Also in this series: Caught by You
Series: Love Between The Bases
Published by Avon on May 26th 2015
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: Self Purchased
ISBN: 0062372165
Jennifer Bernard, the USA Today bestselling author of the Bachelor Firemen series, scores another homerun with a brand-new series about sexy, single baseball players.
Playing for the Kilby Catfish is hotshot pitcher Caleb Hart's last chance to salvage his career after a major league meltdown. But the day of his opener with the minor league team, Caleb strikes out with the gorgeous woman who is delivering a petition to run the unruly Catfish out of town. Now, to stay in the lineup, Caleb will need to score big with the feisty brunette he can't keep out of his thoughts.
After the nasty lies Sadie Merritt's rich ex-boyfriend spread about her all over town, she's lucky to have a job at all. She can't afford to screw it up by falling for the player who is supposed to be helping her change the image of the fun-loving Catfish. But that's easier said than done when Caleb's voice alone is enough to make her pulse race. And when he surprises her with a mind-blowing kiss, she knows there's no turning back.
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Summary
Caleb Hart plays for the Kilby Catfish in the minor leagues, hoping to find a spot in the major’s. He has real talent, but lately he has been striking out on his throws, and not just in the game. But has an altercation with sexy and feisty Sadie Merrit. Caleb will have to prove himself to Sadie and the mayor not just for himself but for the whole team. Sadie Merrit, after the disaster with her ex boyfriend, is still recovering. The rumors and gossip surround her like a dark cloud. She was barely able to get a job with the mayor with grit and determination after no one else willing to hire her on. She knows how lucky she is to have what she does considering the lies that are being spread around about her. She is determined to keep her job, even if that means resisting the gorgeous Caleb Hart who could have any woman at his feet. But a surprising and blow away kiss will change Caleb and Sadie and their desire for each other will explode into a wild fight for love…
The Hero
Caleb Hart is the oldest of his siblings, and after his mother abandoned them and then his father was arrested and put in jail, Caleb had to step up and take care of his sister and twin brothers. He was only nineteen but determined to keep his family together. He was forced to quit college, and take up a career in Baseball which he discovered is his passion and he has true talent for it. But his jive in going down the drain and he must get his head back in the game or his family will suffer the consequences. They rely on him to be financially stable. With his sister getting into med school, and his twin brothers still needing care, they can’t afford for him to lose his mojo in the game. But his desire and passion for Sadie changes things for him. Caleb is a hero that you just want to soak up. He is gorgeous, talented, and kind. He is a protector and is good to the heart and soul of his character. His only mean bone is when it comes to those that attack people he loves the most.
The Heroine
Sadie Merrit hasn’t exactly been dealt the kindest hand of cards in life. Her mother sleeps whenever stress or life happens. And Sadie couldn’t stand to be surrounded by such laziness. She had to always be doing something or the silence would drive her nuts. Sadie has a college education. But on one night she wanted to do something nice for her boyfriend and unknown to her at the time, he was taking pictures and video taping her. He then reveals the pictures to the whole town and now she is known as the town whore and slut. The rumors and gossip of it all has practically destroyed any chance to make a career and only her closest friend has stood by her. She has been betrayed by everyone and has trust issues. What I liked about Sadie was her inner strength and courage. She has this resilience I was instantly drawn to. Her situation is pretty heart breaking at times, but she keeps fighting for her life in the town and I loved that. She is a fighter.
Plot and Story Line
All Of Me is the debut into this new fabulous series by Bernard. A series that is a baseball themed romance setting. Now this is the first baseball romance that I have read and I really liked seeing more depth into this sport. I don’t know much about it except for the basics, so Bernard does a great job of introducing the readers to the sport and the culture which is very different from football (which I know very well since I happened to be practically weaned on the sport hehe ) Anyway, what I loved about this was seeing the whole series be set up in this book. We get an introduction into a minor league team that fight for each other and cheer each other on when they reach an accomplishment or a goal. I loved the friendship bonds and the commadarie between the players.
At the beginning we see the conflicts that rise between these two. They both have their own interests and goals but there is also a sizzling chemistry. But in the beginning, it seems more like a forbidden romantic theme for the story. Sadie needs to keep good standing with her job working for the mayor. And Caleb has to work on his career so he can support his family. But their attraction only gets stronger and we see them develop a relationship that is quite different from what you expect from the beginning set up. We see how both of them realize how explosive they are together and its worth the risk to see if what they have is worth it. This is one of my favorite aspects of the story. Is seeing two people fight for a relationship even if they know it comes with high risks. They enjoy the moments they have together and even though both of them realize it might not be forever, they have the now and they want to enjoy whatever they can have for whatever time they have. This is what I really liked quite a bit. The idea of enjoying life to its fullest moments and grab at those buckets of happiness when they come your way.
The supporting characters in the story really add flair and drama that helps balance everything else out. They adds juice and flavor that enhance the reading experience of All of Me. We even see hints of the next story involving Sadie and Caleb’s best buddies: Mike and Donna. I also had fun with Caleb’s family especially his sister. She is a firecracker and her sense of humor was unique and crazy and quite addicting.
Such a fabulous romance that won me over.
The Cover
What I want to say about this cover: IT ROCKS!! I love the simplicity of it. The pose is sexy, I love the forehead bump, with the matching colors and I love the whole style of the series. It’s a bit retro.
Overall View
All of Me is simply wonderful in every aspect….its addicting, full of challenge and a heart throbbing romance to get your pulse pounding. A Sexy home run of a romance!
Sports, romance, sizzling chemistry … yes, please! I haven’t read anything by this author, but sounds like she’s one to try.
oh yes it is fabulous. She has this series that is sports themed. Or she has a fun firefighter series that is so entertaining….great humor. I would recommend you try her out. She even has quite a few novella’s if you want something short and sweet and see if you like her writing.
I really love sports romances. And what a jerk exboyfriend Sadie had. Why did he show the town those tapes?
They are pretty fun right? Well they broke up so he used his family’s power and influence to get revenge on her. He was truly horrid.
I love baseball and reading baseball romances. I have this series on my list. This pair sound so good and I like the challenge from both their sides.
This one looks really cute! Maybe I’ll give it a try when I’m in the mood for a sports romance. Thanks for your review 🙂
Janhvi @ The Readdicts
Oh this one is on my tbr pile! He sounds amazing and omg her ex needs to be run over by a truck! Goodness.