Messing With The Ballplayer

Maid In Miami #5

by Breezie Bennett

Messing With The Bad Boy

Fall in love with Meredith and the bad boy in Maid In Miami Book 2, coming November 19th, 2021!

Maid In Miami:

When five best friends graduate from business school, it’s time for these girls to take on the world. As dazzling, eccentric, and spirited as the city where they all grew up, these dynamos head home to Miami with big plans to launch a high-end housekeeping company. Offering a mix of beauty, brains, and business savvy, it doesn’t take long for Maid in Miami to attract the most elite clients in the glamorous city. That means they are now the maids for billionaires, rock stars, athletes, and South Florida’s most charming bachelors. It turns out, a girl can clean, tidy, and make a place sparkle…until a heartthrob sweeps her off her feet. Then, things can get really messy.

Don’t miss Maid In Miami…unforgettable romantic comedies that will have you laughing, swooning, cheering, and mopping up some happy tears.

The Series:

Book 1: Messing With The Billionaire

Book 2: Messing With The Bad Boy

Book 3: Messing With The Bartender

Book 4: Messing With The Bodyguard

Book 5: Messing With The Ballplayer

Genres: Sports Romance, Rom Com, Contemporary, Romance

186 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2022

About the author

Breezie Bennett has had her fingers on a keyboard since she was a middle-schooler writing sports romances about her brother’s baseball team. A graduate of the University of Florida, she is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, can dance on pointe, and has been known to shotgun a beer in 5.2 seconds. When not writing romance, you’ll find her on a Florida beach with her two dogs, Ginger and Rosemary, and a playlist full of Pink Floyd and Lil Wayne.

Reviews

[Isha Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bennett gives heartache an endearing makeover. Eric and Cici take emotions into the looking glass of life's disappointment and find happiness waiting on the other side. Messing with the Ballplayer delivers a message of positivity within a sweetheart of story.

[Nate Brightman]

I hate to be the Goodreads Grinch Who Stole Christmas but I can’t say I found very much to like in this final book in Bennett’s Maids in Miami series. This series was built around 5 BFFs from grad. school who build a successful high end cleaning business Maids in Miami while each fall in love. Our female lead in this story is CiCi the last of the group to be single. CiCi is Chinese-American. She is devoted to her elderly grandmother Lao Lao. She is a fitness enthusiast who loves to workout. She’s 5’2” of solid muscle. As part of her work responsibilities she’s in charge of the crews that clean the MLB Miami Fire’s new stadium, luxury boxes, offices and locker rooms. Ironically because baseball players spend so much time standing around during a game she doesn’t consider baseball a real sport.
Eric is the star shortstop for the Miami Fire. He’s going through a season long hitting slump. The fact that he’s constantly being photographed by the paparazzi enjoying the South Beach night life in the company of beautiful women has everyone from the fans, to his agent to the team’s ownership convinced he’s lost his focus on baseball to the pleasures of South Beach nightlife. Sheila his agent whom it oddly seems like he works for her rather than the other way around tells him he must stop being seen with women and start playing better or his career in Miami is over.
On a dare from one of her new wedding planner friends, CiCi agrees to kiss Eric and in return her friend will provide free flower arrangements to her Maids in Miami friends upcoming weddings. CiCi has a long history of not being able to turn down a dare. CiCi corners Eric in the locker room for a quick kiss. That day he goes out and hits a game winning homerun and becomes convinced that CiCi is his good luck charm. He tracks her down and begs her to come to the rest of his games and kiss him before they start. Since CiCi has had a bit of a celebrity crush on Eric she agrees. Eric makes it clear to CiCi that they can’t have any sort of real or public relationship because of the warning his agent has given him that the team will not renew his contract if he’s again seen in the company of a woman for the remainder of the season. But the more time they spend together the more attracted they are to each other. CiCi even helps Eric improve his public image via his social media accounts which seems like maybe something his agent should have been doing besides scolding him like a misbehaving child about his extra-curricular activities. Eventually both CiCi and Eric admit they have feelings for each other but they can’t act on them because of the club’s warnings not to be seen out whoring around. CiCi struggles because she can’t believe this handsome superstar ballplayer could really be interested in her as anything more than his good luck charm. She also quickly becomes tired of being Eric’s dirty little secret even though there’s nothing dirty going on. This story is strictly PG at worst, with no sex or swearing. What will happen if Eric’s bat cools off and CiCi’s presence no longer helps his mojo? What will happen if the paparazzi discover Eric sneaking around with CiCi?
Breezie Bennett has built her brief writing career around writing fun, sexy rom.-coms that involve professional athletics in South Florida. Which is why while I’m use to other romance writers getting small details of the stories involving star athletes as male leads wrong, I was disappointed to see Breezie make some serious mistakes writing about professional baseball. She describes the sound of the ball hitting the bat as pinging off of metal. I think most everyone who knows anything about professional baseball knows they don’t allow the use of aluminum bats or bats made out of anything other than wood at the professional levels of the sport. Then she has this imaginary Miami Fire team beating the Red Sox an American League team for the divisional championship (which implies the Fire are also an AL team) and moving on to play the Atlanta Braves a National League team in the first round of the playoffs. There’s no way an AL team would play a NL team in the playoffs. Then there’s the inconsistency in the scene where CiCi comes to Eric’s apartment for the first time. I can’t believe her beta readers or editors didn’t catch this. Eric invites CiCi to his apartment to talk and offers her a drink. When she asks what he has he apologetically replies only water and Gatorade explaining going into the playoffs he only eats and drinks healthy. So they’re sitting on his couch drinking Gatorade (they both like the same flavor) while they talk. But a moment later when their conversation gets heavier, they’re described as sipping expensive whisky. Huh?
As much as I liked CiCi her grandmother Lao Lao her friends and even Eric, this book read too much like a bad Hallmark movie where too much of the plot didn’t make any sense to me. But obviously based upon the number of 5 star reviews I’m the anomaly here.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meant for Each Other . . .

This is a cute story focusing on Cici Chen, one of the owners of Maid in Miami cleaning company, currently supervising an account with the new South Florida Fire stadium, and Eric Garland, the shortstop for the South Florida Fire baseball team. When out with her co-workers, Cici is dared to kiss one of the players she has a crush on, Eric. So Cici waits in the locker room and kisses Eric, who then goes on to bat a home run! He had been in a slump, so he immediately assumes the good luck kiss is what changed his playing for the better.

Eric tracks Cici down and asks her to be his official good luck charm, attending his games and kissing him before each game. His agent presses him into agreeing to a “no girlfriend” policy, so he tells Cici they have to keep their relationship quiet. They both get closer, however, and end up admitting their true feelings for each another. At the end of the season, will they go their own way? Or will their relationship become something more permanent?

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final story for the Maid in Miami group is CiCi's. She takes a dare and kisses one of the ball players in the stadium they clean. This woman has guts for sure, she corners him in the locker room!
I just loved this one as I am a baseball fan and a romance fan. She is half Chinese and very close to her grandmother who is pushing for the romance. This one is very sweet, romantic and altogether just a delight. I loved the Chinese sayings interspersed throughout the story.
We are also introduced briefly to the Wedding Planners who have joined them in the office tower.
Looking forward to more stories. I have enjoyed every one of these books but this was my favorite.
Eric is adorable and CiCi is his match in every way.

[Jennie Fortna · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC for honest review with no compensation Received from BookSprout

Messing with the Ballplayer is book 5 in the series Maid in Miami by Breezie Bennett and the final book in this series….but looks like we have some new ladies for another series!!

Up last is Cici, the last single lady in the group, that thinks love isn’t for her and Eric, the professional baseball player, who’s career is slowly striking out in social media…but seriously…what a way to end this series!

A dare and stolen kiss that leads to something neither was expecting, secrets, social media nightmare, lots more kisses, laughter, good luck charms, celebrity crush and baseball isn’t a sport…lol, according to Cici.

