Single Blog Tour: Excerpt & Giveaway! #Single #ColletteWest

SINGLE
by Collette West
Stockton Beavers #1
Publication Date: April 22, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Sports

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Smashwords

Underdog Luke “Single” Singleton is yearning to make a comeback. After getting hit in the neck with a pitch—an injury that nearly cost him his life—he has one last chance to play for his hometown team, the Stockton Beavers. But his mom has Alzheimer’s, and he’s all she has to depend on. How can he pursue his career, much less someone special?

Personal care aide Roberta Bennett is done dating baseball players. Having had her share of heartbreak, she heads to Stockton hoping for a fresh start. But after she finds Luke’s mom outside, lost, and alone, she can’t refuse when he hires her on the spot. Unbeknownst to Luke, Roberta is all too familiar with the violent tendencies of the pitcher who hit him.

Now that they’re living under the same roof, the last thing either of them is looking for is a relationship. But it’s not long before they find themselves drawn to each other. And right when Luke is thinking about finally making a change to his single status, a secret from Roberta’s past emerges with the power to tear them apart.

 About Collette West

Collette West grew up as somewhat of a jock-nerd hybrid. Entering the world three weeks premature, her dad nearly missed her birth because he had seats behind the dugout for a sold-out, highly-anticipated match-up between two of baseball’s biggest rivals. Not to be outdone, her book-loving mom taught her how to read by the time she was three. A love of the game coupled with an appreciation for the written word were instilled in Collette‘s impressionable brain from a young age. No wonder her characters believe in the philosophy: sports + romance = a little slice of heaven.

Splitting her time between the Pocono Mountains and Manhattan, Collette indulges her inner fangirl by going to as manygames as she can from hockey to baseball and downloading every sports romance novel in existence onto her iPad. When she’s not clicking away on her laptop, she enjoys walking her dog in Central Park, satisfying her caffeine craving at the Starbucks on Broadway and keeping an eye out for Mr. Right. But above all, she loves dishing with her readers. Email her at collette_west@yahoo.com.

She is the author of the New York Kings series which includes: NIGHT GAMES, GAME CHANGER, GAME ON, PERFECTGAME, INSIDE GAME and GAME WINNER.

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EXCERPT

But I'm not about to let her blow me off so easily, not when we were finally starting to enjoy ourselves. This time, I pull on the corner of her scarf and end up drawing it down over her shoulder, spinning her around. I have her off-balance, trying to find her footing, when she falls into my arms.

Her eyes never stray from mine when her hand comes to rest on my neck at the exact spot where I got hit. I swallow hard, never believing anything in the world could feel as good as this. If given the choice, I'd go through all the pain and rehab all over again just to have her do what she's doing to me now. She glides her fingers along my jaw and across my goatee before lightly skimming them over my lips, making me shudder with pleasure. I lean in, and she lowers her hand, her eyes burning into me. Intent on capturing her lips with mine, I’m close enough to feel her warm breath on my face when suddenly she pushes me away from her, taking a step back.

Holding a hand to her forehead, she’s unable to look at me. "Sorry… I tripped and—"

"Roberta," I gasp, struggling to catch my breath. "It's okay. I—"

Yet all she says is, "C'mon," before turning and leaving the alcove.

I run a hand across my face, trying to make sense of what just happened. I almost kissed her… And for a split second, I could've sworn by the fire in her eyes that she'd really wanted me to. God, could she possibly have feelings for me? No… That's just crazy. She probably didn't want to hurt my feelings, and to save me the embarrassment, she graciously backed away before anything could happen. Yeah, that sounds more like it. Now we can just pretend like she tripped and I caught her and go on our merry way. My fingers stray to my neck, right where hers were. Because that's what she wants, right?

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TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW: 

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You can find the rest of the SINGLE Blog Tour Schedule, here.

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I've already posted my review for SINGLE, and you can find it on my blog, here.

I'm so excited that SINGLE is finally out, so that you can all fall in love with Luke like I have!!!

What do you think?
Does SINGLE sound like something you'd like to read?

