Series: Men of Spring #4
Publisher: Amiga Book Press
Genre: Contemporary Sports Romance
Format:
Source: Author via Beck Valley Tours
Release Date April 30, 2017
Reading Challenges:2017 New Release
Veteran relief pitcher Ryan Hudson always saves the game for his team. He’s dependable, focused, and good at what he does.
Which is why he prefers to live alone and not have anything to do with women and all the noise and chaos they bring.
Noise and chaos
When her two sons win a day with ballplayer Ryan Hudson, they strike up an odd friendship with the reclusive pitcher. Jamie is wary of the baseball hero, but can’t help fantasizing about him.
Ryan is attracted to Jamie, but desperately tries to hide his past. The only problem, they’re made for one another.
They just don’t know it.
The Men of Spring Baseball Series can be read standalone, but are more fun when read together.
Book 1, Playing the Rookie
Book 2, Playing Without Rues
Book 3, Playing Catch
Book 4, Playing for the Save
I loved this book. It tugged at my heartstrings and left an indelible impression on me. I had high expectations for this book based on my prior experience with the previous books in the series. I was not disappointed. In fact, this was my
Playing for the Save tells the story of Ryan Hudson veteran relief pitcher for the Phoenix Rattlers. At 38 years old, he is not looking to retire, even though he had suffered back-to-back injuries. He had no interest in being in a relationship as he feels that women bring noise and chaos and he loves peace and quiet. For him being alone was orderly and predictable, which was what he needed, but then he met Jamie
Jamie Rush is a thirty-two-year-old single mother of two boys, Ben (7 years old) and Drew (5 years old). Life has not been easy for her. Her five-year-old is autistic, and she alone has to deal with the challenges that come with raising him, as her husband decided that he was not interested in raising a child he considered disabled.
The connection between Jamie and Ryan was intense. From the moment they met, it was clear they had chemistry. Relating to them as a couple was easy as I felt everything they were both going through. They struggled with their feelings for each other. Each time when it appears they were taking a step in the right direction, something makes question their love for each other. Their relationship developed gradually which I appreciated, especially given their circumstances.
I adored Ryan. He is not the athlete to boast of his accomplishments. He is caring and thoughtful, which was demonstrated in his actions towards Jaime and her sons. The connection he established with her sons, especially Drew was captivating. He was keeping a secret, that he had no desire for anyone to discover, especially the media. He was afraid to tell Jaime for fear she may want nothing to do with him. It was not difficult to figure out the secret he was hiding. I was amazed at how he was able to keep it a secret for so long.
Jaime is a contradiction. There were many layers to her character,
The secondary characters were well portrayed. I enjoyed reading about each of them. Their actions were typical of who they were. My least
The story, which was well written, was mainly
Verdict:
I cannot say it often enough ‘Playing for the Save was a book I absolutely loved. This is by far my favourite book for 2017. I cannot recommend this enough.
Amazon reviews from Men of Spring Baseball Series
“It’s not every day you find an author that can so easily wrap her words around your heart until they become your world, force your heart to beat, and make your soul sing with joy. If you love to feel the stories as you read them, then you don’t ever want to miss one of her books!” – Playing the Rookie
“Playing Without Rules is such a beautiful story. A beautiful family story with heartaches in the past which leads to forgiveness. You will laugh, cry and will love this story. My hat off to Ms. Rachelle Ayala for another amazing book.”
Also Available
Playing the Rookie (A Baseball Romance) (Men of Spring Baseball Series Book 1)
Jessica Song is tired of being a good girl, staying in a relationship well past closing time. Fresh from a breakup, she takes a walk on the wild side as a sports events intern.
Baseball rookie Jay Pak Ahn has been burned one too many times by good girls, especially his cheating ex-fiancée. When he meets wild Jessica, he throws away all caution to enjoy her to the fullest.
Jessica and Jay agree to a week of enchanting, starry-eyed dates and wild, unrestrained sex to get their exes out of their systems.
Their pasts collide, exposing the secrets in Jessica’s heart and threatening Jay’s position on the team. Jessica must leave her disappointment behind while Jay has to decide whether Jessica comes before baseball. What will they sacrifice to turn their fling into true love?
