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They say if you love someone, set them free, and if they come back, it’s meant to be.

I didn’t exactly set Vanessa free.

It was more like she stormed out of my life.

Five years later, she’s back wearing another man’s ring.

And this time I have no choice but to let her go.

But fate has other plans for us.

And once again, I find myself face-to-face with the love of my life.

I take that as I sign from the universe that we truly are meant to be.

She wants me to let her go.

Believe me, I tried. Not once but twice.

It broke me.

It broke her.

It broke us.

I won’t make the same mistake again.

Because if you truly love someone, you don’t set them free.

You hold on to them with everything you’ve got.

Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2020

52 people are currently reading
441 people want to read

About the author

M.A. Foster

23 books861 followers
M.A Foster resides in Tampa Bay, Florida with her husband, kids, and her crazy dog, Lola.
When she’s not reading or writing, she’s either catching up with friends and family or chatting with her readers and fellow author friends on Facebook.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
Profile Image for Brooke — brooklynnnnereads.
1,313 reviews268 followers
August 21, 2020
I’m not going to lie: when I opened this book to the extensive character list in the beginning of the book, I was a bit intimidated and overwhelmed before I even started reading. It made me worry that the story was going to be a maze of different characters and difficult to follow. For those that feel similarly intimidated by that list, do not worry. The story was easy to follow and the many characters are easily distinguishable from their individually unique qualities. Also, through reading this book, I could see how many novels could be developed from this cast of characters.

Aside from that initial apprehension, I absolutely LOVED this novel. The two main characters were amazing in all aspects and I loved the inclusion of their family and friends in the story. From the family, to the setting of a small town, to the romance everything within this story seemed so visual and I could see it play out like a movie in my mind.

This novel has everything from angst to cuteness and steam. Everything about this story was so well done and I couldn’t help but read it in less than a day. I kept wanting more.

Even though this novel is in a series, it can easily be read as a standalone (like I did). After reading this novel, I can’t help but want to read more of these novels with these characters. I’m not ready to say goodbye to such an endearing and relatable group.

***Thank you to Give Me Books Promotions as well as the author M.A. Foster for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review***
Profile Image for Alyssa.
102 reviews28 followers
September 5, 2020
Before I started the story and saw a mile long character list, I’ll admit I was a little apprehensive. My immediate thought was: all of these characters were about to mentioned? Lord, what did I just get myself into starting this series at book 5???? I’m going to spend more time flipping back to the character list than reading the actual story.

But in my usual fashion, I was prematurely dramatic and very wrong. It’s really not hard to keep up with who is who and how they tie into Liam and Vanessa’s lives. The most impressive thing that M.A. Foster achieved with all of these side characters is how easy it was to remember who was who because they all had such distinct personalities. It’s not often side characters add a lot to the story or have much of a personality beyond a few good lines here and there, but my god, M.A. Foster created such vivid characters who shone so brightly, but also never outshone Liam or Vanessa.

I’ve come to realize that I’m such a sucker for second chance romances and this book was everything I wanted. It was the perfect kind of emotional and pulled on my heartstrings. Liam and Vanessa were a couple worth cheering for. I adored them so much.

M.A. Foster is a wonderful writer. She writes some killer one liners (which is my ultimate weakness in contemporary romance books) and knows how to tug on your emotions. I can’t wait to pick up the rest of the Heritage Bay series and read about all of the other characters. I’m sure I’ll love them all as much as I loved this one.
Profile Image for Kristy Odom.
1,546 reviews40 followers
August 20, 2020
I love the Heritage Bay series! This family is crazy and wild, but they always come together. I love this family! I loved that he referred back to something Marcus said to him. I loved her strength even when I was shouting at her decisions. I cried with Vanessa, but I also felt Liam’s pain.

Liam reading from her romance book... hilarious. Now... grown men going to the bathroom together. Shake it twice... 🤣 this book had me shaking and laughing out loud.

I truly love this author. She writes the family dynamics with so much love. She is so talented! You need to read this series. MA Foster is a must read for me!
Profile Image for Must read Romance.
Author 12 books632 followers
August 21, 2020
Once again, this author brings us an AMAZING story packed with humor and so much emotions. I loved everything about Liam and Vanessa...even the messy parts. MA Foster has a way with words and the entire time I was reading this I was dreading the end because it was that good. I can’t wait to see what’s next in this series!
Profile Image for Amy  Crull.
2,436 reviews38 followers
August 8, 2020
I'm a HUGE fan of this series and all the characters of Heritage Bay!! If you're a diehard fan like me, then you know who Liam is already and know a little about his relationship with Vanessa. If not, you'll be fine reading this without knowing all that. I would encourage you to read the other books though. Back to Liam and Vanessa... I'm a sucker for second chance, young love books and this one is one of my favorites!! In this book you get to see another side of Liam and I'm loving it!! He's usually this cocky asshole who loves his family especially his niece Jay and never gets serious with a woman. In this one, you realize he has a heart and emotions. This is a great story full of love, tension and healing from past mistakes. Him and Vanessa are both stubborn and don't handle situations well. This is why they are apart right now... So many sweet moments, sexy moments, Liam showing his alpha side, awkward moments, moments that make you laugh/OMG, what just happened and of course grand gestures.. I have so many favorite parts and they are all different scenarios. It's hard to pick one. When you read this book, you will fall in love, want to smack their heads together and swoon hard core. This series keeps getting better and better and I can't wait for the next book!! Oh and how do I get to hang out with Vanessa, Katie, Gabbi and Kennedy? They seem like a great group of girls who love hard, protect to the end and love to have fun together. I want to hang out with them!! This book just flowed together beautifully and I loved every moment of it!!
18 reviews1 follower
August 7, 2020
This book did not disappoint. I’ve been dying to sink in since this was announced! I love the Heritage Bay series and I loved all the interactions with Liam in those so I knew I’d love him! Vanessa was an amazingly constructed character and I fell in love with her immediately. I honestly wish I was more like her!

It took me a hot minute to refresh myself on who everyone was but I love a good series that continues to build so I can learn what some of my favorite characters are up to.

I wasn’t sure whether to love or hate Liam during the flashback. I really had mixed feelings about him. But he grew on me the more I read. I hated everything Vanessa went through in the beginning and honestly couldn’t see how they would end up back together.

I love a book that I can’t guess how it is going to end, and this was one of them! My favorite quote of the entire book was, ““Are you dating Noah or Liam?” This snarky question comes from Karen—yes, that’s her name. I spin around in my chair, wanting to take offense at her question, but truthfully from an outsider’s point of view, I’m not painting myself in a good light. Of course, it’s really none of her business, but I’ll entertain it. “Both.” I wink as I stand from my seat and head off to Dr. Parker’s office. Chew on that, you nosy bitch.”

Liams nickname for Vanessa, his beautiful savage is my favorite character nickname to date! And the bets between Liam and Cam were great as always!

I can’t wait to dig into Dylan’s story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Michelle Veccia Klimovich.
142 reviews11 followers
August 8, 2020
Baller is the 5th book in Heritage Bay Series by MA Foster. I received a ARC for this book, it was Hands down another 5 Star rating from me.This book is a second chance Romance involving Liam Mackenzie a famous Baseball player from Heritage Bay and Vanessa Abbott a Nurse I really like that MA Foster writes a lot of the other characters from her other books in the series, so you can take in the whole story. I don’t usually read second chance at love but this definitely kept me attention and i didn’t really want it to end. Liam and Vanessa were young when the first fell in love , and then a lot of stuff happened over the 2 yrs of them being together, and then he let her go and see’s her one night out and then says he is going to get her back, because either one never stopped loving each other. Bravo MA Foster for another phenomenal book , Keep on writing and I will keep on reading your books ❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for World Of Books 65.
3,221 reviews60 followers
August 19, 2020
I am not sure how I missed the first 4 books in the 'Heritage Bay' Series - I am kicking myself literally! If Baller is anything to go by this must be one hell of a series. In fact I have just downloaded the first one Jaybird and can't wait to catch up with the others! I think I will need a tissue or two!

This is a second chance romance with all the elements required for it to be a 5* read for me. Emotionally, Swoon worthy, sizzling I just loved the way M.A. Foster has delivered a heart wrenching story looking at what constitutes betrayal and how it is interrupted differently by different people.

For Vanessa and Liam their road is not an easy road — meeting young - Vanessa was the daughter of Liams baseball coach at school and although he new Vanessa was the one they were both at different points in their life — she wanted to go to nursing school and he to play pro baseball. They tried to make it work and that is where the different takes on what exactly betrayal is comes into its own in this book and it did make me stop and think and with that in mind I can see both sides!

I don't want to give to much away so just pick up a copy and read this wonderful book as I did I am sure you will want to read the first book. I cant wait to see who is up next!
Profile Image for Cali Gal’s.
1,225 reviews146 followers
August 21, 2020
Where do I start? I am still an emotional mess from this story. I have to admit my enjoyment is two fold. I not only LOVE this book but I am addicted to this series.

I have been waiting for Liam and Vanessa’s story. They were introduced in previous Ms. Foster books. It is awesome getting front row seats to their love story.

Plan for all kinds of emotions to occur in this second chance romance. You will have moments when you want to strangle both of these characters. Ugh young love and the dumb choices people make.

What makes me happiest is the full cast experience of this book. Sigh. The Heritage Bay Peeps are magic.

Review... more to come wink

Ok I am back. Yikes I STILL feel all squishy inside thinking about this story. Do you even just admire perfectly imperfect people? This is how I feel about these two. Smile.

Vanessa has her hard limits and sticks to them. Most impressive is that she knew them at a young age. I admire that and wanna say, YOU GO GIRL! Wink. I won’t saint her but overall she is pretty impressive.

Liam you live up to your family name. Eek. Hug. Having said that you also live up to the crazy, somewhat egotistical mindset in the world of professional sports. You became your own worst enemy for a bit. I guess we can blame it on your youth? Thank goodness you have your family to always keep you grounded. Haha.

Humor is scattered throughout this telling making it a prized read for me. Laughter always makes everything better in my opinion. This one brings it in a beautiful way. SOOO GOOD!

Sign. Thanks for listening to the ramblings of a Heritage Bay obsessed reader. Ugh this one is an amazing five star worthy addition. Wink wink. Happy Reading Everyone. XOXO
521 reviews10 followers
August 7, 2020
Can you forgive someone after they break more than your heart? But, in all honesty, isn’t that what a second chance at romance is all about?

When you meet your soul mate as a teenager, there are bound to be ups and downs, add in being under the spotlight as a professional athlete, the challenge of long distance... love would be tested for Liam and Vanessa.

And it’s not even just that. If you’ve suffered a traumatic loss, such as Vanessa had in losing her mom as a child, had a “friend” break your trust multiple times during your adolescence, then had your boyfriend break up with you in your adolescence, even though you handled it well, you didn’t throw a public fit, it damages your ability to trust and care. Think about how hard it is as an adult to trust again, after something like what her childhood friend/first boyfriend did to her.

Their amazing friends and family are by their sides throughout. If you read the previous Heritage Bay, we see Jayla, Zach, Cam, Emerson, etc. But now we’re getting to spend more time with Mia, Katie, Gabbi - who will have you rolling on the floor.

And we get to go back to the Mexican restaurant...

The journey to see if Liam and Vanessa can overcome their past, can they start fresh, takes twists and turns. As anyone who has ever dealt with relationship issues knows, they take work, and we get to see the work here.
Profile Image for Elsie.
573 reviews
August 10, 2020
Have you ever met a group of characters that you want to live with and be friends with? That's Heritage Bay people for me.

Baller is a second chance at love story, starring swoon worthy Liam Mackenzie and Vanessa Abbott.

They meet at a young age and for external circumstances their story gets interrupted. 5 years pass but the love and passion is still there. Call it fate or whatever you want to call it, they end up in the same place at the same time and Liam decided to fight for his girl.

This book is funny, infuriating at times but also amazing characters that make it so easy to read it. Thanks M.A. Foster for another amazing story with a Happy Ending and snippets of our favorite people.
Profile Image for Toni King.
95 reviews11 followers
August 10, 2020
Yet another 5🌟 read by MA Foster! After discovering her books, I was hooked...and could not wait for Baller( and more from Heritage Bay). Not only was I not disappointed, I was impressed! Ms. Foster continues to grow as a writer...exploring more detail and expanding the world she creates for us. Baller is more than a second chance/sports romance. This book has it all: angst(tears), humor(snort-worthy), heat(get the fan), and romance(SWOON). I couldn't stop reading but didn't want it to end. Bravo, MA Foster; I, truly, cannot wait for more...ALWAYS!
Profile Image for Katy Battisti.
590 reviews15 followers
August 10, 2020
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED Baller!!! This is now my FAVORITE book. M.A. Foster hit it out of the park with this one! This was well written and easy to read. I couldn’t put this book down and I couldn’t get enough of Liam. He was so swoon worthy and fell in love with him! A second chance love story between Liam and Vanessa. This was filled with all the angst and drama to keep you on your toes. Jumping back into the Heritage Bay world was amazing. I loved seeing all the Mackenzie and Parker families back together. I loved Cole but now Liam is my favorite!!! ❤️HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book! ❤️
Profile Image for Robyn .
467 reviews2 followers
August 8, 2020
Baller kept me on the edge of my seat, glued to the story, and is definitely a must read! Liam and Vanessa are both head strong, fierce, and know what they want. This book made me laugh and I cry. I went through all the emotions, along with these multidimensional characters. I wish I had a group of loyal friends like Vanessa has. M.A. Foster is a terrific author, and I love all of her books! She really knows how to write stories that flow, with characters that are real. I love how the events played out in the story. Baller is definitely a must read!
Profile Image for Stacy.
56 reviews3 followers
August 8, 2020
I absolutely LOVED it! I have been in a book slump for over a year. When MA Foster said she had a book coming out, I was excited to read again. I have read all her books. I didn't want to put this book down. Thank you for writing another amazing Heritage Bay story.
Liam and Vanessa are my favorites, next to Zack and Jayla! This book had me from the beginning. It was funny, sexy, frustrating, romantic, and I just couldn't get enough of this couple!
13 reviews
August 7, 2020
Another Home Run (see what I did there) for the Heritage Bay series! Liam and Vanessa are drawn to each other. In the beginning they know they can’t be together, and then everything changes. I loved this story as much as I have all of the Heritage Bay series. This book will stay in my rotation to keep reading. ❤️
Profile Image for Andrea ☾  [is inconsistently consistant].
712 reviews103 followers
July 22, 2024
2 ⭐️ Absolutely not.

This was soooo incredibly toxic, it really borders on dark romance territory.

It was really bad. Both MCs were incredibly childish and rash. I finished the book because I wanted to see of it redeemed itself at some point, or at least made some sense of the characters. But nope.

They fight for 50% of the book, only to basically fall into bed and for that to magically fix everything for them from then on.

Extremely unlikable MMC too. Liam feels too real, as in "not written by a woman", and instead he's more the overgrown high school ball player who now thinks he's really all that. I can't do alphaholes, and he was definitely one.

Disappointing, even for a freebie on Stuff your Kindle day.
391 reviews6 followers
August 16, 2020
Baller is the first book in the Heritage Bay Series by M. A. Foster. This is the first book I read in the series. For the most part, I liked the book. Liam made some poor decisions, but I generally liked him as a character. It took me a bit to connect to Vanessa. I really liked her towards the end. She was definitely exasperating at times. I really liked Vanessa's friend Gabbi. She was a straight shooter who gave sound advice. The story took place over a seven year span. I thought the flashback scenes were done well, and did not overpower the story. Overall, Baller was a really great book.
Profile Image for Tara.
1,182 reviews8 followers
August 10, 2020
This is a beautifully written book of second chances; beating the odds and finding who you are and what your place in the world is. This book keeps you on your toes, It’s one of those stories you never want to end. It was truly a breath-taking five-star read. This is my first book by MA Foster & I can’t wait to read the first 4 books in this series “Heritage Bay”. Do yourself a favor and pick this up, you won’t regret it! I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Polly Smith.
196 reviews3 followers
August 4, 2020
After reading all of the other books in the Heritage Bay series by M.A. Foster, I couldn’t wait for Liam and Vanessa’s story. She did not disappoint with this book! Young love rocked to its core from early on, Liam and Vanessa barely make it out of the gate before stupidity and pride shake their sweet love. These two characters are stubborn to a fault but buried underneath are hearts that only beat for each other. Watching them find their way back to their true love was frustrating at times because they’re both so proud and strong. Seeing them finally put their feelings and vulnerabilities on the table made for such a great story with the perfect ending. Ms. Foster told this story with such sweetness but threw in just enough sexy and sassy (mixed with A LOT of hilarity) to keep me turning each page and staying up way too late to see where their story would end. It was worth every sleepless hour!
35 reviews1 follower
August 10, 2020
I absolutely love Fosters books. She is one of the few that can make me cry, laugh and want to slap a character over the head. Fantastic job, M.A. Foster!
Profile Image for KSwear79.
114 reviews
August 17, 2020
MA Foster has embedded the Mackenzie family into my bones! With each new book I love this family even more. The loss, the growth, the heartbreak - every new book shows me a dynamic of WHY they are a very lovable family!

The bets are the greatest!
Profile Image for Stephanie.
646 reviews11 followers
August 21, 2020
This book was so amazing. Besides getting to know Liam and Vanessa, the friendship Vanessa has with Gabbi, Katie and Kennedy makes the story even better. They are so funny and definitely remind me of conversations I have with my friends.
Profile Image for Pat Labrie.
411 reviews4 followers
August 21, 2020
M.A. Foster has done it again with another phenomenal Heritage Bay book. I loved Liam and Vanessa's story. You will want to scream and swear but you will love Liam in the end. This series is a must read and I highly recommend it
Profile Image for Reading Chills.
197 reviews3 followers
August 19, 2020
When I got the ARC for Baller, by M. A. Foster, I wasn’t expecting to love it so much. Don’t get me wrong, the blurb sounded great and I was in for a great ride. But this is one of those books that is a pleasant surprise from beginning to end.

First of all, Liam… (sigh). This guy had me swooning over and over throughout. God, I love him! I’m convinced that a man like that in real life would have every single woman in the world wrapped around his little finger.
He’s not only a millionaire and a successful sportsman, he’s the epitome of a good guy mixed with a great lover, the best of friends, a loving son, brother and uncle. He’s faithful to his feelings and that’s exactly what gets him in trouble. He follows his heart no matter the consequences.

Vanessa is a tough and stubborn town girl who has learned from an early age that it is important to defend herself not only physically, but emotionally as well. She is a strong-minded woman, who is very keen to chase her happiness. Nevertheless, she might be quite mistaken when looking for it away from the only man she’s ever loved.

Since this is a book in a series – which can by all means be read as a standalone – , Foster mentions some amazing characters from previous books, and they add a great deal to the story. You simply can’t help wanting to be a part of their lives!

The Mackenzies, the Parkers, Vanessa’s friends... they all provide such an amusing environment that reading this book is nothing but all fun and enjoyment.

This is my first experience with M.A. Foster and I’m def gonna add more of hers to my TBR list.

If you’re into small town, second-chance romances, and sports, make sure to grab this one.

Awesome ride!

Five-star read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Louise  O.
859 reviews8 followers
August 16, 2020
Baller is a standalone in the Heritage Bag series, having not read the previous books I was worried I would have missed something but I haven’t.

Liam knew what he wanted even if that meant breaking the rules; When he first saw her he knew he should walk away but as time went on he just couldn’t. Vanessa was having a bad night and when it turns into a fairy tale, she cannot help but swoon. When lies tear them apart it takes years before they can heal their broken hearts.

Timing was never their best suit but when everything aligns perfectly there was no stopping them.

I enjoyed reading Baller the dual POV is always a favourite of mine, Foster is a new to me author and I am looking forward to reading more in the future.


Star Ratings; Plot: 4/5 Characters: 4/5 Heat: 4/5 Writing Style: 4/5 Overall: 4/5
Profile Image for Wendy McArthur.
35 reviews3 followers
August 14, 2020
Wow, loved it!

I’ve just finished Baller by MA Foster, it’s 3.35am and I just couldn’t put it down. This book really put me through the wringer. I giggled, I got teary, I wanted to smack Liam at times but totally loved the story.
I loved being back in Heritage Bay, meeting new friends as well as catching up with others.
This is the story of Liam & Vanessa, abs it’s a roller coaster of emotions. It takes us from her prom to working life and everything in between.
Liam did something that split them up for 5 years but he never stopped loving her.
MA Foster is definitely in my top 5 of go to authors, her books never disappoint and always hit you right in the feels.
So happy that we got to see Willow again and Gabi needs a book!
Profile Image for Emma.
277 reviews8 followers
August 14, 2020
So I'm gonna start with saying Liam Mckenzie is swoon worthy and all all mine lol.

Foster has a way of drawing you into everyone of her books and Baller didn't disappoint.
You have love that can't be matched you have lies you drama you even have a devotion.

This story is so delicately handled yet it doesn't hold back.
Liam is the guy everyone wants to be while every girl wants to be under. Liam and Vanessa think they have it all. Until a broken promise proves they don't. M.A. Foster tells us how Vanessa and Liams hearts get broken.
And how it effects them years later.

I love reading this authors books and I love reviewing them and do so voluntarily.
Profile Image for Sonia.
341 reviews
August 16, 2020
I loved this story. Liam and Vanessa are the perfect true love story that needed time to come together. Too young, not ready, wrong timing. This second chance was inevitable. The chemistry and the angst between Liam & Vanessa was definitely deliverd with a smooth delicious flow making the reader fall in love with them both. Being a part of a wonderful series, it's a huge plus to read about other favorite characters as well. I loved it and wanted more and more of them.
Profile Image for Katrina.
75 reviews8 followers
August 18, 2020
I had been anticipating Liam’s story and M.A. Foster knocked it out of the park ! ⚾️. Those Heritage Bay boys sure know how to make a girl crazy in more ways than one.

My emotions were all over the place. For me, that makes a great story. There were so many quotable moments in the book. When you read, be prepared to highlight 😬.

You’ll love it !!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews

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