The
Heat of the Moment
The Boys of Summer # 3
The Boys of Summer # 3
By: Katie Rose
Releasing September 22, 2015
Loveswept
The Boys of
Summer are back! In Katie Rose’s sweet, sparkling novel, the newest New Jersey
Sonic falls for the woman who’s trying desperately to save his career.
Physical
therapist Jessica Hart has learned her lesson: Never date professional
athletes. She’s been down that road, and barely recovered after the
relationship crashed and burned. Then Jessica meets Gavin King. An All-Star
slugger with chiseled good looks, Gavin was traded to the Sonics because he
hurt his knee sliding into second, and now his future is in her hands. Gavin’s
no bad boy—but he’s tempting enough to make Jessica think twice about all her
rules.
Gavin is
trying to find a comfortable routine. If he wants his old life back, he must
take it easy, stay out of the limelight, and keep his distance from gorgeous
redheaded physical therapists. The thing is, Gavin isn’t the kind of guy to sit
on his ass and let other people pull his weight. And when he sees something he
wants, he can’t help but fight for it, even if it means risking everything,
even if it only lasts a single moment: like one kiss from Jessica.
So I am not
really into sports romances, but I thought I would give this book a chance. I haven’t
read of Katie Rose before, but hey! It doesn’t hurt to have a change.
So we start
this book in sunny California, where Gavin in on the disabled list after a
Meniscus Tear (Knee injury). But suddenly his major league team trades him to a
team in New Jersey. Not only is he frustrated about not being able to play! But
Gavin is also struggling with being on his own and being so far away from his
girlfriend.
Jessica is a
physical therapist with the Sonic baseball team and is there to get Gavin back
on the road to recovery. But Jessica is very attracted to Gavin, but struggles
with the haunting memories of a past relationship with a baseball player!
While Jessica
continues to help Gavin in the road to recovery, their relationship blooms into
more. Especially after Gavin splits with his girlfriend. But will hurts of the
past stop Jessica and Gavin in its tracks or will they be able to get past it
to hit a home run!
To say I
struggled with the characters in the book might be a little of an
understatement! I just couldn’t seem to like Jessica, no matter how I tried! Although,
I did enjoy Gavin’s character a lot! Also the desire to smack Kristin several times
was there also!
I found the
book a pleasant read, though I did not get invested in it at all. The writing
was smooth and the plot well researched. I will admit that I was hoping for the
book to grip me and suck me in, but sadly that just didn’t happen.
I give Heat
in the Moment 7 out of 10.
“Gavin, you
see those tweets about the game last night?” Arnie Lutz, outfielder for the
Dodgers, approached the first baseman and held up his iPhone. “They caught that
line drive you made in the ninth on video.”
“Screw
that,” the catcher, Ron Sproules, said, throwing his glove onto the locker room
bench. “I hear the chicks are starting a new fan club. Couple of us are the
hottest guys in baseball!”
“No shit!”
Arnie brought up his Twitter feed.
Gavin King
came to stand behind Arnie as the outfielder scrolled through the tweets,
pausing only when a female fan expressed her appreciation for his good looks,
hot bat, or hard-muscled body.
“Hey, Gav,
there is something about you!” He held up the phone so they could both look.
Gavin’s jaw
dropped in shock as together they read the tweet:
Dodgers
trade star hitter Gavin King to the New Jersey Sonics.
Arnie
glanced at Gavin before immediately pocketing the phone. “That doesn’t mean
anything,” he said quickly. “You know how it is on Twitter. Most of it’s BS.”
He departed
abruptly. Puzzled, Gavin saw the catcher whisper something to the outfielder,
and they both looked his way. Before he could question them, Troy Hutchinson,
the general manager, walked into the clubhouse.
“Gavin.” He
gestured to their first baseman. “Got a second? We need to talk in my office.”
Gavin
followed the man, totally confused. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that
Arnie was studying his shoes, and the other players seemed to avoid eye contact
as if he had suddenly acquired a contagious disease.
He and the
general manager walked down the hallway into the executive suite. The Dodgers
were known as a first-class ball club, and it showed from the polished hardwood
floors, the gleaming offices, the richly appointed rooms with mahogany desks
and framed artwork. Among the pictures adorning the wall were some of the
all-time great players, Al López, Arky Vaughan, Babe Herman . . .
Gavin’s
photo was positioned right in the middle. Although he had just been brought up
from the minors the year before, the management had made it clear they felt he
was destined for greatness.
Troy lifted
a coffeepot and turned toward him with raised brows. When Gavin shook his head,
he poured himself a cup.
“The
management team has decided to make some changes,” he said as if discussing the
weather, not the rest of his life. “I know we originally discussed a no-trade
clause with your agent last year, but things are different now. We brought up a
few promising rookies, our outfielder has developed into a better hitter than
we anticipated, and we believe we have several options for first base. We
decided to send you to New Jersey, effective immediately.”
Stunned,
Gavin stared at the coffee mug in disbelief before shifting his eyes back to
the man before him. His ears were ringing, and he felt light-headed, as if he
might pass out. His stomach churning, he realized what this meant.
He’d been
traded.
When he
could speak, he looked the general manager in the eye. “I don’t understand.
Why?”
Troy put the
cup down and came to sit on the edge of the desk, and then indicated the
upholstered leather chair before him. When Gavin sank into the luxurious
butter-soft seat, Troy picked up a CD and tapped it against his fingers.
“We got the
results back on your MRI.” His voice was lower, sympathetic but firm. “We don’t
like it. Now I know,” he said when Gavin attempted to protest, “a lot of players
tear a meniscus and recover completely. But it’s not a risk we are willing to
take.”
“But the
doctor said I’ll be fine—” This wasn’t just a bad dream. It was more like a
nightmare.
“I’m sure
you will be,” Troy said smoothly. “This is purely a business decision. You see,
we can either invest in you, and take our chances, or we can put that money
into half a dozen young prospects, figuring one of them will pan out. The
organization feels that’s a better way to go.”
“But New
Jersey, for God’s sake!” He got to his feet, anger beginning to replace
confusion. He couldn’t help but glance once more at his picture on the wall,
framed in California sunshine.
“We spoke to
your agent a few minutes ago. Why don’t you give him a call, take your time to
pack. We’ll miss you, Gavin, but it’s all part of the game. You know that.”
The first
baseman rose from the chair and stormed out of the room. Technically, he had just
been fired, dumped from a contending team to a second-rate ball club.
Everything he’d hoped for, all of his dreams, now seemed to be circling the
drain.
And he saw
it first on Twitter.
Award-winning
historical author Katie Rose makes her contemporary debut with the Boys of
Summer novels, Bring on the Heat and Too Hot to Handle, which combine Katie’s
true loves: baseball and romance! When not watching baseball, Katie is at her
lake house in New Jersey, hard at work on her next book.
Thank you for hosting THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT
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