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Rose City Roasters #2

Pitches Be Crazy

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The Savannah Bananas meet Stars Hollow in this small town, baseball romcom set in the Pacific Northwest.

It’s not easy being “the single girl” in the friend group. Romance bookstore owner, Nessa Gibbs, loves love . . . in theory. Sadly, her real-life relationships never seem to measure up to the love stories she reads about, and at thirty-four, she’s decided to throw in the towel on dating altogether. Between running her thriving business, organizing the upcoming Rose Festival, and leading a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, she’s got more than enough to keep her satisfied. But when she runs into her childhood best friend on the arm of the man who made their lives a living hell in high school, she panics, flinging herself at the first passing stranger who just so happens to be the rookie pitcher that’s been lusting after her for months. And now he doesn't want to let go.

Nobody takes Jared Pink seriously . . . mostly because he’s never given them a reason to. It’s a lot easier to live up to his reputation as the Rose City Roasters’ hot shot pitcher and all-around goofball, then let somebody get to know the real doting brother, covert romance reader, and budding plant daddy (pun intended). He was fine with everybody taking him at face value, until he met Nessa, the buxom bookstore owner ten years his senior, who barely gives him the time of day. Now, he finally has a shot to prove that there’s more to him than boyish good looks and “that’s what she said” jokes, and he’s going to make the most of it by being the best fake boyfriend there ever was—one who puts the heroes in Nessa’s books to shame.

There’s one flaw in Nessa’s plan, she didn’t realize when she asked him to fake their relationship that his feelings for her might be real.

Pitches Be Crazy is the second book in the Rose City Roasters baseball series. This age gap, fake dating romance between a plus-size, mid-30s girlie who joins a romance bookstore and the golden retriever, rookie pitcher (and plant daddy) features small-town festival shenanigans, “let’s date, but no sex” vibes, an almost entirely LGBTQIA+ supporting cast of characters, a girl gang that plays Dungeons and Dragons, and NSFW limo content.

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2024

23 people are currently reading
296 people want to read

About the author

Kelly Reynolds

9 books226 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
Profile Image for Kelly Reynolds.
Author 9 books226 followers
September 21, 2024
How could I not 5-star my own book? Though, if I could... I would give this book a ⚾️🍑⚔️🥒🥚🎡 rating.

⚾️🍑 because butts in baseball pants
⚔️ for the nerdy, queer girl gang (+ Jo) and their "Bitchcraft" DnD campaign
🥒 for Jared Pink, our baseball playing PLANT DADDY who knows his way around a cucumber
🥚 for pegging, because duh

and, finally...

🎡 because every smalltown deserves a fall festival like Stars Hollow. Enjoy!
Profile Image for Rina ♡ .
840 reviews4 followers
September 27, 2024
I love this book! Nessa and Jared are just so perfect together. I absolutely adore them. And the found family is amazing. The way they all love and support each other is incredible. There's so much awesome representation with such a diverse cast of characters and it's done really well. I could definitely relate and felt so seen. This book is filled with humor, heart and a whole lot of heat. I definitely recommend it!
Profile Image for Curvy Girls Read Romance.
593 reviews69 followers
October 18, 2024
Y'all, when I tell you I love a Kelly Reynolds book, here's what I mean...there is no other fictional world I'd rather live in more than those she creates. I don't have the words to express how happy her writing and world and characters make me. ALL of Reynolds' heroes are just so far gone for their heroines and worship their curves. It's so refreshing.

Nessa has a problem. She's ridiculously attracted to Rose City Roasters pitcher Jared Pink but refuses to allow herself to entertain the idea of him. Fortunately for her, Pink is happy to wait for Nessa to realize how good they could be together. This romance-reading, potato wizard, plant daddy has it bad for the plus size bookstore owner. After calling on Pink in a moment of panic, the two find themselves in a "fake" relationship that quickly becomes real and hot.

I adore the found family theme of this series and the queer rep that we see in both primary and secondary characters. One of my absolute favorite things about Nessa was her decision to remain childfree was mentioned in passing (she had a hysterectomy as a gift to herself for her 30th birthday), and it was not her defining characteristic, nor was it her central storyline. She mentions to Pink that she can't get pregnant, he accepts it, and that's it. This was so very refreshing to see a heroine who made this choice and it wasn't an act of rebellion, it was simply the right choice for them.

The secondary cast of characters is full of representation from queer rep to neurodivergence rep to mental health rep to body positivity rep, it's just perfection. The foreshadowing of Pink's sister Bella and Bennett made me ridiculously hopeful that they're an item in a future book.

I can't say enough positive things about this book or this author. If you're here for the smut (which is also A++), here's what you can expect...

Car sex (he gets her off in a limousine)
Praise kink (Jared's!)
Hand necklaces
Pegging
Profile Image for Holly Schwartz.
831 reviews36 followers
September 25, 2024
I love this little family Kelly has created! They are all SO sweet and full of so much love! It’s such a sweet small town with a little dash of big city vibes because of the baseball team! And I love it so much!!

Nessa and Jared are honestly everything. They are absolutely perfect together! I loved that Jared accepted her as she was and knew he wasn’t going anywhere. He was going to wait and be patient until she was ready, and it was exactly what she needed. Because she OF COURSE knew she liked him!! She just didn’t want to admit it!! They were sweet and SPICY. And they were able to share so many things!! I loved how SOFT they were able to be with each other!!

Find yourself a person who will go out of their way to read the books you pick for your book club, and not even tell you about it for months!!

I love the found family! Everyone is full of so much LOVE. And they’re not afraid to speak their mind even when it might hurt a little! Because they know at the end of the day they’re going to be there for each other anyway!!

I love that so many things are so well represented in all of Kelly’s books! And she writes it so while they are important things about the characters and some of them are defining characteristics…but they’re still not the only thing about them! They are all so well thought out and well rounded and so so so imperfect perfect in all of the best ways!

Kelly left so many little crumbs about who could next!! And I don’t know who it is, but whoever it may be…IM EXCITED! Because the little crumbs were EVERYTHING!

Thank you so much to Kelly Reynolds for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Jennifer.
321 reviews32 followers
September 26, 2024
Dedication: For all of the "last single girls" in the friend group just looking for somebody to match their freak. There's a peg for every hole.

Nessa (FMC): romance bookstore owner • plus sized• Rose City local • black cat energy •
Jared (MMC): aka Pink • MLB rookie pitcher• plant daddy • enjoys reading romance books• golden retriever vibes•

Tropes:
🪴 MLB Pitcher x Bookstore Owner
📚 Black Cat x Golden Retriever
🪴 Small Town in the Pacific northwest
📚 Baseball Romance
🪴 Age Gap (20s & 30s)
📚 Fake Dating
🪴 Healthy Masculinity
📚 Tattooed MC
🪴 Men Read Romance Too!
📚 Bi x Bi 🏳️‍🌈
🪴 Plus-Size FMC
📚 Found Family
🪴 Diverse LGBTQIA+ Cast
📚 Nerdy girl gang who plays D&D
🪴 Stars Hollow meets Bull Durham (a book that feels like a warm cup of coffee with friends🥰)
📚 Text convos
🪴 Team shenanigans
📚 Nicknames
🪴 Backwards Baseball Hat Wearing + Baseball Pants
📚 No Third-Act Break-up
🪴 Banter
📚 Plants as a Love Language

Rating: ⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️ (4⭐️)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️(self pleasure, 🐫, biting, 👅, dirty talk, praise, hand necklace, toys as teammates, p3gg!ng, edging)
T/W: hate speech (referenced), hysterectomy (referenced), child abuse (referenced), spousal abuse (referenced), death of parent/grandparent (referenced)

This is a fun filled, delightful sports romance story filled with swoony moments, a unique and delightful cast of characters, high spice, and so much heart.

Kelly swung for the fences on this one and I am not so patiently waiting to read the rest of the series. Happy baseball (pants) season.⚾️

Still waiting on my Roasters season tickets.

I received an ARC copy and wanted to leave an honest review.
Profile Image for Kristen.
690 reviews9 followers
September 28, 2024
“She was putting the ball in my hands, for once. And I was about to hurl the riskiest pitch of my career.”
Jared Pink and Nessa Gibbs are an unlikely pair that work perfectly! After getting a glimpse of these two in the first book “Hit It and Quit It”, I was excited to see how they would come together.

Nessa is older than Jared and convinced he can’t actually want her. However, when she suddenly needs a fake boyfriend and Jared is who is there. Now Nessa has a fake boyfriend while Jared is going to do his best to make it real.
“That was another one of my favorite tropes. This woman was going to rue the day she introduced me to romance novels.”

I loved the two of them together. They are such unique individuals that when put together it’s everything!
“At the end of the day, I was just a girl, standing in front of a boy—or girl, or nonbinary babe—asking them to sit with me in comfortable silence. Preferably, while eating chips.”

Rose City sounds like a fun and accepting town for all. I would love to visit and see the Roasters play!
Thank you @authorkellrey for the ARC!
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥: “I’ve been a good boy, angel, and good boys deserve a reward, don’t you think?”
Profile Image for Chelsey Readsbooks_.
169 reviews13 followers
September 23, 2024
Things I love about this book without much subtext:

💖Fake Dating
💖 “Chekhov’s dildo”
💖 Daddy Ward (literally)
💖 Being back in Rose City (🥰)
💖 a badass FMC
💖 a golden retriever MMC who likes p🥚
💖 good boy
💖 a grandma who says “We may not be religious, but in this family, we worship at the altar of cuntology.”
💖 a romance reading MMC who says “I could get down with a shredded Shrek”

I wanted MORE. Not because Kelly skimped on anything but because I can’t get enough. Like Bella winning [redacted] in the auction? Maybe I’ll hear mor about this in a future Roasters book but I want it NOW 😂

This was a wonderful return to a city I love so much! I wish it was a real place I could visit. But since it isn’t.. I’ll just keep reading this series.

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Profile Image for Mercedesss.
58 reviews5 followers
September 30, 2024
Pitches Be Crazy is the second book in the 'Rose City Roasters' series, when I tell you I've been excited for this book since I read the first book Hit it and Quit it, I'm normally a dark romance girly, but theres just something about the world that Kelly has created that sucks me in. There are many tropes in this book including age gap romance, fake dating ( one of my faves) and so much representation including plus-size and lgbtqia rep and being child free by choice.
This story follows Nessa, a wonderful bookstore owner and her unfortunately being unlucky in love, and the surprise adoration of Jared Pink, the hotshot pitcher and 'goofball' of the rose city Roasters, where he has to show her that there's more than meets the eye when it comes to pink, when a situation arises where they have to fake date, it soon becomes real for both of them.

I feel it when she complains about the chafing thighs and 90 odd degree weather in September!

I love that he's instantly infatuated with her, it's one of my favourite tropes. Their interactions are great, despite her hesitation, and initial unease with liking him due to their age gap, I loved it when she started letting loose with him.

And loved the limo scene!!

I can't wait for more 🖤
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Erica.
39 reviews
September 27, 2024
Kelly did not disappoint on the 2nd inning* (installment) of her Rose City Roasters Baseball Romance!! It's got a one sideded frienemies-to-lovers, fake dating vibe, includes ALL the bisexual energy, shows disability and mental health issues as normal things people deal with, and as always - reps beautiful, fat, confident women getting the guy. If you love a black cat/golden retriever combo, you're going to love this book!

*knowledge of baseball not required to enjoy this one, folks.
Profile Image for Kerri.
430 reviews9 followers
October 18, 2024
Jared Pink. 💕

The end. 💕

Jk, but seriously, Pink has it BAD, and it’s perfection.

I’ve read more baseball romance this year than I probably have in my entire life, and the Rose City Roasters are where its at. @authorkellyrey just has a way with characters and relationships and humor that draws you in and makes it impossible to leave. I love this series so much and I can’t wait to read the next HEA for this team! ♥️⚾️

Special thanks to the author the ARC.
Profile Image for Jill Garrett.
49 reviews1 follower
October 1, 2024
A fun and steamy romp!

I always enjoy a little snark with my steam, and Kelly really brings it. Themes of feminism, body positivity, and inclusive love with some baseball added, for a perfect read. To borrow a baseball metaphor; Kelly hit this out of the park!!
Profile Image for Gabby Fasano.
76 reviews
December 13, 2024
Another amazing book Kelly! I loved it so much! Nessa might be my favourite character yet! Can’t wait for the next one in the series!
Profile Image for Jo.
130 reviews7 followers
June 3, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Profile Image for Kris Stevenson.
134 reviews
October 7, 2024
I would give this a 3 because it was cute but there were some issues with it. I wanted more depth to my MCs. I caught several ongoing grammatical errors. I was hoping for more goofy baseball team shenanigans and banter. The guys had good friendships but a lot of it read very surface level. I adored the two bisexuals getting together concept and wanted more about their sexualities and discussions around how they approached their own individual identities. A super strange thing was that the FMC had a hysterectomy, but still gets a period later on in the book, which seemed like a big continuity error. Maybe it’s just because I’m in hockey mode, but this didn’t fully hit it out of the park for me.
Profile Image for Stephanie ✨.
1,038 reviews1 follower
October 8, 2024
Thank you so much to the author Kelly Reynolds for the advance copy of this!

