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Richmond Rogues #3
Strike Zone
Faced with the love of her life waiting at the altar, thrill-seeking adventure guide Taylor Hannah lost her nerve and ran. Three years later, the gutsy blonde is back in Richmond to reclaim handsome Rogues pitcher Brek Stryker before he makes another trip down the aisle. From dressing as a giant baseball to pummeling the other team's mouthy mascot, this former fiancee is pulling out all the stops. Trouble is, her ball player refuses to believe she's finally ready to play by his rules.
Stryke hasn't forgiven the woman who left him on their wedding day, but he can't ignore the chemistry that sizzles every time he and Taylor meet. The fireworks between them could light up the ball park, but Stryke won't lose his heart again unless he knows the score. If Taylor steps into his strike zone, she'd better be ready to go past third base and all the way home.
Stryke hasn't forgiven the woman who left him on their wedding day, but he can't ignore the chemistry that sizzles every time he and Taylor meet. The fireworks between them could light up the ball park, but Stryke won't lose his heart again unless he knows the score. If Taylor steps into his strike zone, she'd better be ready to go past third base and all the way home.
259 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2008
About the author
Kate Angell
34 books587 followersUSA Today bestselling author Kate Angell lives in Naples, Florida. She’s an animal lover, avid reader, and sports fan. Bookstores are her second home. She takes coffee breaks at Starbucks. Her philosophy: Out of chaos comes calmness. Enjoy the peace.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
September 26, 2009
This is book #3 in the Richmond Rogues MLB series, and it's another winner.
There's two stories told in this one. The main story is about future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Brek Stryker (where does the author come up with these strange names?) and the woman who abandoned him at the altar three years ago, thrill seeking, 'adrenaline junkie' adventure guide Taylor Hannah. Taylor, whose nickname is "Fearless" is the free-spirit daughter of adventurer parents, and when they were killed in a plane crash, her world crashed in on her. Her soon-to-be marriage to the love of her life so soon after her parents demise left her feeling scared and smothered, and she did the unthinkable and left Brek high and dry on their wedding day to attend the World Paragliding Championship in Australia. Poor Brek waited two and a half years, hoping Taylor would get her act together and come back to him, but she never did. Tired of waiting and wanting to get his life back on track, he picks out a woman who is the total opposite of Taylor, a woman who doesn't crave adventure, a woman who is ready to settle down and be a wife and mother, a woman who will be there for him, the mayor of Richmond's daughter, soft spoken, sweet and unassuming, Hilary Talbott. Now Brek and Hilary are engaged, and when Taylor's sister Eve sends her a telegram telling her the news while she's guiding a daredevil skiing expedition in France, Hilary's forced to face her future and the biggest regret of her life. She needs closure, and she has to see Brek just one more time. But will that be enough for both of them?
Loved their story. At first I wasn't sure if Brek and Hilary were right for each other. Even though they had incredible sexual chemistry in their past, it seemed like they wanted totally different things for their future. At least I thought so when Brek got engaged to a woman who at first, looked to be a perfect fit for him. Ah, but little Miss Hilary was a lot more than she revealed, and I was so mad when I found out what she was up to, and I was so afraid that Brek would keep refusing to put two and two together...he nearly had a TSTL moment! Luckily, KA didn't waste too much time on this subplot, and she got Brek and Taylor as the main focus again. Would Taylor be able to get Brek to trust her again? Could she win him back? Could she keep him without having to change her lifestyle? Would she want to?
I loved Brek and all that he stood for. I thought he was very patient with Taylor, considering all that she put him through. I was glad to see that he wasn't bitter or a jerk, even though he had a right to be. I figured all they needed was a big heart-to-heart to get all their past hurts and true feelings out on the table, and they would be able to find their way back to each other. They had some wonderful romantic moments, as well as some hot and sexy ones too. A lot of the time I felt myself tearing up over the hurt that each one was going through, and I was hoping that they could work things out, and that Brek would find it in his heart to give Taylor a second chance.
Now the second story, between Taylor's younger sister Eve, and Rogues relief pitcher Sloan McCaffrey, really stole the show for me. Eve was the brains behind the sister's business Thrill Seekers, yet she was far, far, from a thrill seeker herself. She once had an encounter with a duck that had her terrified! Although she was attractive in her own way, she was used to being in her more 'out there' sister's shadow, so she wasn't used to attention. And when she started getting attention from the Rogues' hot new relief pitcher (who initially had eyes for the unavailable Taylor), she didn't quite know how to react. Sloan let her know that he was not a guy who did commitments (he had a #3 tattoo above his groin--signifying three dates is all you get before he moves on), but he wanted to date her. Sloan was terribly arrogant and a bit immature, and he and Eve had lots of heated arguments (plenty of sexual tension there), but underneath all the bluster and bravado, lurked a kind, sweet, caring guy. He did so many sweet things for Eve to help boost her confidence, he had me falling for him almost immediately. He helped Eve open up and come out from beneath her sister's shadow, and watching their relationship bloom and the heat building up between them was very exciting to read. I loved when he took her to play paintball--verry steamy! Of course, being young and a bit full of himself, he ends up doing something to hurt Eve and ruin all the progress they made in their relationship. Now the question is, does he have it in him to fix it, and does he want to? Can he admit to himself what Eve means to him? And can Eve take a chance on Sloan and his feelings for her?
Near the end of the book we meet the latest addition to the Rogues lineup, the very unpopular Kason Rhodes, recently acquired in a trade, and featured in the next book Sliding Home, and we come to see how he acquired his 'best friend', Cimarron, and his connection to Eve. Very cute.
I really enjoyed this whole series, as I'm sure most readers of sports themed romance will. Kate Angell really excels in creating unique, colorful characters that are easy to love, and I'd be hard pressed to pick my favorite of the series. This book had me tearing up a time or two, so it holds a special place in my heart. It had humor, sexy dialogue, romance, heartbreak, and some steamy, steamy scenes. It moved at a fast pace, and I was both happy how the romances played out, yet sad that the book was over. How KA packed so much in such a short book I'll never know.
Anyone who's hungry for a hot contemporary with lovable characters, and touches of humor, I urge you to give this series a try. You don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy it though, so don't let that scare you off. But if you are a sports fan, you're going to love it! 5 stars
There's two stories told in this one. The main story is about future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Brek Stryker (where does the author come up with these strange names?) and the woman who abandoned him at the altar three years ago, thrill seeking, 'adrenaline junkie' adventure guide Taylor Hannah. Taylor, whose nickname is "Fearless" is the free-spirit daughter of adventurer parents, and when they were killed in a plane crash, her world crashed in on her. Her soon-to-be marriage to the love of her life so soon after her parents demise left her feeling scared and smothered, and she did the unthinkable and left Brek high and dry on their wedding day to attend the World Paragliding Championship in Australia. Poor Brek waited two and a half years, hoping Taylor would get her act together and come back to him, but she never did. Tired of waiting and wanting to get his life back on track, he picks out a woman who is the total opposite of Taylor, a woman who doesn't crave adventure, a woman who is ready to settle down and be a wife and mother, a woman who will be there for him, the mayor of Richmond's daughter, soft spoken, sweet and unassuming, Hilary Talbott. Now Brek and Hilary are engaged, and when Taylor's sister Eve sends her a telegram telling her the news while she's guiding a daredevil skiing expedition in France, Hilary's forced to face her future and the biggest regret of her life. She needs closure, and she has to see Brek just one more time. But will that be enough for both of them?
Loved their story. At first I wasn't sure if Brek and Hilary were right for each other. Even though they had incredible sexual chemistry in their past, it seemed like they wanted totally different things for their future. At least I thought so when Brek got engaged to a woman who at first, looked to be a perfect fit for him. Ah, but little Miss Hilary was a lot more than she revealed, and I was so mad when I found out what she was up to, and I was so afraid that Brek would keep refusing to put two and two together...he nearly had a TSTL moment! Luckily, KA didn't waste too much time on this subplot, and she got Brek and Taylor as the main focus again. Would Taylor be able to get Brek to trust her again? Could she win him back? Could she keep him without having to change her lifestyle? Would she want to?
I loved Brek and all that he stood for. I thought he was very patient with Taylor, considering all that she put him through. I was glad to see that he wasn't bitter or a jerk, even though he had a right to be. I figured all they needed was a big heart-to-heart to get all their past hurts and true feelings out on the table, and they would be able to find their way back to each other. They had some wonderful romantic moments, as well as some hot and sexy ones too. A lot of the time I felt myself tearing up over the hurt that each one was going through, and I was hoping that they could work things out, and that Brek would find it in his heart to give Taylor a second chance.
Now the second story, between Taylor's younger sister Eve, and Rogues relief pitcher Sloan McCaffrey, really stole the show for me. Eve was the brains behind the sister's business Thrill Seekers, yet she was far, far, from a thrill seeker herself. She once had an encounter with a duck that had her terrified! Although she was attractive in her own way, she was used to being in her more 'out there' sister's shadow, so she wasn't used to attention. And when she started getting attention from the Rogues' hot new relief pitcher (who initially had eyes for the unavailable Taylor), she didn't quite know how to react. Sloan let her know that he was not a guy who did commitments (he had a #3 tattoo above his groin--signifying three dates is all you get before he moves on), but he wanted to date her. Sloan was terribly arrogant and a bit immature, and he and Eve had lots of heated arguments (plenty of sexual tension there), but underneath all the bluster and bravado, lurked a kind, sweet, caring guy. He did so many sweet things for Eve to help boost her confidence, he had me falling for him almost immediately. He helped Eve open up and come out from beneath her sister's shadow, and watching their relationship bloom and the heat building up between them was very exciting to read. I loved when he took her to play paintball--verry steamy! Of course, being young and a bit full of himself, he ends up doing something to hurt Eve and ruin all the progress they made in their relationship. Now the question is, does he have it in him to fix it, and does he want to? Can he admit to himself what Eve means to him? And can Eve take a chance on Sloan and his feelings for her?
Near the end of the book we meet the latest addition to the Rogues lineup, the very unpopular Kason Rhodes, recently acquired in a trade, and featured in the next book Sliding Home, and we come to see how he acquired his 'best friend', Cimarron, and his connection to Eve. Very cute.
I really enjoyed this whole series, as I'm sure most readers of sports themed romance will. Kate Angell really excels in creating unique, colorful characters that are easy to love, and I'd be hard pressed to pick my favorite of the series. This book had me tearing up a time or two, so it holds a special place in my heart. It had humor, sexy dialogue, romance, heartbreak, and some steamy, steamy scenes. It moved at a fast pace, and I was both happy how the romances played out, yet sad that the book was over. How KA packed so much in such a short book I'll never know.
Anyone who's hungry for a hot contemporary with lovable characters, and touches of humor, I urge you to give this series a try. You don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy it though, so don't let that scare you off. But if you are a sports fan, you're going to love it! 5 stars
August 6, 2019
I really like this series, especially with Baseball Season in full swing. It has sweet heroines and hot, alpha Baseball heroes who find out that life with a revolving door of groupies isn't all there is. The heroes are the members of the Richmond Rogues Baseball Team and they are used to winning, both on and off the field. In "Strike Zone" Rogues star pitcher, Brek Stryker, struck out in his first attempt to get Thrill-Seeker guide, Taylor Hannah, to the alter and is pretty sure her "type" is not what he wants for the long term.
When Taylor's parents died she was devastated. Brek tried to comfort her and ended up smothering her. She ran. Three years later, she's back knowing it is a long shot that Brek listen to her explanation, yet alone give her another chance, especially since he is engaged to be married again. This time to a sweet, understanding, undemanding woman who he thinks is perfect for him.
Taylor's sister, Eve Hannah, and Rogue's reliever, Sloan McCaffrey, are a second romance of the oil and water variety and Sloan soon finds that the number 3 tattooed on his body is going to need a change.
When Taylor's parents died she was devastated. Brek tried to comfort her and ended up smothering her. She ran. Three years later, she's back knowing it is a long shot that Brek listen to her explanation, yet alone give her another chance, especially since he is engaged to be married again. This time to a sweet, understanding, undemanding woman who he thinks is perfect for him.
Taylor's sister, Eve Hannah, and Rogue's reliever, Sloan McCaffrey, are a second romance of the oil and water variety and Sloan soon finds that the number 3 tattooed on his body is going to need a change.
September 25, 2010
Ok but not as enjoyable as the others in the series. It’s light and has some fun parts.
STORY BRIEF:
This is the third book in the series about the Richmond Rogues baseball players. This book has two interspersed short stories about two baseball players (pitchers) and the women in their lives.
Three years earlier Taylor and Brek were engaged. After her parents died in a plane crash, Taylor was emotionally messed up. She ran away from Brek on the day of their wedding. Since then Taylor has traveled around the world as a thrill-seeking adventure guide. Brek began dating the mayor’s daughter Hillary. Taylor’s sister Eve sent a letter to Taylor saying Brek was engaged to Hillary. Taylor was so unsettled that she couldn’t concentrate and was injured in a skiing accident. She came home to Richmond to heal and to see Brek one more time.
Sloan loves his groupies and is attracted to Taylor. He wants to spend time with Taylor (because she’s hot) and asks Eve to register him for one of Taylor’s adventure trips. Taylor and Eve throw a birthday party for their grandmother Addie. Sloan crashes the party so he can see Taylor. Eve tries to stop him at the door, and he pushes his way in telling Addie that he is Eve’s date. Eve hates the type of guy Sloan is and tries to avoid him. He never dates the same woman more than three times, and he’s proud of it. Circumstances continue putting Eve and Sloan together. Eve is the opposite of Taylor. She runs the office for their guide business and is an artist on the side.
REVIEWER’S OPINION (WITH SPOILERS):
As with the other books in this series, I like this baseball world and the characters in it. It’s fun reading. This was my least favorite, but I’m still glad I read it.
I enjoyed the Sloan and Eve story, but I had trouble with the end. I didn’t understand why Sloan wanted to settle down with Eve. He was too young and enjoyed his groupies too much. That logic was hard for me to buy, but still it was a fun story.
Don’t expect the traditional romance story about Taylor and Brek. We don’t see them getting to know each other which is usually the best part for me. He was angry and hurt after she left him at the altar. Most of the book has them separated, and we’re wondering if and how they will ever get back together. Then near the end it looks like they will, but there is a new separation. I had to read it twice to figure out why. It was just odd. He said one thing. She thought it meant another. So she left him. I felt like the author was creating an unnecessary additional separation before they got together.
There was an interesting side story about Brek’s relationship with Hillary, but it needed more of an ending. I wanted to know if the mayor won his election, if he got the funds mentioned, what happened to the bad guys. I wanted to see some pain and justice done to certain people.
DATA:
Story length: 259 pages. Swearing language: moderate. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 5. Total number of sex scene pages: 12. Setting: current day Virginia and France. Copyright: 2008. Genre: contemporary sports romance, baseball.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Kate Angell books. Dates are copyright dates.
Boys of Summer (Richmond Rogues baseball team):
4 stars. Squeeze Play (Book 1) 2006
4 stars. Curveball (Book 2) 2007
3 stars. Strike Zone (Book 3) 2008
5 stars. Sliding Home (Book 4) 2009
3 stars. Ho, Humbug, Ho (in anthology Santa, Honey) 2009
2 ½ stars. Sweet Spot (Book 5) 2012
Other:
1 star. Calder’s Rose 2003
2 stars. Crazy For You 2005
STORY BRIEF:
This is the third book in the series about the Richmond Rogues baseball players. This book has two interspersed short stories about two baseball players (pitchers) and the women in their lives.
Three years earlier Taylor and Brek were engaged. After her parents died in a plane crash, Taylor was emotionally messed up. She ran away from Brek on the day of their wedding. Since then Taylor has traveled around the world as a thrill-seeking adventure guide. Brek began dating the mayor’s daughter Hillary. Taylor’s sister Eve sent a letter to Taylor saying Brek was engaged to Hillary. Taylor was so unsettled that she couldn’t concentrate and was injured in a skiing accident. She came home to Richmond to heal and to see Brek one more time.
Sloan loves his groupies and is attracted to Taylor. He wants to spend time with Taylor (because she’s hot) and asks Eve to register him for one of Taylor’s adventure trips. Taylor and Eve throw a birthday party for their grandmother Addie. Sloan crashes the party so he can see Taylor. Eve tries to stop him at the door, and he pushes his way in telling Addie that he is Eve’s date. Eve hates the type of guy Sloan is and tries to avoid him. He never dates the same woman more than three times, and he’s proud of it. Circumstances continue putting Eve and Sloan together. Eve is the opposite of Taylor. She runs the office for their guide business and is an artist on the side.
REVIEWER’S OPINION (WITH SPOILERS):
As with the other books in this series, I like this baseball world and the characters in it. It’s fun reading. This was my least favorite, but I’m still glad I read it.
I enjoyed the Sloan and Eve story, but I had trouble with the end. I didn’t understand why Sloan wanted to settle down with Eve. He was too young and enjoyed his groupies too much. That logic was hard for me to buy, but still it was a fun story.
Don’t expect the traditional romance story about Taylor and Brek. We don’t see them getting to know each other which is usually the best part for me. He was angry and hurt after she left him at the altar. Most of the book has them separated, and we’re wondering if and how they will ever get back together. Then near the end it looks like they will, but there is a new separation. I had to read it twice to figure out why. It was just odd. He said one thing. She thought it meant another. So she left him. I felt like the author was creating an unnecessary additional separation before they got together.
There was an interesting side story about Brek’s relationship with Hillary, but it needed more of an ending. I wanted to know if the mayor won his election, if he got the funds mentioned, what happened to the bad guys. I wanted to see some pain and justice done to certain people.
DATA:
Story length: 259 pages. Swearing language: moderate. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 5. Total number of sex scene pages: 12. Setting: current day Virginia and France. Copyright: 2008. Genre: contemporary sports romance, baseball.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Kate Angell books. Dates are copyright dates.
Boys of Summer (Richmond Rogues baseball team):
4 stars. Squeeze Play (Book 1) 2006
4 stars. Curveball (Book 2) 2007
3 stars. Strike Zone (Book 3) 2008
5 stars. Sliding Home (Book 4) 2009
3 stars. Ho, Humbug, Ho (in anthology Santa, Honey) 2009
2 ½ stars. Sweet Spot (Book 5) 2012
Other:
1 star. Calder’s Rose 2003
2 stars. Crazy For You 2005
March 31, 2010
This was my first read by Kate Angell. My first sport romance book. I'm giving the story three stars, because I like the secondary story. The secondary hero, Sloan was more interested to me than the main hero Brek.
Both men are baseball players. Brek is the captain of the team. The pitcher. He was engaged to the main heroine - Taylor, but she broke his heart, when she left him at the altar on their wedding day. She was dealing with an issue that she put before the man that she claimed to love. Three years later, she hears that he's engaged again and she had to come back home and congradulate him. So, she taught.
How can a woman really congradulate a man in regards to him marrying another woman, when she's still in love with him?
Of course, something happens, where Brek and the woman he suppose to get married to, don't get a chance to go down that route. Of course, he didn't love her and she was only there to try to heal his broken heart.
Moving along. Sloan is the new guy. He thought that he can hook up with Taylor. He's blind to the fact that Taylor use to be Brek's fiancee.
Taylor is a thrill seeker. She likes to go skiing, etc. Doing adventurous things. Sloan had gone to her company to sign up for an adventure, only because he wanted to be get to know Taylor, but he wind crossing paths with her sister Eve. He found her to be uptight. She wasn't like her sister. She wasn't adventurous.
These two started off having a hate/attraction relationship that later turned into something real, after Sloan gotten over himself. He's a player. He's use to have women throw themselves at him and being with different women. He has a three tattoo on his body, in a certain spot.
He only gives a woman three chances and then she's history and he's moving to the next woman. He doesn't want a commitment. So, he thought.
The more he tried to dislike Eve, the more he fell hard for her.
Their little story was on the cute side.
I have Kate's new book. Sliding Home. I will give that book a try.
Both men are baseball players. Brek is the captain of the team. The pitcher. He was engaged to the main heroine - Taylor, but she broke his heart, when she left him at the altar on their wedding day. She was dealing with an issue that she put before the man that she claimed to love. Three years later, she hears that he's engaged again and she had to come back home and congradulate him. So, she taught.
