Review: No Breaking My Heart by Kate Angell

Disclaimer: I've received No Sunshine When She's Gone as an eARC from Netgalley

No Breaking My Heart by Kate Angell
published by Kensington in July 2016

Relationship Status: Complicated

Professional baseball player Halo Todd doesn't like failure, but he can never turn down a challenge. Especially when there's a pretty woman involved. How else would he end up dressed as a rooster, helping a complete stranger compete on a wacky game show? Even when they're eliminated after the first round, Halo isn't about to lose the girl…

Alyn is stunned when gorgeous, generous Halo whisks her off for a dream vacation to the beach--she's been let down by friends and even family so many times, she's lost count. Later, he offers to lend a hand getting her vintage shop up and running. But his constant--and ridiculous--purchases are the last thing she needs. How can she convince the stubborn man that she doesn't need his help--not when all she wants is his heart…

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Barefoot William, Book #5

The Story: The blurb of No Breaking My Heart makes the book sounds a lot more breezy than the story is ^_^; It got the main details right... Just before leaving for spring training, Halo Todd, professional baseball player for the Richmond Rogues, is accosted and roped in by Alyn Jayne, a complete stranger, to participate in a game show. Alyn's dream is to open an antique/vintage shop and after her potential business partner bailed on her, cleaning out their bank account at the same time, she figures out the prize money from the game show is her best bet. What it leaves out is that yes, Halo is intrigued by Alyn and wants to spend more time with her... so he whisks her along with her younger brother - Halo's guest for spring training, mother and injured pug to Barefoot William where spring training is taking place. Halo can feel the chemistry between them and in order to spend more time with Alyn, comes up with an arrangement: she'll pretend to be his girlfriend/fiancée for the season and he'll be a silent partner in her business.

The secondary romance in the book involves Halo's best friend and teammate, Landon Kane. Landon is tired of playing the field: partying and hooking up doesn't interest him anymore. In fact, he's looking for a significant relationship... and seems to have found the perfect woman in Eden Cates, photographer and owner of the Old Tyme Portraits.

My Opinion: Ever since Ms Angell started writing the Barefoot William series, these books have become my go-to beach reads. I simply love the beach town and atmosphere Ms Angell has created. It's so vivid that sometimes, I can almost smell the sea and sunscreen LOL. Every year, I look forward to going back to Barefoot William and this year was no exception... unfortunately, I did not enjoy No Breaking My Heart as much as I hoped :(

I think the biggest issue I had with No Breaking My Heart is that Ms Angell reverted back to the multiple couples book. This is usually my biggest complaint with her books; however, I thought we were done with it after No One Like You featured only one couple. So it was kind of disappointing to find out we were getting Landon and Eden's romance as well in No Breaking My Heart. Disappointing because I actually liked Landon and Eden's chemistry better and felt their relationship didn't get the focus it deserved. I felt Landon and Eden's romance was more honest and straightforward. It was nice to see two people knowing that they wanted more and going for it. While there was more sexual tension between Halo and Alyn, their romance was too complicated. Why couldn't Halo just tell Alyn he was interested in her and wanted to date her? Instead, he had to invent excuses and came up with the deal and Alyn never really knew where she stood with him. Their relationship was over-complicated for nothing... and that's unfortunate because there was a lot of good elements. First, the way they met was just hilarious. Definitively something Ms Angell could have built on. Also, I loved Halo's interactions with Alyn's younger brother and her injured pug. When a man acts the way Halo did, it's just swoon-worthy. Also, Halo and Alyn had the perfect backdrop for an awesome romance - Barefoot William. Every element was there for a great romance... so I'm really bummed that Ms Angell went the fake engagement/business deal route.

Otherwise, the rest of the book was fun and fluffy. As usual, the setting was perfect for a beach read :) I loved the activities and promotional events depicted in the novel. The characters were a bit one-dimensional, but still quite lovable. I particularly liked Alyn's younger brother, Danny, and her pug, Quiggley.

My Grade: C+. All in all, not a bad read... but not as good as I expected either.

