The Player by K. Bromberg: Review

The Player by K. Bromberg
Pages: 300


Series: The Player #1
Genres: Sports Romance
Source: ARC
Also in this series: The Catch
Also by this author: Driven, Fueled, Down Shift, Sweet Cheeks, Sweet Rivalry, The Catch, Cuffed, Control, Resist, Reveal, Hard to Handle, Flirting with 40, Hard to Hold, Hard to Score, Hard to Lose, Hard to Love , Last Resort, On One Condition, Final Proposal , Until You, Sweet Regret, Off the Grid, On the Edge

Goodreads

Baseball has never been sexier in an all-new novel by New York Times Bestselling Author, K. Bromberg.
Easton Wylder is baseball royalty. The game is his life. His passion. His everything.
So, when an injury threatens to end Easton’s season early, the team calls in the renowned physical therapist, Doc Dalton, to oversee his recovery. Except it’s not Doc who greets Easton for his first session, but rather his daughter, Scout. She may be feisty, athletic, defiant, and gorgeous, but Easton is left questioning whether she has what it takes to help him.
Scout Dalton’s out to prove a female can handle the pressure of running the physical therapy regimen of an MLB club. And that proof comes in the form of getting phenom Easton Wylder back on the field. But getting him healthy means being hands-on.
And with a man as irresistible as Easton, being hands-on can only lead to one thing, trouble. Because the more she touches him, the more she wants him, and she can’t want him. Not when it’s her job to side in the club’s best interest if he’s ready to play.
But when sparks fly and fine lines are crossed, can they withstand the heat or is one of them bound to get burned?

First, I must mention how much I love baseball books. I have always loved baseball. I played as a kid (on a boys team until I was in junior high and they finally had a girls softball team!) and my mom’s company had season tickets to the Cincinnati Reds. Now, this was back in the 80’s of the Big Red Machine. Pete Rose, Barry Larkin, Ken Griffey Jr…the seats were 3rd row. I was in heaven every time we got to go.

Second, I have to give a hat tip to that dedication. Obviously, I grew up a sporty girl, but in high school, that changed and I was the nerdy girl. And I have ALWAYS been the insecure girl. So, that dedication? Yeah….#lovedit.

So Scout and Easton both have some family baggage and its heartbreaking. Easton’s dad, a famous player himself, is very tough on him; he is more judgmental coach than supportive dad. And his mom…she is a train wreck. Scouts dad is a bit of a mess as well. I mean, his mantra to Scout is “Clear mind; hard heart” and he insists she refers to Easton (or any client) as “The Player” to depersonalize the situation. She wants so badly to make him proud, but I quickly figured that I don’t think she would ever be successful. Not for lack of trying on her part, but simply because he was the type of father that just would never be content. Of course, as they are just getting to know one another, these family secrets are kept secret from each other. It creates characters that are deeper and developed; you see how each are affected differently even from similar backgrounds.

You do experience growth in Scout which was good. I was worried she would be unable to overcome her fears and constantly push Easton away. While that is one of the bigger issues in the story, providing a lot of the tension, there is more which I was very grateful for! I also appreciated that it wasn’t just Scout and Easton that developed throughout the story. You see some personal growth in Easton’s dad as well which was such a great addition to the story.

I will admit, the end is a whirlwind that I am still trying to parse out. WTF just happened? I must have read it 3 or 4 times trying to find something I missed. My thoughts View Spoiler »So, I am HOPING that what Scout saw was the paper that Easton had signed when he was injured and it says something other than what he thought. Cory seems shady and then the whole thing with Santiago being on the team… I am worried though that it will be something that sends Scout running away again when Easton will need her the most and THAT will piss me off royally! I just hope that in The Catch, the drama/tension comes from OUTSIDE the relationship. My poor heart can’t take any more! « Hide Spoiler

Bromberg brings her trademark character style to Easton and Scout, with enough levity to create a believability to the story. The Player kept me up all night because I simply wouldn’t consider stopping. Now that its over, I might just need to read it again to capture those feelings repeatedly (while I very impatiently await for The Catch!)

 

• POV: dual 1st
• Tears: no
• Trope: famous athlete
• Triggers: View Spoiler »spoiler « Hide Spoiler
• Series/Standalone: series
• Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »YES « Hide Spoiler
• HEA: View Spoiler »?? « Hide Spoiler

Moonshot by Alessandra Torre, Jockblocked by Jen Frederick, Home Run by Heidi McLaughlin  …then you will probably like The Player!

 

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