Can’t wait for the Wedding Planners to get their stories!!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cici never turns down a dare, so when her friends dare her to kiss the hot baseball player she agrees. Eric is having the worst season of his career, he has been told no dating, and not to be seen with any women. He is shocked when a random woman kisses him in the locker room, but even more when his playing turns around after.

I love the way Breezie Bennett ends her series. She has a true talent. I loved everything about this book. Eric, for being a cocky athlete, he really was a sweetheart. Cici’s grandmother was also a wonderful part of this story. Now that all the Maid in Miami women have their HEAs, I can’t wait to see what is in store for the wedding planners. Hopefully we will get updates on the Maid women since they are all friends now.

[Jacoby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the beginning of this book and I thought the last few chapters were very romantic. Cici is an interesting heroine in that she’s brave enough to take any dare, but isn’t really brave enough to stand up for herself when the man she is crushing on insists that she remain a secret to everyone. This story has a really cute premise that Cici is the lucky muse to hotshot baseball player Eric. The lucky charm theme is further enhanced with Cici’s Chinese grandmother who spouts proverbs and insists luck will find a way. Unfortunately, since Eric insists that their relationship must remain completely hidden, there isn’t a lot of opportunity for him to be with Cici and it seems the relationship and attraction develops mostly in Cici’s discssions with her business partners and Cici’s and Eric’s own inner thoughts. I thought this book needed a bit more “middle” in which Cici and Eric spent time together. An ok story, but not my favorite of this series.

[Keri-Ann Black-Deegan · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favorite of the series

This book seems like the middle of the book is left out. The book is anticlimactic and without ever meeting Cici's best friends or beloved grandmother or most importantly ever even being intimate, fast forward to a proposal and the end.
This book was rushed and there was no character development at all on his teammates.
I cannot recommend this book.

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. Cici is the last one in the group to find love. She meets Eric who is a professional baseball player. He is having a terrible season. However, he begins playing better when she kisses him. This leads them to meet up and kiss before every game. Of course by the end they are in love and get their happy ending.

[Christoph J Sikora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luck? Superstition?? Love??? All of the Above!