How can a woman really congradulate a man in regards to him marrying another woman, when she's still in love with him?
Of course, something happens, where Brek and the woman he suppose to get married to, don't get a chance to go down that route. Of course, he didn't love her and she was only there to try to heal his broken heart.
Moving along. Sloan is the new guy. He thought that he can hook up with Taylor. He's blind to the fact that Taylor use to be Brek's fiancee.
Taylor is a thrill seeker. She likes to go skiing, etc. Doing adventurous things. Sloan had gone to her company to sign up for an adventure, only because he wanted to be get to know Taylor, but he wind crossing paths with her sister Eve. He found her to be uptight. She wasn't like her sister. She wasn't adventurous.
These two started off having a hate/attraction relationship that later turned into something real, after Sloan gotten over himself. He's a player. He's use to have women throw themselves at him and being with different women. He has a three tattoo on his body, in a certain spot.
He only gives a woman three chances and then she's history and he's moving to the next woman. He doesn't want a commitment. So, he thought.
The more he tried to dislike Eve, the more he fell hard for her.
Their little story was on the cute side.
I have Kate's new book. Sliding Home. I will give that book a try.
September 25, 2023
Registered on Bookcrossing - https://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/...
Really good romance, both hot & sweet. Looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Really good romance, both hot & sweet. Looking forward to reading more books by this author.
November 12, 2010
~* 3.5 Stars *~
Three years ago, the grief from her parents' sudden death and the inability to settle down just months after their loss forced Taylor Hannah to drastic action. She left Brek Stryker at the alter and raced across the planet to thrust herself into any and every extreme sport and test of endurance, strength, and courage she could. Since then Taylor "Fearless" Hannah has been the adventurous side of Thrill Seekers, the business she owns with her sister, Eve, and she leads extreme daredevil tours for the most extreme athletes. But in the middle of leading an skiing tour down the mighty La Grave, she receives word from Eve. Stryke is getting married. Suddenly Fearless has never been more afraid that one of her deepest regrets will be forever unable to be redeemed.
Getting changed after a game, one of the Bat Pack, Psycho McMillan, noticed team mascot Rally Ball giving Stryke a definite once and twice over. When he turned to investigate the outrageous claim, it quickly became clear that his old friend Charlie wasn't the one manning the costume. In fact, it was quite clear that it wasn't being manned at all. As he draws closer to investigate, a chill creeps into his soul and his heart freezes. He'd recognize the scent anywhere, and the eyes staring at him, wide and startled through the eye slit of the costume, had haunted his nightmares for the past three years. Taylor Hannah had destroyed his ego. Broke his heart. And was back in town.
He didn't care why she was back. Wouldn't worry that she was obviously injured. He was engaged to a nice, steady woman who was everything Taylor wasn't, and that's the end of it. The relationship with Taylor had struck out once. He had no intention of going to bat again.
Sloan McCaffrey met Taylor at Jacy's Java and fell instantly in lust. Determined to cozy up to the sexy, adventurous woman, playboy Sloan heads into Thrill Seekers to secure himself some time with the woman, even if its on the slopes. Eve Hannah, though, pegs him for a cad from the start and doesn't give Sloan's legendary charm a chance.
He may have come looking for some Taylor-made fun, but Eve's the one to spark something inside him, despite her chilly reception and biting personality. And she's supposed to be the sweet one? Still, something draws Sloan to her and he maneuvers his way into her life. Not that she's worth more than the obligatory three dates max, of course, but still...she gets to him. In ways he doesn't quite understand. Eve, however, doesn't trust Sloan further than she could bat a curve ball, and her hard-to-get routine is no act. Sloan would have to be a far better man to crack Eve's icy shell.
This light double header romance is the third in the Richmond Rogues series, and apparently, I've managed to get myself rather addicted to them. Quickly paced, sexy and heartfelt, Strike Zone made me grin and chuckle and left some warm, fuzzy feelings around in its wake. These books have really become a guilty pleasure of mine.
I wasn't quite as fond of the lead characters here as I was of the Bat Pack from the previous book, and I had a hard time feeling much sympathy for either Taylor or Brek at first. She left him at the alter and he was kind of an unfeeling jerk when she came back. I understand why both those things occurred, and sympathized with the reasons...just not necessarily the characters. By the time I started thawing towards them, things had progressed to a different level and I started to appreciate the depth of emotional resolution and acknowledgment of their issues that Angell allowed. And I was thoroughly entertained by bad boy Sloan as he jumped through hoops for Eve. He was a cad, sure, but he was cute with it, and I was particularly impressed with the depth of character he was given. His character was shallow, yes, but tempered with keen observational skills and a kind nature.
I liked dropping back to a double header romance as opposed to the triple as we got in Curveball (Richmond Rogues, Book 2) or the two and a half that was in Squeeze Play (Richmond Rogues, Book 1). It allowed for more emotional territory to be covered in both relationships to the betterment of the story as a whole. This series is light and sexy, meant to be more fun that factual, so a willingness to go with the flow is necessary to gloss over some of the inconsistencies and implausibilities, most of which relate to the sport of baseball. It's a fun series, to be sure, just this side of fluff, and can be thoroughly enjoyed as such.
There were some wicked formatting issues on my Kindle version, though. Several times I was distracted by random sentence fragments plopped down in the middle of scenes or tacked on to the end of dialogue. They were fragments from surrounding sentences so it was obviously some sort of technical mistake as opposed to typos, but it was very distracting, especially during the sex scenes or at a tender moment. This didn't happen all the way through the book, nor did it happen a lot...maybe seven or eight times, but it was annoying when it did.
I was also perplexed by what seemed to be an inconsistency in the timeline of the story. Without going into details to prevent spoilers, there was an animal fund raising event that occurred months after a major conflict between Eve and Sloan. Yet when Sloan referred to purchasing a house right after the night of that major conflict, he said it was three weeks ago.
Admittedly, any book following the wacky Bat Pack was going to be a slight let down for me because I really enjoyed those guys a lot, but Angell balanced most of that with stepping up the development of the relationships featured and giving more page time for character evolution. I hope that's a trend that continues, because she's managed to blend a light, sexy romance with some emotional honesty and growth and it added a dimension to the book that the others didn't quite manage. Still, with the few issues I mentioned, I couldn't rate it quite as high as the last. Close, though. And I can't wait for Sliding Home (Richmond Rogues, Book 4). I've already downloaded it and will be queuing it up soon. Bring on more Rogues!
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Three years ago, the grief from her parents' sudden death and the inability to settle down just months after their loss forced Taylor Hannah to drastic action. She left Brek Stryker at the alter and raced across the planet to thrust herself into any and every extreme sport and test of endurance, strength, and courage she could. Since then Taylor "Fearless" Hannah has been the adventurous side of Thrill Seekers, the business she owns with her sister, Eve, and she leads extreme daredevil tours for the most extreme athletes. But in the middle of leading an skiing tour down the mighty La Grave, she receives word from Eve. Stryke is getting married. Suddenly Fearless has never been more afraid that one of her deepest regrets will be forever unable to be redeemed.
Getting changed after a game, one of the Bat Pack, Psycho McMillan, noticed team mascot Rally Ball giving Stryke a definite once and twice over. When he turned to investigate the outrageous claim, it quickly became clear that his old friend Charlie wasn't the one manning the costume. In fact, it was quite clear that it wasn't being manned at all. As he draws closer to investigate, a chill creeps into his soul and his heart freezes. He'd recognize the scent anywhere, and the eyes staring at him, wide and startled through the eye slit of the costume, had haunted his nightmares for the past three years. Taylor Hannah had destroyed his ego. Broke his heart. And was back in town.
He didn't care why she was back. Wouldn't worry that she was obviously injured. He was engaged to a nice, steady woman who was everything Taylor wasn't, and that's the end of it. The relationship with Taylor had struck out once. He had no intention of going to bat again.
Sloan McCaffrey met Taylor at Jacy's Java and fell instantly in lust. Determined to cozy up to the sexy, adventurous woman, playboy Sloan heads into Thrill Seekers to secure himself some time with the woman, even if its on the slopes. Eve Hannah, though, pegs him for a cad from the start and doesn't give Sloan's legendary charm a chance.
He may have come looking for some Taylor-made fun, but Eve's the one to spark something inside him, despite her chilly reception and biting personality. And she's supposed to be the sweet one? Still, something draws Sloan to her and he maneuvers his way into her life. Not that she's worth more than the obligatory three dates max, of course, but still...she gets to him. In ways he doesn't quite understand. Eve, however, doesn't trust Sloan further than she could bat a curve ball, and her hard-to-get routine is no act. Sloan would have to be a far better man to crack Eve's icy shell.
This light double header romance is the third in the Richmond Rogues series, and apparently, I've managed to get myself rather addicted to them. Quickly paced, sexy and heartfelt, Strike Zone made me grin and chuckle and left some warm, fuzzy feelings around in its wake. These books have really become a guilty pleasure of mine.
I wasn't quite as fond of the lead characters here as I was of the Bat Pack from the previous book, and I had a hard time feeling much sympathy for either Taylor or Brek at first. She left him at the alter and he was kind of an unfeeling jerk when she came back. I understand why both those things occurred, and sympathized with the reasons...just not necessarily the characters. By the time I started thawing towards them, things had progressed to a different level and I started to appreciate the depth of emotional resolution and acknowledgment of their issues that Angell allowed. And I was thoroughly entertained by bad boy Sloan as he jumped through hoops for Eve. He was a cad, sure, but he was cute with it, and I was particularly impressed with the depth of character he was given. His character was shallow, yes, but tempered with keen observational skills and a kind nature.
I liked dropping back to a double header romance as opposed to the triple as we got in Curveball (Richmond Rogues, Book 2) or the two and a half that was in Squeeze Play (Richmond Rogues, Book 1). It allowed for more emotional territory to be covered in both relationships to the betterment of the story as a whole. This series is light and sexy, meant to be more fun that factual, so a willingness to go with the flow is necessary to gloss over some of the inconsistencies and implausibilities, most of which relate to the sport of baseball. It's a fun series, to be sure, just this side of fluff, and can be thoroughly enjoyed as such.
There were some wicked formatting issues on my Kindle version, though. Several times I was distracted by random sentence fragments plopped down in the middle of scenes or tacked on to the end of dialogue. They were fragments from surrounding sentences so it was obviously some sort of technical mistake as opposed to typos, but it was very distracting, especially during the sex scenes or at a tender moment. This didn't happen all the way through the book, nor did it happen a lot...maybe seven or eight times, but it was annoying when it did.
I was also perplexed by what seemed to be an inconsistency in the timeline of the story. Without going into details to prevent spoilers, there was an animal fund raising event that occurred months after a major conflict between Eve and Sloan. Yet when Sloan referred to purchasing a house right after the night of that major conflict, he said it was three weeks ago.
Admittedly, any book following the wacky Bat Pack was going to be a slight let down for me because I really enjoyed those guys a lot, but Angell balanced most of that with stepping up the development of the relationships featured and giving more page time for character evolution. I hope that's a trend that continues, because she's managed to blend a light, sexy romance with some emotional honesty and growth and it added a dimension to the book that the others didn't quite manage. Still, with the few issues I mentioned, I couldn't rate it quite as high as the last. Close, though. And I can't wait for Sliding Home (Richmond Rogues, Book 4). I've already downloaded it and will be queuing it up soon. Bring on more Rogues!
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
October 12, 2018
I sometimes love fluff books and this series is a perfect example of that. Love and baseball. Nothing better for a fun steamy read.
Taylor Hannah is an extreme sports lover and she learns that her ex, one she left at the altar, is getting married. She has to make amends before he walks down the aisle again. So she comes back into his life in a big way, by borrowing the Rogue mascot uniform. But even after 3 years and being left at the altar, Brek Stryker can’t seem to quit Taylor. He is cordial but feelings are reignited between them and they don’t want to tamper the flame. And Taylor sisters also finds love as well.
I like these stories because they are two love storylines and something is always happening. It makes for fun reading.
Taylor Hannah is an extreme sports lover and she learns that her ex, one she left at the altar, is getting married. She has to make amends before he walks down the aisle again. So she comes back into his life in a big way, by borrowing the Rogue mascot uniform. But even after 3 years and being left at the altar, Brek Stryker can’t seem to quit Taylor. He is cordial but feelings are reignited between them and they don’t want to tamper the flame. And Taylor sisters also finds love as well.
I like these stories because they are two love storylines and something is always happening. It makes for fun reading.
May 11, 2021
Brek and Taylor were engaged but she left him at the altar to guide a Thrill Seeker trip. He is now engaged to a quiet sedate woman which is what brings Taylor home. When they meet again Brek tries to show how little she means to him. He learns a lot of things--especially that she is still important to him.
Also Taylor's sister Eve who runs the Thrill Seekers office finds romance with Brek's teammate Sloan. He thinks he'll teach her but she teaches him what is means to truly love. When it looks like he might lose her he goes big.
I enjoyed this book. I liked Brek and Taylor. I loved Eve and watching her get the better of Sloan. The other secondary characters are also good. I'd like to see read of their stories especially Kasen (I hope he has one.)
Also Taylor's sister Eve who runs the Thrill Seekers office finds romance with Brek's teammate Sloan. He thinks he'll teach her but she teaches him what is means to truly love. When it looks like he might lose her he goes big.
I enjoyed this book. I liked Brek and Taylor. I loved Eve and watching her get the better of Sloan. The other secondary characters are also good. I'd like to see read of their stories especially Kasen (I hope he has one.)
August 7, 2018
I liked the sisters stories but I felt like they were rushed. Eve and Sloan especially. Taylor and Brek was great in the beginning but halfway through it felt like a last minute homework assignment. Crammed together in order to turn it in on time.
September 10, 2020
A pitcher named Stryker, seriously?
Plot is a hot mess. Sloan is an entitled asshole. And I never felt like Taylor deserved a second chance after leaving Brek at the altar. (She never even apologizes to him!)
Plot is a hot mess. Sloan is an entitled asshole. And I never felt like Taylor deserved a second chance after leaving Brek at the altar. (She never even apologizes to him!)
August 10, 2017
Love this series!
March 24, 2018
Fun and enjoyable!
August 15, 2011
I have a weakness for the trope of celebrity hero falls for ordinary Jane heroine. These days, that's most commonly found in sport romances, where the hero is some superstar athlete. Kate Angell specializes in baseball romances.
Strike Zone is the third in Angell's Richmond Rogues series. Somehow I missed this one when it first came out and I picked it up from the library the other day. Angell is unique in that she seems incapable of just writing about one heroine and one hero, and the duality of the books are never evident by the cover blurb.
In Strike Zone, the main couple, and the one featured in the blurb, is Taylor and Stryke. Taylor is back in town after leaving Stryke at the altar years ago. Stryke is engaged, but thanks to an abruptly ended plot device, he's single again by page 135 and his fiancee is neatly tucked out of the way. Time passes in the book by way of 'three weeks later,' and the reader is told that Stryke and Taylor are rebuilding their relationship. However, while there's nothing to contradict with that statement, the reader doesn't get to see it either.
The secondary couple is Taylor's sister, Eve, and Stryke's teammate, Sloan. Sloan and Eve were much more interesting to me than Taylor and Stryke. First off, Sloan is a bit of a manwhore and doesn't attempt to hide that. Watching him deal with his growing feelings for Eve is quite enjoyable. On the flip side of that, Eve knows she has feelings for Sloan and isn't particularly happy about that. She has no desire to be one of his groupies and stands firm on the issue. While the chemistry crackled between Eve and Sloan, I would have liked to see Sloan's realization that he is head over heels for Eve. They go on three dates, he screws up big-time on the third one, she cuts him out of her life, and he spends the next chunk of the book trying to get her back. When Sloan finally convinces her to talk to him, the reader finds out that he's now super-serious about Eve to the extent he now knows she's the 'one.' After three dates. Yes, this is a romance novel and all, but I can't help think that this is why so many famous athletes get divorced.
What saves this book, quite frankly, is the baseball. Full disclosure, I go to one baseball game a year with my dad and pretty much ignore the sport the rest of the time. So while I suspect there are a few 'that would never happen' moments in this book (the mascot fight, perhaps), there was nothing that stood out to me with my limited knowledge. As a result, I loved the baseball scenes. I felt like I was right there on the mound with Sloan and Stryke. I liked how Angell underscored the fact that yes, these guys are celebrities, but one bad injury and their careers are over. While Stryke came off as a little too perfect, Sloan started off as the arrogant hot-shot I'd expect a star athlete to be.
I think, overall, Angell would benefit from either treating her books like anthologies and doing two distinct stories or keeping the focus on one particular couple. Sweet Spot, the fifth book in the series, is scheduled to be released in May 2012, but there's no info yet about the plot or publisher. Unfortunately, with Angell caught in the Dorchester quicksand, I would imagine Sweet Spot is likely going to be the last Richmond Rogue book.
There aren't a lot of baseball romances, but if you like the Richmond Rogue books, I recommend you check out Jill Shalvis's Double Play and Slow Heat.
Strike Zone is the third in Angell's Richmond Rogues series. Somehow I missed this one when it first came out and I picked it up from the library the other day. Angell is unique in that she seems incapable of just writing about one heroine and one hero, and the duality of the books are never evident by the cover blurb.
In Strike Zone, the main couple, and the one featured in the blurb, is Taylor and Stryke. Taylor is back in town after leaving Stryke at the altar years ago. Stryke is engaged, but thanks to an abruptly ended plot device, he's single again by page 135 and his fiancee is neatly tucked out of the way. Time passes in the book by way of 'three weeks later,' and the reader is told that Stryke and Taylor are rebuilding their relationship. However, while there's nothing to contradict with that statement, the reader doesn't get to see it either.
The secondary couple is Taylor's sister, Eve, and Stryke's teammate, Sloan. Sloan and Eve were much more interesting to me than Taylor and Stryke. First off, Sloan is a bit of a manwhore and doesn't attempt to hide that. Watching him deal with his growing feelings for Eve is quite enjoyable. On the flip side of that, Eve knows she has feelings for Sloan and isn't particularly happy about that. She has no desire to be one of his groupies and stands firm on the issue. While the chemistry crackled between Eve and Sloan, I would have liked to see Sloan's realization that he is head over heels for Eve. They go on three dates, he screws up big-time on the third one, she cuts him out of her life, and he spends the next chunk of the book trying to get her back. When Sloan finally convinces her to talk to him, the reader finds out that he's now super-serious about Eve to the extent he now knows she's the 'one.' After three dates. Yes, this is a romance novel and all, but I can't help think that this is why so many famous athletes get divorced.
What saves this book, quite frankly, is the baseball. Full disclosure, I go to one baseball game a year with my dad and pretty much ignore the sport the rest of the time. So while I suspect there are a few 'that would never happen' moments in this book (the mascot fight, perhaps), there was nothing that stood out to me with my limited knowledge. As a result, I loved the baseball scenes. I felt like I was right there on the mound with Sloan and Stryke. I liked how Angell underscored the fact that yes, these guys are celebrities, but one bad injury and their careers are over. While Stryke came off as a little too perfect, Sloan started off as the arrogant hot-shot I'd expect a star athlete to be.
I think, overall, Angell would benefit from either treating her books like anthologies and doing two distinct stories or keeping the focus on one particular couple. Sweet Spot, the fifth book in the series, is scheduled to be released in May 2012, but there's no info yet about the plot or publisher. Unfortunately, with Angell caught in the Dorchester quicksand, I would imagine Sweet Spot is likely going to be the last Richmond Rogue book.
There aren't a lot of baseball romances, but if you like the Richmond Rogue books, I recommend you check out Jill Shalvis's Double Play and Slow Heat.
June 27, 2014
was a good story, at first I thought Kason was a real jerk & Dayne was an air head but as the story went on I changed my mind & ended up liking the characters. Kason & Dayne are thrown together when she breaks into his double wide trailer while he's away at training camp. Claiming squatters rights Dayne won't leave his trailer but eventually brings in her own small trailer(given to her by her boss) to live on Kason's land, not that she knows it's his..she thinks he's poor & squatting himself. Both have had hard times, Kason's hard outlook on life & his difficult personality come from his past with his adopted father(really his uncle)& his harsh upbringing & Dayne's very public break up with her fiancée, his freezing their acct so she can't get any money & changing the locks on their condo have her running to a new life & have both of them searching for solace in the woods. Kason eventually comes to like Dayne & gets her a job with the team after she finds out who he really is. They are thrown together when Kason finds no chemistry with any of the models for a jewelry commercial. Their feelings for each other come through in the commercial & everyone thinks that they are a couple. Needing to get away from the public Dayne takes a temp job with a rival team while Kason is away on the road. While away he comes to the conclusion that Dayne is who he wants in his life & has plans of telling her when he gets home only to find her gone. Can he get Dayne to come back? Can he do the relationship thing that he's always been against? Can Dayne do another public relationship? Would recommend this book & the series. Looking forward to the next installment in the series.
