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Baseball and Shifters
Rachel never wanted mates, but fate had other plans.
As a kitsune with a rare four-tailed fox form, she is destined for not one but four mates. Her father, Ranger, refuses to accept her fate and casts her out of the only home she has ever known. Sent to Eldergrove Academy, Rachel now has to learn to navigate this new beginning.
But with a new best friend and two awesome roommates maybe, just maybe she'll make it through this year unscathed.
When fate dumps Lucas, the fun-loving wolf shifter, literally into her lap it’s obvious that something bigger is at play.
Between Lucas, his twin, Liam, a brooding wolf with secrets of his own; Bastian, the enigmatic tiger shifter whose intense gaze follows her every move; and Derrick, the easygoing dragon shifter determined to shield her from a world that’s never shown her mercy, Rachel’s life is about to be upended.
As Rachel battles the shame her father’s rejection planted deep within her, she must decide if she’s brave enough to embrace the mates fate has chosen and, more importantly, allow herself to be loved.
Will Rachel finally break free from her past and find the love she so desperately deserves? Find out in Baseball and An Eldergrove Academy Romance
The Players of Eldergrove Academy series will feature four interconnected standalone novels following best friends and roommates Rachel, Dallas, Maya, and Aubree as they fall for their player mates.
As a kitsune with a rare four-tailed fox form, she is destined for not one but four mates. Her father, Ranger, refuses to accept her fate and casts her out of the only home she has ever known. Sent to Eldergrove Academy, Rachel now has to learn to navigate this new beginning.
But with a new best friend and two awesome roommates maybe, just maybe she'll make it through this year unscathed.
When fate dumps Lucas, the fun-loving wolf shifter, literally into her lap it’s obvious that something bigger is at play.
Between Lucas, his twin, Liam, a brooding wolf with secrets of his own; Bastian, the enigmatic tiger shifter whose intense gaze follows her every move; and Derrick, the easygoing dragon shifter determined to shield her from a world that’s never shown her mercy, Rachel’s life is about to be upended.
As Rachel battles the shame her father’s rejection planted deep within her, she must decide if she’s brave enough to embrace the mates fate has chosen and, more importantly, allow herself to be loved.
Will Rachel finally break free from her past and find the love she so desperately deserves? Find out in Baseball and An Eldergrove Academy Romance
The Players of Eldergrove Academy series will feature four interconnected standalone novels following best friends and roommates Rachel, Dallas, Maya, and Aubree as they fall for their player mates.
- GenresShapeshiftersSports
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2025
136 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Scarlett Philips
28 books377 followersScarlett Philips writes Paranormal Reverse Harem Romance novels. She read her first RH book 4 years ago and hasn't been able to put them down since. It was while reading one such a novel that she got the idea to write her own, and thus Returning to Everton was born. She loves the paranormal and all things magic. She enjoys writing stories that are relatable but also let you escape into a fantasy world. When she's not writing she's spending time with her family, driving kids to and from school, and therapies. It's a busy life, but she wouldn't change it for the world. Scarlett loves getting messages from her readers. Check out her website www.scarlettphilipsauthor.com and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Feel free to send her a message any time.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 8, 2025
I always like when the mates are protective and possessive right off the bat (no pun intended). But I also felt like the story all went by very fast and something was missing. Like, if Rachel's father is so determined for her never to find her mates, why would he decide to send her to an academy, where she would be mingling with more people and more likely to meet a mate or two? I don't like it when things don't make sense, because I cannot turn my brain off when I'm reading and then it keeps nagging at me all the time.
Her father's explanation for keeping her away from her mates was that she would disgrace his family name by having more than one mate. But it's said that in this world, it's normal for most shifters to have more than one mate, so that wouldn't reflect poorly on Rachel or her father. This was another thing that didn't make sense. I could understand that he personally didn't like it and in his mind having multiple mates would make her a slut, but he should also know that no one else would bat an eyelid, especially since it was commonly known that kitsune shifters usually had more than one mate.
