Thank you to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.


I reviewed the first book The Bad Boy Bargain on this blog, so check out that review first!!


This is the second book in the Suttonville Sentinels however, you don't necessarily need to read book one in order to know what is going on in this book.


Alyssa is a dancer, but once upon a time she played softball and she was really good at it. So it's no surprise that she loves working at Swing Away, the batting cages her family owns. However, things are going well and she is worried that her dad will have to close the business down.


Tristan is a big hitter, but lately, he hasn't been hitting anything and he is worried that he is going into a slump at the worst time of the year. The playoffs so when he wants to hide it from the team and yet practice he heads over to Swing Away because no one goes there.


While he is practicing Alyssa comes over and helps him out, but after they part neither one can stop thinking of each other. Alyssa thinks he is stressing himself out, and Tristan is intrigued by the girl who knows so much about baseball.


Things run into a major problem when it is revealed that their best friends have a thing for them. Tristan's friend asks Alyssa out and Lauren tries to flirt with Tristan. Instead of coming clean about the start of their romance they try to hide it. Once Dylan catches them everything blows up in their faces. Will Alyssa be able to help her dad save the business? Can she help Tristan get out of his slump?



This was every bit as good as the first one, I read it all in one sitting. Alyssa is a great character, she is practical, solid and the kind of person you want to know for real. Tristan is sweet, hot and a rocking book boyfriend. Together they were unstoppable and I was so glad how things worked in the end.

If you are looking for a good romance to pass an afternoon away then look no further!

Super cute book!

The sequel of Bad Boy Bargain is just what I expected, well written, cute boys, lots of baseball, interesting girls and plenty of swoon.

I know basically nothing about baseball. I mean I know the basics, but I have never actually watched an entire game nor do I know anything about the intricacies when it comes to balling.. I know cricket quite well and I know all about loving a sport, being caught up in it, breathing and living the sport.
And that's what Highley did a brilliant job at describing. While I might not quite get all the sporty jargon when it comes to baseball, I felt what it meant. I could relate to the two MCs love for it, the feeling of the players in a game. Which is my favorite part about the book. I get why people love baseball, Tristan's worries and problems. Same for Alyssa.

Highley shines in descriptions of feelings and situations. Beautifully written.

The character building is really well done for the MC's. Same goes for the close friends.
However not all of the support cast feels rounded and finished. I am not that impressed with the meanie for example and even the parents felt at times a bit unfinished.

The plot is sweet. Though it's very insta. I didn't mind it that much, except for the sudden soulmate discussion- I just thought woah they are what? 16 or 17?! and met.. a few weeks ago? take a deep breath and take it slow peps...

There was a fair amount of angst, which I actually really loved. And Highley hinted a few issues, that were actually quite interesting. But I felt all of it was resolved really fast, which kinda seemed to take away from the seriousness of the issues.

The end is swoony and perfect and left me totally smiling. The perfect end to a enjoyable cute & fluffy.

A must read for lovers of the genre.
I can't wait for the next installment!!

Narrated in third person, Swinging at Love, volume 2 of the series, tells the story of Tristan and Alyssa, two students full of dreams that are going through a complicated phase in life.
He is a dedicated baseball player who is going through a emotional block and can not bounce the balls coming at him, which is making him worried and stressed.
She is a ballerina who helps her father care for the Swing Away gym, a place to practice baseball , but with the arrival of a more modern gym, her father is finding very difficult to keep his place open, which is making her worried and stressed.
Thanks to the sport, they meet each other , the attraction is immediate, especially because Alyssa has already been a softball player, and they begin to realize how essential they are for each other lifes life .
Alyssa is very entertaining and spirited and Tristan soon enchants with the way of the girl that even insecure with him, realizes how the guy is a true enchanted prince. Awnt .... I want him for myself ....
The book is very cute, showing how important is the presence and support of the family for the young man besides being a cute love story.
With a light and funny writing and using the baseball dialect, Kendra C. Highley made me know and experience this sport that has always been an unkonwn for me. I had o truely good time in too many scenes that describe the game and I came to the end knowing the difference between Ball and Strike hahahahahahaha ..... An evolution!
Great was too the constant presence of their friends, bringing dynamics to the plot. I arrived at the end, happy and smiling and I wanting more.
A great read for teens and also a great hangover cure for adults..
5/5 stars

I loved book one of this series, and couldn't wait to jump into this.

Alyssa Kaplan loves working at her family's business. They have indoor batting cages, but the business isn't doing well thanks to the new sports complex in town. Then one day one of the players on the high school team comes in and everything changes.

Tristan Murrell has been having a horrible time hitting. He's too wrapped up in his head and can't seem to hit. He doesn't want the team to know how bad he's struggling, so he goes to the small batting cages that the team doesn't usually use. It's there he meets Alyssa, and once he does, he can't stop thinking about her.

Alyssa is able to help Tristan with batting, having played softball in the past. She can't help but notice how attractive he is, but she thinks she's average - nothing special. Once they realize they have feelings for each other, a lot happens. A lot you don't want to miss.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was fast paced and sucked me in from the very start. Tristan was a great character, and I loved how Alyssa fit with him. Together, they were perfect. I also enjoyed how the main characters from book one also played a part in it. All-in-all, a great read.

My Review





First sentence....


"There's a sound that can only be made by an aluminum bat striking a baseball. TING!"

I knew I was going to like this book by that first sentence. I am a tomboy at heart and love sports, so right away I knew that Alyssa and I were besties. That being said, I dove into this with big hopes. Alyssa's character was good and I loved her desire to work hard and help her father's batting cages work. She didn't even mind getting dirty messing with tools.... ehemmm.... yup, that is me! A girl after my own heart.

Tristan was a great character as well. A baseball player with skill, but was having a bit of a slump. The way Tristan and Alyssa meet was cute and made the story what it is. I didn't really appreciate the "let's date and not tell our friends" type of deal for it only to last like 2 days. But other than that I enjoyed the story and the characters. There were some definite swoony kisses and teenage angst mixed in for the win! What girl, no matter what her age, doesn't like some shirtless jocks and some testosterone filled sports? I sure do!! and this one was good, clean and a quick , fun read.

Swinging At Love by Kendra C. Highley is the second book in the Suttonville Sentinels Series. Alyssa has all sorts of problems from training for a ballet camp and worry about her father’s failing business. She is not sure if her father can even afford the camp due to the family business being on the brink of closing. Alyssa’s father owns The Swing Away Batting Cages but a brand new sports center has just opened and is destroying their business. Then there is Tristan. Who shows up at the batting cages, to find a way to fix his batting problems. He doesn’t expect to find anyone from the high school to be there. Alyssa is there and she can see that there is something wrong or not quite right with his swing. She turns out to be the perfect person to help him find the reason why. They end up falling for each other and needing each other in order to deal with their problems by never minimizing them or dismissing them, just by listening and being supportive. They discover that they are happier more together then apart. This is such a sweet romantic story that needs to be shared. **I received this book for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.**

This cute baseball romance is the second in the Suttonville Sentinels series. It features Alyssa a ballerina who works at her family owned batting cage complex and Tristan a junior on the high school baseball team. Alyssa's family is in danger of loosing the family business and Tristan is in a batting slump when Tristan meets Alyssa in a little used batting cage. With just a few words Alyssa is able to fix Tristan's stance and his swing improves. Then quickly Tristan and Alyssa fall for each other. But complicating the works are their friends who think the couple should be paired up with other people. All of these relationship worries happen during the state baseball championship and the few weeks right before Alyssa's family must decide the future of the business.

Swinging At Love is such a cute and sweet read.

Alyssa is not your typical teen girl and I loved that about her! She's a former softball player turned ballerina who works at her parents' failing sports facility. Determined to keep the business up and running, she does all she can to help- something not every teenage girl would do, and I found that to be so admirable! I loved the relationship she had with her parents.
Tristan is one of the stars of their high school baseball team and he's going through a slump. With parents that don't really take an interest in his sports career and his brother away at college he doesn't really have anyone to talk about what he's going through. Not wanting anyone, especially his teammates, to get wind of his troubles he ends up at Swing Away, where he runs into Alyssa. Not one to shy away from offering up advice, welcome or not, Alyssa gives Tristan a few pointers after seeing him swing and miss more often than he was connecting. Even as he shrugs off her advice, in typical boy fashion might I add, there's a little spark of attraction between them that's further fueled the more time they spend together.

It wasn't every day that a hot guy stared at her like he'd just come in from the desert and she was an oasis.

Alyssa and Tristan are such darling characters. I loved that they weren't afraid to share their feelings with each other, even with, maybe especially because of, how quickly things happened between them. They both come from such solid foundations, even if their upbringings were quite different. Alyssa is a calming and centering influence on Tristan and he was everything she didn't know she needed.

You'll find some of the usual high school drama infiltrating the pages of Swinging At Love. Even the best of friends don't always get along, and at one point or another someone's feelings are going to get hurt, albiet unintentionally. Alyssa and her best friend, and Tristan and his best friend, find themselves in a bit of a love quadrangle, which leads to a bit of a conundrum between friends. But it's high school and these things tend to work themselves out in time. I liked how things weren't glossed over and everyone was able to have their say, especially Alyssa- I wanted to stand up and cheer for her!

The ending to this book was particular sweet and had me swooning hard for Tristan. He's everything you'd want if you were a 17 year old girl!
Here's hoping we'll be seeing books for the best friends in the near future!

I received this ARC for an honest review.

At first, I thought I wasn't going to like this book, but boy was I wrong. I thought the author did a really good job with the cutesie scenes in the book and it was really well written. What surprised me the most, was how interested I was in the baseball aspect. I hate baseball, so this is a big kudos to the author for making baseball sound interesting.

I gave it four stars, because I can't say that I love it. Sometimes I didn't like the characters. They bugged me a little bit, but the book is definately is worth a read.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
The adult in me is rating 4 stars. However, I do believe actual young adults will find this book impossible to put down, with all the addictive, page-turning elements (tropes) on the pages.

Welcome back to Suttonville, where last we readers enjoyed Kyle and Faith's relationship grow. In this installment in the series, their friends get a chance at budding romance.

Alyssa, or Chickadee ('Dee) as her father calls her, is a hard-working, driven, and dedicated girl. She's a good student, a ballet dancer, and an ex-softball player. She works at her father's ailing/failing business round-the-clock. Swing Away, which has batting cages for big and small ballplayers. She's a supportive friend, to the point she usually allows them to walk all over her, which I did find a contradiction to her personality.

Tristan is a ballplayer with a problem. He's so stressed out from the upcoming championship, with the need to not let his team down, his swing is way off. He's lost his mojo. Instead of going to the new mega complex to bat, the one all the town and his teammates visit, he heads to Swing Away in private.

This is the setup for Alyssa and Tristan to meet. She helps him 'slow down' his game, relax, and unexpectedly find love.

What I enjoyed most about this novel, other than Alyssa and Tristan, is how the family members are all realistic and present in the lives of their children. More often than not in young adult novels, we see the children raising themselves, or raising their parents, as the conflict. Not this time around, and I applaud the author for the realism.

One of the morals of the story is stress, stress both young adults and adults alike can identify with. Alyssa is stressed about getting into dance camp, and Swing Away failing. Tristan is stressed about being so perfect, he's messing up. The kids are stressing about their friends. The parents have very real fears/stressors about losing a business that is tied to their home as well. It was realistic, with a good moral, showing how working through all the stress, dealing with it, is far better than hiding from it while you wait for it to pass.

Another moral is for teens, but I do believe adults should have a listen. Crushes, we've all been there. You may have never even spoken to your crush, but you feel a sense of ownership to him/her, and you place your stamp on the them, and if your friends try to date your crush, they are a bad friend. We see it as loyalty/disloyal. But we don't see the crush as a human being with a say in it. A relationship is between two people, and you're not entitled to the crush, just because you want them. What do you like, other than vapid things, if you've never even spoken to this person? There's a good chance you won't get along, and a greater chance your friend will. It's wrong to be controlling of both your friend and a stranger, as if you have a say in their dating life. I liked how the author focused on this, as Tristan and Alyssa's best friends both called dibs, not even knowing their crush's name, causing pain for all around.

This is where I go into what I didn't quite enjoy, where it didn't quite work, as it ties to above. The pacing is fantastic, a real page-turner. It's quick and easy to fall into the story, with likable, realistic characters. It's on the verge of insta-love, but in a cute, warm your heart way. But it felt concluded early on, then drawn out with a conflict I felt wasn't a conflict at all. Miscommunication is a pet-peeve of mine, in imagination-land and in real life. But at least it wasn't between Alyssa and Tristan (once it was – a tiny blip I knew was coming).

The miscommunication was between the best friends, calling dibs on crushes when they'd never spoken to them and didn't know their names. This caused our lovebirds to stay a secret, instead of manning up about it. It wasn't really a conflict, and it highlighted how bizarre/wrong it is to place a stamp of ownership on another human being just because you like how they look and their social standing. Bit of a mean girls situation played out, but I'm glad it was shown in a light young adults would learn from.

I was unsure how Alyssa's BFF had a complete 180 so quickly, it was out of character. But Dylan was in his character. So while I can appreciate what was on the pages, the story of Tristan and Alyssa felt complete by the 20% mark in the book, when it's usually a journey between the couple.

Swinging at Love was cute, heartwarming, a bit over-the-top at the ending, yet realistic the rest of the time. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it in a heartbeat. I look forward to more in this series, and more by this author. Kendra C. Highley is becoming one of my favorite YA authors.

Young adult age-range: 13+. Kissing. Mild Swearing. PG with 17-year-old narrators.

I had read the first book in this series and was excited to get the invite to read this one. And it was exactly what I wanted to read.

I loved Alyssa and Tristan. She's smart and stands up for herself and it was so much fun watching her put baseball boys in their place. I loved that some of them took her for a stupid girl and she showed them up at baseball. Tristan is sweet and loyal and knows when to back off and not always save the day. The two of them were absolutely delightful.

Yes, there were some miscommunications that drove me mad, but again, I was so wrapped up in what was happening, it was easy to overlook. I loved the ending and the epilogue and of course the fact that Faith and Kyle were in the story. I can't wait to see who is next.

**Huge thanks to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**

4 stars -- I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

OK, this was a solid next book in the series that I didn't know was going to be a series!! And while I'm a little disappointed Faith and Kyle's BFFs weren't the focus of this story, Tristan and Alyssa were a pretty freaking spectacular consolation prize. ;) And no, you don't have to read book 1, but honestly, why wouldn't you? Shoot, I'm not even a baseball fan, or really a big muscular arms on a guy girl, but DAMN. Ms. Highley knows how to make me swoon. This is exactly what I love from a young adult romance...a fun quick read, lots of lightness and sweetness and swooning, but with just enough depth to give me more.

I think the thing I love most about both this book and the previous one is the sweetness of the heroes. Tristan was just adorable! He didn't have the same background that Kyle did, but he was just really down to earth, and he knew what attracted him. He had his own struggles coming from a family with completely different interests to him, and I could really appreciate that aspect to his story. I liked that while he did feel like the odd man out in his family, his family was still good peeps...just lost in the world of baseball. It's an interesting facet that I don't necessarily read a lot, where you have that dichotomy, but still have the love you know? Not that that makes it any easier. It was nice that he had Keller too.

And Alyssa was just awesomesauce. I loved her sass, her insecurities, her straight talking, her confidence in certain things. If I swung that way, I would totally be intrigued by her. And I loved her own family dynamic. I loved how close she was, how much her family influenced her, and it was nice to see a story where it wasn't rich guy with poor girl (or vice versa), but there was a money/lifestyle disparity. But it wasn't really the focus. It was about how her family was struggling with their local business in an economy that's hurting everyone. I loved how important Swing Away was to her, and what she was willing to sacrifice for it.

And oh wow, Tristan and Alyssa's chemistry was fantastic. Right from their first interaction, you could just feel it. I enjoyed that. I was SERIOUSLY concerned with the way things would play out with Dylan and Lauren, and I was kind of disappointed in how it went initially, but it didn't drag on like I thought it would, and it resolved better than I expected. So phew.

And now, this girl who has no interest in baseball whatsoever, is seriously hoping for more from this series. I love book baseball. It's way more exciting. And I want more swoony guys from Ms. Highley, she seriously excels.

Fabulous YA read! I really loved this second book in the Suttonville Sentinels series but is completely stand alone. We do get to see how Kyle and Faith from book 1 are doing. There is lots of baseball stuff in this book but you don't really have to know or even like baseball to appreciate this story. Tristan and Alyssa are a great couple and really bring out the best in each other. I really enjoy the writing style of Ms Highley and how well she develops her characters. I really felt like I knew these two. The story has a nice quick pace to it and is a very easy read. I would definitely recommend this one.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review

Oh dear, here we go again. As if Kyle and Faith were not enough in the first book the second one comes out. I actually had no idea this was going to be a series. I remember reading about Tristan in the first book and oh wow if I thought I loved him in the first book, this one is entirely on a different level.

Alyssa, a ballerina who loves to dance is practicing for the summer camp audition with Lauren (do you remember these two? It actually took me a while to notice that I read the first book and loved it! This series reminds me of The Fine Art of Pretending, loved that book too). Alyssa is caring, confident and knows a lot about baseball and pitching. I guess she would since she used to be a pitcher for the softball team but she leaves it as she loves dancing more. Enters Tristan, who is also really sweet and faces a big problem as he can't seem to hit the ball and his team are counting on him. He doesn't know what the problem is, he comes to Swing Away to practice and have some privacy from the team and here meets the alluring Alyssa.