Review: Single (Stockton Beavers #1) by Collette West

Source: Received an ebook from the author as a beta reader, and plan to purchase a finished copy upon the book's release. All opinions are my own.
Release Date: April 22, 2016


Description from Goodreads:

Underdog Luke “Single” Singleton is yearning to make a comeback. After getting hit in the neck with a pitch—an injury that nearly cost him his life—he has one last chance to play for his hometown team, the Stockton Beavers. But his mom has Alzheimer’s, and he’s all she has to depend on. How can he pursue his career, much less someone special?

Personal care aide Roberta Bennett is done dating baseball players. Having had her share of heartbreak, she heads to Stockton hoping for a fresh start. But after she finds Luke’s mom outside, lost, and alone, she can’t refuse when he hires her on the spot. Unbeknownst to Luke, Roberta is all too familiar with the violent tendencies of the pitcher who hit him.

Now that they’re living under the same roof, the last thing either of them is looking for is a relationship. But it’s not long before they find themselves drawn to each other. And right when Luke is thinking about finally making a change to his single status, a secret from Roberta’s past emerges with the power to tear them apart.

When I first heard about SINGLE I was a little unsure of it because I hadn't been a big fan of Roberta in Collette West's New York Kings books, but as I read more and more excerpts and sneak peeks, I grew more and more excited to meet Luke and to finally learn Roberta's story! So, when Collette West asked me if I'd like to help her out by beta reading SINGLE, I jumped at the chance! It was definitely the right choice because I was hooked from the start. I'm so glad that I kept reading excerpts, and gave SINGLE a chance because it was fantastic, and I really did grow to love Roberta...I actually feel a bit bad about how strongly I disliked her before! :P

While SINGLE isn't part of the New York Kings series, it does exist in the same world and takes place after the most recent NYK book, GAME WINNER, and we have seen Stockton before in Collette's first book NIGHT GAMES. I loved getting to see Stockton again, and it was really interesting to see the dynamics of a different team. I loved seeing Luke improve as a player and gain confidence after facing a horrible accident, and I really loved seeing his relationship with his teammates. I loved how close he Danny were, and I really enjoyed seeing him and Rob grow closer. And Hoff! He's a gruff, older player with a chip on his shoulder, but he really surprised me and was there for Luke when it really mattered. :D

As for Luke himself, well I loved him! He was such an amazing and genuinely kind person. I loved how he always did everything that he could for others, and how he constantly had a positive outlook. I could definitely relate to him, and I sensed a kindred spirit in him (he's totally a fellow Hufflepuff, I just know it :P). I loved how much he cared for his mom, and how hard he worked to make sure that she had the best care that she could get. And I really loved him as a romantic lead! He was so considerate, thoughtful, and he never pressured Roberta to share more than she was ready to tell him. He let her decide when she was ready to confide in him, and when she kept things from him, he was so understanding. It was really refreshing to see a male lead like him. I'm not saying other male leads are inconsiderate douche-buckets, but they're definitely not usually as understanding as Luke was, and I think that largely came from how he treated his mother. Family was everything to him, and he's one of those characters that will fight to the ends of the world to protect someone that he considers part of his family, including his friends. Along with being just an all-around amazing guy, he was definitely sexy...which I always appreciate in my leading dudes. ;)

And Roberta. Roberta, Roberta, Roberta...well, as I said at the beginning of the review, I was pretty unsure of her as a main character, but I'm willing to admit that I was so wrong. We've always seen her as the foil (or one of the foils) to the relationship that we're routing for in the New York Kings series, so in SINGLE, we're finally seeing things from her side. Yes, she totally hooked up with some of the Kings players, but they're a lot more to her story and a lot more to her. She's a strong, independent, and sassy woman, which is something we didn't get to see much of in Collette West's other series, but in SINGLE we see it all. We finally see why Roberta was resisting getting into relationships and we finally see the real relationship that she has with Mike Landry. I absolutely loved getting to see it all, and in the end, I really loved Roberta. I loved her compassion for Luke's mother and how much she genuinely wanted to help others. I really, really empathized with the hardships she faced in her past, and I was so happy when she finally opened up to Luke and she let herself enjoy a loving relationship with a wonderful man. And most of all, I just loved her and Luke together so much!