There were two other things that didn't make sense. In Chapter 6, Rachel's father is referred to as "Robert St. James" but subsequently everyone refers to him as "Ranger", not Robert. Secondly, in Chapter 1 Rachel says that the Shifter Tribunal Leader, Mr Demetrius Ashford, is known to be a bad man with people whispering "about the terrible conditions the staff face". But presumably this is the same guy who swoops down to save the day and makes sure her father is stopped and punished for what he did to Rachel? Demetrius Ashford turns out to be the father of one of her mates (Derrick) and tells Rachel to call him "Dad" or "Demi", is angry on her behalf at how her father treated her, and welcomes her into his family. He's the ultimate good guy. It's like the author originally had another plot in mind for Ashford and then forgot it.
I also did not understand the other guy, Trent's obsession with Rachel. In a world where every shifter knows that they have a fated mate, why would he get so fixated on Rachel when he knows she isn't his fated mate? It didn't make sense. Even after she meets her mates and bonds with them, Trent still insists, "You're mine" and that he'll make her forget her mates. It doesn't make sense.
There wasn't enough time to really get to know the guys and get a feel of who they are. Lucas is the one with golden retriever energy, Liam his twin is a moody and reserved type, Derrick who is a dragon seems to be the de facto leader of the pack, and then there is Bas who... I don't know, I didn't really get much indication of his personality. He's a tiger. But although they had these various characteristics, they all seemed to blend together as they're all baseball players in the same team so there was nothing which made them stand out, except for Liam who likes photography. The others didn't seem to have any particular interests or preferences that would have made them more... 'rounded individuals', I guess I would say. More three-dimensional people, and more real.
I just felt that this story could have more depth. Like, since Rachel's father appears to be a man who likes power, perhaps he wanted to use her in some kind of power play. He had her schooled at home by online tutors all this while, so it really did not make sense for him to suddenly send her off to an academy, especially at an age where she was more likely to meet a mate. Should be the other way around, where he let her go to school as a child but refused to let her go to college. Of course, then the story would be totally different. But if the author had just provided some kind of explanation for his actions, that would have helped a lot. Did he apply to the academy on Rachel's behalf? Rachel is signed up for a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Visual Arts, and she thinks her father doesn't know she's interested in graphic design, so how did she get assigned that program and that major? Plot holes bug me.
Her father's explanation for keeping her away from her mates was that she would disgrace his family name by having more than one mate. But it's said that in this world, it's normal for most shifters to have more than one mate, so that wouldn't reflect poorly on Rachel or her father. This was another thing that didn't make sense. I could understand that he personally didn't like it and in his mind having multiple mates would make her a slut, but he should also know that no one else would bat an eyelid, especially since it was commonly known that kitsune shifters usually had more than one mate.
There were two other things that didn't make sense. In Chapter 6, Rachel's father is referred to as "Robert St. James" but subsequently everyone refers to him as "Ranger", not Robert. Secondly, in Chapter 1 Rachel says that the Shifter Tribunal Leader, Mr Demetrius Ashford, is known to be a bad man with people whispering "about the terrible conditions the staff face". But presumably this is the same guy who swoops down to save the day and makes sure her father is stopped and punished for what he did to Rachel? Demetrius Ashford turns out to be the father of one of her mates (Derrick) and tells Rachel to call him "Dad" or "Demi", is angry on her behalf at how her father treated her, and welcomes her into his family. He's the ultimate good guy. It's like the author originally had another plot in mind for Ashford and then forgot it.
I also did not understand the other guy, Trent's obsession with Rachel. In a world where every shifter knows that they have a fated mate, why would he get so fixated on Rachel when he knows she isn't his fated mate? It didn't make sense. Even after she meets her mates and bonds with them, Trent still insists, "You're mine" and that he'll make her forget her mates. It doesn't make sense.
There wasn't enough time to really get to know the guys and get a feel of who they are. Lucas is the one with golden retriever energy, Liam his twin is a moody and reserved type, Derrick who is a dragon seems to be the de facto leader of the pack, and then there is Bas who... I don't know, I didn't really get much indication of his personality. He's a tiger. But although they had these various characteristics, they all seemed to blend together as they're all baseball players in the same team so there was nothing which made them stand out, except for Liam who likes photography. The others didn't seem to have any particular interests or preferences that would have made them more... 'rounded individuals', I guess I would say. More three-dimensional people, and more real.
I just felt that this story could have more depth. Like, since Rachel's father appears to be a man who likes power, perhaps he wanted to use her in some kind of power play. He had her schooled at home by online tutors all this while, so it really did not make sense for him to suddenly send her off to an academy, especially at an age where she was more likely to meet a mate. Should be the other way around, where he let her go to school as a child but refused to let her go to college. Of course, then the story would be totally different. But if the author had just provided some kind of explanation for his actions, that would have helped a lot. Did he apply to the academy on Rachel's behalf? Rachel is signed up for a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Visual Arts, and she thinks her father doesn't know she's interested in graphic design, so how did she get assigned that program and that major? Plot holes bug me.
May 5, 2025
DNF 26%
There aren't that many RH books that involve baseball, so I was excited to dip into this world.
However, my excitement was very short lived.
The author has to be new to publishing/writing books because her writing is very stunted and juvenile which is demonstrated in the dialogue. Most of the dialogue prompts lack detail and finesse. We get a lot of "Abree says" "Maya muses" "D murmurs" and other one word descriptors. When I taught, that is how we helped 8th grade students apply descriptors to their text, knowing they would eventually get taught better ways to describe what a character is thinking/feeling. This author hasn't grown her "writing chops" since middle school.
The author also doesn't know what words/nouns should be capitalized, so she tries them all out, hoping one will stick. For example, the students have to take a self-defense class, so the author made sure to include all variations of the word: Self-defense, Self-Defense, and self-defense.
And like so many RH authors, this author chose to have very dumb nicknames for the FMC, even when they have known each other for only ten seconds. I've started to realize that the less mature authors use nicknames as crutches and this book further solidifies that point.
As with most KU authors, this author doesn't know how to format terms of endearment correctly. PSA to the author: terms of endearment are not capitalized unless their placement in a sentence warrants it.
Correct: "Here, drink this sweetheart."
Not correct: "Here, drink this Sweetheart."
There are countless punctuation problems and capitalization issues.
When I decided to DNF the book, it was mostly dialogue and insipid dialogue at that. There were PAGES of "girl talk" that just didn't need to happen; paragraphs of "guy talk" that could have been summarized and what makes it worse is that we would have to read all of this banal dialogue but then read a recap of the conversation "the next day."
At only 26% in, these flaws manifested themselves so I decided to not continue with the book, no way was it getting better.
There aren't that many RH books that involve baseball, so I was excited to dip into this world.
However, my excitement was very short lived.
The author has to be new to publishing/writing books because her writing is very stunted and juvenile which is demonstrated in the dialogue. Most of the dialogue prompts lack detail and finesse. We get a lot of "Abree says" "Maya muses" "D murmurs" and other one word descriptors. When I taught, that is how we helped 8th grade students apply descriptors to their text, knowing they would eventually get taught better ways to describe what a character is thinking/feeling. This author hasn't grown her "writing chops" since middle school.
The author also doesn't know what words/nouns should be capitalized, so she tries them all out, hoping one will stick. For example, the students have to take a self-defense class, so the author made sure to include all variations of the word: Self-defense, Self-Defense, and self-defense.
And like so many RH authors, this author chose to have very dumb nicknames for the FMC, even when they have known each other for only ten seconds. I've started to realize that the less mature authors use nicknames as crutches and this book further solidifies that point.
As with most KU authors, this author doesn't know how to format terms of endearment correctly. PSA to the author: terms of endearment are not capitalized unless their placement in a sentence warrants it.
Correct: "Here, drink this sweetheart."
Not correct: "Here, drink this Sweetheart."
There are countless punctuation problems and capitalization issues.
