Julia Jarrett: The Game Changer

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237400006-the-game-changer

Book Blurb:

I hired a single mom to help make my small town fall in love with a baseball team. And now I’m the one falling in love…with her.

Buying a small town baseball team might seem an odd choice for a millionaire tech developer, but I welcome the challenge.

Moving back to my hometown and reviving the once-beloved Cedar Creek Thunder is an impulsive attempt to find a deeper purpose, and a life that is measured in happiness rather than dollars.

A chance encounter with the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen has my temperature rising from more than the tea she’s spilled on me. When she walks into my office for an interview later that morning, it quickly becomes clear there’s no one better suited for the job .

Isla Forrester should be off limits, but with a smile that pierces my soul, the single mom is fire wrapped up in sweet temptation.

I’ve always had thick walls around my heart, but Isla and her son are breaking them down.

Now my sole purpose is getting her to believe that loving her is no challenge at all.

Tropes:

*Hambright PR ARC/ALC  *sports romance (Baseball) *work place romance *Single Mom

*disability representation *cozy read *Boss/Employee *Age Gap *wealthy MMC

*small town romance *Spice *Forbidden Romance *slow burn 

*Green flag book boyfriend  *HEA  *low angst 

Thoughts:

Thank you to Julia Jarrett and Hambright PR for this ARC/ALC copy of the book.  

I listened to most of the book and the narrators were amazing Connor Crais & Heather Firth did a great job bringing these characters to life! 

Isla (FMC) is a single mom she has been out of work for a few months and thru a friend finds out a baseball team is in need of a marketing manager it is short term and a few hours away but she knows she can do this she loves baseball and is good at her job... unfortunately prior to the interview she runs into a super hot guy and tea gets spilled all over both of them... thankfully she has a spare shirt in the car after a change she arrives on time for her interview only to find that Mr. Handsome that she just spilled tea on is the owner and one she is interviewing with... not off to a good start.

Luca (MMC) was intrigued by the beauty who he ran into earlier and he knows she is fully capable of doing the job, the only bad part about this whole situation really is that as an employee she will be off limits... so why can't he get her out of his head?

Isla makes the move with her soon to be teenage son. She has been so focused on being a mom and making a life for herself and her son that her love life has been on the back burner... like not even a thought up until her hot boss comes into the picture but she can't go there what would everyone think if she was with the boss?  Also it's not just her own heart she would have to worry about if things didn't work out she has her son to think about.

As Isla and Luca work together to revive this small town team and learn more about each other they can't help but cross further over the line until there is no going back.

Luca is so sweet with Isla's son and it turns out they have more in common than Isla ever would have expected since they have a similar disability.  

Luca is an engineer and created a sensor chip for prostethic legs so that they fit and work better with the individuals body, selling this invention but keeping partial ownership rights in the company he has been able to support his dream of building up his home town minor league baseball team.  

Luca even though he is handsome and successful he does struggle with his own thoughts of self doubt and worries over how people will receive him and his disability. 

This was a lower stakes, low drama cozy read it was sweet to see these 2 come together, work thru their own insecurities and learn that its ok to rely on each other and let down their guard because love is right in front of them they just need to reach for it.  I really enjoyed this one and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

I liked this one but here are some negatives from other peoples reviews:

* sexual encounters are unequal between partners FMC only having had a few encounters and the MMC at least coming off a longer term relationship (more experienced).  While I also found this to be a bit on the unbelievable side it didn't bother me too much.  

* Luca knows that Isla's son is missing a limb but with holds this information from her for awhile and continues to have conversations with others about how she probably wouldn't want to be with him if she knew he was missing a limb.  --> I found this to be more his insecurities showing as he was not only older but also coming out of a failed relationship he was nervous about starting over with someone new especially knowing that he was in a position of power as her boss so perhaps this was just a way to talk himself out of pursuing her, I also don't feel there was anything wrong with him not telling her about this until he was ready they were not together at the time she was his boss.

*boring

*the couple was so mature and communicated so well there was not much angst

Alexandra Shaw: The Quarterback

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239150816-the-quarterback

book blurb:

Zoey:

My life is anything but perfect—but I’ve gotten really good at pretending it is.

