Description de l’éditeur
A NEW YORK TIMES BEST ROMANCE BOOK OF 2022
"Subtle and spectacular...every page serves up a stunner." —The New York Times
“This book is EVERYTHING I want in a sports romance.” —Lyssa Kay Adams, author of The Bromance Book Club, on Unwritten Rules
Charlie Braxton has it all: a wicked curveball, a beautiful wife, and the kind of money and attention that's attached to a professional baseball contract. Except his famous curveball comes with intense social anxiety, his wife is actually his soon-to-be ex-wife, and the money… Well, suffice it to say, he knows what it’s like to be treated like an ATM. But at least he’s better off than the new guy.
Relief pitcher Reid Giordano is struggling to maintain his sobriety—and his roster spot. The press, along with a heck of a lot of his new Oakland teammates, seem to think his best baseball days are behind him. Only Charlie Braxton gives him the benefit of the doubt—and a place to stay when Reid finds himself short on cash…and friends.
When their growing friendship turns into an unexpected attraction, and that ignites a romance, both Charlie and Reid must grapple with what it means to be more than teammates. And as their season winds down, they’ll need to walk away…or go out there and give it everything they’ve got.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Casey revisits the Oakland Elephants, a fictional major league baseball team, in this charming sequel to Unwritten Rules. Recovering alcoholic relief pitcher Reid Giordano has spent most of his career in the minors, haunted by a drunken "seventh-inning implosion" from his past. Now Reid is traded up to the Elephants, where he befriends star pitcher Charlie Braxton. The guys share an easy camaraderie that helps Charlie get over the dissolution of his marriage—and also makes him question his sexuality. When Charlie offers Reid his guest room, it deepens Reid's own developing feelings for Charlie. There's a real pull of attraction, especially as Charlie coaches Reid on his pitching. The guys couple up, but face "an MVP level mess" when Charlie's ex-wife, Christine, also moves in temporarily. Meanwhile, Reid's fear that he'll be traded once more leads him to contemplate drinking again. Casey loads the story with copious details about baseball (arguably delivering more sports than sex appeal), while crafting characters to root for and handling issues of recovery and anxiety with sensitivity. This is another winner.