When I decided to DNF the book, it was mostly dialogue and insipid dialogue at that. There were PAGES of "girl talk" that just didn't need to happen; paragraphs of "guy talk" that could have been summarized and what makes it worse is that we would have to read all of this banal dialogue but then read a recap of the conversation "the next day."
At only 26% in, these flaws manifested themselves so I decided to not continue with the book, no way was it getting better.
January 5, 2026
College/ sports romance/ OM drama/ virgin FMC/ found family/ fated mates/ shifters/ MFM/ MFMM/ MMFMM/ hurt/comfort/ HEA
Trigger warning: abuse/ violence/ death of a loved one/ assault/ SA/ kidnapping/ trauma/ PTSD/ neglectful parenting/ murder
This had potential but some of the writing was rough. I think I liked the side characters more than the MCs which was kind of a bummer. There also could have been more spice and group activities.
Oh and we never find out why, after being on lockdown by her father for a decade, he all of a sudden decided to send her off on her own to college. It doesn’t make sense.
Trigger warning: abuse/ violence/ death of a loved one/ assault/ SA/ kidnapping/ trauma/ PTSD/ neglectful parenting/ murder
This had potential but some of the writing was rough. I think I liked the side characters more than the MCs which was kind of a bummer. There also could have been more spice and group activities.
Oh and we never find out why, after being on lockdown by her father for a decade, he all of a sudden decided to send her off on her own to college. It doesn’t make sense.
August 9, 2025
DNF Not for me
Amazon has had this on rotation in my lists for ages, I finally caved. I wish I hadn't.
I know we all have friends and want to include them in everything we do..... But!!! I was skipping straight through then I had a word with myself wondering why I was even bothering.
Rachel our heroine takes a backseat in her own story.
Just not for me. Also a man who has abused you all your life and you are still listening to the same drivel... Nope.
Amazon has had this on rotation in my lists for ages, I finally caved. I wish I hadn't.
I know we all have friends and want to include them in everything we do..... But!!! I was skipping straight through then I had a word with myself wondering why I was even bothering.
Rachel our heroine takes a backseat in her own story.
Just not for me. Also a man who has abused you all your life and you are still listening to the same drivel... Nope.
June 12, 2025
has really good pacing
“She left the dorm? After dark? Alone?” He rambles as the panic sets in.
This is insane and it lost them a star… BECAUSE WHAT DO YOU EVEN MEAN RACHEL?!
Honestly, this was a nearly perfect book. All the mates are made known to the reader. Two of them are mated and she’s sharing about her scary dad prior to 45% of the book. Her friends know, her mates know. Everything is going well time wise and the events are all perfect. It’s not insta love but they’re moving appropriately for being fated mates.
The only real issue with THE TWO BIG BADS of the book being on the loose and at large, we’re not taking our security seriously?! She’s had to live in fear of her father and his whims and stay ahead of it her whole life… BUT NOW WE’RE ACTING RECKLESS?! Why?! If I think too long about it I’ll remove another star. It’s sad that the authors would ruin the story like this when they could’ve had the same effect if they had done it differently.
“You idiot,” Dallas chastises, her voice cracking. “Don’t you ever sneak off in the middle of the night again.”
Dallas gets it.
The buildings are sentient?!
I also don’t need descriptions of the games being played in the book. Nor do i understand how this “college” worked… is it only one year? Or is it two? Aren’t four semesters, actually quarters?
Overall a good read.
“She left the dorm? After dark? Alone?” He rambles as the panic sets in.
This is insane and it lost them a star… BECAUSE WHAT DO YOU EVEN MEAN RACHEL?!
Honestly, this was a nearly perfect book. All the mates are made known to the reader. Two of them are mated and she’s sharing about her scary dad prior to 45% of the book. Her friends know, her mates know. Everything is going well time wise and the events are all perfect. It’s not insta love but they’re moving appropriately for being fated mates.
