Customer Reviews

Curveball (Richmond Rogues, Book 2)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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

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.

Kate Angell has hit a grand slam in her latest baseball story, Curveball.

The Bat Pack of the Richmond Rogues have gone to far this time in their antics. When a brawl with their own team causes a suspension, things look dire for them making the playoffs.

Cody "Psycho" McMillan takes nothing off of anyone nor anything. He has bought a historical home and the local preservation society won't leave him alone. Enter decorator Keely Douglas-Lowell. Something isn't on the up and up with Keely. But soon Psycho doesn't care as long as she doesn't leave when the job is finished.

Jesse "Romeo" Bellisaro has not met a woman he could not seduce. Emerson Kent, a local reporter is proving to be the exception. Romeo and Em start a series of bets that are hilarious and sexy.

Chase "Chaser" Tallan has always had a soft spot for neighbor Jen Reid. Fixing Jen up with friends and coworkers makes Chaser realize that he has more then just friend feelings for her.

Each story in this book is fully fleshed out and a pleasure to read. All the couples's stories are hot, sexy, funny and touching. I have recommended this book highly to everyone I talk to. I cannot wait for more stories of these smoking hot baseball players.

After reading the reviews here, I almost bought this book but took it out from the library instead. I was glad that I'd done so once I began reading since the writing is very clunky, the editing is poor and the one-dimensional characters are not believable for a moment. The book is really three short stories woven together to form a longer story, although it is certainly not very complex nor do the characters have more than a cursory impact on each other.

For those readers who like sports stories, I'd recommend Rachel Gibson's SEE JANE SCORE or Deirdre Martin's BODY CHECK. Those books have interesting and complex plots, believable characters and excellent writing.

In the follow up to the outstanding book, Squeeze Play, Psycho gets things going when he starts a fight with the new pitcher on his own team, the Richmond Rogues. Chase and Romeo jump in the fray when things get hectic; earning the threesome, known as the Bat Pack, bench warming status for 13 games. For three men who live and breathe baseball, this is the worse possible punishment. As the baseball season goes on without them, Kate Angell takes us into the personal life of each of the three players.

Psycho is getting hassled by a group of women determined that he fix up his historic Colonial in a way that honors the original owner's reputation and the homes historical significance. In walks Keely Douglas, an inexperienced decorator with a knack for lying to save the day; she sweet talks the women and gets Psycho to hire her. Keely and Psycho end up having a lot in common and sparks fly when she moves into the home she is renovating.

Romeo got his nickname because he is more than handsome and has a way with the women. When he has to make an apology to Emerson Kent, sports reporter, for knocking her down on the field, he is immediately taken with her. Unfortunately Emerson seems to be the one woman in the world that is immune to his charms. Some friendly wagers on the Rogues season help to bring these two closer together.

Chaser has lived next door to Jen Reid for most of his life. They grew up together and have been best friends, forever. After one hot moment in a parking lot, Chaser decides he is going to fix his best friend up with some decent men. When they start double dating the line between friends and lovers starts to fade, they begin to see each other in a different light.

This story has all the elements that make a Kate Angell read so wonderful; it's warm, witty, funny, romantic, sexy, fast moving and impossible to put down. The story flows seamlessly from one Bat Pack member to another. I am, however, puzzled as to why Kate Angell decided to write all three of the Bat Pack's stories in one book when clearly Romeo, Chaser, and Psycho have enough personality and story to have carried their own book. I can't help but feel a little cheated at the brevity of each of their stories and that is the reason for the 4 stars instead of 5. At the end of every Kate Angell book, I always have the same thought; I wish she wrote faster! I am eagerly awaiting her next book.

The Richmond Rogues baseball team is getting ready for the season, but a brawl between teammates during the organization's Media Day event paints a very unpleasant picture of team chemistry and personnel issues. Instigated by Cody "Psycho" McMillan - though he blames pitcher Chris "Wimbledon" Collier - and backed up by his two musketeers, Chase "Chaser" Tallan and Jesse "Romeo" Bellisaro, the melee injures thirteen people and earns the three men an equally painful thirteen day suspension.

For the Bat Pack, the group nickname for Psycho, Romeo, and Chaser, best friends and the team's heavy hitters, thirteen games at the beginning of a potential World Series season is untenable, unthinkable, and unfortunately...unalterable. They'll be lucky if they don't go crazy before their suspension is up...though it's a pretty short trip for Psycho.

Their punishment - as hated as it is - at least forces them to fill their time in other ways. Psycho has been pushed to renovate his dilapidated colonial home by one skinny but wily, down on her luck and blatantly untruthful interior designer, Keely Douglas. Romeo, ordered to make restitution to female sports reporter Emerson Kent, practically trips over his tongue the first time the reporter smiles at him, but for the first time in his life a woman is not only not throwing herself at his feet and begging all manner of naughty delight, but is actually disdainful and completely disinterested in him. And wooing her to his fan base is going to take some time. Chaser spends some of his free time hanging out with his best friend and life-long next door neighbor, Jen Reid. She's been back in town after giving up a rising career in New York City as a ballerina when her father got sick. Now that he's gone, she owns and runs several concession stands in the Rogue's stadium. They've been buddies forever, but one turned head...one fateful lean in...and their lips accidentally brushed for the first time since they were teens. And suddenly friendship is a lot hotter than it used to be.