My ballet career busted before it even began, all because my body changed. And my love life? That’s been doomed from the start, too. Why? Because I’ve been in love with one guy since I was a kid. And that’s exactly how he sees me.

Gary Robinson, quarterback of the Seattle (NFL team), I’ve known him since I was twelve and in love with him since I was thirteen!

He’s never said anything, thank God. I don’t even think he’s realized it. Maybe when I was little, but now he definitely has no clue. But regardless, he’s been a constant in my life—those piercing blue eyes, that easy charm. His goofy sense of humor!

He’s everything I want but can’t have… Loving him isn’t the hard part—hiding it is.

But then he walks in on me while I’m FaceTiming with my sister, being completely ridiculous while sunbathing by the pool—instead of laughing it off, he gets…angry.

And suddenly, pretending gets a whole lot harder.

Gary:

Being a professional quarterback for the Seattle Steelheads? That was always the dream.

But Zoey? I never saw her coming.

Not only is she the coach’s daughter, but he’s also my friend. His wife is my cousin!
She’s always been there—cute, talented, sweet as hell. She’s never been anything more than the cute kid that had a crush on me once.

When did she grow up?

I’ve never been in a serious relationship before, even a not serious relationship. But now, after seeing her at the pool…I can’t unsee what I saw. And—well, I don’t want to.

*High Gravity ALC  *Age Gap *Sports Romance (Football) *Best friends Daughter  

*Coach's daughter *Dancer FMC  *MH Body image struggles  *Rom-Com *Spice

*Found family  *Protective MMC  *novella  *Reformed Playboy MMC  *Banter

*State Challenge: Washington  *long time crush (FMC to MMC) *Cinnamon Roll MMC

Thoughts:

I had seen this authors books around and had a few on my TBR so when this one came available as an ALC through High Gravity I had to grab it to check it out!  

I didn't read the blurb beforehand but I checked it out after I started listening to it and I wasn't sure if I would like it or not I'm not opposed to age gap but I was concerned that the fact that Gary (MMC) is friends with Zoey's (FMC) dad and had met her when she was younger I wasn't sure how this was going to play out... turned out to be not as big of an issue as I thought it would be.

Gary (who knew someone named Gary could be so hot) is a player on and off of the field on the field though he's the star quarterback... he doesn't have girlfriends he's more of a one night stand kind of guy.  Zoey has had a crush on Gary since she was a young teenager but knows it will go nowhere he doesn't see her as a woman... moving on from her crush she starts dating her current boyfriend... now ex after she caught him in a compromising situation but he apparently hasn't received the hint that they are done.

Gary and Zoey grew closer as friends since Zoey started going to college he just likes hanging around her she's easy to talk to and fun... he knows it's wrong but very recently he's started feeling differently towards Zoey and doesn't know what to think about it... he can't act on these feelings obviously.

Zoey is home from college when Gary catches her in a compromising situation then one thing leads to another and it is fireworks!  Zoey is dealing with a lot of shame about her body since gaining some weight (it doesn't help that her ex-boyfriend and dance instructors were always commenting about her weight gain).  I loved how sweet and thoughtful Gary is towards her in helping her see she is beautiful just the way she is no changes needed.  

I appreciate how the author acknowledges the age gap but put them in a situation where the feelings they had were growing over time after she was an adult so them ending up together didn't feel forced or wrong, it felt inevitable it was meant to be. 

I also enjoyed that they were not hiding their relationship Gary once given the chance went above and beyond to be the perfect out in the open boyfriend even fessing up to his friend (knowing his friend might be livid).  

The narrators did a great job bringing these characters to life.  This story had me laughing throughout, I loved cinnamon roll Gary and how thoughtful and caring he was.  Even though it's a shorter book it doesn't really feel "insta love" there is enough build up of their relationship prior to the book starting that you can see how both leads would be having feelings for each other.  I loved watching Gary go from playboy to all in for the right woman and Zoey come to learn that she doesn't need to change who she is to please others. 

This was a spicy fun quick read and I enjoyed it!  

Have you read this one yet?  what did you think?