One moment can change everything. Owen Foster knows that better than most people. His life has been made up of these moments. The moment his mom died. The moment his grandfather took him to his first Red Sox game at Fenway Park. The moment he met Mia Romano. These moments defined him.
Mia Romano swore she’d never date someone like her high school boyfriend again. Never again was she going to be fooled by the popular, charming, sports obsessed athlete. So when Owen Foster, star pitcher for their college baseball team, sets his sights on her she does everything she can to let him know that she’s not interested. It only takes one night with him at a frat party to make her realize that she is. Owen isn’t anything like she thought he would be. He’s funny, kind and fully invested in getting her to fall for him. And she does…hard.
Soon they are both letting down their walls and letting each other in. They make plans. They talk about the future. With Owen coming up on an epic baseball season, one which will surely throw him into the draft, they plan to factor each other in when deciding where they end up. Mia and Owen are both about to get everything they ever wanted.
Until one split second changes everything…
What happens when the one thing that defines who you are is taken from you? Who are you then?
If you’re new to reading sports romance: read Breaking Ball If you are looking for a sports romance that focuses more on the romance: read Breaking Ball If you looking for a romance with just the right amount of spice: read Breaking Ball If you love a book with a little bit of Heartbreak: read Breaking Ball
Breaking Ball is a college romance that packs the perfect amount of love, heat, and heartbreak into a short 213 pages. Find out if Mia and Owen get their happily ever after July 20, 2024.
Thank you to Tracey Donahue for this advanced readers copy. This is an honest review all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Breaking Ball is definitely more than a sports romance, yes Owen is a college baseball player however this story is more about his and Mia’s relationship. This story takes you on a wave of emotions on their journey of having a relationship and their final year of college. It was a wonderful read that had me invested from the beginning and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I received a complementary copy from the author.
This is the second book that I’ve read from this author, and the second book of hers to break my heart and stitch it back together again by the last page.
Owen and Mia seem to have the perfect relationship once they finally admit to what they want, and how they truly feel about each other. But it all goes sideways when an accident happens on the field, and the future they thought they were working towards together ends up going up in flames. The author did a fantastic job at portraying how devastating it is to lose the thing you loved most in life. The struggles, the grief, and real life fears these two characters go through—together and apart—was so realistic and true to real life. As a massive baseball fan, I loved that this story felt so true to the sport. As a romance book fan, this book gave me all the fuzzy feelings while still being spicy, and putting me through the emotional ringer. And who doesn’t love a good crying session while they are reading these days?!
Breaking Ball definitely hit the mark for me. This short and spicy story of Owen and Mia got me in the feels. First with the insta-love, then some laughs, followed by some heartache, but in the end I was crying happy tears. Tracey Donahue did a great job developing these characters, both individually and together, throughout the story which made it so easy to really relate and feel their story. And when Mia was reading one of my all time favorite books, I knew this book was for me.
Mia and Owen connected so quickly but soon had to deal with a new tragedy, after having both dealt with their own hardships their whole lives, and working through it together was such an emotional ride. If you love a good true romance and want a good laugh and a good cry, this one is for you!
Favorite Quote: “You’ll know you’ve found her when you don’t want to look at anything else now that you’ve seen her face.” And he was right. As he always was. Now that I’ve seen her she’s all I want. Now that I’ve thought of her I don’t ever want to think of anyone else.
Thank you Tracey Donahue for allowing me to read an advanced copy of your book, I loved every second of it.
The range of emotions that I felt while reading this story is insane. Owen is just the dreamiest, most amazing perfect guy and his connection with Mia is just so incredible. The twists and the turns and the story brought me to tears. But the love was well worth the angst and the hurt.and believe me when I say that Owen is a sex God and the spice was super spicy. I truly loved this story and if there was another story about them, I would read it in a heartbeat.
“I lose track of time as we go round and round this wheel in the sky. It’s the kind of kiss that ruins all others. The kind that screws you up forever when it's gone.”
College Romance Sports Opposites Attract He Falls First
This was my first book by Tracey. It is first person, dual POV. It’s very fast paced, I read it in about a day. I did not want to put it down. I HAD to find out what was going on and how it would end. She had me hanging on every word. This is a standalone but I believe Tracey has characters make guest appearances in other books. I may have to read others to find out. I suggest reading the trigger warnings, as she touches on some very sensitive topics.
Owen and Mia are opposites attract but he definitely falls first. He sees her from across the room and instantly knows that she is someone he wants to get to know. Mia has strong feels about dating guys who play sports. Owen has a strong personality, is super charming, and I think he could win over just about anyone. A little accident at Mia’s dorm leads to a little forced proximity action that never fails to give a little push in the right direction. I love that Owen has some depth to him. He’s so incredibly sweet and thoughtful. He has a lot of thought provoking thoughts but doesn’t always know how to express them. Mia is headstrong and knows what she wants in life, I love that about her. She doesn’t put up with people’s crap and will do what she needs to do to protect herself. The last 1/4 of the book will send you on a rollercoaster so buckle up and enjoy the ride.
TROPES: Opposites Attract Second Chance Sports Romance
Spice 🌶🌶🌶
If you like romance, sports, and character growth then this is the book for you! Tracey Donahue did a great job on this book. It's funny, emotional, SPICY, and takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. The characters are very easy to fall in love with. Both the MMC and FMC are characters that I feel people can easily relate to.
Mia is very bold and against the grain. Doing her own thing in college while avoiding jocks and guys who's ego drives them, she finds herself helping out the hot, most popular baseball player at her college. Constantly reminding herself not to repeat the past by trusting a guy who surrounds himself with sports, parties and girls, she starts to wonder if maybe Owen may be different than the other jocks.
Owen putting off the illusion that he is just like all the other jocks out there and honestly not caring that he is perceived that way, finds himself attracted to Mia who is the complete opposite of him. He finds himself trying to prove that he is nothing like the guy that everyone else portrays him as.
This book is easy and quick to read and I found it hard to put down. I can see why so many people love this author and her other books.
4.5 stars for me because OMG, this book! I could not put this book down. I started reading at home, and read more at the car dealership. I was there for 3 hours, but I did not complain at all. The book started out super sweet, and then I got to the spicy scene and I was so weird reading spice in public. That was awkward! Wow!
The story is amazing! And it took me all night to finish it. Adulting is hard. And it’s rare for me to do an all nighter reading sprint.
Anyway, the characters are so sweet. Owen(main character)is definitely a book boyfriend material. Mia (mc) is caring and intelligent. I loved their story. It’s so sweet, heartbreaking, spicy and loving.
Owen is the baseball star who’s dream is to play pro after college. And Mia shows up, and he knows how lucky he is. Read their love story and see what the future holds for them.
Oh, and I also love the side characters Jonny, (Owen’s bestie) and Riley (Mia’s bestie).
Spoiler alert: there are a lot of “The Notebook” references.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Loved the story between Owen and Mia. Both had to overcome childhood traumas while figuring out what their futures would bring and maybe not go as they expected. Mia had some past insecurities from a relationship with an athlete in past but with the persistence Owen brought in showing Mia she was worth the chase made this story beautiful. I was worried and nervous to watch the other shoe drop in their relationship and though I had a feeling the challenges they would probably face I didn't predict what actually would happen and the angst it would bring. Tracy wrote their perspectives beautifully and I enjoyed every part of their struggle to find themselves, to grow and find each other again and was touched by the ending which filled my eyes with tears! Loved the sweet touches to include quid essential New England, falling in love during baseball season and many parts of the story reminded us just how much we all love romcoms, Taylor Swift and Gilmore Girls!
