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Curveball: A Love Story
One bad pitch can change the whole game
Not to mention your life....
Zach Hiller was an ace pitcher for the New York Yankees until the day he lost everything in a catastrophe that he now remembers painfully as “The Curveball Incident”. Then, after two years of hiding from his past— spent mostly in Dublin, serving beer to tourists and throwing a stress ball against the walls of his messy apartment—his life goes up in flames once more, this time when an American named Emma Crawford walks into his pub and immediately takes to his tidy non- existence like a sunshine sledgehammer. How is he supposed to stay depressed, not to mention incognito, when this beautiful, stubborn, and funny woman is tearing down all his defenses?
Emma has it all, including a brand-new fiancé, degree, and opportunity to explore every corner of Ireland for a summer. But all it takes is one chance encounter with a mysterious and brooding bartender from Texas to make her start questioning everything she thought she knew about herself. Together they have enough problems to fill an ocean. So why is it impossible to even consider spending the summer apart?
Readers who want stories that pack an emotional punch, but who love happily-ever-afters that couples truly earn, will love this book!
Baseball romance with swoony chemistry and emotions, but closed-door spice level.
he's broken/she's sunshine
Not to mention your life....
Zach Hiller was an ace pitcher for the New York Yankees until the day he lost everything in a catastrophe that he now remembers painfully as “The Curveball Incident”. Then, after two years of hiding from his past— spent mostly in Dublin, serving beer to tourists and throwing a stress ball against the walls of his messy apartment—his life goes up in flames once more, this time when an American named Emma Crawford walks into his pub and immediately takes to his tidy non- existence like a sunshine sledgehammer. How is he supposed to stay depressed, not to mention incognito, when this beautiful, stubborn, and funny woman is tearing down all his defenses?
Emma has it all, including a brand-new fiancé, degree, and opportunity to explore every corner of Ireland for a summer. But all it takes is one chance encounter with a mysterious and brooding bartender from Texas to make her start questioning everything she thought she knew about herself. Together they have enough problems to fill an ocean. So why is it impossible to even consider spending the summer apart?
Readers who want stories that pack an emotional punch, but who love happily-ever-afters that couples truly earn, will love this book!
Baseball romance with swoony chemistry and emotions, but closed-door spice level.
he's broken/she's sunshine
- GenresContemporary
337 pages, Paperback
Published July 3, 2022
40 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Anne Trowbridge
10 books6 followersAnne Trowbridge loves writing romances that hit major emotional beats in swoony, angsty stories in which the couples really earn their happily-ever-afters. They are closed-door spice level. Expect banter, angst, and deeply emotional connections that resonate!
The baseball romances in her The Curveball Incident Series explore the fallout after one disastrous, wild pitch hits an unintended target, forever altering countless lives.
Her Ticket to Love Series spotlights independent women finding love—and also some heartache, adventure, and laughter—on fabulous trips.
The new Cruz Into Love Series is a trilogy about the three Cruz brothers and their struggles to survive—and maybe even thrive—after their family detonates into pain and chaos.
She lives in New Jersey with her husband, two kids, and two dogs. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s teaching language arts to middle schoolers, which really should involve medals for bravery. She grew up all over the Midwest and somehow still loves to travel and see new places.
Connect with her on social media and learn more about upcoming books at:
https://www.annetrowbridgebooks.com/
https://linktr.ee/annetrowbridgebooks
The baseball romances in her The Curveball Incident Series explore the fallout after one disastrous, wild pitch hits an unintended target, forever altering countless lives.
Her Ticket to Love Series spotlights independent women finding love—and also some heartache, adventure, and laughter—on fabulous trips.
The new Cruz Into Love Series is a trilogy about the three Cruz brothers and their struggles to survive—and maybe even thrive—after their family detonates into pain and chaos.
She lives in New Jersey with her husband, two kids, and two dogs. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s teaching language arts to middle schoolers, which really should involve medals for bravery. She grew up all over the Midwest and somehow still loves to travel and see new places.
Connect with her on social media and learn more about upcoming books at:
https://www.annetrowbridgebooks.com/
https://linktr.ee/annetrowbridgebooks
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 15, 2022
5 star Review Curveball : A Love Story (The Curveball Incident Book 1) by Anne Trowbridge
Anne Trowbridge is a new author to me and I am surprised I have not read this author before. This may have been my first book from this author but it will not be my last.
All it takes is one moment in time to change the course of a prisons life, For Zach Hiller, professional baseball ace pitcher for the New York Yankees a career ending injury changed the course of his life.
Two years on he has spent his time as a bartender in Dublin. When Emma Crawford walks into the bar, his life changes again. She has her life planned out for her until she meets Zach and begins questioning her plans.
Curveball was a sweet, romantic story that ticked all the boxes for me. Ach although grumpy was a swoon worthy man who I quickly fell for. I enjoyed the journey that their relationship took and it was emotional and heartwarming.
Anne Trowbridge is a new author to me and I am surprised I have not read this author before. This may have been my first book from this author but it will not be my last.
All it takes is one moment in time to change the course of a prisons life, For Zach Hiller, professional baseball ace pitcher for the New York Yankees a career ending injury changed the course of his life.
Two years on he has spent his time as a bartender in Dublin. When Emma Crawford walks into the bar, his life changes again. She has her life planned out for her until she meets Zach and begins questioning her plans.
Curveball was a sweet, romantic story that ticked all the boxes for me. Ach although grumpy was a swoon worthy man who I quickly fell for. I enjoyed the journey that their relationship took and it was emotional and heartwarming.
August 3, 2022
Easy read with fun characters. The author keeps the story moving with witty dialogue and a great setting in Dublin.
August 3, 2022
Curveball : A love story is fantastic sports romance novel that will sweep you off the floor into a swoon worthy romance. It's a heartwarming, sweet and entertaining book that I devoured within a few hours.
We follow Zach Hiller, the former ace pitcher for the New York Yankees working as a bartender in a pub of Dublin. After that one fateful incident that he remembers as the Curveball Incident he just couldn't face himself.
However when a beautiful and engaged American woman named Emma steps into the bar and strikes a conversation, he knew just right then and there, it was a beginning of something that will dismantled the wall that he has built around himself. As for Emma, something clicked when she meet the mysterious bartender whose gorgeous eyes held her captive since the first sight.
What happens when sparks fly and both are left to deal with the consequences?
Being an ardent follower of all things sports related, I had high expectations for this book, and to be absolutely honest I wasn't disappointed. The story is well developed and it wasn't a slow paced one either. I liked how the author has given layers of emotions to the protagonists who have an extraordinary ability to engage the readers in their lives.
Knowing this is the first book in The Curveball Incident Series gives me immense pleasure because I am really curious what new stories will she introduce to us in the future. Highly recommend it to the readers who loves to delve into sports romance.
Show quoted text
We follow Zach Hiller, the former ace pitcher for the New York Yankees working as a bartender in a pub of Dublin. After that one fateful incident that he remembers as the Curveball Incident he just couldn't face himself.
However when a beautiful and engaged American woman named Emma steps into the bar and strikes a conversation, he knew just right then and there, it was a beginning of something that will dismantled the wall that he has built around himself. As for Emma, something clicked when she meet the mysterious bartender whose gorgeous eyes held her captive since the first sight.
What happens when sparks fly and both are left to deal with the consequences?
Being an ardent follower of all things sports related, I had high expectations for this book, and to be absolutely honest I wasn't disappointed. The story is well developed and it wasn't a slow paced one either. I liked how the author has given layers of emotions to the protagonists who have an extraordinary ability to engage the readers in their lives.
Knowing this is the first book in The Curveball Incident Series gives me immense pleasure because I am really curious what new stories will she introduce to us in the future. Highly recommend it to the readers who loves to delve into sports romance.
Show quoted text
October 14, 2022
Poor Zach, once upon a time he was an ace pitcher for the Yankees, but is now working at a pub in Dublin, and really hasn't gotten over the demise of his career. His life takes an interesting turn when Emma, an American woman, comes into the pub, and little does he know his life will actually change for the better. Emma thought she had her life mapped out, but once she comes face to face with Zach, there's something about this man that calls to her despite all the walls he has built up. I LOVED this story so much, and it was no hardship to ignore the world until every last page was devoured as I was fully immersed in Zach & Emma's world. I didn't want it to ever end, so I'll be revisiting the sweet with heat story over & over again. I'm super excited for this series, and HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
August 20, 2022
This is the 1st in a new series, and this is Zach and Emma’s journey. Zach was an ace pitcher for the New York Yankees, until one moment in time, and he lost everything. For the past 2-years Zach has been working as a bartender in Dublin, and when Emma walks into the pub, the sparks fly. This grumpy and mysterious bartender intrigues Emma, and she starts to break down his barriers and brings light back into his life. This is a beautifully written fast paced story, with romance, emotions, and love, which leads to a sweet, heartwarming, and entertaining page turner.
I received a free copy of this book via Enticing Journey Book Promotions and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Enticing Journey Book Promotions and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 30, 2022
A wonderful love story that takes place in Ireland. I have personally been to many of the locations I. The book, which made it delightful to read!
October 14, 2022
4.5 Stars for Curveball: A Love Story ( The Curveball Incident Book 1)
This is the first book I have read by this author but it certainly won’t be the last because after reading Zach Hiller and Emma Crawford’s grumpy/sunshine romance I’m left wondering why I haven’t come across Anne Trowbridge before now.
