Angel is one hardworking single mother. She works at a club at night to support her and her son. She is also in nursing school. She has no intention of falling in love. She just doesn’t have time for that! Enter Caleb! He is the star pitcher for the Bronx Bolts and Angel is not impressed! She is immune to his charm and good looks….until she isn’t!

Caleb and Angel have a love-hate thing going at the first. Angel is a fiery Puerto Rican and she does not take crap off of anyone. She doesn’t care if that someone IS the star pitcher. Caleb is attracted to her from the first he laid eyes on her. These two make a wonderful team.

I enjoyed Angel. She is my type of female character. She is tough, independent and smart. She and Caleb have a rocky start. But, soon they both realize they have way to much chemistry to ignore. Plus any book that talks baseball is perfect for me! This is a quick, enjoyable romance.

I received this novel from St. Martin’s Press for a honest review.

Angel Gomez, a single NYC mother working hard to support her asthmatic son and to earn her nursing degree, gets drawn into a fake relationship with a Yankees' pitcher whose career is in jeopardy due to injury (he needs a reason to explain why he's visiting a medical clinic; she's a student working on her practicum there). The set-up sounds great.

The first big annoyance is that the baseball references were completely unbelievable. A star pitcher is NOT going to get "fired" for having an injury. A major league team would have doctors either on staff or doctors with whom they work overseeing an injured player, and most likely some contractual language obligating him to work with said doctors rather than running off to a shady doctor on his own. And a pitcher would have been down in Florida for spring training, along with the other catchers and pitchers, not in NYC. And he would have been at the ball park every day, rather than chasing around after Angel...

What is really upsetting here, though, is the romance, or lack thereof. Most of the novel shows Angel and Duke being suspicious, doubtful, and many times outright cruel to one another; none of the good feelings, longing, or even romantic tension one reads romance for exists in Angel and Duke's difficult relationship. One can admire Angel's determination to make something of herself without liking her approach to romance. After Angel thinks "Then she knew. She'd lost all respect for Duke. As that respect receded like a wave, it also wiped out her desire to be with him," I'm all "you go, girl." But alas, she kept the door open, and he and she kept being cruel to each other, which made me lose all respect for both of them.

This was the first book I read by these authors, but I was not disappointed. There were some times that the way the characters spoke irritated me, but it didn't deter me from reading. Duke and Angel come from different worlds. He is a successful baseball player and she is a struggling single mom. She works multiple jobs and is going to school so she can make a better life for her son, Jose.
When he goes to the clinic where she works, the press finds out and want to know if he will be able to play in a week. He uses the cover of visiting his girl, Angel, as his reason for being there. They spend more time together, neither one beliving the other truly likes him/her. She sees what his life is truly like and wants no part of it. She got accused of doing something that she caught someone else doing.
Not only is he recovering, and not very well, but he is also still struggling with the murder of his friend/teammate. She is struggling to keep her son alive, he has asthma and the insurance she has doesn't pay for his medicine. Between an angry, vindictive ex, a slimy boss, a dad who may or may not be trusted, it doesn't look good for these to find a way to be together. When he makes a decision that she doesn't agree with, she believes he isn't who she thought he was. The real questions are: will he go through with it, and did he kill his teammate like some believe.
I recieved an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

Angel Gomez is all about pulling herself up. She keeps persevering when life keeps throwing her curve balls. She is studying to be a nurse at the same time being a bartender. She also has the most adorable child and is raising with the help of friends. Caleb "The Duke"Willis is just trying to keep his job as a pitcher for The Yankees. He goes to this clinic he knows which will keep things quiet. While there he meets the most beautiful woman. Little did he know she would be a thorn in his side. She keeps pushing him to be better. She doesn't put up with his crap. In the end, he turns into the person he can live with.

I love baseball romances! Unfortunately this was not one of my favorites - I thought the character development was lacking. On top of that, there were too many inconsistencies to how MLB players are actually treated for me to believe anything (I am a huge baseball fan, so this might not deter a casual fan). Also, the main character was a Yankee... which is in my Red Sox blood to hate! 😝

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Date was nothing like I expected and it sadly didn't work for me. The romance wasn't there but I did like that it was short and fast read.

I have mixed feelings about this book, and with more care and editing I would have enjoyed it more than I did, but overall it was a cute read.

I gave this book a try, but with the weird obsession with every person’s weight (like even random background characters), the bad attitude of both main characters, and the almost weird obsession with repeating that he plays for the Yankees over and over again, I just couldn’t finish. I really thought the premise was good and the cover was adorable, but the book just doesn’t deliver.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

There are usually two veins in any story that draws me in as a reader. First, strong characterization and second, situations that evoke a ballroom of emotions that connect me with the characters. In The Perfect Date I didn't really like Angel or Duke and wish they had never met. If I were Angel's friend, I would probably advise that she's surrounded by disgusting men( like her boss, Frank and Dr.Collins who both expect sexual favors from her) and that Duke is no better. Duke is a cliched baseball player hiding his medical problems and hoping Angel will play the part of his girlfriend to stem the media frenzy around his career. Oh so many things proceed to worsen for the couple and I became so turned off by the way in which the author tried to smokescreen some serious issues.


So the only emotional response I was feeling by the end of this ARC was anger and frustration. In some ways this is exactly the reason why Fifty Shades never worked for me. I just cannot buy into sex and loneliness turning into a "love story. " Especially when the male protagonists, such as Duke, actually exhibit signs of violent behavior and physical abuse towards the female protagonist.





Goodreads review 08/06/ 9
Publication Date 11/06/19

I have to start this review by saying I'm disappointed. The blurb was so promising and I had been looking forward to reading it. But as I started I just couldn't connect to the characters. Maybe it was the fact that it kept jumping from one POV to the next without a real separation so it got confusing really quickly. The plot could have been a great book but it never delivered. I kept expecting that WOW moment but it never came. Both MC's were saying one thing but doing something else. And the chemistry - it never felt real and the drama was just too much for me.

I really wanted to like it but unfortunately I didn't!

I really wanted to be in love with this book. Sadly, that did not happen.
But I did read every part of it, so let me tell you what I thought was the most important thing: THE WRITING WAS GREAT. It flowed really well, it was so easy to read, but at the same time it felt elevated throughout. I liked the pacing they went with, and the voice of the narrator was also well suited. I think the characters felt vivid, they were placed on the page nicely. But I think that also took away from my impression of the book cause some character’s trademarks weren’t my cup of tea and I had a bit of a hard time connecting because of it.
However, this book seems like a solid, fast read, if not for anything else, but simply because of the writing style.

Gritty, realistic opposites-attract romance

Angel and Duke run in wildly different circles; he's a famous professional baseball player and she's struggling each day to provide for her son while she attends nursing school. After they cross paths a couple times, Duke's image needs a bit of wholesome credibility so he asks Angel to be his fake girlfriend whenever they're in public together. As they get to know each other, the differences in their lifestyles and circle of friends become nearly-insurmountable obstacles.

The writing style is unique in a romance book in that we're not directed to see each main character as always doing the right thing or even acting reasonably. Angel is constantly having to rein in her temper, while Duke shows a surprisingly pouty side and occasional lack of backbone. There's also an intriguing storyline running throughout that adds betrayal, mystery, and a bit of a crime drama element. The HEA expertly wraps all the assorted narrative threads nicely. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

When St. Martin's Press' publicist offered me an advance copy of The Perfect Date to review, I readily accepted after seeing the cover and the name of a PoC author. I was like, "Yay for representation and inclusion."
I had high hopes for this book as I love some of its elements: multicultural main characters, placing a priority on education, desire to rise up from poverty. I thought I would be able to relate to the heroine since I also have a little boy. I thought there would be strong family support and solid female friendships.

I thought wrong. The Perfect Date did not live up to expectations. The writing is unpolished, the pacing is uneven, and the editing is unsatisfactory with plenty of grammatical errors and head hopping points of view. The main characters are unlikable and the many sub-plots are too heavy and angsty without let-up.

I cannot even consider it a proper romance since the main focus of the book was not Angel and Duke getting together to form a loving relationship. Each went about their own way - Angel to deal with the creep of a doctor she works for while studying for her exams, and taking care of her sickly son; Duke to return to playing baseball while hiding his injury and warring with his blackmailer of an ex-girlfriend. Their association was forced, their meetings combative. They never had a perfect date, so the title doesn't fit.

Only Angel's friend Gabrielle and her son Jose are positive representations of people of color. The rest, including Duke, are abusive, drug addicts, amoral cheaters and blackmailers, and in the case of Angel, whiny and hot-tempered.

Contrary to the blurb, The Perfect Date is not fun. It's a soap-opera drama better suited to a reality show on TV. If you're a fan of that, this book might be for you. Sadly, it is not for me.

I love the concept of this story bit feel like the depth I was looking for didnt come through. There was a lot on the surface of this story and I wanted more.
I also felt it was a bit jumpy between the characters and how the story flowed. I know part of it was reading the advanced reader copy was missing some of the final layout edit and that may have helped to better see when the character view changes.

Angel Gomez was an unwed mother by the time she was sixteen & her personal mission has always been to show the world that a Puerto Rican girl is not to be messed with. The only thing that matters to Angel, now, is providing for her son and earning enough tips at the club to complete her nursing degree along the way. Caleb “The Duke” Lewis is a star pitcher for the Bronx Bolts whose romantic escapades make delicious fodder for gossip columns. But lately he’s been trying to keep a lower profile—so much so that when he meets Angel, first while she’s in her nurse uniform and the next time behind the bar, she has no idea who Duke is, fails to fall for his obvious charm, and ends up throwing a drink in his face!
I read the blurb & thought I’d give this book a try as not my usual genre, whilst I did overall enjoy it I didn’t love the main characters & found it very hard to like them & to connect with them. I much preferred Duke to Angel as I found her to be abrasive & had a huge chip on her shoulder. I struggled to finish the book & it took me days to actually finish as I kept dabbling in it between reading other books & that’s so unlike me as I usually devour a book in under a day. It was well written & I'm sure others will love it but unfortunately it wasn't my cup of tea.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I am really sorry but this book was just not for me. I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. The whole time while reading it I felt like I am missing some part. I needed more emotions. I don't know I guess it wasn't what I expected to be. But over all the story was sweet and I love heroes who are smitten with their girls. The chemistry between them was good. But as I said I always wanted a bit more. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC but this time just it wasn't my cup of tea.

I'm going to blame myself for this one since I went into The Perfect Date with the expectations of enjoying a cute and fun contemporary romance. I wasn't prepared for the drama and cattiness that I read instead and it made the book less than enjoyable for me.

I don't even feel like getting into a long rant over what I didn't like about this book, and there wasn't much that I did enjoy, but overall it just wasn't the book for me. The romance got buried under all of the drama happening and that drama is also what had me unable to connect to either character. Honestly they both seemed like jerks to me and I really didn't appreciate how the author went so hard with the whole "Every female is a bitch - other than the heroine, of course" thing. I've read it before, it seems to be a trend, but it's not one I appreciate.

Bottom line, I didn't like it but I would never tell other readers not to try a book that seems interesting to them. So if the blurb intrigues you and you're ready for some drama llama, this may be the book for you.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *
2.5*
I must admit that I requested thing book firstly because of the beautiful cover that screamed rom-com and secondly I was sucked in by the blurb. I was ready for an intense, sweet romance with some tension thrown in. Unfortunately this book just didn't do it for me. While I enjoyed the main character Angel, who is a single mom working her hardest to provide for her son. Duke and the relationship between them fell flat for me. While it did have some beautiful moments and great suspense. The over behaviour of Duke just left a bad taste in my mouth. Writing style was okay and could have had some improvements. It wasn’t enough to make up for what the book failed to deliver. This is a novel I desperately wanted to love but in the end just wasn't for me.

I liked the cover a lot and thought it would be a cute romance, but I was wrong. I liked the main character Angel OK, but the other character Duke Lewis was a jerk throughout the book. I'm sorry I spent the time I did reading this.

Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The Perfect Date by Evelyn Lozada and Holly Lorincz is a modern day retelling of the Cinderella story set in the world of professional baseball. Angel Gomez is a struggling single mom who attends nursing school during the day and bartends at night while trying to make a better life for her young son. She meets Caleb “The Duke” Lewis a star pitcher for the Bronx Bolts when he shows up at the medical clinic she is doing her practicum in to get treatment for his injured ankle and because he is trying to hide how badly his ankle is he asks her to pretend to be his date so that the press and his coach won’t get wind of the reason for his visit to the clinic. I enjoyed the story and it’s peek into the dark side of professional sports and do recommend it. More sweet than steamy. Publishing Date June 11, 2019 #NetGalley #ThePerfectDate #StMartinsPress #StMartinsGriffin