KG hits it out of the ballpark with this novel. I really want to know what happens with these characters next. What happens with the team? What comes next with Terri? And Emmy & Ike? So many questions!!!

While this is an enjoyable read it didn’t offer me anything different in this theme. Britt returns to the small town she grew up in because her dad is ill and her career has taken a dive. She has terribly memories of Leland, Kentucky because of the small-mindedness. One of the first people she meets is Ninah, a school teacher and avid fan of the minor league baseball team. Ninah offers to teach Britt the intricacies of the local baseball team in the hopes that she can change Britt’s mind about her dislike for Leland.

There is a lot of baseball in this novel and it’s not a game I understand very well (it’s just not cricket) which meant that I felt like I was missing chunks. Some areas of the relationship development were engaging but just as many seemed to drag.

Overall it’s a nice enough read but it didn’t blow me away.

Book received from Netgalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

I acknowledge that I have not read the previous book that is in some way related to it, The House on Sandstone, and that my feelings regarding the books of this author are quite mixed. I have favorites and disappointments among her books. In any case, since I don't like to start reading any book with prejudices, I don't even like to see the reviews before, I don't take much of the above into account.

Reading this book, I have found myself enjoying all its parts related to friendship and love for baseball on the one hand, in a relatively small community located in a fairly closed area and strongly influenced by religion and closed minds.

Britt has to return to her hometown from which she fled as soon as she could. Her vital moment is quite negative, since she has been betrayed by her girlfriend, both emotionally and professionally and she is trying to recover from the blow that this has meant for her. She returns very much to her regret and her intention is to remain there as little as possible, but she cannot help being trapped in the plans her father has made to recover the baseball team of the city that is about to disappear.There she meets Ninah, who is a lesbian and is also recovering from a breakup. The lesbian community in the area is small and she doesn't have many options, so Britt's arrival seems to be good for her.

The story between Britt and Ninah is very intertwined with the rest of the plot, which is more focused on the prejudices of both Britt in reuniting with the closed and homophobic Catholic society from which she fled and does not want to return and the fight that this same society does to evolve and accept the different, although this is done little by little and with many difficulties.

So more than a usual romance this is a good story of hope and faith in society and its gradual acceptance of the different. A highly recommended reading nonetheless.

This book did not thrill me. I typically really enjoy KG MacGregor's books, but this one was a bit of a let down. The main characters were not fully fleshed out and the relationship did not seem real. The story line is a good one about a prodigal daughter, Brittany, who comes home to an ill father only to find out that he has bought a minor league baseball team. The minor league team is not doing well in the marketing department and Brittany's dad wants her to work her magic, even though she knows nothing about baseball. Bring in local Ninah who knows all about baseball and she wants to teach Brittany all she knows about baseball and herself. There is drama within, but the main characters seemed to be a bit boring.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not a spectacular book or love story. It was nice reading about Justine and Carly from House on Sandstone, But compared to them Britt and Ninah lacked chemistry. It seems like Ninah only went for Britt because she was the only available lesbian in town. And for Britt, it was like she decided that while she was in town she needed to have a partner by her side. I just didn't feel it between the two of them. Ninah was hard to pinpoint, she goes from pure laid back to a hot head raging against her ex from 0 to 60. Britt was very business-like at work and outside work.

I still liked the book for the secondary plots. Justine and Carly, their kids and the baseball team.

So, it's on my list, but, I haven't had a chance to read House on Sandstone yet, the book that this one is a sorta sequel to (and now I'm really looking forward to it). On the other hand, the fact that I had not yet read the previous book didn't seem to matter as I read this one. MacGregor gave more than enough background on Justine and Carly that I even now have some guesses for what the previous book had in it (yes, this has also kept alive my managing to start lesfic serieses in the middle instead of at the beginning, doh!)

To this story though. It's primarily about Britt and Ninah. Britt comes home to Lealand because her father nearly has an aneurysm burst. When she gets there she finds that her father has bought into a new venture that he wants Britt to help him with. And since Britt's life in California is cratering, she stays. Although her staying does have a little to do with Ninah.

Ninah is a history teacher at the local school as well as the faculty sponsor of the school's GSA group during the school year, and a semi-professional scorekeeper for the local Minor League baseball team during the summer.

Between the two women's back and forth relationship story and an intense subplot too it was an interesting and fun read. The only big weirdness was that about halfway through I wondered whether I'd missed part of NInah and Britt's story. Other than that it sucked me in though and kept me interested.

I received this book via Netgalley thanks to Bella Books.

I'm not terribly upset with this one, because there were many aspects of the book that I like. The main problem with the book is that the romance didn't click. The two leads, Britt and Ninah are pretty good characters on their own, but together, they don't work. I hate to even say this, but it felt forced, like they really ought to be with other people, but because of their situation (lack of other ladies who love ladies) in town, they just ended up with each other.

Besides that, there was a lot going on. The baseball aspect was really fun, especially since the sports and Leland, Kentucky's social issues often intersected. There's also the look at the town's socio/political climate with Ninah's ex, and the Gay/Straight Alliance club that Ninah set up at the high school. There was even a bit of racial politics that impacted some of the side characters.

With all that going on in the book, there was not a lot of time for Ninah and Britt to really get to know each other beyond the initial attraction and their liaisons in the bedroom. I think that's why it felt off to me. There's so much stuff for them to deal with, and it felt like they were handling all of these conflicts on their own. Even when their plans intersected, they were often executed a part from each other. I felt like that made their relationship more disconnected than anything else.

Overall, I'd say this is good enough for all the other stuff that is going on in the book - especially the way that it looks at how a sports team can really influence it's fans. The book nails that down so well that I could almost forgive the lack of chemistry from the two leads. Unfortunately, the main push is that it's a romance, and the lack of chemistry really hurts in that department.

It’s been a good long while since I’ve read anything new by KG MacGregor. At one point, she was one of my very favorite authors and I still reread a few of her old romances at least once a year. I’ll never stop loving Without Warning, Just This Once, and The House on Sandstone. But after several books in a row either couldn’t hold my attention or had characters whose actions and attitudes completely turned me off, I decided to stop trying.

What happened to make me want to pick up The Lucky Ones when I saw it on NetGalley? Well, the first was Megan teasing me about my love for Without Warning (she doesn’t like it but also has terrible tastes in books sometimes) and the second was seeing that it takes place in Leland KY and would give me a glimpse at Justine and Carly.

In general, I’m not a fan of ensemble lesfic romances or sequels that focus on a new couple in the same universe as previous books. I want to focus on the relationship that’s supposed to be front and center and not be hit with reference after reference and explanations that have to be given because books have to be accessible for new readers who don’t want to start at the beginning. It can get to be frustrating and I, in my old age, don’t have the patience for it.

With that being said, I had always hoped for a bit more of Justine and Carly. I loved Justine, in particular, and Carly was alright, I guess. Yeah, I might have wanted Justine for myself… 🙂 The Lucky Ones gave me just enough of J & C and their family to make me feel warm and fuzzy but not so much as to take away from Britt and Ninah and their story. I do need to bring up that it was strange having Trey and Emmy being not only adults but not even young adults. Shit, I’m getting old…

This book also focuses on contemporary issues like dealing with racists, bigots, homophobia, Trumpers, and even, heaven help us, MAGA hat wearing lesbians. Yes, I did spend quite a few minutes pissed off but, through the decent characters in the book, we’re able to see the good that can be found in any town. People got hurt and bad things happened but as we’ve often seen in MacGregor’s books, good people make all the difference.

I think readers who love old-school KG MacGregor books will probably feel a lot like I do about The Lucky Ones. And for all of you folks who haven’t read The House on Sandstone yet, get to busy!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a book that I got 90% through in one sitting before my family demanded I do something besides read all day. And thanks to KG MacGregor for writing a lovely book about lovely people.

When Britt's father falls ill, she's called home to the small town where he lives. It's the same small town she ran away from the second she finished high school, in search of a more welcoming, less homophobic, city life in San Francisco. When she arrives, she's sucked into her father's new business venture. Determined to help him out and help herself out of the shambles of her own career, she agrees to stay and make their minor league baseball stadium THE place to be int own, at least until she can once again escape the small town and go back to California. She doesn't expect to fall for long time resident Ninah and she doesn't expect to start seeing the alluring draw of Leland either.

I loved the cast of characters in this book and the romance was very sweet. It really created for a heartwarming and cozy read. This book also managed an impressive feat by making baseball and the business of baseball, exciting and interesting to a non-sport fan. I got caught up in the whole atmosphere Britt was trying to create at the ballpark. This book shed light on a lot different kinds of discrimination experienced in a small town but it also showed a lot of the good in the small town and how different people stand up to discrimination and work tirelessly to create a welcoming community. It was a nice reminder that there is still good out there.

Justine and Carly, who you may or may not recognize, make a cameo appearance in this book. I haven't read the book that tells their story but it wasn't necessary to enjoy this book. I enjoyed experiencing Leland and getting a glimpse at their love story so I'm sure I'll be going back to read their story.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

KG MacGregor is one of my go-to authors. Whenever she releases a book, I buy it without even reading the description, knowing that I'll get a good quality read. I wasn't thrilled with this book mainly because I didn't feel the romance coming through. There really wasn't chemistry between the two main characters, and I wanted that connection. I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it either. The whole story was just middle-of-the-road for me. I will say though that every MacGregor book comes with a message and a purpose. There's always social commentary, and I love that about her. This book was no exception and dealt with homophobia, racism, and stereotypes. Not all religious people are bad, not all gay people are good. Great message and stellar writing. Just longed for a more engaging story.

Ninah and Britt are a couple i will not remember unfortunately! and those are your MCs for this book! i dont mean to be harsh to start off with this statement but when i write my reviews i usually just put my fingers on the keyboard and i dont look back so apologies for the author if i come across as harsh.
The romance part of the story didn't work for me. I just felt it was a bit forced and was wondering if this couple got together just because both were lesbians in this town (which by the way sometimes might happen in real life but i would also consider it sad).
The other part of the book which i found very good was the baseball part! i think this made me actually continue reading and being a little entertained with this read. No one can deny that KG MacGregor is a great author and her writing style is very good, and that was very obvious on the "sports" aspect in this read.
There was also a big part of the book that was a bit political, which didnt bother me at all. But it also didn't add to the story or to my liking of the book.
I would only recommend this book if you are interested in reading about baseball, but if you are looking for romance, i wouldn;t really recommend it. I do however recommend reading other books by this author, and i will be looking forward to reading more books from her ( the SHAKEN series is outstanding). This specific one didn't resonate that much with me.

"I received an ARC for an honest review."

This book puts the spotlight on various forms of discrimination, the role of organised religion and politics in creating hate and performs the tricky act of balancing the negative people with positive ones to maintain a well-adjusted narrative.

Brittany Iverson escaped from her home in small-town and small-minded Leland to California as soon as she could. Though her father is entirely supportive of her, Britt never returned to Leland and preferred him visiting her. However, when her father has a brain operation, she is back in the town she hates. Serendipitously, the her father’s illness occurs at a time when her long-term partner – professional and personal – has dumped Britt on both fronts leaving her struggling on many levels. As soon as she arrives in Leland and enters the hospital to see her father, Britt is practically adopted by Justine, who works in the hospital and is a close friend of Britt’s father. Justine invites Britt for dinner and introduces her to Ninah Faust, a history teacher in the local high school. While Britt is forming acquaintance-ship with these women, waiting to go back to California, she comes to know that her father has bought the struggling local minor league baseball team, which is like a community beacon. With her father out of commission, her own life in a limbo, Britt, a marketing professional sets about trying to turn thing around.

We really enjoyed the way the author has written about the whole community, the prevailing environment and the struggles that so many people face on the daily without grandstanding about any of it. Instead it all flows organically in the story. Of the two MCs, Britt came across as more stable and mature. There is something intrinsically likeable about her, which is not quite there in Ninah. Surprisingly, we liked Ninah’s ex, Teri, in her very brief appearance; particularly cince there seemed to be a character growth in her even though she was there in only two or three scenes.

Though this book takes on some rather serious subjects, it is not a heavy read – on the contrary, it is an easy, but thought-provoking read.

I was probably a bit harder on this book because The House on Sandstone, also by this author, is one of the better lesfic romance books in my opinion. This is essentially a "spin off" story set in the same location--and with Justine & Carly involved in supporting roles-- but with new leads: Ninah and Britt. Where "Sandstone" oozed with chemistry and fully fleshed out, delightful characters, there is a distinct lack of that here. It feels a bit uncomfortable to me early on that Ninah pursues Britt out of desperation and the fact that she's in the right age group rather than there being actual chemistry. There's a distinct lack of any spark and instead the author tells rather than shows the two of them getting closer and together. There are references at one point to the two of them dating each other, which just confused the heck out of me because nothing to that point sounded like dating at all. There was barely enough there to consider anything more than polite friendship If anything, Ninah and Britt are the type of people you would probably try to get away from: jealous and emotionally manipulative, angry at people for not thinking the same way they do, vocally resentful and dismissive of organized religion, considering themselves to be better than others in their circle of friends, etc. I couldn't get behind either of these women; I plain old just didn't like them. Couple the character issues I had with the repetition of Britt wanting nothing to do with small town Kentucky while every character tries to convince her how wonderful a small town is--wash, repeat. I'd say that the book could have been about a quarter shorter had maybe the small town vs big city argument been made just once or twice--maybe then the author could have focused more on relationship development or even a few additional baseball scenes. The book was not enjoyable for me--I'd never guess it came from the same writer as "Sandstone". I'd recommend simply re-reading that book and trying to get through this one.

While I enjoyed the baseball storyline and Britt returning to her adopted hometown, I thought the book lacked in romance and general character chemistry between Britt and Ninah. The book was quite political and I was just hoping to read a nice romance to forget for a short time about the negative politics on our landscape.

I received an ARC from Bella Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

You know that video of Ellen saying we should be kind to everyone, including George W. Bush? This is exactly what this book is about. Well, that, and baseball. And romance.
Britt Iverson is brought back to Kentucky when her father is rushed to the hospital. Her whole life is in California, where she has fled as soon as she could, leaving behind bad memories from her mother’s religious beliefs. It’s not the life she wanted, though, everything having fallen apart a few months ago. So when she finds herself needed in Leland, with the perfect job to boot – helping her father resurrect interest in the Longdogs, Leland’s minor league baseball team –, it seems reasonable to give it a try, if only for a couple of years. Then she meets Ninah, a teacher at the local high school and an absolute Longdogs fan. Ninah is instantly charmed by Britt, not just because she’s so different from her ex, whom Ninah split up with three years ago when said ex turned out to be a MAGA supporter.

I know that the personal is political and that lesbian romance novels are political simply by existing and giving wlw visibility and stories we can relate to but I’m also happy when politics actively enter my romance once in a while. Of course it helps that it’s my kind of politics. I’m not American and I don’t live in a country where Donald Trump is president but the topics the characters address in this novel – racism, homophobia, small-mindedness in general and also how more and more people feel free to voice their prejudice –, they’re problems many countries are facing at the moment, including mine. We might seem more subtle about them at times but the violence is the same. As are the strength and feelings of belonging when you fight back with others. So it feels good, sometimes, that a story is set in the real world. Not all the time, of course, since escapism is essential too. But once in a while.

I wanted to believe in the romance between the main characters, but it felt a tad forced at times. At first I wasn’t sure Ninah was interested in Britt because Britt was interesting or because there was a lack of single lesbians around. And Britt held herself back until she didn’t, with no warning, taking me aback a little. And Ninah too, actually. Even so, they make a nice couple, and I really liked that both stood for what they believed in.

Anyway, I also enjoyed getting back to Leland, even if, as usual, I don’t remember much about The House on Sandstone (it seems I gave it 3 stars at the time, guess I’ll need to read it again) and the way the author describes the good and the bad of life in a small town. There were good secondary characters too, from Carly and Justine to Britt’s father and the GSA students. I’m often cautious with stories set in the Bible Belt, since it’s a very different experience from anything I’ve lived, and I don’t pretend to understand the importance of religion for some people, yet I thought that was very well dealt with in this book. So all in all, while the romance itself might not be a full 4 stars, the novel is.

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Britt return to Kentucky her hometown Leland to help her father who falling ill she hasn't been back since a traumatic event that happen with her mother. As she helps her father with his health she also dealing with his business which is Longdogs Minor League baseball team which she doesn't really know nothing about but she does know how to turn a profit and she believed she can make her and father rich.

Ninah didn't have a lot growing up but with the help of a softball scholarship she made a life for herself and became a teacher at the high school in Leland she has good life with great friends Justine and Carly.

When they meet I feel the chemistry between them but I also felt that it coulda been more I did enjoy the baseball aspect of the story and how everything involves with it even though I do find baseball boring to watch but I do love playing it though.

Baseball is in my blood. I’ve been exposed to it since I was born as my mother was a major fan herself. As an adult, I have been a team mom and official scorekeeper for teams from t-ball through age eighteen youth leagues. Yeah, baseball is in my blood. This is one of the main reasons I chose to read The Lucky Ones by K.G. MacGregor.

This is the story of Brittany (Britt) Iverson and Ninah Faust. Britt left Kentucky as soon as she graduated from high school and never came back except for short visits to see her father. A traumatic experience caused by her mother soured her to small town life in this southern state. Now, though, she finds herself back in Leland, forced to stay long enough to help her father with a failing business he acquired just as he fell ill. The business happens to be the Longdogs Minor League baseball team (a minor team of the Pittsburgh Pirates), something Britt knows nothing about. However, she does know how to make a business profitable, and if she does help her father, both of them could end up with millions in the bank.

Ninah grew up in a small and impoverished coal mining town in Kentucky. With the help of a softball scholarship, she managed to escape the poverty, and now is a teacher at the high school in Leland. Ninah meets Britt through her friends Justine and Carly. All three women are also friends of Britt’s father, and they all pitch in to help Britt and her father as he recovers, and she works to keep the Longdogs going. There is chemistry between Britt and Ninah, but Ninah knows that Britt doesn’t plan to stay in Leland. Britt feels the attraction also, but she doesn’t want a girlfriend in Kentucky.

This is a story about love, and not just romantic love. It is about the love of family, friends, and yes, even a love of a community. This is also a tale of hope. For me, this is a feel good story, one that made me feel happy at the end. It is well-written, with a vibrant setting, well-developed characters, both main and secondary, and a story that left me with that feeling of hope.

This is my first K.G. MacGregor novel, and now I have so much future reading to do to catch up. The Lucky Ones is actually kind of a sequel to another book by the author called The House on Sandstone, and the main characters in that novel are important secondary characters in this one. The Lucky Ones can be read as a stand-alone novel.  I have heard, though, the first book is an excellent read, so I’m going to recommend that you read both books in order if you can. I know I will be looking for the first book very soon.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

I was surprised that the tone of this story was more political than romantic. The author wrote about the increase hatred across the country with the current administration especially regarding racism and homophobia. Her characters faced or dealt with hatred in one form or another such as religious groups trying to turn gays straight or others using derogatory terms when referencing homosexuals or African Americans. All these scenes provided moments of drama when the characters had to decide the best means to deal with this. Some were well done. Others felt like there was too much drama for the sake of drama.

The main characters were likable but their relationship itself didn’t seem to be fully developed going from friendship to a total commitment level. I actually thought I missed a few pages when the relationship turned serious because it was just…there. I think their political views were well established but the love aspect of their relationship also needed to be developed to a higher level.

The secondary characters also added drama and conflict to the story. But with that too, some drama was unnecessary. It just took away from the flow of the story.

I enjoyed the minor league baseball aspect of the story and everything involved in making it successful for the community and its players.

This story dealt with too many issues and the characters seemed to flip flop on how they handled these problems. The serious issues the characters faced were very realistic, but I think if only a few were targeted and developed to a deeper level this story would have been given a higher rating.
This was a decent read, but it could have been a great one.