NEW: Hardball by C.D. Reiss

Release Date: March 29th Genre: Contemporary/Sports Romance

Shel: About three years ago I kept seeing C.D. Reiss' Songs of Submission series everywhere--it seemed like it was on everyone's list and so I checked out the blurb, downloaded a few books, and before I knew it I'd disappeared into the world of Monica and Jonathan. Since that initial foray into the world of  C.D. Reiss, I've grabbed every single one of her novels and I always feel simultaneously satisfied and yet hungry for more. I've enjoyed the Drazen family immensely but I've also really enjoyed Shuttergirl and Hardball--they give me a little something different from Reiss. Court: Yes, it is so nice to see such a 3 dimensional side from her, and her writing. Her ideas are original and well thought out. I was excited about this one just as much as the ones before and especially because it involved a baseball player. Sucker for athletes...why, yes. 

Shel: Hardball has this wonderful sense of lightness. It's funny and sweet and sexy as all get out (y'all, this woman can write the hell out of some sex scenes). We first meet Vivian, a teacher (I'm a teacher and will now be forever in love for C.D. Reiss for having a teacher as a character), who feels a lot like many teachers I know--dedicated and exhausted; I could totally relate. I absolutely loved her personality--it was a mix of deadpan humor, honesty, shyness, awkwardness, and loyalty that was so very appealing (I could totally see us being friends). With Dash there was this sense of confidence and control and focus (on the field and off) that was so interesting to read when paired with something he chooses not to openly share with the public. I appreciated how Reiss put us in his head and helped us feel his frustration, his rationale for insisting on his routine, and how he processed what was going on in his life. Putting these two seemingly unlikely characters together was not only entertaining, it was refreshing and gave a sense of newness to a genre that sometimes feel so repetitive. Court: I was confused by the story mid way through because of his thoughts. They got more and more out of control, and when I realized it...it made so much more sense to me. He had a hard go of it, and sometimes his need for absolute control in everything...and how baseball superstitions on what made him play great really effected his every thought process...then Vivian. Their beginning, and where we see them end is so strong...and in the middle her thoughts get a little bit...scattered. I see that she was in way over her head, so even that made sense but from page to page she was so decisive and then changed her mind only paragraphs later. Not that it is all that uncommon...but! For her...who was so strong about having feelings involved in relationships...well, I was so glad when that smoothed out for me. 

Shel: The only problem with this novel is that it ended. I want more of those steamy texts. I want more poetry. I want more of Vivian's dad. I really want more of Vivian and Dash--I don't know what exactly, just more. I liked them so much that I hated to see their novel end. Who knows, maybe in our next Drazen book we'll see them on the screen in the background? Thanks, C.D. Reiss, for keeping it fresh and creating a whole new world of characters that I can't seem to get enough of. Court: I was very pleased with how things ended. Things get...real, fast in a hurry, and then I did what I do...shed some tears, and become so emotionally invested in these characters that I'm hitting my dang kindle to get it to scroll more...and more...and more...and it wouldn't! That's the worst. When the ending comes, and I don't want it to! I loved Dash for finally getting his head out of his rear, holy cow I wanted to smack him! And it was overall a beautiful book! 

Praise for HARDBALL:

“Dash Wallace is a dirty talking, sexy professional baseball player who falls hard for the girl next door, but beware... your heart will take a beating as you watch him struggle with sticking to all he's ever known at the risk of losing the best thing that ever happened to him. Hardball is one of those books that will suck you in and won't let you go until you devour every last, juicy bite.” — Sawyer Bennett, NY Times Bestselling Author “Fiery hot and enticingly realistic, CD Reiss's captivating writing, complex characters and explosive love scenes make Hard Ball an irresistible modern day romance.” — Katy Evans, NY Times Bestselling Author

Synopsis:

Perfect ass. Perfect arms. Perfect swagger. They call Dash Wallace the Diamond King. He’s the hottest commodity in baseball and in the bedroom. When he runs the bases, every woman’s eyes are glued to his stunning body and a smile that puts the night lights to shame. I’m no queen. I’m a regular girl with a regular job. I just watch him on TV and from the bleachers, season after season. Girls like me grab a guy like that one in a million times. My number just came up, and he is as spectacular in bed as he is on the field. But there’s not a woman in the world who can distract Dash Wallace from the game. Not for a moment. Not even me. Until the night I do. And everything changes. ----- Hardball is a SMOKING HOT, SEXY romance with a touch of angst and a ton of heart from CD Reiss. It's a fun, witty, full-length standalone meant for the over-eighteen crowd.

Hardball Links:

AMAZON | NOOK | iBOOKS | GOOGLE

Meet Dash Wallace | Goodreads

 

About the Author:

CD Reiss is a USA Today bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn't pick up she's at the well hauling buckets. Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master's degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere but it did give her a big enough ego to write novels. She's frequently referred to as the Shakespeare of Smut which is flattering but hasn't ever gotten her out of chopping that cord of wood. If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.

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