Review: Blake by Lindsay Paige and Mary Smith

Blake (The Ninth Inning #2) by Lindsay Paige and Mary Smith

Release Date: October 25, 2015

Genres: New Adult, Romance

Pages:212

Source: E-Book, ARC

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Goodreads Description:

The Ninth Inning series presents Memphis Angels’ catcher, Blake Foster.

Blake Foster has a love/hate relationship with the game he plays for a living. On good days, he smiles and enjoys baseball. During the rest of the time, he’s battling his demons and looking out for his mother. He has a hard time keeping ahold of the good things in life no matter how badly he wants them.

Sofia Gardner might come from a rich family, but she has worked for the opportunity for a position on the staff for the Memphis Angels. However, when she meets Blake, she realizes there’s more to him than his constant grumpy expressions. She feels he needs a friend and in her good-natured way, she reaches out to him, only to find the demons he’s battling are much worse than she thought.

When the bases are loaded and it all comes down to the catch at home plate, can they get their out or lose it all when it matters most?

Notes about the book:

This is the second book in a two-part series. The series is split into seasons. I would say that the books could be read as stand-alones. Although, reading them all helps you to get all the background information.

This books is not meant for anyone under 18 as it does contain mild sex scenes and violence.

Note: I was provided with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Quote:

“Even Snow White had a Grumpy in her life. I figure if it’s good enough for Snow White, it’s good enough for me.”

My Review

Strong Couple. Great HEA!

I enjoyed this couple. There was a heavy issue fighting against their success as a couple. However, they managed to work through it and succeed.

Sofia and Blake are both trying to escape their father’s legacy. Sofia has a little easier time making it on her own. She’s drawn in by Blake’s hazel eyes and quickly finds it difficult to get him off her mind. She senses his need for a friend, someone who will listen as he talks.

Unfortunately Blake will go through both emotional and physical pain before Sofia is able to bring him around to trusting her. Their love for each other helps find a happily ever after solution for all involved.

The story was slow to grab me and pull me into it. However, by the halfway point I was loving Blake and Sofia. I think I like them better than I liked Felix and Abby from the first book in The Ninth Inning series. Their story seemed to have more substance to it and therefore grabbed me more. Like Felix and Abby, Blake and Sofia have a playful nature to their conversations with each other complete with some sarcasm and sexual innuendo. 

By the end I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. You could tell that Blake and Sofia were good in their relationship. However there was still another 5-10% of the book left to read. I love a story where the woman is in danger and the man comes to her rescue!

Check out Lindsay's website at http://authorlindsaypaige.blogspot.com/ and you can connect with Mary at http://www.authormarysmith.blogspot.com/.

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