Tracey has done it again, a beautiful New England romance with a mix of americas favorite past time and the zest we all thrive for in a novel. Not only will you find a great romance, you’ll also find some Taylor swift Easter eggs hidden in there. Beautifully written, I couldn’t put this book down. It has the perfect mix of romance, juice and a twist of fate to keep you guessing. The story between Owen and Mia is so genuine and relatable, takes you back to the good old days of your early twenties. My favorite thing about Tracey’s books is, she doesn’t drag them on. They are a great length and I feel it’s a perfect mix for a great summer read. Crossing my fingers Tracey gives us more of their(or their friends) story in the near future.
This was so stinking cute. Your emotions will be all over the place while you read this book. The ONLY thing I didn’t like about it was that it was insta love, which usually drives me nuts, but they’re in college and I feel like everyone is insta love at that age, and it was well done. Owen is such a cute flirt, I love it. "Are you watching me walk away Owen?" "When there's a masterpiece in front of you it must be appreciated." He grins and I roll my eyes. "Is that just a fancy way of you saying 'nice ass?'' "It's a damn masterpiece Mia."
Overall, it was a great book and an easy read. Definitely recommend it!
I received this ARC and this is my honest review for Tracey Donahue’s Breaking Ball.
I absolutely loved this book!!! It had me from the very start and I couldn’t put it down. Owen has such golden retriever energy. He’s not your typical baseball player who parties or sleeps around at least not anymore, he doesn’t correct people who assume he’s a playboy because people will think what they want anyway. Then there’s Mia who isn’t swayed by Owens ways due to thinking he’s a playboy and she doesn’t want to go through that again. But Owen surprises her day after day and soon they are falling for each other fast, when tragedy struck things went downward fast and my heart was breaking throughout these scenes I actually cried a bit. This whole book was so good and am hoping for another book similar to this, maybe Riley and Johnny? One can hope for the future🙂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Synopsis: Owen Foster and Mia Romano find their lives intertwined through a series of defining moments. Owen, shaped by personal loss and cherished memories like his first Red Sox game, meets Mia, determined not to repeat past romantic mistakes. Their journey, marked by love, loss, and resilience, explores how fleeting moments can redefine destinies and shape the true meaning of what they both seek in life.
Thoughts: This book offers a perfect short read, taking you on an emotional roller coaster. I loved following Mia and Owen as they tackled each obstacle together. Even though I could foresee each outcome, I was deeply invested in seeing how they navigated through it all.
Thank you Tracey Donahue for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
"You'll know you've found her when you don't want to look at anything else now that you've seen her face."
I really enjoyed this book!! It is a sports romance but like noted on the cover it really it is more romance/spice heavy than sports. Owen is a star baseball player that is known as a playboy around campus. Mia is book smart and not looking to get into another relationship with a playboy as she has been played in the past.
Owen works his charm and gets her to give him a chance. Their chemistry is 🔥🔥🔥 and the story was a fun one. They do have deal with their own problems and when a tragic accident happens they will see if they can make it through. I will definitely be back to read more from this author. This one is releasing July 20th
Ok, so this story started off slow. Then it got really really intense and then calmed down and had such a sweet ending. I was confused about the title until I kept reading and then a lightbulb went off.
This author does a great job of showing how one moment can destroy your life in an instant. She also does an amazing job of how the choices you make after affect your life.
I wasn’t prepared for some of the things that happened and felt a bit triggered, which I didn’t know I was even triggered by what I was reading until I read it.
Overall I really liked how the MMC came back to himself and ended up making better decisions.
The story was good, and can be relatable to lots of people out there I’m sure. You don’t read enough about things like what happens, happening.
Thank you for potraying it in such a relatable way.
We first meet Owen and Mia in college where they have a shared class. There is instant attraction on both parts but Mia is a bit reluctant due to her past. I was immediately drawn to both of these characters; they were both very likable and thought their falling in love was done perfectly. As with most books, it can’t be roses all the time! I was frustrated many times but I also understood in a way! What I also loved about this book is that it wasn’t drawn out. It was a quick read. This was my first book from this author and will not be my last as i definitely will be reading more. If you love a good sports romance (baseball) this one is for you! Thank you for the ARC!
