Title: Night Games
Author: Collette West
Published: February 28, 2014
Genre: Sports
Romance
Book Synopsis:
The moment
Grey Kelleher locks eyes with All-Star shortstop Chase Whitfield, she's a
goner. For years, she's watched him play on TV, and now she's gazing at his
hard, lean body across a bar in her hometown.
Grey's crush
on Chase goes all the way back to his rookie season. So when she approaches him
for an autograph, she's startled by what a jerk he can be.
Chase is no
mood to humor his fans, even one as alluring as Grey. He's in the last year of
his contract and stuck having to prove himself on a minor league team. He's
only there to rehab an injury, nothing more.
But when Grey
tells him off, Chase realizes her fiery spirit may be just the distraction he
needs to take his mind off not being in the majors. His heart is safe. No one's
going to break his streak as baseball's most eligible bachelor. Not even
someone as irresistible as Grey.
Author Bio:
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 many games 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.
I love sports romances, but I haven't actually read any new adult ones before Night Games, so I was pretty excited for it, and I ended up really enjoying it! I did have some minor issues with the book, but overall, I thought it was a really enjoyable story. :)
While I did enjoy the story, there were two issues that I had that kept me from going from really liking it to loving it. The first was that Chase was quite contradictory at the beginning of the book, and he was such a douchebag in his own head that it was pretty hard to like him at first. He did change though, but I have to admit, that I was kind of unsure about him because he didn't seem very consistent...which is a bit odd when you're getting his POV. The second issue I had was Grey's plans for the future. She talks about not wanting to be dependent on a man, and her dad even mentions wanting something better for her...yet she has no actual plans for her future at all, and seems perfectly content to continue working in retail at the mall. It just seemed a bit strange to me that both Grey and her father were so expressive about her prospects, when she didn't really have any...or even plans, or even a relative idea of something beyond what she was already doing.
The Chase issue stopped bugging me within a few chapters because it seemed to fit more of his public persona than anything else, and the Grey issue only bugged me once her father showed up near the last third of the book, so they weren't issues that made me hate the book or anything. Like I said before, I actually really enjoyed it. :) Once he became more consistent, I loved Chase, and I just wanted to help him through his tough times soooo bad! And I really loved Grey! I loved that she wasn't afraid to stand up for herself or make her own choices, and she didn't let others influence or pressure her. It's definitely great to see a strong main character like her, even if she has no plans for the future. :P
I loved both Chase and Grey separately, but I also loved them together! Their chemistry was fantastic, and I really enjoyed how Collette West established their relationship. It was done quickly, but also in a way that made it feel authentic, and intimate. I also really liked that even though Chase and Grey were both super stubborn, they did get get better at facing their problems...and were actually able to talk them through. They might have walked away from each other at times to cool off, but they were open to talking, and they ended up being really great at communicating by the end of the book, which I really appreciated! And I seriously loved that they were willing to make the first move, too...it's nice to see characters actively trying to fix things in their relationships instead of just wallowing.
Overall, I thought that Night Games was a quick, and enjoyable read! I think it's one that it's best not to over-analyze (since I did read this one after a book for one of my English classes, and I find that sometimes puts me in a more critical reading mood :P), and instead it should just be enjoyed! I'd recommend this one to fans of romances with athletes or celebrities (in the novel, Chase definitely counts as both :P), especially if you love intense chemistry and characters who have a lot in common. :)
EXCERPT & QUOTE SET
Excerpt:
“Grey, we’re in this together. I
don’t know how much clearer I can make it. That stuff with Stanley is over,
forgotten. He has no claim on you anymore. You belong to me now.”
His body collapses onto mine as
his lips find my shoulder. Struggling to find a position that doesn’t cause him
pain, he quickly grabs my pillow and shoves it under his knee. But he’s
determined to do this as his teeth grab my shirt, guiding it down. I moan as
his tongue finds my collarbone.
All I’ve wanted since we left New
York was to continue what we started, and after last night’s fiasco, I was
afraid I’d put it all in jeopardy. That I would never again get to nibble on
his bottom lip or feel his ribs expand and contract beneath my fingers. It’s
almost too good to be true that things are actually going to work out, that
we’re back on track and moving in the right direction.
I never thought I’d wake up this
morning to find him wanting to make love to me in my own bed. I wasn’t even
sure he’d still be here when I got up. I gasp when his nose touches that
delicate place behind my right ear. He remembered. It’s thrilling that he
already knows those special places on my body that turn me on.
Quote Set:
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What do you think?
Does NIGHT GAMES sound like a book you'd like to read?
And if you've already read it, what did you think of it?
