Game Changer
by Collette West
Publication Date: July 25, 2014
Genres:Contemporary, Romance, Sports
Purchase from: Amazon • Source: Received a copy of the book to participate in the blog tour to give an honest review, and won a finished copy from the author. All opinions are my own.
Release Date: Already Released!
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Synopsis
Young, rich, and unaware of how seriously hot he is, Brooks Davison is tearing it up as the latest shortstop for the New York Kings, despite his tendency to blush whenever girls scream his name.
When a health scare forces his best friend, Kyle Roberts, off the team, no one can stomach the thought of replacing him, especially so close to the playoffs.
Until Kyle's sister, Sasha, steps in, convincing management to let her take his place. The idea of signing the first female player in Major League history proves too tempting for the Kings to resist.
Nevertheless, Brooks doesn't want any part of it. Sasha is Kyle's little sister, not some sideshow.
Yet when Kyle takes a turn for the worse, Brooks promises to do everything in his power to help Sasha win a championship for him. Because there's no way he's letting either of them down. Not now, not ever.
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 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.
She is the author of NIGHT GAMES and GAME CHANGER.
MY REVIEW
I absolutely LOVED Game Changer!!! :D I was a big fan of Collette West's first book, Night Games, but I loved Game Changer even more!! We not only got an amazing sports romance, and a wonderful female role model, but we also got to see a bit of Chase and Grey from Collette's first book...and we all know I'm a sucker for getting to see more of my favourite characters. :D Even thought Game Changer isn't a sequel to Night Games, it does act as a companion novel. It follows the same sports team, and happens to take place just a short while after Night Games did. Game Changer definitely works as a standalone, but if you enjoy getting glimpses of characters later on in companion novels--like I do, you might want to read Night Games first. ;)
Back to Game Changer though! The two main characters, Brooks and Sasha, were fantastic!!! I loved getting to read the story in both of their points of view, and I thought that they were amazing characters apart, but together they were even better. :D They just really added a strength to one another that they didn't have apart, and I think that's the best kind of relationship. It's not one where you become super dependent on each other, but instead you help each other be the best person that you each can possibly be, and Brooks and Sasha definitely did that for each other. They did have their moments where the two of them acted unreasonably...mostly Brooks, but he totally redeemed himself, and I loved him even more for it. His Oklahoma-twang, gentlemanly manners, and athletic build didn't hurt either. haha ;D
Other than the amazing, fantastic, and stupendous relationship between Brooks and Sasha, I just loved the whole premise of Game Changer! It's probably not likely that a woman will get to play major league baseball any time soon, but I loved that this story went there, and I absolutely adored how Sasha handled it all! She was brave, confident, and tried her best no matter what! I seriously loved that she was such a proactive character, and that she didn't limit herself because of what was against her. I especially loved that she never gave up. She kept going, and by the end of Game Changer, I was so proud of her! I'm definitely glad to see amazing heroines like her becoming more common in contemporaries now. Sasha graciously accepted help when she needed it, but she hardly needed to be rescued, and I think heroines like her are really worth looking up to!
Overall, Game Changer was a wonderful story, and I loved it sooooo much! I'm already looking forward to more sports romances (and other books, too!) from the lovely Collette West! I couldn't help but have a huge smile on my face the entire time I was reading Game Changer....and there were lots of emotional and happy tears, too! It was a fabulous story, and I wholeheartedly recommend it! In particular, I'd recommend it to readers who are already sports romance fans, and I'd also just recommend Game Changer to contemporary fans in general. You don't have to love sports to love this book, but just a warning, you might start appreciating some of those sexy athletes even more after you've finished. ;)
EXCERPT
Lenore, my hair-and-makeup guru-turned-confidante, is putting the finishing touches on my pre-game face, something she recently started doing once we hit the playoffs and the nationally broadcast television schedule. My eyes are puffy from crying all night, but Lenore's a pro, making it appear like I had eight full hours of beauty rest.
"I don't know how you're coping with all of this," she says, bending down to give me a squeeze. "I really don't."
"I'm kind of afraid that it’s all going to be over after tonight because I don't know what I'm going to focus on after this." I bite my lip, careful not to smudge my carefully applied lip color.
"That tall drink of water from Oklahoma isn’t enough for you?" She jibes me. "I'll be more than happy to take him off your hands, free of charge."
I giggle, knowing how much she adores Brooks. "He's been my rock through all of this. You know that." I swivel around in my chair to face her. "But if we lose Kyle..." I take a shuddering breath and close my eyes, willing myself to say what I fear the most. "It's not going to be the same between us, Lenore. Every time he looks at me, he's going to be reminded of him. It's going to get to the point where it'll become too painful for him to be around me."
"Is that what you think?" She tips up my chin, her eyes brimming with kindness. "Honey, that boy loves you—really and truly loves you. Do you think he’ll be able to survive losing you too?"
I shake my head, knowing she's right.
"He's not going anywhere," Lenore proclaims, dabbing an errant tear away before it rolls through my mascara-coated lashes. "Brooks is—"
"Brooks is what?"
"Speak of the devil!" Lenore whirls around, shaking her finger at Brooks, who is standing in the doorway. "You shouldn't be in here trespassing. These are Miss Sasha's private quarters—no boys allowed."
"I think I'm an exception to the rule, wouldn't you say?" He pats Lenore on the back while looking down at me, concern etched across his handsome face. "At least, just this once."
"Hmmm. I suppose I can give you two a minute." She rolls her eyes at him.
"No pressure or anything," he retorts.
She takes the opportunity to swat his butt as she walks by, making him jump. "You could bounce a quarter off that ass. My Lord, I think I'm having a hot flash." She starts to fan herself before closing the door behind her, giving us some privacy.
And some teasers:
TO ENTER FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW:
haha I just had to pick that excerpt because I was laughing for a while after Lenore said that about Brooks' butt. ;) haha
Also, if you're curious,
check out my review for Collette West's first book, Night Games.
What do you think?
Does
Game Changer sound like a book you'd like?
Who else is a sports romance fan? Any recommendations? ;)