Breezie Bennett finishes her Maid in Miami series in style with Messing With the Ballplayer, Cici's long-awaited story. Like Cici herself, the book proceeds steadily and reaches for a personal best. It succeeds, and there is much rejoicing!
Unlike her four business partners, Lilly (Messing With the Billionaire); Meredith(...Bad Boy); Bianca (...Bartender); and Aubrey (...Bodyguard), Cici Chen has never focused on finding a man, much to her traditional Chinese grandmother's disappointment. She prefers her job and her hours at the gym. Yet romance might find her, thanks to a dare from one of the wedding planners who moved their business nearby and befriended the Maids. The wedding planner offers to plan Bianca's and Aubrey's weddings at cost IF Cici kisses the Fire's star shortstop and known womanizer, Eric Graham. He's had a bad season, and social media has gleefully posted clickbait photos of him with gorgeous models, blaming his subpar stats on female "distractions". (Yes, he got sucked into the South Florida hookup culture, but it hasn't affected his game.) His agent still insists that he cut out women, so as not to give photographers ammunition.
Cici's role of team chief for cleaning the Fire stadium (the Maids' biggest account) gives her access to the entire interior, so she can find Eric anytime. Cici says yes right away---she never passes up a challenge, she has no reason to be attracted to the struggling star,, and boring baseball isn't a sport anyway (Cici's wrong on that, says this lifelong fan!).
The next home game day, Cici verifies her cleaning team's progress and then heads to the locker room, waiting for Eric to arrive. When he does, she kisses him and then disappears. After Eric hits a game-winning home run he determines, like the superstitious pro athlete he is, that the difference came from the mysterious Asian woman who kissed him and vanished. Eric calls her cell, insisting that she's his muse. Cici is skeptical, but her Lao Lao agrees with him and quotes many Chinese proverbs as proof. She even gives Cici a tiny ceramic cat with its paw held up (a symbol of good luck often displayed in restaurants). Cici surrenders to the inevitable and agrees to kiss him before the remaining games in the season. As Eric hits more home runs, the salacious stories die down and his agent, not knowing about Cici, congratulates him for following her "no women at all" advice, which she thinks worked.
The Fire will play Atlanta in their first playoff game. It's away, but Eric wants his muse there (for multiple reasons) and arranges for Cici to travel secretly to Atlanta so he can sneak her into his hotel room. To his dismay, a paparazzo hiding in the bushes snaps him sneaking "a mystery woman" into the back door and posts it with a caption yet again blaming his bad performance on his libido. Eric, who has developed real feelings for Cici and wants to go public with their relationship, convincing his agent that a committed relationship can only help his image, is annoyed. Cici, however, is devastated and, after he strikes out Casey-like to end the game and most likely his career--his agent says he'll be released if his numbers don't improve--she drives home in tears. She's become attached to this "non-sport" and its local shortstop, and she can't bear not having an excuse to kiss him before next season's games!
The book ends happily , but there are rain delays along the way: Jamal the second baseman wants to spend time in Eric's suite discussing strategy, so Eric hides Cici in the walk-in closet for 10 minutes while they talk and she tries not to make any noise or give vent to her irritation at being hidden like a guilty pleasure (which, at this point in Eric's emotional journey, she is!) and his constant denial of his obsession with her---what else is this excellent liar keeping from her?
I love this book---it's my favorite in the series, and having read all five, I say it with confidence. Breezie Bennett has, in the previous four books, included scenes that are faithful to the letter of a "closed door" romance but not the spirit; the reader can tell what's going on behind the door. In this one, however, Cici and Eric never do more than kiss, albeit with increasing passion. The ballplayers, too, evidence no hooking up; they play cards on the plane and sneak no women into their rooms, which is why Jamal wants to discuss the Braves at midnight, not invite Eric to a party in his own suite!
I found Cici and Eric an unlikely but believable couple and couldn't wait for them to get together! Neither could Lao Lao, the sweetest and most firm grandmother part-Chinese Cici could have! Bennett presents quirky, imperfect characters who draw readers' sympathy, and she succeeds in writing a book I can recommend wholeheartedly to everyone, especially baseball fans who will tell Cici baseball IS a sport that doesn't have overtime!

[Patti Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breezie Bennett has done it again and continues to give her readers incredible romantic comedies! I loved Messing with the Ballplayer, the fifth and final book in her Maid in Miami series. Breezie Bennett definitely did not disappoint with Messing with the Ballplayer and has once again delivered an incredible story filled with everything that I have come to love and expect in a Breezie Bennett romantic comedy, especially the poignant and bittersweet moments that filled this page turner. I loved reading every moment on every page and could not put it down. Breezie Bennett has once again provided her readers with the amazing characters, that I have come to love and expect in her books, they feel like family! I love the lighter moments in Messing with the Ballplayer, where I found myself smiling and laughing. Breezie Bennett continues to prove with Messing with the Ballplayer that she is a master storyteller. Who does not love hot sexy men, strong females, and loving friends who always support one another, they are all such wonderful characters? I love how Breezie Bennett somehow manages to find the "perfect" heroine, who is a strong woman on her own, to balance out the sexy man. Once more her characters in Messing with the Ballplayer are so believable and charming, they share great chemistry, and lots of laughs. I love that Breezie Bennett writes in the first person from the perspective of the two main characters. I enjoy getting to see things from the viewpoints of the main characters. Messing With the Ballplayer is the story of Cecelia “Cici” Chen, co-owner (with her best friends) of Maid in Miami, a high-end cleaning company and Eric Garland, shortstop for the major league baseball team, the South Florida Fire. Cici is the supervisor for the contract that Maid in Miami has with the South Florida Fire. The story starts with the dare to end all dares. While drinking with her co-workers and the new wedding planner for drinks, one of the wedding planners dares Cici to kiss Eric, and she will provide flowers for Bianca and Aubrey’s weddings. Cici never turns down a dare. She does exactly that at the next Fire home game. Eric has been in a hitting slump, and it changes the day of Cici’s kiss. Eric discovers Cici’s identity and reaches out to her. He suggests that she be his muse and attend the South Florida Fire games and give him a good luck kiss before the games. Cici is not a baseball fan and believes that Eric is a player. Eric’s agent gets him commit to a “no girlfriend” clause. As Cici and Eric spend time together their relationship quickly changes. They confess their true feelings for one another, and how Cici reveals that she had a crush on Eric. I love Eric and Cici’s love story, and how the plot twists changes things between them. I love how with Cici being his perceived muse Eric’s game changes. I love the amazing chemistry between Cici and Eric. I love the characters and the friendships in Messing with the Ballplayer, the characters truly feel like best friends. Who does not love friends that always have each other’s backs? Messing With the Ballplayer is filled with all those things that I have come to long and expect from Breezie Bennett, incredible characters, amazing story, light, poignant and bittersweet moments, and surprise plot twists. She did not disappoint in her delivery of those things. I love how she resolved the unexpected plot twist; it was truly a heartwarming moment. I loved the ending, and how it hints as to the identity of for her next series. My favorite part of the story was Eric’s proposal. I absolutely loved it! I could not put the book down; I loved every moment. It was an amazing story and I highly recommend it.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

CiCi and Eric play an interesting game as they luck out by unexpectedly faling in love in Messing with the Ballplayer by Breezie Bennett, the final book in her Maid in Miami series. Cici, Cecilia, Chen is the spunky, no nonsense partner with a passion for fitness.. Cici never backs out from a dare. When she is dared to kiss Eric Garland, a local superstar baseball playboy, she knows she will find a way, when, and how. Cici never expected Eric to find out who she was, let alone call her; but he claims her kiss turned his not good, very bad, super awful season around and wants her to be his good luck charm for the playoffs. Eric is in trouble with his team because of his bad playing and all the bad press he’s been generating with his social life. Eric has been told to lay off the girls and concentrate on his game; forcing him to keep their relationship a secret. Cici is very close to her grandmother, a Chinese grandmother who has a proverb that fits any occasion or situation. In seeking her advice, her grandmother tells her to go for it; that it is destiny that brought Cici and Eric together and she was excited for Cici’s good fortune. Cici thought her grandmother was being ridiculous as she felt that there was no way Eric could like her like that, let alone get serious about her. When her grandmother gives her a pocket lucky cat, ir not only brought magic to Cici and Eric, but cast a magical spell on a couple who were meant to be together. Cici and Eric proved that true love happens when you least expect it and to never give up when you have found the life of your life.

Ms. Bennett wrote a heartfelt, fun, flirty, sweet romance that should definitely not be missed. She provided a tale rich with emotions, sizzling chemistry, magnetic attraction, clever banter, endearing characters and supportive friends giving Cici and Eric a chance for a future together. I highly recommend Messing with the Ballplayer to other readers and can’t wait to meet the Wedding Planners who moved down the hall from their office and were briefly introduced in this story.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Messing with the Ballplayer

****** Spoiler Alert ******
This is the fifth in a series by Breezie Bennett. And it is the fifth time I am reading this author’s work.
The reading is light and fun to read. A quick read (but not a novella). The parts that make it the most fun are the characters. The girls, Lilly, Meredith, Cici, Aubrey, and Bianca all attended Florida University to receive their masters in Business and now run a business together for high-end clients called Maid in Miami.
This story focuses on CiCi. CiCi is a gym rat that is tiny but very athletic. She is super close to her Chinese grandmother that loves to talk of Chinese proverbs. When her friends including the new bridal friends dares her to kiss Eric Garland, Shortstop for the Miami Fire she took it. With the cleaning company they are already in the building and she decides to head to the locker room. A couple of guys saw her before she hid. Then she snagged Eric, kissed him and left and watched from above as Eric changed his game around. Right…Eric’s game had been in the trash mostly because of his social media. Then CiCi came along and he was certain she was good luck. It happened at the next game and then she went to Atlanta. Nothing happened, but they both knew they had more feelings for each other. Before he could announce to the press his relationship with CICI, TMZ printed a picture of him sneaking her into his hotel.

