Dan Alexander, Pitcher

First and Ten #2

by Jean C. Joachim, Isabelle Mercier (Translator)

Marre de femme le tromper, Dan Alexander, lanceur étoile pour le New York Nighthawks, est devenu agité. À la recherche de quelque chose de plus qu’une minette de bar, il s'est mis à zéro sur une fille dans les stands. Il ne s'attendait pas à voir une belle nana poussant des saucisses de Francfort. Mais la fille au hot dog semblait autant fumée que la nourriture qu'elle vendait.

Holly Merrill a trouvé un endroit pour se cacher à la vue plaine, en tant que vendeur au stade de Nighthawks. Gardant son secret en sécurité et simplement heureuse de rester en vie, elle n'a jamais envisagé trouver l'amour une option. Après tout, une mauvaise fille ne mérite pas un homme décent, n'est-ce pas?
En sortant de sa meilleure saison jamais, Dan est allé dans les séries éliminatoires, bien décidée à gagner le fanion et de jouer dans les Séries Mondiales. Mais pouvait-il maintenir son attention sur le terrain, où tout allait bien, alors que hors du terrain, tout s'effondrait?

Genres: Sports, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance, Contemporary, Baseball

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2017

About the author

I've been making up stories for as long as I can remember. When other kids wanted to be doctors, teachers or firemen, I wanted to be a writer.
As soon as I could read, I began devouring books. I'd read anything I could get my hands on, but Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" and Nancy Drew mysteries were early favorites.
In school, term papers were my favorite homework. While others bemoaned the amount of work involved, I jumped in, burying myself in research and writing the document with care.
Still fiction was my first love. After college and a degree in English, I fell into the world of advertising. After many years in corporate America, I went my own way. Working and raising two kids took all my energy and creativity. But when the youngest went off to school, all the stories ideas in my head came to life. Mac Caldwell and Callie Richards landed in my head and refused to leave. So I told their story. What started as one book has become six. Now I greet my characters every morning at six and jump back into their story, enjoying every minute. I'm blessed to be able to work at something I love. More than 70 books later, I'm still up at the crack of dawn, crafting the tales of the people who live in my head while nursing a cup of tea and a few pieces of black licorice.

Reviews

[Coco.V]

💝FREE on Amazon today (8/14/2018)!💝

Blurb:
Fed up with cheating women, Dan Alexander, star pitcher for the New York Nighthawks, grew restless. Searching for something more than a bar babe, he zeroed in on a girl in the stands. He never expected to see a beautiful chick pushing frankfurters. But the hot dog girl looked as smokin’ as the food she was selling.
Holly Merrill found a place to hide in plain sight, as a vendor at Nighthawks’ stadium. Keeping her secret safe and simply happy to stay alive, she never considered finding love an option. After all, a bad girl doesn’t deserve a decent guy, does she?
Coming off his best season ever, Dan went into the playoffs, hell bent on winning the pennant and playing in the World Series. But could he maintain his focus on the field, where everything was going right, when off the field everything was falling apart?

[Maranda Prigmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A whirlwind of events played out in this book. Of course it didn't disappoint. Holly is in witness protection. For what or why you will have to find out by reading. She decides to come out of hiding and runs smack dab into Dan Alexander. Holly wants more out of life and you can only do that by living it. He is the pitcher for the nighthawks. Something about Holly makes him want to know her. Will she allow him to get close or run scared? What secret is she hiding? Can she tame the sexy pitcher? But turn about is fair play. Can Dan make Holly see he needs her without making her leave? He also has to think of his teammates. Will they be in danger of her past or can true love find a way? Emotions run high in these pages making any lover of baseball or readibg flip the pages faster.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun baseball romance. Relatable characters like Dan makes Jean C. Joachim a must-read, at least for me. Perfect for baseball fans or someone looking for a summer read.

My Rating: 5 stars

[Allies Opinions · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing I want to say to anyone thinking about not reading this book due to its Baseball theme is….DON’T PASS THIS BOOK UP! It is fantastic! You don’t need to be into Baseball to enjoy the story. I am far from a Baseball fan and I couldn’t put this book down. Both Holly and Dan are compelling characters that will drive a spike into you with their authenticity.

One of my most favorite aspects of this story is how different Dan and Holly became who they are. Two completely different upbringings and yet Joachim expertly brings them together in such a believable way that I won’t be surprised if ballparks across America find themselves over-run with “hot dog girl” applications. There is even a review on Amazon from someone who is a hot dog vendor!

The story isn’t all romance. Joachim weaves a thrilling thread with Holly and her ties to a sketchy ex-boyfriend. Right from the first page, the hazardous and perilous life of Holly draws you in to her desperation and regret. While reading, I was constantly concerned for her safety. This book kept me on my toes in more than one way.

Beginning with the introduction of Dan, I felt an immediate kinship with him. Coming from a small town myself, his charm and authenticity really made me want better for him. While successful and incredibly talented, I loved how Joachim made him imperfectly real. He’s not the best there ever was. He’s not a Baseball prodigy. He’s a guy who is improving in many areas of his life. He’s like a regular guy who is growing and learning with each new experience life throws at him. He’s a guy you would be hard pressed not to like.

Since a good part of the secondary characters are single….I’m looking forward to future books exploring their lives and future (possible) loves!

I loved everything about this story. It’s sweet but tense. Thrilling and comforting. The best of both worlds. I highly recommend it.

To see my full review of this title and many others, check out my blog https://alliesopinions.wordpress.com/

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dan Alexander was my first book by Jean Joachim. It was a pleasant quick read. The chatacters and plot was done nicely. I liked the uniqueness of this books plot. I have not read a sports romance quite like this one before.

Holly Merrill was on the run from her past mistakes. Desperate to have a normal life even if its just a short time. Holly finda herself at the NightHawks stadium working as a Hot Dog girl. What better way to hide then in plain sight?

Dan Alexander was lead Pitcher for the NightHawks. Dan was getting tired of the same ol same ol of his love life. It's was a endless cycle of cheating women and lonely nights. That all changed when he caught sight of the stadiums newest employee.

If your looking for a book that doesn't lack the romance this is a good choice. It's sweet and tender with a side of baseball.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

this author is still one of the best i have read. her books are always captivating and have done drama in them. this fist book in s new series is no different. Jean is one amazing author and i am happy i have the privilege to read her books.
Dan is a star pitcher. He is looking for something better then just your normal woman. he is looking gift love. he meets someone who is selling food at the stadium. he knew she was different from the first time he saw her. he knew she had her secrets. but when he found them out it made him love her even more.
Holly is a woman on the run. she needed s place to hide. so she found herself selling hot dogs and then falling for a star pitcher. she wanted to keep her distance because she figured she would have to disappear. but love conquers everything. or so she hoped.
our characters had their ups and downs. they knew they loved each other and hoped that their time apart would prove that their love was strong enough. in the end their love was so strong that they got engaged.
these characters made you fall in love with them. they proved that there can be s happily ever after as long as they both feel the same way.
i totally love the last line of this book. it makes you want to know what happened and in suspense of what the characters are going to do next.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn on how to review this book. I generally really like Jean Joachim's work but this one fell flat for me. The storyline had great possibilities but the execution, in my opinion, was not the greatest. There were things that stuck out and I couldn't let them go... A big one for me was when I read, two different times, about a batter hitting the ball, running to the base, then taking off his batting helmet and putting on his cap...umm...no, its regulation that any offensive player on the field has to keep the batting helmet on at all times, even the base coaches have to wear helmets. I also didn't care for Holly referring to herself as a fugitive. Yes, I know the definition of fugitive in the noun form is a person who is fleeing, from prosecution, intolerable circumstances, etc.; a runaway. So yes, technically fugitive works, but I kept reading it as she was in the wrong, that she was fleeing prosecution which she wasn't. I felt the witness protection storyline was weak and inaccurate, I just didn't agree with how the system was portrayed, especially at the end. If he was indeed a member of the mob, I doubt she would be released as soon as he was sentenced and told she was free to go about her business as normal because I would think his associates would still want revenge on her.

Again, these are only my opinions and these things may not bother any other reader. Will this one book keep me from reading more from Jean or continuing this series, absolutely not.

[Sassy Beta Reading & Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved the First & Ten Series, you are going to love this series Bottom of the Ninth.

Jean does it again with this great book that introduces us to the team and Dan Alexander who is the Pitcher.

This story has introduced us to all the team members, which appear to be single, so that is going to lead to a lot of great books that I can not wait to be available. All of the characters are going to have great stories based on what information was given in this book. I can not wait to get all of the HEA's.

Great story line. It was well written and easily engaging. I couldn't help but to fall in love with Dan. He is a great character that I just couldn't help growing attached to. The dialogue between characters flowed nicely and was easy to follow. The descriptions to details were well written and not overpowering. Easy to visualize the happenings of the story.

All in all, a great read and I'm anxious to see what is going to happen next.

Would I recommend this book? Yes!

Would I read more from this author? Yes

Sassy Beta Reading & Review

[Julianne Redmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this first book in the Bottom of the Ninth series.

The story was different than anything I've read before. There is intrigue, suspense and romance all rolled into one story with baseball in the background. So much is going on but it is easy to follow. You won't be able to put it down until you know what happens next!

I loved both the hero and heroine. The female lead had to overcome a huge obstacle that I have of a pre-disposition to associating a certain type of person with that name. But I came to like her and her change from a spoiled brat troublemaker into a person who wanted to do the right thing no matter what it cost her. I was happy that she and Dan got along so well. Dan was just a GOOD GUY...something that you don't find much in romance novels. There is usually a "bad boy" air that a lot of heroes have around them. But he's just an average Joe, who happens to be a great pitcher. I like that he wasn't afraid to look beyond the bar bunnies to see Holly.

All in all it's a great read and even if you don't like baseball you will enjoy it.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've Always Wondered...

This story hit me in all the good places. You see, I'm a vendor at a ballpark. Yup, really. Funny enough, before I became a married woman I used to have this fantasy about a ballplayer and a worker falling in love. So, when I read the synopsis of this book, needless to say, I was giddy as heck. The fact that it was based in NYC...well, slap me silly and call me Yankee, I was thrilled...lol
I LOVED Dan and Holly. Dan, a pitcher, is the type of book boyfriend you have to love. Sweet, caring, athletic, not a manwhore. Holly, a Park Avenue socialite, now selling food, had a strength to her that she doesn't even realize she has in her. The two of them together were so cute and real. It was a true pleasure to follow them to their happiness.
As a baseball vendor, I appreciated the baseball aspect of the story, even though it wasn't true to form. The story was great. The dialogue flowed wonderfully. The banter between the players was AWESOME (poor Matt...lol). Just a really great read.
I cannot wait to see what comes next in this series!!!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new series about baseball players called Bottom of the Nineth. I am not sure when the last time I read a book or a series on baseball players. Well, once again, I loved the book. Well written. Great characters.

Dan is the pitcher for the New York Nighthawks. Holly Merrill needs to hide and she decides to hide in plain sight as a vendor selling hot dogs at the Nighthawks' stadium. Holly's life is messed up. The only thing she wants is to be safe. The only thing Dan wants is a girl that does not cheat on him when he is on the road. Will they get want they both want?

I can not wait to read Book #2.

☆☆☆☆☆
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa

[V.L. Locey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a home run for Jean Joachim's new baseball series!

After reading all of the author's First & Ten books, I knew that I'd be getting a great sports romance when I cracked open Dan Alexander. And I was right. As always the story was perfectly paced and engrossing. The leading man was incredibly attractive both in looks and personality and our leading lady was charming and believable. It's clear to me that Ms. Joachim knows her sport. You feel as if you're at the ball park, or seated behind home plate during the sports action scenes. And the bedroom scenes are smoky and sensual. I look forward to the next book in the series!

[SiKReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved Jean's football team, The Kings, you will fall fast for the Nighthawks.

Holly grew from a spoiled, naive, poor little rich girl, to a woman worthy of the title Heroine. She is brave, and has strength in her I wish I could have.

Dan, well he is hotter than the Sun at the Equator on the Summer Solstice! (See what I just did there? LOL) He had enough of the tom catting around that athletes tend to do and when he saw this Hot Dog Girl, he saw more than what she did for a living or the fact that she was stunning. He saw her spirit, and THAT is just drop dead gorgeous on an already hot guy.

Love the camaraderie of the team. I look forward to the rest of this series.

[Amy O'neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book. Dan and Holly are such a great couple.

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Terrorizzata dalla reazione del suo corpo nei confronti di quell’uomo attraente, deglutì e trovò una scusa per allontanarsi. Quando Nancy chiamò per la cena, emanò un respiro che non si era accorta di aver trattenuto. Non poté rifiutare il suo aiuto per alzarsi. La tirò su come se fosse una piuma. Era così forte che dovette tenersi forte per evitare di finirgli tra le braccia. Di certo, era passato molto tempo dall’ultima volta che era stata con un uomo, ma non era il momento migliore per farsi coinvolgere da qualcuno. E cosa sarebbe successo se avesse scoperto che era andata a letto con un gangster, anche se all’epoca non sapeva chi fosse Flash? Sentì un rapido brivido. No, non sarebbe stato bello, e lei sarebbe finita col cuore spezzato. Tuttavia c’era qualcosa di così a modo, di così normale e sano in Dan. Sembrava un bravo ragazzo. Impaurita di credere ai propri istinti, non si era avvicinata a nessuno oltre a Jory e altri pochi amici a Pine Grove. A Nancy e a Bud piaceva Dan, e anche a Lisa. Attirava Holly come un magnete attira il metallo. Resistere non sarebbe stato facile, ma doveva provarci… no?"

Holly è nata in una famiglia ricchissima. Figlia unica, ha avuto tutto ciò che poteva desiderare dal punto di vista materiale, ma ben poco amore. La sua adolescenza è stata una continua ribellione, ma l’ha pagata molto cara innamorandosi di un uomo che la colmava di premure e regali dandole l’impressione di amarla. Ha avuto un brusco risveglio la sera in cui una ragazza, nel bagno di un locale, le ha aperto gli occhi sul vero lavoro del fidanzato, Flash Kincaid. Intenzionata ad andarsene e tornare a casa, Holly quella sera vede qualcosa che la mette in una situazione molto pericolosa.

Da più di un anno vive nascosta dal programma testimoni e il processo si sta avvicinando, ma qualcuno ha rivelato agli uomini di Flash dove si trova. Costretta a scappare, e non fidandosi più degli agenti del procuratore, con l’aiuto della sua amica Jory, trova un nuovo posto dove, per l’ennesima volta, cambia vita e nome.

Così si ritrova a New York, nello stadio dei Nighthawks, una squadra di baseball, a vendere hot dog, e si scontra con uno dei migliori lanciatori della squadra, Dan Alexander. Il campione rimane colpito da Holly, intuisce che ha un segreto ed è attratto fortemente da lei, ma ha da tempo una relazione con Valerie, che non ha mai tradito nonostante le occasioni. Proprio il comportamento disonesto tenuto da Valerie permette a Dan e Holly di cominciare a frequentarsi. Innamorarsi è facile per entrambi, ma la spada di Damocle che sovrasta la giovane non le consente di aspirare al lieto fine, deve prima chiudere completamente i conti con il passato.

Dopo averci portato nel mondo di una squadra di football e averci fatto amare i suoi componenti, Jean Joachim ci introduce nello spogliatoio di una squadra di baseball, i Nighthawks, di cui ci fa conoscere i componenti. Assistiamo alle prese in giro, ai discorsi maschilisti ma simpatici di questi ragazzi e pian piano ne scopriamo i caratteri, grazie alle loro storie personali.

Devo ammettere che la difficoltà maggiore della lettura l’ho riscontrata nelle numerose pagine in cui si disputa una partita: è uno sport che ho visto praticare solo in qualche film, con regole che mi sono incomprensibili, e perciò ho faticato a immaginare l’azione. Nonostante questo, è comunque un libro che si legge in modo scorrevole, i personaggi sono ben caratterizzati, la figura di Holly in particolar modo: una ragazza ricca e viziata che si rende conto di ciò che ha perso troppo tardi, ma che capisce anche che essersi ritrovata sola, aver dovuto provvedere a se stessa, l’ha resa più matura e critica nei confronti di quel mondo ricco e patinato in cui c’è poco amore. Soffre quando intuisce che i suoi genitori sono disposti a pagare purché ritorni solo dopo che lo scandalo del processo sarà dimenticato; soffre perché sua madre è disperata, non per il pericolo che corre, ma perché è stata allontanata da comitati di beneficenza dopo che i giornali hanno dato la notizia. Fortunatamente, dopo tanti sbagli, sulla sua strada incontra Dan che, anche se ricco e famoso, è il classico bravo ragazzo, un po’ stufo di donne che lo ricercano per la sua fama e il suo denaro, capace di riconoscere un sentimento sincero. Dan è pronto a impegnarsi in un rapporto serio, disposto ad aspettare che Holly sistemi l’ingarbugliata situazione in cui si trova.

Romantico, scorrevole, è una di quelle letture che intrattengono piacevolmente e il tutto risulta ben confezionato. Ancora una volta Joachim riesce a regalare un pomeriggio rilassante in compagnia di una storia d’amore, insegnandoci nel frattempo qualcosa su uno sport da noi poco praticato, ma indubbiamente interessante.

Lucia63 - per RFS

[Niki Driscoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Ms. Joachim and was excited to see she was starting a new series. If you have not had the privilege of reading anything from this author ( shame on you), I would suggest you get started. Each new story and series draws you into these captivating worlds, creating characters that you can't help but fall in love with. I love that we get to see things from the players point of view, Dan is at the top of his game, famous, has money, good looks but wants someone who sees him, not what he can give them. Holly was spoiled, had money, made a bad life choice and now is hiding for her life. While not an ideal situation, it allowed her to remove her blinders and become a better person. The romance between the two characters was fun, interesting and I loved the Hot dog girl/famous pitcher angle. I thought it was well written, well thought out, easy to follow and engaging right up to the last page. We are introduced to a slew of new interesting characters I am sure we will see again leaving the reader eager to continue to get to know the Knighthawks better.
I volunteered to review this story for my honest opinion and I think this author just hit another homerun.

[Sabrina (Soter) Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Quando era stato colpito dall'amore? Lo sfuggente lanciatore aveva giocato a dodgeball con Cupido per tutta la sua vita. Alla fine, la sua freccia aveva lasciato il segno sorrise tra sé."

Tre stelline stiracchiate per una serie che mi ha lasciato più perplessa che delusa (anche perché visti i punteggi altissimi mi aspettavo minimo di fare nottata a leggere! XD). Di base alcuni comportamenti dei personaggi mi hanno lasciata perplessa (devo ancora capire sto disprezzo per le povere ragazze che vendono hot dog... mica sono prostitute XD) e non credo sia interessante per il lettore le descrizioni di ogni partita piene di termini tecnici e nomi di ogni giocatore (a volte chiamati per nome e cognome, altre solo per nome, altre solo per cognome...) che creano un caos incredibile sopratutto per chi, come me, non conosce il gioco XD.... ma il VERO problema è l'edizione italiana, atroce a dir poco. Non dico che sia stata tradotta con Google translate ma poco ci manca! D: Sopratutto la prima metà è piena zeppa di errori di ogni genere e più volte mi sono trovata a dover rileggere le frasi per cavarne un senso....lei che diventano lui, nomi sbagliati, articoli mancanti, tempi verbali sballati, punteggiatura a caso, dal lei al tu e viceversa... insomma un marasma tale che ha pesantemente influenzato una storia che probabilmente in lingua originale è super! Spero che la casa editrice abbia aggiustato il tiro con i successivi della serie perché credo l'autrice meriti!

[Julianne Macneil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as part of an arc program. I really enjoyed this story about a pro baseball pitcher named Dan Alexander. Dan was trying to decide if he wanted to try and find a girlfriend he could have more with or if all women were cheaters. When Dan found his latest girlfriend cheating, he really didn't know if a committed relationship was worth it. But then he saw the new hot dog girl and he wants to know more about her. Holly was hiding in plain sight after she was found in the witness protection program. Holly asked her friend for help and his grandmother got her a job as a hot dog girl in New York. Holly thinks she can do that and keep hiding until the trial comes for her ex-boyfriend and she can testify. She is not interested in a relationship, but Dan is determined. I really liked this book, I really liked Dan. He was a good guy who had some bad experiences. Holly was a little naïve in her past life as a rich spoiled brat. Holly learned what is important in life and Dan showed she was worth more than she thought. Good one.

[Stephenee · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I LOVE baseball - like really love it, mourn it in Winter and Opening Day is a holiday love it! I try to read books about baseball and usually they are a great way to spend the time when a game isn't on. I wanted to love this book, I wanted to have a whole series to look forward to reading, unfortunately this book isn't all that I had hoped it would be.

Some of the terms were really off, some of the things that the players did made no sense and there were more than a few spelling, grammar and punctuation errors throughout the book. I also wanted less romance and more baseball...and the main character, Dan, actually never pitches to the 9th inning...

Holly was a character that I couldn't relate well to. I didn't like her personality and I just didn't think that Dan would be her type. There were a few plot flow problems, that seemed to flub up the reader's flow, but I did finish the book and maybe one day later on I will try one of the more recently written books to see if they have improved. Not the best, but not the worst!

[Michele McMullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dan and Holly are thrown together by chance. This is the first book in a series following the men on a league baseball team.
Dan Alexander is the team pitcher. He has grown tired of dating groupies and cheaters. He is looking for a gal with substance , someone that he may be able to build a relationship with and not worry about her sneaking around with the other players. He isn't sure how to go about this since they are always on the road or on the field but she appears right in front of him in the stands. Holly Merill needs to stay out of sight. She has secrets , what better place than right in the stands of a baseball team filled with thousands of faces. Getting a job as a vendor and keeping low was working well until she caught the eye of the team pitcher Dan. She believes that she is underserving of his admiration and a chance at a normal life but Dan is willing to try to work to change her mind!
A great start to the series!!!
~~Michele McMullen ~~

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love baseball, so it was great to read about the games, but the mistakes were irritating. Batter gets on first, then takes off his helmet. No, they have to keep them on. Second batter bunts. In the first inning with no outs? No. Third batter intentionally walked. Again, in the first inning with one guy on base? No. Fourth batter, Dan says "He's either gonna be the hero or the GOAT." What? Don't those mean the same thing? So confused. He hits the ball, everyone runs. With no outs? No, you only run on contact when there are two outs. Anyway, it ends up being a three run homerun. Then the next two batters strike out, and they start the second inning with a four run lead. No, they only had three runs! Oh, boy. Later on, there are two guys on base and the batter hits a two run homer. Huh. The author has some obsession with bunting, but in reality they are not very common. And pitchers don't normally pitch the entire game. 5 to 7 innings at the most.

[Teresa Christianson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy and am voluntarily leaving a review

This is a great story of how love can get you through all kinds of things. Dan could have left Holly when he found out that she was on the run and about her bad choices that caused her to run. He also didn't have to be beside her when she testified or stay true to her when she had to go into witness protection and no one knew how long it would be but he did. He stayed faithful to her because he loved her and she loved him and stayed true and faithful to him. Will they ever be able to be together again? Will other women tempt Dan to cheat on the one that he truly loves? What happens when Holly is finally able to leave witness protection for good?

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book! I came into this series on Skip and fell in love with the characters. I read a few other books and fell in love with the team. I decided I HAD to start at the beginning and boy I am glad that I did. This book was awesome. What a plot! I stayed up unto 2 in the morning as I couldn't put the book down. Oh I felt for these two so much. Ms. Joachim put them through the wringer here. This story will enrapture you. The flow is smooth like a movie being played. It is not overly descriptive so the reader can total focus on the scene being played out. I highly recommend this story to anyone.

[Christina Montminy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first time reading Jean Joachim was wonderful. She weaves a great story of romance, mild suspense & heartbreak. The characters of Dan & Holly were well written, strong & believable. The author brings us on a tale of witness protection, hiding in plain sight, surprise love & dogged determination to win at any cost. I enjoyed the band of characters that surrounded Dan & the wonderful family that took Holly in when she was turned away by her own uncaring parents. I can't wait to read more in this series, as well as other books by this author. Definitely recommend.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Baseball. The all American Star. And a girl on the run. For her life. Holly is going to have to take steps to take care of herself though, she's been found. Deciding to go hide in plain sight, she gets a part time job as a Hot Dog Girl at the stadium. All American Baseball Pitcher enters, and the fireworks never stop for them. Add in a some suspense on why Holly is hiding and what's going to happen to her, a whole lot of romance, some meddling from friends and you've got yourself a quick, fun read in the dugout.

[Carole Mckee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

I really enjoyed reading this. Being a fan of most sports, I always like reading stories involving them. But this story is .It's than just baseball and romance. There is some intrigue and excitement involved as well. Holly is hiding from the mob since she agreed to testify against her former boyfriend, a gangster in the mob. Dan Anderson is a star manor league baseball pitcher. When they meet there is instant chemistry. But can their relationship survive her testimony and a witness protection plan? I couldn't put this one down. Great job.

[Rose Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved the character, especially Holly. She made mistakes, but she wanted to do the right thing and testify against her ex. Dan was a hard working pitcher, dedicated to his sport, he and Holly just clicked. I also loved Bud and his wife, they rocked. Only three stars because even though there was a proofreader and editor credited, there were still a good many errors. Good read, would read more if asked

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book

I wish i could give this well written book more than 5 stars. This book is about a baseball player , a special women a truly wonderful story of love. This book has wonderful characters . A story line that has your emotions rocketing from page to page. Love is hard but having to over come certain things and waiting can be a test of time. Join Dan and Holly as they discover how much time it takes to have true love.
Cant wait to read more in this series

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun romantic story. The characters are charming and likable, and the storyline is interesting. It captured my attention and hekd it until the very end. I highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Candid Book Reviews. This is my voluntary and honest opinion of it.

[Pcch2345 · Rating 4 out of 5]

good baseball romance book...the storyline is very interesting an i liked the characters too; and though i'm not really a sports fan and know almost nothing about baseball, i enjoyed reading the book and even the sporting bits had my attention...i will check out more sports related books for sure now...i received this book on a sport romance promotion last year via instafreebie!