Overall, I loved SINGLE. It was a fantastic story, and a great start to the STOCKTON BEAVERS series! I already can't wait for more from Collette West!

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Woo hoo! SINGLE releases this week, and I just had to post my review to celebrate!

As I mentioned in my review, I wasn't sure about this one at first. We're focusing on a different team here, and it features Roberta as one of the main characters. I wasn't a Roberta fan before SINGLE, but I've completely changed my tune. :P So, I'd recommend SINGLE to fans of the Collette West's New York Kings series, and to readers who are trying her books out for the first time. :)

What do you think?
Does SINGLE sound like something you'd like to read?

Cover Reveal: Single (Stockton Beavers #1) by Collette West

Woo hoo! I have an absolutely gorgeous cover to share with you all today!!!

One of my favourite sports romance authors, Collette West, has a new series, Stockton Beavers, starting soon, and the first book is getting closer and closer!!! Single will be the first book in the Stockton Beavers series...and let me tell you, it sounds great! And well the cover is breathtaking!

But don't take my word for it...take a look yourself! :D

Single

by Collette West

Stockton Beavers #1

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Sports

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Smashwords

Underdog Luke “Single” Singleton is yearning to make a comeback. After getting hit in the neck with a pitch—an injury that nearly cost him his life—he has one last chance to play for his hometown team, the Stockton Beavers. But his mom has Alzheimer’s, and he’s all she has to depend on. How can he pursue his career, much less someone special?

Personal care aide Roberta Bennett is done dating baseball players. Having had her share of heartbreak, she heads to Stockton hoping for a fresh start. But after she finds Luke’s mom outside, lost, and alone, she can’t refuse when he hires her on the spot. Unbeknownst to Luke, Roberta is all too familiar with the violent tendencies of the pitcher who hit him.

Now that they’re living under the same roof, the last thing either of them is looking for is a relationship. But it’s not long before they find themselves drawn to each other. And right when Luke is thinking about finally making a change to his single status, a secret from Roberta’s past emerges with the power to tear them apart.

About the Author

Collette West grew up as somewhat of a jock-nerd hybrid. Entering the world three weeks premature, her dad nearly missed her birth because he had seats behind the dugout for a sold-out, highly-anticipated match-up between two of baseball’s biggest rivals. Not to be outdone, her book-loving mom taught her how to read by the time she was three. A love of the game coupled with an appreciation for the written word were instilled in Collette‘s impressionable brain from a young age. No wonder her characters believe in the philosophy: sports + romance = a little slice of heaven.

Splitting her time between the Pocono Mountains and Manhattan, Collette indulges her inner fangirl by going to as manygames as she can from hockey to baseball and downloading every sports romance novel in existence onto her iPad. When she’s not clicking away on her laptop, she enjoys walking her dog in Central Park, satisfying her caffeine craving at the Starbucks on Broadway and keeping an eye out for Mr. Right. But above all, she loves dishing with her readers. Email her atcollette_west@yahoo.com.

She is the author of the New York Kings series which includes: NIGHT GAMES, GAME CHANGER, GAME ON, PERFECTGAME, INSIDE GAME and GAME WINNER.

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TEASER

I try not to stare, but from behind, I can't help but admire how her tiny waist comes in over her hips. Her body's supple, strong. There's nothing delicate about her. The corner of my mouth turns up. She could probably kick my ass, and I don't know why, but I like that.

She tosses me an annoyed glance over her shoulder. "Quit it."

"What?" 

"Haven't you ogled my butt enough for one day?"

My cheeks burn again. So she did catch me checking her out on the field. Crap.

She lifts my arm and bends it at the elbow. It would have to be the arm, the one I couldn't move after David Nichols hit me in the neck with the ball. At first, the docs didn't know if I was partially paralyzed or not. Let's just say it was a scary four and a half days before I finally detected any sign of feeling in it.

I gaze up at her. But does she know that?

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So what do you think?

 Do you love Single's cover, too?

And are you excited for Collette West's new sports romance series?