All or Nothing: A Friends to Lovers Baseball Romance

Denver Bandits Baseball #2

by Lo Everett, Caitlin Lengerich (editor)

I’m not supposed to fall for my best friend. But fate has a funny way of knowing exactly what we need.

For the past three years, Delilah Tate has been the only thing aside from baseball that has saved me from my grief. She’s the equivalent of the warm sun filtering through the clouds on the coldest days. She thaws and heals the parts of me that are broken. My brother has been the driving reason behind all my hard work on and off the baseball diamond. But now I have one more reason to fulfill all my promises to him.

Be the man she deserves.

Cruz Tellez might think that I’m the one who saved him, but he was there during the worst moments of my life, too.

My best friend has always been a flirt, but I can’t get him out of my head now that he's stepped up his game. He’s even invaded my dreams, and I’m not sure how I’ll ever face him again after one that was extra steamy. A dream where he sported a filthy mouth, making me question everything I know about what I want in and out of the bedroom. And it’s terrifying.

But I’m not sure I can fight it anymore. Giving in would be so easy.

Genres: Sports Romance, Romance, Friends To Lovers, Baseball, Sports, He Falls First, Ebooks

370 pages, Paperback

First published December 14, 2023

About the author

Hey! I'm Lo. As an avid reader I love contemporary romance with a side of humor. That's what you'll find in my books. I live for quirky characters that make you fall in love with them and equally intriguing secondary characters.

I sat down to write my first book because I was dying for more sports romance after devouring everything out there.

If I am not writing, you can find me watching my kids play sports, hiking with my girlfriends, or on vacation to a new place.

Reviews

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️‍🔥 I LOVED THIS ONE! ❤️‍🔥

📖 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐨 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭

“𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴, 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘢.”

I was beyond excited to read Lilah and Cruz's story after getting glimpses of their relationship in 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒆. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes to read. There is just something about the deep connection between two besties that naturally evolves into something more. The spice also always knocks me out! This book did not disappoint in any way!

I was not prepared for my heart to be completely wrecked by Cruz’s backstory. Seriously, I bawled my eyes out. Lilah came into his life right when he needed her most and it just makes their story that much more special.

I adored Lilah. After her boyfriend cheated on her she was devastated. Everything she saw in her future was changed but Cruz helped her see how remarkable she was.

“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘥. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨.”

When the spice hit, Cruz went from Golden Retriever to German Shepherd REAL quick. I freaking LOVED it. 😮‍💨❤️‍🔥

“𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘩. 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥.”

You’re going to need tissues while reading this book and that’s okay! Lo is going to put you through an emotional ringer but Cruz and Lilah’s love story is worth it!

If you love sweet and spicy besties to lovers stories with a down bad baseball star, go add 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐨 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭, to your TBR today!

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
⚾️ 𝘗𝘳𝘰 𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭
🤭 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
💔 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘉𝘰𝘺
🫶🏼 𝘔𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨
🔥 𝘏𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵
💞 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨
💋 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘒𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴
❤️‍🔥 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘪𝘪𝘪𝘪𝘤𝘺

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bandits are back .. Delilah and Cruz are WOOOOH. You get all the details and SO JUICY. I just love the entire found family concept of this story.

I received this ARC for an honest review!

[Jill (readinginpjs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎧 audio reread 11/6
___
I KNEW I was going to love this one after reading the first book in the series, and it did NOT disappoint! 😍

📖 All or Nothing
📝 Lo Everett
🗓️ 12/14/2023
⚾️ sports romance
📱 read on kindle
📚 book 2 • Denver Bandits Baseball series

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

💭 overall thoughts:
Friends to lovers is my jam, I love how the friendship builds first + then the “in love” part.
Having Cruz fall first and be pining for Delilah was just the icing on the cake

I enjoyed the added elements outside of the romance, like trying to figure out what happened to Cruz’s brother Jarrett.

tropes + topics:
🫶🏼 best friends to lovers
⚾️ baseball player mmc
🧁 cafe owner fmc
🩵 he falls first
🔆 golden retriever mmc
❤️‍🩹 grief rep
💞 dual 1st person pov

✨ books with similar vibes:
♡ A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn (best friends to lovers, he falls first)

*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍 Email 🤍

[Kirsten | Bookish.kir · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Denver Bandits Baseball series, but can be read as standalone if you prefer (although I recommend the first book All On The Line as well).