Review: No Sunshine When She's Gone by Kate Angell

Disclaimer: I've received No Sunshine When She's Gone as an eARC from Netgalley


No Sunshine When She's Gone by Kate Angell
published by Kensington in April 2014

Life's a Beach

Though his family owns the charming beachside town of Barefoot William, Aidan Cates is as down-to-earth as the locals. He's also practical to a fault and doesn't believe some psychic on the boardwalk can predict his future.

Jillie Mac is as free as an ocean breeze, so when the hot stranger and his date mistake her for a fortune teller, she's ready to have some fun. But one devastating secret told, one mistaken identity revealed, and numerous long summer nights later, it's Jillie and Aidan who discover that sometimes love comes with a simple twist of fate.

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Barefoot William, Book #3

The Story: I think the blurb for No Sunshine When She's Gone was a bit misleading. Here are some of the details that were left out...

Jillian Mac and her best friend, Carrie Waters, both work for the Community Affairs department of the baseball team, the Richmond Rogues. With the new Richmond Rogues Spring Training Facility being built in the Gulf Coast, they have been sent to Barefoot William and Saunders Shore to connect with the locals and drum up interest for the new spring-training facility. In order to do so, she will be working closely with the Cates family who own Barefoot William, and more particularly, Aidan Cates whose construction company has been hired to build the spring-training facility. However, she never expected to meet him when he and his date mistake her for a psychic and ask for a reading!

From their first meeting, Aidan is attracted to and intrigued by Jillian. He wants her and for more than a fling... However, Jillian doesn't have the best track record with relationship and therefore avoids them. How to convince her?

My Opinion: From my reading experience and reviews on blogland, Ms Angell has a writing style that either works for you or doesn't. It has to do with the fluffiness of her writing, the lack of research sometimes and the secondary characters and romance taking too much pages. I have to admit that the third factor has been a constant complaint of mine with her books and it's no different with No Sunshine When She's Gone ^_^; Despite that flaw, I like her writing style and books and this time was no exception, I enjoyed No Sunshine When She's Gone immensely :)

Funnily enough, it's not the usual elements that stood out in No Sunshine When She's Gone for me ^_^; Sure, Aidan and Jillie Mac were nice characters and their romance started out quite strong. I liked how they didn't fall into bed right away, it just increased the sexual tension between them which was great! It's unfortunate that once they got together though, the romance kind of fizzled out ^_^; Mainly because Jillie Mac had the weird notion that a relationship wouldn't work out. It was too bad because I would have enjoyed scenes of Aidan and Jillian together as a couple, settling into a routine. Oh well. What I did like was Aidan's attitude. He didn't beg Jillian to give it a try, didn't trick or manipulate her into a relationship. Instead, he left her alone to figure it out... and she did :) Had she not, I'm sure he would have gone after her eventually... but I have to say, I liked that he gave her space.

As usual, there was a secondary romance in No Sunshine When She's Gone. This one was between Carrie and Aidan's friend and second-in-command in the construction company, Mike Burke... And no, it didn't outshine Aidan and Jillian's romance. Carrie and Mike's romance was okay. Mike had an interesting back story, but his attitude made it hard to sympathize with him. On one hand though, I liked that he was who he was and didn't apologize for it... On the other hand, I wonder if he was always like that or his injury changed him. I wished Ms Angell had developed his character a bit more and the romance as well. This one was quite rapid and hard to believe in because of how fast it happened. Especially since Mike and Carrie didn't seem to have much in common.

All right, so what stood out for me if it weren't the characters and the romances? First, the setting. Ms Angell really makes Barefoot William and Saunders Shores come alive and oh, how I wish I was there. You can almost feel the sun shining, the sand between your toes, the salty air, the carnival sounds. LOL. Secondly, there was also the tie-in between this series and Ms Angell's previous one, the Richmond Rogues series. It was nice to see some old characters... and there was a nice twist involving Psycho. Also, the baseball atmosphere fit right in the series :) Last and not least, Olive the parrot just stole the spotlight in No Sunshine When She's Gone :) She was first introduced in No Tan Lines and makes a comeback in here. She was so much fun! LOL. Makes me almost want a parrot :P

There's not much that scream more summer than beach and baseball... and as a result, it made No Sunshine When She's Gone a great summer read :) Especially after the long and rough winter we've had! Seriously, this book just cheered me up and that's why I am willing to overlook some of its flaws.

