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Copper Valley Fireballs #1
Jock Blocked
She can't let him score…
Call it superstition, but when a guy bats as hot as Brooks Elliott, you don't mess with what's working. And what's working is him keeping his pants zipped and doing all of his scoring on the field.
So when I hear he's planning to ditch his V-card now that he's been traded to baseball's lovable losers — aka my home team and my reason for living every March through October — I do what any rational, dedicated, obsessed fan would do.
I make a plan to stop him.
But the thing about stopping him is that it requires spending time with him.
Lots. And lots. And lots of time.
And the more time I spend with him, the more I like him. Not as the guy who's going to help save my favorite team and finally bring home a championship ring, but as the guy who's helping me in my quest to bring back the team's old mascot. Who also loves making pancake and bacon sandwiches. And who would do almost anything for his love of the game.
But after all this time of jock-blocking him… do I even have a chance?
And if I do, are we both destined to a life of celibacy in the name of winning?
Jock Blocked is a home run of a romantic comedy featuring the world's most superstitious sports fan, baseball's oldest virgin hero, a rogue meatball, an adorable puppy with a cussing problem, and the best lovable losers. It stands alone and comes with a happily ever after more satisfying than a game-winning grand slam.
Call it superstition, but when a guy bats as hot as Brooks Elliott, you don't mess with what's working. And what's working is him keeping his pants zipped and doing all of his scoring on the field.
So when I hear he's planning to ditch his V-card now that he's been traded to baseball's lovable losers — aka my home team and my reason for living every March through October — I do what any rational, dedicated, obsessed fan would do.
I make a plan to stop him.
But the thing about stopping him is that it requires spending time with him.
Lots. And lots. And lots of time.
And the more time I spend with him, the more I like him. Not as the guy who's going to help save my favorite team and finally bring home a championship ring, but as the guy who's helping me in my quest to bring back the team's old mascot. Who also loves making pancake and bacon sandwiches. And who would do almost anything for his love of the game.
But after all this time of jock-blocking him… do I even have a chance?
And if I do, are we both destined to a life of celibacy in the name of winning?
Jock Blocked is a home run of a romantic comedy featuring the world's most superstitious sports fan, baseball's oldest virgin hero, a rogue meatball, an adorable puppy with a cussing problem, and the best lovable losers. It stands alone and comes with a happily ever after more satisfying than a game-winning grand slam.
296 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2020
About the author
Pippa Grant
56 books7,702 followersPippa Grant is a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author who writes romantic comedies that will make tears run down your leg. When she's not reading, writing or sleeping, she's being crowned employee of the month as a stay-at-home mom and housewife trying to prepare her adorable demon spawn to be productive members of society, all the while fantasizing about long walks on the beach with hot chocolate chip cookies.
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May 21, 2020Author's note, one day post-release:
AHH!! It's HERE! It's finally here! I hope you enjoy Brooks and Mackenzie every bit as much as I did, and also as much as the Starbucks staff enjoyed watching me make a fool of myself giggling and spitting my tea out as these two continuously surprised me throughout their entire story. Happy reading!! <3
Author's note, ONE WEEK before release:
The cover's here! The cover's here! I've licked it, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who intends to do so...
I can't believe we're finally this close! I don't like to play favorites, but Mackenzie is hands down one of my favorite heroines ever - seriously, BGF needs to be a thing! Book Girl Friends for the win! Plus, pair her with poor grumpy virgin Brooks... and GAAAAHHH!!! I can't wait.
Author's note, two weeks before release:
I'm all over Facebook and Instagram giving away Jock Blocked Book Boxes this week!
Also, these are currently my two favorite teasers from the book:
I can't wait!!!
Author's note, three weeks before release:
Two words: Hot, athletic, grumpy virgin hero.
Three more words: My favorite heroine ever in the history of my books.
(Okay, I can't count. But GAAAAAHHHH, I am so excited for this book to launch!!!)
If you're in the US, there's a Goodreads giveaway for a signed copy HERE!
Author's note, four weeks before release:
I've been looking for really great teasers from JOCK BLOCKED to share, and I keep coming up with teasers that crack me up, but probably make zero sense out of context.
Like, there's this one:
*GIF of an asshole*
And this one:
"Fireball Man makes it sound like my nuts are burning."
And my personal favorite:
Tripp smiles at me. “I don’t know what you’re doing for luck these days, Mackenzie, but keep it up. The team’s getting there.”
I stare at him, because he did not just tell me to before every game.
I know he didn’t.
I've mentioned I'm excited about this book, right? Because I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK TO ARRIVE ON MAY 19!!!! Mackenzie and Brooks just might be one of my favorite couples EVER!!!! Grumpy virgin + enthusiastic fangirl + EVERYTHING ELSE about this book = more fun than you can shake a flip-sequin pillow at. WOOT!!
Author's note, six weeks before release:
I have the BIGGEST GIRL CRUSH IN THE HISTORY OF GIRL CRUSHES on Mackenzie Montana, heroine of Jock Blocked.
You'd think a heroine whose sole purpose is to keep the hero from getting laid would be cranky and unlikeable, but OMG, she's hilarious and passionate and dedicated, and everything she wants is SO MUCH BIGGER than just herself. She's #goals. I freaking love her. And giving her a grumpy virgin hero?
SO. MUCH. FUN.
GAH, I can't wait for this book to come out!!!
#may19
#getyourjockblockon
Author's note, roughly 3 months before release:
Oh. My. God. This book is SOOOO funny. I snorted tea during early revisions. I laughed so hard while working in public that an elderly couple next to me asked if I was streaming The Tonight Show and why couldn't I use my internet at my own house instead of causing a scene in public?
My hero hates me.
My heroine needs antacids for all the indigestion I'm giving her.
Every time I tell my husband what new thing happened in the plot today, he tells me I'm not right.
But I'm having fun, and that's what counts, right?
AHH!! It's HERE! It's finally here! I hope you enjoy Brooks and Mackenzie every bit as much as I did, and also as much as the Starbucks staff enjoyed watching me make a fool of myself giggling and spitting my tea out as these two continuously surprised me throughout their entire story. Happy reading!! <3
Author's note, ONE WEEK before release:
The cover's here! The cover's here! I've licked it, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who intends to do so...
I can't believe we're finally this close! I don't like to play favorites, but Mackenzie is hands down one of my favorite heroines ever - seriously, BGF needs to be a thing! Book Girl Friends for the win! Plus, pair her with poor grumpy virgin Brooks... and GAAAAHHH!!! I can't wait.
Author's note, two weeks before release:
I'm all over Facebook and Instagram giving away Jock Blocked Book Boxes this week!
Also, these are currently my two favorite teasers from the book:
I can't wait!!!
Author's note, three weeks before release:
Two words: Hot, athletic, grumpy virgin hero.
Three more words: My favorite heroine ever in the history of my books.
(Okay, I can't count. But GAAAAAHHHH, I am so excited for this book to launch!!!)
If you're in the US, there's a Goodreads giveaway for a signed copy HERE!
Author's note, four weeks before release:
I've been looking for really great teasers from JOCK BLOCKED to share, and I keep coming up with teasers that crack me up, but probably make zero sense out of context.
Like, there's this one:
*GIF of an asshole*
And this one:
"Fireball Man makes it sound like my nuts are burning."
And my personal favorite:
Tripp smiles at me. “I don’t know what you’re doing for luck these days, Mackenzie, but keep it up. The team’s getting there.”
I stare at him, because he did not just tell me to before every game.
I know he didn’t.
I've mentioned I'm excited about this book, right? Because I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK TO ARRIVE ON MAY 19!!!! Mackenzie and Brooks just might be one of my favorite couples EVER!!!! Grumpy virgin + enthusiastic fangirl + EVERYTHING ELSE about this book = more fun than you can shake a flip-sequin pillow at. WOOT!!
Author's note, six weeks before release:
I have the BIGGEST GIRL CRUSH IN THE HISTORY OF GIRL CRUSHES on Mackenzie Montana, heroine of Jock Blocked.
You'd think a heroine whose sole purpose is to keep the hero from getting laid would be cranky and unlikeable, but OMG, she's hilarious and passionate and dedicated, and everything she wants is SO MUCH BIGGER than just herself. She's #goals. I freaking love her. And giving her a grumpy virgin hero?
SO. MUCH. FUN.
GAH, I can't wait for this book to come out!!!
#may19
#getyourjockblockon
Author's note, roughly 3 months before release:
Oh. My. God. This book is SOOOO funny. I snorted tea during early revisions. I laughed so hard while working in public that an elderly couple next to me asked if I was streaming The Tonight Show and why couldn't I use my internet at my own house instead of causing a scene in public?
My hero hates me.
My heroine needs antacids for all the indigestion I'm giving her.
Every time I tell my husband what new thing happened in the plot today, he tells me I'm not right.
But I'm having fun, and that's what counts, right?
July 30, 2021
**Synopsis:**
“The shit icing on the sewage cake of being traded away from my home team is that they didn’t trade me just anywhere. Nope. They had to trade me to the worst team in baseball.”
Brooks is a professional baseball player who believes he needs to steer clear of any bedroom action in order maintain his winning streak. But when he’s traded to the worst team in the league, he’s no longer willing to take one for the team. I mean, if the team is so awful, does it really matter if his game sucks? Maybe it’s time to find a woman who can meet his neglected needs.
~ “There are two things I know for damn certain: One, curses are real in baseball. And two, my game goes to shit anytime I get past second base with a woman. If I’m going to play on a losing team, then why am I going to keep my pants zipped for another year in the name of my game?”
Number one Fireballs fan, MacKenzie, is just as superstitious as some of the players and she wants Brooks playing at his absolute best. Therefore, for the sake of the game, she is bound and determined not to let Brooks get his sorely neglected bedroom action. Whether she’s humming “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” in the closet or cock-blocking him in a meatball costume (don’t ask 😉) NO hanky panky is going to happen on her watch!
Once Brooks figures out Mackenzie has been interfering in his “off-field” game, he’s none too happy.
~ “I’ve realized the nutcase I can’t stop thinking about is the same fucking nutcase who cock-blocked me in a damn meatball costume.”
But…..he has a plan.
~ “If she thinks she’s going to screw with my life, then she needs to know I can screw with hers too.”
Wonder what this means for Mackenzie? 😉🙂
** The following are my thoughts about this book: **
* * MacKenzie and Brooks were cute together. Both awkward, oddballs in their own way.
* * I get how Brooks could be superstitious during the season and stay away from girls. But what about the off-season? Surely that would have been a good time to lose his V-card. A thirty year old male hero was a little hard to believe.
* * there are quite a few crazy supporting characters, but it just solidified the closeness of the group and their full acceptance of all the quirkiness. The surrounding characters added a good foundation of friendship and support around Brooks and Mackenzie.
* * the crazy mascot shenanigans were interesting. A bit over the top sometimes, but entertaining.
* * a custom cussing collar for your pet. Now that was funny. 😂. However, I really enjoyed the positive affirmation collar. Some of the things “said” truly fit the moment. 🙂
* * I liked that both characters realized they needed to readjust their thinking and make some changes. It showed growth and character development for each.
**Overview:**
- Content Warning: none
- Setting: Copper Valley, Virginia
- Do you need to read previous books in series?: there are some characters from previous books that are interwoven. I haven’t read any other books and I wasn’t lost. However, I do think understanding the backstory from previous books would enhance this story.
- POV: Dual POV
- Tropes: sports
- Who is the Hero? Brooks Elliott. Plays third base for the Fireballs. (age: 30). On the tale end of his career, he’s now wondering what’s next.
* The following words/phrases were used to describe Hero: very close with his family, tired of baseball, wants a family of his own, mischievous, fun
* H likable? Yes.
- Who is the Heroine? Mackenzie Montana (age: mid to late 20’s). MacKenzie is massively obsessed with the Fireballs because growing up it was the one place she could escape teasing and mocking (her dads are drag queens).
* The following words/phrases were used to describe Heroine: a die hard Fireballs fan, superstitious, spearheading an effort to bring back the dragon mascot (because it absolutely can’t be replaced with a meatball, a duck, a firefly or an echidna (cuz WTH is that anyway 🤣)), socially awkward, a dork, real, adorable
* h likable? Yes. I loved MacKenzie’s quirkiness.
- h virgin? h No, but H is a virgin
- First time they kiss: 33%
- First time they sleep together: 75%
- Safe sex? Yes. Condoms used
- First time they say I Love You 91%
- steamy? Yes. Descriptive bedroom scenes
- OW/OM drama? No
- H/h cheat? No
- Time apart? No
- Did I skip pages? No
- Big secrets? No
- Did I cry? No
- Did I laugh? No
- Did I swoon🥰? yes. He had a couple swoony moments.
- Cliffhanger? No
- HEA? Yes
- Epilogue? 4 months later
- Recommend? some might think the humor is a bit over the top. Plot wasn’t deep, but it was a light hearted story.
