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Baller: A Contemporary Sports Romance
Lena Griffin thought she had it all—glamorous job, gorgeous home, picture-perfect marriage. But at nearly forty, her life is unraveling fast. Divorcing, disillusioned, and questioning everything, she needs a reset. Not another relationship. Definitely not love.
Enter Josh. Twenty-eight, insanely hot, and a pro volleyball player with a body built for sin and a smile that could wreck a woman on sight. Their chemistry is instant. Off-the-charts. Completely unexpected.
Their fling is supposed to be temporary, just a little fun to shake off the dust. But Josh surprises her. He’s grounded, kind, and somehow exactly what she didn’t know she needed.
He’s younger. She’s cautious. And they’re both playing way out of bounds.
But when passion turns into something deeper, Lena has to decide if she’s brave enough to risk her heart on the kind of love that doesn’t play by the rules.
Content Warning: This story contains sensitive themes, including pregnancy loss. Reader discretion is advised.
Enter Josh. Twenty-eight, insanely hot, and a pro volleyball player with a body built for sin and a smile that could wreck a woman on sight. Their chemistry is instant. Off-the-charts. Completely unexpected.
Their fling is supposed to be temporary, just a little fun to shake off the dust. But Josh surprises her. He’s grounded, kind, and somehow exactly what she didn’t know she needed.
He’s younger. She’s cautious. And they’re both playing way out of bounds.
But when passion turns into something deeper, Lena has to decide if she’s brave enough to risk her heart on the kind of love that doesn’t play by the rules.
Content Warning: This story contains sensitive themes, including pregnancy loss. Reader discretion is advised.
ebook
Published August 19, 2025
5 people want to read
About the author
S.L. Hannah
8 books148 followersS.L. Hannah is a romance author known for writing fierce, flawed women treading unchartered territory. S.L. Hannah was born in Poland, grew up in Canada, and moved to Southern California to pursue her love of single-engine airplanes. When she's not writing fiction she continues to solve the aviation problems of the world.
She is excited to be part of the To LA With Love anthology. Check out her short story, Special Teams, in that anthology.
Her latest release, Baller, is about a successful, divorcing woman who finds a life reset in a younger, hot professional beach volleyball player.
The Need is her first erotic thriller; a story about a woman struggling to free herself from her lover’s physical and emotional binds.
Hard Trigger, is a rogue romance about a reckless and hardened heroine who finds herself entwined with a lover on the opposite side of a bloody feud.
Her Sex, Life, and Hannah chick lit series chronicles one woman's insistent quest over one year to find "The One" (www.sexlifehannah.com).
She is excited to be part of the To LA With Love anthology. Check out her short story, Special Teams, in that anthology.
Her latest release, Baller, is about a successful, divorcing woman who finds a life reset in a younger, hot professional beach volleyball player.
The Need is her first erotic thriller; a story about a woman struggling to free herself from her lover’s physical and emotional binds.
Hard Trigger, is a rogue romance about a reckless and hardened heroine who finds herself entwined with a lover on the opposite side of a bloody feud.
Her Sex, Life, and Hannah chick lit series chronicles one woman's insistent quest over one year to find "The One" (www.sexlifehannah.com).
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 20, 2025
Rating: 3.5/5
Baller follows a successful 40-year-old woman, Lena, who is going through a divorce. Her separation from her husband seemed relatively low drama, other than his wanting the divorce. They had some challenges getting pregnant, and that caused some contention. During her separation, she decides to finally play the field, where she meets Josh, who is much younger. It doesn’t hurt that he’s an athlete, too. They had a ton of spicy times together, too. Though her divorce may have been low drama, everything else around her was mighty messy. Baller was a short read and told through Lena’s POV. There were times, especially towards the end, when I didn’t know which direction it was leaning towards. Was she going to reconcile with her husband? Was it the end of her and Josh forever? Is the story going to have an HEA? Author S.L. Hannah kept me guessing to the end. It was entertaining.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 1852 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘚.𝘓. 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦-𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺.
Baller follows a successful 40-year-old woman, Lena, who is going through a divorce. Her separation from her husband seemed relatively low drama, other than his wanting the divorce. They had some challenges getting pregnant, and that caused some contention. During her separation, she decides to finally play the field, where she meets Josh, who is much younger. It doesn’t hurt that he’s an athlete, too. They had a ton of spicy times together, too. Though her divorce may have been low drama, everything else around her was mighty messy. Baller was a short read and told through Lena’s POV. There were times, especially towards the end, when I didn’t know which direction it was leaning towards. Was she going to reconcile with her husband? Was it the end of her and Josh forever? Is the story going to have an HEA? Author S.L. Hannah kept me guessing to the end. It was entertaining.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 1852 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘚.𝘓. 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦-𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺.
August 11, 2025
Baller is a fantastic older woman, younger man romance! Lena thought she had it all until her marriage fell apart. When Josh entered her life, their chemistry was off the charts. What started out as a fling turned into so much more. Can their relationship work long term? Will Josh turn out to be just what Lena needs? I loved this book! I recommend it to everyone! What?
August 19, 2025
ARC Review
🎶 Baller 🏐
Written By: SL Hannah
Overall: 3.75/5
Overall plot: 3.75/5
Character development: 3.75/5
Pace: 3.75/5
World building: 3.75/5
Spice 🌶️: 2/5
Thank you, SL Hannah, for allowing me to be a part of your ARC team and read Baller ahead of its release date.
I’m a sucker for sports romances but even more so with volleyball cause I used to play. So I was super excited to read Baller.
Lena Griffin is a woman who thought she had it all - the glamorous job of a music producer, beautiful home she’s built with her husband of 10 years - until she didn’t. Nearly forty, her husband filed for divorce, her clients were going around her at every turn and not trusting her to bat for them and after trying for so long, no children.
Josh Ball is a 28 year old, hot pro beach volleyball player who happens to be in town for a tournament and bumps into Lena at a bar. Their chemistry and attraction to each other was instant and he was going to get her no matter what.
She thought it was going to be a fling with Josh, but he surprised her when she found him to be more grounded, kind and what she needed as she was finding her footing amidst the divorce. Would she risk it all so soon after her marriage ended? Would he be what she’s been looking for?
I personally love reverse age gap stories when the guy is mature beyond his age and grounds the woman, but I did find some of the aspects a little frustrating when there were times at work, she let people walk all over her when she’s supposed to be a boss lady, and when the non-communication, which I understand, the author needed a conflict but grrr… I also think it’s a personal thing when the FMC is do now and face the consequences later. At forty, most women aren’t like that so it didn’t feel as realistic, but that’s just my humble opinion.
If you love a insta-attraction, one night stand, sex first, feelings later, reverse age gap sports romance, this book is for you.
Tropes:
🎶 Starting Over
🏐 Sports Romance
🎶 Reverse Age Gap
🏐 One Night Stand
🎶 Sex First / Feelings later
🎶 Baller 🏐
Written By: SL Hannah
Overall: 3.75/5
Overall plot: 3.75/5
Character development: 3.75/5
Pace: 3.75/5
World building: 3.75/5
Spice 🌶️: 2/5
Thank you, SL Hannah, for allowing me to be a part of your ARC team and read Baller ahead of its release date.
I’m a sucker for sports romances but even more so with volleyball cause I used to play. So I was super excited to read Baller.
Lena Griffin is a woman who thought she had it all - the glamorous job of a music producer, beautiful home she’s built with her husband of 10 years - until she didn’t. Nearly forty, her husband filed for divorce, her clients were going around her at every turn and not trusting her to bat for them and after trying for so long, no children.
Josh Ball is a 28 year old, hot pro beach volleyball player who happens to be in town for a tournament and bumps into Lena at a bar. Their chemistry and attraction to each other was instant and he was going to get her no matter what.
She thought it was going to be a fling with Josh, but he surprised her when she found him to be more grounded, kind and what she needed as she was finding her footing amidst the divorce. Would she risk it all so soon after her marriage ended? Would he be what she’s been looking for?
I personally love reverse age gap stories when the guy is mature beyond his age and grounds the woman, but I did find some of the aspects a little frustrating when there were times at work, she let people walk all over her when she’s supposed to be a boss lady, and when the non-communication, which I understand, the author needed a conflict but grrr… I also think it’s a personal thing when the FMC is do now and face the consequences later. At forty, most women aren’t like that so it didn’t feel as realistic, but that’s just my humble opinion.
If you love a insta-attraction, one night stand, sex first, feelings later, reverse age gap sports romance, this book is for you.
Tropes:
🎶 Starting Over
🏐 Sports Romance
🎶 Reverse Age Gap
🏐 One Night Stand
🎶 Sex First / Feelings later
September 1, 2025
Thank you to 1852media for providing me with an eArc.
Baller is out now!!!
Age gap romance lovers, this one’s for you!
Lena Griffin seems to have it all, nearing forty with a picture-perfect marriage and career, but life throws her into an unexpected divorce that leaves her needing a reset. Enter Josh: a 28-year-old pro volleyball player who’s not only swoony but also kind, grounded, and impossible to resist. What starts as a no-strings fling quickly turns into so much more.
I loved the sizzling chemistry between Lena and Josh (seriously, whew 🔥). I also appreciated that Lena was a powerhouse in her career within a male-dominated industry. Josh won me over with how open and genuine he was about his feelings for Lena (why can’t more heroes be like this?). My only wish? A POV from Josh to deepen his side of the story. Still, this romance had plenty of sweet, swoony moments…even if I did want to yell at Lena a few times for her choices.
This book is a perfect pick if you enjoy age-gap romances, strong heroines, and heroes who aren’t afraid to love loudly.
I will definitely be reading more from this author 🫶🏾
Baller is out now!!!
Age gap romance lovers, this one’s for you!
Lena Griffin seems to have it all, nearing forty with a picture-perfect marriage and career, but life throws her into an unexpected divorce that leaves her needing a reset. Enter Josh: a 28-year-old pro volleyball player who’s not only swoony but also kind, grounded, and impossible to resist. What starts as a no-strings fling quickly turns into so much more.
I loved the sizzling chemistry between Lena and Josh (seriously, whew 🔥). I also appreciated that Lena was a powerhouse in her career within a male-dominated industry. Josh won me over with how open and genuine he was about his feelings for Lena (why can’t more heroes be like this?). My only wish? A POV from Josh to deepen his side of the story. Still, this romance had plenty of sweet, swoony moments…even if I did want to yell at Lena a few times for her choices.
This book is a perfect pick if you enjoy age-gap romances, strong heroines, and heroes who aren’t afraid to love loudly.
I will definitely be reading more from this author 🫶🏾
August 18, 2025
Loved this book. 1st book by this author. Definitely won’t be the last. I highly recommend this one!
An age gap romance with an unexpected pregnancy. She’s 40 and getting divorced. He’s 28 and in the prime of his life. They meet at a bar. They live on opposite sides of the country. After, exchangeing numbers and staying in touch, he’s coming back to her town. They get together for an amazing weekend. Then he goes home.
She goes to his town for a business meeting. They get together for another wonderful weekend.
She discovers she’s 40 and pregnant. He’s not ready to be a father. She has always wanted to be a mother. But she’s 40 and in the middle of a divorce and a possible job change. It’s not an ideal time for a baby. But is there ever a good time?
Can their relationship withstand this test? Or will this be the end?
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
An age gap romance with an unexpected pregnancy. She’s 40 and getting divorced. He’s 28 and in the prime of his life. They meet at a bar. They live on opposite sides of the country. After, exchangeing numbers and staying in touch, he’s coming back to her town. They get together for an amazing weekend. Then he goes home.
She goes to his town for a business meeting. They get together for another wonderful weekend.
She discovers she’s 40 and pregnant. He’s not ready to be a father. She has always wanted to be a mother. But she’s 40 and in the middle of a divorce and a possible job change. It’s not an ideal time for a baby. But is there ever a good time?
Can their relationship withstand this test? Or will this be the end?
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 19, 2025
Lena Griffin seems to have it all. She's almost 40, A& R at ETrak Records, a beautiful house, married nine years and getting ready to celebrate her anniversary with her husband when he tells her he wants a divorce. Now she starts to question it all.
She goes out with her bestie to a bar where she meets Josh Ball. Josh is a Pro volleyball player and 28 years old. They exchange numbers only to find out they live on opposite sides of the US.
Josh and Lena keep in contact and hook up whenever they are in the same town. But she never tells him she is still married until he finds out. When he finds that out and something else it puts a damper on their relationship.
Where do they go from here?
3 stars
For me, I thought it was nothing more than hooking up whenever they were together and not much in the relationship department. Secrets were kept. And her job for being the boss lady, at times she got walked all over.
She goes out with her bestie to a bar where she meets Josh Ball. Josh is a Pro volleyball player and 28 years old. They exchange numbers only to find out they live on opposite sides of the US.
Josh and Lena keep in contact and hook up whenever they are in the same town. But she never tells him she is still married until he finds out. When he finds that out and something else it puts a damper on their relationship.
Where do they go from here?
3 stars
For me, I thought it was nothing more than hooking up whenever they were together and not much in the relationship department. Secrets were kept. And her job for being the boss lady, at times she got walked all over.
August 19, 2025
Baller is my first read from this author, and whew, this book delivers on all the delicious spice! Lena is breaking glass ceilings in the music business, but her marriage has suffered while her career has gone sky high, and is heading towards divorce. She meets Josh, who is 12 years younger than her when out with her bestie to commiserate, and the connection and chemistry is instant and passionate. The spice is extra spicing with Lena and Josh, but so is the angst and complications of everything going on in Lena's life. Baller has the drama, the besties, the banter, and all the passion you could ask for!
"Younger men definitely have a vibe that makes you feel like there's a whole new world of opportunities."
"Younger men definitely have a vibe that makes you feel like there's a whole new world of opportunities."
August 22, 2025
3.75 stars
When a successful, confident woman whose marriage has imploded meets a younger, athletic man, sparks fly, and a fling is in the offing. Lena and Josh find that hot and heavy can possibly lead to something more, though there will be some issues to overcome. I was a bit surprised at times when at work, Luna was not as strong as I thought she would be. She is good at her job, but the events leading to her divorce have had more of an impact on her confidence than shows initially. Brandon physical and mental withdrawal from their marriage comes with an emotional impact. Not just because of his request for the divorce, but because of their long struggle to have a family.
A good read, with some heat, but which could have seen more character development. I enjoyed it nonetheless 💖💖💖💖
When a successful, confident woman whose marriage has imploded meets a younger, athletic man, sparks fly, and a fling is in the offing. Lena and Josh find that hot and heavy can possibly lead to something more, though there will be some issues to overcome. I was a bit surprised at times when at work, Luna was not as strong as I thought she would be. She is good at her job, but the events leading to her divorce have had more of an impact on her confidence than shows initially. Brandon physical and mental withdrawal from their marriage comes with an emotional impact. Not just because of his request for the divorce, but because of their long struggle to have a family.
A good read, with some heat, but which could have seen more character development. I enjoyed it nonetheless 💖💖💖💖
August 19, 2025
Lena though she had everything she needed on life, until her life unravels, and she is divorced, and questioning everything she thought she knew. Josh is a pro volleyball player, and he fills a void in her heart she never thought she needed.
This is a good story, which is easy to read, with friendships, emotions, loss, tension, angst, drama, reverse age gap, humor, curveballs, complications, revelations, romance, undeniable chemistry, and love, which leads to an enjoyable and heartfelt page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this author whose work I recommend.
This is a good story, which is easy to read, with friendships, emotions, loss, tension, angst, drama, reverse age gap, humor, curveballs, complications, revelations, romance, undeniable chemistry, and love, which leads to an enjoyable and heartfelt page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this author whose work I recommend.
September 5, 2025
𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝...
𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒔' 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒... ɢɪɢɪ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ʙʀᴀɴᴅᴏɴs' 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒.
𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝐼 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑢 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑎 𝑃𝑂𝑉 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑'𝑡 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑱𝒐𝒔𝒉𝒔'!! 🤷🏻♀️
ᴵ ᴿᴱᶜᴱᴵᵛᴱᴰ ᴬᴺ ᴬᴿᶜ ᴼᶠ ᵀᴴᴵˢ ˢᵀᴼᴿᵞ ᴬᴺᴰ ᵀᴴᴵˢ ᴵˢ ᴹᵞ ᵛᴼᴸᵁᴺᵀᴬᴿᵞ ᴿᴱᵛᴵᴱᵂ.
𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒔' 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒... ɢɪɢɪ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ʙʀᴀɴᴅᴏɴs' 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒.
𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝐼 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑢 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑎 𝑃𝑂𝑉 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑'𝑡 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑱𝒐𝒔𝒉𝒔'!! 🤷🏻♀️
ᴵ ᴿᴱᶜᴱᴵᵛᴱᴰ ᴬᴺ ᴬᴿᶜ ᴼᶠ ᵀᴴᴵˢ ˢᵀᴼᴿᵞ ᴬᴺᴰ ᵀᴴᴵˢ ᴵˢ ᴹᵞ ᵛᴼᴸᵁᴺᵀᴬᴿᵞ ᴿᴱᵛᴵᴱᵂ.
July 23, 2025
Baller is a revelation. Hannah breaks through the barriers of romance with a haunting intensity. From sensual to sensitive, Lena and Josh take emotions on a tempestuous dance with heartache and romance.
August 18, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. Lena and Josh's romance is jam-packed with emotions and feelings. My heartstrings definitely got tugged on as these two engaged in a dance of desires and reservations. All in all, a very heartfelt read that had a raw genuineness to it.
August 22, 2025
Baller is my first read of this author. I was very intrigued when I read this description of this book. Lena is nearing 40 in matters of days, in cups of getting a divorce and drama at work. I love that she was boss lady. Loved everything about that, she is strong professional female in an industry domanted by men.When she decides to let loose her night changes for the better. Enter Josh 28 year old volleyball player. Lets say when they exchange number things change for the better. They have a fling of sorts and one thing leads to another. And the chemistry is off the charts. When push comes to shove when life throws you a curveball after cureball Lena needs to decide what is better for her. Will it be Josh? This had all the banter, steamy times and hard truths.
Arc provided for honest review.
Arc provided for honest review.
August 30, 2025
This was a love story of an older woman and a younger man. I enjoyed it with Josh's genuine caring for Lena even when he was frightened by the feeling. Lena's current situation was precarious with her feelings and thoughts, and Josh provided something that made her life a little brighter. A fun story, but for me, a little too much waffling back and forth, dragging it out a bit too much. Still worth the read.
I received a copy through 1852 Media, and this is my unsolicited review.
I received a copy through 1852 Media, and this is my unsolicited review.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews