Series:
Love Between the Bases (Book 2)
Months of alternately flirting and bickering with Kilby
Catfish catcher Mike Solo just turned into the hottest kiss of Donna
MacIntyre's life -- and that's a major league complication. Any hint of scandal
could keep her from getting her son back from her well-connected ex. Then Mike
comes up with a game-changing idea: a marriage proposal that could help win her
case -- even as it jeopardizes her heart . . .
Mike hasn't been able to get the gorgeous, gutsy redhead
out of his fantasies. The least he can do is fix the mess he helped create. Yet
their engagement is quickly becoming about a lot more than doing the right
thing. Because after swearing he'd never risk love again, Mike has found a
passion that puts all his emotions in play, and a woman he'll go to bat for
again and again . . .
Terrific book full of humor, love, family, and
friendship. In the previous book,
All of Me, Donna and Mike met when Mike
stepped up to protect her during a bar fight. What followed was several months
of back-and-forth flirting that culminated in a scorching kiss in a library
closet, guaranteeing that neither forgot the other during the off-season. But
when Mike returns to Kilby in the spring, the fun and feisty Donna has changed
so much that Mike barely recognizes her.
Donna has a reputation as a fun-loving party girl until her
ex and his fiancée decide they want full custody of Donna's son, Zack. His
paternal grandparents have raised four-year-old Zack for heartbreaking reasons.
Donna has visitation, adores her little Zack-ster, and wants to get him back. However,
Harvey and Bonita have wealth and power on their side. When her lawyer tells
Donna she must clean up her act, she takes it to heart and reinvents herself
with a new job, clothes, and attitude.
But the sparks of attraction between Mike and Donna can't
be denied and flare up whenever they are near each other. Mike has a unique
method of self-control during baseball season, but being around Donna puts a
strain on it. When his actions jeopardize Donna's custody quest, he devises the
perfect fix - ask Donna to marry him.
Mike is a good man. He's a great example to his fellow
ballplayers and protective of those he cares about. I love his relationship
with his brother Joey and the impact that relationship has on his life. However,
he avoids anything related to love, having been burned several years earlier. I
ached for him because of the story behind that relationship.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Mike and
Donna develop. The flirting and banter between them are fun, and it's easy to
see how right they are for each other. I loved how they trusted each other,
sharing things no one else knew about them. As they grow closer, Mike refuses
to see that what he feels for Donna is love, not just protectiveness. When the
custody battle gets vicious, and Mike realizes he may be doing more harm than
good, he sets her free, even though he doesn't want to let her go.
Many times, Mike, Donna, or both get involved in
situations that complicate their lives. Many of these situations are laugh-out-loud
funny, while a few are deeply emotional. I loved the fight on the baseball
field and Donna's method of ending it. I adored Mike's big moment when he went
to bat for Donna in the custody battle.
The changes Mike and Donna experienced throughout the
book show how they learned about who they were and what was important to them.
I especially liked how Mike helped Donna see what a warm, wonderful, and
outstanding mother she was.
Secondary characters in the book played essential parts
in the story. I loved getting to know other Catfish players like Trevor, Dwight,
and Jim. Their support of Mike after his return from Chicago was heartwarming.
I also like the team owner, Crush, and his love for his team. Donna's ex,
Harvey, is a wimp throughout the book. His fiancée, Bonita, is a nasty piece of
work who needs to be taken down a peg or two. The power family in town, the
Wades, have far too much influence, and it's always fun to see someone go up
against them and win. I loved Mike's brother Joey and his belief in Mike. His story
was inspiring and heartbreaking and had a profound effect on Mike.
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