My Grade: B.

Review: No Tan Lines by Kate Angell

Okay, so I missed this month's TBR challenge again ^_^; I did see Wendy's post, but for some reasons, even after, I thought I still had more time. Obviously not, oups. I might have been able to pull it off if this review hadn't taken me so much time to write. What can I say, it's been a while since I've written reviews and I'm sadly rusty ^_^; Hopefully, my mojo comes back soon.

So it took me a while to write this review, but I was determined to write it because I really enjoyed this book :) In the end, I think I got it right :P I hope you enjoy and pick up the book after reading this post!

No Tan Lines by Kate Angell
published by Kensington in May 2012

There's a place where the ocean meets the shore, where kicking off your shoes and baring some skin is as natural as sneaking under the boardwalk for an ice cream cone and stolen kisses. But life isn't all a beach for Shaye Cates, even if her idea of an office is a shady umbrella at the water's edge equipped with cell phone and laptop. Steely-eyed Trace Saunders is the incredibly irksome fly in her coconut tanning oil. And running a kids' softball team with her long-time rival is going to have everyone in her little Florida town buzzing. Her scads of laid-back relatives and his whole uptight clan know that Shaye just wants to play ball while Trace thinks only of business. But beneath the twinkling lights of the ferris wheel, the magic of sea and sand can sweep away every inhibition...Suddenly, it's summertime, and the lovin' is easy.

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Barefoot William series, Book #1

The Story: Shaye Cates and Trace Saunders have always been at odds, rubbing each other the wrong way and never seeing things eye to eye. Part of it is due to the century-old feud between their families; the other part is simply because the two are so different, just like their family business. The Cateses own the northern cement boardwalk, Barefoot William, which is all about fun with its amusement arcades, carnival rides and specialty shops. As for Saunders Shores, it is located south of Center Street and honors refinement with its couture stores, gourmet dining and a five-star hotel. Shaye spends half her time barefoot and in a swimsuit and  her office is the beach, a shady umbrella, her cell phone and laptop while Trace's idea of casual is slacks, white button-downs and loafers and his office has walls. The only thing the two have in common is they are both the CEO/president of their family business... and that's what brings them together in No Tan Lines.

In order to organize a professional/amateur beach volleyball tournament that would bring business that Barefoot William boardwalk desperately needs on the 4th of July week-end, Shaye needs Trace to share 200 feet of his beach and therefore needs his signature on the recreational permit. When Trace finds out that Shaye has given the green light to the event without his consent, Shaye finds herself in Trace's debt... and he has no qualms demanding that she pays up. First is that she breaks the rule of not renting storefront on Barefoot William to non-family and makes an exception to his latest ex-girlfriend. But more importantly is that he is being kept in the loop when it comes to the volleyball tournament and that means Shaye will have to work out of the Saunders corporate offices.

As Shaye and Trace work and spend time together, they discover what years of bickering and veiled tolerance have hidden: attraction and chemistry... but with a century-old feud, can any relationship they have have a future?

My Opinion: To be honest, I was a bit apprehensive when I picked up No Tan Lines because Ms Angell's last release, Sweet Spot, did not wow me and the reviews I've read were mostly in the C range. However, after that first chapter, Ms Angell had me hooked :P

First, I loved the setting :) It was simply perfect for the beach read that No Tan Lines turned out to be!  I think everyone has gone to a boardwalk like Barefoot William and has fond memories of it. Well Ms Angell does a great job with the descriptions, but the ingenuity is that they not only engage our imagination, but also draw on our memories, making Barefoot William and Saunders Shore come to life so vividly :) What's also great about the setting is that it sets up the mood and the atmosphere for the story very well. The beach and the sun made me disconnected and relax and the contrast between the two boardwalks was really key to the story and making us understand the source of the feud and how different Shaye and Trace were. Also, the beach volleyball tournament was a great idea! It fit because it is played at the beach obviously, but also because it's fun to play and watch and you can help but think of sun and coconut sun lotion LOL.

However, what made the book for me was the H/H, Shaye and Trace, and their relationship. From the start, I liked Shaye and Trace. Shaye appears very relaxed and laid-back, working from the beach and spending most of her time barefoot... and it's not a front, it's who she is. At the same time, she's very level-headed and is in charge of Barefoot William Enterprise, looking out for all of her family shops, giving a hand whenever needed and solving problems. That means she's strong, determined and smart. However, she's not all hard and I loved seeing her softer sides, how kind, generous and giving she was. As for Trace, well he's a typical CEO :P Rich, handsome and ruthless... but he too had a big heart. I liked how he wanted to help Shaye making the beach volleyball tournament a success to make sure her side of the beach stayed in the black. I also liked how protective he was of his sister, Sophie. Also, what surprised me was how adaptable he was and not stubborn. In fact, from the beginning, he is the the one making the compromise - spending time in Barefoot William - and being patient with Shaye... and that really impressed me :)

I also very much enjoyed Shaye and Trace's relationship. I liked seeing how intense they were with each other and they both gave as good as they got LOL. That was fun - very balanced. It also showed they had good chemistry together. One reason why this romance worked for me is that while Shaye and Trace were at each other's throat, they also knew each other very well. And what I liked is what they knew was their true self. Often in romance, the H/H think they know each other, but once they start spending time together, they realize they had it wrong or there were circumstances, etc. This is not the case with Shaye and Trace, what they know held true :) All they did was deepening their bond and their knowledge of each other and I thought that was refreshing. I also liked that Ms Angell built their relationship slowly and intensified their attraction to each other. It was nice that they did not jump into bed right away and when they finally had sex, they knew what was ahead of them and that there was no risk of misunderstanding or lie or secret that comes back to bite you in the butt. All in all, I very much enjoyed the romance as well as Shaye and Trace :P

I have to admit that initially, I had two niggles after reading No Tan Lines. The first was I thought the ending with Shaye and Trace was a bit rushed and in turn, how could a century-old feud exist and nobody think "Why the heck are we still feuding?" However, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I liked that Shaye and Trace tied the knot without waiting for their families to accept their relationship. Sure, their blessings would have been nice, but their relationship was strong enough that they didn't need it. I think it really said something about how in love and how committed Shaye and Trace were. As for the feud, it also made sense that it was still very present because it really embodies the difference in vision and lifestyle that the Cateses and Saunderses have. It's not an incident that took place more than a hundred years ago that resulted in a fall-out and nobody knows who's at fault. Instead, it's still very present when you take a look at Barefoot William and Saunders Shores and nobody's wrong or right here. So those would have been my complaints, but not anymore :)

Reading the reviews, I know a lot of people had issues with the romance - the fact there was basically three romantic storylines going on and as a result, it took away from Shaye and Trace's spotlight. Coming into No Tan Lines, I was concerned about this as well, but at the same time, I was prepared because this is Ms Angell's style ^_^; She always have many romances going on at the same time and in many instances, I hadwished she would focus more on the H/H's romance. However, in No Tan Lines, I have to say it wasn't too bad mainly because when Ms Angell started Dune and Sophie's romance, which I believe is the set up for the next book in the series, Shaye and Trace were established as a couple. Obviously, I would have loved to read more scenes of them as a couple, but I was okay without. There wasn't that much of head/couple-hopping and it worked for me. As for the secondary romance, Kai and Nicole, I enjoyed them and I was satisfied with what I got.

Finally, other things I loved about this book but did not go into details: Shaye's loyalty to her family, her connection to Kai and Shaye's parrot Olive - that parrot was a blast!! LOL. Oh and I also very much enjoyed Dune and Sophie and I can't wait to read their story :P

My Grade: B+. I really, really enjoyed No Tan Lines and can't wait to read the next book :) There's no denying that No Tan Lines had some flaws and lacked some depth, but it was easy to overlook them because the characters and the setting of the book really hit the right spot for me. If you're in the mood for a fun and light beach read,  make sure to pick up No Tan Lines :)

Review: Sweet Spot by Kate Angell

Hey everyone!! So how was your week-end? I hope every mom got a nice Mother's Day and caught a bit of a break :) My sister and I... well my sister, LOL, cooked supper and I made a salad. I think my parents both really enjoyed it. Otherwise, let see, we did some yard work on Saturday. It was fun, but so tiring! My parents haven't been interested in yard work in the past couple of years... but they seem into it this year. My dad wants roses again and they've even discussed getting some bushes. I think it's good for them, another hobby :P I know my father will be babying those roses and it will give something else to do.

In other news, I bought new glasses!! Actually, I bought 2 pairs! As soon as I get them, I'll show you :) And that's pretty much it with me these days...

As you've probably noticed, I've been on a YA kick lately :) I don't know, just feel like reading them... Also, they were many just released. To avoid this from becoming YA central, I'm going to try to balance it better with non-YA books review. First up is Sweet Spot by Kate Angell :) I really enjoy Ms Angell's books. I can't pinpoint it, but the style just suits me. Ms Angell was contracted with Dorchester and we all know what happened to that publishing house. So two years after it was supposed to be released, we finally get the ending to her Richmond Rogues baseball series :) Enjoy!


Sweet Spot by Kate Angell

published by Kensington in May 2012

Score

James "Law" Lawless is the star second baseman for the Richmond Rogues, the wildest group of free swingers ever to barnstorm their way through the big leagues. So when he hooks up with a seductive stranger at a costume party, it feels like he just hit the winning run of the World Series.

Extra Innings

Catherine "Cat" May was the hot number in that skimpy Wonder Woman costume. But she's not about to let Law know it--especially after he hires her to help him expand his off-the-field business empire. But how's she going to keep her identity secret when his every touch urges her to make him her very own...

Genre: Contemporary romance, Sports romance
Series: The Richmond Rogues series, Book #5 (End)

The Story: James Lawless plays second base for the Richmond Rogues and he is also independently wealthy, being the sole heir to the Grace Hotels Worldwide. Recently, James has established Prosper, an organization that supports graduates from the Richmond Business College in starting their careers as small business owners. For the program, James intends to buy Haunt, a club where inhibitions are left at the doors and anonymity is key as the customers come disguised. A big fan of superheroes and comics, James - dressed as Captain America - decides to check out the club. There, he meets Wonder Woman and sparks fly between them. When Wonder Woman runs out on him, leaving her Lasso of Truth, James vows to find her again.

The next day, James meet Catherine May who is in charge for looking for good investments for the Prosper program. James is attracted to Cat, but he can't forget Wonder Woman. Also, while attracted to Cat, he knows that she comes with strings attached... and James may never be ready for commitment, after losing his parents in a tragic car accident. Meanwhile, Cat has no intentions of revealing the truth: she was Wonder Woman. Having behaved uncharacteristically that night, she only wants to forget... but James is persistent. And as she comes to know the baseball player, Cat is not so sure of her decision anymore.

There's also a secondary story involving Brody Jones, the Rogues' new short stop. Being new to the majors, Brody is enjoying his success, i.e. the money and the women. When his fiancée shows up, it puts a cramp in his style and all he wants is for Maggie to return to their hometown... Oh and to break their engagement. But Maggie proves to be more stubborn and determined than Brody gave her credit for.

My Opinion: Yay, I finally got to read Sweet Spot! And I really want to congratulate Ms Angell for her tenacity! I really believed at one point that Sweet Spot would never be released, but I was wrong!! And it's instance like this one I'm glad to be wrong :) Because of the wait though, I find it really difficult to write a review for Sweet Spot. On one hand, the expectations are quite high and on the other, I can't really be objective ^_^; However, I'm still going to give it a try, so bear with me :)

All in all, I did like and enjoy Sweet Spot. It was a nice book, but definitively not a wowzer. I'd say one of the reasons it wasn't a wowzer was its lack of substance. James and Cat were likable characters and I loved the scenes with the baseball team. The interactions and camaraderie between the men were great and as a result, it gave a good feel to the book. And as usual, Psycho stole the spotlight for me :) Two of my favorite scenes were when they were betting who'd get his wife pregnant first and when their costumes choices for the opening of Haunt - superheroes or sidekicks - depended on their batting results :) It was so hilarious LOL. Those were great moments, but it was all very light. I felt like Ms Angell laid it out there for readers to read - the characters, the possible conflicts like James' fear of commitment, the romance, but it was never fully developed, fleshed out. I guess what I mean is the story was quite superficial :( For example, you have two good characters that are attracted to each other. They got to know each other a little by hanging out... I actually appreciated seeing them hanging out, but I wonder if that part needed to be so detailed? Because when it came time to really get James and Cat together, instead of developing the romance, Ms Angell switched gear and introduced the secondary storyline with Brody and Maggie ^_^; It left me wanting more meaningful moments between Cat and Law which is kind of weird when they've actually spent quite a lot of time together. The romance simply felt fast and I couldn't really pinpoint when Cat and Law became an official couple :(

I also felt the secondary storyline involving Brody and Maggie was totally superfluous. Especially since Brody acted like a jerk and it made it really hard to root for him. Those pages would have been better spent focusing on James and Cat. Also, as it's been pointed out in reviews for the previous books, Ms Angell's knowledge for baseball lacks a bit of research ^_^; So I did like the actual sport scenes - there were a few. However, other elements really didn't make sense. For example, all the players coming to work for the team once they stop playing ball? Yeah, not going to happen.

Still, despite all the issues, I liked Sweet Spot because it was a light and fun read. I also happen to enjoy Ms Angell's writing style a lot :) Plus, I love the team and am sad this is the end of the series. Speaking of the end, the epilogue was extremely cheesy, but cute :)

My Grade: My initial reaction when I finished Sweet Spot was to give it a B-. However, if I'm being honest instead of a fangirl, which is the point of this review, this book deserves a C... In the end, I'll give it a C+ because I really enjoyed re-visiting some of the characters :) Honesty mixed with some of the fangirl - fair right?

Review: Crazy for You by Kate Angell

Hello everyone! How are you doing? I've been behind on my blogging and reviewing, but I hope that all will go back to normal now :) I'm starting my new job in a couple of hours :) Can you imagine? A few weeks ago, I was working from 6.30am to 3pm and that meant waking up at 5.30am... now it's 8am and I'm still at home :) I don't know how my schedule is going to be yet, but I know I can get a couple more hours of sleep :) Yay!

Anyway, that's beside the point. Today, I officially start going back on track for blogging and reviewing. Vacations are over and the Olympics as well :( - by the way, I can't imagine how well this worked out LOL :) I've been reading, blog-hopping and commenting... no reasons I can't blog and review as well :) So let's start with Crazy for You by Kate Angell :) It took me a while to get my hands on this book and in the end, it was total disappointment :(


Crazy for You by Kate Angell
published by Love Spell Dorchester in April 2005

Crazy

From the moment she spotted his hamburger-and-french-fry emblazoned boxers with the word supersized on them, Bree knew Sexton St. Croix was trouble. Here was a man with just one thing on his mind, but Sex had hired her to do a job and she'd let nothing get in her way. Not even a sudden insatiable craving for fast food, the hotter the better.

For You

Sexton St. Croix had a big problem. His luxury ocean liner was haunted - by the ghost of an unflappable flapper named Daisy. Now, in an effort to persuade Daisy to "cheese it," he'd opened the ship to a veritable psychic circus. With every type of paranormal phony swarming the decks, he was counting on Bree's "clairsentience" to save his bacon. Her exquisitely sensitive fingers could detect the emotional vibrations of an 80-year-old love triangle and the unsolved murder that had resulted, while her tender touch unlocked secrets in his own heart. Here, at last, was the woman to convince the pleasure-before-promises playboy of the virtues of good, old-fashioned romance.

Genre: contemporary romance, psychics, ghost
Series: none

The Story: Surprisingly, the blurb with all its references to fast food summarizes well the story :)

My Opinion: I've been a fan of Ms Angell ever since I read her baseball Boys of the Summer series. Ever since, I've tried to collect her backlist, thus Crazy for You. Personally, I thought the blurb was very cute with its fast food references and so I thought the book would be really enjoyable... I guess that's why I'm so disappointed in the end.

Actually, Crazy for You is not that bad. As a whole, the storyline is pretty good. Through Bree's visions, we see what happened 80 years ago and how Daisy the ghost fell in love with Sexton's ancestor. That part was pretty good and I was introduced to a period/character that I didn't know very well - the flapper. The premises weren't bad at all either. Sexton wants to get rid of the ghost and therefore invites a bunch of psychics. Where I thought the book sunk is the romance, the characters and all the sex innuendos.

First the romance. I didn't feel the chemistry between Bree and Sexton. Other than lust and her being hard to get, I don't know why Sexton was so into Bree. I like Bree for holding off as long as she did... but yeah, their chemistry wasn't great. I also didn't like how Sexton hired Bree to get rid of the ghost, but wouldn't believe in her abilities and what she saw. His pre-judgment of Daisy was annoying.

Secondly, I thought the characters lacked depth. It's one thing to see them on the boat, but what about outside of the boat? How are they? There were some brief mentions about Bree's life, but it doesn't cover it all. I mean, she's clairvoyant, so how does she deals with it? What do they both do in their everyday life? It made Bree and Sexton less realistic to me. At the end, Ms Angell tries to salvage Sexton's image to the readers by making him more than a playboy. Although it was a good idea, Ms Angell should have emphasized more on that part in my opinion, drops more hints.

Finally, the sexual innuendos. I don't mind sexual tension and all and I think that Ms Angell tried to do this in a comic way... however, I thought that all the sexual innuendos made the book a bit vulgar. It didn't work well. Maybe if they'd been less comical and a bit more classy? I know this is supposed to be a fun book, but still... For example, guess what Sexton likes to be called? Of course, Sex. It's just little thing... Perhaps some people enjoys this kind of innuendos, but not me.

The secondary characters were okay and completed the pictures. The one that I enjoyed most was Daisy :) She was really fun to read. As I said, the whole storyline is quite good and I did laugh here and there. Not totally a bad book, but not one that wowed me.

My Grade: C. In the end, I think that Ms Angell was trying to hard to write a book that was both sexy and funny that it felt forced... and so I ended up disappointed because I've seen her doing sexy and funny and this wasn't.

Review: Squeeze Play and Curve Ball by Kate Angell

I've recently discovered this author while I was looking for something funny to read. While her books aren't that funny and even if I have some issues with them, they are quite enjoyable and fun to read.


Squeeze Play by Kate Angell
published by Love Spell in June 2006

Risk Kincaid has just won the World Series with the Rogues from Richmond. Now, he's going back to his hometown of Frostproof where he's going to spend a month; first for the charity event organized by another baseball player and his childhood friend, Aaron Grayson, but also to spend time with Jacy Grayson. Jacy is a sassy and spirited woman who owns a coffee shop... and Risk thinks he is her rebound lover... Basically, Risk and Jacy became an item soon before Risk left to start his pro career and knowing the demands, he didn't want to commit to Jacy, but promised her he would be always there when she needed him most, i.e. when her heart got broken - which is how they first got together.

Genre: Contemporary romance, Sport romance (baseball)
Series: The Richmond Rogues series, Book #1

Why I got this book? I got and read Curve Ball first and enjoyed it... so I decided to get this one too.

My first impression: I enjoyed this book. Of course, it wasn't perfect, but it was quick and fun. My only problem with this book is there were three storylines: 1) Risk and Jacy, 2) Zen (another baseball player) and Stevie and 3) Aaron and Natalie, and we get to follow all three in the same book. In this one, it does work because all three players are here for the same reason and the book spans a short period of time... however, I'd rather follow only the main characters and their sex scenes, instead of all three couples.

The Characters: I really enjoyed all the characters except for Natalie and Aaron. Risk and Jacy were just perfect together... Risk is the mature ball player who's been a pro long enough and the fast and edgy life is no longer appealing. Instead, he wants to make his relationship with Jacy official. I think he came across as everything to the reader - lover, big brother and friend, as well as handsome and sexy man :) I like his protective and jealous side :) Jacy was fun. She's lively, likes colors and changes... think of new-age outside, without the new-age thinking. She knows Risk is a public face with a lot of groupies, but she's confident in herself, enough not to panic and run away. She's also building her courage to tell Risk the truth - that she loves him... and that all those break-ups she had were with imaginary boyfriends, and all she wanted was Risk.