The only real issue with THE TWO BIG BADS of the book being on the loose and at large, we’re not taking our security seriously?! She’s had to live in fear of her father and his whims and stay ahead of it her whole life… BUT NOW WE’RE ACTING RECKLESS?! Why?! If I think too long about it I’ll remove another star. It’s sad that the authors would ruin the story like this when they could’ve had the same effect if they had done it differently.
“You idiot,” Dallas chastises, her voice cracking. “Don’t you ever sneak off in the middle of the night again.”
Dallas gets it.
The buildings are sentient?!
I also don’t need descriptions of the games being played in the book. Nor do i understand how this “college” worked… is it only one year? Or is it two? Aren’t four semesters, actually quarters?
Overall a good read.
May 12, 2025
Solid story
For me, this was just an okay read. The book is well written, but there is nothing novel about the plot.
At ten years old, Rachel's father becomes unreasonably irate when he discovered that instead of a tiger like him, she is a kitsune. Her four tails indicate that she will have four mates. This is unacceptable to him, and he basically locks her away. Time passes and he decides to send her to Eldergrove Academy, but not before telling her that she better not find her mates. Rachel has a complex at this point and does not even want mates. She is hoping to keep her head down and get an education, so she can escape her father's clutches. Unfortunately, her first mate falls right in her lap at a baseball game, not to mention the mate who she's been avoiding every time she sees him. What is a girl to do....this is a very instalove once Rachel gives it a chance. There is one reluctant mate, but it doesn't last long, and it's resolved in a fairly anticlimactic way.
For me, this was just an okay read. The book is well written, but there is nothing novel about the plot.
At ten years old, Rachel's father becomes unreasonably irate when he discovered that instead of a tiger like him, she is a kitsune. Her four tails indicate that she will have four mates. This is unacceptable to him, and he basically locks her away. Time passes and he decides to send her to Eldergrove Academy, but not before telling her that she better not find her mates. Rachel has a complex at this point and does not even want mates. She is hoping to keep her head down and get an education, so she can escape her father's clutches. Unfortunately, her first mate falls right in her lap at a baseball game, not to mention the mate who she's been avoiding every time she sees him. What is a girl to do....this is a very instalove once Rachel gives it a chance. There is one reluctant mate, but it doesn't last long, and it's resolved in a fairly anticlimactic way.
May 2, 2025
Sweet/Shifters/Intriguing Story
This book was something else. I went to it blind and it was so good. It was a fast read to me. I couldn't stop reading it makes you want to know whats going to happen next and know how everything is going to play out.
The girls are amazing I can wait to read more about them. The guys intersting.. one of them got me mad every 5 seconds but I get it. lol
The story is well balance really good plot, intereting characters it have the fun part the sexy part and the story flows really well.
May I add the dreamsss.... that's another level of hot...
I can wait to read about the girls finding their mates.
This book was something else. I went to it blind and it was so good. It was a fast read to me. I couldn't stop reading it makes you want to know whats going to happen next and know how everything is going to play out.
The girls are amazing I can wait to read more about them. The guys intersting.. one of them got me mad every 5 seconds but I get it. lol
The story is well balance really good plot, intereting characters it have the fun part the sexy part and the story flows really well.
May I add the dreamsss.... that's another level of hot...
I can wait to read about the girls finding their mates.
May 21, 2025
Two of my favorite things
This book had me at the title! I love baseball and I love shifter stories. Extra bonus points that one of the shifters is a dragon! Beyond that I loved the story and was hooked start to finish. The authors did a fantastic job world building and creating such wonderful characters. They do great job making you feel the characters emotions. I loved Rachel and her men and wow do they create a lot of heat. There is action and suspense that keeps you hooked. I also absolutely adored Derrick's dad. I can't wait for the next book in this world.
This book had me at the title! I love baseball and I love shifter stories. Extra bonus points that one of the shifters is a dragon! Beyond that I loved the story and was hooked start to finish. The authors did a fantastic job world building and creating such wonderful characters. They do great job making you feel the characters emotions. I loved Rachel and her men and wow do they create a lot of heat. There is action and suspense that keeps you hooked. I also absolutely adored Derrick's dad. I can't wait for the next book in this world.
August 6, 2025
sweet shifter and sports
I really enjoyed this book. It is my first by either of the authors and really look forward to the rest in the series. I loved how even though Rachel had trauma she was still able to love. The guys were great and once they were all in, they really we all in. There really can’t be a favorite in the book because each guy was so loving and kind once they got over their issues. Honestly her friendships were just as amazing. Love the connections she made with her girls and can’t wait to read about them finding their mates.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
I really enjoyed this book. It is my first by either of the authors and really look forward to the rest in the series. I loved how even though Rachel had trauma she was still able to love. The guys were great and once they were all in, they really we all in. There really can’t be a favorite in the book because each guy was so loving and kind once they got over their issues. Honestly her friendships were just as amazing. Love the connections she made with her girls and can’t wait to read about them finding their mates.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
May 5, 2025
Well I just devoured this book. It was a fast paced , Fated Mates , why choose sports romance and i loved every second of it. It's the first book in a brand new co write series for these authors and I am hooked on these four besties finding the HEA's already. Rachel is just the sweetest and she deserves all her guys love. These baseball playing hotties are just everything. They're all so yummy and different. Amazing five-star read that I would definitely recommend and I can't wait for more.
May 4, 2025
I totally loved this book and most of the characters except Trent and Mr. St.James both of them are jerks the deserve a nice punch to the throat. Poor Rachel didn’t have anyone in her corner after her 10th birthday but starting school was everything that she needed she meet her chosen sister/ family and mates.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2025
The changing colors of a Kitsune’s tails
A good story. Has a dark side in regards to her foul father. I enjoyed the baseball games with exception to Trent heckling his fellow teammates and not a peep from the coach? Against his star players at that? That part didn’t mesh. The guys were all nice, even grumpy Liam. The mate marks were great. The dragon scenes were great as well!
A good story. Has a dark side in regards to her foul father. I enjoyed the baseball games with exception to Trent heckling his fellow teammates and not a peep from the coach? Against his star players at that? That part didn’t mesh. The guys were all nice, even grumpy Liam. The mate marks were great. The dragon scenes were great as well!
July 17, 2025
Amazing!
A decent length complete story. Character development was on point, i didn't feel like the story line was rushed and there was enough steam to keep me interested. A really nice read (and this was after i read 4 half books and couldn't finish them). Thank you, lovely authors!! I'll look forward to the next one x
A decent length complete story. Character development was on point, i didn't feel like the story line was rushed and there was enough steam to keep me interested. A really nice read (and this was after i read 4 half books and couldn't finish them). Thank you, lovely authors!! I'll look forward to the next one x
October 14, 2025
DNF 40%
I was really disappointed by this one the synopsis and Amazon reviews sounded so good, but this was a complete flop for me.
The only thing I liked was the uniqueness of the shifter species, a penguin giving pebbles and an otter shifter …Adorable!!
The rest was below par and I don’t really care to even mention all the mistakes.
I was really disappointed by this one the synopsis and Amazon reviews sounded so good, but this was a complete flop for me.
The only thing I liked was the uniqueness of the shifter species, a penguin giving pebbles and an otter shifter …Adorable!!
The rest was below par and I don’t really care to even mention all the mistakes.
May 19, 2025
This is a fast paced , fated mates, why choose sports romance. It's the first book in a brand new series. I loved Rachel and her guys. This is definitely a must read!!!
May 20, 2025
Story 3.5 ⭐️ Spice 2.75🌶️
September 25, 2025
I really enjoyed this book.
I liked how protective each MMC was especially after discovering how the FMC has been treated by her father for years. The twins are definitely my favourite with their black and white wolves and totally different personalities.
Can’t wait to read the other books in the series I just can’t find them on amazon.
I liked how protective each MMC was especially after discovering how the FMC has been treated by her father for years. The twins are definitely my favourite with their black and white wolves and totally different personalities.
Can’t wait to read the other books in the series I just can’t find them on amazon.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews