When you're a marginal infielder with a low average and no pop in your bat, you live on the edge of failure all the time. Freddie Brumbelow knows that he's the anti-A-Rod, but he is determined to climb all the way up the ladder -- whatever it takes.
Size: 498 KB (93,012 words)
Genre: Romantic
Sex Contents: Some Sex
Tags: Ma/Fa, Consensual, Heterosexual
Review by Quasirandom [other reviews by Quasirandom]
Reviewed: - (Review Updated: )
Disclaimer: I don’t like baseball. Very few authors can make me enjoy reading about it, and Tony Stevens is one of them. (The other is Mitsuru Adachi.) His ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ series is Great Stuff, especially if you’re looking for straightforward romances with (mostly) young adults, where at least one partner is involved with baseball.
This one is installment #10, but that means little — while there’s an overall arc to the series, each story stands alone and can be read in any order. Which is good, because this is my favorite. You can also read it knowing little to nothing about baseball — the sport is important in the story only because it’s important to the characters.
Freddie has maxed out his chances to make it as a fielder while still playing below the top division. However, he’s got a good throwing arm, and a few friendly people think he has what it takes to turn him into a pitcher. This plan is complicated by growing mutual romantic interest from Josie, one of his club’s broadcasters — and the franchise has rules against fraternization.
Somehow, given he’s willing to do whatever it takes, it’ll work out, right? Maybe — the course of true love and pro athletics rarely run smoothly.
I like this a lot — Freddie is sweet and insecure, an appealing combination in a protagonist, and he almost deserves Josie. Josie in turn deserves everything she gets. One of the better romances I’ve read on SOL. Highly recommended.
Oh, and one final note: this story is Premium, which makes it one more reason to support this site by getting a Premier membership.
Review by Threesheets [other reviews by Threesheets]
Reviewed:
Tony Stevens is one of my favorite authors on SOL. I don't review a lot of his stories because it sounds like he's my favorite brother/cousin or I'm getting a cut of the action.
When I first started this story I was distressed that his main character was actually groveling for a date. Then I remembered that Tony is very good at what he does. I hung with it.
Here we have a story of baseball, like that is a surprise. We have a story of love blooming and consummating in a very enjoyable way. The sex is not explicit and doesn't have to be with the way Tony writes.
Freddie works hard at his craft and is redirected when a coach steers him in a totally different direction but allows him to stay with a game and career he loves. The love interest is just as focused not only on his career but hers too. Follow along as Freddie changes directions, remakes himself and achieves success and he gets the girl too!