Breaking Ball By:Tracey Donahue was my first Baseball romance book, so I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it. But let me tell you I feel in love with Owen Foster (MMC), he is what everyone expects a typical athlete to be cocky, arrogant, a"player". All the changes when he meets Mia( FMC), Owen wants to be different and Mia gives him that chance. I don't want to give any spoilers aways so definitely check this book out to see how Mia changes Owen. (This book absolutely put me in my Baseball Era).
Truthfully this was my first ever sports romance and I did not know if I would like it. Boy was I wrong, this book took me on a rollercoaster ride and I loved every second of it. If you like the top sports guy and the book nerdy girl, this book is for you. They fall fast and hard. My one and only critique would be I would have loved a little more background/intro story because it did go pretty fast into them falling for each other. I like a little more cat and mouse. Loved this story it was cute and highly recommended it.
College romance is not something I currently read a lot of. But I will read anything Tracey Donahue writes. Because she puts your emotions through the ringer. IT HURTS!!!
My favorite part about Tracey's books, especially Breaking Ball, is these are real stories. The things that happen in her book could very much happen in real life and that's what breaks your heart even more.
If you enjoy college romances that are heavy on heartbreak, I highly recommend!
I received a copy of this book to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
From the beginning this book and story line had me hooked. Breaking Ball is a sports romance and if you're new to sports romances, I highly suggest Breaking Ball to start out your journey. This is a quick easy read that holds your attention with some spice and real life situations that you can relate to. I've never read a book by this author, but I will be adding her books to my TBR. This love story between Owen and Mia deal with some childhood traumas while dealing with being in college and maneuvering between a new found love for each other.
This book was absolutely beautiful. The feelings of new love, inextenguishable fire between two lovers, and the heartbreak of losing everything you have worked your whole life for will consume you reading this book. Will Owen and Mia get their second chance once the dust settles? The storytelling is incredible. I definitely recommend you read even if you aren't into sports romance. I think you will enjoy it.
This is the first book that I’ve read from her…I’m a big fan!! One moment I would be giddy and happy, then next moment I would cry. The struggles that Mia and Owen go through, are sometimes real life struggles that athletes have to go through. It definitely pulled at my heart strings at the end, but it was totally worth it!!!
This book is a masterpiece ❤️❤️ Rate: 5/5 Spice: 4/5
Tracey did it again. Her books always leave me "one more chaptering." I hated having to put it down. This book is my new favorite one from her. I love the nod to Gilmore girls and the notebook (my favorites). I was SO excited when a few of my other favorite characters from her other books popped up in the book. The life lesson from Owen's POV is something we all experience at one point in time. Between blushing from the spice, screaming from excitement, or wanting to yell at Owen for some of his choices, the emotions were ALL there. I will be recommending this book to everyone.
Im going to say this book is perfect. My husband wanted to know what I was reading because I was bawling my eyes out but I loved it!!!!
Mia and Owen were perfectly human and I loved it! Light on the sports and heavy on the heat and heartbreak is right! But with a HEA and ending that was perfect!
I received a free copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.
i fell in love with both mia and owen. their story was unlike any others i’ve read and kept me wanting more! while their relationship had its ups and downs, the raw emotion i felt from this book was so good and made me feel as if i was apart of it. i would love to read a second book about them!
i received this as an ARC and all thoughts and opinions are my own😊
This book was 5/5 ⭐️ Mia is a girl I could be best friends with in real life! I relate to her so much from her appetite, style, being a Swiftie, & a reader (this book even mentions one of my favorite Kate Stewart books)!! It had the romance, the heartbreak, and just enough spice.
**** ARC review **** as a person who sometimes gets confused with sport romances because they focus too much on the sport and not the romance. I loved this book it was a good and quick read, with all the fluff and college romance you could want.
I loved the dual POV in this story. It was an easy read with some great spicy scenes as well as some romantic gestures. I loved the great romantic movie & TV references. This was my first Tracey Donahue book and I look forward to reading more.
4.5 stars! I had a lot of fun reading this book and I really didn’t expect to become as emotionally invested as I did but I just really liked this book!