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The Perfect Game #1
Catching Caden
A sexy, friends-to-lovers sports romance. If all they see are her scars - they aren't looking hard enough.It was my home run ball that shattered her face.Right along with her modeling career.Now it's my mission to help her rebuild her life.And get her to love the game that she hates.The game that dictates my life both on and off the field.But when the lines of our friendship become blurred, I worry she'll just be another casualty of my three-strikes rule. The rule I have to protect my money, my future, my heart.No girl has ever broken it.I've never wanted one to.Until now.The question is ... will I let her?Catching Caden is a standalone romance. It is Book One in The Perfect Game Series.Samantha Christy's Mitchell Sisters SeriesPurple OrchidsWhite LiliesBlack RosesThe Stone Brothers SeriesStone RulesStone PromisesStone VowsThe Perfect Game SeriesCatching CadenBenching BradyStealing SawyerThe Men on Fire SeriesIgniting IvySparking SaraEngulfing EmmaThe Reckless Rockstar SeriesReckless ObsessionReckless InvitationReckless ReunionStandalonesBe My ReasonAbstract LoveFinding Mikayla***Amazon has named Samantha Christy an All-Star Author for being one of the most popular authors in Kindle Unlimited almost every month since 2018.***Her books are recommended for fans of authors such as L.J. Shen, Helen Hardt, Marie Force, J.S. Scott, Corinne Michaels, Lauren Landish, Vi Keeland, Nicole Snow, Nora Roberts, and E.L. James.About the AuthorSamantha Christy writes contemporary and new adult romance novels. She loves to write not only about millionaires and athletes, but extraordinary people, second-chance love, and deeply emotional issues. She loves to interact with readers so please look her up on social media.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 7, 2017
5549 people are currently reading
5532 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Christy
44 books3,539 followersDespite the fact that she is a romance writer, Samantha Christy's favorite television show of all time is The Walking Dead.
And contrary to the fact that her heroines drink things like wine and Cosmos, she prefers Bud Light.
She also loves fan mail and answers all of it.
She went to college and all that, getting a degree in something she never uses. She's also got a gaggle of kids (4) and a pretty decent husband.
And contrary to the fact that her heroines drink things like wine and Cosmos, she prefers Bud Light.
She also loves fan mail and answers all of it.
She went to college and all that, getting a degree in something she never uses. She's also got a gaggle of kids (4) and a pretty decent husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 883 reviews
December 13, 2018
2.5 stars
Good writing, interesting plot, overall likable characters, safe.
It was my 1st book by this author.
My ranty rating is mostly about poor portrayal of all female characters, who were neither related nor were friends with the main characters, in a nutshell -> slut-shaming, OTT.
*** SPOILERS *** *** Very probably unpopular opinion ***
Good writing, interesting plot, overall likable characters, safe.
It was my 1st book by this author.
My ranty rating is mostly about poor portrayal of all female characters, who were neither related nor were friends with the main characters, in a nutshell -> slut-shaming, OTT.
*** SPOILERS *** *** Very probably unpopular opinion ***
July 11, 2022
ｃｈｅｃｋ ｏｕｔ ｍｙ ｂｏｏｋｓｔａｇｒａｍ: https://www.instagram.com/the_romanti...
Murphy Cavanaugh doesn't even like baseball - but her roommate and her boyfriend dragged her to a game to celebrate her new job - but then... she gets injured by an inadvertent home run that hits her cheekbone. ⚾️💥
All that is left to do is to operate - and that's a big trouble for her, since she's a model... a model who only that morning got the first big modeling job she's been waiting for so long. 😱
Caden Kessler is sure Murphy is a guy, and goes to the hospital to apologize for hitting him during the game - instead, he finds out he hit a girl... and completely ruined her life! 💥
But not only was Murphy's face injured that day, will Caden be able to mend her broken heart? 💚
📚 “𝗛𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗳 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗛𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱, 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗜’𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲.” 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝗽. “𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗜’𝗱 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁.” 📚
It's a cute and fun sports romance. I liked the message that true beauty is on the inside and not on the outside but I didn't like the dramas towards the end that felt too much. (I couldn't understand, how she never noticed that there is an evil psychopathic piece of shi@# in her life...?) 😬🤷♀️
Those who love fun sports romances will definitely enjoy this book. For me it was good, but not amazing. 💚
I listened to the audio version (which was great - well, Zachary Weber always manages to make my heart bit faster).
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📖 ᖴOᒪᒪOᗯ ᗰE Oᑎ IᑎᔕTᗩGᖇᗩᗰ: https://www.instagram.com/the_romanti...
📖 ᐯIᔕIT ᗰY ᗷᒪOG ᖴOᖇ ᗰOᖇE ᖇEᐯIEᗯᔕ: https://books-romance.com/
📖 GOOᗪᖇEᗩᗪᔕ: https://bit.ly/3acMRMP
💕 לקריאת הסקירה בעברית, כנסו לבלוג: https://books-romance.com/ 💕
September 14, 2021
I usually like Football and Hockey’s romance the best, but lately I’ve enjoyed a few baseball ones too.
This one was so sweet it could melt any frozen heart, they were both pretty good characters but I found some bigger trauma or problems missing, to develop the characters and story.
It was a fun cute read, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the books.
This one was so sweet it could melt any frozen heart, they were both pretty good characters but I found some bigger trauma or problems missing, to develop the characters and story.
It was a fun cute read, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the books.
January 7, 2018
Just when I think I'm going to jack in KU because I've stumbled across some real doofers, a book like this one comes along. I loved it. It was just what I needed whilst in the mother of all book funks and had no idea what I wanted to read.
Catching Caden wasn't heavy on the angst (which is what I usually need in a read), it wasn't heavy on the drama, it was a fab friends to lovers story with not a smidge of insta anything thank god and best of all ..... not a freaking virgin in sight. I am sooooo over those damn tropes, I want my couple to WORK for it, with or without the drama. And when the V word comes out - see that banshee running for the hills??? That's me 😵
Loved both Caden and Murphy, they are genuine, honest, thoughtful.... just real people you know? With him being a major league baseball player there was bound to be the prerequisite skank or two, but they were few and far between and all they did was show just how adult both Caden and Murphy are. Oh, and there's none of that "I'm not good enough" shit either. That's another trope that's been worked to death.
Thank you Samantha Christy, you never let me down 🤩
4.5 stars
Catching Caden wasn't heavy on the angst (which is what I usually need in a read), it wasn't heavy on the drama, it was a fab friends to lovers story with not a smidge of insta anything thank god and best of all ..... not a freaking virgin in sight. I am sooooo over those damn tropes, I want my couple to WORK for it, with or without the drama. And when the V word comes out - see that banshee running for the hills??? That's me 😵
Loved both Caden and Murphy, they are genuine, honest, thoughtful.... just real people you know? With him being a major league baseball player there was bound to be the prerequisite skank or two, but they were few and far between and all they did was show just how adult both Caden and Murphy are. Oh, and there's none of that "I'm not good enough" shit either. That's another trope that's been worked to death.
Thank you Samantha Christy, you never let me down 🤩
4.5 stars
February 1, 2018
4 Stars
Samantha Christy is becoming one of my go-to authors. Catching Caden is a standalone and is part of The Perfect Game Series.
I’m not a huge light-chick sports fan reader, but lately this has been my jam. One of the reasons why I love Samantha Christy books lately is because she writes heavily dialogue based books. I can’t express to you how this is my preferred type of reading. I’m not into overly descriptive books and I like that this book is majority written with dialogue.
Caden is a superstar baseball player that doesn’t date past three dates. He’s super famous and maybe the author embellished a bit on how recognizable a baseball player can be, but it is romance book.
Murphy was a model until Caden hit a ball and it hit her face during a game.
I really liked the premise of this book. I felt like it was really different and entirely cute that Caden hit the girl in the face! It was an accident and he spends the beginning of the book trying to make it up to her and I love reading it.
This book was a 100% SLOW BURN read, I would even call it a light chick-lit book. I don’t really like slow burn books especially when there’s a half-naked man on the cover (it’s like false advertising), but the low angst storyline kept me interested.
The best part of the book was just reading the relationship between Caden and Murphy. I liked the little friendship they formed, I liked the little nicknames and I liked the little fun adventures they did. Towards the end it did get kind of dragged out and Murphy made me go crazy (hence the 4 stars), but overall it was a good read.
I can’t wait for the next book.
Samantha Christy is becoming one of my go-to authors. Catching Caden is a standalone and is part of The Perfect Game Series.
I’m not a huge light-chick sports fan reader, but lately this has been my jam. One of the reasons why I love Samantha Christy books lately is because she writes heavily dialogue based books. I can’t express to you how this is my preferred type of reading. I’m not into overly descriptive books and I like that this book is majority written with dialogue.
Caden is a superstar baseball player that doesn’t date past three dates. He’s super famous and maybe the author embellished a bit on how recognizable a baseball player can be, but it is romance book.
Murphy was a model until Caden hit a ball and it hit her face during a game.
I really liked the premise of this book. I felt like it was really different and entirely cute that Caden hit the girl in the face! It was an accident and he spends the beginning of the book trying to make it up to her and I love reading it.
This book was a 100% SLOW BURN read, I would even call it a light chick-lit book. I don’t really like slow burn books especially when there’s a half-naked man on the cover (it’s like false advertising), but the low angst storyline kept me interested.
The best part of the book was just reading the relationship between Caden and Murphy. I liked the little friendship they formed, I liked the little nicknames and I liked the little fun adventures they did. Towards the end it did get kind of dragged out and Murphy made me go crazy (hence the 4 stars), but overall it was a good read.
I can’t wait for the next book.
December 29, 2018
Found a new author!!!
I love finding new authors to read. Lately it's been like finding a needle in a haystack. But I really enjoyed this book. It had a really good storyline and wasn't all about sex, though I do especially love to read those books. This did have sexy scenes in it, but I love it didn't detract from the story, but enhanced it. It was about two people who meet, become friends and then fall in love. I liked that he didn't even know what she looked like because of the injury to her face and yet he was still helping her out. I don't usually like slow-burn romances, but this one was awesome!
I love finding new authors to read. Lately it's been like finding a needle in a haystack. But I really enjoyed this book. It had a really good storyline and wasn't all about sex, though I do especially love to read those books. This did have sexy scenes in it, but I love it didn't detract from the story, but enhanced it. It was about two people who meet, become friends and then fall in love. I liked that he didn't even know what she looked like because of the injury to her face and yet he was still helping her out. I don't usually like slow-burn romances, but this one was awesome!
February 22, 2018
I'm stopping at 43%. I guess I COULD finish it, but I am just SO BORED. NOTHING is happening. It seems like the consensus with a lot of the lower star ratings is that it is great in the beginning, slow in the middle, and then okay at the end. I'm in the middle and having a hard time finishing it.
I agree that the beginning was good. It was entertaining and I liked the friendship that Caden and Murphy were building. The problem is they're denying their attraction and acting like they don't even know it's there. Not only that, but I find Caden's "dating" to be pretty juvenile. He says he's doing it so he can have a social life, but I'm fairly confident you can have a social life without "dating" people. Murphy is boring, too. At 43% through she's lacking depth and development. We know nothing of substance about her or her personality.
Everything in this book is just so cheesy and so very predictable. Everything falls into place perfectly. Murphy needs a job? Surprise! Caden just HAPPENS to know people that are hiring. Murphy doesn't have a shirt at the game? Surprise! One just happens to show up for her. Murphy wants to move out of her apartment? Surprise! Trick just happens to have a room available. Enough is enough. Let her have SOME sort of trouble that doesn't immediately fix itself.
This book is just bleh. I'm not sure why it has so many 4 and 5 star reviews, so clearly I am in the minority. I don't recommend this book unless you're into cheesy, perfect romances.
I agree that the beginning was good. It was entertaining and I liked the friendship that Caden and Murphy were building. The problem is they're denying their attraction and acting like they don't even know it's there. Not only that, but I find Caden's "dating" to be pretty juvenile. He says he's doing it so he can have a social life, but I'm fairly confident you can have a social life without "dating" people. Murphy is boring, too. At 43% through she's lacking depth and development. We know nothing of substance about her or her personality.
Everything in this book is just so cheesy and so very predictable. Everything falls into place perfectly. Murphy needs a job? Surprise! Caden just HAPPENS to know people that are hiring. Murphy doesn't have a shirt at the game? Surprise! One just happens to show up for her. Murphy wants to move out of her apartment? Surprise! Trick just happens to have a room available. Enough is enough. Let her have SOME sort of trouble that doesn't immediately fix itself.
This book is just bleh. I'm not sure why it has so many 4 and 5 star reviews, so clearly I am in the minority. I don't recommend this book unless you're into cheesy, perfect romances.
December 20, 2017
HOMERUN! Holy Moly - I absolutely LOVED this story and the characters!!
FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED. (12/20/17)
You just never know when or where true love might strike!
Samantha Christy has written an extraordinary sports-related romance between two equally strong characters. This baseball sports-romance was a hoot-n-hollerin’ good time – a sure-fired grand slam! The cover alone earns big kudos without a doubt! This one takes its place of honor on my list of top-five favorites in the sports-related category this year.
An emotionally driven story with an amazing all-star performances by major league baseball superstar Caden Kessler and Murphy Cavanaugh, a model new to the fashion scene in New York City. They're suited up with help from a team of additional players who throw some curveballs into the mix, and hit this one out of the ballpark.
That 26th homerun hit of the year by the catcher for the NY Nighthawks has lasting effects -- some not so easy to accept and another that might last forever. A slow burn romance with a well-done build-up makes them one a dream to read. Such terrific characters in the lead roles, too. This author is certainly a hit with the characterizations. Both carry some angsty baggage, but it's not over-the-top. The smart and witty banter between Caden and Murphy is some of the best -- and their interaction can only be referred to as sparkling! What can I say, this one was an all-star game in my opinion.
Catching Caden is hilariously sexy and so much fun-to-read, too. It strikes every imaginable feeling and, all the while as a reader, you will never be bored. Caden and Murphy fit together like a ball and glove. Their chemistry is magical and their relationship zany and witty. No way to escape without a smile on your face!
Every single minute reading this latest release by Samantha Christy is sheer joy. All kinds of amazing, romantic and sexy. Hits the reading sweet spot on every level!
FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED. (12/20/17)
You just never know when or where true love might strike!
Samantha Christy has written an extraordinary sports-related romance between two equally strong characters. This baseball sports-romance was a hoot-n-hollerin’ good time – a sure-fired grand slam! The cover alone earns big kudos without a doubt! This one takes its place of honor on my list of top-five favorites in the sports-related category this year.
An emotionally driven story with an amazing all-star performances by major league baseball superstar Caden Kessler and Murphy Cavanaugh, a model new to the fashion scene in New York City. They're suited up with help from a team of additional players who throw some curveballs into the mix, and hit this one out of the ballpark.
That 26th homerun hit of the year by the catcher for the NY Nighthawks has lasting effects -- some not so easy to accept and another that might last forever. A slow burn romance with a well-done build-up makes them one a dream to read. Such terrific characters in the lead roles, too. This author is certainly a hit with the characterizations. Both carry some angsty baggage, but it's not over-the-top. The smart and witty banter between Caden and Murphy is some of the best -- and their interaction can only be referred to as sparkling! What can I say, this one was an all-star game in my opinion.
Catching Caden is hilariously sexy and so much fun-to-read, too. It strikes every imaginable feeling and, all the while as a reader, you will never be bored. Caden and Murphy fit together like a ball and glove. Their chemistry is magical and their relationship zany and witty. No way to escape without a smile on your face!
Every single minute reading this latest release by Samantha Christy is sheer joy. All kinds of amazing, romantic and sexy. Hits the reading sweet spot on every level!
June 1, 2025
Why’d she go and be like that? Apart from her slut and body shaming and her tendency to make mountains out of molehills, she’s okay. But Cayden is a sweetheart and she better make him happy
31% in and so dang sweet so far. This sweet kind gentleman of a hero better not do a 180° in any third act drama. Imma be veeeerrrrrry disappointed….
31% in and so dang sweet so far. This sweet kind gentleman of a hero better not do a 180° in any third act drama. Imma be veeeerrrrrry disappointed….
September 21, 2022
The romance itself was not that bad… strangers to friends to lovers with a unique circumstance of how they met and a pretty cute build up of a relationship. A lot of double dating, a lot of jealousy and protectiveness, a lot of get to know you moments ext… that was all fine - it was every single other thing besides for that aspect of the story I had an issue with.
There was so much other crap going on and so much of it was petty, superficial, unrealistic, overdramatized and/or just too much for one single book. She gets hit by a baseball and ruins her face the very same day she lands her big break as a model. Her boyfriend cheats on her with all of her shitty roommates so there’s a big mess there. She’s ‘not like other girls’ because she’s not into baseball and isn’t swooning over the fact that he’s a pro athlete. He has a three dates max per girl rule and isn’t celibate yet somehow not a player either?!… The father that abandoned him as a child comes back into his life with a half brother he didn’t know he had... then said father starts dating her mom. Her best friend died of a bee sting. His crazy fucking fans tried to drug him at a party and rape him. Plus let’s not forget about the ending catalyst moment where her ex comes back and blackmails her in a completely unrealistic way and then she overdramatizes the moment by freaking out and blaming her perfect boyfriend for trying to protect her (cue stupid third act breakup)… the list no joke goes on about the odd things that were all jam packed into this one story —- tone it down a bit please… it was way too much for me.
So like I said - the romance itself had potential, but it was really hard to look past all the other weird things that were going on around it.
There was so much other crap going on and so much of it was petty, superficial, unrealistic, overdramatized and/or just too much for one single book. She gets hit by a baseball and ruins her face the very same day she lands her big break as a model. Her boyfriend cheats on her with all of her shitty roommates so there’s a big mess there. She’s ‘not like other girls’ because she’s not into baseball and isn’t swooning over the fact that he’s a pro athlete. He has a three dates max per girl rule and isn’t celibate yet somehow not a player either?!… The father that abandoned him as a child comes back into his life with a half brother he didn’t know he had... then said father starts dating her mom. Her best friend died of a bee sting. His crazy fucking fans tried to drug him at a party and rape him. Plus let’s not forget about the ending catalyst moment where her ex comes back and blackmails her in a completely unrealistic way and then she overdramatizes the moment by freaking out and blaming her perfect boyfriend for trying to protect her (cue stupid third act breakup)… the list no joke goes on about the odd things that were all jam packed into this one story —- tone it down a bit please… it was way too much for me.
So like I said - the romance itself had potential, but it was really hard to look past all the other weird things that were going on around it.
December 8, 2018
4 💖💖💖💖🌟s
Sweet and safe
Sweet and safe
April 15, 2018
Did I read the same book as everyone else?
The characters and their behaviors felt juvenile. I didn't believe there was chemistry between Murphy and Caden. The characters seemed flat and not very likable (especially Murphy). Overall, I just was not impressed at all.
Sex tapes? Masturbating to pictures of the girl you like? (How flattering! NOT!) What is literature coming to? Girls, that is not love!
The characters and their behaviors felt juvenile. I didn't believe there was chemistry between Murphy and Caden. The characters seemed flat and not very likable (especially Murphy). Overall, I just was not impressed at all.
Sex tapes? Masturbating to pictures of the girl you like? (How flattering! NOT!) What is literature coming to? Girls, that is not love!
November 30, 2020
4.5 Sweet Caroline Stars!!
I have never read a book by this author and after reading this one I have marked a bunch for my TBR. This was a really cute book. It had all the feels, it even made me cry. It wasn’t overly dramatic or anything just very subtle in all of the emotions.
Murphy has such a great attitude. I really liked her character.
The other characters in this book are the reason started marking other books of Samantha’s to read. I want to know the story about Caden’s sister and all her friends and about his teammates.
I have never read a book by this author and after reading this one I have marked a bunch for my TBR. This was a really cute book. It had all the feels, it even made me cry. It wasn’t overly dramatic or anything just very subtle in all of the emotions.
Murphy has such a great attitude. I really liked her character.
The other characters in this book are the reason started marking other books of Samantha’s to read. I want to know the story about Caden’s sister and all her friends and about his teammates.
January 19, 2018
4.5 star rating
Well spring training starts in February, so this was the perfect book to read right now! I love baseball, and this was a great read from author, Samantha Christy! Full of romance and baseball lingo as the two main characters meet in an unique way. Baseball is everything to Caden Kessler, but he’s concerned when a fan is injured when he hits one of his homeruns. Loaded down with his team’s fan merchandise, he goes to the hospital to apologize. What he wasn’t expecting, however, was the fan to be a woman. Their relationship, through time, goes from friendship to romance. Murphy is scared, though, to take a chance on Caden as he has been a commitment phobe because of his trust in woman who like his limelight and sports celebritism too much. Murphy is different, however. She’s independent. Confident. And, oh, so compassionate about life. Will these two last during the test of life’s ups and downs when a devious ex tries to tear them apart? Such a great story with amazing supporting characters that hopefully will get their own stories too. Great friends, awesome family members and a romantic love story that you will be swooning over as each page is read! A wonderful beginning to this baseball romance series - going, going, gone - it’s out of here...
Well spring training starts in February, so this was the perfect book to read right now! I love baseball, and this was a great read from author, Samantha Christy! Full of romance and baseball lingo as the two main characters meet in an unique way. Baseball is everything to Caden Kessler, but he’s concerned when a fan is injured when he hits one of his homeruns. Loaded down with his team’s fan merchandise, he goes to the hospital to apologize. What he wasn’t expecting, however, was the fan to be a woman. Their relationship, through time, goes from friendship to romance. Murphy is scared, though, to take a chance on Caden as he has been a commitment phobe because of his trust in woman who like his limelight and sports celebritism too much. Murphy is different, however. She’s independent. Confident. And, oh, so compassionate about life. Will these two last during the test of life’s ups and downs when a devious ex tries to tear them apart? Such a great story with amazing supporting characters that hopefully will get their own stories too. Great friends, awesome family members and a romantic love story that you will be swooning over as each page is read! A wonderful beginning to this baseball romance series - going, going, gone - it’s out of here...
August 31, 2018
This book. I loved. At first I wasn’t too keen on the heroine she was very dingy. Maybe she finally grew on me I don’t know but the hero total swooon. If you love a good sports romance especially baseball then this book is for you!! I can’t wait to be able to read the rest of this series and some of her other books because they tie in together. This is the first book I’ve read by this author.
November 30, 2017
* SPOILER ALERT *
The Begging of Our Forever….
When Samantha decided to tease us with little snippets of this book… I tried really hard not to read them however I did and I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to read the rest and although i purchased a copy of my own, I was picked as an ARC…. O my days….. What an Honor!
Murphy moved to New York City after losing her best friend Kelly, in the hopes of becoming a model… Her dream come true… She finally lands the perfect job and is dragged to a baseball game by her boyfriend Tony and a roommate. What better place to celebrate your modelling career? Little did she know that her world was about to change, drastically….
Caden is up to bat… Will he get a home run? Crack…. Hell yes!!! But rounding second base, fear strikes as there is silence beyond left field where he always hits his home runs. Why are they gathering? Did his ball hit a kid?
Murphy feels only pain. What happened? She wakes up in hospital where her worst fears are met. She needs surgery. Her career is ruined. Why did this happen to her? What will she do now with having scars on her face? She didn’t want to go in the first place but there is no going back and no one to blame. #FreakAccidents happen!
Caden finds out that his ball injured someone bad enough to land them up in hospital. He make his way there expecting to see an old man because with the name “Murphy” what else could he think? He couldn’t have anticipated what and who he saw instead. Long sculptured tanned legs… this has to be a mistake. She is beautiful. Stitches, bruises and all.
Murphy is expecting to see Tony when she wakes however it’s not Tony that is there, it’s a strange man. Who is he? She has no idea that this man is the man who hit the home run. Why would she know who he is? She doesn’t watch baseball.
Caden introduces himself and is stunned to realise that she has no idea who he is. It’s… refreshing? Caden has been burnt in the past and he trusts no woman but for some reason he is drawn to her.
Will she become his reason for trusting and loving? Will he become her reason for what she needs most?
This story had me hooked from the beginning. I actually learnt a lot about baseball myself so thanks for that Samantha. ;)
I laughed uncontrollably and I am not ashamed to admit that I came very close to almost wetting myself. I must say it’s no fun chocking on coffee several times. After the first time that happened, you would think I learnt from my mistakes? Note to self… “No drinking while reading Samantha Christy’s books” I couldn’t get enough of the witty nicknames, the passion, the dramatics and above all the binding love. Their love was meant to be.
Samantha… what do I say that I haven’t already said in my other reviews? My words fail me yet again. Your books are amazing. I LOVE that you have a duel P.O.V. You write with so much hope, love, dedication and humour. I am never bored and I know I will never be left hanging. I wish I had half of your talent. You are truly gifted! Thank you once again for picking me as one of your ARC’s. It was a huge Honor!
P.S: Will there be other books on Brady and Sawyer? Would love to read about their stories and how love kicks their asses
The Begging of Our Forever….
When Samantha decided to tease us with little snippets of this book… I tried really hard not to read them however I did and I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to read the rest and although i purchased a copy of my own, I was picked as an ARC…. O my days….. What an Honor!
Murphy moved to New York City after losing her best friend Kelly, in the hopes of becoming a model… Her dream come true… She finally lands the perfect job and is dragged to a baseball game by her boyfriend Tony and a roommate. What better place to celebrate your modelling career? Little did she know that her world was about to change, drastically….
Caden is up to bat… Will he get a home run? Crack…. Hell yes!!! But rounding second base, fear strikes as there is silence beyond left field where he always hits his home runs. Why are they gathering? Did his ball hit a kid?
Murphy feels only pain. What happened? She wakes up in hospital where her worst fears are met. She needs surgery. Her career is ruined. Why did this happen to her? What will she do now with having scars on her face? She didn’t want to go in the first place but there is no going back and no one to blame. #FreakAccidents happen!
Caden finds out that his ball injured someone bad enough to land them up in hospital. He make his way there expecting to see an old man because with the name “Murphy” what else could he think? He couldn’t have anticipated what and who he saw instead. Long sculptured tanned legs… this has to be a mistake. She is beautiful. Stitches, bruises and all.
Murphy is expecting to see Tony when she wakes however it’s not Tony that is there, it’s a strange man. Who is he? She has no idea that this man is the man who hit the home run. Why would she know who he is? She doesn’t watch baseball.
Caden introduces himself and is stunned to realise that she has no idea who he is. It’s… refreshing? Caden has been burnt in the past and he trusts no woman but for some reason he is drawn to her.
Will she become his reason for trusting and loving? Will he become her reason for what she needs most?
This story had me hooked from the beginning. I actually learnt a lot about baseball myself so thanks for that Samantha. ;)
I laughed uncontrollably and I am not ashamed to admit that I came very close to almost wetting myself. I must say it’s no fun chocking on coffee several times. After the first time that happened, you would think I learnt from my mistakes? Note to self… “No drinking while reading Samantha Christy’s books” I couldn’t get enough of the witty nicknames, the passion, the dramatics and above all the binding love. Their love was meant to be.
Samantha… what do I say that I haven’t already said in my other reviews? My words fail me yet again. Your books are amazing. I LOVE that you have a duel P.O.V. You write with so much hope, love, dedication and humour. I am never bored and I know I will never be left hanging. I wish I had half of your talent. You are truly gifted! Thank you once again for picking me as one of your ARC’s. It was a huge Honor!
P.S: Will there be other books on Brady and Sawyer? Would love to read about their stories and how love kicks their asses
July 22, 2019
The love story of Caden and Murphy is a unique one. Caden plays baseball for the New York Nighthawks; Murphy doesn't like baseball, but she's convinced to go to a game and at that game she's hit in the face with Caden's homerun ball which basically ends her modeling career.
Murphy finds out real quickly what a douche bag her boyfriend Tony is when he doesn't bother to visit her in the hospital, along with some other actions he takes. Caden, on the other had, visits her daily.
As Murphy and Caden build a solid friendship, he realizes he has more than just friendship feelings for her. She's different than the 1000's of fans who throw themselves at him. But as they become a couple and life has its ups and downs, something devastating happens to Murphy that changes their lives.
The end of the book is very emotional (I'm a sap though) and it really left me loving them both and rooting for them. I'm excited to read The Perfect Game #2!
Murphy finds out real quickly what a douche bag her boyfriend Tony is when he doesn't bother to visit her in the hospital, along with some other actions he takes. Caden, on the other had, visits her daily.
As Murphy and Caden build a solid friendship, he realizes he has more than just friendship feelings for her. She's different than the 1000's of fans who throw themselves at him. But as they become a couple and life has its ups and downs, something devastating happens to Murphy that changes their lives.
The end of the book is very emotional (I'm a sap though) and it really left me loving them both and rooting for them. I'm excited to read The Perfect Game #2!
March 24, 2018
DNF
There's a special place in hell for me because I actually thought it was kinda funny that these two got together because Caden batted a home run ball which hits aspiring model, Murphy, in her money-making face. Soznotsoz.
Other than that this book seems to be pretty tragic and I'm jumping ship before all the dramallama that seems to be ahead. I'm bored from reading Murphy's bland ass character with her being all goody-goody. MEH. I just find it hard to believe Murphy doesn't blame Caden at all for damaging her face and subsequently losing a modelling gig. She's too much of a plain Jane. But hey, Caden seems to have gotten hit in the head one too many times by a baseball himself going by the crap he spews about never trusting a woman to take care of birth control so he always "double wraps"...
HAHAHA I kid you not. I'm so done.
In any case, I really hope the author debunked that myth in the book somewhere if not... bloody hell.
There's a special place in hell for me because I actually thought it was kinda funny that these two got together because Caden batted a home run ball which hits aspiring model, Murphy, in her money-making face. Soznotsoz.
Other than that this book seems to be pretty tragic and I'm jumping ship before all the dramallama that seems to be ahead. I'm bored from reading Murphy's bland ass character with her being all goody-goody. MEH. I just find it hard to believe Murphy doesn't blame Caden at all for damaging her face and subsequently losing a modelling gig. She's too much of a plain Jane. But hey, Caden seems to have gotten hit in the head one too many times by a baseball himself going by the crap he spews about never trusting a woman to take care of birth control so he always "double wraps"...
HAHAHA I kid you not. I'm so done.
In any case, I really hope the author debunked that myth in the book somewhere if not... bloody hell.
January 13, 2021
January 2020
I enjoyed this more the second time - but man this book has a lot going on. There's the whole "got hit with the baseball/career is ruined/boyfriend is cheating" situation. There's a lot of celebrity-dealing-with-the-paparazzi going on. Then the deadbeat dad reappears and all is not what it seems. Then there are references to one of the characters who "disappeared" for awhile, which I guess is in a previous book? And then we have cyber-bullying and grief. All the diversity boxes are checked.
And still the plot both makes sense and manages to be entertaining. Pretty good trick if you ask me. I'm bumping this up to 4 stars. But I still think it could use more baseball.
Also - Zach Webber and Erin Mallon certainly help to make this book enjoyable.
February 2019
Cute story, pretty standard stuff. I could have used more baseball.
I enjoyed this more the second time - but man this book has a lot going on. There's the whole "got hit with the baseball/career is ruined/boyfriend is cheating" situation. There's a lot of celebrity-dealing-with-the-paparazzi going on. Then the deadbeat dad reappears and all is not what it seems. Then there are references to one of the characters who "disappeared" for awhile, which I guess is in a previous book? And then we have cyber-bullying and grief. All the diversity boxes are checked.
And still the plot both makes sense and manages to be entertaining. Pretty good trick if you ask me. I'm bumping this up to 4 stars. But I still think it could use more baseball.
Also - Zach Webber and Erin Mallon certainly help to make this book enjoyable.
February 2019
Cute story, pretty standard stuff. I could have used more baseball.
February 11, 2021
This was a pretty light read. Good chemistry, Caden was awesome, so kind and sweet, maybe a little too sweet. An enjoyable sports read.
December 11, 2017
4.5 Stars!
Review by Lisa Kane
Oh, I do love a sports romance! Caden Kessler plays for the New York Nighthawks. He’s talented, gorgeous and rich. That combo puts him on the radar of just about every obsessed cleat groupie. He had a close call once and that has made him gun shy ever since.
When he hits the crack of his bat, he just knows he’s hit another home run. That’s number twenty-six for the season. But when he sees commotion in the stands where the ball flew, he knows somebody may have gotten hit with that ball. He finds out that the fan was Murphy Cavanaugh and the injury was severe enough to an ambulance to make a run to the hospital. He gets together some baseball swag and goes for a visit.
Murphy has just landed her first big modeling job. Her boyfriend and her roommate insisted on going to a game to celebrate. She’s immune to sports and so the irony of her getting smacked right in the face with a ball going 100 miles per hour is not lost on her. But it seems that, according to the doctor’s reports, her facial bones were shattered, she needs surgery and her recovery is going to put a pre-emptive strike on this job. But things are about to get worse…
Caden can’t believe that the old man he assumed he was coming to see is the woman lying in the hospital bed. With her face so swollen it’s hard to see what she normally looks like, but her body is smokin’ hot. He feels a ton of guilt. He also found out some info by accident and that also adds to his guilt. He’s determined to help Murphy any way he can. The more he gets to know her, the more he likes her. Just as friends you understand. He doesn’t do relationships. He has a three-date rule. Kinda like three strikes and they’re out.
Catching Caden was a fun read. I love a dual POV and Caden is a keeper. What you see is what you get with this guy. He’s not a player off the field and he is loyal to a fault. Of course, he’s a guy and he’s going to screw up. Big time. But what kind of story would this be if he didn’t have to do some groveling? There’s a couple of secondary characters who are going to get their own stories. I think I’m going to have to buy some peanuts and a big foam finger and get ready for the games to begin!
Review by Lisa Kane
Oh, I do love a sports romance! Caden Kessler plays for the New York Nighthawks. He’s talented, gorgeous and rich. That combo puts him on the radar of just about every obsessed cleat groupie. He had a close call once and that has made him gun shy ever since.
When he hits the crack of his bat, he just knows he’s hit another home run. That’s number twenty-six for the season. But when he sees commotion in the stands where the ball flew, he knows somebody may have gotten hit with that ball. He finds out that the fan was Murphy Cavanaugh and the injury was severe enough to an ambulance to make a run to the hospital. He gets together some baseball swag and goes for a visit.
Murphy has just landed her first big modeling job. Her boyfriend and her roommate insisted on going to a game to celebrate. She’s immune to sports and so the irony of her getting smacked right in the face with a ball going 100 miles per hour is not lost on her. But it seems that, according to the doctor’s reports, her facial bones were shattered, she needs surgery and her recovery is going to put a pre-emptive strike on this job. But things are about to get worse…
Caden can’t believe that the old man he assumed he was coming to see is the woman lying in the hospital bed. With her face so swollen it’s hard to see what she normally looks like, but her body is smokin’ hot. He feels a ton of guilt. He also found out some info by accident and that also adds to his guilt. He’s determined to help Murphy any way he can. The more he gets to know her, the more he likes her. Just as friends you understand. He doesn’t do relationships. He has a three-date rule. Kinda like three strikes and they’re out.
Catching Caden was a fun read. I love a dual POV and Caden is a keeper. What you see is what you get with this guy. He’s not a player off the field and he is loyal to a fault. Of course, he’s a guy and he’s going to screw up. Big time. But what kind of story would this be if he didn’t have to do some groveling? There’s a couple of secondary characters who are going to get their own stories. I think I’m going to have to buy some peanuts and a big foam finger and get ready for the games to begin!
January 12, 2019
A perfectly average contemporary romance between a professional baseball player and a model who gets hit in the face with a home run ball.
I liked the guy - Caden a lot. He was sweet and not a player at all. The progression from friends to lovers slow and realistic. But all in all, nothing really stands out.
I liked the guy - Caden a lot. He was sweet and not a player at all. The progression from friends to lovers slow and realistic. But all in all, nothing really stands out.
August 14, 2021
DNF at 37%. I almost DNF'd this one in the first couple of chapters and I really wish I had but the book had so many good reviews that I hoped it just had a rough beginning but it somehow got so much worse. There was bad writing, slut shaming and just terrible representation of women in general, and then some truly offensive and ignorant writing concerning a side character that identified as transgender.
First of all, I just don't think the writing is very good. The main characters didn't feel like real people at all to me. They felt like very weak ideas of characters that the author hadn't fleshed out yet. And all of the scenes felt so forced. It reminded me so much of watching bad actors – that feeling when you can see them acting and therefore it completely takes you out of the story. In this book, it felt like I could feel the author writing and deciding that in this scene we would introduce their "chemistry" and they'll "connect" so they wrote dialogue that was supposed to do that but was just so forced, contrived, clunky, stilted, etc. that you couldn't even immerse yourself in the story because it was too unrealistic and awkward.
The other thing that I really hated early on was how terribly women were portrayed in this book. I did see a review warning about slut shaming but I was hoping it wasn't as bad as they said. Unfortunately, it was. The h Murphy really does slut shame a lot right from the start and it made me pretty uncomfortable. Then it just got worse because every single woman the H came in contact with was also portrayed as a terrible person. It felt like the author decided every single, heterosexual woman in this book other than the h would be terrible. It was almost as if they all had to be bad so that the h would look so much better in comparison, but instead it just made me super uncomfortable because it started to feel a lot like the author just didn't have much respect for women. It was like Murphy was SO SPECIAL AND SUCH A MAGICAL UNICORN because she is seemingly the only single, heterosexual woman in New York City who isn't a fame hungry, selfish "slut." I hated it.
The final thing that made me realize that this book was completely beyond saving and also ensured I would never read another book by this author, was the way the author, through the character of Murphy, introduced and spoke about a character identified as transgender in the book. Now my best guess is the author was trying to be inclusive? But they did so in such an ignorant and offensive way that I refused to read another word after that.
Now I want to lay out how badly this author handled the introduction of the transgender character, but I also want to put a TRIGGER WARNING here for incorrect pronouns and general offensive language when referring to a transgender character before I detail all the ways this was mishandled. Okay, here it goes: There is a character introduced at the beginning of chapter 16 (29% through the book according to my Kindle) called Trick. Murphy introduces Trick thusly "Trick is one of the full-time personal trainers at the gym. She's funny, smart, and super strong. And I'm not exactly sure if she's a she. But I don't know her well enough to ask." Now this already made me uncomfortable to start. If Murphy wasn't sure if Trick's correct pronouns were she/her then why was Murphy referring to Trick by those pronouns? Murphy should have just used the pronouns they/them if she was unsure. Furthermore, she could have just approached Trick in a one-on-one setting and said, "Hey, just so you know I use "she/her" pronouns for myself, what are your preferred pronouns?" But Murphy didn't do either of those things. Instead, she just referred to Trick by potentially incorrect pronouns. Now, this made me uncomfortable and very weary but since this was just an introduction and Murphy had been established as a naive young woman from a small town in the Midwest, I was hopeful that the author DID know better and was just playing into that stereotype and would have Murphy learn as she became better acquainted with Trick. Spoiler alert, that did not happen.
I really did hope there would be a scene later where Murphy would learn Trick's preferred pronouns and that might even be made into a plot point. Trick's identity was touched on again later but so terribly that it lead me to stop reading the book. Again, a trigger warning for incorrect pronouns, use of a dead name, etc. At the beginning of chapter 20 Murphy says, "I've learned a lot about Trick since agreeing to become her roommate this morning. Mostly, that her real name is Sally. She warned me of that because she hasn't yet changed it legally and all the mail will be addressed to her with that name. I had my suspicions that she was technically a girl, but now I know she prefers to be considered transgender." I could not believe what I read when I got to that passage. I literally had to re-read it at least 3 times to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding but it definitely seems to me like Trick identifies as a transgender man. Now Murphy doesn't say exactly what Trick's pronouns are, but I would be shocked if someone who identifies as a transgender man prefers she/her pronouns. And yet, Murphy uses she/her pronouns to refer to Trick throughout the passage and as the scene (and apparently the entire book) continues on. Additionally, saying "her real name is Sally" made me so uncomfortable because again, unless I'm misunderstanding something, Murphy refers to Trick's dead name as their "real name" which is such an ignorant way to refer to it. And as if all of that wasn't bad enough, we have that final sentence in which Murphy says Trick is "technically a girl" but "prefers to be considered transgender." HUH? What does Murphy mean by "technically"? Because to me, it seems that Trick identifies as a man and therefore is a man. Period. Does Murphy mean Trick's assigned or biological sex at birth was female? I assume that is what Murphy means. But that does not mean Trick is "technically female." And I don't know what "prefers to be considered transgender" even means. I could understand "prefers he/him pronouns" or "identifies as transgender" but the phrasing this author used does not make sense. I don't "prefer to be considered a cisgender woman" I am a cisgender woman. Therefore Trick does not "prefer to be considered transgender." Trick is transgender or more specifically is a transgender man. So after all of that offensiveness, I could not continue on. I could not face another 63% of this book seeing Murphy refer to her roommate, who is a transgender male, with she/her pronouns. I also could not care or root for Murphy as a character or trust this author to turn this book around in any way.
Now I do want to say, representation is important in so many ways. HOWEVER, this is not the way to do it. This felt a lot like the author decided to be inclusive or have representation as if it's a trendy thing or to check a box or something but could not be bothered to do even a baseline amount of research on the people they were trying to represent. And the thing is, the author should have known better even without this baseline of research. I didn't need to do research on the transgender community before reading this book to know better when I came to that part. I knew more just by living in the world in which transgender people also exist and wanting to make sure I had an adequate understanding and respect for an identity I don't hold myself. I literally cannot fathom how an adult living in this society in the year 2021 (or 2017 when I think this book was originally published) would not understand or find out, at the very least, how to use the correct pronouns – especially an author who decides to write a transgender character. Therefore, I must infer that this author has no interest in supporting, respecting, learning about, or being an ally to the transgender community. But merely wishes to use the identity for their own purposes when writing when it's convenient or to try to score some kind of "diversity points" – it's so incredibly disappointing. And perhaps even more disappointing that this book has such strong ratings and reviews from 9000+ readers and only a few reviews even mentioned this issue.
First of all, I just don't think the writing is very good. The main characters didn't feel like real people at all to me. They felt like very weak ideas of characters that the author hadn't fleshed out yet. And all of the scenes felt so forced. It reminded me so much of watching bad actors – that feeling when you can see them acting and therefore it completely takes you out of the story. In this book, it felt like I could feel the author writing and deciding that in this scene we would introduce their "chemistry" and they'll "connect" so they wrote dialogue that was supposed to do that but was just so forced, contrived, clunky, stilted, etc. that you couldn't even immerse yourself in the story because it was too unrealistic and awkward.
The other thing that I really hated early on was how terribly women were portrayed in this book. I did see a review warning about slut shaming but I was hoping it wasn't as bad as they said. Unfortunately, it was. The h Murphy really does slut shame a lot right from the start and it made me pretty uncomfortable. Then it just got worse because every single woman the H came in contact with was also portrayed as a terrible person. It felt like the author decided every single, heterosexual woman in this book other than the h would be terrible. It was almost as if they all had to be bad so that the h would look so much better in comparison, but instead it just made me super uncomfortable because it started to feel a lot like the author just didn't have much respect for women. It was like Murphy was SO SPECIAL AND SUCH A MAGICAL UNICORN because she is seemingly the only single, heterosexual woman in New York City who isn't a fame hungry, selfish "slut." I hated it.
The final thing that made me realize that this book was completely beyond saving and also ensured I would never read another book by this author, was the way the author, through the character of Murphy, introduced and spoke about a character identified as transgender in the book. Now my best guess is the author was trying to be inclusive? But they did so in such an ignorant and offensive way that I refused to read another word after that.
Now I want to lay out how badly this author handled the introduction of the transgender character, but I also want to put a TRIGGER WARNING here for incorrect pronouns and general offensive language when referring to a transgender character before I detail all the ways this was mishandled. Okay, here it goes: There is a character introduced at the beginning of chapter 16 (29% through the book according to my Kindle) called Trick. Murphy introduces Trick thusly "Trick is one of the full-time personal trainers at the gym. She's funny, smart, and super strong. And I'm not exactly sure if she's a she. But I don't know her well enough to ask." Now this already made me uncomfortable to start. If Murphy wasn't sure if Trick's correct pronouns were she/her then why was Murphy referring to Trick by those pronouns? Murphy should have just used the pronouns they/them if she was unsure. Furthermore, she could have just approached Trick in a one-on-one setting and said, "Hey, just so you know I use "she/her" pronouns for myself, what are your preferred pronouns?" But Murphy didn't do either of those things. Instead, she just referred to Trick by potentially incorrect pronouns. Now, this made me uncomfortable and very weary but since this was just an introduction and Murphy had been established as a naive young woman from a small town in the Midwest, I was hopeful that the author DID know better and was just playing into that stereotype and would have Murphy learn as she became better acquainted with Trick. Spoiler alert, that did not happen.
I really did hope there would be a scene later where Murphy would learn Trick's preferred pronouns and that might even be made into a plot point. Trick's identity was touched on again later but so terribly that it lead me to stop reading the book. Again, a trigger warning for incorrect pronouns, use of a dead name, etc. At the beginning of chapter 20 Murphy says, "I've learned a lot about Trick since agreeing to become her roommate this morning. Mostly, that her real name is Sally. She warned me of that because she hasn't yet changed it legally and all the mail will be addressed to her with that name. I had my suspicions that she was technically a girl, but now I know she prefers to be considered transgender." I could not believe what I read when I got to that passage. I literally had to re-read it at least 3 times to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding but it definitely seems to me like Trick identifies as a transgender man. Now Murphy doesn't say exactly what Trick's pronouns are, but I would be shocked if someone who identifies as a transgender man prefers she/her pronouns. And yet, Murphy uses she/her pronouns to refer to Trick throughout the passage and as the scene (and apparently the entire book) continues on. Additionally, saying "her real name is Sally" made me so uncomfortable because again, unless I'm misunderstanding something, Murphy refers to Trick's dead name as their "real name" which is such an ignorant way to refer to it. And as if all of that wasn't bad enough, we have that final sentence in which Murphy says Trick is "technically a girl" but "prefers to be considered transgender." HUH? What does Murphy mean by "technically"? Because to me, it seems that Trick identifies as a man and therefore is a man. Period. Does Murphy mean Trick's assigned or biological sex at birth was female? I assume that is what Murphy means. But that does not mean Trick is "technically female." And I don't know what "prefers to be considered transgender" even means. I could understand "prefers he/him pronouns" or "identifies as transgender" but the phrasing this author used does not make sense. I don't "prefer to be considered a cisgender woman" I am a cisgender woman. Therefore Trick does not "prefer to be considered transgender." Trick is transgender or more specifically is a transgender man. So after all of that offensiveness, I could not continue on. I could not face another 63% of this book seeing Murphy refer to her roommate, who is a transgender male, with she/her pronouns. I also could not care or root for Murphy as a character or trust this author to turn this book around in any way.
Now I do want to say, representation is important in so many ways. HOWEVER, this is not the way to do it. This felt a lot like the author decided to be inclusive or have representation as if it's a trendy thing or to check a box or something but could not be bothered to do even a baseline amount of research on the people they were trying to represent. And the thing is, the author should have known better even without this baseline of research. I didn't need to do research on the transgender community before reading this book to know better when I came to that part. I knew more just by living in the world in which transgender people also exist and wanting to make sure I had an adequate understanding and respect for an identity I don't hold myself. I literally cannot fathom how an adult living in this society in the year 2021 (or 2017 when I think this book was originally published) would not understand or find out, at the very least, how to use the correct pronouns – especially an author who decides to write a transgender character. Therefore, I must infer that this author has no interest in supporting, respecting, learning about, or being an ally to the transgender community. But merely wishes to use the identity for their own purposes when writing when it's convenient or to try to score some kind of "diversity points" – it's so incredibly disappointing. And perhaps even more disappointing that this book has such strong ratings and reviews from 9000+ readers and only a few reviews even mentioned this issue.
August 13, 2019
I'm so disappointed with this book. I probably would have rated the first 75-80% at least 3.5-stars (except for the frequent and obnoxious slut-shaming and the freaking "double wrapping" of condoms - does this author truly not realize that this would actually increase friction and the likelihood of condom breakage and, therefore, also increase the risk of pregnancy and STIs??). The last 20-25% of the book, however, is what would get a 1-star review from me. The drama with the her ex is SO OTT but worse than that is her reaction. The entire book we're told how Murphy, the h, is cool and laid-back and doesn't overreact and then when Caden tries to protect her, she almost ruins their entire relationship? Thankfully it appears everyone else in the book realizes she's being an idiot but still! And then he tries to grovel?? Caden isn't the one who needs to beg to be taken back at that point. The last quarter of the book legitimately ruined the entire thing for me and I do not plan to read further from this author which is unfortunate because I enjoyed her writing style. I just can't take the unnecessary drama and overreaction, or the ridiculous slut-shaming and spreading of bad information.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2020
Caden knows at the crack of the bat it's a home run what he doesn't anticipate is the devastation it causes when it lands. Though not his fault he feels bad and goes to visit Murphy and is surprised when Murphy isn't an old male but a hot female and when he learns his inadvertent home run has caused her world to be up heaved he is eager to help however he can.
Murphy went to the ball game with her boyfriend and friend, a celebration of her getting her first modelling job. She doesn't like baseball, but she goes and her world is thrown into chaos. Her boyfriend isn't who she thinks. Her roommates either. Not to mention losing her modelling job because that home run ball shattered her face. She also didn't anticipate Caden and how sweet and helpful he is even though she doesn't blame him.
A nice meet cute with a push and pull romance until they find their way.
I love Samantha Christy books.
Murphy went to the ball game with her boyfriend and friend, a celebration of her getting her first modelling job. She doesn't like baseball, but she goes and her world is thrown into chaos. Her boyfriend isn't who she thinks. Her roommates either. Not to mention losing her modelling job because that home run ball shattered her face. She also didn't anticipate Caden and how sweet and helpful he is even though she doesn't blame him.
A nice meet cute with a push and pull romance until they find their way.
I love Samantha Christy books.
May 10, 2024
This was such a wonderful read. Samantha Christy knows how to write guys that are super swoon-worthy! Caden Kessler falls into that category for sure!!
Caden is the starting catcher for the NY Nighthawks. In the middle of a game, he hits a homerun that ends up hitting a fan in the stadium. Feeling guilty, he tracks this person down and visits her at the hospital. They start off as friends, but their chemistry is undeniable, and leads to more.
The writing was done well, and the pace was perfect. But I think what I loved the most were the characters in this book. Caden was a dream, and Murphy was down to Earth, despite thinking that she wouldn't be. I also loved catching up with characters from Samantha Christy's other books.
This new series is certainly off to a good start! And I can't wait to get more from Brady!
Caden is the starting catcher for the NY Nighthawks. In the middle of a game, he hits a homerun that ends up hitting a fan in the stadium. Feeling guilty, he tracks this person down and visits her at the hospital. They start off as friends, but their chemistry is undeniable, and leads to more.
The writing was done well, and the pace was perfect. But I think what I loved the most were the characters in this book. Caden was a dream, and Murphy was down to Earth, despite thinking that she wouldn't be. I also loved catching up with characters from Samantha Christy's other books.
This new series is certainly off to a good start! And I can't wait to get more from Brady!
November 16, 2017
Catching Caden is the first book in Samantha Christy's new series, The Perfect Game. Caden and Murphy will make you laugh, cry, feel their love for baseball (you'll never watch baseball the same again), and believe that love can conquer all! I love how you get alternating POV's, feel Caden and Murphy's happiness and struggles through the pages, and reunite with past characters in true Samantha Christy fashion. This is a feel good love story that will have you smiling while you read and say, "What the hell woman" the next. So Good! So Good! So Good!
January 14, 2018
Very good story! In love with Kessler :)))
December 6, 2025
December 2025
🇩🇳🇫
Caden (25) is a successful pro-baseball player.
Murphy (23) is an aspiring model who moves from a small town in Ohio to New York, to live her dreams.
Caden's home run ball hits Murphy, sending her to the hospital and ending her modeling career. Feeling guilty and seeing her boyfriend is a cheating jerk, Caden comes to her rescue, caring for her when she has no one else. They soon become friends, spending time together. Though everyone can see their growing feelings, they insist they're just friends. The jerk ex-boyfriend causes problems. Caden's long-absent, drug-addicted father returns as a changed man.
The story started off well but gradually went downhill. After about 30%, I began skimming and was unhappy with several things. Just before the halfway point, and after reading reviews to see what happens later, I gave up entirely. I prefer to spend my time on books I enjoy, and refuse to waste it on dull, dragged-out romances.
🇩🇮🇸🇱🇮🇰🇪🇸：
🔻This world is filled with the rich and beautiful. There are a number of successful, attractive characters connected by family or friendship.
🔻Although this is the first book in the series, it has characters from the author's other two series. I dislike when authors tie their series together, making readers feel out of the loop.
🔻 The characters are either all good or all bad, making them not feel like real people.
🔻 The h was annoying. After being seriously injured, she needed help, which the H was ready to give because he felt responsible. He has plenty of money, but she refuses his help. She calls herself a charity case and doesn't want to be indebted. The H continues to find ways to assist and she continues to complain. She should've been grateful!
🔻It made little sense that Caden refused to have a relationship. That he felt he had to protect himself from women who only wanted him for his fame & fortune. He had no past hurts or reasons to build such walls. It felt contrived just to keep him and Murphy as friends, causing minimal tension and angst. He still dates (even though they never go well) and even sets Murphy up with a friend. Maybe he should've picked better women to go out with. 🤷♀️
🔻 I felt no love, passion, or sexual tension between the MCs.
🔻 The writing is decent, but the character descriptions are brief. Overall, the story was too sweet and a bit cheesy as well. It failed to hold my interest.
▪️lesbian model
▪️transgender character who the h moves in with
41 F's
🇩🇳🇫
Caden (25) is a successful pro-baseball player.
Murphy (23) is an aspiring model who moves from a small town in Ohio to New York, to live her dreams.
Caden's home run ball hits Murphy, sending her to the hospital and ending her modeling career. Feeling guilty and seeing her boyfriend is a cheating jerk, Caden comes to her rescue, caring for her when she has no one else. They soon become friends, spending time together. Though everyone can see their growing feelings, they insist they're just friends. The jerk ex-boyfriend causes problems. Caden's long-absent, drug-addicted father returns as a changed man.
The story started off well but gradually went downhill. After about 30%, I began skimming and was unhappy with several things. Just before the halfway point, and after reading reviews to see what happens later, I gave up entirely. I prefer to spend my time on books I enjoy, and refuse to waste it on dull, dragged-out romances.
🇩🇮🇸🇱🇮🇰🇪🇸：
🔻This world is filled with the rich and beautiful. There are a number of successful, attractive characters connected by family or friendship.
🔻Although this is the first book in the series, it has characters from the author's other two series. I dislike when authors tie their series together, making readers feel out of the loop.
🔻 The characters are either all good or all bad, making them not feel like real people.
🔻 The h was annoying. After being seriously injured, she needed help, which the H was ready to give because he felt responsible. He has plenty of money, but she refuses his help. She calls herself a charity case and doesn't want to be indebted. The H continues to find ways to assist and she continues to complain. She should've been grateful!
🔻It made little sense that Caden refused to have a relationship. That he felt he had to protect himself from women who only wanted him for his fame & fortune. He had no past hurts or reasons to build such walls. It felt contrived just to keep him and Murphy as friends, causing minimal tension and angst. He still dates (even though they never go well) and even sets Murphy up with a friend. Maybe he should've picked better women to go out with. 🤷♀️
🔻 I felt no love, passion, or sexual tension between the MCs.
🔻 The writing is decent, but the character descriptions are brief. Overall, the story was too sweet and a bit cheesy as well. It failed to hold my interest.
▪️lesbian model
▪️transgender character who the h moves in with
41 F's
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