Am I going to tell that they will be OK now that CICI has been trashed? Cici was there on his last game but she doesn’t see him. They lose. She thinks it is her fault. Is it?

What happens after this? It is definitely worth it to Read the Whole story because the ending is unexpected.

10/10+

[Lisa Hemming · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Maid in Miami series by Breezie Bennett is amazing and in “Messing with the Ballplayer”, cupid’s arrow is now pointing to Cecilia Chen, the no nonsense partner who has a passion for fitness and is very close to her grandmother. Some of my favorite scenes are when Cici is visiting her grandmother, who has a Chinese proverb that will fit any occasion. My favorite one is: “Fate brings two people from apart.” Her grandmother believes that it was destiny that brought Cici and Eric together and she was excited for Cici’s good fortune. Cici thought her grandmother was being ridiculous but when she accepted a crazy dare from her friends to approach a superstar baseball player, she couldn’t have imagined that she might meet the man of her dreams.

Cici’s friendship with Eric was fun to watch and I totally agreed with him that she was his good luck charm and needed to be at all of his games. I am a huge baseball fan and I believe that superstitions, favorite socks and good luck charms can all help to win games. When Cici tucked the lucky cat that her grandmother had given her into her pocket at the game, I knew that it would not only bring good luck to Eric on the field, but it would also cast a magical spell on a couple who were meant to be together. Ms. Bennett knows how to tug at our heartstrings and make us all feel a part of her character's romantic journeys. Cici and Eric showed us that true love happens when you least expect it and to never give up when you have found the life of your life.

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Messing With the Ballplayer, readers finally get Cici Chen's book. Now I feel like this happens to me very often in series...I have to wait for one character's story the longest. I've been intrigued by Cici the entire series, so I was more than ready to finally get her book.

I really loved Cici and Eric met because she was brave enough to kiss him on a dare from her best friends and her new group of friends. It was a really great meet-cute in my opinion. I loved there was a pretty strong attraction between both Eric and Cici, but really didn't love that they had to hide that she was his lucky charm. I did love all the banter, and especially Cici giving Eric a hard time about baseball not being a real sport...I laughed out loud while reading her tell him that thought. I liked the chemistry between Eric and Cici, and really loved them as a couple. I absolutely loved the time Cici spent with her friends, and her grandmother might be my favorite character in the entire series.

Messing With the Ballplayer was a satisfying wrap up to the fun Maid in Miami series. Ms. Bennett's voice for romance remains strong, as does her comedic timing. I can't wait to see what stories await readers in the future from Breezie Bennett!


Rating: 4 Stars (B)
Review copy provided by publisher

[Hanna Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book number 5 of the Maid in Miami series and focuses on Eric and Cici. Cici is the last person in her friend group to find love and the last thing she expects is to find it with Eric. When she is out with her friends, she gets dared to kiss Eric. Cici being Cici, she is not one to turn down a challenge. She has the advantage of overseeing the cleaning crew for Eric’s team which makes it easy for her to make her way to the locker room and lay one on him. Little did she know that the kiss would kickstart Eric out of the slump he had been in. Eric had been told that he couldn’t be with anyone for the duration of the season because it was seen as a distraction and likely the reason for his slump. One kiss from Cici changes everything for him and he knows he’s found his muse. Unfortunately, due to the clause that was laid on him before meeting Cici, they have to keep their relationship secret. Things have a way of working out in ways they couldn’t anticipate and the results were fantastic. I absolutely loved everything about this story and this series! I am so excited for the new series coming up!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe we’re at the end of the Maid in Miami series and author Breezie Bennett hit a home run with this great story for Eric and Cici. I personally enjoy baseball, so this book was a perfect read for me. Of course, I love the characters and the dare for Cici set up the premise for this story perfectly. Eric is a great hero and of course Cici his heroine and their friends and the new wedding planner ladies egging her on as well, so much fun. I liked how he got his good luck charm before each game and then when he was able to see her during the game just put more anticipation into things to see if he could break his lull in the game. I also really liked Lao Lao and her Chinese proverbs, some of them were actually rather good. Of course, my favorite part was the grand gesture for Cici at the end and her comment with ‘I am never turning down a dare for the rest of my life.’ Great ending to the Maid in Miami series and here come our wedding planning friends and I’m very curious to see if there will be any carryover with any of the baseball players maybe with these wonderful women. Sad to see this series end but definitely looking forward to the Married in Miami series heading down the aisle.