I loved Poppy and Hendrix in All On The Line, but there is just something special about Cruz and Delilah.
Their relationship with one another is utterly perfect. They truly were friend's first and it showed in how much they cared for one another and were always there no matter what the other was going through.
This story not only navigates a friend’s to lovers relationship, but also touches on topics of heartbreak and grief as well as the struggles that continue after. This is definitely one of my top friends to lovers reads of 2023!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥

[Maddi Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked this! got this in a stuff your kindle day so i had no idea what to expect. i found the “mystery” element with cruz’s brother to be really interesting. the flashbacks were a nice way to give context for their biggest moments prior to the book starting but they did make their relationship seem extremely flirty and im not sure i was seeing them as best friends. i also think there was too much spice for my liking but that being said i loved their relationship! im a sucker for a good foundation of friendship and trust before getting into a relationship and that’s what these two had. i will say there wasnt like a “oh shit” moment or “fuck it moment” when they flipped their relationship to romantic. it felt like a “yeah i guess we’re just acknowledging this now” and it kind of confused me how easily they just switched it up.

[Brittnee Ennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one had us heading back to Denver with the Bandits. Just when I didn’t think Lo could make me love anyone more than I did Poppy & Hendrix - she gave us Cruz Tellez & his hermosa Delilah!

This was simply perfection in every way. I was laughing at time, crying over the sibling bond, and swooning over the smooth and dirty words that came out of Cruz’s mouth!

The friendship these two had just made their lives SO much sweeter. I loved every minute of this one and I just wanna say - can Betty please have her own short stories, I just LOVE her!

[Jamie Engel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book #2 in Lo’s Denver Bandits Baseball series and I like this one more than the first. Lo has really found her groove with her writing with this one.

This story follows Delilah and Cruz, who are best friends. Delilah is a baker and owner of Buns n’ Roses, who is struggling with trusting others after the ending of her last relationship. Cruz is a MLB player, who is still battling some grief over losing his younger brother. Cruz and Lilah are inseparable, where one goes the other follows. What Lilah does not know is that her bestie's love not only extends to her pastries but also to her. Cruz does not know what to do, until Lilah starts giving hints of feelings toward him.

The story has equals parts of funny and sad moments, as well as spicy moments. I think Lo did a wonderful job of using flashbacks to move the story forward and build a strong relationship foundation.
Cruz and Delilah are 100% made for each other and I could not get enough of their relationship. I love the time at which they came into each other’s lives and became each other’s support systems.
Cruz is such a cinnamon roll and I am absolutely here for it. He would truly do anything for Delilah and it was the sweetest. And the things that would come out of his mouth….phew. Lo def upped her spice in this one.

Overall: 4
Spice: 3

Thank you to Lo for the eARC. Cannot wait to see what you bring next in this series.

Tropes:
-Baseball player x Baker
-Best Friends to Lovers
-He falls first
-Cinnamon roll MMC
-Broken Boy
-Low Angst
-No 3rd Act

[Lauren Bridgeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing Can Stop Me From Raving About This Book 
4.5⭐️4 🌶️
    
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:    
Pro Baseball Romance    
Friends to Lovers 
He Falls First 
Broken Boy 
Dual POV 
Dual Timeline 
     
𝐕𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬:              
Cruz-Texas raised, Spanish-speaking, cinnamon roll baseball player. Just. Wow. Lo you crafted a fantastic MMC. Let’s not forget about Delilah-our spunky, reformed people pleaser, trendy Buns & Roses owner. Their best friendship was born from heartbreak and grew into a necessity. Thank goodness they finally took a chance on each other! My heart broke for Cruz in the third act. The tension and resolution were incredibly well done. I only had slight difficulty keeping up with the timeline switches.  
 
𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲! 
   
𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:         
When Cruz lost his brother to a questionable accident, his life went into a tailspin. In Denver, with his new team The Bandits, he hoped to find a fresh start while still seeking answers for his brother’s death. His saving grace - Delilah. What began as a flirtatious meet cute, turned into years being sidelined as her best friendship, and built into an overwhelming need to call her his. Will the timing finally be right to make his move or will the past keep him held hostage? 
 
After Delilah’s engagement imploded, she took a firm step back on any further romance. She’s stronger and more confident from the compliments and steady presence of her best friend - Cruz. He’s always been gorgeous, but even her subconscious is starting to tempt her to erase those boundaries of friendship and reach for something more. Will their friendship survive if they don’t work out? 
 
📣Thank you Lo for the ARC opportunity! I can’t wait for Calling It Safe - is it Dom or Dean’s story?!📣  

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

All or Nothing

Ugh the way I loved this book. Did Cruz just make it up to my top ten boyfriend list?!? I really think he did. This was friends to lovers done beautifully 😍 I absolutely loved these two. Delilah and Cruz had such a heartwarming relationship from the get go. You could just tell how much love they had for each other. The secret pining and constant reassurance from Cruz was UGH, sooo good. I had body chills for like 90% of the book. Jarretts story was so heartbreaking esp being an older sibling whose younger siblings is my best friends, phew it hit home! I couldn’t love this book enough and I can’t wait for next book.
If you love these tropes below, read this book!!
Friends to lovers
Caretaking ( from both MC AND FMC)
Pro baseball player/baker
Dirty talk
Secret pining
5/5⭐️
2.5/5🌶️

[nvl_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

All or Nothing by Lo Everett

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

All or Nothing is the second book in the Denver Bandits series and I’ve been waiting for this! It features FMC Deliah and MMC Cruz who were featured in All on the Line. They met at a restaurant after Cruz lost his brother and was traded to the Bandits. They have been BFFs for years and helped each other through the loss of his brother and her breakup with her fiancée. He has always been attracted to her but it wasn’t the right time. Now he is ready to show her how he really feels.

This friends to lovers romance is one of my favorites! I love the relationship between Deliah and Cruz and they are perfect for each other! The friendship, the chemistry, the love is off the charts! The author builds on the characters so you really get to know them and are invested in the outcome. If you haven’t read the Denver Bandits series by Lo Everett, what are you waiting for?! You won’t regret it!

[Kelsey (mama.reads.yyc) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second Lo Everett book, and it did not disappoint! I loved All On The Line, so I could not wait to hear Cruz and Delilahs story! Everything about this book was so good. You have sports romance, you have tragedy, friends to lovers. You have banter, romance, and spice. It was just an overall good read.

I wasn't a huge fan of the back and forth from past to present, and his and her stories, it got to be too much for me. But it wasn't enough to make me want to stop. The story of Delilah and Cruz is just so heartwarming. The ending did it for me! I definitely recommend this one..

Thank you again, Lo, for the ARC of this one!

[Nicole (NicoleIsBooked) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading book one, I couldn't wait to read Cruz and Lilah's love story. I'm such a sucker for best friends to lovers. I appreciated that they spent so many years together as friends while healing from their past traumas. They took time and didn't jump into things. I love how Cruz treated Lilah. He was so sweet to her, and I loved that he has always shown up for her over the years. I loved everything about this story!

[Kristie Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

So happy to get Delilah and Cruz's story in this one! Best friends to lovers has never been so sweet. This one is full of heartbreaking loss, but also love and support, as Cruz and Delilah help put each other back together. Life keeps happening, and after a scary incident and a lead on Cruz's brother's case, they both need to decide whether or not they're all in.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are back with the Denver Bandits and I got the pleasure of beta reading for the second book in the series as well.

This time following Cruz and Delilah. We got sneak peeks at their friendship throughout All On The Line and I couldn’t wait to have their full story in front of me. And Lo DID NOT disappoint with this one either.

Cruz and Lilah were 100% made for each other. They each came into each others lives at very difficult points and they supported each other and built the foundation to go from friends to lovers. When one fell down, the other was there to pick them up.

My thoughts:
•Nana Janet as always was iconic.
•Cruz calling her “mi sol” 🥹
•Dogs, so many dogs 😍

[Sav | SavtheBookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this wasn't one of the best, best friends to lovers I have read in a HOT MINUTE.

Delilah finds her fiancé in bed with her maid of honor one night and her best friend Cruz sees that she is not at his baseball game, which doesn't happen, so he runs to find her and finds her in tears.

Later on, their relationship starts to bloom and they realize that maybe there could be something so much more than just being friends.... unfortunately Cruz has some grief he is dealing with and unanswered questions he is wanting to know. The suspense aspect of this book was kind of surprising to me but it was awesome and I loved it!

Cruz is the most perfect book boyfriend you could possibly have and I loved every minute of this book.

5/5 stars
2/5 spice

[Carolina]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Unfortunately, All or Nothing was not the book for me.

At a surface level, I liked the dynamic between Cruz and Delilah. Even everyone in their group sounded amazing, and I might look into book 3 once it releases to learn about one of the womanizers being tamed.

