Designated Hitter

by Megan Cousins

There are two things Luca Phillips has always A world championship, and a future with the woman he loves…but eighteen years ago, he watched her walk away from him and the future he was proposing.

Charlotte Sullivan has only ever wanted to work in baseball, the game she loves…the game that broke her heart. One fateful summer night, baseball brings Charlotte and Luca back together again.

When old flames are rekindled and old dreams renewed, Luca and Charlotte find themselves on a familiar path, facing questions about what their future holds. And if baseball will be a part of it.

Genres: Sports Romance, Romance, Second Chance, Contemporary

317 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 13, 2025

About the author

Megan is a Michigan native who loves books, board games, baseball, and her family - not necessarily in that order. She loves books with wit and banter and scenes that wouldn’t make her grandma blush...so she wrote one.

Megan’s stories are filled with humor and heart, sometimes obscure baseball references, swoon-worthy heroes, and heroines who aren’t afraid to speak their mind.

Connect with Megan on Instagram: @authormegancousins

Or Twitter: @Meg_mcuzz

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I joke that everything I know about baseball I learned from Megan Cousins. While yes, this is primarily a romance I love the baseball trivia and history she throws into each of her novels. Megan Cousins is one of my auto-buy authors and I have been eagerly anticipating the third book in The Unwritten Rules series for about a year. We have been watching and wondering if Luca and Charlotte would ever be reunited and we finally got their love story in the last book in the series. I liked how the flashbacks to the beginning of their relationship, 18 years ago, was woven in as we watched them learn to trust and love each other again. This book was hard to put down and I enjoyed every moment of it. Now I am left eagerly anticipating Megan Cousin’s next new release.

[ChristinaReadsOnTheRoad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the review copy. I know I say this every time, but I really think Megan outdid herself with this story.

Words I’d use to describe Luca and Charlotte:
-Tender
-Vulnerable
-Complimentary
-Reverent
-Inevitable

It’s that last word that really underscores the whole energy of the story. Sure, they were two kids in love when they were both on a trajectory to start their respective careers. Life and baseball reunited them after they ventured on their own solo journeys, learning other tough lessons that come with careers and personal relationships. There was also a deep level of respect for each other that comes with maturity in adult relationships, and Megan captured their dynamic beautifully. Seeing the crew from not only the Unwritten Rules series but also Hutchinsons from Wild Pitches and Francine from Center Ice (the hockey novellas) added to the coziness of found family I’ve come to love in these overlapping worlds.

[Faith | The Wholesome Shelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

He’s spent eighteen years chasing a championship. She’s spent eighteen years trying to outrun the past. But love—like baseball—always finds its way home. 

Here’s what’s unforgettable:

🏆 A Baseball Star with One Unfinished Story – Luca Phillips has everything he’s ever wanted: a legendary career, a shot at the world championship, and a life most people only dream of. But there’s one thing he lost along the way—Charlotte Sullivan.

💔 A Woman Who Never Stopped Running – Charlotte has built a career in baseball, proving she belongs in a sport dominated by men. But the game that once gave her everything also took the one thing she loved most. And she’s never looked back.

✨ A Fateful Summer Night & a Second Chance – When baseball pulls Charlotte and Luca back into the same orbit, old flames reignite and old wounds resurface. The chemistry is still there—so is the heartbreak. But this time, they’re not kids with dreams—they’re adults with choices.

💕 The Swoon Scale 💕

(This is how I rate my books. For more information, see my pinned post.)

💍 Swoon-Worthy Sparks ✨ (3.5/5)
💬 The Dialogue 🎭 (3.5/5)
🦋 Butterfly Effect 🥺 (3.8/5)
📖 Re-Readability 🔁 (3/5)

Final Verdict:
Designated Hitter offers a heartfelt, high-stakes second-chance romance about dreams and finding home. While the pacing is slow, resulting in a 3.5-star rating for me, baseball fans will appreciate the authentic sports backdrop. Personally, the baseball elements were a bit difficult to follow. However, the undeniable swoon-worthy sparks, engaging dialogue, and emotional depth make this a worthwhile read for those who enjoy sports romance with a powerful second chance theme.

[Angeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Luca deserved his own book and it was just as heartwarming as I expected. Designated Hitter is the third book in Megan Cousins’ The Unwritten Rules series.
I loved reading about Luca and Charlotte reconnecting, they definitely had history and a lot to work through. This book was the perfect mix of romance, character development, and baseball. I don’t know a lot about baseball so it is always fun to read Cousins’ books and learn more. I love how Luca and Charlotte felt, they were both struggling with different things throughout the book.
I adored Luca and getting to know more about him. He was so kind and sweet with Charlotte and I loved how he pursued her respectfully. Charlotte was a little more complicated but I grew to understand her. She wanted to feel settled and she had to figure out what she wanted in life.
This book felt real and I loved it! It was fun to see old characters again too. I really love how baseball brought all the characters together and how they created their own family. I am sad to see this series come to an end but I am excited to see what will come next. Designated Hitter is a closed door contemporary romance.

Content warnings: death of a loved one (off page), discussions of grief, estranged family relationships, LGBTQ characters

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte & Luca ❤️

🧶Charlotte Sullivan and Luca Philips met at college, when they took a class together and landed up becoming inseparable. The stats junkie and the baseball player found happiness, but when he proposed, she declined, and they parted ways.

🧶Years later, when professional baseball player Luca got traded from Seattle to Michigan where Charlotte worked for the team arranging travel and logistics, it was the highlight and a start of a new chance to connect.

✏️This latest release from Megan Cousins brings together two side characters and highlights their story. Both Luca and Charlotte are older, wiser and can appreciate the quality of the relationship they had when they were young, but maybe it just wasn’t the right time for them. I appreciated how Charlotte knew that she wasn’t ready to settle down in her early twenties. Seeing them care for and be there for each other in this zero steam story was super special 💫

Read on Kindle Unlimited
My rating 4/5 - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Connect with me: http://www.instagram.com/read.athon2021

[Lupita_333 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful second chance romance. The story is told in the pov of Charlotte and Luca and it alternates from their past to their present. I loved how we get to see how the relationships and lives of characters from previous books have continued. Both Luca and Charlotte had good character growth. I’m really happy with how this series and this book ended.

Although I’m not a baseball fan, I’ve enjoyed learning about the game throughout Megan Cousins book series. As someone who loves to crochet, I love how much crochet was brought up during this book.

Some of my favorite things that I found romantic about about their relationship:
-Luca learned how to crochet since it was Charlottes favorite hobby.
-Charlotte adding in the pictures to Luca’s suit.
-Luca took Charlottes last name after they got married.

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Era el libro que más esperaba, y si bien estuvo entretenido, me resultó indiferente porque no logré conectar con la historia como lo hice con los anteriores. Creo que parte de esto se debe a cómo están organizados los flashbacks, ya que interrumpían las escenas del presente. Prácticamente, cada capítulo transcurre en el presente, pero basta con que ocurra alguna situación o que uno de los protagonistas diga una frase que traiga algún recuerdo para que se corte la escena y aparezca un flashback, luego termina ese recuerdo y se retoma la escena actual. Esa estructura me sacaba del momento y dificultaba involucrarme con lo que estaba ocurriendo en el presente ya que algunos de lo recuerdos no eran importantes, parecían relleno.

[Sierra (shesgotstories) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luca got his book and I'm so excited! This second chance romance between Luca and Charlotte was so wholesome and adorable. Megan really knows how to make your heart melt and how to make you giggle and kick your feet like a fool.

Megan's commitment to writing the best sports romances where the sports are the driving factor behind the story is why I keep coming back. That and her characters are the biggest green flags ever. Like who is else going to write a romance where the FMC forgets her crafting supplies so the first thing the MMC does is go out a buy her everything she could need to do it when away from home? And his best friend accompanies him and tries to help because he's just as down bad for his wife? Where the MMC bathes in her presence but respects the FMC's boundaries and is completely respectful in his pursuit of her? Nobody does it like Megan!

Charlotte breaking up with Luca as children due to not being ready for marriage was so valid and I respected her so much for it. She wanted to live her life and make a name for herself in the baseball industry and as much as it broke Luca's heart, he respected her decision. Their story was beautiful and the chapters that took us readers back in time made the story all the more powerful. The intimacy Megan writes between characters through actions and little moments while writing only closed door romances never ceases to amaze me. The emotional maturity of the characters always gets me and I'll forever love and appreciate Megan's storytelling skills. Watching Luca and Charlotte reconnect as they both find themselves and decide the futures they want was a beautiful ride.

If you love sports romances and haven't picked up one of Megan's books yet, then what are you waiting for? I promise you that you'll finish the stories with a warm heart and hope for a love like her characters have.

Thank you to Megan for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Abby Huffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this one. Megan knows how to weave a beautiful story that shows real people in a relationship, actively working towards bettering themselves and a love of sports that can’t help but pull you in as well. I adored Luca & Charlotte’s second chance. It was beautiful. Watching their growth and seeing Luca mentoring the Gremlins? The absolute best.

[Jessie Hawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great ending for the series and couple. Quick, easy, feel good read that you don’t want to put down.

[The Swoony Awards]

This book has been nominated for a 2025 Swoony Award, to vote for it click here: Swoony Awards.

[Marga Sison · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

“The way you talked about baseball and the culture of the game, wanting to make it a better place, it inspired me.”

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author’s love and understanding of the baseball game as well as the industry shines in this newest installment of The Unwritten Rules series.

This is a second chance romance between Charlotte and Luca. When the two split almost twenty years ago, neither imagined that they’d be traveling and working together for the sport they both love. As Luca nears retirement from his baseball career, he and Charlotte will have to decide whether a future together is something worth going to bat for.

Their relationship was sweet. I enjoyed reading about Luca pursuing time with Charlotte and how they endeavored to get to know each other as adults. Their time spent together over crocheting lessons, traveling, and breakfast dates was sweet and enjoyable to read. This friends to lovers mixed with second chance romance was an entertaining read from start to finish.

Many thanks to the author for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Tricia | ReadingRowans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been sliding into Megan’s DMs for several years now begging for Luca and Charlotte’s second chance, and it’s finally here! I loved seeing these two get their long awaited and hard fought happy ever after. As always, Megan writes dynamic family situations and we see Luca navigating baggage with his family of origin while simultaneously finding his own chosen family in Charlotte and his teammates. A big through line of the book is seeing our dreams change and evolve which I really loved. As the last book in the trilogy, we also get to spend lots of time with Adam and Molly and Max and Sutton which was such a delight.

Thanks to the author for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.