This book is OUT NOW!

Content Warnings from the author:


If you recall from earlier this year, I raved about the first book in this series. I still think about Soren & Clarke when I think about baseball couples. I was so happy that we got to see them cute as ever in this book! But this book was all about the star pitcher Jared Pink and romance bookstore owner Nessa Gibbs.

"Who are you, the big bad wolf"
"All the better to eat you with, angel."


I have been really into the "he falls first" trope and this book did this trope so well! Pink was SO in love with Nessa from the moment he met her in the first book and the feeling carried all throughout this book. And he made it very known to her as well as to the other around that he was head over heels for her. Nessa though made him work for it. She had his preconceived notion about him and his "reputation" and just didn't want to be part of that. I also loved how Nessa was older than Pink and even though that was initially a turn off he eventually he won her over.

I really just love the way Kelly has been writing this series. We get these full arc of characters and love stories without dragging it on. And just like with her novellas, she continues to bring different representation in her stories. This one we have both characters bisexuals, Pink reads Nessa's romance novels (& buys from her shop!), and do I dare say there is some pegging?!

Smile. You're on T.V.

I just love this couple and even if the pretense of them "getting together" stemmed from fake dating (one of my fave scenes in the book when that happens). You just knew that they were going to get together in some way. And this fake dating felt very believable to me!

Just like with the last one, I was so happy to see actual baseball on page! And the timing of reading this could not be more perfect with watching my baseball team fight their way through playoff games.

I *think* I know who the next book in the series is going to follow but I'm not entirely sure!! But I will be keeping an eye on socials for the next one!!

If you are looking for a fun, spicy, swoony baseball romance series -please consider this one!!!
Profile Image for Kate Brasington.
330 reviews4 followers
March 15, 2025
✨✨Pitches be Crazy Review✨✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Spice in chps: 18, 21, 24 & 26
‼️‼️TW\CW‼️‼️
- Recreational use of alcohol
- Discussions of homophobia and biphobia
- Child abuse discussed
- Spousal abused discussed
- Death of a parent
💕💕Tropes💕💕
- Age Gap
- FMC over 30
- He falls first
- Plus sized FMC
- Bi sexual MMC
- Fake dating
❤️❤️Quotes I loved❤️❤️
- ..with him, I feel like I can do anything.” She thought a second before adding, “Or nothing at all.
- “My dates tend to like it when I pick them up on time. It’s called good etiquette.” “Oo, is that a big word for Elmo?”
- I’d broken the cardinal rule—of love and literature—and judged a book by its cover.
- At the end of the day, I was just a girl, standing in front of a boy—or girl, or nonbinary babe—asking them to sit with me in comfortable silence. Preferably, while eating chips.
✨Onto the review✨
Nessa our FMC is a plus sized over 30 year old book shop owner, when her best friend comes to their home town to visit she surprises Nessa with the fact that she is now engaged to Nessa’s highschool bully. In an attempt to keep up with the Joneses and not feel so alone, Nessa recruits Jared (our MMC) who is constantly chasing after her, to fake date her. Jared is a 24 year old pro baseball player who has been pinning over Nessa for a year and was happy to oblige and take this as an opportunity to really woo Nessa and date her for real.
I enjoyed this book! As you all may have noticed I really do enjoy a sport romance! The spice in this book was top tier, (pssst she pegs him)! This book would have gotten a higher rating had it not been for some issues I could not see past. The FMC had a full hysterectomy as a teenager which is pointed out a few times in the book and yet she gets her period which is not something that can happen, that alongside of the FMC having an egg allergy (mentioned a few times) but consuming products that would have eggs in them with no issue really took me out of the story. If you are able to look past some continuity errors this book is definitely a cute read!
Profile Image for Sam.
342 reviews8 followers
April 24, 2025
Kelly Reynolds was a new author to me, but boy was I glad to discover Pitches be Crazy! I sniggered and chuckled my way through, when my cheeks weren't flashing with heat. It was a rip-roaringly good time and I loved everything about it – not often you can say that.

The cast of characters in Pitches be Crazy, is amazing. The queer rep (it's Bi4Bi and lots of the secondary characters are LGTBQA+ as well), the body positivity, the inclusion of neurodiversity and mental health issues, is all fantastic to see. There's also an amazing found family vibe, and that holy grail - acceptance of being childfree. In this case, the hysterectomy surgery was Nessa's 30th birthday present to herself. It's a passing conversation between her and Jared, which he accepts, doesn't question, and it never comes up again. A wonderful piece of empowerment that made me incredibly happy.

There's some fantastic smut - Jared has a praise kink and loves a bit of pegging, meanwhile, toys in the bedroom are very much teammates for both of them. That I've got this far in my review and not mentioned that this is my favourite trope - younger man/older woman (or reverse age gap), tells you just how much I enjoyed this for all its merits. Though on that point, Jared is 10 years younger, is a tattooed, baseball-playing, romance-reading, plant daddy, who is 24. Nessa is a plus-size nerdy D&D-playing bookstore owner who is 34.

Like I said, I love everything about this book. But most of all, I think I love that it's funny. Like genuinely funny. And that it has so much heart AND smut.

Read it, you won't regret it.
Profile Image for E.
1,026 reviews41 followers
September 30, 2024
Around 50%, I was like... I'M OBSESSED!! I thought it was gonna end up being a 4.5 or 4.75 stars book for me. But some things that came after the 50% mark downed my rating to 4 stars.

Those things were:

• Continuity errors (for example: she had a hysterectomy when she was 30... But all of a sudden, at 34 years old, she's having periods??)
• The sex scenes ended too abruptly. Like the foreplay would end and then it would mostly just skip to the next chapter and to a new scene?? Not a fan of that. (along with scenes being mentioned, but not explicitly shown ON page)
• I was promise Savannah Bananas baseball vibes, and I was not given that 😭 Where was the social media videos, lips syncing, and dancing?!

Okay, now onto things I did love about the book:

• The small town vibes were immaculate
• Jared 😍 Everything about that man is just *chef's kiss*
• Their group of friends
• Her romance bookstore being called Smutty Buddies
• The soft and accepting love

I really wish the sex scenes lived up to what I wanted them to be, with how the characters talked and thought... Because I really do love these characters and would love to read more about them, but I can't deal with being let down 🤷🏻‍♀️

Anyways, I'd still recommend this book! Because I really did enjoy it, besides for the things I complained about above.
Profile Image for Hana.
132 reviews12 followers
October 4, 2024
Any city with a fall festival featuring Rose Nylund-themed events? How can I make this fictional city my home ASAP?!? St. Olaf’s meets the PNW and we’re in Rose City, Oregon. And I never want to leave.

Kelly Reynolds created this beautiful little city and I am obsessed. This small town is bursting with love, sprinkled with just the right amount of big city excitement thanks to the local baseball team. Which is how all star pitcher, Jared Pink ends up there.

*SIGH* oh Jared. The plant daddy with the body to die for, covered in tattoos and possessing the most amazing golden retriever vibes I’ve ever read. I love him. With his adorable little stuffie, and his love of his sister, his plants, romance novels and his lust/love of our FMC, Nessa, Jared Pink makes for one of the swoon worthiest MMCs I’ve ever read. He knows what and who he wants and he rides that line between soft and assertive and just about floods my basement. 💦 Nessa, our deliciously fat bookstore owner with black cat tendencies did not stand a chance.

I loved this book, this city, and this found family of friends. They’re supportive and real, telling each other like it is, even when it’s messy. A reflection of real, true friendship. Kelly hit it out of the park with this one. (Look at me and my sports metaphors!!!!)
Profile Image for Lisa Christensen.
166 reviews6 followers
October 19, 2024
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a perfect time to have ‘Pitches Be Crazy’ by Kelly Reynolds to be released. The playoff for the World Series is going on right now and most of this book is taking place at the end of the season and the team wants to clinch the playoff spot. But if you’re worried that this book is full of just Baseball you don’t need to worry. Kelly wrote this book with the perfect amount of sports and romance.

‘Pitches Be Crazy’ is the second book in the Rose City Roasters series, and I have to say this series keeps getting better and better. The romance between Nessa and Jared is perfect, and the best part of this story is that there is no third-act breakup between them.

I should also mention the spice level between these two is melting hot which gave this book a level of 4. I think you all need to pick this book up right now as it will have you laughing and needing a fan to cool off. I am giving this book a solid 5 stars. ‘Pitches Be Crazy’ is a book that is for sure on my favorite list.

‘Pitches Be Crazy’ is available wherever you get your books and if you are a member of Kindle Unlimited this book is included in your membership.
Profile Image for Ellen Collins.
53 reviews
September 30, 2024
This is the second book in the Rose City Roasters series and as much as I love Clarke and Soren, I’m obsessed with Nessa and Jared. A grumpy romance book shop owner who has all but given up on love and a golden retriever Major League Baseball pitcher who loves plants and has a praise kink? Sign me up!

When everyone in Nessa’s life seems to be coupled and happier than ever, including her best friend who is back in town for the first time in years, she ropes Jared into being her fake boyfriend. He happily agrees, seeing as he���s been obsessed with her since the day they met. As the end of the baseball season, and their fake dating agreement, draws closer Jared sets his sight on getting Neesa to give this relationship a real shot.

“Nessa was a ride I might never survive. But what a way to go.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if Kelly Reynolds writes it I’m gonna read it. Also shoutout to Jared Pink for setting my standards impossibly high. Because if he’s not a 6 ft tall bisexual man who reads romance books and is obsessed with me, I don’t want him.

Thank you Kelly Reynolds for the ARC! ❤️
Profile Image for Aryana Schneider.
164 reviews3 followers
October 3, 2024
Hands down, my favorite character from this book was Jared Pink. I was enamored with his complexity, how his very existence challenges toxic masculinity, and the way he could exude the "not arrogance, confidence" vibe - and that other people saw it. Mainly, I loved how he was unapologetic in how, who, and what he loved; Like taking a picture with his smutty romance novel while being interviewed for being an amazing baseball pitcher. Or taking care of his mom and sister (even if I found his sister to be an entitled brat). Similarly, my favorite thing about Nessa was that she owns who she is and genuinely cares about the people she loves. I was a tad annoyed with her "running away" antics. However, a massive redeeming point for her for me was when Nessa realized she messed up and was "judging a book by it's cover" with Jared, and apologized to him for it. Again, even though I loved and sincerely enjoyed this book, I had logistical questions that left me feeling like I needed a conclusion (ex. How are you getting a period when you had a hysterectomy?)
Profile Image for Amelia Acosta.
56 reviews2 followers
March 3, 2025
Ok, the amount of hot female energy in this book and the extremely large ego of a man that worships her is life giving. Calling her a goddess to the Chad McBoatFace at the bar 😘 and not just to save her from a toxic ass, but because he is full on obsessed with her!!?! amazingness!?!.

Book 2 is winning!!!! The Tatchos! Why is everything Tots here?! and why are they so stinking good?!!!. Give me all the tots all the time. Thank you for adding this little piece of greater PDX life into your book. It’s so stinking real! (Even when living in a professional baseball, spicy, fictional series, ps… additional potato related scenes are equally amazing).

I love me a strong powerful FMC and equally strong and powerful MMC. They were both awesome and really complement each other the whole time. Plus the spice when you have two confident main characters is hot as hell and both give and receive at all the right times. There are so many potential future couples set up for this series, there HAS to be more than 3 books 🤞🏼, I’m completely invested and pegging for more ….
Profile Image for Charleys Bookshelf.
208 reviews5 followers
September 30, 2024
Pitches Be Crazy by Kelly Reynolds is the second book in the Rose City Roasters series. It has all of the tropes I love, like the age gap, fake dating, plus-size FMC, a woman in her mid-30s who owns a romance bookstore, and the golden retriever, rookie pitcher (and plant daddy)! This book is based in a small town with all of the festival shenanigans.

I absolutely loved this book. Kelly Reynolds's books have the representation I love seeing in books. The queer and bi rep, along with plus-size females, is so much fun. This book also has amazingly found family themes, which is heartwarming. I like how empowering Kelly Reynolds writes about her characters in all aspects. The women are strong, and everyone around them loves them for that. I am obsessed with Pink and Nessa and their mutual pinning, which everyone said they saw, but only them. Pink was my favorite character because of his love and supporting nature, how caring he was about Nessa's needs, and how she needed to be loved throughout this book. I also enjoyed Nessa working through her main issue of never accepting love so she doesn't get hurt. Plus, with the fake dating aspect, the heat between them was turned up to 10 in this book! Overall, Pitches Be Crazy was fun, heartwarming, and full of spice, and I recommend picking it up for a ready.

*Thank you, Kelly Reynolds, for the advanced copy!
Profile Image for wildforbooks.
89 reviews2 followers
October 9, 2024
The newest Rose City Roaster novel is here & it is so damn good y’all! I was shipping Nessa/Jared all the way back in book 1 & Jared would agree… this boy has been down bad for sassy Nessa from the jump!

Our girl Nessa is a plus size DREAM, she knows who she is & loves herself full stop. There’s no question of whether she should change the way she looks, she’s confident in who she is & THIS is the kind of representation I love to see in plus size characters. Jared Pink is a hunky pitcher for the Rose City Roasters who has the right amount of confidence & all the heart eyes for Nessa. He’s a little puppy dog when it comes to her & when he gets the chance to show her what he has to offer he doesn’t waste it for a second!

Reynolds’ has created such an amazing & inclusive world with the Rose City Universe. Between the D&D loving girl gang, a plethora of LGBTQIA+ characters, & empathetic male characters who GASP respect women…. I’m so ready for more fun from this world & author!
4 reviews
September 30, 2024
Pitches Be Crazy may just be my new favorite fall book.
In the cozy transition to fall in Rose City, Oregon, Kelly Reynolds wraps us in the warm arms of the most delightful set of characters. With many familiar faces from her previous novel Hit It and Quit It, Kelly takes us back to the charm of Rose City.

Jared Pink is the sweet but confident and sexy man we all need. Nessa Gibbs is the kind but independent and witty woman who I still aspire to be. The opposites-attract saddled with fake relationship story is the bundle of YES! YES! YES! that I love to have when reading.

Such a steamy, witty, and wonderful novel that makes me want to curl up next to a fire with a warm brown sugar latte and read it over and over again! I tore through Pitches Be Crazy faster than I have torn through a book in a long time!
Profile Image for Alexis Rios.
36 reviews
October 3, 2024
Never judge a book by its cover or in this case Jared Pink cause your in for a HUGE surprise

Soooooo goooood!!!!! 😍 I want to be Nessa when I grow up and have my own book shop too! This whole story from beginning to end was amazing. Greatly written and lacked nothing. Loved that we saw previous characters from the first book and added new ones. Can’t wait for the third book! 📚 but that twist I didn’t not even expect! 🤯 not who I thought it would be. love when I get surprised. Author wrote Nessa perfectly as a true die heart bookish woman, she’s all bookish people’s new role model. And Jared is 😍🔥 everyone wants a man like him because the way he is with her was everything! 🧢⚾️🔥📚😎 and he’s so much more deeper than what we saw in the first book. He’s our new book and plant daddy 🪴🌿🥵 and all the representation and feeling beautiful. highly recommend! Series is a must read.
Profile Image for Laura.
37 reviews6 followers
October 8, 2024
Thanks to the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. 


After devouring the first book in this series, I had high hopes for this one. I didn't read it quite as quickly as the first, but I still thoroughly enjoyed Nessa and Pink's story. I liked the slow burn and pay off, albeit predictable. In addition to all the representation in the first book, I loved the new character, Pink's sister, who provided autistic representation. His relationship with her was very sweet, with him being protective but still letting her live her own life and make her own decisions.


Overall, a fun, light read. Now excuse me while I frantically Google when we're getting the next installment in the series and which of the couples hinted at in this book will be the leads!
Profile Image for Amber Simon.
202 reviews3 followers
October 13, 2024
Not only do Kelly’s books start with the best lines, but she creates such fantastic characters! Her FMCs are down to earth and relatable while also being sassy and tenacious. Nessa Gibbs is a curvy girl who is unapologetically in her 30s while dealing with being perpetually single and running a whole bookstore. Simultaneously, Kelly’s multifaceted MMCs have a tendency to fall first, to be the person willing to do anything to make their partner happy. I mean... Jared Pink, everyone. Baseball pitcher extraordinaire, gardener, romance reader, and bisexual sex god. With a sprinkling of sports things, a dash of small town feels, and a widely interesting cast of characters, this was a great read and definitely a series to keep an eye on.
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