Firtsly, I'll mention the things I liked:
You can tell the author has a true dedication for the sport of baseball. Even though I know virtually nothing about the sport, it was interesting to learn a bit about how it works.
Research has been done when it matters, such as timings, schedules, and injuries, which I value a lot.
Cruz and Delilah are open with each other when it comes to the bedroom, it's refreshing to read how people communicate about their wants and needs with openess.
I felt comfort whenever they had dates. Seeing them interact one on one was lovely, especially because there are puppies involved, and that always melts my black little heart.

Where things didn't work out for me:
Outside of the bedroom, Cruz and Delilah have minor miscommunications when it comes to their feelings that reminds me of teen love.
The flashbacks were often uneccessary in lenght and in frequency. I caught myself sighing in frustration at another flashback of a story we had already established in passing, and did not need to be there (eg. the first time Cruz and Delilah met). It often broke the rythm of everything going on in the present.
Setting the flashbacks aside, the pacing felt off. From the time they first express internally some interest in each other, to the time they sleep together for the first time, it feels awkward. I would've like to see them hang out more, build that tension in more scenes, instead of having flashbacks to establish their already established friendship.
Lastly, some pieces of this felt repetitive when it comes to expressions, imagery, and internal dialogue.

To this, I want to add my total respect to the author for putting their work out there to be critiqued. And I want to say that I'm happy for everyone else who liked it, I won't yuck or yum, I do tend to like books no one else tolerates lmao

[Sariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice 🌶️🌶️.5

Tropes
⚾️Pro Baseball Romance
☕️Best Friends To Lovers
⚾️He Falls First
☕️Boy Obsessed
⚾️Broken Boy
☕️Dual Timeline

Excuse me while I CRY!!!! I love these two so much. The Dynamic between Cruz and Delilah is so beautiful.
The absolute beautiful friendship that turned into the most genuine and loving lovers. Please they are so cute!!!

And don’t get me started on how incredibly perfect they are together, actual soulmates🥹

Not Delilah learning Spanish for Cruz.
Knowing him inside and out.
Learning how to cook his favorite food.
Speaking his comfort language by one single look.

Cruz with the Spanish nicknames.
And the dirty but loving mouth
And the forehead kisses
And the forehead to forehead conversations
And the puppies when Delilah is sad

Someone give me cpr because these two have my heart.

[SportsRomanceReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not your average friends to lover book. The story follows the friendship of Delilah and Cruz as they navigate some pretty tough life events. Cruz starts to fall for Delilah while she is still in a relationship. When Delilah’s relationship falls apart Cruz is there to support her as she recovers. Soon Delilah starts to have feelings but is too afraid to take the leap.

This a lovely story about two people who keep showing up for each other. Their love grows from a beautiful friendship. They both help each other grown and recover. If that is Delilah is beautiful, emotional and filled with angst.

Please check triggers on this book. There are themes around cheating, death of a love one (on the page), grief, and drugging.

[Trine ||| danereadingromance · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We both have a lot to lose here. But the thing is, we both have even more to gain. Don’t write us off before we even get started.”

Immediate thoughts:
Completely obsessed with Cruz, and enjoyed everything about this one.
A very nicely done friends to lovers romance.
Sweet, emotional, funny, and spicy - plus some mystery and very cool flashbacks.

Tropes:
Baseball player x baker, best friends to lovers, he falls first, cinnamon roll MMC, low angst, no third act breakup, broken boy.

ARC review:
A wonderful sports romance with emotional depth, sizzling chemistry, humor and the most amazing characters. This was friends to lovers done right! Their relationship developed gradually, with Cruz always wanting Delilah, but since the timing wasn’t right, they became best friends instead. Until circumstances changes and Cruz slowly eases Delilah into the idea of more. When they become more, they are both all in - of course there is obstacles, but they had such a strong friendship beforehand, that the relationship seems completely natural and they just fit together.

I loved the flashbacks and the use of them throughout - it gave a view into the characters individually and how they became friends prior to the start of the book. It showed the development of their relationship beautifully and added some emotional depth to the characters.

The MMC, Cruz, is so damn swoony! He is a professional baseball player for the Denver Bandits, and quickly became friends with Delilah after he moved to Denver. He is a cinnamon roll, a protector, a good guy through and through, but with a dirty mouth and the biggest heart ever. He also suffers from loosing his brother under mysterious circumstances, which has given him some emotional scars. Delilah knows all about it, and is his biggest rock, and can calm him down when his anxiety hits.

The FMC, Delilah, is a fun, feisty and sassy woman. She is a baker and owns her own café/bakery. She was in a relationship (engaged) when she met Cruz, but after her fiancé cheating on her, she has been on her own. Cruz really helped her find her way back and heal from that, and it just solidified their friendship even more.

Their chemistry was so damn hot, and the spicy times were just great! The tension and built-up before was very cool, and totally fit the friends-setting. The friendship was very fun and easy, but with a very deep connection, that they managed to build onto with their romance. Their inside jokes, texts, banter, and the dates and events they went to together just had me smiling and laughing. The way they knew each other, almost better than they knew themselves, was enviable, and perfect. Also, the nicknames and Cruz' spanish accent and use of spanish words is just *chef's kiss*

There is a lot of great side characters; Cruz’ teammates, Delilah’s best friend and her coworkers at the bakery. Both of their families are also very supporting and loving. Overall, it is a very wholesome and sweet, but still spicy and emotional romance. And the mystery surrounding the death of Cruz’ brother just added another layer to the story and Cruz’ character.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 in the Denver Bandits series and it follows Cruz and Delilah. These two have been best friends for a few years, there has been obvious attraction between them, but both have had to go through some difficulty. Cruz has been grieving the loss of his younger brother and the unaswered questions surrounding his death. Delilah has been mourning the loss of her relationship after she found her fiance cheating on her with one of her bridesmaids. Cruz and Delilah were there for each other helping the other to heal. This book takes place 2 years later and Cruz is ready for something more with Delilah. But Delilah is afraid that if a relationship doesn't work out, she will lose her best friend.

I really loved this book. The way these two supported each other was so sweet, I really could believe that these two were best friends and I loved that aspect of their relationship. Even when they were more than friends, they still maintained the friendship. Cruz, was just the most cinnamon roll MMC I have read in a while. He was so in love with Delilah, it is really amazing that she was blind to it. He said the sweetest things to her, he called her Hermosa 🫠🫠. Then this sweet man would turn it so filthy and I just loved that too. I loved the baseball, I really need to add more baseball romances into my TBR. I loved that Lo would throw in a flashback every few chapters, which just gave you more of their friendship and how it built to where they were now.

I also loved the talk of grief in this book. How grief can hit you in the smallest ways, like hearing a song, and how it stays with you everyday. It was such an honest portrayal. I also like the little bit of mystery this book gave us, Cruz was trying to get answers as to what happened to his brother, it added such a great element to the story.

If you love best friends to lovers, baseball romance, a cinnamon roll mmc, and some spice then you need to read this book!

[Ginger_BrownieReads “Michelle aka Chely” · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴

I have been looking forward to this book since pretty early on in 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘖𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘦 because Lo teased us so bad with all the snips of Cruz and Delilah. You knew it was going to be 2 things: 𝒉𝒐𝒕 and a very 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝. She sure as heck delivered.
Cruz and Lilah’s story is absolutely the cutest!

These two have been best friends for years and have been in each others life’s through some hard times leading to trauma. Cruz dealing with the death of his brother and Lilah with the end of the relationship to her fiance. This here was crazy and had me cussing that man (her ex) out and her bridesmaid too!
Anyway, Cruz respects her boundaries for years until they slowly start blurring the lines and discovering each other in a new light but never losing sight of their beautiful friendship. Cruz is a total sweetheart and the PET NAMES! Omg I was so here for them. I loved that Lo brought in his Spanish culture in so many areas and it was done accurately.

This is a 4 star for me because I did feel like the pace of the story was a little off for me with not much happening at times The spice was great and I loved the evolution of it from book 1 to book 2 and there was ALOT more in book 2 however, I didn’t feel it to be very natural if that makes sense. I hope it does.

Overall I love the direction the series is going in and cant wait for the next book!

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:

🥮 Friends to Lovers
🥮 Sport Romance (Baseball)
🥮 He Falls First
🥮 Swoony Nicknames
🥮 Broken Boy

“I don’t ever want to be the guy that makes her question whether she’s worth showing up for her”

“That’s how you get the power back. Suck it right out of him.”

“What would I do without you? For years, you’ve been the unfailing light that guides me from my darkness.”

“I will always be your safe space, Mi Sol.”


Thank you to Lo Everett who provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[adagetsliterary · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ ARC Review

I love a good best friends-to-lovers romance and this delivered. Cruz and Delilah were so beautifully done with great chemistry, fun banter, amazing spice, and a great example of communication.

✨ Best Friends to Lovers
✨ Pro baseball player x cafe owner
✨ Cinnamon Roll MMC
✨ Grief rep

I was intrigued about Cruz and Delila’s story from the first time we met them in Lo’s debut. I loved that this book followed a similar timeline to the first in the series and we got to relive some of the scenes from the Cruz/Delilah viewpoint.

Delilah is such a strong heroine. She is finding herself and her happiness again after the traumatic breakup with her fiancee and has a solid friendship and support system in Cruz. I loved that she was so careful with her heart but willingly gave it to Cruz in pieces over the last few years. It’s clear the two are best friends to their core and I loved how both of them realized they ultimately wanted more.

Cruz is a dirty talking cinnamon roll of an MMC - sweet on Delilah from the beginning but he pushed down his feelings so that he could give her what she needed: friendship. When he finally started to give in to his feelings again, the tension and dynamic between them was burning off the page. It was so fun to read - the two would do anything for each other and were so careful to not ruin the one good thing in both of their lives.

There was also some great rep on grief through Cruz, who was still dealing with the death of his brother before the series began. As that story wrapped up, Criz and Delilah’s newly formed relationship was tested and I loved how they both had to come to terms with what that meant. They communicated and made mistakes but ultimately this story was full of sweet moments and had me giddy.

Plus the SPICE. Cruz not only has a mouth but also speaks in Spanish and, I mean…

So excited for book 3 in the Denver Bandits!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I will always be your safe space, Mi Sol.”

✔️baseball romance
✔️best friends to lovers
✔️he falls first
✔️grief rep
✔️no 3rd act breakup

After reading the first book in the series (All on the Line) I really wanted to know more about Delilah and Cruz and their best friends (but kind of maybe more) relationship. I love friends to lovers, and this book delivered. While I enjoyed the first book, I definitely enjoyed this one more. Delilah and Cruz’s relationship was always right person, wrong time (but let’s become best friends instead), and the stars finally align for them to get their happily ever after. The tension and build up to their first time together is excellent and when they decide to take the leap together the result is electric.

I love that their story is more than the current timeline — we see what is happening in the present day (reflecting a lot of what was going on in the background of book one) as well as flashback chapters to important times throughout the years of their friendship. When Cruz and Delilah initially meet, she was in a serious long-term relationship and he just lost his brother under mysterious circumstances. We watch as Delilah leaves her cheating fiancé and Cruz struggles with his grief and not having closure. They have each other to lean on through their dark and difficult times, and are now both realizing that they are inevitable (though Cruz definitely came to that conclusion a few years before Delilah).

Though there are definitely heavy topics in this book, I feel that there is a good balance between the heartbreaking and heartwarming scenes. This is one of those couples that you know is going to be together for decades, there is no questioning the dedication they both have to their relationship and the friendship that is the basis for it all.

[Alyssa GSell · Rating 5 out of 5]

⚾️𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠⚾️

5⭐️

I absolutely love this book!

Cruz and Delilah are so amazing🫶🏻

These two are best friends. Cruz has had feelings for her from the very beginning but she was already dating someone and then she got engaged to him..

She ends up catching him cheating on her with one of her bridesmaids and obviously leaves him.

She is going through heartbreak and Cruz is at his game and noticed that she wasn’t in her seat so starts to worry, especially when she doesn’t pick up her phone or anything.

He ends up at her apartment and she tells him everything..

He is literally the best guy ever!

Cruz is dealing with grief from losing his little brother that also played baseball. If it wasn’t for Delilah he would not be where he is today…

You learn what happened to his brother and Cruz is still looking for the answer of who did it…..

He asks Delilah to go to a gala with him and after that he knows he needs to tell her how he feels because he can’t fight it anymore.

They don’t want to mess up their friendship because it means to much to them both.

Things get hot between them and they realize how amazing they are together.

He knows her better than she knows herself and all he wants to do it make her happy.

I absolutely love Cruz.
I love how sweet he is.
I love that he only says her nickname is Spanish.
I love that he brings out her kinky side.
I love how connected they are.
I love that she learned Spanish for him.
I love how close all the girls end up being.
I love for forehead kisses and the forehead to forehead moments🫠

“𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘩.”

