I’ve thrown some curveballs in my life, but none hit as hard as my one night stand showing up, telling me she’s pregnant.
After losing my parents and spending eight years being “bro-dad” to my younger siblings, I’m ready for the chance to focus on myself again. And that starts with getting back on the baseball field, playing for the Cedar Creek Thunder.
But I didn’t count on Sage McCallister, the gorgeous brunette who made me laugh with just one line, showing up in my small town, half a country away from where we met. We had one unforgettable night two months ago, and now she’s pregnant.
With my baby.
She's fiercely independent, and expects nothing from me, but there's no chance I'm walking away from the woman I can’t stop thinking about, or my unborn child.
Now she’s staying in my apartment, and even if she thinks it’s only temporary, I’ll stop at nothing to prove to her that what we have is more than just a joint responsibility for the child growing inside of her.
We’ve both lost too much to believe in fairy tales, but somehow, we’ve found each other. She’s not just carrying our baby, she’s carrying the future we both deserve.
Oh, this book was such a swoony book. I fell in love with the characters right from the get-go. Julia crushed the accidental pregnancy trope. It was a perfect balance of focus on the pregnancy, but also focussing on who they are as a couple and how they grow as a couple. The pacing was fantastic. All of the extra characters were so loveable and funny.
This book took really big conversations about grief, abortions, guardianship of siblings, and learning how to trust people and took all of these huge, tough conversations and seamlessly brought them into the book. The grief that was talked about in the book didn’t feel surface level. You could feel the characters feelings about their past trauma, and really understand how it was impacting them and their actions now. I really appreciated how this book really had a conversation about women’s right to choose. It wasn’t an instant oh I’m pregnant, so I have to have a baby. It was oh I know that I have a choice and I can choose to do what I want because it is my body. I’ve seen it done really well a couple of times and this book joins that grouping of easy realistic conversations about abortions and pregnancy.
I absolutely loved the main characters in this book. They’re both so vulnerable and learning to be self-aware about how those deep emotional moments of their life impact how they act and their actions now. The MMC was the absolute golden retriever, perfect man. The way that he watched the little details of her life and made sure that he checked in with himself when he was hesitating or uncertain about moments that he might regret. That showed such emotional intelligence in a man that I’ve simply never read before. This book left me wanting more. I purposefully stopped reading for the last 30 minutes of the book because I didn’t want it to end.
I was able to listen to the audiobook version of this book. And the narrators did such a great job at bringing this book to life. How they spoke the story really made the story very vivid for me. It was easy to visualize the scenes that were happening and how they used tone of voice to portray different emotions without having to comment on what they were,,I really enjoyed that.
Overall, Julia smashed it again. Not that I’m surprised because she continues to write these raw, heartfelt, dig your claws into you and make you finish that book in one sitting kind of book.
An emotional one stand to accidental pregnancy co-parenting love story that has two complete strangers getting ready for the birth of their baby. Accidental pregnancy is a hard trope to get right but Julia Jarrett navigated all the uncertainties of a first pregnancy so well. I loved getting to see the main characters, Brady and Sage grow closer, become friends and then more as the pregnancy progresses from conception to birth.
There was close friendships, cute nicknames, twin siblings the MMC had to raise on his own and a fun baseball minors to majors journey for him as a talented pitcher. Excellent on audio with duet narration by Andi Eloise and Brandon Francis - two new to me narrators. Many thanks to the author for an ALC in exchange for my honest review! Perfect for fans of authors like Helena Hunting.
Where to start with Brady and Sage… ugh they were EVERYTHING. I loved this book from start to finish, and I felt every single emotion out there. I am a reader who loved to be connected to the characters, and boy do you feel that in this book. It felt like I was going through everything they were.
Sage was timid with Brady to start (understandable due to her past) and Brady was all in and ready to prove it as much as Sage needed. I loved their relationship and all their quirky random facts. They were truly made for one another, and I just adored their story.
I loved that there was baseball on screen, but also Sage being a nurse and their home lives. It felt like every aspect of their life was included and not pushed off to the side. I was completely immersed in the book.
Thank you to Julia times a million for continuing to send me ARCs 💜💜
Baseball player MMC Nurse FMC One night stand No 3rd act break up Dual POV - 1st person
Duet narration - Andi Eloise & Brandon Francis Such fantastic narrators. They are both fabulous to listen to.
Sage is a traveling nurse dealing with some lingering grief after her mom passed away. Looking forward to her next adventure in Nursing taking her to England, she is out with friends when she meets one darn good looking man. Why not have a little fun right? Sage & Brady spend one fantastic night together that changes the course of their future.
Brady is finally getting to live his dream of playing baseball after his twin siblings are 18 and at college. He is such a great character to read. Pure golden retriever energy with a dirty mouth and we love it. What he does not plan for is a shocking announcement from Sage when he finds her in his new city by coincidence.
I loved this story so much. Julis Jarret writes sweet & loveable characters that you root for from the start of the book. It is well paced and plotted. I love a good sports romance and this one was so good.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ .5 almost perfect! really loved the story, but maybe a minor issue pulling it back or less emotional pull 🌶️🌶️: mild spice, around 2 to 4 scenes, still tame sex scenes with a slight touch of kink and still romance focused
brady is ready to focus on himself after years of raising his younger siblings and returning to baseball with the cedar creek thunder, but everything changes when sage mccallister, the woman from his unforgettable one night stand, arrives in town carrying his baby. despite sage’s determination to handle things alone, brady refuses to walk away from either her or their future together. as they navigate unexpected parenthood and growing feelings while living under the same roof, brady becomes determined to prove that what started as one night could become the family they both never thought they deserved.
i absolutely loved this book and it was perfectly balanced between romance and personal growth. there was grief, trust, and choice, which all felt handled with a lot of care instead of just being thrown in for drama. brady was honestly such a standout mmc for me, sweet, attentive, emotionally aware, but still with that playful charm that made him impossible not to love. sage was such a strong fmc even after everything she went through. they were just so stinking sweet. the pacing kept me invested the entire time and i genuinely didn’t want it to end. the audiobook also really elevated the experience and made the emotional moments hit even harder.
tropes: sports romance (baseball), accidental pregnancy, roommates, one night stand triggers: grief, loss of parents
Here are all the reasons you need to read The Curve Ball!!
1. The tropes! They are some of my favorites! You get an accidental pregnancy, one night stand, forced proximity, baseball, small town romance!
2. The main characters! I loved them!! Brady is such a great guy! From the very beginning I knew I was going to like him! He is definitely book boyfriend material! I loved Sage too! She is a bit guarded but I liked her immediately as well!
3. The story! I was hooked immediately! It was fast paced and a true one sit read for me! I didn’t even notice the time passing by! It is definitely one of those books that when it’s over you feel a bit bummed that it is over!
4. This one is for my audio/immersive readers! The narrators were fantastic! They took an already great story and took it up a notch! They brought this story to life for me! It really played out like a movie in my mind!!!
5. The feels! I found myself laughing during parts of this book!! The side characters brought a lot of humor to the book as well as the main characters!!
Overall I really enjoyed this one and I definitely recommend it!!
I was given an ARC copy of The Curveball for my honest opinion.
This book follows Sage and Brady
Sage and Brady shared an amazing one-night stand, during which they decided not to use their last names. They both were moving on to the next step in their lives. Sage is a travelling nurse and was moving to the next location and Brady was back to playing baseball. It was to be just one night. Shortly after Sage finds out she is pregnant. What is she to do when she only knew the father’s name was Brady?
This book gives you all the feels. The relationship Brady has with his younger twin siblings was very emotional. The growth Sage did in the book is amazing. She is used to being alone doing things herself now she has Brady who will bend over backwards for her
Tropes Baseball romance forced proximity accidental pregnancy Small town romance One night stand
🌶🌶 /5 on the spicy scale but the spice in the book was well written
If you love green flags, baseball romances, and the surprise pregnancy trope, then this book will be a home run for you.
After a one night stand, fate throws Brady and Sage together as they find themselves staring down parenthood. Both have faced parental loss in their youth, so being active, caring parents is a top priority for both of them. With her past, Sage in particular is wary of their romantic connection; she is scared to lose someone important to her again. Brady takes on that challenge by being a cinnamon roll. He is super endearing and is there for Sage no matter what she is feeling. I think Jarrett thought to herself while writing, “what is the perfect thing for a man to do at every stage of pregnancy” and voila Brady was conceived 😉
This is low angst and is just an all-around sweet read.
I received an ARC directly from the author. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
Oh my! There's one big green flag named Brady in this book! One of the sweetest persons I've ever came across in a book and he's here! A one night stand turns out the very best suprise for Brady and Sage. Can I say I loved Fiona, Sage's friend for some great advice and supporting her wherever she needed it! Sage, a woman traveling all around the globe, has to believe she's pregnant with her one night stand of 2 months ago. All stars are aligned when Brady and Sage meet again in a supermarket of all places. Sage is really into her head of losing people she loves, but Brady, the green flag he is, is doing everything to keep her. Love the banter between Brady and his siblings, the love they have for eachother. Brady finally feels at home at his job as well. This is such a small town, baseball, great lovestory to read. No 3rd act breakup and loooooove it! This is just reading for your enjoyment with absolute 5 stars! Enjoy!
This is the perfect story for these times! A man who not only steps up to take responsibility for his siblings after his parents pass away, but one who, when the unexpected happens, is truly invested in both his baby momma and the baby!
With his sister and brother now in college, Brady is working at reigniting his baseball career…no easy feat.
Sage has enjoyed being a traveling nurse since graduating from nursing school. Her mother has passed and she doesn’t know her father so the traveling lifestyle suits her.
Then life throws Brady and Sage a curveball.
Brady being Brady, he wants to be involved and be a part of both Sage and their child’s life. Sage, however, has serious trust issues.
Can Sage accept that Brady is fully onboard with their baby…and with her?
A wonderful and touching story! Brady’s sister and brother are so sweet and Sage’s best friend, Fiona, is just the kind of best friend Sage needs!
Gah! All the family found vibes in this one. Brady is a walking, talking hunk of a green flag, with not one single misstep or faulter despite the surprise of seeing Sage again after a ONS a few months ago. Sage is the most beautiful and bravest soul, so many would pick the easy route and not hunt down their ONS, but not Sage, it was absolute fate that she walked right back into Bradys arms. Both so strong to confront their fears together, loved the whole feel of this book - family was EVERYTHING, and not just immediate family, but their family found, Fiona, the team, everyone. Great to be back in Cedar Creek and their little baseball family!
I voluntarily reviewed a free advance copy of this book provided by the author. The opinions expressed are my own.
This was such a swoony, addictive read—I was hooked right from the start and honestly didn’t want to stop listening. The audio was so well done and made it super easy to fly through. The pacing was fast in the best way, where you’re constantly wanting “just one more chapter.”
I am a sucker for an accidental pregnancy trope, I love how they deal with balancing the real-life weight of it all with the growth of their relationship. Very well written. And Brady… top-tier book boyfriend. So caring, so swoony, just everything you want.
I also loved how it touched on heavier topics like grief, trauma, and choice in a way that felt natural and never overwhelming. It had depth but still kept that lighter, emotional, easy-to-read feel. Just such a good mix of heart, heat, and realness.
ARC & ALC Review 📖 🎧 The Curveball The Cedar Creek Thunder Book 2 Written by Julia Jarrett
The playful banter between them is too cute, I love them too much, the random facts they share with each other. Brady and Sage have a strong connection and a great one night stand together. I love when the man can't stop thinking about the women after one night stand. Brady is the perfect book boyfriend; he is willing to support Sage when he finds out that she is pregnant with his baby. I ate their story up! I'm swooning over this man and his nicknames for her.
🩷Accidental Pregnancy ⚾Forced Proximity 🍼 One Night Stand 🩷Cinnamon Bun Hero ⚾Baseball Romance 🍼Opposites Attract 🩷Small-town ⚾Nurse x Baseball Pitcher
Brady made this entirely worth all the worry and stress and fear that Sage endured. Truly. She’s so scared of how he’ll react, and instead he proves from the start that he’s all in. He’s here, he’s not leaving, and will be anything that Sage allows him to be in her life.
Sage takes some time to align her head and heart because she’s been through a lot, but trust me when I say that Brady isn’t joking when he swears to be whatever Sage needs. And when he freezes and worries that he’s ruined it all, Sage is there to assure him he hasn’t. Just as he is Sage’s rock, she is Brady’s. And while it may not be a conventional start to forever, it works perfectly for these two…or, three.
Five-ever … that’s how much I loved this book!! Thank you so much for this ARC🫶🏼After having read The Game Changer as an ARC, I was so looking forward to Brady’s (Dixie) story & it was an absolute winner. Brody is one, ginormous green flag who was all in with Sage from the get go 🥰 Such great communication, care, support & growth in their relationship & not a 3rd act breakup in sight! 🙌🏼🙌🏼 Loved it!! ❤️
“I realise we barely know each other, and now we’ve been put together in a crazy situation. But I want to know you. Even if there wasn’t a baby involved. I’d still want to get to know you.”
4⭐3🌶️ Standalone #2 Cedar Creek Thunder series 🇨🇦 Author, setting, and characters Sage and Brady A lovely story that's sweet, spicy, and funny, with little to no angst. Brady is all the green flags. The best ONS turned baby daddy a girl could ever wish for.Sage takes longer to come around, but thankfully she does. Love Fi and the twins.
my favorite trope, a new favorite author, and two characters making me absolutely AGONIZE over how obsessed they are with each other until they finally admit it😇
LOVED Sage and Brady. No notes. Seriously, my head is empty. I just love them so much.