**Quotes**
“I do feel guilty about stealing the mascot. But it had to be done. They weren’t listening to reason, and it’s completely unreasonable to replace Fiery the Dragon with a flaming meatball.”
“This afternoon’s loss is sitting on me like a pile of moldy lucky socks that didn’t do their job.”
“Why is it so sexy when a woman’s pissed? Is it the challenge of making her un-pissed? Or is it the passion?”
“I’m a hot mess.”
“You’re a spicy taco with extra guacamole.”
“This is the kiss I’ve waited for my entire life. The you get me kiss. The you are my everything kiss. The you’re my kind of crazy kiss.”
“The shit icing on the sewage cake of being traded away from my home team is that they didn’t trade me just anywhere. Nope. They had to trade me to the worst team in baseball.”
Brooks is a professional baseball player who believes he needs to steer clear of any bedroom action in order maintain his winning streak. But when he’s traded to the worst team in the league, he’s no longer willing to take one for the team. I mean, if the team is so awful, does it really matter if his game sucks? Maybe it’s time to find a woman who can meet his neglected needs.
~ “There are two things I know for damn certain: One, curses are real in baseball. And two, my game goes to shit anytime I get past second base with a woman. If I’m going to play on a losing team, then why am I going to keep my pants zipped for another year in the name of my game?”
Number one Fireballs fan, MacKenzie, is just as superstitious as some of the players and she wants Brooks playing at his absolute best. Therefore, for the sake of the game, she is bound and determined not to let Brooks get his sorely neglected bedroom action. Whether she’s humming “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” in the closet or cock-blocking him in a meatball costume (don’t ask 😉) NO hanky panky is going to happen on her watch!
Once Brooks figures out Mackenzie has been interfering in his “off-field” game, he’s none too happy.
~ “I’ve realized the nutcase I can’t stop thinking about is the same fucking nutcase who cock-blocked me in a damn meatball costume.”
But…..he has a plan.
~ “If she thinks she’s going to screw with my life, then she needs to know I can screw with hers too.”
Wonder what this means for Mackenzie? 😉🙂
** The following are my thoughts about this book: **
* * MacKenzie and Brooks were cute together. Both awkward, oddballs in their own way.
* * I get how Brooks could be superstitious during the season and stay away from girls. But what about the off-season? Surely that would have been a good time to lose his V-card. A thirty year old male hero was a little hard to believe.
* * there are quite a few crazy supporting characters, but it just solidified the closeness of the group and their full acceptance of all the quirkiness. The surrounding characters added a good foundation of friendship and support around Brooks and Mackenzie.
* * the crazy mascot shenanigans were interesting. A bit over the top sometimes, but entertaining.
* * a custom cussing collar for your pet. Now that was funny. 😂. However, I really enjoyed the positive affirmation collar. Some of the things “said” truly fit the moment. 🙂
* * I liked that both characters realized they needed to readjust their thinking and make some changes. It showed growth and character development for each.
**Overview:**
- Content Warning: none
- Setting: Copper Valley, Virginia
- Do you need to read previous books in series?: there are some characters from previous books that are interwoven. I haven’t read any other books and I wasn’t lost. However, I do think understanding the backstory from previous books would enhance this story.
- POV: Dual POV
- Tropes: sports
- Who is the Hero? Brooks Elliott. Plays third base for the Fireballs. (age: 30). On the tale end of his career, he’s now wondering what’s next.
* The following words/phrases were used to describe Hero: very close with his family, tired of baseball, wants a family of his own, mischievous, fun
* H likable? Yes.
- Who is the Heroine? Mackenzie Montana (age: mid to late 20’s). MacKenzie is massively obsessed with the Fireballs because growing up it was the one place she could escape teasing and mocking (her dads are drag queens).
* The following words/phrases were used to describe Heroine: a die hard Fireballs fan, superstitious, spearheading an effort to bring back the dragon mascot (because it absolutely can’t be replaced with a meatball, a duck, a firefly or an echidna (cuz WTH is that anyway 🤣)), socially awkward, a dork, real, adorable
* h likable? Yes. I loved MacKenzie’s quirkiness.
- h virgin? h No, but H is a virgin
- First time they kiss: 33%
- First time they sleep together: 75%
- Safe sex? Yes. Condoms used
- First time they say I Love You 91%
- steamy? Yes. Descriptive bedroom scenes
- OW/OM drama? No
- H/h cheat? No
- Time apart? No
- Did I skip pages? No
- Big secrets? No
- Did I cry? No
- Did I laugh? No
- Did I swoon🥰? yes. He had a couple swoony moments.
- Cliffhanger? No
- HEA? Yes
- Epilogue? 4 months later
- Recommend? some might think the humor is a bit over the top. Plot wasn’t deep, but it was a light hearted story.
**Quotes**
“I do feel guilty about stealing the mascot. But it had to be done. They weren’t listening to reason, and it’s completely unreasonable to replace Fiery the Dragon with a flaming meatball.”
“This afternoon’s loss is sitting on me like a pile of moldy lucky socks that didn’t do their job.”
“Why is it so sexy when a woman’s pissed? Is it the challenge of making her un-pissed? Or is it the passion?”
“I’m a hot mess.”
“You’re a spicy taco with extra guacamole.”
“This is the kiss I’ve waited for my entire life. The you get me kiss. The you are my everything kiss. The you’re my kind of crazy kiss.”
May 19, 2020
Pippa Grant is such a feel good author. I read all of her Bro Code novels and loved them all but I loved the characters even more. They were so great, I loved their crazy, quirky, individuality as much as I loved the fact they were all so close and supportive. And when I saw the sign up for this book I thought it was going to be Cooper Rock and a continuation of all the Bro Code craziness and well it was but it wasn’t.
Mackenie was such a nut job. But she was a lovable, normal kind of nutjob. She is the person most of us are only comfortable being around our closest friends. Which is completely understandable when she grew up with a family that was pretty far from conventional. And they were awesome, in fact I was really hoping to get a whole heap more of them in this book. Hopefully this series is going to continue and we will get more of them.
I was so glad to see we got to see a lot more of the bro code couples and their friends and family that we have met along the journey. I really love the secondary characters in these books but damn the storylines are so funny and so far out there but by the same thing you can see how the characters end up in the messes they get into.
Brooks was beautiful and although I knew of him mainly from his sister and her crazy phone antics I was glad to get to know him. I felt so sorry for everything he had lost and I couldn’t blame him for his initial bitterness but I am glad that he got over it quickly and fell for all of Mackenzie's charms. He was an awesome character and has made me want to go back and read all the previous Pippa Grant books so I can get to know his family better and maybe get a little more of him.