Professional baseball player Zach finds a career ending injury turning his life upside down. Looking to move on and look for another direction he finds himself working behind a bar across the pond in Dublin but little did he know that two years on when Emma walked into the bar his life was going to take yet another curveball……
Emma knows what she wants from life and she has mapped out her future but that was before she met a hot, barman named Zach.
This is a story with all the feels, it has adorable characters, it’s sweet and romantic, it’s entertaining yet emotional and I can’t wait to see where we are taken next in this heartwarming series.
This is the first book I have read by this author but it certainly won’t be the last because after reading Zach Hiller and Emma Crawford’s grumpy/sunshine romance I’m left wondering why I haven’t come across Anne Trowbridge before now.
Professional baseball player Zach finds a career ending injury turning his life upside down. Looking to move on and look for another direction he finds himself working behind a bar across the pond in Dublin but little did he know that two years on when Emma walked into the bar his life was going to take yet another curveball……
Emma knows what she wants from life and she has mapped out her future but that was before she met a hot, barman named Zach.
This is a story with all the feels, it has adorable characters, it’s sweet and romantic, it’s entertaining yet emotional and I can’t wait to see where we are taken next in this heartwarming series.
October 10, 2022
As the story began, I was fine with the telling. Zach had to overcome an incident in his career. Emma was trying to be spontaneous and figure out her life. She was smart and overly organized but got herself stuck in a "comfortable" situation. I felt that the story dragged with so many reminders as to why Zach was where he was and not moving forward with his life. Emma's dilemma between Zach and Jim, and who she should choose did not help. If the story was a little trimmer, not as much waffling with the main characters, the story would have been a lot more interesting.
I received a copy through Enticing Journey Book Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.
I received a copy through Enticing Journey Book Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.
January 4, 2023
He'll never get over it if I'm here!
What happens if you have a huge accident in front of a large crowd and run away? What happens if after you run away you meet the person who could be the love of your life and find out they're attached to someone else?
Is it too late for Z to retake his life and to end his life with Emma? This is a wonderful real-life type tale which help me spell bound! I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I guarantee you will love it as much as I do!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What happens if you have a huge accident in front of a large crowd and run away? What happens if after you run away you meet the person who could be the love of your life and find out they're attached to someone else?
Is it too late for Z to retake his life and to end his life with Emma? This is a wonderful real-life type tale which help me spell bound! I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I guarantee you will love it as much as I do!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2023
I love a story where the heroine helps the hero find a better version of himself, and that is exactly what happened here. This was a sweet story with the characters falling in love long before they fell into bed (actually, they don't!) and for that I loved it. I was also impressed that the resolution to Zach's career wasn't ridiculously perfect or instantaneous (he still had work to do). My rating reflects the need for the story to be a little tighter: it got a little dragged out, a little repetitive with the inner dialogue/explanations, and a little sappy.
June 27, 2025
Curveball: A Love Story (the Curveball Incident, Book 1) is not just a story about an ace pitcher who throws a killer curveball. It’s about a guy who gets to the age of 26 with unusual ease and amazing success (he pitches for the Yankees) and that has made him….well, somewhat cocky. He’s not an asshole, but he is so overly confident, so sure of himself….And why not? He never failed, up to that point. He aimed for the stars and he made it, and he made it look easy. One day, though, throws a fastball and causes injury. The incident throws him into a kind of emotional shock. He spirals into self-doubt, remorse, and depression. He walks away from all of it, no longer sure of himself, and no longer able to trust the abilities he had nurtured from tee-ball and the Little League. He runs for the hills (the Irish hills) and hides away in his apartment and a job as a bartender where no one recognizes him. He stays there for two years. Then one day, like in Casablanca, darn it: of all the Irish pubs in all the towns in the world, she walked into his!
January 28, 2023
I really enjoyed this story. It had enough mystery and intrigue with a healthy dose of romance.
February 15, 2023
Didn't finish it. After about 35% it was still a back and forth of "i have to know his secret" and "she can't find out" .
So I gave up.
So I gave up.
February 27, 2023
A Hit
I enjoyed this book. We are all human and make mistakes. Love and support helps. One day at a time.
I enjoyed this book. We are all human and make mistakes. Love and support helps. One day at a time.
March 22, 2023
Where is Hallmark, and why isn't this already a movie?! So cute. It has the ups and downs and some morally ambiguous situations. Just awesome.
May 25, 2023
1.25 stars for effort and baseball
Simply written. Simple, dull characters with an abundance of trite emotions. Little to no spice. Easily skipped over much without losing the plot.
Simply written. Simple, dull characters with an abundance of trite emotions. Little to no spice. Easily skipped over much without losing the plot.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews