Playing Fast by Melanie Scott Pages: 320
Series: New York Saints #5
Genres: Sports Romance
Goodreads
THREE STRIKES AND HE’S OUT…
When baseball bad-boy Finn Castro raises one eyebrow too many, the Saints send him down to the minors. He’ll have to earn back his major-league dreams with the Sarasota Springs Preachers. Finn’s certainly never claimed to be a man of the cloth, and cleaning up his act isn’t going to be easy with stunning Eva Harlowe at the heart of the team’s administration…
UNTIL SHE THROWS A CURVEBALLEva knows having a crush on Finn Castro is about as sensible as wishing for an eighth day of the week, but seeing the gorgeously muscled player in person melts her resolve. If she’s planning to leave baseball at the end of the season, a hot fling could be a fantasy home run. But when no-strings sex begins to feel like a perfect partnership, will Finn and Eva choose the love of the game or real life together?
Playing Fast
Melanie Scott
Playing Fast is book 5 in the series, but it can be read as a standalone (I haven’t read the previous books!). Apparently, Finn has been quite the ‘bad boy’. This behavior gets him kicked off his pro team and sent down to the minors. The minor team? The Saratoga Spring Preachers (oh, irony…).
Finn really does want to get his act together. He does get that his life in NY was out of control and he has realized what it cost him. Eva is an admin for the Preachers and has had a crush on Finn for YEARS. So, when he arrives she tries very hard to be professional and distant. She wants to become a photographer and move to CA, so sticking around in FL or anywhere Finn is deviates from that plan. Eva doesn’t deviate.
Finn is super likable. Perhaps if I had read the previous books and bore witness to his debauchery and poor decisions it would have taken more for me to warm up to him. Eva was the character I struggled with. Ok, I get it, you have pretty much put everyone else first your entire life and you now have plan to do what you want. But, the last time I checked, there are photographers everywhere. I’m sure NY has just as many amazing photographers as anywhere. It wasn’t like she dreamed of being a deep sea diver and he planned on playing in Kansas. Ok, I could see how that wouldn’t work. But a photographer?? You do that anywhere! So, her stubbornness creates the tension and I just didn’t get it. Sometimes, I also was confused by her thought process.
However, the book is well written, the plot is developed nicely, and the story has a good pace and ending. Part of my struggle could be that I read FAR too many sports romance books and, in this genre, I have insanely high standards. Like, I expect them all to be the most amazing books ever. So, if you haven’t read as many sports romance books as I have, you might think this book is great. And this book is great; I just found some of it frustrating to me, personally. I am actually interesting in reading the previous books! I enjoyed Scott’s writing style and characters (for the most part!)
- POV: 3rd
- Tears: no
- Trope: athlete, famous
- Triggers: none
- Series/Standalone: standalone within an interconnected series
- Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
- HEA: View Spoiler »
Other Sports Romances…then you will probably like Playing Fast!
I struggle with heroines in romance novels quite a bit and this one sounds like a real piece of work. I don’t get her not wanting to be a photographer in NY either! I’m glad the book was well-written though and that the hero was likeable enough.
Great review!
Yeah, she made me crazy! Thanks 🙂