NETGALLEY REVIEW: Screwball (Hard Hitters #2) by Linda Morris

Screwball by Linda Morris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Description:

Passion dominates the diamond in the second novel in this fun and flirty baseball romance series by the author of High Heat.

Paul Dudley, president of the Plainview Thrashers, is spinning out of control. Preserving his family’s baseball legacy in these tough times takes everything he’s got, and constant clashes with his father have left him struggling for authority over the team and even his own future. So when sports reporter Willow Bourne, a one-night-stand from a year ago, walks back into his life, he knows he can’t give into his feelings for her—no matter how strong they are.

Willow never expected to see Paul again, and she’s got her reasons for keeping her distance. Except the more time she spends around Paul, the harder it is to hide her secrets—or stop herself from falling head over heels.

As the sparks between them fly, Paul discovers what Willow has been concealing from him, leaving him with a difficult choice—keep the team his top priority or make his own legacy by following his heart…

ARC provided by PENGUIN GROUP via Netgalley. THANK YOU!

Paul keeps a tight lid on his career and an even tighter grip on his personal life, especially when it comes to his father. He's the President of the Thrashers, a minor league baseball team. He's single, hardworking, keeps his life in strict control, and has the legacy of the Thrasher's in his hands that's been passed down from his grandfather.

Willow is broke, has a child, she's single, and she's working as a blogger for a company where she can write about sports. She grew up with the love for sports, thanks to her father.

These two meet, have a sexy moment under the pier, and nothing will be the same as they know it when their worlds reconnect over a year later.

These two will need to learn to:
1. let their guards go
2. trust each other
3. admit their feelings

Can he break the tight fist hold his father has on him...or even break the mold of the legacy?

Can she break the stigma of her past boyfriends and learn to put herself out there one more time?

I really like baseball, so reading a book involving this sport was fun for me. I also enjoyed that we have a heroine who had a job, of a blogger for sports, that I've not had to chance to experience in a story before.

I liked that Willow didn't generally back done and could ask tough questions and stick to her guns. Even if it may hurt her heart and those she loved. Sometimes, you have to put yourself all out there- the good or the bad- to open the eyes of others. Willow was definitely a strong character and I loved all of her mommy times with Jack.

Paul, I liked him but many times he ticked me off. He had to learn to listen before he spoke or took actions first. He was such a great dad. I loved how he took to it naturally.


What I liked a lot about this book:
1. Alex. I really hope he and Kendra meet - but really I hope he's the next book.
2. The Alex and Willow moments and Paul's reactions.
3. I found humor in this story.
4. Willow, Paul and Jack family moments.
5. Kendra- Willow's friend. I loved her! She didn't let Willow put her in a bad spot and stuck to her guns. Most friends as side characters don't do that. She was a good person for Willow.
6. Kept me mostly interested.
7. Until the end, I felt like this story felt like it could be very plausible.
8. I liked how the couple read across the pages- they seemed real and mature.

Not a fan of:
1. How long Willow kept her secret and how it's discovered- though I knew that was going to be the way he found out.
2. The couple took a bit to get it finally right.
3. I didn't like the flowery words towards the end. It was TOO sweet for my liking- and I love the idea of sweet love but even that was too much for me.

Review: Flawed Heart (House of Obsidian, #1) by Bella Jewel

Flawed Heart by Bella Jewel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Description:

Max & Belle's story

 
This isn't the man I married.
The man I married was strong, beautiful and pure.
The man I married cherished our lives together.
The man I married loved me.


This...This isn't that man.

One night. One accident. It changes everything.

I wish I could tell you the exact moment he fell out of love with me. I wish I could tell you there was hope. That I hung on. That I fought. I wish I could tell you that we fixed it. That happily every after was just out of our grips.

It wasn't. I ran, in the dead of the night, I packed my things and I left him.

Now I'm back. He's still the same man. A deadly underground fighter for the House of Obsidian. He's still dangerous. He's still broken. I still love him.

This is the part where I'm supposed to turn around and run... But I don't.

                                                               "Max?"
                                       "Yeah, baby?"
                              "Can I keep you forever?"

I read book two, Flawed Love, before reading this story. I wasn't a giant fan of the second book however, I felt Flawed Heart was a lot better.

Belle comes back to town, with her daughter in tow, to care for her sick mom. She doesn't want to see her estranged husband, and the plan was working until he shows up at her mom's house. Now Belle has to decided what to do about their daughter, when it comes to Max. She's got enough on her plate between a terminally ill mom, work, and a four year old - who wants to add on the ARSE of a husband? Not Belle.

Max pushed his wife away and now has to live with the consequences. So what does he do? Screws every woman in town, fights everyone at his underground fight ring, drinks himself stupid and dabbles in other things. Now his estranged wife is back and he wants her back but he sure blames her for not being there for him, and when he finds out he has a daughter? Well, he becomes even more of a bigger jerk.

Can these two come together, fix their family, right their wrongs, and find their happily ever after? They just might be able to, if they could stop the blame game, anger, and pigheadedness for five minutes to see straight.

Flawed Heart had me in the feelings and emotions department. I felt the: ANGER, anguish, hurt, pain, blame, and love between Belle and Max. It felt genuine.

I enjoyed the Then & NOW parts together. I'm really not sure why so many people felt like this book was confusing, everything read pretty straight forward to me.

I wasn't a fan of Pippa in book two, but I did like her in this story. I really loved RAIDE and can't wait to see what happens with him and his lovely Bounty Hunter.

I also wasn't a fan of Max in the NOW chapters and towards the end of the THEN chapters. He was a rude, crude, arse of a man. Though, he was so much better of guy when he was with Belle in the early years. I also didn't like the junk he pulls to push his wife away. If I had to live with that, I would have taken a break from him too... until he cleaned up his act.

I will say that Belle taking the blame on herself for so long did piss my right the heck off. Max took too long to shoulder the blame- which is the reason for their down fall, at least 75%. But honestly, I could see why Belle took the route she did. I also wonder if Max hadn't been put on the spot with Immy, would he have gone the route he did in the end with his family? Hmmmmmm ...

Anyway, I felt like this story was written well and better developed than book two in this series. I look forward to seeing what comes next.