The Player

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨


First Impressions
The Player is the first book of the two book series by K. Bromberg that features one couple. And The Player is the first book in their journey together. I was actually very excited for this because I loved that it featured baseball, and lately I have most definitely been in my sports reading era and I am loving everything about it. I do think if you love Baseball, then this is a duo series that you need to read or if you want more baseball romance, then I highly recommend this to you. I have been a fan of K. Bromberg for years. She is such a delight to read and really adds much more emotional depth to her stories than necessarily you see from other authors that write this writing style of contemporary romance. There is a powerful chemistry that just is built so well in the story. The Player is the story that establishes the foundation of their relationship, which will give them strength to get through what they face in the companion novel.

First Line
The rush hits me

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Easton Wylder
A professional MLB player and is considered one of the best players of the league. He lives for baseball and living up to his father's record. A bit of a jokester and loves to play around.

The Heroine: Scout Dalton
Just like her father, she is a physical therapist for sports players and determined to win the contract that her father has fought his life for. Her father is dying and determined to get this for him before he is gone.

Summary
Easton Wylder has one passion and that is baseball. He grew up with a father who pushed him into baseball, but Easton found his heart with the sport. But he has always struggled trying to live up to his fathers dream for him. His parents are divorced and has always felt in the middle of loving each of them and the struggle that comes with that. When he injures his shoulder, he signed papers where he is on a strict timeline to heal his shoulder. And he needs to get back in the game or risk losing everything he has fought for. Then we have the infamous phsyical therapist, Doc Dalton, who sticks him with his daught to oversee his recovery. Scout Dalton is just as talented as her father, and with a dream contract on the line, she knows that she needs to get a guarantee with the team that would fulfill her fathers dream. She has worked hard to live up to her fathers expectation for her and will do whatever it takes to do that. When she meets Easton, sparks fly between there. There is a strong chemistry, but any intimate relationship is more forbidden for them. But Easton is a fighter for what and whom he wants, and Scout is the woman he wants and will fight for her...

What I Loved
So many aspects to this story was pure deliciousness. I loved everything about this one and while it wasn't a perfect book, because I despise these type of cliffhangers, but at the end of the day, this is how most authors just write them lol However, K. Bromberg, really handled the conflict that crops up at the end very well and it wasn't quite what I expected it to be. So expect to have a story that will deliver to you. The bond that builds between Scout and Easton is so angsty and addicting and will have you laughing all over the place. Their banter entertains completely. They both are so strong in their own personalities, but are a bit different in how they go after each other. They each have their own goals but seeing them clash and seeing a relationship put a kink in their plans was adventurous for them. You really get behind both characters though. The author really set up their drive and personal goals and background very very well. We also get some interference from both fathers of each character. At first, you aren't sure which parent will actually be the good parent and the other the bad parent and you won't find out until "The Catch". The author handled this build up very very well. It won't be what you expect once you read "The Player". What I also enjoyed was how both Easton and Scout have a passion for the sport. Scout has a love for baseball as a sport as she played the sport when she was younger and I can't tell you how excited it made me to see a heroine that loves sports. Its definitely a characteristic we should see more in romance. But be prepared for a cliffhanger on this one but there is a most definite HEA in "The Catch" so get ready to sit back with your hot dogs and soda for that one.

What I Struggled With
The ending. I will never be a fan of cliffhangers. Its just not a aspect I will enjoy even if I have the companion book ready to go. And I also feel like the motivations for the heroine wasn't handled the best that it could have been. I struggled at time with Scout because Easton is willing to give up everything for her and give so much more for the relationship than Scout is willing to in this installment anyway.

Overall View
The Player was a magnificent, all consumming sports romance that delivers plentiful laughs, spice and great literal depth to the story.

Favorite Quote(s)
The nets of the backstop fade away as I stare at the place where I’ve lived my life—between the chalk lines and behind home plate. It’s fucking beautiful. A blessing and a curse. My pleasure and my pain. The only thing I’ve ever known. The only thing I’ve ever wanted to do.

“Make me feel, Easton. I don’t need sweet. I need real. I need to know you’re here. I need to know you want me. I need to forget. But more than anything, I need you.”

And when he lowers his chin and meets my eyes, everything I was fighting against the past few months dissipates. I surrender. Heart. Body. Mind. Fear.

"The worst part about telling yourself lies is you know the real truth."


Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance
Character Types: Athlete, Doctor/Nurse
Themes: Sports-Baseball, Witty Banter
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Forbidden Love

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A mix of both

Song This Book Inspires
Rock and a Hard Place by Bailey Zimmerman

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes read this series in order

This is one of those real books, real stories and with some real heart put into it. As you may know I have a habit of reading dark romance, I just love it. What can I tell you? But sometimes I need a palate cleanser, something a little more on the realistic side and this is one of those. Everything about this book was real and I guess I really needed that. This story about Easton and Scout is emotional. With fear of losing someone you love, the excitement of something new, the doubt and insecurity that comes with new changes, and finding someone who truly understands you more than anyone else. K. Bromberg does such a great job telling Easton and Scout's story. It’s well written, easy to follow along, original and raw.This book is filled with sweetness, steam, emotion and angst. If you are looking for something original and easy to pull you in, this is a book you want to pick up. And the ending! Holy shit. ⭐⭐⭐⭐