Nat Owen, First Base

Bottom of the Ninth #4

by Jean C. Joachim

What would you do if the hottest new female country music singer, asked you to come up to her place?
Nat Owen, formerly nobody from nowhere, now World Series MVP, followed his instincts. The star first baseman fell under the spell of the singer the minute she batted her eyelashes at him.
What about Nicki? Were they only friends, or about to become more? The female pro softball catcher and the first baseman had chemistry. Just as Nat made his move on Nicki, Lucy strutted into his life, offering stardom, glitter, and a lifestyle he could only dream about.
What’s a man to do? With his head in one place and his heart in another, Nat bounced from one to the other, trying to make up his mind. When an offer he couldn’t refuse was dangled in front of him, he went for it. Little did he know, he had a lot more to lose than his heart.

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2017

About the author

I've been making up stories for as long as I can remember. When other kids wanted to be doctors, teachers or firemen, I wanted to be a writer.
As soon as I could read, I began devouring books. I'd read anything I could get my hands on, but Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" and Nancy Drew mysteries were early favorites.
In school, term papers were my favorite homework. While others bemoaned the amount of work involved, I jumped in, burying myself in research and writing the document with care.
Still fiction was my first love. After college and a degree in English, I fell into the world of advertising. After many years in corporate America, I went my own way. Working and raising two kids took all my energy and creativity. But when the youngest went off to school, all the stories ideas in my head came to life. Mac Caldwell and Callie Richards landed in my head and refused to leave. So I told their story. What started as one book has become six. Now I greet my characters every morning at six and jump back into their story, enjoying every minute. I'm blessed to be able to work at something I love. More than 70 books later, I'm still up at the crack of dawn, crafting the tales of the people who live in my head while nursing a cup of tea and a few pieces of black licorice.

Reviews

[C.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nat Owen is at the top of the world. He’s a World Series MVP who just spent the night with Lucy Albright, CMAs top female vocalist. He’s famous, hungover, and has another date with her, but he wants something more meaningful. He wants Nicki.

Nicki is Nat’s teammate’s friend, a professional softball player Nat’s been crushing on for a while. He doesn’t realize she’s been crushing on him, too. She represents everything he truly wants, if he just realized it. But Lucy Albright is a star, and Nat still sees himself as the small town nobody he used to be. So it’s appealing to be with a star.

But the more Nat gets to know Lucy, the more at odds her lifestyle is with who he is. Drinking, drugs, partying all the time and busting up hotel rooms. He wants something more real, but he sure does like the dark life.

When a snow storm disrupts Nat’s life, he is forced to make some decisions he’s been avoiding. But will he make the right ones?

This story is an emotional page-turner. Nat is a likable guy in a crazy situation. He just makes decisions that aren’t necessarily the best for him. This book is part of a series, but you don’t need to have read any of the others.

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Aveva fatto dei sogni erotici su di lei fin da quando l’aveva conosciuta. Nat era sempre stato timido con le donne e, quando gliene piaceva una, gli si prosciugano le corde vocali. Certo, avrebbe dovuto chiederle di uscire nello stesso istante in cui l’aveva vista. Ma Nat Owen, un giocatore di baseball professionista, si era chiuso a riccio come un dodicenne innamorato. Ora erano amici e lui la voleva più che mai. Ma poi c’era Lucy. Lucy e la soddisfazione di stare sotto i riflettori. Scosse la testa per fare chiarezza, ma si sentì più confuso che mai. Per fortuna, Lucy era partita. Chi sapeva se e quando l’avrebbe rivista? Tuttavia, se lei l’avesse chiamato, avrebbe dovuto essere in grado di sapere cosa voleva, e adesso non era così. Sospettava che Lucy assumesse droghe e che avesse l’abitudine di fare sesso occasionale. Lei era come una droga per lui e non riusciva a farne a meno. Se avesse solo alzato un dito, sarebbe andato da lei di corsa. Che ne aveva fatto della sua dignità e del suo amor proprio? Non era nemmeno per il sesso, che non era poi così grandioso, per quanto riuscisse a ricordarsi. Come diceva Bobby, era l’euforia di…scopare con una star. Stare sotto i riflettori con Lucy — i fotografi, i giornalisti — gli aveva dato alla testa."

Nat Owen ha lottato a lungo per emergere, e ora si sta godendo il suo momento di trionfo, dopo essere stato eletto miglior giocatore della World Series MVP. È in questo modo che viene notato dalla famosa cantante country Lucy Albright, che lo invita ad una festa a casa sua. Al risveglio la mattina dopo, Nat, in preda ai postumi di una sbronza colossale, stenta a ricordare i particolari della serata, ma vedersi su tutti i giornali al fianco della famosa star lo inorgoglisce. Owen è sempre stato un timido, arrossisce facilmente e niente della sua vita è stato facile. Quarto di sette fratelli, era quello che per i genitori risultava più invisibile, non piccolo da essere coccolato e non grande da renderli orgogliosi. Per questo, essere al centro dell’attenzione lo rende così euforico. La situazione diventa problematica quando si ritrova con i suoi compagni di squadra, che da tempo sanno della sua infatuazione per Nicki, una delle giocatrici della squadra di Dusty, la fidanzata di Matt (protagonista di Matt Jackson, Catcher), che ora si trova con i due a New York per le feste imminenti. Nat, fin dal primo momento che l’ha incontrata, ha pensato a Nicki come alla donna ideale; è una sportiva e capisce come la carriera richieda sacrifici; ha alle spalle una situazione famigliare simile alla sua, è una ragazza semplice, solare, che vive con il suo stipendio di maestra e per di più ha un fisico da urlo. Eppure Lucy lo attrae come il canto della sirena. Incapace di fare una vera scelta, Owen inanella errori su errori, e se in un primo tempo tenta di barcamenarsi fra le due donne, una decisione fatale lo porterà in viaggio sull’aereo personale di Lucy, e da quel momento tutta la sua vita così tenacemente conquistata, verrà messa a rischio e solo i suoi amici potranno aiutarlo.

Per gran parte del libro si ha il desiderio di prendere Nat e sbatterlo contro un muro, per tentare di farlo rinsavire. È difficile infatti capire il suo desiderio di popolarità e la voglia di stare con una donna che, in fondo, gli piace solo per il suo fisico formoso. Da subito, infatti, si è reso conto che la cantante è superba, fa uso di droga, beve in modo eccessivo, tratta malissimo i suoi subordinati e rende le suite degli alberghi simili a topaie. Nonostante questo, quel suo desiderio di emergere gli fa prendere decisioni sbagliate, che fanno enormemente soffrire Nicki. Ma l’autrice è bravissima nel renderlo così umano che è difficile odiarlo sul serio. È un uomo che cade rovinosamente e poi si risolleva, tentando di riparare a tutti i suoi sbagli, riprendendosi l’unica donna che vada bene per lui. È una bella storia d’amore, sofferta e romantica, ma anche di perdono e di seconde possibilità. Ancora una volta, i Nighthawks si rivelano una grande unita famiglia, pronti a consolare Nicki, e a stringersi intorno a Nat per farlo tornare alla sua vita, dopo una tempesta che non dimenticherà.

Ormai, tornare nello stadio dei Nighthawks è per me come incontrare degli amici che non vedi da tempo e informarti sulla loro vita, e Jean Joachim ben riesce a dare una grande sensazione di continuità, con una scrittura fluida e scorrevole. Le sue non sono storie particolarmente intricate, ma letture piacevoli che fanno passare ore di grande relax in compagnia di personaggi che libro dopo libro diventano come amici di famiglia, e che è piacevole rivedere.

[Niki Driscoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, where to start. I truly enjoy seeing things from the players standpoint and learning about each players background really brings them to life for me. Nat always felt invisible, So I do understand the attraction and the appeal that he had to Lucy. It is sad to say that a lot of people fall victim to the glitter and glam of being in the spotlight and don't lose the blinders until it is to late. Nicki saw the real Nat, the shy guy who made her smile. She is a school teacher who plays catcher for the women's pro team. She is not flashy or in the news but they had a connection and a chemistry right from day one. This was a well written storyline that focused on the choices we make and the consequences of those choices. The story is filled with true life situations, drugs, alcohol, steroids and losing ones self in the race to reach that coveted goal of fame and keeping it for more than 5 minutes. While I often felt like smacking Nat to get him to see the mistakes he was making I also felt sorry for the pain he was causing , the pain he was sure to feel when he finally woke up and lost the blinders. Another great story that pulls you deeper into the Knighthawk world leaving you wanting to start the next adventure to see who falls next.
I volunteered to review this story for my honest opinion.

[Teresa Christianson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy and am voluntarily leaving a review
Spoiler Alert
Another great story. Nat grew up in a large family and felt he was a nobody until his baseball coach noticed him and gave him encouragement. He finally made the big league and his team won the World Series and he was named MVP. Nikki is a school teacher who also is catcher for a professional ladies softball team. They become friends when their friends start dating. Nikki has feelings of more than friendship for Nat but he has stars in his eyes after he becomes MVP and a famous country singer wants him. He doesn't realize that she is just using him and in the process of going out with her he is hurting Nikki. Nikki finally tells him that she is done being second and that they are done. She starts seeing one of their rivals who was kicked off their team for taking drugs and beating a woman. What happens when Nikki is in trouble with this guy? Will Nat show up to help her? Will they be able to get past all the hurt and be together or is there too much hurt to get past? What happens when Nat is suspended and will Nikki and the team believe him?

[Gladys · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very emotional read. As Nat struggles with the temptation of all things that glitter you get to enjoy the roller coaster ride that it will send your emotions on. While it was so very easy to sympathize with and understand his all too realistic behavior, you are still left wanting to scold him for it and tell him he's being a fool. Nicki was a wonderful character and I felt very bad for her. The situation that Nat put her in was very unfair and painful. In the end it was an engaging, emotionally moving romance about being true to yourself and holding on to what's real instead of chasing rainbows. I'm posting a voluntary, honest review after reading this book.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

Well as much as I wanted to slap Nat upside the head, it is always easiest to see when someone else is making a wrong decision. I will say that I think this was by far my favorite. As much as Nat achieved in his career, he was still star-stuck and made bad choices. It really made the character oh so real. I loved how humble he was. Nicki was a strong lovable woman, who was perfect for Nat.

This book was a hard one to put down. I was enthralled to see what was going to happen next that I didn't want to stop reading. The characters are so easy to identify with. I highly recommend this to anyone.

[SiKReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes fame can go to your head and ruin your life if you let it. Nat Owen had to learn that the hard way and almost lose the two things he loved the most in the process, Baseball and Nicki.

Nicki might come off as the hard as nails teacher/soft ball player, but when it comes to Nat Owen, she is just as vulnerable as the rest of us. However, trying to protect her heart costs her just that and more.

A story of hard decisions and the consequences of making the wrong ones. Learning your lessons and forgiveness.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the characters, the raw emotions, yes they can piss you off but yet redeem their selfs. Jean Joachim bring you amazing written stories that has you craving every page, wondering what is going to happen next but yet saying oh hell no when something does. These stories really give you a fantstic read

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't know why this was still on my 'to read' list; I'm fairly certain I've read this already! I love this series, and if I've erred, I'll delete this and redo it.

[Kristi Hampshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope there are more books to this series. I love sports books with the romance story. I really enjoyed the series a lot with different players and their learning a few things but relationships in life as they go