A tale of second chances, passion, and the complexities of navigating romance against the backdrop of professional sports.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I did not finish this book. It had a lot of potential but it wasn't for me.

DNF

I tried. I did. But Carson and Sadie just didn't do it for me. I found them kind of boring and I just couldn't get into their drama enough to want to see how everything finally turned out for them

This was a tough book to get through. There was a lot of eye rolling and annoyed sounds coming out of me while I read this. Carson was immature. Sadie was wishy-washy. Both of them together are a perfect match. The inappropriate behavior, while it was not actually set in stone that they should not fraternize, was bad. It sounds bad and looks bad. No matter their history, it was bad. And then the story, the way it proceeded, made both of these characters look unprofessional, especially Sadie, since she was set in place to actually help the image of the team.

I was dissapointed.

DNF at 40%

I was excited when I saw that this was a second chance romance but unfortunately I was just bored with the story. So much potential :/

I'm not quite sure how to feel about this book, and I've been putting off my review because of it. On one hand I enjoyed the author's storytelling and style. It was easy to follow and I'm definitely interested im checking out her other books. But on the other hand, this particular story didn't mesh well with me. I didn't connect to the characters, didn't enjoy their manipulations of one another, and honestly didn't buy into their romance.

So how do you rate a book where it was technically compelling, but you found the plotlines lacking? That's where I am.

I'd suggest reading a preview first to see if Ball Buster may be something you enjoy and go from there. To me this book was a miss, but hopefully the author's others will be a win.

This book was pretty good. It definitely held my attention and I’ll be checking out the author’s other books.

Awesome sports story. Loved the humor and the characters. I'd love to read more from this author. Sports, mainly football, stories are a favorite of mine. The characters had history, and have a wonderful connection. A definite re-read and will continue to read from this author!!

Brilliant read with all the things I enjoy in a book with a brilliant storyline and characters and I will look forward to reading more from you from this author thank you for my arc

The overall trope of this one is not my favorite romance trope to read - playing hard to get, oh I'm so cute tee-hee. I like a strong female lead, not one that plays games. This felt immature and I had to force myself to finish - because I'm no quitter. I couldn't connect in a single way to the characters so it was hard to get into. I'm sure there will be plenty of readers that don't agree with my review, but that's okay, because it's my opinion not theirs. To each their own.

While I liked Sheridan’s writing style and some of the side characters (Tamera and Leonard in particular), this book was not for me.

The story — Carson and Sadie dated in high school but broke up right before going their separate ways for college. Carson was a local football star and Sadie received a lot of hate for dumping him to pursue her own goals. Fast forward seven years, Carson is the quarterback of the local NFL team which hires Sadie’s PR firm to clean up their social media image. It is clear from the beginning that these two are not over each other and sparks fly. A classic second-chance romance … one of my favourite tropes.

My main issue with this book was Sadie. I did not like her. I found her to be self-centred and manipulative. In a couple of instances, she uses Carson’s personal feelings for her to forward her professional goals. I just could not get behind the romance. Neither Carson nor Sadie seems to listen to what the other says if it doesn’t suit there plan.

The ending followed a trope that generally angers me.

Overall, I may try another book by the author, but this just was not my story.

Holy hotness! Sheridan has written one HOT HOT HOT romance! I loved every page! Thank goodness she has a backlist!

For me, this was an okay second chance romance but I have to admit I did not much like Carson and he did not grow on me either I did like Sadie thought she was a great character and made up for the fact I did not connect with Carson but that could just be me it is well worth a read, it is not bad just not fantastic

Kindly provided with an ARC via Netgally in exchange for an honest review.......
3.5 Stars from me . The blurb had me interested but unfortunately I got a little tired of hearing Carson and Sadie NOT getting over their past. For me it was Sadie who got under my skin. I get that she is an independent women and values her goals and being in control of her life, but sheesh lighten up a bit.
I felt she still crucified Carson for him NOT taking HER ambitions seriously enough and putting HER needs and career first. Oh diddums !!!!
Obviously for every couple, life has to be give and take, I just think these two characters were both too driven and for me that saying holds true.......oil and water don't mix. Carson and Sadie are oil and water, they don't complement each other, they could be poured into a beaker wanting to be one liquid but ultimately they will never become one. They will always stay two separate liquids trying to co-exist, pretending to be one mix. Lord Donna shut it now with the chemistry analogizes.
Moving back to the story, despite the whole Sadie having to help Carson and his team's image, she still has a major beef all those years later. That really comes across in their tale. There was a reason these two didn't work out the first time. I personally thought that those reasons had really never altered, the individuals both just have aged. I just couldn't grasp the whole - your the one and I won't give up on us. We are meant to be. What the hell ?. Where's that attitude come from several years later ?. Narr, I am just not buying what your selling love. It's not long lost love realizing that you can not live without that one magical person that got away. Its more of a case of I've had years trying out and sampling others and they are all meh, so I think I'll try with you again. Cynical but that's what I felt from their story.
Not the worst read, just frustrating (if you've not figured out my feelings from my review ;0)).
Many thanks to Kara and Netgalley for the opportunity x
Later peeps xx

Their shared past was something that Sadie was not looking forward to encountering again. The years and distance have passed have definitely left their mark and trying to help a team avoid more public relations nightmares was a dream she couldn’t deny. Only one catch. She would be with her high school sweetheart and former fiancé once again. Carson’s image is somewhat tainted by the act of a fellow teammate and he must do what he can to improve his image to keep his place on the team. Will more than sparks fly once they see each other again? Absolutely loved this story and how Sadie will be a total bull buster to shape a team up and avoid the continual negative press.

Ball Buster is a second chance Sports Romance told in third party narrative. Although the pacing of this book perfect (Read Fast) it still failed to captivate me. I really struggled to connect with this book and the characters. As much as I wanted to finish this book cause the writing was decent enough, I just couldn't follow through in the end. DNF

I have chosen not to review this title. As always, I appreciate the opportunity to read an early title and I look forward to the next book through your company.

Thanks,
Laura

I was very excited by the prospect of this book because i love second chance romance, but sadly this was not a winner for me.
Carson is a football hero for the famous team The Warriors and Sadie, the image consultant is the girl from the past that broke his heart long ago. Warriors have a bad reputation and the latest scandal involving a certain pic of Carson does not help the team. Enter Sadie who is brought in to help change and polish Carson. Carson see's this as an opportunity to try and win her back because he as still and always will be in love with her, but Sadie is fierce and headstrong and determined not to fall for the bad boy she left behind. The story was a little slow for me and I just wasn't able to connect fully with both Carson and Sadie, but overall i thought it was an adorable story. All together it was an ok read.

Carson and Sadie were a somewhat unlikely duo, but given their history, and current situations, watching them fall back in love was a pleasure. Sadie had a big job to do to get the social media image of the football players back in a more wholesome light, and Carson needed her help to excel. Their chemistry was off the charts.

Second chance stories are not normally my thing but the cover caught my eye and the story revolved around football. I’ve never read anything by Ms. Sheridan before and I’m quite happy to say I enjoyed this book. Sadie and Carson were high school sweethearts but life tore them apart. 7 years later they have a chance to rekindle their love. No drama or cheating. Looking forward to the next book in the series.