody’s baseball team. Chloe’s dad calls to warn her of an ice storm on the way. She thinks this is Texas, why am I getting an ice storm. Brynn went to stay with Quinton, she plans to cozy up with her kindle. She’s cooking with their gas stove when there’s a knock at the door and it’s Cody, she assumes he came for Brynn but he says he came for her. He brought her a generator and a dvd player so they can watch movies but she just wanted to read. The ice storm got worse and trapped him there. He ends up asking her if he can read a book too and she gives him her tablet which also has her annotations. He thought they were having a moment and he almost kissed her and then she went upstairs and excused herself to bed. He goes to check on her when she’s sleeping and he sees the purple rabbit on her bookshelf. He can’t believe she kept it but we don’t know what the significance of this purple rabbit is. The next day he leaves as soon as he can to save himself from the awkwardness. We know Cody isn’t trying to have a relationship. His only priority is baseball. Cody brings up his sister Leah. She’s a senior this year. He mentions how his dad is a massive control freak so he tries to keep the attention off of her for as long as she’s stuck in that house. It’s time for the first baseball game and Chloe is on the bus. Cody walks past her and she can tell he looks upset that she didn’t warn him about this. Ty ends up sitting with her and gives her a honey lavender latte and she doesn’t know how he would know that. Back at their room. Her door is swung open and it’s Cody. He says they got an extra pizza and wanted to know if she wanted some. She tells him that coach puts the rooms in alphabetical order so lucky her will be next to him and Hudson every time. Hudson senses something off and he confesses that he almost kissed her during the ice storm and Hudson tells him to figure it out. Cody gets a call or text before or after or both from every game from his dad. “I know I should stop the cycle, but I’m afraid that if he doesn’t have me to punish, he’s going to find a reason to punish Leah. I can’t have that. She’s been through enough and doesn’t need any more of his attention on her. Until she’s out from under his roof, I’ll be the punching bag he chooses to hit over and over again. In a weird sense, maybe I need the hits. Maybe they make me tougher, stronger.” Chloe goes down to the gym to work out some tension but then Cody follows her down there. The next day Niko confronts her on what’s going on and she tells him that Cody did hurt her and this upsets Niko. Hudson tells Cody “I want this season to be our season. We’ve been busting our asses for two years to get where we are today, and I’m not going to sit by and let a girl ruin our chances. So either the three of you work your shit out and then, Cody, you work your shit out with Chloe, or I’m going to Coach and getting her reassigned. We don’t need the distraction.”And there I sat on a Tuesday evening before a road game, spilling the secret I’ve kept about the girl who’s stolen my thoughts.
No matter how hard she tries to hide away from us and pretend to be the wallflower she wants to be, her personality is like sunshine, and we all crave her rays.
How chloes describes Cody “To me, he’s pain, he’s sleepless nights, he’s self-doubt.”
I don’t feel pretty enough. I don’t feel smart enough. I don’t feel like I’m ever good enough to get the guy. I want so desperately to be the girl picked first. The girl who gets the fairytale story, the happily ever after.
Cody shows up at Chloe’s and says “I’m sorry for fucking everything up.”
Then we get a flashback to Chloe and Cody meeting. He had started coming into the diner she was working at with Hudson. He would leave notes for her.
You have a beautiful smile. You pour a mean cup of coffee. You’re sunshine on a rainy day. Wildflowers. That’s what your scent reminds me of. The blue of your uniform makes your eyes shine bright. I love the ribbons you wear in your hair. Rough practices are worth it when I get to see you after.
He asks her to go on a date with her in one of them and she says she won’t go out with someone whose name she doesn’t know and he introduces himself as Cody Jacobs and his friends as Hudson Larsen. So she says yes. For the next seven weeks, my days start with a ‘good morning’ text from Cody. Hudson and he have the same breakfast every morning—unless they are traveling—and the rest of my days and nights are spent with Cody Jacobs. It was a summer when we were inseparable. It was a summer where we didn’t talk about what came next. It was a summer where we lived in the present with no talks of the future. Day dates, baseball games, breakfast at the diner, a weekend trip to Galveston, and everything in between. It was the summer of Chloe and Cody… Until it wasn’t.
We find out Cody had ghosted her. He just up and disappeared. She tells him ““You’ve had two years to apologize, and you haven’t said anything. Why now?””You were my first everything—date, kiss, more. But it was never serious.”
He tells her There was so much happening at home, but I wanted to keep you away from that part of my life.but when I saw you on campus with Brynn, I couldn’t believe it. It felt like fate was giving me a second chance, but then you acted like you didn’t know who I was. So I kept up with the facade that we didn’t know each other. But I never forgot you.”
He tells her “I got a phone call in the middle of the night that my dad had a heart attack. “Of course not. I didn’t think we’d ever see each other again. We never talked about college or what was next. I knew there was no way I could’ve made a long-distance relationship work, not with school and baseball.”
Chloe tells him “Thanks for finally giving me the apology I’ve deserved for two years, but I think you need to go.”
Chloe’s shocked to find out he ghosted her because his dad was sick and he figured he’d never see her again but she still was hurt by him.
Back at the baseball house. Ty asks him to grab his bag. There’s a ribbon tied to the bag and a receipt from the diner. She’s shocked to see it. When Cody walks in the door she kisses him, in front of everybody. Hudson tells her he’s sorry he screwed things up between them and that he should have handled the situation differently.
Cody and Chloe go back to his room and he thinks to himself. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face as I lean down and kiss the top of her head. This is my year. This is the team’s year. But maybe it could be our year, too.
Chloe: I still can’t believe I made the first move. But when I opened up that bag and saw my ribbon and note, everything escaped my brain. It was the sign I needed to realize Cody viewed our summer together as something; it wasn’t nothing.
Chloe was on a run when she runs into Cody. They kiss at the coffee shop. She has to go see her professor to go over how her journaling is going. Her professor lets her know there’s a picture of her in a compromised position with Cody and she needs to keep it more professional. She’s so embarrassed that she just goes home and goes to bed. Cody wakes up and goes to her. He tells her he came to check on his girl. Cody makes her stand up in front of the mirror. He asks her what she sees. She tells him ““I see a six-year-old girl who isn’t good enough. I see the little girl who wasn’t even good enough for her mom to stay.” He tells her that “I see a strong, beautiful woman with perfect curves. A woman who values her health by working out and taking care of the body.” Cody realizes For years she’s battled the feeling of not being enough and the abandonment by her mom, and here I did the same damn thing.
Chloe has a flashback to the night her mom left. “I never wanted this. I never wanted to be a mom at nineteen. She might be your whole world, but she isn’t enough to make me stay. Take care, Scott.”
Cody had told Chloe “You are enough. You are more than enough, Wildflower.”
Chloe finds out Cody had been behind her latte deliveries that Ty would always bring to her. He brings up the purple rabbit.
On the inside of his bicep toward the back of his arm is a tiny drawing I’ve never noticed before. It’s a single-line flower tattoo. “Cody?” I prompt. Did he get this tattoo for me? “I never forgot about you, Wildflower,” his eyes sear into me, and I feel the words. “You’ve always been with me.”
We had found out that Chloe lost her virginity to some random guy at a party because she was tired of being reminded of Cody. She doesn’t want to tell him no to sex but she’s not quite ready for that yet. So he eats her out and says “I knew you’d taste like my favorite dessert. So sweet. So perfect.” “Tonight was about you. You’re special to me, Wildflower, and anyone who doesn’t see how perfect you are can fuck right off. You’re enough for me.”
At one of Cody’s games, he hears someone call out for him. And realizes it’s his sister Leah. He introduces Leah to Chloe and they seem to hit it off right away. He realizes then that he loves Chloe and he has since that first summer. He pitches a no hitter at that game. They go back to celebrate for Leah’s birthday. Chloe ends up taking Cody into the bathroom and giving head for the first time. When he asks how she knew what to do she told him “i read a lot of romance books.” He chuckles. “I’m never giving you shit again for having your nose in a book.”
Leah lets Cody know that “I heard from CTU and I got in—” She stops me mid-breath from congratulating her. “But I’m waiting to hear back from the University of Washington.”
Chloe comes downstairs and he realizes I don’t think there’s anything better in the world than seeing your sister and girlfriend get along so seamlessly.
Cody began to realize It was then I realized he wanted me to fail. He couldn’t make it so he didn’t want me to make it. I’m his son, and he’s jealous of me. He wants me to fail like he did.”
Cody goes to take Chloe home and Macy is there. She says “I’m sorry for interrupting your Sunday, but I think it’s time we hash things out. I really miss having you in my life Chloe.”
We are sent back to the night of their fight when Macy had said “You stare at him like he hung the moon, but you’re too childish to say anything. You act like a lost puppy. Either man up and tell him, or get over it.”
Macy tells her now that At that moment, I was seeing how short life is, how quickly things could change. I was getting my second chance, a chance to move in with Gregg and help him with his recovery. I hadn’t slept, and the stress was so insurmountable that I erupted on you.”
Chloe tells Macy how her father was getting her a weekend at a spa for her birthday and she wants her to go that it wouldn’t be the same without her. “Macy, I want you to come with us. Seriously, the last couple of months have been hell. I miss you, and it’s time to just put the past behind us.”
Chloe Mariano thinks I’m her soulmate. If you would’ve asked me six months ago if I believed in soulmates, I would’ve told you no. But now, after being reunited with the girl who stole my heart and got away, I’d say maybe. Maybe there’s someone out there for all of us. A lost soul out in the universe searching for its mate. For so long baseball has been my only love. It’s the only love I thought I’d ever have, but something inside of me has changed. I love my pretty Wildflower. She’s mine, and I’ll stop at nothing to make sure she knows how much she truly means to me.
They are all out at the bar after a game and he slips out that he loves Chloe. And the guys heard it too so there’s no taking it back.
Chloe Mariano has owned my heart and soul for as long as I can remember. I was naïve in thinking that we’d never work out. That our past was too damaged for either of us to come back from. That baseball would be my only love. It turns out baseball was just a filler until we both were smart enough to see what’s been in front of us this whole time. “I said, ‘I love you.’” She tells him that she loves him too
And I know I’m jumping the gun. This relationship is fresh, but I do not doubt that Chloe and I are endgame. I don’t believe we were put in each other’s path again without being destined for something bigger. Chloe Mariano has stolen my heart, and one day, I hope she steals my last name.
They end up having sex for the first time and he goes downstairs in his boxers and her dad shows up and says they’re cooking dinner together. Her dad put on the tough exterior but ended up warming up to him. Quinton and Brynn end up showing up too.
And that’s how I find myself on a Thursday evening having an unplanned dinner with family. We might not all be blood, but family doesn’t have to come from blood. Family can be those who have your back no matter what. The people who pick you up on your hardest days. Or cheer the loudest on your best days. Family stems from love, and when you love someone with your whole heart, you cherish each moment that you spend with them because you never know when the day may come when you find yourself alone. I didn’t know how accurate those words would feel.
Chloe is at another game when a women calls her name and she realizes it’s her mom and 4 kids are coming for her. Her mom invites her for dinner and she leaves. She can’t believe her mom would act like everything was fine.
“You’ve had fifteen years for your replacement family to meet your original daughter. The daughter you neglected and forgot about. The daughter who spent her whole childhood waiting for her mother to come back. The daughter who has never felt like enough in this world because if her own mother couldn’t love her, why would anyone else?”
And then she runs up on Cody telling his dad “Jesus, she’s nothing. Nothing more than someone to help release the stress of the game. She’s not the type you marry, so get off my back about it. I’ve told you that I don’t have time for distractions, and I refuse to let a girl get in the way of my game.”
What chloe misses is Cody telling his dad “You know what? Fuck it. I’ve been so scared of you for fucking years, and all I’ve ever wanted is for you to be a dad to me. To tell me ‘great job, son’ or hell, that you’re proud of me. It’s been years of me wanting the approval of my dad, and it’s never come. It’s been years of slurred words and insults to the point where I can’t even tell you about something—or someone—that makes me happy. You’ve got me downplaying a relationship over the woman I love, and enough is enough. This relationship, or whatever the hell you want to call it, is over. I’m done with you and your control. Don’t call me. Don’t text me. Don’t come to my games. We’re done.”
Hudson tells Cody “What matters is that girl has given you a second chance. She gave you her heart, and you ripped it apart before stomping on it. Not to mention she ran into her mom tonight.”
Chloe goes to hide out at Macy and Gregg’s house. “Oh yeah, nothing like fifteen years of trauma smacking you in the face the same night you hear your boyfriend say you’re not wife material.”
Chloe finally talks to Cody “I know deep down you weren’t trying to hurt me. In some twisted way, I see that you were trying to protect me from your dad, but it still hurts like hell to hear that I’m not enough. You know the baggage I’ve been carrying for years and to hear you use that against me, it felt like you reached inside my chest and ripped my heart out.
He tells her “It wasn’t presumptuous. The idea of making you mine, of being yours forever, it makes me feral. There’s no way I picture my future, and it doesn’t have you in it. You’re my sun. My world orbits around you. You’re my best friend and the person I want in my corner. You’re the person I want in the stands cheering for me.
“I never should have said you weren’t enough because the thing is, I don’t feel like I’m enough when I’m in your presence. You’re so good, Chloe. You have the purest heart, and I feel like I’m going to dim your light.”
Cody had given her flowers from her favorite florist and a note that said Wildflower, The sun shines brighter with you in my life. I’m lost without you. Since the day I met you, I knew you were it for me. My world is trapped in your orbit, and it spins in chaos when you’re not around. You’re more than enough for me. You’re my everything. I love you. -Cody PS-Put the boy out of his misery. Life’s too short. Don’t let love pass you by, sweet girl.
Cody decided to block his dad’s number.
I never would have gotten to this point without the change up that I thought was ruining my life. Cody Jacobs is the change up I never saw coming.
The epilogue is post season. Leah moved in with the guys 4 weeks ago so now the pressure of keeping his dad away from her has eased.
The article I wrote on Coach Weber for The Eagles Gazette went viral and went national. It’s baffling to me that an article I wrote—about sports, nonetheless—was picked up by a reputable sports broadcast company. Professor Weaver has insisted I stay on as a reporter through the rest of the season, which is why I have a press badge for the College World Series. She also insisted I apply for sports journalism internships, as well as lifestyle options.
It’s the last game. Cody gets another no hitter. He did a perfect change up and striked out the last guy. They won the college World Series.
This season I got the boy, he got the hardware, I got my self-confidence, and the journalism break. I think it’s safe to say that I, Chloe Mariano, got her happily ever after. Bring it on, universe. I’m ready for you.
My review is a lot of copy and paste but should have all the main points. I binge read this while in the hospital with my papaw. Perfect distraction, some baseball romance and brought back to the perfect college town and the friend group. I really enjoyed Cody and Chloe’s story. Chloe having her insecurities and Cody had pinched at those but resolves that in the end. And getting to see what the tension between them was was nice too. Since we sensed it in the other books but had no idea what had happened. And now to start the last book in the series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2024
Frenemies to Lovers
Iced in
Forced proximity
Chloe and Cody have a past no one knows about.
Chloe: a lot of her insecurities come up. She feels like she isn’t good enough. Which breaks my heart, but I relate so much to Chloe. She likes to be the wallflower, but an opportunity that comes up has her light shining. She loves her spicy romances. She makes jokes about having a date with the MC biker gang leader, and likes her privacy.
Cody: he is angsty because of his father. There’s a lot with that relationship. He tries to ignore Chloe, because he feels like he’s protecting her.
I absolutely loved their relationship. Chloe gets the less than desirable journalism assignment of following the baseball team and going to all of their games. This forces Chloe and Cody together. And there may have been a scene where Cody thought Chloe was in trouble, only it was Chloe getting hurt from her purple toy.
The found family this group of friends has found, is just such an inspiration and reminds me how important those relationships are. I can’t wait to see what’s next!
Iced in
Forced proximity
Chloe and Cody have a past no one knows about.
Chloe: a lot of her insecurities come up. She feels like she isn’t good enough. Which breaks my heart, but I relate so much to Chloe. She likes to be the wallflower, but an opportunity that comes up has her light shining. She loves her spicy romances. She makes jokes about having a date with the MC biker gang leader, and likes her privacy.
Cody: he is angsty because of his father. There’s a lot with that relationship. He tries to ignore Chloe, because he feels like he’s protecting her.
I absolutely loved their relationship. Chloe gets the less than desirable journalism assignment of following the baseball team and going to all of their games. This forces Chloe and Cody together. And there may have been a scene where Cody thought Chloe was in trouble, only it was Chloe getting hurt from her purple toy.
The found family this group of friends has found, is just such an inspiration and reminds me how important those relationships are. I can’t wait to see what’s next!
February 27, 2024
Between the forced proximity, emotional storylines, and CTU atmosphere, THE CHANGE UP is a home run from start to finish! 💐⚾️
Meet Chloe: our hopeless romantic heroine who loves to read romance novels, bake warm and fluffy pastries, and write flowery feature articles.
Enter Cody: our brooding, reformed playboy who only has eyes for one thing: baseball.
What will happen when these two are forced together due to unforeseen circumstances?
This was a brilliant addition to the CTU series, and just in time for spring! This is my favorite book from Buxton yet. We see so much character growth between these two, and that plot twist at the end? Jaw-dropping. I need more of these two, immediately!
Read if you like:
⚾️ Baseball
🩵 New Adult
💐 Fresh Cut Flowers
📰 News Articles
💓 Forced Proximity
📖 Bookworm x Reformed Playboy
🧁 Baking
Meet Chloe: our hopeless romantic heroine who loves to read romance novels, bake warm and fluffy pastries, and write flowery feature articles.
Enter Cody: our brooding, reformed playboy who only has eyes for one thing: baseball.
What will happen when these two are forced together due to unforeseen circumstances?
This was a brilliant addition to the CTU series, and just in time for spring! This is my favorite book from Buxton yet. We see so much character growth between these two, and that plot twist at the end? Jaw-dropping. I need more of these two, immediately!
Read if you like:
⚾️ Baseball
🩵 New Adult
💐 Fresh Cut Flowers
📰 News Articles
💓 Forced Proximity
📖 Bookworm x Reformed Playboy
🧁 Baking
May 1, 2024
TROPES:
⚾️ Baseball Romance
⚾️ Second Chance
⚾️ Forced Proximity
⚾️ Reformed Playboy
⚾️ Frenemies to Lovers
⚾️ Slow Burn
I have loved following Alexis's author journey! She is killing it with her debut series CTU Eagles. I loved book 1, The Late Hit and was so excited to get to read book 2.
The Change Up follows Chloe Mariano and Cody Jacobs.
Chloe is a journalism major who's dream is finally get assigned to write the coveted feature for the university newspaper. However in a surprise twist of fate, she is assigned to cover the university's baseball team and to write an article about the coach. Completely out of her comfort zone of romance books and hours spent in the kitchen, Chloe finds herself thrust into a world that not only does she know little about but she is now forced to spend time and travel with Cody Jacobs.
Cody, team captain, pitcher, and campus playboy, is also the boy who broke her heart summers ago and who still plagues her thoughts and dreams. To make matters worst he is also best friends with her roommate and childhood friend. While Chloe thinks she's done a good job of putting up walls around her heart and keeping Cody at arms length with well shown disdain, Cody is determined to once and for all make things right between them. Little by little over the course of the season, Cody slowly proves, with the help of his teammates and friends, that he never forgot about her and has loved her from afar since the day she stepped back into his life.
Along with battling their feelings for each other, they each have their own demons both past and present to contend with as they find their way to self love, acceptance, and each other.
One of my favorite things about sports romance books is the comradery and banter amongst the friends and teammates. This series delivers so many laugh out loud moments as well as examples of true friendship.
So if you love sports romance this book and series is one you should definitely check out!!
⚾️ Baseball Romance
⚾️ Second Chance
⚾️ Forced Proximity
⚾️ Reformed Playboy
⚾️ Frenemies to Lovers
⚾️ Slow Burn
I have loved following Alexis's author journey! She is killing it with her debut series CTU Eagles. I loved book 1, The Late Hit and was so excited to get to read book 2.
The Change Up follows Chloe Mariano and Cody Jacobs.
Chloe is a journalism major who's dream is finally get assigned to write the coveted feature for the university newspaper. However in a surprise twist of fate, she is assigned to cover the university's baseball team and to write an article about the coach. Completely out of her comfort zone of romance books and hours spent in the kitchen, Chloe finds herself thrust into a world that not only does she know little about but she is now forced to spend time and travel with Cody Jacobs.
Cody, team captain, pitcher, and campus playboy, is also the boy who broke her heart summers ago and who still plagues her thoughts and dreams. To make matters worst he is also best friends with her roommate and childhood friend. While Chloe thinks she's done a good job of putting up walls around her heart and keeping Cody at arms length with well shown disdain, Cody is determined to once and for all make things right between them. Little by little over the course of the season, Cody slowly proves, with the help of his teammates and friends, that he never forgot about her and has loved her from afar since the day she stepped back into his life.
Along with battling their feelings for each other, they each have their own demons both past and present to contend with as they find their way to self love, acceptance, and each other.
One of my favorite things about sports romance books is the comradery and banter amongst the friends and teammates. This series delivers so many laugh out loud moments as well as examples of true friendship.
So if you love sports romance this book and series is one you should definitely check out!!
April 24, 2024
Will this second chance at love be a home run or a strike out?
Cody(MMC): pitcher, reformed playboy, brooding, only loves baseball and maybe his wildflower
Chloe (FMC): shy wallflower, hopeless romantic, loves baking pastries, wants to write flowery articles and read romance, can't stand broody baseball players or can she
What you can expect:
⚾️ Baseball Second Chance Romance
🪻Lovers to Frenemies to Lovers
⚾️ College Setting
🪻 Bookworm x Reformed Playboy
⚾️ Text Convos
🪻 Found family
⚾️ Team Shenanigans
🪻 Cooking & Baking
⚾️ Forced Proximity
🪻 Slow Burn with Groveling
⚾️ Backwards Hats
🪻 Pizza (with pineapple) and Movie Nights
Rating: 💐💐💐💐(4⭐️)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️(dirty talk, praise, 👅, public play, toys as teammates, sexting)
T/W: Alcohol consumption (on page), parent abandonment (in past), mental abuse by parent (on page), generational trauma (in past), cyber bullying (brief on page, not by MCs)
Cody and Chloe have a history and met before college. Fast forward to junior year, this is Chloe's year, she hopes to get assigned to writing flowery lifestyle pieces but unfortunately for her, fate has other plans. She gets assigned to cover the baseball team for the college newspaper and placed back in Cody's orbit.
The author does a great job of unfolding the romance by giving the readers flashbacks to the past while laying the ground work for a sweet and tad bit spicy second chance read.
I really enjoyed the baseball boys and hope we get to see more of them in future books .⚾️
I received an ARC copy and wanted to leave an honest review.
Cody(MMC): pitcher, reformed playboy, brooding, only loves baseball and maybe his wildflower
Chloe (FMC): shy wallflower, hopeless romantic, loves baking pastries, wants to write flowery articles and read romance, can't stand broody baseball players or can she
What you can expect:
⚾️ Baseball Second Chance Romance
🪻Lovers to Frenemies to Lovers
⚾️ College Setting
🪻 Bookworm x Reformed Playboy
⚾️ Text Convos
🪻 Found family
⚾️ Team Shenanigans
🪻 Cooking & Baking
⚾️ Forced Proximity
🪻 Slow Burn with Groveling
⚾️ Backwards Hats
🪻 Pizza (with pineapple) and Movie Nights
Rating: 💐💐💐💐(4⭐️)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️(dirty talk, praise, 👅, public play, toys as teammates, sexting)
T/W: Alcohol consumption (on page), parent abandonment (in past), mental abuse by parent (on page), generational trauma (in past), cyber bullying (brief on page, not by MCs)
Cody and Chloe have a history and met before college. Fast forward to junior year, this is Chloe's year, she hopes to get assigned to writing flowery lifestyle pieces but unfortunately for her, fate has other plans. She gets assigned to cover the baseball team for the college newspaper and placed back in Cody's orbit.
The author does a great job of unfolding the romance by giving the readers flashbacks to the past while laying the ground work for a sweet and tad bit spicy second chance read.
I really enjoyed the baseball boys and hope we get to see more of them in future books .⚾️
I received an ARC copy and wanted to leave an honest review.
April 25, 2024
The Change Up ⚾️ ARC Review
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
- baseball romance
- forced proximity
- found family
- slow burn 🔥
- second chance
I was so excited to get to read this ARC! I have loved baseball romance in the past and knew I needed to read this one! It was very well written and I really enjoyed it.
So many feelings reading Chloe & Cody’s story. The build up and tension was so worth it. I also loved getting a glimpse of the past from the main characters. I really loved the found family in this book. It made me want to read more about all of them.
Also I love that Chloe is a huge bookworm, so relatable. 🤭
#bookstagram #bookworm #bookishpost #booknerd
October 2, 2024
Cody and Chloe
3.5 STARS
“Two years ago was not your fault.”
I really did enjoy this book but after the initial of reading about how he’s hooking up with a girl with perfect tits—— and how Chloe is just watching and having her heart broken AGAIN—- it took a while to get that it of my head—-
ok so why when you saw her again did you not go right up to her and apologize???? No no instead you just slept around with all the girls bc they were a distraction!
Would have been a better book for me,had it not been for all the talk of the OW and them being a distraction when she was right in front of him always around bc of their friends but no he had to be stubborn and not apologize for what he did and how he treated her.
-Secret tattoo
- remembered her coffee order
- I do love this shit i eat it up and he did treat her with respect and love and that’s all that matters
3.5 STARS
“Two years ago was not your fault.”
I really did enjoy this book but after the initial of reading about how he’s hooking up with a girl with perfect tits—— and how Chloe is just watching and having her heart broken AGAIN—- it took a while to get that it of my head—-
ok so why when you saw her again did you not go right up to her and apologize???? No no instead you just slept around with all the girls bc they were a distraction!
Would have been a better book for me,had it not been for all the talk of the OW and them being a distraction when she was right in front of him always around bc of their friends but no he had to be stubborn and not apologize for what he did and how he treated her.
-Secret tattoo
- remembered her coffee order
- I do love this shit i eat it up and he did treat her with respect and love and that’s all that matters
April 26, 2024
The Change Up by Alexis Buxton is the third sports romance novel I have read and it is a standalone second book in the CTU Eagles series. I now can understand what the hype is about this trope, because I just love these kinds of stories. Who does not want to read about a handsome rugged sports guy, who is tough at his game but oh so protective of his loved ones and girlfriend?
In this book I can so relate to Chloe: she does not want any attention, wants not to be noticed and loves reading. I loved how Alexis Buxton told how Chloe liked books and you can tell the author likes to read as well (and when the book end she tells how she loves sports and reading, maybe she is/was a bit like Chloe?). Chloe loves Cody, the baseball captain, although from a distance and they have a mysterious history. But Cody has not forgotten her and when Chloe gets the assignment to write about the team and travel with them, they can not escape each other.
The Change Up is one of the greatest and beautiful heartfelt romance stories I have read in a long time. From the very first I was glued to the pages. The writing style is beautiful, flowing and there are such great romantic sentences in this book. The dual POV is fantastic. Alexis Buxton has written the thoughts and emotions of both Chloe and Cody really fantastic. You can just feel them. As the story progresses you get a glimpse into what happened all those years ago.
The Dad of Chloe and the Dad of Cody are so different, one is really lovable, the other one just wants to put his son down and sometimes I really felt for Cody. His teammates are great characters as well and I really hope some of them will get a story of their own, because they deserve that, and I would so love to read those stories.
As I do not know much about baseball it was a great joy to read how Alexis Buxton wrote about this sport so I totally could understand. While reading you could feel the atmosphere in the stadiums and what all the guys have to do for keeping in shape.
This book is filled with humor, tension, heartbreak, friendship and romance. Halfway through the book I thought where the story would go as Cody and Chloe were friends (or maybe something more) again, but the second half was just great to read as well. Some things came unexpected and that made that I kept on reading.
As said, this book has made me a lover of sports romance novels. Those books are romance novels with likable characters and with great story-lines. I just love this book and I definitely will read the first book in this series and everything Alexis Buxton will write in the future. I am a great fan!
This book comes highly recommended for those readers who want to read a great romance story, with a good story-line and plot, with wonderful and natural characters who just leap of the pages, and with a beautiful flowing writing style. I can’t wait to read more sports romance novels! They have become one of my favorite books after reading The Change Up!
In this book I can so relate to Chloe: she does not want any attention, wants not to be noticed and loves reading. I loved how Alexis Buxton told how Chloe liked books and you can tell the author likes to read as well (and when the book end she tells how she loves sports and reading, maybe she is/was a bit like Chloe?). Chloe loves Cody, the baseball captain, although from a distance and they have a mysterious history. But Cody has not forgotten her and when Chloe gets the assignment to write about the team and travel with them, they can not escape each other.
The Change Up is one of the greatest and beautiful heartfelt romance stories I have read in a long time. From the very first I was glued to the pages. The writing style is beautiful, flowing and there are such great romantic sentences in this book. The dual POV is fantastic. Alexis Buxton has written the thoughts and emotions of both Chloe and Cody really fantastic. You can just feel them. As the story progresses you get a glimpse into what happened all those years ago.
The Dad of Chloe and the Dad of Cody are so different, one is really lovable, the other one just wants to put his son down and sometimes I really felt for Cody. His teammates are great characters as well and I really hope some of them will get a story of their own, because they deserve that, and I would so love to read those stories.
As I do not know much about baseball it was a great joy to read how Alexis Buxton wrote about this sport so I totally could understand. While reading you could feel the atmosphere in the stadiums and what all the guys have to do for keeping in shape.
This book is filled with humor, tension, heartbreak, friendship and romance. Halfway through the book I thought where the story would go as Cody and Chloe were friends (or maybe something more) again, but the second half was just great to read as well. Some things came unexpected and that made that I kept on reading.
As said, this book has made me a lover of sports romance novels. Those books are romance novels with likable characters and with great story-lines. I just love this book and I definitely will read the first book in this series and everything Alexis Buxton will write in the future. I am a great fan!
This book comes highly recommended for those readers who want to read a great romance story, with a good story-line and plot, with wonderful and natural characters who just leap of the pages, and with a beautiful flowing writing style. I can’t wait to read more sports romance novels! They have become one of my favorite books after reading The Change Up!
April 26, 2024
⭐️5
🌶️3
What to expect:
⚾️ Reformed Player x Bookworm
⚾️Forced Proximity
⚾️Slow Burn
⚾️Frenemies-to-Lovers
⚾️College Baseball
⚾️Found Family
⚾️Angst, Tension, Spice
Review:
I completely adored The Change Up!! The angst, tension, found family, and baseball on top of all of it was perfect! Chloe and Cody were so relatable for me with their past family trauma that cause a lot of feelings of abandonment, insecurities, and the feeling like they weren’t good enough. Chloe is more reserved and a bookworm who prefers to keep to herself. She was so sweet and kind and brought a lot of happiness to everyone around her and I would protect her with my life! Cody had a lot of good intentions who maybe didn’t always make the best decisions, but you could see the love he had for Chloe, his team and his sister. The way he remembered everything about Chloe, kept a reminder of when they met, and made sure she always had her favorite coffee in the morning was everything for me!
Alexis did so well building the tension between the two, I squealed when they both finally gave each other a chance. The way Cody could switch from saying the sweetest things to the dirtiest…just yes!! I love that we got to see their relationship build slowly and organically. And of course, I always love when characters help each other heal!
One of my favorite parts was the friend group/found family. I loved all of the characters, especially Ty, Hudson, and Niko not just with how they helped Cody figure himself out, but how they also protected and supported Chloe when Cody messed up. Men written by women really are everything!! I can’t wait to learn more about the rest of the characters in The Change Up in future the CTU Eagles series. Thank you Alexis for allowing me to receive an ARC and provide my honest review.
Memorable quotes:
“The dark brown-haired boy with hazel colored eyes is the sun, and I’m the flower stretching to get a hint of its rays.”
“You, me, us, it’s been a long time coming, and now that I have you back, I want you. Your mind, your heart, your body, all of it, but you set the pace.”
“I’m available anytime you want to get off. I promise I can do it better than your toy.”
“You are enough. You are more than enough, Wildflower.”
“I’ll always be here, and I always want you around, but not at the expense of losing who you are.”
🌶️3
What to expect:
⚾️ Reformed Player x Bookworm
⚾️Forced Proximity
⚾️Slow Burn
⚾️Frenemies-to-Lovers
⚾️College Baseball
⚾️Found Family
⚾️Angst, Tension, Spice
Review:
I completely adored The Change Up!! The angst, tension, found family, and baseball on top of all of it was perfect! Chloe and Cody were so relatable for me with their past family trauma that cause a lot of feelings of abandonment, insecurities, and the feeling like they weren’t good enough. Chloe is more reserved and a bookworm who prefers to keep to herself. She was so sweet and kind and brought a lot of happiness to everyone around her and I would protect her with my life! Cody had a lot of good intentions who maybe didn’t always make the best decisions, but you could see the love he had for Chloe, his team and his sister. The way he remembered everything about Chloe, kept a reminder of when they met, and made sure she always had her favorite coffee in the morning was everything for me!
Alexis did so well building the tension between the two, I squealed when they both finally gave each other a chance. The way Cody could switch from saying the sweetest things to the dirtiest…just yes!! I love that we got to see their relationship build slowly and organically. And of course, I always love when characters help each other heal!
One of my favorite parts was the friend group/found family. I loved all of the characters, especially Ty, Hudson, and Niko not just with how they helped Cody figure himself out, but how they also protected and supported Chloe when Cody messed up. Men written by women really are everything!! I can’t wait to learn more about the rest of the characters in The Change Up in future the CTU Eagles series. Thank you Alexis for allowing me to receive an ARC and provide my honest review.
Memorable quotes:
“The dark brown-haired boy with hazel colored eyes is the sun, and I’m the flower stretching to get a hint of its rays.”
“You, me, us, it’s been a long time coming, and now that I have you back, I want you. Your mind, your heart, your body, all of it, but you set the pace.”
“I’m available anytime you want to get off. I promise I can do it better than your toy.”
“You are enough. You are more than enough, Wildflower.”
“I’ll always be here, and I always want you around, but not at the expense of losing who you are.”
May 6, 2024
“There’s no way I picture my future, and it doesn’t have you in it. You’re my sun. My world orbits around you. You’re my best friend and the person I want in my corner. You’re the person I want in the stands cheering for me.“
I was so excited to dive back into the world of CTU, and with baseball season here I loved that we would be getting Cody and Chloe’s story! I have been anticipating this couple since the Late Hit and it did not disappoint. Did I love the idea of Cody being into Brynn in book 1? Yeah it made the book fun and interesting, But am I happy he found his true love with Chloe? Hell Yeah!
Chloe is the girl next story who loves romance novels and baking. She struggles with not feeling like she is good enough and it doesn’t help that her and Cody have a murky past. Cody is the star pitcher for CTU’s baseball team, he is a lovable playboy and the life of the party. No one knows his past includes mental and emotional abuse. When they are thrust together when she is assigned to cover the baseball team for the CTU newspaper their past together is unearthed along with their past scars of childhood.
I loved watching their second chance grow into a healthy, vulnerable and loving relationship. With the story switching between past and present you really get to understand why it took so long for them to get where they are by the end of the book. Did I want to throttle Cody a time or two? Yes, yes I did lol but it all worked out in the end!
@author_alexisbuxton does an amazing job making her couples believable with their chemistry! I loved being back with the CTU gang and can’t wait to see more of them fall in love 💙♥️
P.S. Also if you are like me and go feral for a man who gets a tattoo for the girl, then you will LOVE Cody lol
I was so excited to dive back into the world of CTU, and with baseball season here I loved that we would be getting Cody and Chloe’s story! I have been anticipating this couple since the Late Hit and it did not disappoint. Did I love the idea of Cody being into Brynn in book 1? Yeah it made the book fun and interesting, But am I happy he found his true love with Chloe? Hell Yeah!
Chloe is the girl next story who loves romance novels and baking. She struggles with not feeling like she is good enough and it doesn’t help that her and Cody have a murky past. Cody is the star pitcher for CTU’s baseball team, he is a lovable playboy and the life of the party. No one knows his past includes mental and emotional abuse. When they are thrust together when she is assigned to cover the baseball team for the CTU newspaper their past together is unearthed along with their past scars of childhood.
I loved watching their second chance grow into a healthy, vulnerable and loving relationship. With the story switching between past and present you really get to understand why it took so long for them to get where they are by the end of the book. Did I want to throttle Cody a time or two? Yes, yes I did lol but it all worked out in the end!
@author_alexisbuxton does an amazing job making her couples believable with their chemistry! I loved being back with the CTU gang and can’t wait to see more of them fall in love 💙♥️
P.S. Also if you are like me and go feral for a man who gets a tattoo for the girl, then you will LOVE Cody lol
May 8, 2024
Arc Review!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️
First of all, thank you to Alexis Buxton for allowing me the chance to be an arc reader for The Change up!! I will definitely be reading more from her!!
The Change Up is one of my top favourites so far!! The story, the plot, the banter, the spice! It’s all perfect!! I truly feel that the author brought Cody and Chloe’s story to life! I’ve never been one to gravitate towards a sports romance before but when I seen the tropes I thought “why not” and let me tell ya, it did not disappoint!!
Chloe:
- a tried and true spicy romance reader📚
- a baker 🥖
- a journalist ✍️
- knows what she wants💪🏼
Chloe Mariano is someone who never felt like enough in life. Always a wallflower who stuck close to those she trusted and loved. She’s an avid reader and baker who works hard in her studies and takes pride in the things she cares about. Her life is on track… that is until she is assigned to feature the coach of CTU Eagles baseball team! Following the team to away games and now being highly involved in college baseball.. what could go wrong?
Cody:
- captain of CTU Eagles 🧢
- loves baseball ⚾️
- has parent drama 💔
Cody Jacobs has always done everything and anything to be his best when it comes to baseball! He works hard and keeps his friends close! With having a helicopter father always trying to tear him down, he wanted to be as far from him as possible but that doesn’t stop his father. Now being a junior at CTU and captain of the baseball team, and parental drama, Cody keeps his main focus on baseball always! The coach announced that there is someone from the newspaper crew assigned to the team for the season.. big deal. That is until he sees it’s her!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️
First of all, thank you to Alexis Buxton for allowing me the chance to be an arc reader for The Change up!! I will definitely be reading more from her!!
The Change Up is one of my top favourites so far!! The story, the plot, the banter, the spice! It’s all perfect!! I truly feel that the author brought Cody and Chloe’s story to life! I’ve never been one to gravitate towards a sports romance before but when I seen the tropes I thought “why not” and let me tell ya, it did not disappoint!!
Chloe:
- a tried and true spicy romance reader📚
- a baker 🥖
- a journalist ✍️
- knows what she wants💪🏼
Chloe Mariano is someone who never felt like enough in life. Always a wallflower who stuck close to those she trusted and loved. She’s an avid reader and baker who works hard in her studies and takes pride in the things she cares about. Her life is on track… that is until she is assigned to feature the coach of CTU Eagles baseball team! Following the team to away games and now being highly involved in college baseball.. what could go wrong?
Cody:
- captain of CTU Eagles 🧢
- loves baseball ⚾️
- has parent drama 💔
Cody Jacobs has always done everything and anything to be his best when it comes to baseball! He works hard and keeps his friends close! With having a helicopter father always trying to tear him down, he wanted to be as far from him as possible but that doesn’t stop his father. Now being a junior at CTU and captain of the baseball team, and parental drama, Cody keeps his main focus on baseball always! The coach announced that there is someone from the newspaper crew assigned to the team for the season.. big deal. That is until he sees it’s her!
April 26, 2024
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐔𝐩
eARC Review//
Published 4.26!
I don’t know what it is, but Alexis’s writing is captivating and addicting. I knew I was going to love Cody & Chloe from the very first mention of them in The Late Hit & their story was well worth the wait, it absolutely did not disappoint!
Cody Jacobs one love is baseball, what happens when the girl he has unresolved history with, an aspiring journalist is assigned to cover his university baseball team. This story has brilliant character growth and OMG Cody is such a swoon worthy MMC who constantly prioritizes Chloe and makes sure she never feels forgotten (there’s a secret tattoo) and always special! The Change Up is such a cute, easy to read book that had me smiling the whole way through, and I cannot wait to continue the series!
This book delivered alll the feels. It was full of banter, angst, and tension, but also lots of emotion & romance. From the start, I was hooked! Such a wonderful love story to enjoy that I devoured it so fast! Their friend group turned family along with their own family struggles and career aspects combined with the sweet, spicy, found family, frenemies-to-lovers, college baseball romance was amazing and beautifully written.
This entire series is one of my all time favorite sports romance series! I love mulit-sport, friend group interconnected stand alone series, and the CTU Eagles are one of my all time favorites! Thank you Alexis so much for the ARC!
Tropes:
⚾️Reformed Player x Bookworm
⚾️Forced Proximity
⚾️Slow Burn
⚾️Frenemies-to-Lovers
⚾️College Baseball
⚾️Found Family
⚾️Angst, Tension, Spice
Read today: https://a.co/d/aSVa2jj
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 || 🌶️🌶️.5
eARC Review//
Published 4.26!
I don’t know what it is, but Alexis’s writing is captivating and addicting. I knew I was going to love Cody & Chloe from the very first mention of them in The Late Hit & their story was well worth the wait, it absolutely did not disappoint!
Cody Jacobs one love is baseball, what happens when the girl he has unresolved history with, an aspiring journalist is assigned to cover his university baseball team. This story has brilliant character growth and OMG Cody is such a swoon worthy MMC who constantly prioritizes Chloe and makes sure she never feels forgotten (there’s a secret tattoo) and always special! The Change Up is such a cute, easy to read book that had me smiling the whole way through, and I cannot wait to continue the series!
This book delivered alll the feels. It was full of banter, angst, and tension, but also lots of emotion & romance. From the start, I was hooked! Such a wonderful love story to enjoy that I devoured it so fast! Their friend group turned family along with their own family struggles and career aspects combined with the sweet, spicy, found family, frenemies-to-lovers, college baseball romance was amazing and beautifully written.
This entire series is one of my all time favorite sports romance series! I love mulit-sport, friend group interconnected stand alone series, and the CTU Eagles are one of my all time favorites! Thank you Alexis so much for the ARC!
Tropes:
⚾️Reformed Player x Bookworm
⚾️Forced Proximity
⚾️Slow Burn
⚾️Frenemies-to-Lovers
⚾️College Baseball
⚾️Found Family
⚾️Angst, Tension, Spice
Read today: https://a.co/d/aSVa2jj
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 || 🌶️🌶️.5
April 26, 2024
This book!!! The cuteness, the way it makes your heart sing, the way it absolutely crushes you for a minute, so perfect! Cody and Chloe have that just right blend of heat, hate you vibes, sweet little gestures, and total understanding in a romance that has you absolutely melting.
Chloe has goals this year and really making her mark at the school newspaper is one of them. She just hadn’t planned on that goal leading to her reporting on the baseball team’s season. Now she’s traveling with the team, attending all the games, interviewing the coach, and avoiding Cody Jacobs. Starting pitcher, charming playboy, and a guy she can’t stand. As the season progresses their drawn together but their pasts are risking their futures, and they have to find a way to work through vulnerabilities, insecurities, and find their strengths, finding the courage to embrace second chances and trust.
I adored this read! Cody is a fabulous blend of confidence and vulnerability, possessive jerk and total cinnamon roll, the little things he does for Chloe, the things he remembers about her, so perfect! And Chloe she’s quiet strength, open insecurities, and a truly likeable and relatable character. I love the way this book is written, the flow of it, the way that past and present collide on multiple fronts, and how much healing happens for both Chloe and Cody. Definitely all about moving forward it’s a really fantastic read that you finish feeling completely satisfied with.
Chloe has goals this year and really making her mark at the school newspaper is one of them. She just hadn’t planned on that goal leading to her reporting on the baseball team’s season. Now she’s traveling with the team, attending all the games, interviewing the coach, and avoiding Cody Jacobs. Starting pitcher, charming playboy, and a guy she can’t stand. As the season progresses their drawn together but their pasts are risking their futures, and they have to find a way to work through vulnerabilities, insecurities, and find their strengths, finding the courage to embrace second chances and trust.
I adored this read! Cody is a fabulous blend of confidence and vulnerability, possessive jerk and total cinnamon roll, the little things he does for Chloe, the things he remembers about her, so perfect! And Chloe she’s quiet strength, open insecurities, and a truly likeable and relatable character. I love the way this book is written, the flow of it, the way that past and present collide on multiple fronts, and how much healing happens for both Chloe and Cody. Definitely all about moving forward it’s a really fantastic read that you finish feeling completely satisfied with.
April 20, 2024
Listen to me when I saw this with my whole chest: I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK. I have been highly anticipating this release from the moment Alexis announced it, and it lived up to my every expectation.
First things first Cody Jacobs has been claimed... by me and I'll hear no further discussion. This man just gripped me by the throat and didn't let go. He is sweet and thoughtful, and the mouth on him 🥵 Cue me fanning myself. ALSO a baseball player which is my weakness. It's safe to say he is the WHOLE package. Chloe is quiet and cute. She is a bookworm, and loves to get lost in cooking.
These two just melted my entire heart. I loved all the sweet moments between them, and the support they shared for one another. I adored them together, and could not get enough of the little moments.
I also loved my girl Brynn and Q popping up in this one as well as Macey and Greg. It's so fun to get little glimpses of everyone growing in their relationship and lives. The baseball team was also so fun! I am crossing my fingers that we get a little more of them in future books!
The epilogue was deliciously spicy. I loved every single minute of it.
Read if you like
⚾️ Baseball
⚾️ Frenemies to Lovers
⚾️ Forced Proximity
⚾️ Reformed Playboy x Bookworm
⚾️ Slow Burn w/ tension
⚾️ Found Family
First things first Cody Jacobs has been claimed... by me and I'll hear no further discussion. This man just gripped me by the throat and didn't let go. He is sweet and thoughtful, and the mouth on him 🥵 Cue me fanning myself. ALSO a baseball player which is my weakness. It's safe to say he is the WHOLE package. Chloe is quiet and cute. She is a bookworm, and loves to get lost in cooking.
These two just melted my entire heart. I loved all the sweet moments between them, and the support they shared for one another. I adored them together, and could not get enough of the little moments.
I also loved my girl Brynn and Q popping up in this one as well as Macey and Greg. It's so fun to get little glimpses of everyone growing in their relationship and lives. The baseball team was also so fun! I am crossing my fingers that we get a little more of them in future books!
The epilogue was deliciously spicy. I loved every single minute of it.
Read if you like
⚾️ Baseball
⚾️ Frenemies to Lovers
⚾️ Forced Proximity
⚾️ Reformed Playboy x Bookworm
⚾️ Slow Burn w/ tension
⚾️ Found Family
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