"I met her at an all-time low . . . the worst night of my life—a time I never wanted to remember."
"It was a night I could never forget."
"When it came to women, I swore I was done with wishful thinking. Ball and my coaching career were all that mattered."
"I reminded him it wasn't."
"She was everything I was afraid of."
"He was everything I'd ever wanted."
"She was fire—an irresistible piece of southern heaven that I couldn't stay away from.
"He was smoke that clouded me in every imaginable way."
"And the sex . . ."
"Dear God, the sex . . ."
"I fell hard, and she gave me hell at every turn."
"I made a promise I was hell bent on keeping."
"And you kept it."
"Hell yes I did."
"Fuckin' A."
This is a SPORTS ROMANCE and can be read as a stand alone.

Major Love (Balls in Play #2)

By Kate Stewart

I had Major mushy gushy feelings.

Kate Stewart tells real stories. Yes, some of the characters may be outside of the norm (baseball minor and major league players) but the emotions involved are very real. Why is it that we put athletes and actors in the unrealistic category when they are just as capable as the average Joe to have feelings? I think it has a little bit to do with believing they can have whoever they want. I agree, they can have whoever they want, but that doesn’t mean the perfect match is easier to find. Famous people have hearts, feel vulnerable and can have their hearts broken too. Even baseball players can struggle to find their perfect match.

April thought she had found her perfect match until she realised she’d wasted 14 years on the wrong man. The heartbreak was devastating and it took awhile to get over him. Things were made a little harder as her best buddy and her ex, are good friends. It’s hard to move on when your past keeps popping up in front of you. April finally realises that she doesn’t have to settle for second best. It’s time to put her needs first and make sure that the person she gives her heart to is willing to put his heart on the line as well.

On a night she least expects it, April meets a man who tells her his story of heartbreak, devastation and losing his way. This meeting rocks her world. Maybe THIS is the man she’s been looking for…or maybe she just imagined it.

Andrew loved to play ball. He was the catcher to his best mate Rafe’s pitching. Now that Rafe is playing in the Major League, Andrew lost his desire to play. But, he loves the game. When the opportunity to coach instead of play comes at a good time. He needs the distraction. The woman he fell in love and planned to spend the rest of his life with doesn’t feel the same way about him.

At Rafe’s engagement party, all his emotions hit him and he hits the bottle HARD. Andy knows he needs to move on and get his head straight. He’s not ready for a relationship but the maid of honour makes him forget that. She’s gorgeous, funny and has a Southern accent that puts a smile on his face. Maybe she might help him forget his heartache…

Major Love tells the story of two people who want desperately to find a perfect love but are a wee bit too scared to risk the heartbreak.

Both April and Andy have jobs that, while completely different, take a lot of mental preparation to do. April works in an Emergency Call Centre and deals with some of the darker sides of life. Andy, as a coach, must always have his battle plan ready for the game. While they’re dealing with the feelings and mind games of a new relationship, they must also deal with the pressures of their work. This does not make things easier for either of them. When Andy has to travel with his team they end up spending a lot of time apart.

What becomes more important? Working on your budding relationship or giving your job the full dedication it needs?

I really enjoyed Major Love. Again Kate Stewart has introduced us to lovable characters who you can relate to. Yes, they might be a sports star but they’re real too. Andy is not an arrogant jerk but a hard working and dedicated man. April is a down-to-earth woman who always helps out the people she loves.

It does take him a little while to work out his feelings for April, but when he does he is IN. April, hesitant to make the same mistakes twice, holds back on sharing her feelings but when she does she goes in the whole hog.

Major Love is funny, sweet, swoony and HOT!! The connection between the characters was easy to see. Their intimate scenes had a little naughtiness mixed in with shenanigans in very inappropriate places. I was just waiting for them to get busted.

My favourite part of every romance story is the AHHA moment and Major Love does not disappoint. There’s this little shake and shimmy around my heart when the characters realise that their feelings are…stronger than friendship…more than lust…and deeper than caring. That four letter word that starts with L puts a smile on my face every time it’s mentioned by the right people. It’s like my heart recognises when the right person says it. The douchewaffle ex mentions love, and I scoff. The horn bag hussie screams her love, and I snigger at the foolishness. I know and want real love in all my stories…and I won’t settle for less.

I hope this is not the end of the Balls in Play series because I would really like to see Michelle find happiness, Rowdy settle on one and maybe even Makavoy catches a love match.