September 16, 2011
STRIKE ZONE BY KATE ANGELL is 259 pages long and this book was one I had on my Kindle. It is #3 in The Richmond Rogues Series and Boys Of Summer Series.
This was a cute story about the Hannah sisters. One was a thrill seeker and the other was the administrative person who ran the thrill seeker office. Taylor is the one that goes all over the world and jumps off mountains hang gliding and riding the rapids, while Eve is running the business back in Richmond. Taylor was engaged to Bret Stryker but left him at the alter so when she gets the clipping announcing his engagement, Taylor forgets what she is doing and falls on her ski trip and has to come home and heal her knee.
This was a cute story about the Hannah sisters. One was a thrill seeker and the other was the administrative person who ran the thrill seeker office. Taylor is the one that goes all over the world and jumps off mountains hang gliding and riding the rapids, while Eve is running the business back in Richmond. Taylor was engaged to Bret Stryker but left him at the alter so when she gets the clipping announcing his engagement, Taylor forgets what she is doing and falls on her ski trip and has to come home and heal her knee.
There is a lot of talk of sex and fore play, but the real sex isn't until the end of the book. This is not an X rated book, but probably PG-13.
I enjoyed this book and like the baseball theme. There really wasn't much baseball in this one, but there are a lot of references to baseball in the book. It is more about the relationships between Eve and Sloan and Taylor and Bret. There is a lot of going back and forth about whether they like each other or not and this makes for some interesting scenes.
The Kindle edition was not edited very well and it must have been the transition from the printed copy to the Kindle format. This is a little disturbing to me, but I still enjoyed the book.
I gave this 4.5 out of 5 stars because it was funny and happy sad. I will continue to read more in this series in the future.
June 7, 2010
O.M.G
ni nvl lgsung jd slh satu favorit gw di genre sports romance.. :D
i really really loved it!
Mule dr Ch.1 ampe ch trakhir perut gw ky ada kupu2 githu...
Brek-Taylor
CLBK!
Critanya si Taylor ninggalin Brek di altar, mmm tepatnya Taylor gak nongol di gereja..
3taon kemudian Taylor dpt kabar Brek udah tunangan n Taylor mutusin saatnya dia brdamai dgn masa lalu.
So dia balik ke Richmond n minta maaf ke Brek...
Brek di lain pihak gak pengen berurusan dgn Taylor lg...
Tay nyogok charlie-maskot Rogues, next Taylor jd maskot Rogues slama akhir pekan-2games.
Gw deg2an bgt pas Brek lari dr lapangan buat nolong Tay yg jatuh krna berkelahi dgn maskot tim lawan.
Trus gw mewek wktu Tay di rumah sakit n dia nangis di pelukan Brek, hwuhuhu
Sloan-Eve
Eve ade Taylor.
Sloan tman se tim Brek.
Awalnya Sloan pengen ngedeketin Taylor.
Tp pas pertama ketemu Eve yg dingin, Sloan malah jd suka ngegodain Eve,.
Kalo Brek pnya tato Strike Zone, Sloan punya tato Three.
Limit kencannya dgn cwe2 cm 3x,. hmpfh
dia ama Eve brantem mulu...
Eve bukan tipe Sloan.
Kalo Taylor tipe Sloan bgt, seksi/hot...
Eve sweet, dia jg pake kawat gigi, pokoknya jauh bgt dr tipe Sloan..
Eve: "I don't like you"
Sloan: "I like myself enough for both of us" *ngakak guling2* XD
Tambah seru lg baik Brek-Tay ato Sloan-Eve sering bgt cemburu2an.
Suka bgt d,
dah gak sabar pengen bc lanjutan ni series ^^v
ni nvl lgsung jd slh satu favorit gw di genre sports romance.. :D
i really really loved it!
Mule dr Ch.1 ampe ch trakhir perut gw ky ada kupu2 githu...
Brek-Taylor
CLBK!
Critanya si Taylor ninggalin Brek di altar, mmm tepatnya Taylor gak nongol di gereja..
3taon kemudian Taylor dpt kabar Brek udah tunangan n Taylor mutusin saatnya dia brdamai dgn masa lalu.
So dia balik ke Richmond n minta maaf ke Brek...
Brek di lain pihak gak pengen berurusan dgn Taylor lg...
Tay nyogok charlie-maskot Rogues, next Taylor jd maskot Rogues slama akhir pekan-2games.
Gw deg2an bgt pas Brek lari dr lapangan buat nolong Tay yg jatuh krna berkelahi dgn maskot tim lawan.
Trus gw mewek wktu Tay di rumah sakit n dia nangis di pelukan Brek, hwuhuhu
Sloan-Eve
Eve ade Taylor.
Sloan tman se tim Brek.
Awalnya Sloan pengen ngedeketin Taylor.
Tp pas pertama ketemu Eve yg dingin, Sloan malah jd suka ngegodain Eve,.
Kalo Brek pnya tato Strike Zone, Sloan punya tato Three.
Limit kencannya dgn cwe2 cm 3x,. hmpfh
dia ama Eve brantem mulu...
Eve bukan tipe Sloan.
Kalo Taylor tipe Sloan bgt, seksi/hot...
Eve sweet, dia jg pake kawat gigi, pokoknya jauh bgt dr tipe Sloan..
Eve: "I don't like you"
Sloan: "I like myself enough for both of us" *ngakak guling2* XD
Tambah seru lg baik Brek-Tay ato Sloan-Eve sering bgt cemburu2an.
Suka bgt d,
dah gak sabar pengen bc lanjutan ni series ^^v
June 14, 2013
The blurb teased about Brek and Taylor's love story, but it felt like the book explored Sloan and Eve's relationship more, which is okay, i guess, since their courtship provided enough excitement for both couples.
Very much like Squeeze Play's Aaron and Natalie, Strike Zone could have used less Hilary and Stuart moments, coz they're gone anyway, halfway through the book. I just wish Brek and Hilary's broken engagement had a little more drama, and not just wrapped up too quickly, just so Brek and Taylor's plot could move forward.
On the upside, i love how characters from the previous books in the series appear sporadically in the story. It just makes me wonder how long the time jumps are. Risk and Jacy are probably 40 now, right? There's no mention of kids either, for them and the other married couples. I know these are minor details, but these are also little things that fans of the Richmond Rogues series are probably wondering about.
All in all, Kate Angell has probably gotten her writing groove when she wrote this book, because the baseball scenes are getting more detailed and technical, highlighting the games more, than just relegating it in the background as a sport that the leading man/men play.
Very much like Squeeze Play's Aaron and Natalie, Strike Zone could have used less Hilary and Stuart moments, coz they're gone anyway, halfway through the book. I just wish Brek and Hilary's broken engagement had a little more drama, and not just wrapped up too quickly, just so Brek and Taylor's plot could move forward.
On the upside, i love how characters from the previous books in the series appear sporadically in the story. It just makes me wonder how long the time jumps are. Risk and Jacy are probably 40 now, right? There's no mention of kids either, for them and the other married couples. I know these are minor details, but these are also little things that fans of the Richmond Rogues series are probably wondering about.
All in all, Kate Angell has probably gotten her writing groove when she wrote this book, because the baseball scenes are getting more detailed and technical, highlighting the games more, than just relegating it in the background as a sport that the leading man/men play.
March 13, 2010
This book was enjoyable and just okay for me. I think I was slightly turned off when Angell discussed baseball in detail (2 to 3 pages of just pure baseball.) Maybe if I was more into this particular sport I could have enjoyed this book more. The story between Sloan and Eve was more enjoyable then the main couple, Brek and Taylor.
Taylor a free spirited dare devil left poor Brek at the alter three years ago and just recently found out he is newly engaged. Taylor is devastated with the news and decides to go back to Richmond, Virgina, to say sorry to the man who still has her heart. However, when the two meet there are still sparks between the two and Brek does everything to deny his feelings for Taylor.
Eve is Taylor's sister and is the complete opposite of Taylor. Eve is quiet, reserved, and doesn't do the fun seeking sports that runs in her family. So when the cocky Sloan comes into her life she obviously ignores him and shows no interest. But Sloan finds Eve impossible to resists and turns on his charm at full force to win the heart of Eve.
If your looking for a fun light read, this series is it.
Taylor a free spirited dare devil left poor Brek at the alter three years ago and just recently found out he is newly engaged. Taylor is devastated with the news and decides to go back to Richmond, Virgina, to say sorry to the man who still has her heart. However, when the two meet there are still sparks between the two and Brek does everything to deny his feelings for Taylor.
Eve is Taylor's sister and is the complete opposite of Taylor. Eve is quiet, reserved, and doesn't do the fun seeking sports that runs in her family. So when the cocky Sloan comes into her life she obviously ignores him and shows no interest. But Sloan finds Eve impossible to resists and turns on his charm at full force to win the heart of Eve.
If your looking for a fun light read, this series is it.
October 25, 2012
I have really enjoyed this series and with this she delivered more of the same.
I'm sure everyone has formulas for rating books a five.
My own is pretty simple, if the book holds my attention and I read straight thru( no skimming paragraphs or worse pages)
Then in my thinking you deserve a 5, since I am VERY easily distracted and even easier shut down when reading a book--bore me and I just shut the book.
Kate Angell's Richmond rogues characters are funny, real and their stories entertaining.
October 11, 2015
I really don't appreciate it when the blurb tells you it's a story of one couple and the book is really about the story of two, especially when the "minor" plot line shares about 50% of the book. I like the secondary characters but I'd rather not read a book where they overshadow the main couple. This is a sore point to me but otherwise, I really like Brek and Taylor.
Their story sucked me in from the first. I don't typically read rekindled love stories but Taylor and Brek had me cheering for them. The plot grew a bit weak half way through and the ending needs...more.
Their story sucked me in from the first. I don't typically read rekindled love stories but Taylor and Brek had me cheering for them. The plot grew a bit weak half way through and the ending needs...more.
August 7, 2015
This wasn't my favorite , I mean I liked it, and it did some very funny bits but all in all it was like the first two books. I truly can't say much because I didn't like how the story started with the two main characters. I'm not a big fan of ex's because its sadly true ex's should stay ex's. I wish I could say more but I don't have more to say. But still for the funny moments and some shocking moments its worth reading.
March 7, 2012
Kate Angell is fast becoming a big favourite of mine. Having had very little to do with Brek Stryker or Sloan McCaffrey in previous books, I started this book kind of annoyed that they get a whole book to themselves, when Psycho, Romeo and Chaser had to share. But once I got into it, I really enjoyed it. I love how Ms Angell writes her male characters and the women are always cool too. Definitely in line to read the next one. Sweet romances, hot sex and great banter make this a great read!
October 4, 2016
I never read these types of books because they have groupies and there is usually cheating and angst and I just can't handle that at all. This one did have the H engaged to someone else when she came back but it was a very strange relationship. There is a player with groupies but he changes his ways and I liked the secondary love story a little more than the 1st but this was a cute read. I may try another of hers but if it ends up like the other sports themed romances I am out!!
May 12, 2009
The first book ("Squeeze Play") is definitely my favorite in the series, but this book was still cute.
I thought Kate Angell did a better job in this book than in "Curveball." In that book, there was too much story and too many characters – so everything jumped around. In this book, she focused on just 2 of the pitchers and their relationship.
I thought Kate Angell did a better job in this book than in "Curveball." In that book, there was too much story and too many characters – so everything jumped around. In this book, she focused on just 2 of the pitchers and their relationship.
December 16, 2009
I enjoyed it, but not quite as much as the first two in the series. Somehow the motivations of the main couple, Brek and Taylor, weren't as clear to me as I'd have liked. I enjoyed the secondary romance more. The book is definitely worth reading if you've enjoyed the first two, but not as strong a storyline.
May 28, 2011
This series is an easy read, but what always impresses me with these books is that Angell writes a secondary romance that is as good or even better than the first. She tosses a few industry rules and sometimes give you several shapters at a time with just your secodary characters, but this really helps you get to know them. Well done!
September 27, 2011
Je déteste les tatoos, mais pour changer, ceux de chaque joueur des Rogues paraissent du coup appétissants car plutôt évocateurs. Miam! Original ce petit rituel de se faire tatouer la région de l'aine quand on à un corps de dieu grec... Hum! Bon ben on en découvre 2 nouveaux cette fois. Vivement les prochains. ^^
December 9, 2012
At the risk of repeating myself, I really do not have an active imagination. So I cannot imagine what happened in and out of the field that was described in so many details. So there. And I liked the side story more than the main one. The ending was, of course, as expected. But I needed a breather from the Sheldon book that I was reading, so this book fit the bill.
November 29, 2009
I started with this book in the series as it was the only one in stock at the book store. Sports themed stories are one of my favorites and this one didn't disappoint. I am anxiously awaiting delivery of my next book order including her newest book Sliding Home.
November 5, 2011
The story started off slow and sort of depressing, but the pace picked up and the chemistry between Sloan and Eve filled in quite nicely. Brek and Taylor just seemed to super human and super blind to make their store acceptable, if not believable.
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