Grand Slam

Boys Of Summer Series – Book 3

By Heidi McLaughlin

Buy: Amazon / B & N / IBooks / Kobo

Synopsis

Win the game. Lose your heart.
Everyone knows who I am and that I could have any female fan I want. That’s supposed to be the “perk” of playing left field for the Boston Renegades. But I don’t want just any woman; I want her.

She should be just another face in the crowd, but I can’t stop thinking about the one night we spent together-and her look of regret the morning after.

Because Saylor Blackwell is the kind of woman who haunts a man. Smart, sexy as hell, and one of the best managers in the business. She’s every ballplayer’s dream woman. And I’d do anything to make things right with her.

I’m done sitting on the bench when it comes to Saylor Blackwell. Time to swing for the fences.

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Excerpt

Whenever I wake up with a hangover, I often ask myself why I drank so much and promise that I’ll never do it again. That promise is something I’ve been breaking for the past few days, and up until now, I didn’t care.

I had hoped the booze would muddy my memory of last night, but it hasn’t. Every word she said, every expression she had, every punch to my chest to get me out of her apartment is crystal clear. I fucked up, and I don’t even know how. All I know is that the sobs I heard on the other side of Saylor’s door last night were enough to sober my stupid ass up.

For hours, I sat against her door, until a resident suggested I leave or they were going to call the police. If I hadn’t been arrested ear- lier, I probably would have encouraged them to dial Boston’s Finest. Another man might understand my plight. The woman that I want to be with kicked me out of her house, and while I probably deserved it, I didn’t want to leave until she stopped crying. I didn’t want to be the one to walk away in her time of need.

But as egos go—and believe me, mine is huge—I couldn’t let it get in the way any longer, so I walked my drunk ass back home with my tail between my legs, only to stay up all night while the booze wore off, knowing that I had to live with whatever I’d done to Saylor.

She’s the last person in the world who I want to hurt, and she’s the one person who can save me. Not only from a life behind bars, but from myself. When I’m with her, I’m a different person. The cocky son of a bitch whom everyone is used to doesn’t exist when she’s near me, and frankly, that is the man I like, or at least I used to. It’s easier being a fucking douche. It’s second nature to me and comes with the territory of being named one of the city’s most eligible bachelors.

Except when I’m with Saylor, I can be the man who hides in the shadow of that Travis Kidd. I can be the kind of man who doesn’t have to have a one-liner available or wink in order to get a phone number. When I’m with her, life outside of baseball starts to have a meaning, a fucking purpose.

Michel’s Review

I have been waiting for the big score in the Boys of Summer Series by Heidi McLaughlin. Grand Slam, the third book in the series, scored big with me.  This story had the kind of content I knew Heidi was capable of delivering.  It was a page turner that kept me engaged with the characters lives and budding relationship.

Travis Kidd is the known “player” on the team.  His reputation with the ladies is well earned.  Even though he is a habitual flirt, there is only one woman he really wants.  The woman he wants is off limits because she is part of his management team.  Saylor Blackwell is the impossible catch until his life spirals out of control.  With nothing to left to lose and everything to gain, Travis finally makes his move.  It could ruin Saylor’s career.  It could ruin Saylor’s perfect life.  Playing the game to win is worth taking risks as far as he is concerned.  What Travis doesn’t realize is that it is more than her job on the line.  His actions could cause her to lose the only thing that matters.

Saylor Blackwell knew she made a mistake when she had a drunken one night stand with Travis Kidd a year earlier.  She has spent the last year trying to keep her mistake from spiraling out of control.  But when Travis lands himself in the hot seat and his career is on the line, she will have to make choices no woman should have to make.

Both Saylor and Travis lives are spiraling out of their control.  They both have issues that are not easily dealt with.  Their issues could ruin their professional and personal lives.  They can’t stay away from each other but they can’t stay with each other.  Their situation is a mess and someone is going suffer a big loss.  Is it worth it?

I don’t want to say much more because I don’t want to give away spoilers.  I will say that Heidi McLaughlin really came out swinging with Grand Slam.  Both Travis and Saylor have their own issues to deal with while trying to hang onto their professional lives.  Love isn’t going to be the fix all for them.  They have to dig deep and figure out how to hang on without destroying each other.

I absolutely loved this book.  The only thing that kept me from giving this book five stars is my insatiable need for details.  While Saylor and Travis issues were resolved in the end, the wrap up was a bit too vague for me.  They both had different antagonists in their lives creating havoc. The vague details such as the motivating factors as to why the antagonist chose to pursue their actions against Travis and Saylor to the quick wrap up of what happened to the antagonist after Saylor and Travis made their winning play. It didn’t feel completely resolved in many ways.  As you read the book you will understand what I mean.

 Overall Grand Slam was a fantastic book and I could not put it down.

Third Base

Boys of Summer Series – Book One

By Heidi McLaughlin

Amazon / B & N / Kobo / ITunes

Synopsis:

Ethan Davenport is already Boston’s most eligible bachelor. In his second season with the Boston Renegades he has set his eyes on the girl behind the visitors’ dugout.

That girl is Daisy Robinson, a journalism student at the University of Boston and a die-hard Renegades fan.

But with new found love comes challenges and Ethan and Daisy have to deal with his crazy schedule, school finals and his presence on her campus for some much needed media training.

For Ethan nothing can come between him and Daisy, until a secret that she’s been keeping threatens to destroy them both.

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Home Run

Boys Of Summer Series – Book 2

By Heidi McLaughlin

Buy: Amazon / B & N / IBooks / Kobo

Synopsis

LOVE ISN’T A GAME . . .

I’ve given up everything for the chance to play major league baseball. Everything. Now I’m so close I can practically hear the crowd chanting my name. There’s nothing that could take my dream away from me . . .

Unless I lose focus. And Ainsley Burke is the most beautiful, distracting woman I’ve ever met. When I’m with her, I can’t think of anything else.

But no matter how much I want Ainsley, there’s no room for love in my game plan. I can give her a quick tour of the bases, but that’s it. Then I have to let her go. If she wants to think I’m a love ’em and leave ’em player, fine.

All dreams require sacrifice. I just wish this one didn’t mean tearing out my own heart.

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Heidi is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell, Buttercup, two Parakeets, Gonzo & Hedwig, and their newest addition of a Highland West/Mini Schnauzer, Jill.

During the day Heidi is behind a desk talking about Land Use. At night, she’s writing one of the many stories planned for release or sitting court-side during either daughter’s basketball games.

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