After seeing all the rave reviews, I was really hoping this book would knock it out of the park for me. Unfortunately, while I did enjoy it overall, it didn't win me over like I expected. The first half of the book was pretty slow and I was honestly bored through most of it. Yes, I liked getting to know Brody and Annie, but nothing much happens in the way of actually moving their story along. I was seriously considering DNFing it. But, I stuck it out and I'm glad I did, because the second half was great. There was definitely that one scene that I wasn't happy with, but besides that, I really liked how things played out for the couple. I've never been a big fan of baseball either, but Cross made it interesting and reading about those games was intense. 
 Brody was the best part of the book. I have to say that he doesn't seem like your typical nineteen-year-old with the way he acts and the things he says to Annie, but it worked for him. He is very charming, talented, and hot; it's hard not to fall for a guy like that. And he has a troubled past that he's trying to make amends for. You can't help but want to hug the guy. I like how patient and understanding he was with Annie, especially during those immature or irrational times. And that ending? So sweet! What I wouldn't give to have had this book in dual POVs. 
 However, I have to honestly say that I really didn't like Annie at all. She was okay at the beginning, but she ended up being a bit too immature for my taste, especially considering her age, which was 17 going on 18. I just didn't like the way she handled the whole situation regarding her dad and her relationship with Brody. It felt very unrealistic to me, considering teens nowadays and I thought Cross was building her character up to be this girl who would come into her own and be all mature and independent. I guess that kind of happens at the very end, but that one part just before the end messed her up for me overall. 
 I did, however, like her relationship with her dad. They had a special bond and I liked that they not only respected each other, but genuinely liked each other. I hated her mother and could appreciate her disdain for the whole situation. She handled all of that a lot better than I would have. 
 As for their relationship as a whole, I genuinely liked it, except for that climactic part involving Annie's decision. I liked their slow-building, friends-turned-loves romance, even though it was a bit boring at the beginning. I could tell Cross was making it out to be a deep, meaningful relationship between two people who truly understood and respected each other, which was another reason I couldn't get on board with Annie when things got rough. Aside from that, they were great. 
 So yes, I liked some parts of this book and I'm glad I gave it a chance, but this definitely wasn't a winner for me. It was too much of a mismatch between mature and immature moments by the characters at all the wrong times and things just didn't flow well for me. I also didn't care for how crazy people acted when they found out Annie and Brody were dating. Their age difference was hardly anything to scoff at, but it was made into such a big deal. Granted, Annie is a bit naive for her age so I could see the hesitation, but still. Anyways, I'd say YA Contemporary Romance readers should still give this a try and judge themselves, but just don't expect some amazing romance. It's a decent teen romance with some realistic intimate moments and a lot of baseball-related scenes thrown in for good measure. If that sounds up your alley, then by all means!