Thank you to dreamscape media and NetGalley for this arc! It was so freaking cute. I loved it! The audio was great! Sometimes the narrators can drive me crazy but these guys were perfect! I loved it and I hope we can continue hazel and Emmett’s story!

I wanted to love this book so bad, but it just fell short for me.

Emmett is a professional baseball player who is searching for a nanny after his parents announced plans to travel the world. With his ex wife largely absent, he’s the sole provider for their daughter, June.

Emmett is on the fence about having someone other than his parents around to help with his daughter. But his mom promised to help him find a nanny before she departs for travel.

Hazel is a natural with kids and has been nannying since college. She’s looking for a new nanny job because the family she worked for will be moving because the husband got traded. Although they offered for her to move with them, Hazel chose to stay in Nashville to be closer to her family. Mikayla, the mom Hazel nannied for, told her that one of Brock’s clients, Emmett, is looking for a nanny and that she would put in a good word for her. She gave Hazel the information and encouraged her to interview for the position.

Emmett was tough to win over, but he softened right away when he saw how much his daughter took a liking to Hazel during their interview, so he ended up hiring her on the spot.

June always wanted a mother figure around since she only sees her actual mom once a year. I loved how naturally and effortlessly Hazel stepped into that role.

On to the romance… There was yearning from both parties, but I feel like I needed more from Hazel and Emmett beyond the sweet, wholesome family moments. Their relationship had so much potential, but it was poorly developed.

Also, my biggest complaint about this book is that the FMC was crying in nearly every chapter 😫. I was overwhelmed.

Despite everything I just mentioned, I enjoyed the book for its individual character traits and heartfelt moments. Nonetheless, I believe it’s worth a read.


What To Expect:
• Sports Romance ⚾️
• Single Dad x Nanny
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Age Gap (25, 35)

Thank you to the author, Dream Scape Media, and NetGalley for an ALC of this title. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars. Very sweet, closed door romance. Single dad baseball player & nanny, with the cutest kid and a side dose of family drama. They teased some mama drama but that was a dead line.

This audiobook was so well done! I loved the dual narration and the narrators voices helped to capture the characters. Emmett and Hazel were so well written and I loved the maturity of their relationship. The pacing of the story was perfect for the build up and dealing with the difficulties of life together. I also appreciated not having it go immediately into living together, getting married, etc.

A light book for the beach. The relationship between baseball pitcher Emmett and his daughter June is something special a real daddy daughter bond. Enter Hazel, the nanny hired to care for June and this proves you don't have to have someone's blood running through to love a child. Hazel has a lot to deal with as she takes on more and more of her younger sister, Raven's care as their parents aren't well enough to look after her themselves. Emmett can't help falling for Hazel as she becomes such an integral part of his life and has the biggest place in her heart for his daughter. Part of a series but good for a stand alone as well. Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher 3.5 rounded up

A sweet single dad/nanny romance book. I think this is a perfect palette cleanser between heavy books, or a good beach read, and if you like shorter books with a loose plot and romance this is perfect for you.

For me, this book found me at the perfect time. I enjoyed binging the audiobook as it’s engaging and easy to follow along with. The plot is there, but with this being a shorter book it does get straight to the point for the most part. It’s a refreshing read where everything just goes right for the characters and there’s a touch of heavier subjects, such as neglectful parents and taking over guardianship of a sibling.

The end did feel a bit abrupt, but again i feel that just the name of the game for a shorter story.

Overall it’s a fun read and perfect for audio.

If I hadn’t been listening to the audiobook, there’s a really good chance I would’ve DNFd 😭

I judged the book by the cover and was so excited but this missed the mark in so many ways!

On a positive note, this is very easy to listen to. If you’re trying to meet a numerical goal or just need something to listen to in the background, this is perfect for that. You don’t have to engage deeply to capture the entire story.

This story is VERY insta-love. The MMC was DETERMINED that they were boss/nanny and nothing more and she has ONE incident in her life and all of a sudden she’s “his brave girl” and “wildflower” but like they didn’t have ANY chemistry before that and truthfully, none after.

The FMC cries or almost cries literally every time she’s on the page and her emotional instability causes me to question her ability to be a nanny.

Sadly, the characters lacked soooo so much depth. They’re extremely one-dimensional and I feel like the entire book is very simple and one-dimensional.

I sadly wouldn’t recommend this book/audiobook. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC!

An emotionally deep single dad x nanny baseball romance that captured my heart from the start! I loved the relationship between baseball pitcher Emmett and his daughter June and the woman he hires to be June's nanny, Hazel. Hazel has a lot to deal with as she takes on more and more of her younger sister, Raven's care as their parents aren't well enough to look after her themselves. Emmett can't help falling for Hazel as she becomes such an integral part of his life and has the biggest place in her heart for his daughter. Sweet, swoony and good on audio! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy. This is part of a series but can easily be read as a standalone!

Quick Summary: A nanny 💖 a baseball player +1

My Review: The Double Play by Annah Conwell is book #4 in the More Than a Game series. It is scheduled for release on 6/24/25.

About the Book: "I have no business falling in love with Emmett Foster...an incredibly wealthy professional baseball player who’s ten years older than me and has a daughter.

I find myself catching feelings..."

In My Own Words: A young woman from a hard knocks family situation becomes the nanny to a superstar athlete's daughter. Before she knows it, she finds herself in like then love with a man who swore he would never marry again.

About the Audiobook: This novel was narrated by Tim Paige and Charlotte North. The duo made the listening experiencing both enjoyable and entertaining.

My Final Say: This fast-paced grumpy/sunshine romance was short and sweet. The insta-attraction to love relationship between Emmett and Hazel progressed naturally. Their ready made family was special. It was nice seeing how the found family became a home for each member.

This novel read much like a standalone, however, there seemed to be a couple of dangling threads that might possibly tie into other books in the series. While I was able to read without confusion, I was left wondering about some of the situations presented. I plan to familiarize myself with the preceding books, in order to see what I may be missing.

Other: Readers who enjoy sports romances, close proximity work situations, grumpy/sunshine relationships, age gap insta-love scenarios, and single dad finds a partner tropes will like this story.

Rating: 3/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status: Clean, closed-door
Level: 🫶
Audiobook: Yes
Narration: +
Series: Yes

Thank you to the author, to the publisher (Dreamscape Media), and to NetGalley for providing access to an ALC of this title in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate the opportunity.