I can’t wait for the next book in this series and even though I would love to get Cooper Rock’s story I really don’t care who I get because I know going in that I am going to enjoy the journey no matter the destination with Pippa Grant leading the way.
Mackenie was such a nut job. But she was a lovable, normal kind of nutjob. She is the person most of us are only comfortable being around our closest friends. Which is completely understandable when she grew up with a family that was pretty far from conventional. And they were awesome, in fact I was really hoping to get a whole heap more of them in this book. Hopefully this series is going to continue and we will get more of them.
I was so glad to see we got to see a lot more of the bro code couples and their friends and family that we have met along the journey. I really love the secondary characters in these books but damn the storylines are so funny and so far out there but by the same thing you can see how the characters end up in the messes they get into.
Brooks was beautiful and although I knew of him mainly from his sister and her crazy phone antics I was glad to get to know him. I felt so sorry for everything he had lost and I couldn’t blame him for his initial bitterness but I am glad that he got over it quickly and fell for all of Mackenzie's charms. He was an awesome character and has made me want to go back and read all the previous Pippa Grant books so I can get to know his family better and maybe get a little more of him.
I can’t wait for the next book in this series and even though I would love to get Cooper Rock’s story I really don’t care who I get because I know going in that I am going to enjoy the journey no matter the destination with Pippa Grant leading the way.
May 7, 2021
This is first in a series, but Pippa Grant interrelates all her stories so there are people from her other books scattered all over the place like a box of dropped toothpicks. This one leans heavily on America's Geekheart via best friends and, to a lesser extent, Liar, Liar, Hearts on Fire for the Fireballs takeover. Also, Brooks is brother to two of the characters from the Girl Band series and they come in a lot, as well. I haven't read those and felt the lack a bit.
I attached pretty hard to Mackenzie from the start. She's awkward and a bit emotionally damaged, particularly in respect to baseball players. She's a huge fan but can't do anything but stammer in their presence (as seen in Geekheart). So she has a definite growth path mapped out in advanced if she's going to end up with Brooks. I liked her devotion to her team and the passion she has for their success. And I really liked that some of the growth she needed centered on seeing them as people.
Brooks was a bit harder to engage with. Going that long without any kind of physical intimacy is, well, kind of extreme and doesn't really survive scrutiny. It's okay as a premise, but I'm not sure it works as part of a character—not least because it plays into maturity and intimacy in ways that I'm not sure made it into the story. I did like following him as he remaps his own life and dealing with the disappointment of a waning career. And I liked seeing him rediscover his love of the game and that Mackenzie served as catalyst for the reawakening (as opposed to guide).
I've never understood the extreme superstition of athletes, though it's a strong element of every romance centering on them ever written. It's probably really a thing, people being what they are, but it's not a milieu I can just skim when it takes center stage (as it does in this story). A superstition strong enough to counter the male sex drive for over a decade doesn't seem like it'd be a thing. But whatever. This is an aspect of the story that I kind of just had to give it. Doing so, the story itself works wonderfully well. And I'm particularly happy that .
There's a lot of flavorful quirkiness sprinkled through the story, some of it tied to intruding characters from past stories, to drop my enjoyment a bit. Yeah, some of it was funny, but enough pulled me out of the story to be simply friction. It's enough to drop the story to 4½ stars. And I'm not feeling the rounding up impulse I might have without the superstition adding to the burden. Still, a very fine story and I look forward to more by the author. Who knows, maybe I'll pull down one of the Girl Band stories I missed?
A note about Steamy: There are a few explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. I actually liked how well Grant worked those moments into the arc of the characters because heaven knows that was a tricky bit to pull off with an explicitly virgin hero. A lot of pressure, I'm sure, and she delivered very well.
I attached pretty hard to Mackenzie from the start. She's awkward and a bit emotionally damaged, particularly in respect to baseball players. She's a huge fan but can't do anything but stammer in their presence (as seen in Geekheart). So she has a definite growth path mapped out in advanced if she's going to end up with Brooks. I liked her devotion to her team and the passion she has for their success. And I really liked that some of the growth she needed centered on seeing them as people.
Brooks was a bit harder to engage with. Going that long without any kind of physical intimacy is, well, kind of extreme and doesn't really survive scrutiny. It's okay as a premise, but I'm not sure it works as part of a character—not least because it plays into maturity and intimacy in ways that I'm not sure made it into the story. I did like following him as he remaps his own life and dealing with the disappointment of a waning career. And I liked seeing him rediscover his love of the game and that Mackenzie served as catalyst for the reawakening (as opposed to guide).
I've never understood the extreme superstition of athletes, though it's a strong element of every romance centering on them ever written. It's probably really a thing, people being what they are, but it's not a milieu I can just skim when it takes center stage (as it does in this story). A superstition strong enough to counter the male sex drive for over a decade doesn't seem like it'd be a thing. But whatever. This is an aspect of the story that I kind of just had to give it. Doing so, the story itself works wonderfully well. And I'm particularly happy that .
There's a lot of flavorful quirkiness sprinkled through the story, some of it tied to intruding characters from past stories, to drop my enjoyment a bit. Yeah, some of it was funny, but enough pulled me out of the story to be simply friction. It's enough to drop the story to 4½ stars. And I'm not feeling the rounding up impulse I might have without the superstition adding to the burden. Still, a very fine story and I look forward to more by the author. Who knows, maybe I'll pull down one of the Girl Band stories I missed?
A note about Steamy: There are a few explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. I actually liked how well Grant worked those moments into the arc of the characters because heaven knows that was a tricky bit to pull off with an explicitly virgin hero. A lot of pressure, I'm sure, and she delivered very well.
September 3, 2020
This book was my first introduction to Pippa Grant and let me just say: what took me so long?! This was such a fun (and hilarious) sports romance.
Even though I read plenty of sports romance, this one was truly unlike any other that I’ve read before. Have I read novels where the main male character is a famous baseball player? Yes. Have I read novels where the main female character is a devoted (yet superstitious) fan worried about the male character ruining his game? Absolutely not.
This novel was so funny and charming while also being steamy and HOT. All of those factors combined into a perfect combination that made for the best kind of read. I enjoyed this story so much that I read it in one sitting—easily. If you are looking for one heck of a page-turner that will not disappoint, look no further.
***Thank you to Give Me Books Promotions as well as the author Pippa Grant for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review***
Even though I read plenty of sports romance, this one was truly unlike any other that I’ve read before. Have I read novels where the main male character is a famous baseball player? Yes. Have I read novels where the main female character is a devoted (yet superstitious) fan worried about the male character ruining his game? Absolutely not.
This novel was so funny and charming while also being steamy and HOT. All of those factors combined into a perfect combination that made for the best kind of read. I enjoyed this story so much that I read it in one sitting—easily. If you are looking for one heck of a page-turner that will not disappoint, look no further.
***Thank you to Give Me Books Promotions as well as the author Pippa Grant for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review***
May 19, 2020
Sports fans and players and their crazy superstitions. . . wear the same socks on away game days. To ensure a win, eat a hot dog at the top of the third inning when the team plays at home and the temp is over seventy degrees. If it’s under seventy, heat up the nachos.
But nothing beats the superstition about Brooks Elliott and his virginity. Keeping it and playing well—that’s what it’s about. Past history has proven—just ask him—that any sexual activity before a game hinders his batting ability.
Crazy, right?
No where near as crazy as Mackenzie Montana’s though. As the Fireball’s biggest fan, Mac takes her baseball seriously—and all the superstitions that go right along with it! She’s bound and determined to ensure the Fireball’s newest team member keep it in his pants—he’s supposed to help the Fireball’s out of the basement after all.
And along the way, maybe he can help her bring back the Fireball’s old mascot, Fiery the dragon, too.
Right off the bat, Mac and Brooks have a connection. They’re instantly attracted to each other, but they somehow manage to become friends. Co-conspirators in the “bring back the Fireball’s old mascot, Fiery the dragon” crusade. And every wild pitch Mac throws at him, Brooks is there to make the play and wins her heart along the way.
I loved every minute spent with Mack and Brooks and the rest of the crazy Cooper Valley players. Loved to see them rally behind the wild, crazy, hilarious mascot antics. Loved to see the love of the game in everything they did.
Jock Blocked is a fun, smart, sexy rom com that will keep you laughing and rooting for the Fireballs long after you finish reading it! ~ Missy, 5 stars
But nothing beats the superstition about Brooks Elliott and his virginity. Keeping it and playing well—that’s what it’s about. Past history has proven—just ask him—that any sexual activity before a game hinders his batting ability.
Crazy, right?
No where near as crazy as Mackenzie Montana’s though. As the Fireball’s biggest fan, Mac takes her baseball seriously—and all the superstitions that go right along with it! She’s bound and determined to ensure the Fireball’s newest team member keep it in his pants—he’s supposed to help the Fireball’s out of the basement after all.
And along the way, maybe he can help her bring back the Fireball’s old mascot, Fiery the dragon, too.
Right off the bat, Mac and Brooks have a connection. They’re instantly attracted to each other, but they somehow manage to become friends. Co-conspirators in the “bring back the Fireball’s old mascot, Fiery the dragon” crusade. And every wild pitch Mac throws at him, Brooks is there to make the play and wins her heart along the way.
I loved every minute spent with Mack and Brooks and the rest of the crazy Cooper Valley players. Loved to see them rally behind the wild, crazy, hilarious mascot antics. Loved to see the love of the game in everything they did.
Jock Blocked is a fun, smart, sexy rom com that will keep you laughing and rooting for the Fireballs long after you finish reading it! ~ Missy, 5 stars
May 18, 2020
I want to live inside the pages of a Pippa Grant book. They are legit my happy place.
Mackenzie and Brooks are just...I have no words but I love them.
This book has pickup baseball game I wish was something I could pull up on YouTube to watch.
A drag club I wish I could frequent and drag queens I want spend time with.
A baseball team that just might have me turning in my pinstripes.
A a puppy I want to take home and follow on Instagram. Who also needs to send me his collars for my own fur baby!
And a family you wish you could be added to their group texts.
You NEED this book in your life, if for no other reason than to put a smile on your face.
Mackenzie and Brooks are just...I have no words but I love them.
This book has pickup baseball game I wish was something I could pull up on YouTube to watch.
A drag club I wish I could frequent and drag queens I want spend time with.
A baseball team that just might have me turning in my pinstripes.
A a puppy I want to take home and follow on Instagram. Who also needs to send me his collars for my own fur baby!
And a family you wish you could be added to their group texts.
You NEED this book in your life, if for no other reason than to put a smile on your face.
![Profile Image for Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1521418447i/78060090._UY200_CR25,0,200,200_.jpg)
July 31, 2022
2.5 stars
Pippa Grant books are very hit or miss for me. The ridiculousness is always off the charts and while that’s sometimes entertaining it’s easy for it to cross the line into too much. This wasn’t horrible, but when I’m looking forward to being done with a book rather than enjoying reading it that’s not a good sign. I honestly didn’t know what people were saying often I’m not sure if it was baseball stuff I didn’t get, bad writing or if it was because there are so many characters and couples from other series that I felt confused and left out or a combo of all three. I’m sure it’s fun for the PG super fans to have all these old characters integrated into this series but it’s a bit annoying to have all these backstories you don’t really know but feel like you should. In the end I just felt like the premise of this whole book was a bit much and while this was brief/minor I didn’t love the part where the famous baseball player tried to coerce the rabid superstitious super fan to have sex with him to help the team🥴 I get that it’s a romcom and supposed to be funny and we know as readers that they’re attracted to each other and it’s not really as gross and manipulative as it seems but yeah some of this book just rubbed me the wrong way.
And that ending? Wth. Still don’t know who the dumb new mascot is after all that lol #justiceforfiery
Pippa Grant books are very hit or miss for me. The ridiculousness is always off the charts and while that’s sometimes entertaining it’s easy for it to cross the line into too much. This wasn’t horrible, but when I’m looking forward to being done with a book rather than enjoying reading it that’s not a good sign. I honestly didn’t know what people were saying often I’m not sure if it was baseball stuff I didn’t get, bad writing or if it was because there are so many characters and couples from other series that I felt confused and left out or a combo of all three. I’m sure it’s fun for the PG super fans to have all these old characters integrated into this series but it’s a bit annoying to have all these backstories you don’t really know but feel like you should. In the end I just felt like the premise of this whole book was a bit much and while this was brief/minor I didn’t love the part where the famous baseball player tried to coerce the rabid superstitious super fan to have sex with him to help the team🥴 I get that it’s a romcom and supposed to be funny and we know as readers that they’re attracted to each other and it’s not really as gross and manipulative as it seems but yeah some of this book just rubbed me the wrong way.
And that ending? Wth. Still don’t know who the dumb new mascot is after all that lol #justiceforfiery
May 23, 2020
Okay, I haven't had much time to read lately, but I jumped at the chance to read Pippa Grant's newest book, Jock Blocked. It's cute, funny, sexy, sporty, and just all around good fun.
Also, I didn't realize how much I needed a hot virgin hero in my life until I read Brooks Elliot. He's adorbs. If you liked Jaime in Outlander, ("I'm a virgin, not a monk.") then you'll like Brooks.
Highly recommended.
Also, I didn't realize how much I needed a hot virgin hero in my life until I read Brooks Elliot. He's adorbs. If you liked Jaime in Outlander, ("I'm a virgin, not a monk.") then you'll like Brooks.
Highly recommended.
July 24, 2020
Plot was stupid. Wait a minute... was there a plot? No. Not really.
Heroine was flighty and did dumb things. Her interest in the baseball team was over the top crazy.
Hero was so superstitious it was unbelievable. Who goes 30 years being a virgin just because the last time you made out with a girl you didn't play well? Not any guy I know.
Do not recommend.
Heroine was flighty and did dumb things. Her interest in the baseball team was over the top crazy.
Hero was so superstitious it was unbelievable. Who goes 30 years being a virgin just because the last time you made out with a girl you didn't play well? Not any guy I know.
Do not recommend.
October 4, 2022
Laugh out loud goodness….
I laughed so hard I think my core got a wicked workout. You need your core to laugh, right? I sure hope so because this kind of exercise I can highly recommend!
Mackenzie was a riot. Her devotion to a dragon was something to be honored, and her love of her baseball team? Well, all teams should have fans so rabid. Rabid? That sounds so lethal. Instead it should read, all in fun, devoted, zany and all the good kind of crazy fandom. Now picture all that concentrated effort honed in on one man. The man who could make or break your team. Here intensity was super real and so were the shenanigans that ensued. Hilariously so…
I wasn’t kidding when I said I laughed through this entire story. Of course, there were sweet moments and a few ups and down – it’s baseball after all! Every page, each chapter built a mad plot higher that soon involved love. Be prepared to laugh out loud as this baseball romance was knocked out of the park! ~Diane, 4.5 stars
I laughed so hard I think my core got a wicked workout. You need your core to laugh, right? I sure hope so because this kind of exercise I can highly recommend!
Mackenzie was a riot. Her devotion to a dragon was something to be honored, and her love of her baseball team? Well, all teams should have fans so rabid. Rabid? That sounds so lethal. Instead it should read, all in fun, devoted, zany and all the good kind of crazy fandom. Now picture all that concentrated effort honed in on one man. The man who could make or break your team. Here intensity was super real and so were the shenanigans that ensued. Hilariously so…
I wasn’t kidding when I said I laughed through this entire story. Of course, there were sweet moments and a few ups and down – it’s baseball after all! Every page, each chapter built a mad plot higher that soon involved love. Be prepared to laugh out loud as this baseball romance was knocked out of the park! ~Diane, 4.5 stars
September 15, 2022
3.5 sports romance fun
Great narration, always a fan of Andi Arndt and I appreciate the dual narrators for multiple POVs.
Its just such a fun story. Mackenzie is the crazy obsessed fan and her antics should be annoying but somehow its endearing. I'd love more of her family and their brand of crazy as well and I loved how unconventional her family is.
Brooks is a bitter player who has been traded to this loosing team. But the place grows on him, just as he does on the reader. There's so much more to him than baseball and being a superstitious virgin player.
Their love story was fun and heartfelt. I will happily read more by this author.
Great narration, always a fan of Andi Arndt and I appreciate the dual narrators for multiple POVs.
Its just such a fun story. Mackenzie is the crazy obsessed fan and her antics should be annoying but somehow its endearing. I'd love more of her family and their brand of crazy as well and I loved how unconventional her family is.
Brooks is a bitter player who has been traded to this loosing team. But the place grows on him, just as he does on the reader. There's so much more to him than baseball and being a superstitious virgin player.
Their love story was fun and heartfelt. I will happily read more by this author.
August 7, 2021
It’s not a question of how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie… it’s how many characters can you shove into one book. Geez. Entirely too many characters with backstories from other books. Distracting.
I guess this is like the Tebow story of baseball without the religious storyline. Instead, it’s a superstition that keeps a hot pro athlete a virgin for 30+ years. Hard to wrap my head around that - no pun intended.
Romance was okay. FMC is just way too spastic and OCD about her baseball team - from her custom fandom shoes and car to kitchen utensils - to be believable. In a nutshell, she’s nuts.
MMC is quirky, too, but the author carries it to such an extreme that he’s often robbed of any masculine traits.
The dog stole the book. His collar was the best part of the entire book and my only source of laughter.
Writing was slllllllllow like molasses being poured over stale bread. I mean the plot here is the blurb and there’s nothing else other than his virginity, baseball, and mascot anarchy going on for 293 pages. Cute read, but I just like more out of my book than the same point of angst on repeat over and over and over.
Safety - MMC tries to just rid his virginity with anything with legs at the beginning of the book. Not successful because FMC cock blocked him.
I guess this is like the Tebow story of baseball without the religious storyline. Instead, it’s a superstition that keeps a hot pro athlete a virgin for 30+ years. Hard to wrap my head around that - no pun intended.
Romance was okay. FMC is just way too spastic and OCD about her baseball team - from her custom fandom shoes and car to kitchen utensils - to be believable. In a nutshell, she’s nuts.
MMC is quirky, too, but the author carries it to such an extreme that he’s often robbed of any masculine traits.
The dog stole the book. His collar was the best part of the entire book and my only source of laughter.
Writing was slllllllllow like molasses being poured over stale bread. I mean the plot here is the blurb and there’s nothing else other than his virginity, baseball, and mascot anarchy going on for 293 pages. Cute read, but I just like more out of my book than the same point of angst on repeat over and over and over.
Safety - MMC tries to just rid his virginity with anything with legs at the beginning of the book. Not successful because FMC cock blocked him.
May 8, 2020
Spectacular!
Another home run from Pippa Grant! I love baseball, and I love Jock Blocked!
Brooks Elliott is baseball’s oldest virgin and he is looking to shed that title after getting traded to Copper Valley’s Fireballs baseball team. He’s hurt and angry after believing he’d spend the rest of his career in his home state of New York, and at his beloved home team. Brooks figures he has nothing to lose by blowing up all his superstitions.
Mackenzie Montana is the Fireball’s biggest fan, and she honestly believes that she can break the team’s losing streak by protecting Brooks from himself, if you know what I mean. Together, Brooks and Mackenzie are THE most adorkable and endearing couple I have ever read about. There is so much to love about this book, including the superstitions, the players, the puppy, the dads, the mascots, the drag queens, the food, the texts, the friends, the families, the car…
If you love baseball and all its shenanigans and superstitions, you’ll love this book! Although it’s set in Pippa’s Copper Valley world, it reads like a stand alone, give it a shot!
Another home run from Pippa Grant! I love baseball, and I love Jock Blocked!
Brooks Elliott is baseball’s oldest virgin and he is looking to shed that title after getting traded to Copper Valley’s Fireballs baseball team. He’s hurt and angry after believing he’d spend the rest of his career in his home state of New York, and at his beloved home team. Brooks figures he has nothing to lose by blowing up all his superstitions.
Mackenzie Montana is the Fireball’s biggest fan, and she honestly believes that she can break the team’s losing streak by protecting Brooks from himself, if you know what I mean. Together, Brooks and Mackenzie are THE most adorkable and endearing couple I have ever read about. There is so much to love about this book, including the superstitions, the players, the puppy, the dads, the mascots, the drag queens, the food, the texts, the friends, the families, the car…
If you love baseball and all its shenanigans and superstitions, you’ll love this book! Although it’s set in Pippa’s Copper Valley world, it reads like a stand alone, give it a shot!
May 5, 2020
Yes, *$ YES!! 😂😂 This book is everything and by far my favorite from this author (gasps, I know!!). I am a baseball fanatic, I live and breathe it, and the Fireballs are my team (outside the MLB that is). I have never, NEVER related to a character more then I did to Mackenzie. She's quarky but wholeheartedly dedicated to her Fireballs. I loved her awkwardness and her willingness to go to lenghts. I have the same issue with "The Gods." And Brooks?! Besides looking good in a uniform, he is an awesome character. He's funny and kind with one thing on his mind... well two, and playing ball is only one, lol. I love that he has to fight all the c-blocking and I loved his humor. These two are perfect for each other. I cannot get over this story, it's pure romatic comedy gold! Read it and love it. I had the pleasure of reading this ARC and I am leaving an honest review.
May 21, 2020
⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️
Brooks and MacKenzie’s story is absolutely delightful and just what you need in your life right now.
Mackenzie is a Fireballs FAN submerged in a FANDOM so deep she’s elevated her hometown baseball players to gods and is leading a campaign to bring back the retired Fireballs mascot. Mackenzie is basically about every sports fan I’ve know from my hometown of Philly, because she’s that passionate about the diamond. Mackenzie is starstruck by the Fireballs players but she tries with them, she gets nervous and tongue tied when she attempts to talk to them. It’s definitely a Six Degrees of Kevin BACON situation because of Mackenzie’s friend Sarah’s connections to the Fireballs; that connection puts Mackenzie in close proximity to the players. She mets Brooks Elliott who was traded from New York, his hometown team, to The Fireballs. Brooks is a little lost, maybe even a little depressed. He is a good player but recently he’s been feel less than passionate about his job and he’s in a mild slump.
Enter Mackenzie, she’s very invested in the team for so many reasons, but let’s just say it’s a comfort place for her where she feels she belongs; she grew up a Fireballs fan, and she and Brooks form a friendship of sorts that revolves around Brooks superstitious virgin status and Mackenzie making sure he maintains that status for the good of the team. Yes, Mackenzie is that fan, you know you’ve met them, the ones who do certain rituals or routines with the confidence that their players will make contact with the ball, hit a grand slam, or win the game just because said fan ate a hotdog with chili and cheese during the 3rd inning; when thinking of Mackenzie, multiply that fan times 1000.
Anyway, Brooks is just adorable and Mackenzie is even cuter. I love these two as much as Mackenzie loves The Fireballs! Their story is fun, and we get visits from favorites characters, including cameos of some hockey players.
What I love about Jock Blocked: the story, a 30 year old virgin, the puppy, the puppy’s collar, Mackenzie’s Dads, Parker Parker’s text messages and how she’s finding a way around it, Knox’s text messages, a 30 year old virgin (it should be mentioned twice) and all of the snort laugh parts of this story. Surprises, because there’s a few wonderful ones in this book. Cooper Rock-man I love him. And the mascots...which is still a question! 😂 And this is a baseball story, America’s past time, and frankly, as I read, I can smell the grass, the caramel corn, hot dogs and the $15 parking fee-oh, wait, I can’t smell the parking fee, but it’s money well spent!
This book has a 30 year old virgin (yup, it does) a passionate hometown team girl, a group of mascots and all the snort laughs you can handle and a tiny bit of happy tears too. All in all, this book was just what I needed right now, today, because happiness, springtime and opening day won’t go away and if you’re a baseball fan, the sound of ball making contact with the bat of your favorite player is 100% a soul filling, renewing sound that shouts spring summer and fall. Oh, and the mascots...but Just two words: Phillie Phanatic, because, because!
Brooks and MacKenzie’s story is absolutely delightful and just what you need in your life right now.
Mackenzie is a Fireballs FAN submerged in a FANDOM so deep she’s elevated her hometown baseball players to gods and is leading a campaign to bring back the retired Fireballs mascot. Mackenzie is basically about every sports fan I’ve know from my hometown of Philly, because she’s that passionate about the diamond. Mackenzie is starstruck by the Fireballs players but she tries with them, she gets nervous and tongue tied when she attempts to talk to them. It’s definitely a Six Degrees of Kevin BACON situation because of Mackenzie’s friend Sarah’s connections to the Fireballs; that connection puts Mackenzie in close proximity to the players. She mets Brooks Elliott who was traded from New York, his hometown team, to The Fireballs. Brooks is a little lost, maybe even a little depressed. He is a good player but recently he’s been feel less than passionate about his job and he’s in a mild slump.
Enter Mackenzie, she’s very invested in the team for so many reasons, but let’s just say it’s a comfort place for her where she feels she belongs; she grew up a Fireballs fan, and she and Brooks form a friendship of sorts that revolves around Brooks superstitious virgin status and Mackenzie making sure he maintains that status for the good of the team. Yes, Mackenzie is that fan, you know you’ve met them, the ones who do certain rituals or routines with the confidence that their players will make contact with the ball, hit a grand slam, or win the game just because said fan ate a hotdog with chili and cheese during the 3rd inning; when thinking of Mackenzie, multiply that fan times 1000.
Anyway, Brooks is just adorable and Mackenzie is even cuter. I love these two as much as Mackenzie loves The Fireballs! Their story is fun, and we get visits from favorites characters, including cameos of some hockey players.
