The Double Play by Annah Conwell

The Double Play is a lighthearted rom-com perfect for readers who love a guaranteed happy ending. It’s a sweet story about a nanny who’s hired to care for the daughter of a professional baseball player—and, as expected, romance soon follows. The plot is fairly predictable, following the familiar beats of falling in love, but it delivers on the cozy, feel-good vibes that fans of the genre often seek.

I listened to the audiobook version and, while enjoyable overall, I found some parts a bit far-fetched. In particular, the frequent emotional moments—especially the recurring references to crying—started to feel repetitive and took away from my connection to the characters.

That said, if you’re in the mood for an easy, uplifting story with charming characters and a satisfying ending, The Double Play is a solid pick.

I really enjoyed this book! I had downloaded it on KU, but once I got an ALC I jumped on the chance to listen to it, and I am so glad I did. The narrators brought this adorable story to life even more. Age gap, single dad and nanny, professional baseball player...all things I love. Even though this is book 4, it is the first one in the series I read and it worked fine as a stand alone. I may go back to read the other ones though as it seems they pop back up in this book a little.

This is not a spicy book, which is not a bad thing, but it did feel extra sweet and cutesy at some points. Some of it felt very cookie cutter when I think the potential for more was there. This lead me to take a star away.

The Double Play was so cute! I have enjoyed listening to the audiobooks of the other books in the More Than a Game series and was really excited for the opportunity to read this book by way of the audiobook. It didn’t disappoint at all and may have even just edged out The Run Option as my favorite of the series.
Narrated by Charlotte North and Tim Paige, this story easily drew me in and I practically binge read/listened; I loved the characters, the story, and it was so well narrated it was easy to get hooked on. I loved that Hazel was relatable in many ways to me on a personal level. Emmet was straight up dreamy, June was adorable, and now I really wanted to go watch a live baseball game.
Read this for:
*dual POV
*single dad
*sports romance
*relatable heroine
*grumpy/sunshine
*workplace romance
*sweet side characters
*swoony closed door romance
I really enjoyed this book. I received an advance listening copy from Netgalley and Dreamscape. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I recommend this book.

This book was amazing! One of my favourite audiobooks I’ve read. I fell in love with all the characters, absolutely loved Emmett and Hazel and their love story! This story had so many lovely tropes- Nanny x single dad, Grumpy x sunshine, She fell first x he fell harder and found family.

I am amazed at how involved I was with this story as it is a short book, it was just so well-written that I felt like I had met these characters ages ago!

If you love a happy cute love story that melts your heart you will love this book (here is a few emojis which will remind me of the story now 🥰) ⚾️🧢🌻🍵

⋆˚࿔ 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
3⭐️

Maybe I went into this expecting too much, but it just didn’t leave a lasting impression. The progression of the romance felt rushed one minute they were barely speaking, and the next they were in love? I wanted more development, more tension, more something.

It felt undercooked. I honestly think if the author had made it longer and fleshed things out more, it could’ve been a solid story. The age gap wasn’t even acknowledged, which felt like a missed opportunity and low-key irritated me.

There was so much potential here, but it just didn’t hit the mark.
At least the kid was cute that’s about all I really enjoyed.

The Double Play by Annah Conwell is the fourth book in the More Than A Game series.It can be read as a standalone novel; however, I highly recommend reading the series in order to appreciate the story best. The main characters in this book are Emmett and Hazel. Emmett has been in the previous books, and I was looking forward to getting this grump's story, spoiler alert, it did not disappoint. Also, I enjoyed the narration by Charlotte North and Tim Paige.

There are so many things I want to say about this story, but I don't want to spoil anything! This story is pretty magical, and I loved every minute of it. Emmett has been badly burned in a previous relationship, but once he decides to be "in," he is all in, and it is the sweetest story with so many sweet moments.

Read for:

⚾grumpy/sunshine

⚾single dad + nanny

⚾the friend group texts

⚾Hazel's relationship with her sister, Raven

⚾June

⚾Emmett's protective side

⚾Hazel's mama bear side

⚾healing

⚾found family

I need a copy for my keeper shelf, and I am also so glad that Brock's story is coming soon, because I need it! I have questions, and only The Confidentiality Clause will answer them.

Many thanks to Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for the opportunity to listen to this story. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book very much. The narrators definitely did a good job in bringing the characters to life.
The story itself was very well written. The emotional trauma of the FMC was heartbreaking and the way the MMC just gets her through all of it is beautiful. He never gives ip on her even if she tries to push him away.
This was a very good cozy romance book🫶🏻

This story is a home run hit! Emmett is a single dad pitcher for a pro baseball team and in need of a nanny for his sweet, precocious daughter, June. Hazel has been a nanny to an athlete family who is moving and needs a job. What could be more perfect?

Charlotte North and Tim Paige did a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life in this tender grumpy/sunshine tale. The instant connection between Hazel and June stamped itself onto my heart as the partnership between Emmett and Hazel gradually developed into more. Every nugget of swoon gave life to my soul.

I love the way Annah Conwell writes this sports romance series. There are obstacles to overcome, yet the swooniness and romantic tension is sublime. The 10 year age gap and alternating points-of-view gave me insight into these two and had me cheering them on. So many funny moments, as well as vulnerability, but it was the realizing of hopes and dreams that got me.

Such a fun story with strong family ties and character depth.

Content: mild romance (some make-outs)

*I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given*

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audio arc of this book. ♥️

While I have not read the first 3 books in this series, I enjoyed this one and will going back to read the others at some point.

Perfect for anyone looking for a cute, light, sports romance read.

This book was a breath of fresh air. Very cute sports romance with very likeable characters that you couldn’t wait to see get their happily ever after. If you like the genre you shouldn’t miss this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audio arc of this book.

This is my first read by Annah Conwell, and it will not be my last. This is a cute, grumpy-sunshine, single dad-nanny sports romance - so many excellent tropes! The characters did have good chemistry and I liked how their romance unfolded. I will say that it was quite predictable though, and it was a pretty basic premise.

Despite not having read the first 3 books in the series, I was easily able to pick this up and not feel like I was missing anything.

The narrators did a great job with their dual narration performance.

I was excited to read this book because it was a sports romance and sadly I was so disappointed.
This story was an insta-love kinda book and that’s just a trope I struggle with, it’s not a trope I like.

The chemistry between the MCs felt forced and they just went from 0-100 so quickly! The MMC Emmett’s character felt boring and flat.
Hazel, oh no.. her character almost cries through out the entire book! “happy tears” and she just felt more like a character from a YA novel.
June absolutely felt the most realistic to me, love that girl!

I can’t give this book more than 1.5, maybe 2 stars🫣

The only thing I liked about this book was that it was over quickly.

I know that’s a bit harsh, but not only did it feel like it took forever for anything interesting to happen in Annah Conwell’s The Double Play, but by the time I was about 58% of the way through and felt immediately ready to vomit at the discomfort I felt on account of the way in which these characters went from 0 to 100 in a flat second.

I’ve made no secret, in the past, of my distaste for disastrous nicknames some authors deem necessary for their male leads to bestow on their unfortunate love interests—goldfinch and yellow-bell (if you know, you know) being the two that have made me cringe the most in the past, though it seems they’ve now both been usurped—but I don’t think any has made me feel like gagging more than this one. I think there’s something in the context of how it occurs that really drives home the nausea, and for this one I think it really came from the high level of insta-love that this story suffers from.

But the second Emmett began referring to Hazel as “wildflower,” not only did he for some unfathomable reason feel the need to make near his entire personality about calling her this stupid nickname, but it was coming from a man who spent an uncomfortable amount of time bitching and moaning about hating when other people gave him nicknames. And I just…WHY?

While this nickname thing may have been the worst of the nausea inducing pieces of the book, the fact of the matter remains that it is basically impossible for me to buy these two as a couple in love. Honestly, with the rushed manner in which everything is written, Emmett quite literally just feels like one of those jerk guys who chooses his women based on how well they do as a mother to his daughter rather than any genuine connection. They barely spend any time together, Hazel and Emmett, and such an uncomfortably small amount of time passes before the two of the are some how “in love” with each other. There is absolutely nothing about this story that endears me to their connection and I don’t for a second believe that there is any substance to this relationship outside of his daughter, June, really liking Hazel.

Which brings me to another thing—the number of characters who exposition this “love” should have been zero. And yet we’ve got all of his friends telling him that he loves Hazel, despite nothing actually existing in the text and plot to suggest such things. June is cartoonishly excited when she learns they’re dating—something that was written awkwardly—and near immediately begins asking Hazel to be her new mommy. So now, not only is the romance completely unbelievable, so too are the characters’ reactions to it. June is exaggerated as a child character and Emmett’s friends are unrealistically invested in pushing him into a relationship.

And I think that’s the core of the issue, really. Everything is rushed to the point that you just don’t believe any of it could be realistic. There’s no genuine time spent on building a connection before suddenly, out of nowhere, they’re in love and he’s giving her this absolutely disgusting nickname that just has me wanting to hurl every time it escapes past his lips—the pure visceral degree to which I felt sick to my stomach and the grimace I made when this man was practically gleeful over giving her this nickname after she pointed out that he’s always hated when others give him any; my WORD, I CANNOT.

So, that’s it. Rushed. Unrealistic. Vomit-inducing nickname. Could not have been over fast enough.

Charlotte North, as a narrator, was alright. I think I disliked the book so much that even with her narration working, there was no way it could resolve the issues I had once the romance part of the book actually begun. And while Tim Paige did a decent job of narration when the male characters were talking, his voice adjustment when daughter June or main character Hazel were speaking was pretty grating to me overall, I’d have infinitely preferred if he didn’t attempt to give them different voices at all.

"The Double Play" by Annah Conwell, perfectly suited for an audiobook review!
Audiobook Review: "The Double Play" by Annah Conwell
"The Double Play" by Annah Conwell is an absolutely adorable single-dad romance that totally hit it out of the park for me! Get ready to swoon as a busy single father hires a nanny when his parents can no longer help, only to find himself falling hard for her.
This book is a home run for any romance reader, especially if you're a sucker for sports romance – and for those curious, this series features different sports, not just one! The relationship between the dad and his daughter is incredibly cute; he works tirelessly to ensure she feels loved and secure after her mom's absence, making him such a good father. The nanny, too, is wonderful. She genuinely cares for the little girl, and her dedication extends to being a fantastic big sister, taking on a parent figure role for her younger sibling while she's at school, despite her own past trauma. Watching her fall for the little girl, and seeing him fall for her, is just delightful. This book delivers on classic tropes like Single Dad, Grumpy Sunshine, and "he falls hard."
As for the audiobook, Tim Paige and Charlotte North did an excellent job with the narration! Their voices were a fantastic representation of the characters, with great changes in intonation and speaking speed that truly brought the story to life. You could easily tell when different characters were speaking, which kept the experience seamless. The narration allowed me to be completely immersed in the story. While the story itself moved at a fast pace, the narration kept up beautifully, ensuring nothing felt rushed or hard to follow. The audiobook flowed very well, and with each character getting their own chapter, it was always clear where you were in the story.
I would highly recommend "The Double Play" to all romance readers, especially sports lovers and those who specifically enjoy baseball-themed stories!

I was excited to read this book because it was a baseball romance and sadly I was not impressed. This story was very much an insta-love kinda book and that’s just a trope I have trouble getting behind. The chemistry felt forced to me between MCs. I’m all for a morally grey MMC but Emmett’s character felt one dimensional and boring. He was giving very much supporting cast to me. Hazel, oh my Hazel, her character cries the entire book “happy tears” and reads as a character from a YA novel. But my girl June felt the most realistic. Overall, I would give this book a solid 2.7/5.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.7 I was waiting for it to be great and just didn’t meet the mark for me.

Thank you Netgally and Dreamscape Media for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really hate giving reviews of three stars or less for something that is well-written by a clearly successful author but - and I’m so sorry - I’m going to have to. This is a classic case of “some people will love this book, but it wasn’t for me”.

I went into The Double Play by Annah Conwell without having read any of the previous More Than a Game books, and I can confirm it definitely works as a standalone. You’re not left confused or needing context—it’s easy to follow and jumps right into the story. I did feel like I wanted to read the other books after this one - especially one (maybe next?) about the overworked agent. Here for that - he was a great side character.

That said, I didn’t love the book overall. While the “grumpy boss dad falls for the sunshine nanny” trope is fun, and I actually felt more comfortable with the power dynamic here than in Lana Ferguson’s The Nanny, the overall tone of the book rubbed me the wrong way. It felt dated—a book for the tradwife era. Hazel doesn’t have many ambitions beyond having a family - and even though that’s of course a worthy ambition, there wasn’t really anything else - no friends, no study, no career… I hated the scene where some men approached them on the street and Emmett and his friend intervened to “rescue them”… but from what? From being spoken to on the street? And the women were desperately grateful… why? And Emmett decides her apartment in the city centre is unsafe and she has to move - but she was happy with it until then? It felt dated and didn’t sit well with me; women incapable of walking around or living in city centres unless accompanied by a man? Hm…..

Also, I listened to the audiobook, and while the dual narration between Tim Paige and Charlotte North was well done and made for a smooth listen overall, I hated the audio portrayal of June, the child. As a main character, she’s in so many scenes. But her voice was high-pitched and cutesy. It’s a voice acting choice that makes sense for the character but I found it grating and it took me out of the story.

In short: it’s a sweet story with some charming moments, and it may work better for readers who love very clean, comforting, traditional romances. But personally, I found it a bit old-fashioned for my taste. (Sorry!!!)

Thank you to the author, Dreamscape media & netgalley for an alc in exchange for an honest review.
Hot nanny x grumpy baseball dad? Instant yes. Emmett Foster walks in all broody and emotionally unavailable, and I immediately knew this book was about to own me.
Hazel is chaotic sunshine in the best way, and Emmett? Peak grump with a soft side that sneaks up on you and wrecks your whole heart. Their slow-burn chemistry is perfection—full of tension, longing, and all the little moments that make you feel it.
The found family vibes, the quiet acts of love, the banter, the stolen glances—ugh, so good. And little June? Total scene-stealer. Funny, sweet, and the emotional glue that ties it all together.
This story had me laughing, swooning, tearing up, and kicking my feet like a giddy fool. Annah Conwell absolutely nailed it. Easily one of my favorite reads this year, and yes—I’m already counting down to the next book.

Super cute romance about a star baseball player and his daughter’s babysitter. This novel is a perfect light soft romance read for any sport lovers. June the daughter of protagonist & love interest Emmett really tied the entire book together for me and really helped elevate the character’s love story. Making you feel as if you were watching the characters in real time. By showing both perspectives I felt as a reader I got to grasp the book better and made it more enjoyable than if it was just a single perspective novel. Overall was a great read and would recommend.

An easy sweet listen. Single famous baseball player dad with an adorable little girl in need of a nanny. He finds the perfect one, but is that all it is? Their attraction is off the charts. They both have a lot of other issues that should keep them from starting anything and yet, the pull is real. It's a lovely listen to the happily ever after I and we all read this genre for. Clean romance, wonderful little girl, nutty and nosy well intentioned teammates. The narration was fantastic. It is part of a series, but is really that in theme only so can be read as individual books. That said, having read others in the series, go get them as they were fun too! This one kept me company on a nice long hike with my pup.

Honestly this book was a fun quick read! I love a single dad romance and this delivered just that. I was hooked from the jump and couldn't stop listening. The narrators did an incredible job with these characters. I wouldn't throw this in the slow burn category personally, but aside from that it was still a good time.