Who knew one wild hit could lead straight to forever?
Owning a cozy little bookstore meant life wasn’t exactly exciting, but it was perfect for me. I’d made peace with the idea that scent-matches weren’t in the cards.
Until my best friends dragged me to a Knuckleball Knockouts game, and fate threw me a curveball I never saw coming.
One whiff of that addictive scent, and my world changed. My scent-matches Cy, Griff, and Jackson, the team’s most sinfully charming players, crashed right into my life.
Unfortunately, I couldn't exactly run across the field to home plate to get their number.
It turns out, I didn’t need to worry, my new pack was putting up flyers and scouring the city for me. And thanks to my meddling best friends… now they know just how to find me.
But not everyone is cheering for our happily-ever-after. A jealous rival wants to destroy what we’ve found, and he’s willing to hurt us all to do it.
Now my pack and I have to fight for our bond, our safety, and our forever. Because when fate throws you a curveball, you either swing for love... or strike out.
Players and Pages is a sweet, standalone omegaverse novel with sexy baseball players who are obsessed with their omega, a curvy book nerd, and a stalker who isn’t going to let them go that easily. It ends on a HEA. This book does involve stalking and mild violence.
Jarica is an American author. She prefers writing paranormal and fantasy books. When she isn't writing she is playing her xbox with her husband and fellow nerd. She has two crazy boys who make writing a challenge, but one she gladly accepts.
I sincerely believe I have to start my review by saying this: I want to move to a small town after reading this standalone, start a spicy book club that includes adults of all ages, and attract some amazing old ladies to it that love playing whack-a-mole on the bad guys. That was the absolute highlight of this book for me and I’ll be smiling over it for weeks to come…
In its entirety, “Players and Pages” is exactly what you expect from a contemporary small town omegaverse standalone by Jarica (and Jenée). It’s sweet with protective men, good friends and neighbors. The storyline is low on drama but still enticing, the spice heats up pretty quickly (but not too fast) and the HEA is satisfying and cute. It’s perfect for everyone who loves sweet and spicy omegaverses where regular book loving women find the men of their dreams.
This is a sweet & spicy contemporary small-town omegaverse romance that draws your attention from the very start. A little action, a little drama, a little spice and a whole lotta romance as our fmc gets her guys. Great characters, lovely storyline and I love the whole Savannah banana style baseball reference. It’s a great read that makes you wanna visit Willow Lake.
I’m glad there’s no third act breakup … but a FIRE?! At 92%?! You’re trying to make it seem like they don’t all survive??? You’re introducing us to Griff’s parents, but you’re saying that … there’s “a chair” that has kept the mom away?! WHAT ARE WE EVEN TALKING About?! It was literally never mentioned before now. Why are you telling us about Griff’s mom’s car accident? As if we knew it happened???
I wanted to like this. The characters are good. The premise is good. The story is alright.
How did Henry even get the drop on them?! It doesn’t make sense.
The pacing left a lot to be desired and me with whiplash. Because how are Griff and Jackson the only ones awake and we’re learning more about the family dynamics and then suddenly we change the page and weeks have passed ???
Like suddenly Henry has a sister. Henry tries to fake them out. To come back with vengeance and then suddenly the trial is come and gone? Why speed through this? Why make it happen this way?
“Outside of damage to my throat and minor lung repercussions, I only had some minor burns outside of my legs and feet. My shoes protected my toes, but the shoes were melting and the third degree burns weren’t pretty. I had to wear bandages and the guys had to help keep up with my ointments and changing them out.” WHY. WHY ADD THIS IN THE FINAL PAGES?!
Henry’s sister being behind the emails doesn’t make any sense cause she hadn’t even met Henry in the timeline… when she first got the email.
We spoke about Jackson’s family and Dani’s … but we never discussed Griff’s and Cy’s until this ending … and suddenly, “Not just Griff’s family moved close by, Cy’s as well. Now that most of his siblings were off to college it was just his parents and two in high school. They were happy to be around their big brother and didn’t protest too much.” WHAT IS EVEN GOING ON??
“The scars from the fire took away a good chunk of my self-confidence, but everyone assured me that I rocked the medical officer outfit.” Literally why traumatize your FMC??? For nothing. It doesn’t add to the story.
This book is a bit of a contradiction for me. I like it but dislike certain aspects.
Let's start with the most basic aspects. The editing quality is extremely good. The pacing is on the faster side but works well for the story. The antagonist resolution is acceptable.
Character wise, I like Dani but she is a bit of an odd almost split personality. She's supposedly this strong independent business owner but we mostly see a wuss who collapses at the first mean email. Literally. And then she isn't smart enough to report the harassment to the police before it becomes volatile. She just waffles between a decent FMC and a useless female character for me.
The guys are decent. You've got the playful Cy, protective Griff and quiet but devoted Jackson. Each of their backgrounds makes sense for their personalities and they work well as individuals and as a unit. They do make some stupid decisions along the way that actually put Dani in the line of sight when she otherwise wouldn't have been known.
The choice of slightly unusual sport (theatrical baseball) is very cool. Keeps it in a sporty genre without being too mainstream.
Bea once again stands out as a great bestie character. Taryn is pretty coattails but her guys also step forward as great side characters.
There are some gaps in the world building for this series. Like are forced bonds a thing or is that implied threat just an assumption I made due to lack of clarity? There are a decent number of illogical scenarios as well, outside of the "it's a fiction" deviation. For example, postponing games for players to have family priorities just could not work. The season would never end because every player on each team would have a potential priority causing postponement.
The antagonist resolution is acceptable but the entire antagonist plot is a bit beyond the limits. It just sort of goes off the rails, shark jump style.
I don't hate the book but Jarica James has better ones out there. This one is good if you want something kinda fast and mindless. Fingers crossed for Bea getting a better book.
This book is the perfect contemporary small-town omegaverse romance — heartwarming, a little spicy, and full of community charm. This is the second book in the Willow Lake world but can be read as a stand-alone. It has protective, swoon-worthy men; supportive friends and neighbors; and a heroine you can’t help but root for. The plot is low on heavy drama but still keeps you hooked with its easy flow and emotional depth. The spice builds at just the right pace — enough heat to make you blush, but balanced with genuine tenderness and connection. The happily ever after feels earned, satisfying, and downright adorable. One of the absolute highlights of the story, though, has to be the grannies who rally around the heroine. They bring humor, warmth, and a sense of belonging that perfectly captures the spirit of small-town life. Their sass, wisdom, and fierce protectiveness add another layer of heart to the story. If you’re in the mood for a sweet and spicy omegaverse read where book-loving women find their perfect matches (with a little help from some unforgettable grannies), Players and Pages is exactly what you’re looking for.
Dani is part-bookstore owner in Willow Lake and is a huge Knuckleball Knockouts, a performance baseball team, fan. Her best friends get tickets for a game.
When the batter from the opposing team hits a pop-up, Cy runs to catch it before hitting Dani in the face and they’re instantly scent matched.
Cy, Griff and Jackson are set up by one of their teammates, who for some reason hates Cy, to volunteer for a kid's baseball summer camp in Willow Lake. After a flyer was put up in the bookstore with Dani’s face on it, her friends go behind her back and call the number listed and tell them where to meet Dani.
After the world finds out that Cy, Griff and Jackson found their mate, Dani starts receiving hateful emails and when the emails don’t do their intended job, someone vandalizes the bookstore front window. Not wanting the guys to miss camp and practice, Dani goes with them. Where she has her first run in with Henry, the teammate who hates Cy, and everything escalates from there.
Dani has such amazing friends who love and care for her deeply and are extremely supportive of her. I love the banter between them so much! I loved the guys, their personalities and how attentive they are of Dani. There’s dancing baseball players, suspense, banter and spice!
There was a lot to love about this one. I am a huge Savannah Bananas fan, so I was right with Dani when she was ecstatic to get tickets to see her team, having attended my first game live in Pittsburgh this year. When she realizes three of the players are scent matches, she is excited. All three are charming with Dani, and they really want to look out for her and protect her, especially when it becomes clear that she has an unwanted admirer. I love that she’s surrounded by a town of friends and ‘book club grannies’ who are like found family, and those strong, sassy women don’t play. Her co-owner’s partners are also protective and look out for her safety like they would a sister. This was another great small town HEA, and I’m excited to return for another visit to Willow Lake.
Players and Pages is the second book in the Willow Lake Omegaverse series. It is a sweet, standalone, sports, small town, omegaverse romance with hot baseball players, a curvy bookstore owner, and a guaranteed HEA.
This was a such a sweet read, and I really enjoyed. I loved the characters and their story, I simply loved it all. Dani was a great FMC and I loved her love of books. The guys, Cy, Jackson, and Griff, are awesome too. I love how they all fit together to make them complete.
The characters, storyline, storytelling, character development, relationship development, world building, writing, flow, pace, and plot were all terrific. I loved this book and if you are a fan of sweet omegaverse, then I think you'll love it too.
So I think the authors were inspired by Savannah Bananas. If you don't know who they are, get on Tiktok asap and look them up, they're amazing!
I could not help buy smile through practically this entire book and they got me good because I got a little complacent until it got me in that last part of the book. Like, dude. That was a little hairy!
I absolutely loved all the characters. And you just gotta love old ladies who have rocks in their purses (IYKYK)
I know I said I want to move to Rockwood Valley but apparently Willow Lake is where it's at. I'm packing my bags. Who's down?
I loved this sweet omegaverse so much. It had everything I love in a book. Action , spice , and plenty of swoony moments. I really connected with Dani i just think she is amazing. The guy's were all just so sweet , caring and all for her. I loved every second of it. I love the found family feel in this series and how all the girls are bff's and sisters from other misters , eachother's ride or d!es. This is a five-star read for me and I would definitely recommend it. I can't wait for Bea to find her pack now , im so excited for it and to see all the girls back together again.
This is so good. Dani is a fan of a certain entertaining baseball team that can dance as well as they can play ball. Thanks to a chance encounter at a game her pack almost falls in her lap. The guys were amazing I loved the personalities. Dani’s such an inspiring character. She is unapologetically herself. There are some rough moments and the ending comes on quick and jumps time a few times. I almost wish we could have had a little more around the ending events. It is an awesome story though and I can’t wait for Bea’s story.
This was the perfect mix between cozy and suspense. The guys were different enough in personality that they were interesting, and it was easy to tell whose chapter I was reading. Dani was a great FMC - strong and realistic. I love how past characters were woven into the story, and the suspense plot line kept everything humming along at a good pace. Definitely recommend!
I adore the Savannah Bananas, so seeing the MMCs play for a similar kind of team was just adorable. I loved our girl and was super sad for her that her family situation sucked so bad for her. I can’t even imagine just not reaching out to my child after they left for college. Just washing your hands of your own kid is crazy work. Throw in worked up fans, jealous teammates, and an obsessive stalker (or two) and you’ve got one heck of a story! 💜
I absolutely loved this book! It made me an emotional wreck while I was reading it but those are the best sort of books. The story was really good, I loved the twists and turns and was not expecting the ending that it had. I also loved the characters, they were all super sweet together and really gave me a feel good feeling. I would recommend giving this book a read.
Super cute read. With the bookstore combo such a success with Taryn and Bea, Dani goes to a baseball game and has the best meet cute with Cy. And then the hunt for their (Cy, Griff, & Jackson) omega begins. With one crazy coworker that clearly has issues wreaking havoc on Dani’s life, things a really up in the air despite the bliss that is their new relationship. Lots of drama in this one. Makes me wish the next book is out
This was a sweet OV. I liked reading more from this universe. I enjoyed Dani’s story and learning more about her and the bookstore. I loved how the girls were so strong together. I also loved the grannies. I was cackling when they were on the page. The guys were all amazing and supportive of Dani and her dreams even though she’s a pretty independent omega. I loved the small town support and vibes throughout. Can’t wait for Bea’s book.
This is a fantastic romance story, while it’s a part of a series it can be read as a standalone without any problems. Thoroughly enjoyable read with easily relatable characters - up to a point, it is a romance after all - that has you rooting for the leads from the first page
Rating- 4 Heat- 3 Tropes- sweet omegaverse, MFMM, scent match, insta love, sports romance, curvy heroine Need to know- Can be read alone. Has reoccurring characters but reading the other book first isn’t necessary.
This was a very sweet, low angst reverse harem. There is no drama between the FMC and her mates. The baseball aspect is very clearly modeled after the Savannah Bananas which is a fun twist. I do wish we had seen a bit more of that in action.
Hot baseball players meet shy bookstore owner. Yes please! These guys were all in from first scent. There were fireworks immediately and I couldn’t put the book down. The jealous obsessive teammate made my skin crawl, but justice prevails and our girl gets her happy ever after. Enjoy all the banter, conversations and the spice! So hot!
I read the first one & liked it, so I had high hopes but this was a let down. Inconsistent plot points & mixed up/confusing timelines that made no sense.
Also the FMCs internal dialogue gave me whiplash. Every thought she had the next one was a contradiction, made her character very cringey.
I absolutely love this series and think this is the best one yet. The pack is a few guys from the team and they are players yes but can they be reformed? Love the romance that is budding and how the guys turn so sweet, protective but the side characters are great too here. Like a real small town is and I know as I grew up in one. Highly recommend checking it out.
Players and Pages is a Willow Lake Omegaverse Novel that features a perfect blend of sweet and spice that takes place in a small town setting. This story was Great and I devoured it! This story was packed with the perfect amount of plot and drama. I can't wait to read what comes next! I loved this story so much.
This was a fun addition to the Willow Lake Omegaverse series. Dani and Pack Dixon are a mix of fierce tenderness, sweet banter, and sensual chemistry. There was a lovely bit of suspense that added the right amount of drama to this pack’s love story.
Oh man. If this FMC talks down to herself one more time. 🙄 Plus it’s insta love and ALL IN the SECOND they meet. Zero push away. No plot. Just a lot A LOT of talking and i dont know it was pretty boring.
I enjoyed this story. That they were all in from the beginning but still had things that they went through. The ending was perfect. Can’t wait to start the next book