[Katja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cecelia Chen is the last single woman from the Maid in Miami series. She's a spunky gym rat and never backs out from a dare. When Cici's dared to kiss Eric Garland, a local baseball playboy, of course she does it. She never expected Eric to find out who she was, let alone call her. But he claims her kiss turned his not-good, very-bad, super-trash season around and wants her to be his good luck charm for the playoffs. But he is in trouble with his team due to his bad playing and too many gossip blog photos of him with various Instagram models, and he's supposed to lay off the affairs and concentrate on the game, so they need to keep the relationship a secret. Her grandmother spouts Chinese proverbs and encourages her to go for it, but Cici feels like there's no chance things with Eric could ever get serious.

I have read this plot before but this was a fun fluff sort of a book that made me happy. The romance stands alone but her friends from the series are featured here as well as some characters from another upcoming series. Steam level: kissing.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jessica Zinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cici last one of the Maid in Miami girls not yet matched up. The tomboy of the girls is not looking for romance. She is sent to clean a ball park and sees the ballplayer Eric Garland. The girls know he is a bit of a playboy and dare Cici to kiss him.
Eric has been living the life of any famous ball player, loose women and partying. His career was on the rocks his agent told him no girls until the end of the season. Eric agrees to stop and then without warning a girl he has never seen before kisses him and disappears. The next inning he hits a grand slam. Believing the girl to be his good luck charm, finds out she is cleaning his ball park has her coming with him to all his games to kiss him and give him good luck.
This is the last book in the series but not the last book as there is new characters that are introduced in the first part of the book. I am looking froward to reading about these three girls.
On the whole I was impressed. This book was were Ms. Bennett wanted the reader to know more then the characters do. This is always a fun read. This books can be read as a stand alone but to get a fuller story the other should be read.

[Staci · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5-stars for Messing with the Ballplayer

This is a fun, flirty, somewhat steamy, yet easy to read. Cici isn't sold on baseball but when she takes on the dare to kiss Eric the hot, sexy, star baseball player, will it be a disaster in the making or a hit out of the park. Eric is an ideal book boyfriend, so swoon-worthy when he says “I was convinced that you made me a better baseball player, and now I know that isn’t true. You make me a better man." The best thing Cici did was not back down from the dare since it led to a hot, sexy man who owns that a** in those tight baseball pants. And, the best thing readers can do is not turn down the dare to one-click and read Messing with the Ballplayer! While this is part of the Maid in Miami series, it is the last book of the series but can be read as a standalone. Excited to see what Breezie Bennett has in store with her next series Married in Miami.
While I did receive an advanced review copy, I also read the book with Kindle Unlimited and am voluntarily leaving my own opinion with my unsolicited, voluntary review.

[Marcie Pomper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last of the Maid in Miami series. Loved all of them. Each book was awesome and I loved how each of the friends found their HEA. In the final book in the series Cici, who could never turn down a dare, is dared to kiss the famous shortstop for the South Florida Fire. Eric is known for being a playboy and always seen with various models, and since Cici doesn’t even believe that baseball is a real sport, she agrees to do the dare. Since she is in charge of overseeing the cleaning of the box suites at the stadium, and has full access, she figures she can find a way to do it. Eric is in a serious slump, and when a mystery woman kisses him and he then has the best game ever, he is determined to find the mystery woman who he is convinced is his muse. Love how their relationship evolved. Each not looking for a relationship, but ultimately ending up realizing that they were meant for each other.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Messing With The Ballplayer is the last book in the Maids in Miami Series. Five friends from college come together to start a Maid service in Miami which is a great success. Cici Chen is the last single friend in the group and she finally gets her happy ever after. Cici and ball player Eric Garland meet in a very unusual way and it starts the story off with a bang and in such a fun way. The plot flows smoothly, the story has secondary characters as Eric’s team mates who are always ready to give him a hard time. Cici’s grandmother is a very lovable and supportive character for her granddaughter. This was a nice way to round out this series with some new characters which will show up in their own series in the near future. Maids in Miami is a fun, sexy and some times hilarious series and a great read.