As I said, we also follow Zen and Stevie's relationship and Aaron and Natalie. I liked Zen and Stevie... Zen was the serious type, the one that doesn't simply see the outside appearance of a person. Very logical man who falls in love - always fun :) Stevie always thought she would marry Aaron, but then get dumped without notice when Aaron announced his engagement to the very rich and spoiled Natalie. It doesn't help that Stevie has gained quite a lot of weight in the past year, ever since Aaron has been distancing himself from her. I liked Stevie, she was genuine... of course, she took the break-up hard, but Zen was there for her and she quickly got over him... Aaron and Natalie were my least favorite couple... basically, I think they are fake and phony and that Aaron is very stupid. I also didn't believe in Natalie's love for Aaron at the end. We're also introduced to the Bat Pack, three young ball players with a lot of powers... their job was to provide the comedy relief and they delivered :D

I guess that's pretty much it. I think that everything tied in quite well - the characters, their relationships to each other and the events/what is happening. Like I said, I just simply didn't like Aaron and Natalie and the fact that all three couples had sex scenes. I don't know, I prefer to follow one couple... I don't mind the knowledge of them having sex, but don't like to read about it. Of course, I don't think that everyone will mind that :P

Grade: B


Curve Ball by Kate Angell

published by Love Spell in August 2007

The Bat Pack are the bad boys of baseball and have always live fast and hard, but all this comes to an end when they actually fight with their new star pitcher on Media Day, just before the start of the season. As a result, they are being benched for 13 matches... and all have to find how to spend that time...

Genre: Contemporary romance, Sport romance (baseball)
Series: The Richmond Rogues, book #2

Why I got this book? I was looking for something funny. Someone recommend this to me at the used bookstore.

My first impressions: For some reason, I really liked this book... probably for the characters. I don't think that most of you will find it as enjoyable as much as I did. Again, we follow 3 couples. The three main guys were introduced in Squeeze Play, but I read that book afterwards... Unfortunately, I don't think that the author did as good as a job in this book intertwining the three relationships with the events. I guess it would have been better if each player had their own book, but all three books happened at the same time... understand what I mean?

1) Psycho (Cody McMillan) and Keely Douglas (his decorator): Psycho is the crazy one, the dangerous one, the one no one can predict... he's also a confirm nudist. In Squeeze Play, he was a funny PITA, but he comes across much more dangerous in this book. I liked him... as Keely says, "Mr. McMillan says and does what he pleases. He doesn't give a damn. That fascinates ppl." I totally agree :) As for Keely, she's the poor girl, fed up of small job and trying out as a decorator. It's kind of unbelievable that she pulled it off, but aside from that, I liked her. I guess because she can stand on her own and even say no to Psycho, without being too ass-kicking... Personally, I think they were my favorite couple... there's just something about Psycho :)

2) Romeo (Jesse Bellisaro) and Emerson Kent (a sport reporter): Romeo is the playboy, the one with way too many women buzzing around him. Emerson is a sport reporter and she intrigues Romeo, mainly by not falling at his feet. Basically, I don't have much to say about them, because I think this one was the most boring out of all three couples and their story was the most cliché...

3) Chaser (Chase Tallan) and Jen Reid: Jen is Chaser childhood friend and neighbour. Basically, they're still living next to each other and after a surprise kiss, sparks fly and they realized that the person they've been looking for was there all along. Seriously, who doesn't like the whole best friends turn lovers plot? The only problem was this was way, way, way too short. We were introduced to them, they kiss and then, didn't appear for awhile. Then, went on a couple of blind dates and realized that they want to be together, had sex and then, we didn't see them anymore, at all! I mean, come on... why write their story then?

So obviously, there were some problems; however, the book wasn't all that bad. The characters were fun and I enjoyed seeing professional players outside of sports. All the charity activities they participate in and their interaction, that I liked. Still, I'd have like them to have all their own books.

Grade: B-

ps. Anyone has read Ms Angell's previous books? They are not sport books, so I don't know if I'll enjoy them as much... so I want others' opinion :)