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bandits are back!!

I didn't think Ms. Everett could top book 1, All on the Line, but Cruz & Delilah hit a home run. Cruz and Delilah are best friends, but what happens when they actually start to acknowledge that they might have more than friend feelings for each other? Will their friendship survive? Or will their pasts end things before they've even started?

Cruz (MMC): MLB player and Captain for the Denver Bandits, battling grief over losing his younger brother, loves dogs and Delilah, and has a weakness for sticky buns from Buns n’ Roses

Delilah (FMC): aka Lilah, baker and proprietor of Buns n’ Roses, struggling with finding herself and trusting others after a horrible relationship ends, enjoys watching baseball and Cruz in baseball pants, loves dogs and Cruz

Rating: ⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️.🥧 (4.25⭐️)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️(dirty talk, praise, toys as teammates, soft dom, 👅)
T/W: grief (on page), 💀 of sibling (in past, reference), cheating (not MCs, on page in past)

While this is a sports romance, the relationships between the MCs and their found family really is the main storyline. This is a best friends to lovers book with a touch of mystery. I loved seeing how Cruz and Delilah's relationship evolved and how they were each other's soft place to land. The author did a wonderful job of using flashbacks to move the story forward and build a strong relationship foundation. This book is spicy, swoon-worthy, and heartwarming. All or Nothing is a bases loaded, swing for the fences, hit it out of the park home run.
Tropes:
Best friends to Lovers
Baseball romance aka Baseball pants 🥵
No 3rd Act Breakup
Found Family
Low Angst
Puppies!!

I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading book 3 in the Bandits' series. I am crossing my fingers that it is about Mia and Dean, maybe a brother's teammate/grumpy-sunshine read. 🤞🏼

I submitted my application to Buns and Roses, fingers crossed I hear back soon.

I received a free copy and wanted to leave an honest review.

[Rachelle LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:

Delilah Tate owns a coffee shop and bakery. She caught her fiancé and best friend in bed together. Her business and other best friend, Cruz, is what saved her from going down a dark road.

Cruz is a professional baseball player for the Denver Bandits. He was traded from St. Louis to Denver after his brother and best friend who was on the St. Louis minor team died while in Miami with the team. Cruz met Delilah not long after he landed in Colorado and she helped pull him from a dark place. He is determined to get answers for his brother.


My thoughts:

One issue I have had with most Sports Romances that I have read is the main character is a professional athlete but there isn’t much else about the sport mentioned in the book. I like sport romances where we get actual time on the ice or field. In All or Nothing, there are senses from Cruz’s POV while in a game or Delilah’s POV from the stands. I loved that Everett actually included baseball time into the story.

All or Nothing has a smooth flow between Cruz and Delilah’s POVs. There is in the beginning flashbacks to past times once Delilah realizes she wants Cruz as more than a friend. The chapters clearly indicate whether it is the past or present and while I do think a whole chapter for the past was a bit much it didn’t change the flow of the story.

I was not surprised at who was responsible for his brother’s death nor the reason why. He was painted as a hothead who didn’t like people getting in his way.

Overall, I loved All or Nothing and it had everything I like in a sports romance. I honestly can’t wait for Dean and Dom’s stories and plan to read All on the Line (book 1) before Calling It Safe (book 3) releases.

Thank you Lo Everett for the complimentary copy of All or Nothing.

[Andrea M · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved them


“ You helped me find the light in all the darkness that cloaked me early on.”

My emotions were not safe during this read but it didn’t stop me from devouring this book. The journey that Cruz and Delilah go on isn’t easy but oh it was worth it.

“I will always be your safe space, Mi Sol.”

This book is mixed between the past and the present. I love that in the past we get to see how their friendship began and how they were able to lean each other during such difficult times. Delilah was healing from a broken relationship and Cruz was mourning the death of his younger brother.

“ If you let me, I’ll make you mine in every sense of the word, Mi Cielo.”

You see early on that Cruz was all in with her from the beginning but he was okay with friendship until she was ready for more. These characters had me swooning, cheering for them and laughing at loud with some of their antics. Delilah’s determination to win the three legged race had me cackling.

“ “Don’t you know by now? You’re my favorite daydream”

Cruz has never stopped looking into what happened to his brother and three years later, he is given the answers that he needed. I love that Delilah always knew what he needed and how these characters supported each other through it all.

“Don’t you dare let me go. There’s no place else I would rather be.”

I also enjoyed how this book tied into the first and we were given some different point of views for the events that go down. I’m so intrigued by the other men and I can’t WAIT for deans book to be realized.. while secretly hoping that Dom (the team jokester) will get his HEA as well.

[Menthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaking amazing!!! This story was so emotional & I was invested with my entire heart. Lo did such an amazing job depicting the pain that our characters were experiencing. I cried, I laughed, and I sighed in relief & swoon.

This story follows Delilah & Cruz - they have been best friends for years!! We get to see how that transforms into an epic love story, but we also get some timeline hopping to see WHAT hurt them.

So Cruz is our MMC, and he is our baseball star. He moved to Denver just after his baby brother died, and he met/ befriended Delilah nearly immediately. He is carrying so much grief and pain over the loss of his brother. There are so many unanswered questions. He doesn't feel that he is emotionally available for a relationship.

Delilah was cheated on by her fiancé. She literally catches them in the act, and he wasn't even remorseful. Like WTF! By the time this happens, she is already besties with Cruz.
So these two just become closer & end up being each other's other half.

I am really glad that the unanswered questions about Cruz's brother did get wrapped up at the end. I was so entralled in this book because of the underlying mystery - WHO DONE IT¿ I hated to put this down.

There were so many fun parts!!! The family day games & the three-legged race. Omg it's so funny.

Cruz was an amazing dirty talker & sweet Delilah was LIVING for it.

I loved their first official date in the park. It was sooo adorable!!! The dog walking, the tent, etc.

I loved the caretaker side of Delilah when Cruz got injured - she stepped up, took over, and cared for him.

I liked that Lilah learned Spanish for Cruz & his family.

This is so far, my favorite of the 3

[Ashley | AJBOOKADVENTURES · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5/5

Ahhhh okay, I have been so excited to read Cruz and Delilah's story since reading All On The Line, which is Poppy and Hendrix story. Going into this, I was a little worried that I would have had a lot of the couple's "moments" spoiled for me because a lot of them do happen during All On The Line. However, Lo proved me completely wrong!! I loved reading their story from their perspective and we got so many of their sweet moments.

This is a baseball romance at it's core, but you also get a taste of true crime and mystery as well as seeing a strong female main character who builds a life for herself! I loved the flashbacks that showed their relationship from the beginning, as well as gave us an understand of why the characters do things the way that they do. Cruz's grief is very well written and I think that being able to see his relationship with his brother through the flashbacks is a crucial part of his character development. It also added another layer to the story rather than just telling us about these events that happened.

The slow burn of their relationship and how it felt when they finally gave in to their feelings.... *screams internally*. And of course the open door spice with plenty of praise truly adds to all of the emotion. My singular complaint is that we didn't get to see more of Cruz's healing journey and the amazing proposal that I KNOW he's going to plan. But hoping the rest of the boys are involved in it and Lo can sneak it in to the upcoming books.

5/5 stars, I can't wait to continue my journey in the Denver Bandits universe.

[Jenn Acidera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Genre: Sports Romance

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

What to expect:
⚾️Baseball Romance
⚾️Dual POV
⚾️Friends to lovers
⚾️He falls first
⚾️Found family
⚾️Latin MMC

Dedication:
To the readers that feel a little broken and the books that put them back together piece by jagged piece. It’s okay to not be whole.

Thoughts:
Ok, let’s start with that dedication 🤌🏽. So relatable and sweet. I really enjoy Lo’s writing and I just ate up this book. I loved Poppy and Hendrix, but I have such a soft spot for Delilah and Cruz because they are so relatable to me. They both have past trauma and really built each other up, first as friends and then as a couple. Delilah was cheated on by her ex-fiancé and Cruz was struggling with grief over losing his brother. I love a great friends to lovers and Lo did such a great job with Lilah and Cruz’ story. I also love seeing more Latin representation in books, so Cruz was everything. I loved that Cruz was such a great communicator, making sure Lilah always felt cherished and ensuring she felt comfortable with their relationship, especially since she is so scared of getting hurt again. So happy when they finally admitted their feelings for each other and gave each other the love they both deserved.


Memorable Quotes:
“If you let me, I’ll make you mine in every sense of the word, Mi Cielo.”

“I love you, Cruz. I’ve loved you broken, whole, and everywhere in between.”

“When I look at you, I see all your dreams, and my first thought isn’t the convenience of those dreams, it’s how I can help you achieve them.”