Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love

To Love a Sportsman #1

by Pamela Q. Fernandes

English cricket captain, Mathew Anderson is a star, both on and off the pitch. But a smart, mouthy teacher just might be the one to make him see that he’s only a man.

Mathew has enjoyed the life as a cricket superstar. With fame, fortune, adoration, and a beautiful girlfriend that comes with the territory. Until he’s been accused of domestic abuse and he’s arrested. Now, Mathew is very careful about the people he surrounds himself with. Especially women. Then Rose Cavendish tweets him and he can’t help but get bowled by her simplicity, honesty, and grit.

As a teacher surviving a vicious break-up, the last thing Rose needs is a man holding sway over her life. Rose knows she’s way out of her league getting involved with the red-haired English skipper. Even though Mathew is kind and a perfect gentleman, she doesn’t know that he hates being kept in the dark. All she knows is that she has fielded before in this game of love and lost big. She doesn’t intend to do that again.

But when Mathew plays an inning, he only plays to win. And when he gets a second chance, he’s going to play an inning of a lifetime to win Rose back.

284 pages, Paperback

Published April 30, 2019

About the author

Pamela Q. Fernandes is an author, doctor and medical writer. Born and raised in Kuwait, Pamela writes sweet romances, romantic suspense & women's fiction.
For listeners of her "Christian Circle" podcast, she's penned "Ten Reminder" series.
She loves to bake, jive, and play the keyboard!
https://www.pamelaqfernandes.com/

To know what Pamela will be publishing next: Join her mailing list:
https://goo.gl/sWS95Q

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It all started with a Tweet, a rather nasty tweet from Rose Cavendish and English cricket captain, Mathew Anderson can do nothing less than step up and accept the challenge. Two people, both having felt the burn of relationships gone bad, both wary, but only one on a mission to prove he isn’t the monster the press has made him out to be. Too bad Rose has too many secrets, told a few lies and hasn’t been completely honest with Mathew. Besides being the biggest mistake she has ever made, it also becomes a turning point in her life. But is life worth living without the handsome star? Is Mathew really out of her league?

When everything snowballs and they must live a lie for the public, two egos will clash, two hearts will break and only the truth (told in private) can set them free or bind them to each other forever.

Pamela Q. Fernandes’s BOWLED is a fresh, wonderful and romantic start to a new series centered around sports figures where the passion can be felt, understood, but not thrown in our faces page after page! Rose is a real life heroine, just a regular girl with a damaged heart, tentative to start over and feeling overwhelmed by the brightness of Mathew’s public star. Mathew is so much more than what his “star” status or his public wants to see, kind of like the “truth behind the legend!”

Lots of miscommunications, missteps and moments of awkward humor and attitude! Pamela Q. Fernandes has done a remarkable job of creating heart-stopping, contemporary romance!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Pamela Q. Fernandes!

Series: To Love a Sportsman - Book 1
Publisher: TouchPoint Press (April 30, 2019)
Publication Date: April 30, 2019
Genre: Sports Romance
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Gina Rae Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love is book 1 of the To Love a Sportsman series by Pamela Fernandes.

If you love the game of Cricket and romance stories, grab a copy of this book today. It has everything you desire in a sports-themed romance story. I have zero knowledge of cricket, so I admit to being a bit lost with the terminology and rules of the game. However, the essential romance of the book held my attention and carried me through to the end.

The characters are a mixed bag for me. I fluctuated between understanding them and wanting to shake them. Both the main characters are quick to jump to the wrong conclusion. The best friends are both strong enough to carry their own stories. Multiple villains give you plenty of chances to root for their comeuppance.

The story is quick to read and nicely fills an evening with sports, romance, and drama.

Content warnings: physical and mental abuse, death.

My rating: 3.5 of 5
The underlying story was entertaining and enjoyable. The pace seemed to slow through the middle of the book. I would have liked to see the consequences of several character’s actions brought to the forefront.

I received a review copy of the book. The review is my honest, unbiased opinion,

[Rachel - Read with Rach · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Pamela Q. Fernandes and I really enjoyed her writing style. This story about Rose, a teacher, and Mathew, a cricket captain, is told in third person dual-POV. I liked reading both main characters' perspectives. I really wanted to root for the characters' relationship but it was kind of hard to follow. I really enjoyed the first third of the book where Rose was in New York staying with Mathew. While some of her actions/choices were questionable, this portion of the book seemed believable. Once they left New York the story and time frame were difficult to follow. I am still not totally sure the length of time the story spanned.

Overall I enjoyed the writing style of Fernandes, but found the story to be a bit challenging to follow.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love (To Love a Sportsman Book 1) by Pamela Q. Fernandes is a sweet sports romance story. The plot was solid and it was easy to read and I read it in one sitting. There were times I wanted to shake the characters, for smart people they would do stupid things or be in the wrong circumstance and because of this it frustrated me no end. I wanted to yell at them to wisen up.

Rose decided to cross the continent and follow her heart but what she found was someone who was a nasty human being. On the plus side she found someone who may just fill her heart.

Matthew is still reeling from his last relationship and how he is perceived in the limelight. But when one sassy beautiful woman comes to stay, he can’t help but hope for more.

I enjoy Pamela’s books and look forward to more.  

[Susan Lister · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I'ma sucker for sport romances, not just because I love sports but adding in my two loves just does it for me. This is a new author for me and sports romance and it did not disappoint. I stayed up so late reading this. I had no care in the world in losing the sleep!

This is a story of 2 people living the horrid burn of a bad relationships. Matthew and Rose are timid of this relationship that blooms but the chemistry was undeniable and so believable. this whole book felt so real!

I loved this book so much I'm dying to get into book 2!

[Ashlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, quick read. I liked the push and pull between the main characters and I definitely came to like a few of the side characters that I'm hoping will get their own stories told in the future.

[Michelle Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love was a great 5 star read and book one in the To Love a Sportsman series. I was pulled in right from the beginning.

This is Rose and Mathew’s story. These two originally meet with Rose tweets something that challenges Mathew. Mathew steps up and accepts the challenge.

Rose goes to New York to see her boyfriend, when she sees him he is absolutely horrible to her. She ends up with some bruises inside and out and is confused as to why he’s acting like this.

Rose is staying at Mathew’s home in New York, Mathew can tell something isn’t right. There is something about her that draws him in and he wants more with her. He tries to cheer her up by taking her out on the town and showing her New York. Just when you think things are going great a huge twist is thrown in and everything goes south quickly. Mathew feels lied to once again by a woman and quickly pushes Rose away. He was terrible to her, my heart broke during this scene.

Rose did everything she could to keep herself busy and her mind off of Mathew, she finished her education and became a part of an election team with the goal of a possible chair on the ministry of education. What she doesn’t realize is that Mathew has been keeping tabs on her.

There is so much more to this story. It was so back and forth I didn’t know how to feel at times.
My emotions were all over the place anger, hurt and LOL Pamela Q. Fernandes has a great writing style that I really enjoy. You feel like your right there with the characters. All of the secondary characters added a great element to the story and I hope to see more from some of them. If you're looking for a read that throws you twists and turns this is the read for you. I look forward to reading more from this author and series.

[Karyn Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing The Yorker Of Love is the first book in the To Love A Sportsman series by Pamela Q. Fernandes. I had not previously read any of this author’s work but I do love a good sports romance so decided to give this a try. Although I have read many sports romances, I have never read one centred around the sport of cricket. Thankfully I’m a lover of cricket and incidentally I’m writing this review while watching England play at the world Cup.
Hero of this story is Mathew Anderson, captain of the England cricket team. Having been accused of domestic abuse by his previous girlfriend, he’s currently keeping women at arm’s length. Well that is until he receives a tweet from Rose Cavendish which forces him to take action.
I absolutely loved the interactions between Mathew and Rose. There is an instant attraction between the 2 but both have severe trust issues since their previous relationships. Rose is a feisty character that i loved but she also came across as very vulnerable at times.
I loved Mathew’s characters but there were a few occasions that I’d loved to have given him a kick up the backside. I hated that he allowed dinner guests to speak badly of her. He lost serious brownie points at that point in the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of this series.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love
By Pamela Q. Fernandes
4 stars

Bowled was a lovely, sweet romance story that I thoroughly enjoyed! I have read stories by this author previously so I was looking forward to reading more from her again and I wasn’t disappointed. The story had the pace and flow that I have come to love from this author as well as wonderful characters who are both likeable and realistic. It never takes me long at all to become absorbed in what I am reading from Ms Fernandes. I liked that both of the characters had their own stories to tell, both have been burned in the past and I knew as soon as that first initial contact was made, albeit with a pretty nasty tweet, these two would be perfect for each other! They did frustrate me at times but I couldn’t help but find myself rooting for them the whole way through.
Bowled was a really enjoyable story that I would definitely recommend to other readers! As always I will be looking forward to reading more from this author again in the future!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love was a fun little read that I scooped up and devoured in just one afternoon. I normally adore all things sports romance, odd since I’m not a major sports fan, but something about them just has all the right stuff to make a delectable read. I have read a few of Pamela Q. Fernandes’s works in the past but must say, this has to be my favorite of hers. You can see the growth in her writing and this was just a much smoother flow than the last few of hers I have read.

Rose and Matthew both have been through the wringer of bad relationships. Neither of them saw a fresh new romance on the horizon but when they meet and things start to fall into place the connection and attraction is undeniable. Will they be able to weather all that life throws at their new relationship? I enjoyed these two and reading all about the adventures they find themselves in. I am looking forward to seeing what will come in book two as well!

[Debi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love (To Love a Sportsman Book 1) by Pamela Q. Fernandes

4 Stars

This is not my first book by this author and will definitely not be my last. Although this wasn't my favorite of those I've read it was still written in the way I have come to enjoy by this author.

I'm not usually drawn to the sports genre and then throw in cricket and I was totally lost on that part so just concentrated on the characters. I really enjoyed reading about Mathew and Rose and there were some parts that seemed kind of predictable and then there were parts that broke my heart.

I will definitely be looking for more from this author and do highly recommend this book especially to those that like the sports kind of atmosphere. Its a quick read and flows smoothly.

[Sara Oxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bowled by Pamela Q. Fernandes a five-star read that should be a six. This is number one in the To love a sports man series and I can’t wait for more. This was such a great story, I loved the fact that it was about Cricket, something I secretly adore (and not just for the cute white outfits). Mathew Anderson wasn’t always someone I liked, but when I got to know the real him, not just the façade he shows us just how special he is. The second chance romance in this story is believable and honest, it shows us how beautiful life can be when we need it to be, it also shows us life isn’t always perfect and sometimes it needs a good shake. Rose was full of surprises for me, she made me feel a lot more than I imagined she would.

[Jes Bruno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bowled by Pamela Q. Fernandes was my first book by this author and I’m looking forward to reading more by this author. This was a wonderfully written story of humor and missteps with sassy attitude thrown in.

We all know that everything you put on Twitter can and will be used against you at some point. Rose found that out when she posted “Did Mathew Anderson really need another home in NYC” Never did Rose think that would lead to a trip to NYC to meet Mathew.

I like anything to do British culture so I was interested in learning little about cricket; I think I will stick to American Baseball (LOL). I highly recommended this story to anyone looking for an enjoyable sports romance.

[Lucy Berson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love (To Love a Sportsman Book 1) by Pamela Q. Fernandes. This is a new to me author. I really enjoyed this book, who doesn’t love sports and a sexy guy. Throw in a quirky, funny woman and you have one good book. This book is about Mathew and Rose. He is a cricket player and she is a teacher. What started at a joke tweet, turned into jokingly flirting, turns into Rose traveling to stay with him for a “visit”. They are both coming off of emotional and difficult times. I enjoyed this book and can not wait to see what else is in story.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love (To Love a Sportsman Book 1) by Pamela Q. Fernandes is a sports romance. This story features two characters that each have a past that has shaped how they handle and approach their present. Mathew is a star on and off the field, but when life deals him a hand he doesn't exactly want, we follow how he takes this turn of events and maneuvers these. Rose is cautious in almost all things and the way she holds herself, separates her from so many others. This makes her shine so brightly and it is about to shift both her world and Mathew's full tilt! This story was a great read and Pamela Q. Fernandes is a talented author!

[Heather Lovelace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fernandes does a wonderful job with this sports romance. Admittedly my knowledge of cricket isn’t vast but I feel as though I have a greater appreciation for it after this story. This was simply a sweet romance that in my opinion is perfect for my next lazy afternoon on the couch. Simply loved it and had difficulty putting it down before I finished it.

[Kerry Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love by Pamela Q. Fernandes is the first book in the To Love a Sportsman Book 1. This book is that pulls you in straight away and keeps you turning the pages right to the last one.
I always have a soft spot for books like this. As I am from the UK I always find I connect with them so easily. It is lovely to be able to instantly understand all the colloquialisms. Combine that with the fact that the description of this story drew me in I knew I was going to love this book. And love it I did.
For me this was the type of book that you can’t put down at all. I read it all in one sitting, in the space of a few hours. I loved the two main characters. I thought they had a strong connection and was instantaneous.
This is a new author to me and I enjoyed the way she created the story line. I thought the whole book has such an easy flow to it. You found yourself being swept along by what was happening. This was a fun and easy ready and yet I still felt like I was emotionally connect to the characters. This was a thoroughly enjoyable book and a great new author that I have discovered.


Merged review:

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love by Pamela Q. Fernandes is the first book in the To Love a Sportsman Book 1. This book is that pulls you in straight away and keeps you turning the pages right to the last one.
I always have a soft spot for books like this. As I am from the UK I always find I connect with them so easily. It is lovely to be able to instantly understand all the colloquialisms. Combine that with the fact that the description of this story drew me in I knew I was going to love this book. And love it I did.
For me this was the type of book that you can’t put down at all. I read it all in one sitting, in the space of a few hours. I loved the two main characters. I thought they had a strong connection and was instantaneous.
This is a new author to me and I enjoyed the way she created the story line. I thought the whole book has such an easy flow to it. You found yourself being swept along by what was happening. This was a fun and easy ready and yet I still felt like I was emotionally connect to the characters. This was a thoroughly enjoyable book and a great new author that I have discovered.

[Tausha Treadway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing The Yorker of Love ( To Love a Sportsman Book 1) by Pamela Q. Fernandes. Pamela Fernandes has become one of my favorite authors. This is the story of English Cricket Champion Mathew Anderson and Rose Cavendish. Mathew is used to being the center of attention, having a super hot girlfriend and being recognized everywhere he goes until....he gets accused of Domestic abuse and arrested. After he puts that behind him, he keeps everyone at bay especially women until he meets Rose. He loves that she's sweet, simple and direct. She makes him realize he's just a man, not a superstar to everyone. She has survived a horrible break up and the last thing she needs or wants is a Superstar boyfriend. Rose keeps Mathew at bay as much as she can but Mathew is determined to have Rose. Will Rose cave and let her heart be at risk to be broken again? Will Mathew be able to convince Rose he won't hurt her. Read Bowled to find out, you will love it!

Merged review:

Bowled: Facing The Yorker of Love ( To Love a Sportsman Book 1) by Pamela Q. Fernandes. Pamela Fernandes has become one of my favorite authors. This is the story of English Cricket Champion Mathew Anderson and Rose Cavendish. Mathew is used to being the center of attention, having a super hot girlfriend and being recognized everywhere he goes until....he gets accused of Domestic abuse and arrested. After he puts that behind him, he keeps everyone at bay especially women until he meets Rose. He loves that she's sweet, simple and direct. She makes him realize he's just a man, not a superstar to everyone. She has survived a horrible break up and the last thing she needs or wants is a Superstar boyfriend. Rose keeps Mathew at bay as much as she can but Mathew is determined to have Rose. Will Rose cave and let her heart be at risk to be broken again? Will Mathew be able to convince Rose he won't hurt her. Read Bowled to find out, you will love it!

[Laura Furuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love (To Love a Sportsman Book 1)
By: Pamela Q. Fernandes
5 out of 5 stars

The story Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love (To Love a Sportsman Book 1) by Pamela Q. Fernandes was a wonderful book to read. It draws you in right from the beginning and I found that I didn’t want to put the story down until I had read the last page. I loved reading about the characters of Matthew and Rose. These two have an attraction to each other. There are issues with trust. What does the future hold for Matthew and Rose? Read this book to find out. Rose is smart, beautiful, and independent. She is a character that I grew to love with each chapter that I read. I wanted her to find happiness. Matthew is a character to is charming, handsome, and determined to win over Rose. I couldn’t help but cheer him on. The story has emotional dialogue included. I enjoyed reading about the additional characters that are introduced in the book and interacted with Rose and Matthew. Many of them are friends. Then there are those who are only out for themselves. Don’t miss out reading this amazing story. I would highly recommend it.

[Madilynn Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing The Yorker Of Love (To Love A Sportsman Series) by Pamela Q. Fernandes
5-Stars
Bowled was an excellent romance. I absolutely loved Rose and I was shocked that she thought that there would be more with Drew once making it to New York. I loved how attentive Matthew was to her when she arrived even though he tried to hide it. It was interesting to follow these two. I felt that the storyline was easy to follow and very appealing. It began by easily pulling me in and led up to an excellent climax. I also really enjoyed the ending. I highly recommend this novel!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn’t my first book by this author. I enjoy her writing style and characters. Although I don’t know a thing about cricket I did struggle with this story at the beginning. Once I got going with the lingo and speaking manner I couldn’t put this down. This story is full of ups and downs as we follow the lives of Mathew and Rose. I enjoyed learning about them and what they went through to be together. My only issues is a couple times (after arguments/misunderstandings) it seemed the story just moved forward with no explanation or discussion to remedy the situation. I don’t know many women who would just let something go time after time after time. Then a couple times I wasn’t sure where we were (NY, London, the pitch) which confused me.

I really was saddened about a couple of events and shocked at others. I think their NY time together is my favorite part of the story. I didn’t have a favorite character. The two main characters really take up most of the story with a few minor one here and there. A nicely enjoyable story

[Robin Rankin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love (To Love a Sportsman Book 1) by Pamela Q. Fernandes was a book that had a little bit of everything. Romance, drama, mystery, tragedy and suspense, plus there was sports involved. I personally know absolutely nothing about Cricket which left me trying to figure out what was being said part of the time but my lack of knowledge didn't cause me to not follow along and enjoy Mathew and Rose's story.

Mathew is definitely the stereotypical athlete at least in public, he has been burned before and doesn't want to put himself out there to be hurt. He has no idea how much he ends up helping Rose.

I really enjoyed this book and play on learning a little about Cricket just so I can understand some of the terms in this book and I'm going to assume any future books in this series.

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I typically like. Sports romance with a bit of angst.

The good - It evoked emotion
More than once I wanted to shake each protagonist and tell them to smarten up. There are so many circumstances that they shouldn't have even been in and yet they were.

It was well plotted:
The people they surround themselves with don't have their best interest at heart. We, the reader could see it, why couldn't they?

Sexy sportsmen:
Cricket... I googled it to get a better understanding of it and still I am clueless hahaha

There are no plot holes, the story is well edited and it was an easy story to read. I have read this author previously and will continue to do so.

[Kaitlynn Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love by Pamela Q. Fernandes

4-stars

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love by Pamela Q. Fernandes is the first book in her To Love A Sportsman Series. This was my first book by this author but I’m sure it won’t be my last as I did really enjoy this book. The storyline was dynamic, and I loved the amount of supporting characters. I enjoyed all the detail that this author put into the story, there was so much that I was able to picture everything playing out in my mind.

Although, I will admit that at first I had a harder time getting into it as I found the storyline jumped around quite a bit, but I was able to get use to the writing style and ended up following along easily enough.

I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

[Dawn Daughenbaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Star
Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love (To Love a Sportsman Book 1) by Pamela Q. Fernandes is the first book in the To Love a Sportsman series and a book I had a hard time putting down once I started reading. I was hooked from the beginning till the very end.This story is about Matthew and Rose. He is a handsome yet charming man who is very determined to win Rose over. She is a independent smart and beautiful woman. Both these two have a definite attraction to each other . Can these two have a future together? Find out what happens next .I highly recommend this book. I can’t wait to see what this Author brings us next.

[Bobbi Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. This is a creative, romance second chance story that I had a hard time putting down. The characters are true to life and brought the story to life for me. Matthew and Rose both have had trouble with relationships in the past. He feels he needs to prove he is not the bad person the press perceives him as. She also has secrets and has not been honest. When everything starts falling apart will they come out together? I highly recommend this book.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bowled: Facing the Yorker of Love by Pamela Q. Fernandes is the first book in the To Love a Sportsman series. Mathew is a successful captain of a cricket team who has it all until a false accusation. Rose is a teacher who has been burned in the love department. Will the two make it work?
I liked the story and enjoyed the interaction between Mathew and Rose. I am not familiar with cricket and so some of the terminology was foreign to me but I was a to get past it and enjoy the story. I also enjoyed the story took place in several locations. I like stories where there is a background which contributes to the storyline. I enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading more in this series.