Title: Curve Ball
Series: Homeruns, #2
Author: Sloan Johnson
Genre: Contemporary/Sports
Length: Novel (225 pages)
Publisher: Sloan Johnson (July 29th, 2015)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: Jason Klein’s living with the fallout from a decision he knew was the right one at the time. He never told anyone about the love of his life, which left him to mourn alone when he found out the man he gave his heart to, had been killed in combat. Now, his heart has had time to heal, but he’s not sure he’s ready to let himself move on. Until he meets Cam Morgan…
Without a job lined up following graduation, Cam Morgan took his best friend up on his offer to move to Milwaukee and stay with him until he could get on his feet. The last thing he wanted to do the day after getting to town was go to a party filled with a bunch of jocks. Sure, they were “professional athletes” but Cam was convinced that bigger bank accounts didn’t make them any more accepting of people like him. He certainly didn’t expect to meet Jason, the Mavericks’ catcher who broke every stereotype he’d had.
What started out as one hot, sweaty night together quickly grows into something deeper. Jason welcomes Cam into his home and his life, but now he has to teach the younger man that it’s not a sign of weakness to let people help you.
Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/Curve-Ball-Homeruns-Book-2-ebook/dp/B012UKW5DW
Reviewer: KathyMac
Review: Curve Ball is the second book in the Homerun series, by Sloan Johnson. Wild Pitch is still my favorite between the two, but I did enjoy this one, also. Each book can probably be considered a standalone, but there are a few references in the story that related to the first book, but I don’t think it would hinder your reading.
Cam is Drew’s friend that we briefly met in Wild Pitch. He has just finished culinary school and has nowhere to go, so Drew invited him to stay with him for a while. These two are best friends and have been for years. As far as Cam knows, Drew is straight and has girls lined up every night. And, that is the picture Drew paints but he has been holding a pretty big secret from Cam for a long, long time.
Drew wants Cam to go with him to a cookout the team is having. Cam has had terrible experiences with male athletes so he is not looking forward to going. But, he doesn’t want to hurt Drew’s feelings so he makes a desert, because that is his specialty, to take with them.
Losing your first love has affected the way Jason lives his life. Almost a hermit other than when playing baseball, he has fought nightmares and guilt for the past 7 years. Spending time with the other players on the team during their off days helps Jason to keep from going stir crazy.
Jason is pretty new to the team and hides his sexuality from every one. As soon as he sees Cam at the cook out he is interested. He’s not put off by Cam’s flamboyance clothes or style. As a matter of fact he is pretty enamored with him. He spends most of the evening talking with Cam hoping they can get much closer.
Curve Ball is about Jason and Cam, primarily, but Drew has secrets that once exposed gives him quite a bit of page time. Cam has had a rough family life and he pretty much holds those experiences against everyone. Even when Jason is sincere and committed, Cam still has trouble believing him.
Jason had a first love that was killed in combat in the military. He carries a lot of guilt for not getting to say the things he wanted to him and now he won’t ever have the chance. He finds it very hard to give himself and his heart to anyone else because he still has nightmares about Adam, his first.
I understand Jason wanting to hold onto his first love and even being afraid of giving his heart to someone else. What seemed a little unbelievable to me was once he decides to share the story, they were young teenagers and I think they only kissed. They really weren’t even a couple and Adam goes to the military soon after. Jason has held onto his memory for seven years which seemed a little extreme.
Cam is a little wishy-washy in his feelings, as well. He doesn’t want charity from anyone nor does he want anyone to think he is helpless. He continuously refuses anyone’s help even when they are only trying to offer support and help.
I didn’t feel the passion and the connection with Cam and Jason like I did with Sean and Mason. I did, however, love the moments the author put in showing us bits and pieces of Sean and Mason and where they are with their family now. Mason was hysterical in this book and became one of Cam’s closest friends.
There wasn’t any angst to dwell on and the sex was spontaneous, but didn’t light up the sheets. I still enjoyed it and I am more curious than ever about Eric and hope he gets his own book soon. The next book will be about Drew and Bryce who is a friend of Jason’s. Bryce, for what we got to see of him, seems like he will be really interesting so I’m looking forward for that book.
The ending is not really a cliffhanger but it left some things unanswered which kind left me with a *whaaaat?* feeling. I’m sure we will find out in the first pages of the next book, I hope anyway.
I would recommend this story especially if you read the first book, and also, if you like low angst slow burn love stories with some baseball players in the mix.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *