A second chance, sports romance that had me feeling a ton of empathy for the heroine.

Christina and Cole have been in a yo-yo type of relationship since Freshman year of college. A relationship where Cole actually held the yo-yo and Christina was the string that he tugged back and forth at his command.  

For Cole, baseball was always his first and foremost concentration, which Christina did respect and understand, but Cole also put Christina in the bootycall category even when he knew deep down she was something more than just the other random hookups he had while attending Fullton. In his mind, he associated a girlfriend with fulltime work, so if he kept Christina at arms length then he wouldn't feel pressured and he would be able to focus on baseball. Instead he actually found his senior year game less than satisfactory and his mind on her all the time, perhaps his plan wasn't working like it should.

Christina had finally had enough of Cole playing with her months before Senior year. His yo-yo game with her heart was finally enough. However, when he asks for another chance, this time a real chance and not just a late night hookup, she has to think if her heart can take it. Can she forgive him? They already have years of actual history together, but is it enough to repair the damage to her self esteem?

I was able to empathize with Christina so easily in this story. Many years ago I dated someone who kept me in a yo-yo cycle and it played havoc on my emotions and bruised my self esteem hard. I know what it's like to jump into something you want to believe in so hard only to get damaged over and over again. That self destructive pattern is so easy to follow, but that is why fiction is so much better than real life.

That being said, The Ninth Inning will take you on an emotional journey. One that I definitely identified with. 

DNF at 43%

I really liked this one! J. Sterling delivers every time, and is my go to for great sports romance! I love baseball, so these always satisfy! Cole and Christina were great! They had such a strong connection and chemistry and I couldn't put this one down! Can't wait to read the rest of this series!

4.25 ⭐️
A second chance, baseball romance.
I didn’t love the conflict, but overall pretty good!

The third act in this was so flipping over the top, but overall i loved this baseball romance!!!

Giving up girls to keep his goal of being drafted at the end of his college baseball career leads Cole on a path including hurting the one girl that has stood by his side along with a huge slump he has to overcome. But once he opens up his heart and allows Christina in does his slump end and puts his career path within his reach. But will a jealous teammate push things too far? Will Cole get both the dream and the girl? With characters that I fell in love with from the opening pages and a storyline that was heart wrenching just as much as heartwarming this was a great read. I cannot wait for more in the series.

This is a second chance romance, that dives straight into the drama. I love how the reader sees Cole's POV because I was engrossed in his actions and thought process, but I found it refreshing how the roles seemed reversed from the general romance conflict. It was nice to see the woman fight for the guy instead of an instant apology from the guy.

It was a super easy and light hearted read and J.Sterling always seems to make baseball interesting, even though I agree with Cory and find it boring (sorry, I've tried to enjoy it but 4 games in, watching 4 different teams and I just can't). I would definitely recommend this book for someone in a reading slump as well, as it would be a definite pick me up.

I really enjoyed the side characters in this book and would love it if Lauren got her own book because I think she is hilarious, but unfortunately, I don't see that happening with how her future seemed to pan out briefly in the epilogue. It'll be nice to see the Carters again in the next book, as I binge read the whole of Chance's parents series, so I'll be diving into book 2 ASAP.

I’m giving this book a generous two stars only because I liked some of the plot. I really am not interested in the whole second-chance romance trope, so I was immediately not that invested in Cole and Christina’s story. I absolutely HATED Cole. The things he said??? No. Just no. He was just not a good character. Way too possessive and just not a good person. I felt like I didn’t know anything about the characters other then the fact that they hooked up before dating.

The Boys of Baseball is a new series, a college sport romance and a new to me author. It’s emotional, with the right amount of angst and drama to keep you turning pages.

Cole and Christina had a story, a casual relationship. They became from being lovers to enemies. Christina wanted nothing to do with him, trying to get him out of her heart. She was determined but the feelings are there and the temptation arising when Cole does everything in his power to get her back.

Cole wanted to focus in the baseball career. Christina was a distraction that threatened his goal as a baseball player. Thinking that he couldn't strike a balance between their relationship and the sport, he decided to break up with her. But when he realized that he could lose her permanently, he went after her with everything he had.

Overall I enjoyed this romance. I connected more with Christina than Cole. His attitude was more like teenage than adult. I liked the storyline, the bit of humor, and Cole’s sweetness. I hope there are no loose ends in the next book.