Available to buy from…
Playing Without Rules (A Baseball Romance) (Men of Spring Baseball Series Book 2)
Marcia Powers wants nothing to do with ballplayer Brock Carter, especially after she told him to go away and pursue his dreams. She has more than she can handle with an elderly father, a business to run, and a four-year-old daughter posing as her baby sister.
Brock Carter’s back in town to rekindle his romance with Marcia, and this time, he’s not letting her run him out of town. Marcia is unable to resist Brock, but determined to keep her secret.
Brock’s already lost his heart to Marcia once. Will he lose every dream, including baseball, when he discovers the real reason Marcia sent him away?
On the field and off the field, bartender Jeanine Jewell plays, collecting one-night stands like baseball cards. She doesn’t need a man, except to curl her toes and make her scream. She’s learned the hard way that love is about control and manipulation—and the last thing she can handle is letting herself be vulnerable, or having anyone discover her shameful secret.
Scoring women is easy for catcher Kirk Kennedy—they don’t call him “Catch and Release” for nothing. He never goes back for a repeat performance. Being traded to a new city is an opportunity for new adventures—until he runs into Jeanine and she refuses to go home with him.
Intrigued, Kirk is determined to catch the elusive blonde and keep her to himself. When he proposes a wingman-to-wingwoman, friends-without-benefits relationship, he’s surprised she accepts.
The no-benefits clause soon falls by the wayside when neither Jeanine or Kirk can resist their explosive chemistry. Despite the sparks between the sheets, they both refuse to acknowledge they’re anything more than friends.
Everything changes when Kirk discovers someone from his past is the one Jeanine is hiding from.
Trigger Warning: The heroine was sexually abused by her foster father and has flashbacks.

Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling author of dramatic romantic suspense and humorous, sexy contemporary romances. Her heroines are feisty and her heroes hot. She writes emotionally challenging stories but believes in the power of love and hope.
Rachelle is an active member of the California Writer’s Club, Fremont Chapter, and a volunteer for the World Literary Cafe. She is a very happy woman and lives in California with her husband. She has three children and has taught violin and made mountain dulcimers.
Sign up for her NEWSLETTER to get a FREE surprise book and her latest book news HERE!
Visit her Reader’s Guide HERE
I received this book to review through Beck Valley
Win a paperback copy of Playing Catch (US ONLY)
PLUS $20 Amazon GC/
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Any story that you find hard to put down is a plus. This sounds awesome!
Awesome review! Rachelle is an amazing author.
Thank you. I agree.
Sounds like a great read!!
Yes it is.
Oh my gosh. I’m a sports romance junkie. How have I not tried these yet?! Sounds so fun 😀
Ok, I’m definitely convinced. I’ll be checking out this series. Yay!
I hope you enjoy it.
I was caught at the baseball theme and then single mom of two boys made it sound even better. I hadn’t heard of this series.
Thoughtful review, Nadene!
Thanks Sophia. Baseball and single mom great themes for a story.
This sounds delightful! I love that it features a heroine in her 30s. Glad these will work as a standalone 🙂
Yes, it was refreshing to have a heroine in that age group.
Sounds like a winner to me. I would like to read this for the PHX tie in as I lived there for ten years.
Wow. It was obvious how much you liked this book. I do love a man who softens throughout the story, and it sounds like that’s what happens here.
Great review!
Yes, that was one of the things that happened, but there is more.
That’s quite an endorsement!
For What It’s Worth
One, which I do not give easily. 🙂
Sometimes all we need is a good Contemporary Sports Romance, isn’t it? This one sounds good, I’m particularly intrigued by the characters and, although you said it works as a stand-alone, I think I’m gonna check the other instalments in the series as well. Yep, you really sparked my curiosity 🙂
Yes, I agree. Contemporary sports romance sometimes hit the spot and this one sure did.
5 starred books are my weakness. Awesome review, Nadene. What a high praise. I want to read this book. Thank you for bringing this book to my attention. Never heard of the author.
You are welcome Geybie. I enjoyed this one a lot. I had no regrets.
5 stars! That’s great! So happy that this book was so good. What a cover too, I really loved your review, thanks for sharing.
Your are welcome Cindy. The cover is beautiful for sure. 🙂
Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, thank you for sharing your review today xx
You are welcome Sharon
Love? Totally want it then 😀
No sports hero for me :/