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.

Received in exchange for a honest review

I loved these two. Tristan was tres adorbs. He was a good ball player but feeling stressed. Alyssa a good ballerina but had a lot on her mind.

For Tristan the stress equated to his swing going away. He feels his parents placate him and don’t really see him. He is trying to be all he can be but he is lost. When he meets Alyssa at the batting cages things change. He sees a sweet fun honest girl. Not one to placate him but one who is herself. She helps him smile and relax. Makes him see beyond the forest and to the trees. The attraction between them is precious.

Alyssa is stressed by the financial situation of her dad’s business and getting into the ballet camp over the summer. So meeting a nice guy like Tristan who helped her heart soar and feel free helps her dancing. She also felt she could be herself around him. They both get close to each other and learn about one another before they even go out on a date.

One problem though-their best friends are crushing on them and each didn’t realize it. That does cause for a little drama but showed us the stuff Tristan was made of. When Alyssa gets the wrong impression of Tristan by something that was said to her she does go into insecure mode and instead of talking to Tristan she walks away. This hurt both of them and was the only time I was disappointed in Alyssa. The moment that Tristan put together at the end for Alyssa and her family to help raise money swoon city. He is truly a treasure as was this fun sweet romance.

The high school feels of this book!

I was like...woah..she knows how to play... I like her. Maybe 'cause she's boyish and all, although she dances ballet...still.. Alyssa is like one of the boys because of softball. I like her character. I really don't understand why did they hide their relationship in the first place.

Anyways.. This is a quick read (really... If only not on my day job..) and I enjoyed it. If you want a break for any dystopian series, I recommend this book!👌👌👌

3 “Baseball & Low Drama” Stars

ARC via NetGalley.

Thank you, Entangled Teen (Crush)!

If you’re into baseball and YA romance, you’ll probably love this, but if you’re like me and don’t understand much about the game, you might find yourself a little lost at times.

This is my third book by this author, and second book in this series. I really, really enjoyed The Bad Boy Bargain, but it had a lot less baseball than this one.

I don’t really blame the story here for my lack of connection, because I bet the problem is my total lack of knowledge of everything baseball. Like hockey, this is just one sport that, no matter how many games I try to watch, I end up never quite understanding. And if there’s something Swinging at Love is heavy on is baseball.

Alyssa and Tristan are fans of the game—her family owns a batting cage business and he’s one of the school team’s stars, so they live and breathe baseball. That translates well into the story, which features many scenes with the guys practicing and playing, and the girls talking about the game. Even Faith and Kyle, the main characters from the first book, are all about it when they make an appearance.

Thankfully, Alyssa gets to do more than just talk about it, though. She practices with Tristan and uses her knowledge (and her kisses) to help him get over his batting slump. That was one of my favorite sport-related themes in this story. I liked seeing Alyssa in action and I appreciate how the author showed her as someone who could’ve gone down the athlete role if she’d wanted to. Like Faith, though, Alyssa was more into music and dancing.

Tristan also ended up having a real important role in Alyssa’s life. He helped save her family struggling business, showing me that those two were really good for each other. I liked how it felt as if they came into each other’s lives at the right moment. That made the romance even more special.

Tristan and Alyssa were really cute together, but they lacked the kind of chemistry I’d come to expect in books by this author. Maybe that’s because everything came a little bit too easy in their relationship. First, it took them too long to even share scenes—by chapter eight, they’d interacted once or twice. But once they did start interacting, they were already kissing and moving into a relationship. The obstacles that came were overcome to easily and never created the amount of tension I normally want in my romances.

I think part of the reason the story lacked tension is because both Alyssa and Tristan were mature for their age. They handled every situation the best way possible, and, even when they didn’t, they faced the consequences and didn’t back down. That made them “good people”, as Alyssa and Tristan said themselves, but also made the story a little boring.


There were many things to like about this story, though. Alyssa’s relationship with her parents, Tristan’s friendship with Kyle and Dylan, Faith and Kyle showing up again, the girls supporting their boyfriends and their boyfriends supporting them back… It had some great elements. Unfortunately, the focus on baseball and the lack of tension made it my least favorite book by this author so far.

This was so cute and I seriously love Highley's male leads - Tristan is sweet, genuine, unafraid of being honest even when it leaves him a bit vulnerable, and still strong and sexy. (Kyle, from the first book, is hard to top, but Tristan comes pretty darn close!)

He sounded so tentative, like he was scared she’d run away. She didn’t know many cute boys who weren’t totally confident in their ability to hook a girl. It was charming.

Alyssa is also a kick-ass female lead, strong-willed, funny, and caring. I loved how she made up her own mind (even how she was unafraid to choose ballet over softball, despite the role softball played in her life).

This girl was herself, and nothing else. That made her pretty much a unicorn, as most of the girls he’d known were too worried about what people thought about them.

The two of them together was a fantastic match and I really loved their dynamic. How they started off was fun, especially with Alyssa making the first move (a girl after my own heart!).

As there should be, there is a good dose of baseball in this and, as someone who isn't into baseball, I thought it was the perfect amount. It's written in a way that is immersive and with a great balance between baseball fan and baseball novice.

Every supporting character is just that - supportive without stealing the show. I loved seeing Kyle and Faith again, and the way they were woven in felt very natural. Lauren is a bit deplorable, but redeems herself (she is Alyssa's best friend, after all).

All in all, I really, really liked this and cannot wait for more of this series!!

This was a quick read and fun read. This book definitely had its flaws but overall I really enjoyed it.

Tristan is facing a lot of problems in his baseball despite being one of the top players in his team. Alyssa loves her ballet but she can do nothing when her father’s business is going out of market. They both begin to fall for one another when Tristan comes to her father’s batting cage for some alone practice. But things begin to fall out of control when both their best friends confess for a liking to one another. The only way out is to confess the truth or lose their friendship forever.

The plot was predictable and cheesy as hell but at the same time, it was quite enjoyable. Alyssa and Tristan start falling for one another when Tristan decides to do some practice to get out of his slump. Alyssa being a former softball player helps him out and Tristan discovers that she is his muse as well. I enjoyed their relationship. But then, both of Tristan’s best friend confessed he liked Alyssa and Alyssa’s bff confessed she liked Tristan which was kinda weird, even for them and it was quite natural that they couldn’t decide how to break it to them. It did feel a little unrealistic how everything was sunshine and rainbows at the end.

Nonetheless, the characters kept me interested throughout the book. Alyssa was pretty smart and confident and she spoke her mind. She and Tristan were pretty much a perfect couple. Tristan’s gesture to save her family business was really sweet. The other characters were pretty fun to read about as well.

Overall, Swinging at Love was a fun but predictable read. I liked the characters and the romance between Alyssa and Tristan. The writing was smooth and easy to read and the pace was even throughout the book.

Recommend it?

Yes.

Note: I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Bad Boy Bargain (first book in the Suttonville Sentinels series) was my first book by Kendra Highley and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So I had high hopes for book two, Swinging at Love. Admittedly, this didn't live up to my high expectations.

Highley continued to do a great job of covering heavier topics that don't weigh the story down. Both Alyssa and Tristan have a lot going on and a lot to deal with. It was nice to have their lives feel realistic but not be completely depressed while reading about it.

That said, the romance and book itself felt rushed. My favorite romances are ones with a slow build and that was missing here. I also didn't find the story nearly as engaging as The Bad Boy Bargain. Alyssa and Tristan just didn't capture my interest as completely as Kyle and Faith.

I really enjoyed reading this book! I've really loved all of Kendra C. Highley's books, and this was no exception! I loved reading about Alyssa and Tristan, they had so much in common, baseball, and they were so great together!

It was really great to see Faith and Kyle again, because Faith is helping Alyssa with her dancing, and Kyle is the captain of the Suttonville Sentinels! So yeah, that was really great, because we got to see them together and happy while watching this new couple find similar happiness!

I read somewhere that these two are one of the author's favourite pairings that she's wrote, because they're both balanced and real and have their problems, and I agree! Tristan's got trouble with his swing, and Alyssa's family's batting cage business is on the verge of closing, and yeah, those two problems brought these two together!

Really enjoyed how everything came together in the end! I mean, she helped him with his swing with practical advice and her presence. And he helped her with a fundraiser! And while they both had stumbling blocks in the way-both of their best friends was interested in Alyssa and Tristan, when Alyssa and Tristan were interested in each other, yeah. Things worked out!

Such a fantastic book, and I can't wait to see more members of the Suttonville Sentinels find love!

This was a sweet and fun YA romance. Tristan and Alyssa were likable and interesting, both dealing with internal and external pressures common to many teens. Very enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled with a 2 or 3 for this one. I enjoyed the baseball parts of the book, and honestly, that is what kept me reading. I was interested in seeing how things worked out for the team, Tristan's hitting issues, and also, what happened with Alyssa's family's batting cages. The romance part of the book was too formulaic and corny for my taste, though. Insta-love is a pet peeve of mine and this one veers into that territory, and things moved so fast between Tristan and Alyssa that it was unrealistic with how they had barely spoken yet were smitten and gushing over and about each other in what felt like minutes. I think the book will appeal to fans of romance novels, as the book follows the formula that is popular for the genre. It's just not my thing, but knowing that it would appeal to romance readers, who would not have my same issues, prompted me to bump my review to 3 stars.

Swinging at Love is the second book in the young adult contemporary romance series, called the Suttonville Senitels by Kendra C. Highley. I was so excited when I found out about this book. Seriously. I read and LOVED The Bad Boy Bargain and I thought it was just going to be a standalone, so when I found out it was going to be a series centering around a baseball team. I thoroughly enjoyed Swinging at Love. Just as much as The Bad Boy Bargain. This series is a welcome smash hit for me! Lately I have been finding myself gravitating more towards New Adult for my contemporary romances, and young adult for my fantasies. Oftentimes I am finding young adult contemporaries just a bit too immature in the characters. But the big exception to this seems to be the Entangled Crush line. I really enjoy their YA romances for the most part. (And I don’t think that just because a book is young adult that the characters get a free pass on being immature- not all young adults are immature, and I expect that to follow through in YA books too!)

Just like with the Bad Boy Bargain, this book is chock full of cuteness. That is the best way to describe it. It is like a smile in a box. I really liked Tristan and Alyssa. I still think Faith and Kyle were my favorite couple but I adored them so much that it is hard to come close. But Tristan and Alyssa did come close, and if it were for some lying and some miscommunication that irked me, they might have passed Kyle. But they are a close second and I can’t wait to see what the next story in the series is going to be about. I really enjoyed Tristan and Alyssa’s story. It has all the signature cuteness I have come to associate with Kendra’s books. It is my favorite thing about them.

Tristan is a star on the baseball team but he has lost his swing. And Alyssa’s family business is in trouble. Each of them are doing their best to save their respective thing and their paths cross and cris cross in the most adorable ways. If they only could have been a bit more honest with each other and with their friends I think this book would have been perfect. But live and learn. They are still young. I really liked their story.

Bottom line: if you are looking for a quick young adult romance that is super cute and has characters you will love (who are not at all annoying) check out Swinging at Love and the Suttonville Sentinels series. I loved the mature, yet still age appropriate, characters featured in this extra cute romance.

I absolutely ADORED this book! It was perfect YA romance- the characters were so likable and the romance so sweet. Baseball was my favorite sport in high school (I kept stats for the team!) and there's a special place in my heart for hot baseball players! I so hope that Kindra Highley has another book planned for this series because I loved books 1 and 2!

Whenever I think of Swinging At Love, the first words that pop in to my head are cuteness overload. No, it’s not a bad thing, in fact, I loved every cute second ;).


You know those romantic comedies - or even just romance actually - that Hollywood doesn’t seem to be making anymore? (I’m thinking along the lines of 27 Dresses and What Happens in Vegas) that’s what Swinging at Love reminded me of and it was glorious!



Tristan and Alyssa melted my heart but were also laugh out loud funny as were Tristan’s team-mates… I loved the cameraderie between Tristan and his team-mates, those were probably my favourite parts of the book.



And that scene just before the end?

YES! #LovedIt

I’ve loved every Kendra C. Highley book I’ve read so far and I can’t wait to see what more Kendra brings us.

Swinging at Love is a sweet romance story between two teens. Alyssa used to be an amazing softball player but she quit to be a ballet dancer instead. Her family’s batting cage business isn’t doing so well now that there’s a big shiny sports complex in town. Tristan is the outfielder for his high school team and they’re hoping to go all the way this year and win the state championship. The only problem is, he hasn’t been able to hit the ball lately. If he can’t get his swing back, the team isn’t going to make it to the championship game, and his dream of being captain of the team is over.

I recently read the first book in the series, The Bad Boy Bargain, and really enjoyed the spin the author put on it. So, I was really excited to give this story a read. The author just has such a way with making the reader fall head over heels in love with her characters. When Alyssa finds out that her family’s batting cage business is on the rocks, she does all she can to help out. She gives her parents her ballet camp fund, she does her best to learn how to do maintenance on the batting equipment, she even refuses to take payment for her hours at work. Tristan is a guy who just wants to get his swing back. So he drives out to the edge of town to some old-school batting cages to practice where no one would notice him. However, when Alyssa pops in and gives him some pointers on how to help better is swinging average, he soon realizes that she has a calming effect on him. He, too, is loyal and when he finds out that her family is struggling to keep their business open, he devises a plan to help out. Both of these characters were just too cute.

One thing that was a little annoying was the drama or conflict in the story. The whole not telling people because you don’t want to hurt their feelings was silly. Not to mention the jumping to conclusions instead of just talking it out bit that also took place. I guess they’re teens and they are going to not think clearly but I just thought it to be a bit silly. Everything could have been avoided or solved if they just talked. However, my issues with that weren’t enough to damper my feelings towards the story. I still found them adorable.

Swinging at Love is a super cute young adult romance that centers around an outfielder and a ballerina. I loved the tight-knit family aspect that Alyssa has, and I loved how close Tristan was with his teammates. It was great getting to see Kyle and Faith again. From the acknowledgements at the end of the book it sounded like this book wasn’t necessarily planned and was something her editor brought to the table. So, I’m not sure if this is going to now turn into a series or not but I’d love to see Dylan find his HEA.

I really enjoyed The Bad Boy Bargain (it’s the kind of fluff readers are looking for when they are in a reading slump), so I was excited when this sequel was offered to me. Swinging at Love takes place in the same high school and even includes cameos from the lovebirds in book 1, Faith and Kyle. But this time the story isn’t just about ballet and landscaping. It’s about love and baseball and the little bits in between.

Alyssa is a strong-willed and confident dancer. She also happens to be a kickass softball player but maybe that’s because she spends a lot of time working at Swing Away, the batting cages owned by her family. With extensive (and expensive) repairs that need to be done and the new sports complex in town stealing all of their business, Swing Away is at risk of closing forever. Needless to say, Alyssa is stressed out. How can she focus on her ballet audition when her family’s beloved business is going under?

Tristan is a batsman on the high school baseball team. He’s suffering from a batting slump and striking out more often than he’d like to. To get away from the pressure of it all, he wants to practice somewhere outside of town where he’s less likely to run into his teammates. Somewhere like Swing Away. Is he ever going to get out of his head long enough to get his swing back?

I hate to say it, but it’s like love at first sight between Alyssa and Tristan. It’s kind of annoying but mostly cute, so I’m not complaining. Alyssa is just the person to help Tristan get out of his slump, but there’s plenty of drama amongst their friends to create a little delay from the inevitable.

Overall, this was a very fun and fast-paced read. I love reading about sports that I know nothing about. My baseball experience is limited to one Toronto Blue Jays game (which was fantastic) so I’m obviously not informed on all the ins and outs of the game, but I still loved reading about the practices and stuff. Athletes are like mysterious creatures to me. What makes them good at the game? Or bad? What drives them? In this case, romance is the catalyst for success.

Ironically, I was in a reading slump before I read this book so it looks like romance was the cure for me as well. Pick this up if you’re looking for a fun and flirty story!

*3.5 stars

Alyssa was a ballerina who had given up softball because of her greater love of dance. She was still a really good softball pitcher. Her family owned "Swing Away", a batting cage/practice business in a town that a new, sparkly Sports Center that was driving their family business into the grown. She was determined to find a way to help save her family business but she didn't know how to get started.

Tristan played baseball for the local high school team. He was the number 2 hitter but he was in a slump and didn't know how to break it. He went to Swing Away for some batting practice and this pretty girl helped diagnosis the problem he was having with his batting. There was an instant connection between them. She became his good luck charm.

There was some teenage drama, some grown up issues that they both faced but this was a sweet book about teenage romance. My one criticism of the book was the smattering of foul language. While I know kids now days use that kind of language, it is a turn off for me.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alyssa and Tristan have something in common: a love for baseball. They just don’t know it yet. So when Tristan shows up at the batting cage business Alyssa’s family owns, they hit it off pretty quickly. But what happens when two jealous BFF’s get involved, the family business starts going down, and the important baseball player loses his swing—all at once?

Swinging at Love was a cute sports romance set in high school. The entire book revolved around baseball (and the romance), since the characters met through baseball, one of them was on the high school baseball team, and the other’s family owns a baseball-centered business. I am not a person who is particularly interested in baseball, but getting dosed in the sport in Swinging at Love was still enjoyable. The part of the book that actually centered on the sport was explained simply enough that even someone with as little knowledge about the subject as I have could understand it and not be lost in the jargon.

I loved the romance. The two of them getting together wasn’t dragged out the entire book, or even half of it, really. Alyssa and Tristan admitted their attraction for each other early on and spent the rest of the novel working out all the problems that appear, for instance, two jealous best friends. Their relationship happened quickly, certainly, but that is how attraction is. They don’t make the mistake of saying their attraction is love, but love definitely developed by the end of the story. I will mention, though, that I did not appreciate the lies they told to their friends about their relationship.

I really liked this book. I would give it a higher rating, but I needs more depth for me to do so. It is a cute chick flick, but it was too straightforward and simple to be considered great literature. It is instead a fun, fast read intended for teen girls looking for entertainment, and it achieves its purpose.

Content warnings: sexual innuendos and some swearing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Chapter by Chapter and NetGalley. All opinions are expressly my own.

Good book and characters! I read it in one sitting