Alyssa, who is a bit of a expert offers to help him with his troubles. As they slowly start to spend more time with each other, they become increasingly fond with one another. Although the relationship begins with rocky start thanks to Dylan and Lauren but its all in good in the end.

I really loved how they are both willing to go to extreme lengths to help one another, Alyssa helps Tristan and Tristan helps Alyssa save Swing Away, but will they succeed?

OMG! Kyle and Faith are really LOVED up in this book, I wanted more Kyle and Faith. I am hoping they end up married and have adorable babies. You can also see a big change in Kyle thanks to Faith and vice versa.

I am beginning to love the authors writing, it makes me fall in love with the characters all over again. I love how everything seems to just flow and nothing is ever easy for the characters even when I wish they were. There are twists and turns and winning each other back. I love it when the guy has to work for winning his girl back it makes it so much joy reading it. Loved Kyle and Tristan *swoons*.

(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley.)

“What if I like curves, curly hair, and a girl who can throw a fastball?”

This was a YA contemporary romance featuring a dancer and a baseball player.

Alyssa was an okay character, and I liked how much faith she had in her father and his business. I also liked how she tried to help people at the batting cages, even when there was nothing in it for her.

The storyline in this was about Alyssa’s father possibly losing his business – a sports facility with batting cages, and about Alyssa trying to help find a way to save it. We also got a romance storyline between Alyssa and a baseball player called Tristan who was having problems with his swing.
The romance in this was quite sweet, and I liked how Alyssa was happy to make the first move. What I didn’t like was the lying though. When Tristan and Alyssa found out that their respective best friends had feelings for Alyssa and Tristan they should have just been honest and admitted that they already had a relationship together, rather than lying and putting each other in a difficult position. Plus, lying to your best friend is never going to end well.

The ending to this was okay, and I was glad that everything worked out okay in the end. I just wished that there wasn’t lying involved!
6.5 out of 10

Rating: 3.5 stars

Alyssa's family is in danger of losing their business. Tristan is in danger of keeping his team from the championship due to his batting slump. In an effort to secretly work on his swing, Tristen finds himself at Alyssa's batting cages. Circumstances brought them into each other's lives, and they found comfort in each other. But there may be some unexpected hurdles to overcome before this romance is able to fully blossom.

"Out of nowhere, fully formed, Tristan dropped out of the sky at the moment she most needed someone. And maybe she'd don't the same thing for him"

I really liked both Alyssa and Tristan, and I had not problem getting on this ship. Alyssa was this softball player turned ballerina, who she still knew her way around the ball field. She was spunky and not afraid to go after things she wanted. I admired her dedication to her friends and her family. She was loyal and quite often put other people's needs above her own. This was something she struggled with in the story, and where she experienced the most growth.

Tristian was a star ballplayer, but he was not your typical jock. He was so sweet to Alyssa. I swooned many times. He was also a loyal friend and teammate, and I really liked the bromance between him, Dylan, and Kyle. They actually talked about their feelings, and supported each other. It was great.

Highley did a great job weaving baseball into this story. She did a great job with the tension experience with Tristan's failing swing and each big game they played.

I have read some reviews where they felt the ending was over the top, but I loved it! Highley showed Tristan as a hero in multiple ways, and the ending was the big gesture. It was perfect.

I found this book adorable and a total feel-good read. There was a great romance, supportive families and friends, and a lot of swoony-sweet moments as well.

I really enjoyed this book. It was short and sweet YA romance. I liked it. I read it in one sitting. I just wish their chemistry was more off the charts. All problems were solved quicky. It was a good read.

I received a copy of this book from entangled teen through netgalley.

Swinging at Love was such a fun book. I would have read it faster, but I wasn't home much the past couple days. I think most readers will finish it in one or two sittings. I'm starting to love the sports romance books some of the Entangled Teen authors have been putting out. I really loved Alyssa and her strength. Every character was likeable and I hope there are other books that will follow.

Basically I really liked this book. It's been a while since I sat down and read a teen romance but this one was pretty cute and about baseball, so really loved that. It was low on the angst and drama and just a lighthearted and hopeful read that had me smiling and thinking about those awkward and shy high school years.