A Jeri Review: The First Morning After by Marie Lark

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

The First Morning AfterDanny got out of his small town as soon as he could. He headed straight for college and never looked-or went- back. Until his best friend is getting married and he has to.

Mitchel was the star baseball player who, while he did not actively bully Danny in school, he sure did nothing to stop it.

Danny has had a crush on Mitchel since forever. And Mitchel has been hiding a very important part of himself. Thrown together at the wedding, Danny takes it upon himself to talk to Mitchel. And when no one is looking, Mitchel hits on Danny.

This entire book was over the course of 2 days. The wedding day and the day after. And although a book with such a short time frame could feel overly packed with superfluous information to get the word count up, I never felt this way. In fact, it definitely kept me turning the pages. Danny has come into his own, unafraid to let the world know he is gay. But Mitchel is the opposite. The glory days of high school are over, he is single and in line to take over his father’s car business, which he hates, and travels to other towns to hook up with men in bathrooms.

You could easily not like either of these characters for different reasons. But I DID like them. Even when they did stupid things. Because people do stupid things. It is what makes us human. Perhaps Danny was a bit too forgiving. Or Mitchel was a bit too closeted and clueless. But together, they really were adorable.

My biggest complaint would be that it was too short. I wanted more. I wanted to see how Mitchel would deal with his sexuality and his job he hated. I wanted to see Danny taking Mitchel out in Philadelphia where no one knew him. So we get a happily for now, but I wanted a happily ever after.

Cover art by Valerie Tibbs.

Sales Links:  Loose id | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 129 pages
Published June 6th 2016 by Loose Id LLC
ASINB01GQN1IR8
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Jeri Review: Out in the Field by Kate McMurray

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

out-in-the-fieldIt’s no secret that I am a big, big fan of baseball books. Kate McMurray’s previous series “The Rainbow League” was awesome. And this book is right on par. Apparently released in 2012, this is a new edition.

Matt Blanco is a baseball star nearing the end of his career. He is getting old, his batting average isn’t great and he has been hiding that he was gay his entire career.

Iggy Rodriguez is the new rookie who is psyched to not only play on his favorite team, but alongside his favorite player.

The ever popular “chance encounter” in the locker room brings them close- especially when they realize the other is also gay. They begin a secret and hot romance- figuring they have the best of both worlds. Someone else to keep their secret with and someone to have regular sex with.

But real life- namely their jobs in baseball- comes knocking.

One of the many things I really appreciate about Kate McMurray is her knowledge of baseball and the intricacies surrounding it. It isn’t just playing 162 games a year. It is traveling and practices and agents and endorsements and injuries and press. So while another author could write a neat and tidy romance with two players who enjoy each other, this book brings in the nitty gritty. Seeing how they deal with all of the outside influences and their careers and what they are willing- or not willing- to sacrifice.

This was a great story- about romance, sex, the beginning of one career and the end of another. You don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this book- but if you are a baseball fan you will love it.

Cover art by Aaron Anderson is a perfect baseball cover.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 216 pages
Published May 16th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press (first published April 23rd 2012)
ISBN 1634771761 (ISBN13: 9781634771764)
Edition LanguageEnglish
settingNew York (United States)