Sweet Spot, Homeruns #4 by Sloan Johnson
Blurb:
Four years ago, it took no time at all for Cody Marshall to fall for the rookie pitcher at spring training. While their lives were nothing alike, Cody understood Nick Stone’s insecurities and pain. And then… Nick left. Eventually, Cody found his own passion and landed a dream internship with the Mavericks. His life was finally turning around. And then… Nick came back.
Just like the first time they met, Cody finds himself falling for Nick. Unfortunately, Nick is still plagued by the belief that he is where he is because of his father. If they’re ever going to make it, Cody has to have to prove to Nick that his success has little to do with his name and everything to do with his drive to succeed.
Two men, both close to having everything they’ve wanted. Will they be able to find the sweet spot between dreams and desire?
Excerpt:
Cam turned the stove to low and pulled up a seat next to me. “Damn, you really are touchy today. What’s going on with you?”
“I talked to him yesterday,” I admitted. I’d rather talk about this with Cam than the other guys. He was more like a really cool cousin than an overly protective big brother.
“I take it it didn’t go well?” Cam prodded. I shrugged because I didn’t have an answer for him. “Look, if he’s moved on, then you need to do the same. You’ve been doing well for yourself. Don’t wreck the life you’re creating by wishing for something you can’t have.”
If only it was so simple. Did I dare tell Cam that Nick was the one who wanted to give things another chance? He hadn’t specifically requested as much, but it was evident he’d been hoping for it by the way he reacted when I told him we couldn’t go back to what we used to be. As I drained my orange juice, I decided that Cam was the perfect person to talk about this with.
“That’s not what’s going on,” I admitted to him.
Cam set down whatever he’d been stirring and gave me his undivided attention. When I didn’t offer up the juicy details, he motioned for me to continue. “Unless you’re trying to wait long enough that everyone’s down here, you might want to start talking. I’m sure they’ll all have plenty to say to you on this topic.”
No way in hell did I want everyone to hear about my talk with Nick. Drew would tell me I needed to think long and hard before forgiving Nick, which was what I was trying to do. Bryce, who was the closest thing I had to a father at this point, would give me the same advice he had before: to forget him, because if he’d wanted me, he’d have found a way to talk to me. And Eric, well, he tried to see it from both sides, so there was no telling what he’d say. Sean and Jason would try to stay out of it, but Mason wouldn’t be able to help himself. He’d jump into the conversation and tell me Nick was a sack of shit and didn’t deserve another chance. Sean would then get into it and remind Mason that Nick wouldn’t be the first person to put his career above what he really wanted, and then the entire conversation would derail. Nope. Not what I needed to deal with today.
“Okay, so it’s like this,” I began as I filled a plate with food. I rehashed the entire conversation without interruption, other than a few grunts and nods in places.
“And what do you want?” Cam asked when I finished. I shrugged again, which brought back a memory of Nick bitching at me for not voicing my opinion. “Well, you’re the only person who can figure out the answer to that question. But if it was me, I’d be willing to hear him out. You were both really young back then. I know you’re not the same sullen, shy kid you were four years ago, and I’d bet he’s not the same either. If he’s asking you to give him another chance, I say you should go for it.”
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1rKpinD
iBooks: http://bit.ly/sweetspotIB
Kobo: http://bit.ly/sweetspotK
4 Stars
*copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Thinking he needs to get rid of all his distractions to be a better ball player, and make it to the big leagues, Nick breaks things off with Cody, just a few short weeks after they begin dating. It's been four years now, and Cody has an internship in the media department for the Mavericks. Nick and Cody come face to face during spring training, but can they forgive and recapture what they once shared?
First things first... The cover!! Holy hotness!! While I loved Nick and Cody's story, I wanted much less baseball and more relationship. This book focused mainly on Nick making it into the big leagues, and I found the romance part of the story took a backseat to that. I understand that this was what Nick wanted to accomplish in the book, I just think it could have been weeded down, and made a smaller portion of the story. I don't care for baseball and I don't understand all the different leagues. As much as Sloan tries explain it, I found I was so confused.
Cody and Nick had an amazing chemistry and even though there was only one sex scene in the book, it was beyond smoking hot and passionate. Sloan did a great job at developing both the characters and having them really grow throughout the story. I loved seeing all the guys from the previous books, and having them be such a huge part of this story.
This was a very enjoyable read, and I can't wait to see what's next from Sloan. Highly recommended!!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sloan Johnson is a big city girl trapped in a country girl’s life. While she longs for the hustle and bustle of New York City or Las Vegas, she hasn’t yet figured out how to sit on the deck with her morning coffee, watching the deer and wild turkeys in the fields while surrounded by concrete and glass.
When she was three, her parents received their first call from the principal asking them to pick her up from school. Apparently, if you aren’t enrolled, you can’t attend classes, even in Kindergarten. The next week, she was in preschool and started plotting her first story soon after.
Later in life, her parents needed to do something to help their socially awkward, uncoordinated child come out of her shell and figured there was no better place than a bar on Wednesday nights. It’s a good thing they did because this is where she found her love of reading and writing. Who needs socialization when you can sit alone in your bedroom with a good book?
Now, Sloan is a tattooed mom with a mohawk and two kids. She’s been kicked out of the PTA in two school districts and is no longer asked to help with fundraisers because she’s been known to lose herself with a good book and forget she has somewhere to be.
Connect with Sloan Johnson:
Sloan’s Newsletter: http://bit.ly/sjnewsletterCC
Sloan’s Amazon Page: http://amzn.to/277mgKK
Sloan’s FaceBook Page: www.facebook.com/authorsloanjohnson/
Sloan’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorsloanj
Sloan’s Website: http://authorsloanj.com/
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