Cute read. Fast read also. Likable characters. Made me smile in some places, which is a sign of good book.

The book had few things I didn't like, but I won't open up about them now, since it would spoil a bit.

But over all, sweet read, kind of coming of age romance. Both characters had their moments.

I started reading Swinging at Love on Opening Day and what better way to start the baseball season than with a sweet baseball romance?

Tristan is a baseball player for the Suttonville Sentinels, and they are making a run at the state championships. Alyssa works at the batting cages in town, which happens to be the batting cages Tristan sneaks away to, to work on his swing.

These two were so cute - that sweet, young love where they are nervous around each other, tentatively learning each other and themselves. And the ending was heartwarming.

I haven’t been reading much YA romance recently - too often they have been too sexy for YA or use too many tropes that they become cheesy. But Swinging at Love had the perfect amount of trope and sweetness without being cheesy.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for a #gifted copy of Swinging at Love.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Title: Swinging at Love
Author: Kendra C. Highley
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Format: eARC from Entangled Teen
Series: Suttonville Sentinels
Star Rating: 3.5 stars

A special thank you goes to Entangled Teen Publishing for giving me a copy of this book. Please know that this does not influence my rating or thoughts on the book itself.

tw: disordered eating, sexist comments

Entangled Teen will always have a special place in my heart. They introduced me to the works of Aden Polydoros. And I know I can always count on them to bring me a cute little story when I need a break from all the heaviness of the world. They always have such great books. I haven’t rated a book from them under two stars. I knew I was going to like this one. I’ve always enjoyed their books about sports.

Boy, this book was super cute. Alyssa and Tristan were a super cute couple. One of my favorite things about them was when they had a misunderstanding. After a day, they talked it out and all was forgiven. Sure, it’s totally unrealistic because we all know high schoolers can be super dramatic about small things. I know I was like that when I was in high school. Their relationship was just so adorable, I couldn’t get enough of it.

This book had a lot to do with baseball, which I admit I know absolutely nothing about. So when they talked about baseball and all the technical terms, I had no idea what was going on. I only played softball for about three weeks before I got hit with a softball in the ankle and decided that was enough. So that kind of took away from my enjoyment.

But overall, this was an adorably cute story. It is part of a series but it’s one of those stand-alone series that can be read out of order and you’d still know what they are talking about. Overall, a super adorable story and I can’t wait to check out the rest of the books as I did enjoy the side characters that were in this book.

STEAM LEVEL: 🔥
🅁🄰🅃🄸🄽🄶: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This YA romance has been out for a couple of years but Entangled Teen with the help of NetGalley are revamping the series and offering it as an ARC once again. I really enjoyed this sweet, heartwarming romance between a struggling baseball player and a ballerina.

Tristan has lost his swing and Alyssa’s family is on the verge of losing their business. While the two of them search for a miracle to save the most important things for them, they find each other.

I wasn’t too fond of their romance because of the OM/OW drama. I felt like it was unnecessary and was only put into the story to add conflict. Their romance could have been so perfect if not for that. But the story was good and the development was decent so overall I enjoyed it.

This is my first book by Kendra and it was cute. I would call this a young adult read. I love sports romance, especially baseball and being a dancer.

What I enjoyed:
I loved both characters, Alyssa and Tristan = they were both very sweet and likable people. They were cut together and they had a great head on their shoulders

Where I think there could be an improvement:
There were a total of three conflicts in this book. I appreciate not harping on a subject and the fast fixes on those conflicts - Did some of the issues need to happen - I don't think so

But all in all, this was a super quick cute read

Thanks you Entangled publishing for giving me an ARC copy through NetGalley.

This was a fun and quick little read. I’m not big on baseball so I didn’t really click with it like most romances but that doesn’t make the story any less great. If you like sports and romance than this book would be great for you.

I liked the characters, the romance, and the friendship. I really liked Tristan and Alyssa together. I like they complimented each other well. I also liked that this book didn’t drag out. I think it’s the perfect length for what the plot was. I just feel like sometimes people just through all of words in to make a book long and it makes me lose interest. This book didn’t do that.

I also did realize this is the second book in this series and I haven’t read the first one, so I’m not sure if it matters what order they go in.

4 stars!

I was not a fan of the first book and I've been debating for years on reading this one and think its time to call it as I don't think I'll be picking this one up. thanks for the opportunity for review

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the author via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After enjoying the first book in the Suttonville Sentinels series so much, I knew I needed to have a look at book 2, especially when it focused on two of the secondary characters from the original book that had intrigued me. In Swinging at Love, ballerina Alyssa spends the majority of her time divided between dancing and working at her family's batting cage, Swing Away. The store is struggling, especially with the new chain store opening across town, and Alyssa doesn't know what to do. Tristan, on the other hand, is struggling. He's fallen into a slump with baseball, and needs to sort himself out, and fast. When he hears about Swing Away, somewhere where he knows the rest of the Sentinel's wont' be, he starts going to store more often, and meets Alyssa. With her background in softball and knowledge of baseball from working there, she agrees to help him get over his slump, and they soon start to fall for one another. This wouldn't normally be an issue, their friends Faith and Kyle are together and it's helped both of them for the better, but it now seems that Tristan's best friend, Dylan, likes Alyssa, and her best friend Lauren likes Tristan. Now they need to decide whether their fledgling romance is worth it, and does Alyssa really need this stress on top of worrying about the store.

Now, I don't think I can decide which of these two books I prefer. Both had an interesting and well formed plot, and likeable characters. Alyssa was on the sidelines in book 1, someone who I hadn't really thought about, but being in her shoes, and seeing what she is like in her home life, made me enjoy her chapters. She loved her family, it was plain to see, and the Swing Away store was her home away from home. When she heard it might be closing, she put everything she could into saving it, and her love was that clear that it got Tristan, and in turn, the rest of the Sentinel's involved. I do think I preferred Kyle over Tristan with regards to the love interests in this series, but Tristan was the right fit for Alyssa, just as Kyle was perfect for Faith.

This story definitely made me want to find out if Dylan can find love, and I'm glad I have a copy of book 3, which is his story, that I can read as soon as possible.

Thank you Entangled Teen for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Continuing the Suttonville Sentinels series, Swinging At Love is a great sequel and it's about Faith's friend and ballerina, Alyssa Kaplan and Kyle's baseball teammate, Tristan Murrell.

Tristan was having a problem on his swings and doesn't know how to bring his game up in preparation for the state championships. Then he meets Alyssa at Swing Away, who notices his problem on swinging and coaches him to do it properly. Alyssa is a former softball player and ballerina. Her family owned Swing Away, a batting cage business for years. Due to the lack of funds for maintenance and repairs, it's on the verge to close down but she's not giving up even if it means giving her dancing camp money just to save their family business.

I'm not really invested with their romance because it's too abrupt and I wished for more build up between them. Still, they're both adorable in their own way. The drama in this book slightly made my eyes roll and I think it could be avoidable if only Alyssa turned down Dylan immediately and not give him false assurances. Same goes to Tristan with Lauren, Alyssa's best friend who has a huge crush on him. Despite of these, this book definitely gave me the sports romance vibe more than the first book. I'm not really a baseball fan but I enjoyed the story as a whole. It's lighthearted, sweet and fluffy.

I haven't actually read the first Suttonville Sentinels book, THE BAD BOY BARGAIN, yet, but as soon as I saw SWINGING AT LOVE, I knew that this was a series for me!!!

Immediately after starting SWINGING AT LOVE I was hooked! It was absolutely adorable! I loved Alyssa and Tristan, and their story was perfect! A girl whose family has a failing batting cage and an outfielder whose swing is in a funk—perfect!! I loved both characters and I adored their story! I can't wait to go back and read the first Suttonville Sentinel book now! I got a peek of Faith and Kyle in this one and I'm definitely eager to see how they got to where they're at!

One of my favourite things about sports romances is that you often get to see team dynamics, and that was something that SWINGING AT LOVE did amazingly well! Not only did it show Tristan's dynamics with his team, it also showed Alyssa's friendships, too. This is one of my favourite parts because it creates really dynamic characters and it makes the romance more believable, too...I always hate it when a romance story has the couple existing in a bubble. Unless they're on a deserted island, they're usually people around. :P As far as the friendships in SWINGING AT LOVE were concerned, there was definitely some drama, but I liked that the characters actually talked and worked out their problems. It also really made me think back to high school drama. :P

As much as I liked their friends, the moments where Tristan and Alyssa were alone together were definitely my favourites! They had an absolutely adorable meet-cute, and their moments together just kept getting better and better! What I loved most about them was that they were so well suited for each other! Not only did they have amazing chemistry, but they also had a lot in common, and supported each other extremely well. On their own Tristan and Alyssa were each amazing characters, and together they were even better. :)

Overall, I absolutely loved SWINGING AT LOVE! I thought the story was adorable, the romance was fantastic, and all of the characters were well-developed and wonderful! I'd recommend this one to fans of sweet contemporary romances, especially if you're also a fan of sports (baseball in particular!) or sports romances!

Swinging At Love is a sweet love story. The story was unique & entertaining. I didn't realize this was a YA novel when I started reading it but I enjoyed it. Perfect heat level for a YA audience.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Can't wait for Suttonville Sentinels #3!!! Kendra C. Highley know how to write a book!

Alyssa has always tried hard at everything only to come in second to her best friend, making her discouraged. But when she meets a cute boy at her father's batting cages, she is able to be herself and still get his attention. Tristan is having a slump when it comes to hitting the baseball and now that his team is in the finals, he needs to figure something out. He decides to go to the local batting cages where nobody knows him, just to run into a girl from his school who is criticizing his batting skills. Alyssa and Tristan realize that they have more in common than baseball, and they may need the other to succeed.

This is my second book in the Suttonville Sentinels series and it was just as enjoyable as the first book. The books are standalone teen romances set at the same high school with some character overlap, so each can be picked up to read regardless of order. I honestly sat down to read a few chapters and found myself blowing through the entire story in one sitting. The author's writing style flows smoothly and is incredibly engaging. This book is ideal for anyone who wants a sweet sporty romance, full of feels and cute characters.

I am pleased to report that where the plot had a big place to add angst and drama, it did not dwell to heavily on it (which I loved). The characters would have a fight or miscommunication error, but after a chapter or a day, they would talk and figure out the problem. It was such a nice change of pace from most teen romances where they are mopey and angry, or date someone else out of spite... Nope, not here. I will say that it was nice that Alyssa could dance and play ball, but I really wanted her to go back to baseball...or be a hitting coach...

I will always be a big fan of Faith and Kyle, so it was really nice to see them again in this book, happy and in love, as well as being a big support system for their friends. There are a ton of side characters the author introduced in this book so I have no idea who the next book will be about, but I know that I can't wait to read more about this town or pretty much anything by this author now.

I received this title in return for my honest review.
For more reviews visit my blog at http://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

Requested before I realised this was the second book in a series.

Tristan has lost his swing, and with the big game coming up, he is desperate to get it back. Alyssa dreams of being a dancer, but her family's batting cages are not doing well thanks to competition from a brand new sports complex. When Tristan meets Alyssa, she decides to help him with his swing, and the two soon find themselves falling for each other. The only problem is Tristan's BFF has a huge crush on Alyssa, and Alyssa's drama queen friend Lauren is crushing on Tristan.

The two teens must find a way to make their relationship work, and work together in this sweet romance.

Swinging at Love is really cute baseball love story. I really liked the best friends like same person element. I can’t remember if I’ve seen that in a story before, but it is something that used to happen when I was in high school. I also like the struggle of the family business (my parents had their own business) and the loss of Kyle’s swing.

Alyssa is a tough cookie. She’s an ex-softball player and current ballerina. Even though she gave up softball for dance she still has a soft spot for the game. She works at her family’s batting practice facility. A task she loves to both help people with their game and up keeping the equipment. When a large franchise comes in and threatens to put Swing Away out of business it throws Alyssa through an emotional loop, which leaks into her dancing.

Tristan is a ball player who has lost his groove heading into playoffs. He tries to get some peace and quiet to work on his swing at Swing Away where he meets Alyssa.

I thought the romance was really cute. Alyssa and Tristan bond over baseball. She doesn’t just help him with his swing by being a muse, she also knows the sport and his able to give him tips. It gives them something in common besides just finding each other attractive. I also like the best friends having crushes on the same people. I thought it was a little different twist. Although I would have rather them being honest, they thought they were doing the right thing not to distract anyone with so many important things on the line. Plus even though Alyssa is a strong girl, she sometimes lacks in the confidence department. Especially with her best friend. The only part that really frustrated me was when Alyssa believes the bad about Tristan immediately instead of hearing his side. Besides that they were really cute.

I thought the ending was sweet and cute. There is a lot of baseball woven into the story with the playoffs and then of course Swing Away going out of business. So it was definitely the right ending for the book.

This is a fun and cute read. It’s one of those that it’s not to take a break with, plus if you like baseball then this is perfect.

a little too young for my taste.... I am into NA not YA... it seems like I am too old for YA

Oh man, I had a lot of issues with this one.

Alyssa works for her father at his currently failing sports complex, Swing Away. Failing largely in part to the brand new sparkling chain competitor who just took up residence in town. On top of worrying about her father having to shut down, she's also freaking out about an important dance camp audition coming up. A camp that costs money - money she would gladly give to her father to help with the business.

Tristan has lost his mojo. Once one of the star hitters on the Suttonville Sentinels, something is now causing him to swing at air. Not wanting to let his teammates see him fail, he heads away from the shiny new batting cages where someone from the team might see him and finds himself at Swing Away. Here he meets Alyssa as she critiques his batting style while offering up tips to help - which, to Tristan's pleasure, work.

This is a love story where two high school students meet and fall in love. Like immediately. Not even joking. This is a quote from their first non-date not long after his visit to Swing Away. But first, let me set the scene: Tristan asks to buy Alyssa Starbucks after work. She says yes then meets him at the baseball field where he's waiting with coffee and a blanket. They then proceed to sit under the stars while Tristan wows her with his knowledge of the stars. Alyssa asks him if he wants to wish on one. And here's the quote:
"You make a wish. Mine already came true."
description
You have literally had like two conversations together. Just no.

The insta-love was only one of the problems I had with this book. I've read Highley before but I don't remember them being this weighed down with unnecessary drama. It was literally one dramatic thing after another. On top of Tristan's batting fails, once him and Alyssa are all swoony for each other they hit a major roadblock. You see, Tristan's best friend has been crushing on Alyssa and Alyssa's best friend has been crushing on Tristan. Yeah, you read that right. But instead of being honest with their BEST FRIENDS, they lie. Well, obviously they get caught and cue drama! It was like a whole season of One Tree Hill in one 240 page book.



Sports, love triangles (or was it actually a square?), secrets, lies... I just could not get into this one. The ending itself was cutesy, if not a little far fetched, but it just wasn't enough to save it for me.