Curveball (Richmond Rogues, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Kate Angell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2007

The bad boys of baseball, they are the top power hitters of the Richmond Rogues, and the team’s best hope for a shot at the World Series. But when all three have to be benched for brawling, it’s the beginning of a whole new ball game, and the opposing team could win something more than a trophy—these ladies are after their hearts.

At the top of the ninth, with the bases loaded, each man realizes that happiness is just within reach, even when love throws a…Curveball. 

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Angell continues her pairing of baseball and romance following Squeeze Play (2006) with a sexy, quick-paced tale about the Richmond Rogues. On Media Day, the three members of the "Bat Pack," the Rogues' power hitters, get into a very public altercation that ends with their suspensions for 13 games. Nicknamed Psycho, Chaser, and Romeo, they are left at loose ends. Psycho holes up in his historical Richmond colonial and is surprised when a down-on-her-luck young woman shows up professing to be an interior designer. Chaser hangs out with his childhood friend, who has inherited the ballpark concession stand. They've always been close, but will one accidental kiss lead to more? Challenged by the indifference of a reporter, aptly named Romeo redoubles his efforts to win her over. Ultimately, all three gentlemen meet their perfect match in Angell's sporty romance. Hatton, Maria
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: Love Spell (May 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0505527073
• ISBN-13: 978-0505527073
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #777,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Boys of Summer are back!, May 26, 2007

By 

viktor_57 "viktor_57" (Fairview, Your Favorite State, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Curveball (Richmond Rogues, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

I may be a man, and not just a man, but an alligator man, covered in green, leathery scales with a jawful of sharp, pointed teeth, but even I like to play ball with the latest Kate Angell summer romance, imagining the sunny, breezy world of above-ground dwellers and its attractive young couples playing their intricate mating games which usually involve a lot of flirting and very little slashing teeth in bloody contests of male dominance.

"Curveball" continues the Boys of Summer series detailing the lives and loves of the Richmond Rogues professional ballplayers. In this second installment, the Richmond Rogue's "Bat Pack"--the trio made up of catcher "Chaser" Tallan, right fielder "Psycho" McMillan, and third baseman "Romeo" Bellisaro--get into heat with both their own team and the press, resulting in a 13-game suspension and some very hefty fines. If someone tried to suspend or fine me I would bite his head off; we alligator men believe in settling differences the old-fashioned way.

The Bat Pack's punishment doesn't curb their badboy ways, however, but three spirited, independent women, sports columnist Emerson Kent, interior decorator Keely Douglas, and Chaser's childhood friend Jen Reid, just may. What follows is a fun, engaging romp as these three different women capture the hearts of their three boys, in the process bringing out three fully realized men who are sympathetic and compassionate beneath their macho exteriors. The only thing underneath my scaly exterior is the instinctive urge to bite moving objects and the utter despair of a tortured heart that wants only the briefest of connections with another living thing... before eating it.

"Curveball" is the perfect summer read, combining sports, romance and comedy in a well-written package that abounds with humor and feeling. Is it any coincidence that Kate Angell shares the same surname as Roger Angell, famed baseball writer and editor? Yes, even us sewer dwellers sometimes read The New Yorker. And yes, it probably is just a coincidence. But it won't be any coincidence when you pick up Kate Angell's latest book, assuming you have fingers more dexterous than my reptilian claws, and enter the sporting world of a triple-play romance that leads into a ninth-inning rally of the heart that also sometimes throws at you a, dare I say it, curveball.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Go Richmond Rogues!!!!, May 29, 2007

By 

Deborah Wiley (Winter Haven, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Curveball (Richmond Rogues, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Spring is in the air as baseball season is about to kick off for the Richmond Rogues... without their star power hitters, the Bat Pack. Romeo Bellisaro, Chaser Tallan, and Psycho McMillan have been involved in a preseason brawl on Media Day. Owner Guy Powers has had enough of their antics and all three are now suspended for the first thirteen games of the regular season.

Psycho is more than furious after his suspension. After all, even his home isn't a sanctuary due to the relentless visits of the Daughters of Virginia who want Colonel William Lowell's home restored to all of its former glory. Interior designer, Keely Douglas, hopes to win his trust with her plans for the restoration but will she also win his heart? Meanwhile, Chaser is taking a second look at an old childhood friend, Jen Reid, while Romeo is betting lovely reporter Emerson Kent that the Rogues can still win it all, even with the loss of their star players for thirteen games. How will Psycho, Chaser, and Romeo handle it when life throws them all a CURVEBALL?

Kate Angell hits a homerun off of this CURVEBALL! The delightful quirkiness of the characters kept me thoroughly engaged throughout the book and it was with great sadness that I finished the story. I want more! Psycho, Keely, Chaser, Jen, Romeo, and Emerson are all very vividly drawn and their unique personalities make this a surprisingly sweet but uproariously hilarious story. Kate Angell definitely knows her bad boy Bat Pack well as she found the perfect woman for each of them that could soothe that wildness without losing their own individual appeal.

Kate Angell does a phenomenal job at drawing the reader into the heart of the game. I felt like I was right there with the Rogues as they struggled and battled through their season. Ms. Angell explains the sport well so that even a novice of the game will feel the passion and excitement of baseball. CURVEBALL is actually Ms. Angell's second book in a trilogy but it is easily a stand alone novel. However, I suspect that most readers will want to see what the first book, SQUEEZE PLAY, has to offer after finishing this one. I know that it is now on my must-read list as I am cheering wholeheartedly for the Richmond Rogues!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Escape!, June 4, 2007

By 

Kristi Ahlers (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Curveball (Richmond Rogues, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Psycho, Romeo, and Chaser have all been suspended because of un-sportsmanship behavior against members of their own teams. Not very heroic but these three sexy ballplayers need a little time out and they are provided with this. Who knew how these three men would spend their time!

Psycho finds himself having to renovate his colonial home. He's in the process of telling Keely thanks but no thanks and then she saves his bacon. In the end she is the best thing that has ever happened to him

For the first ever, Romeo has found a lady that is not swayed by his good looks and Emerson walks away from him time and time again. He's got the entire season to prove to her he is more then a one night stand.

Chaser has spent a lifetime next door to his best friend Jen. An accidental kiss opens his eyes to what he has right in front of him. It's not going to be easy to prove to her that they need to take their relationship to the next level.

This is a fun-paced read that offers the reader's three different romances under once cover, a total treat. Ms. Angel has managed to give plenty of page time to each hero so the reader will not feel cheated in any way. I loved the humor and heart infused in these pages and Chaser, Romeo and Psycho as well as their ladies bat a home run in this entertaining read.