[Julia David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been waiting for Cici's story. Of all the friends, she is the one that didn't want a relationship. That is until she took a dare and kissed Eric. Eric is so gorgeous and so not in her league. So, she took the dare to kiss him, and magic happened. Eric played the best game of the season after that kiss with Cici. He is not usually superstitious, but Cici has to be his good luck charm. The problem is, they have to sneak around because Eric promised no more women or any other distractions. As Eric and Cici get to know each other, Cici realizes that he isn't like the guy in the media. There is so much more to him. Will their secret come out? Does Cici want to be his secret? Will it ever be more?

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifth book in series but you don’t need to read others to appreciate story.

Cici is one of 5 friends who own and run a cleaning company. She’s the last one standing solo and loves dares and adventures so when her friends suggest she get up close and personal with a specific ball player, she’s not going to back down.

Eric loves baseball, but it’s not loving him back at the moment. He doesn’t know what’s changed but is willing to try anything to get back in it’s good graces...even follow a total ban on women. That is until one kiss seems to put his career back on track.

It’s fun to watch they two navigate their lives in each other’s world and figure out what’s really important to them.

[Angelia M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Messing with the Ballplayer is pure escapist fun! It’s the last book in Breezie Bennett’s Maid in Miami series and features Cici and Eric. Cici is my favorite heroine in the series and Eric is her perfect match, but I felt their relationship development was a little lacking when compared to the other books. This was more of an insta-love story and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I wanted more since I liked their characters so much. The ending was delightfully sweet and satisfying which made up for it. I’m sad to say goodbye to the Maid in Miami ladies, but I’m definitely looking forward to getting to know the wedding planners.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One dare, a stolen kiss and WOW what a beautiful love story unfolds! Cici is the strong, tough one in this group of friends but her love story with Eric is perfect. The Chinese proverb her Grandmother says “Fate brings two people from apart” definitely applies to these two. Finally Breezie gives us a little lesson in Mandarin Chinese. I loved this little touch! Cici helped Eric score home runs and Breezie scored a home run with this last book in the Maid in Miami series! So excited for the next series with the Wedding Planner ladies.

[Pj Ausdenmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for a fresh, fun story to lose yourself in this weekend? I enthusiastically recommend Breezie Bennett's Messing with the Ballplayer. This final book in Bennett's Maid in Miami, romantic comedy series is brimming with sparkling banter, heart-tugging feels, strong female friendships, and satisfying, closed-door romance (with plenty of chemistry!). I pretty much grinned from beginning to end.

The five books in Bennett's Maid in Miami series are connected through the five women who are close friends and business partners but can be read in any order.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last of the Maid in Miami series. 4*
Breezie is a very talented writer with a natural witty writing style and lively, well-described characters. This last novel, the story about Cici and Eric in this seriesm was enjoyable, albeit somewhat quicker to arrive at a resolution, without fully making use of the contribution of the recurring supportive characters from the other episodes. A nice HEA completes this clean novel that I am happy to recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another awesome series!

I just finished this little series by Breezie. I loved it! actually I have enjoyed everything of hers that I've read so far and this is the third series. now I have to wait for the wedding planners to come out later this year. I look so forward to her books I can't tell you! if you're thinking about trying one please do you will not be disappointed and you'll just click on the next book afterward and keep going until you're through the whole series! thanks Breezie. your books are wonderful ❣️

[Mulan Book Princess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I though this was such a cute romance. I really adored Cici and Eric as they had a great connection and chemistry that sizzled throughout the book. I think my favorite parts of the book includes Cici’s grandmother and all the words of wisdom she would dole out! This rom-com series has been so much fun to read!.

I received a free advanced reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my fair and honest review.