Angell's second in the Richmond Rogues series brings a delightful sports triple header romance with a team's worth of charming and endearing characters and a plethora of pleasure reading. We first met the Bat Pack in the first of the series, Squeeze Play (Richmond Rogues, Book 1), and their quirks and egos were nifty treats that aided that book. Now, about five years later, they're hungry for another World Series win and the suspension affects them all. Their playboy reputations are well earned, but it's three women who catch their attention and hold it as they struggle with warming the bench. Three unique women who draw the men like moths to their flame. Watching the Pack fall away from their womanizing ways was a lot of fun.

Definitely a light romance, there's little depth to this fun book, and none of the three relationship pairings get a lot of page time. I didn't count pages, but was left with the impression that Romeo and Emerson's relationship had the most room to develop, with Psycho and Keely a close second. Childhood chums Chaser and Jen were very perfunctorily developed, but their history allowed for that to be more of a feel good short short that still felt complete. I credit Angell for that.

As I said after Squeeze Play, I'm not at all a fan of baseball. While there is more baseball in Curveball than in that first book, it didn't detract from the fun of the romances for me. There's little to complain about, but there's also little to discuss. The strength of the book is the appeal of the characters, and these guys have a lot of appeal. So do their women. I was charmed by feisty Keely and composed Emerson, and Jen seemed perfect for Chaser.

If you don't fret the details and enjoy light sports romances with some comedy, some sexy heat, some sweet poignancy, and even some tender moments, then I can't recommend any better than the Richmond Rogues. Points for seeing Risk and Jacy from Squeeze Play. I love catching up with characters from previous books in the series to see how their HEA is working out for them and I wasn't disappointed here.

I'll be continuing the series with Strike Zone (Richmond Rogues, Book 3) - and have to admit, I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It's flat out light fun. Not, of course, that I wouldn't be even happier if we were talking about a football team and its players. A girl's gotta be true to her sports.

Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

This was light, breezy and fun reading. For what it was, I enjoyed the book. The characters are appealing and very likable. There was little conflict to speak of, so it made for stress free reading. I feel like I barely got to know the characters, which is a shame, because they seem like people I would like to know better. What motivates them, why are they who they are, why are they attracted to each other? Not a lot of deep POV to be found in Curveball. The stories were plausible enough, just not enough of each story.

I think the book would have been better either as an anthology or as a more fleshed out version set in 3 different books. The jumping back and forth between the 3 stories was jarring. The story of Chaser, particularly, was ended abruptly. Disconcerting, to say the least.

Also, there was a GLARING error in regard to baseball terminology. Tied game in the ninth inning, and one of the players, can't remember which, is thinking he doesn't want the game to go into...overtime! OVERTIME! There is no overtime in baseball, it is not a timed sport! Extra innings, I am screaming in my head...Maybe it's just me, but it seemed like a huge oversight.

To sum up, Curveball is a good read if you are looking for likeable characters, a few laughs and a good escape from stress for a few hours. If you are looking for something with more depth, I would suggest Rachel Gibson's or Susan Elizabeth Phillips' sports series.

"Curveball" is the first Kate Angell book I've read and ever since then I'm a big fan of her. Right no she is actually one of my favourite authors.
The book is about the "Bat Pack" the three bad boys of the Richmond Rogues, a baseball team. And let me tell you, all of them are so hot and sexy that you become a baseball groupie immediately. It's the second books of the Rogues - series and I can recommend the other books as well.
Psycho, Romeo and Chaser are three friends who like to play as hard as they like to party.
After being benched for a fight they use their time to get to know three very special ladies.
Psycho, a nudist, is the badest of the three but when he meets Keely Douglas, he is shocked to realize that this small, slender woman makes him crave what he never had - the love of a good woman and a family. Now he just has to convince her that he is so much more than a "Psycho".
Chaser, the catcher of the team, realizes that Jen Reid, the girl next door and one of his best friends forever is the one woman who tops all the others. No he just has to manage to catch her before someone else does.
Last but not least we have Romeo, the number one womanizer of the team, who meets his perfect match in reporter Emerson Kent. But she is not too sure if Romeo is ready to settle down with one woman. So Romeo has his work cut out because he realizes that with Emerson he can be Jesse (his real name) and doesn't have to be the superficial Romeo.
As you can tell I just love this book, the guys are so sexy, the ladies are great too and the chemistry between the three pairs is awsome. The three guys are very different from each other so that the book never gets boring.
Kate Angell has a way to write that makes me crave for more. I just wish that her books would be longer (maybe 300 pages more, hey, I can dream) because she is so good.
So if you are in the mood for a great book with three sweet and sexy love stories grab yourself a copy of "Curveball" and be happy that it's part of a series so there are more great stories to discover.
Read on and enjoy.
S.M.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I read it in a half day because I couldn't put it down. It was Funny, Cute, & Sexy. LOVED ALL THE CHARACHERS. I wish she would have written a individual book on each couple. I ran out and bought her first book and I ordered the third one by Kate Angell.

GREAT JOB Ms. ANGELL