What I love about Jock Blocked: the story, a 30 year old virgin, the puppy, the puppy’s collar, Mackenzie’s Dads, Parker Parker’s text messages and how she’s finding a way around it, Knox’s text messages, a 30 year old virgin (it should be mentioned twice) and all of the snort laugh parts of this story. Surprises, because there’s a few wonderful ones in this book. Cooper Rock-man I love him. And the mascots...which is still a question! 😂 And this is a baseball story, America’s past time, and frankly, as I read, I can smell the grass, the caramel corn, hot dogs and the $15 parking fee-oh, wait, I can’t smell the parking fee, but it’s money well spent!
This book has a 30 year old virgin (yup, it does) a passionate hometown team girl, a group of mascots and all the snort laughs you can handle and a tiny bit of happy tears too. All in all, this book was just what I needed right now, today, because happiness, springtime and opening day won’t go away and if you’re a baseball fan, the sound of ball making contact with the bat of your favorite player is 100% a soul filling, renewing sound that shouts spring summer and fall. Oh, and the mascots...but Just two words: Phillie Phanatic, because, because!
May 16, 2020
There is so much goodness and awesomeness in this book, I am having a hard time encompassing all the love in one review.
“You’re Nutella-covered bacon in a baked chicken breast world.”
In true Pippa Grant fashion, Jock Blocked is an action packed rom-com with hilarious laugh out loud moments, plenty of swoon and steam, love, cuteness and crazy pants shenanigans.
The story evolves around the Copper Valley professional baseball team - The Fireballs - that, after disastrous couple of seasons, is under new management and trying gain momentum in the league.
Our protagonists, Brooks Elliot, a baseball pro traded to Fireballs by his New York team, and Mackenzie Montana, the biggest, most enthusiastic Fireballs fan, first meet when Mackenzie’s stealing a Meatball Mascot Costume and Brooks has just arrived to join his new team.
So, what’s with the Meatball mascot you ask? You see, the new team owners decided to retire Fiery the Dragon and as a marketing stint organize a public vote to choose a new mascot. The four contenders? Meaty the Meatball, Spike the Echidna, Glow the Firefly and Firequacker the Duck.
#Spike4Life here, by the way.
And then - there is Coco Puff♥️♥️♥️
Brooks adopts this adorable ball of cuteness cavapoo after a publicity shoot with the local animal shelter; and the puppy just stole my heart! He has a misbehaving collar, that is preprogrammed with naughty phrases and every time he barks it gives us a hilariously inappropriate one liner.
Throughout the book we get to visit with our favorite Pippaverse characters and catch up on their magnificent lives, we meet the untraditional awesome parents who brought up Mackenzie to be the amazing human she is, and get introductions to the Fireballs players and their families.
Mackenzie is running a hugely successful campaign to bring Fiery the Dragon back, and as the team’s #1 fan attends all games and pre and post game events, where she starts exploring a relationship with Brooks. He is trying to come to grips with the fact his New York team traded him and his game is suffering due to number of perceived superstitions and his hurt over the trade. Is Mackenzie going to be able to help him regain his mojo? Will the Fireballs come back and rule the league once again? Will Mackenzie succeed in her campaign to bring Fiery back?
Pick up Jock Blocked today and find out! I couldn’t recommend it more!!!!
“You’re Nutella-covered bacon in a baked chicken breast world.”
In true Pippa Grant fashion, Jock Blocked is an action packed rom-com with hilarious laugh out loud moments, plenty of swoon and steam, love, cuteness and crazy pants shenanigans.
The story evolves around the Copper Valley professional baseball team - The Fireballs - that, after disastrous couple of seasons, is under new management and trying gain momentum in the league.
Our protagonists, Brooks Elliot, a baseball pro traded to Fireballs by his New York team, and Mackenzie Montana, the biggest, most enthusiastic Fireballs fan, first meet when Mackenzie’s stealing a Meatball Mascot Costume and Brooks has just arrived to join his new team.
So, what’s with the Meatball mascot you ask? You see, the new team owners decided to retire Fiery the Dragon and as a marketing stint organize a public vote to choose a new mascot. The four contenders? Meaty the Meatball, Spike the Echidna, Glow the Firefly and Firequacker the Duck.
#Spike4Life here, by the way.
And then - there is Coco Puff♥️♥️♥️
Brooks adopts this adorable ball of cuteness cavapoo after a publicity shoot with the local animal shelter; and the puppy just stole my heart! He has a misbehaving collar, that is preprogrammed with naughty phrases and every time he barks it gives us a hilariously inappropriate one liner.
Throughout the book we get to visit with our favorite Pippaverse characters and catch up on their magnificent lives, we meet the untraditional awesome parents who brought up Mackenzie to be the amazing human she is, and get introductions to the Fireballs players and their families.
Mackenzie is running a hugely successful campaign to bring Fiery the Dragon back, and as the team’s #1 fan attends all games and pre and post game events, where she starts exploring a relationship with Brooks. He is trying to come to grips with the fact his New York team traded him and his game is suffering due to number of perceived superstitions and his hurt over the trade. Is Mackenzie going to be able to help him regain his mojo? Will the Fireballs come back and rule the league once again? Will Mackenzie succeed in her campaign to bring Fiery back?
Pick up Jock Blocked today and find out! I couldn’t recommend it more!!!!
May 19, 2020
What a bright ray of sunshiney happiness this was! I always love Pippa Grant’s quirky rom coms, so I knew I was in for a good read, but this has got to be one of my absolute FAVORITES from her. It’s light and funny and oh so sweet with a couple that you will be rooting for from start to finish. I loved this hero once I got to know him a little better - Brooks is kinda broken at the beginning of this book, and it takes some TLC from our heroine before he finds his happy again. It’s refreshingly delightful from beginning to end, and the perfect book to kick off this new series (though there are plenty of appearances from old favorites)!
The story follows Brooks, a baseball player who seems to have a curse. Every time he gets past second base with a woman, his game falls apart. For that reason… he’s never gotten any further than that with a woman. When Brooks was playing for a winning team, the sacrifice to his love life seemed worth it, but now that’s he’s been traded to the worst team in the league, well… he’s ready to make a few changes. Desperate to lose his v-card to any woman who will have him, Brooks turns into a bit of a horndog. The only problem? Super fan Mackenzie knows about the curse, and she is determined to stop him before he crosses that line. While Brooks might think Mackenzie is a special kind of crazy, it’s not long before the two shift from strangers with conflicting goals to something much deeper.
This might just be my favorite read from Grant, and that’s saying a lot. It’s quirky and kinda ridiculous but so, so funny. I loved both of these characters and their strange journey to happy ever after, which is actually surprising given how much OW drama there is at the start of this. Naturally, Brooks is trying to lose his v-card, so it’s not without its drama, but Grant handles everything so well that it was never really a problem for me. And the payoff… so, so worth it. I loved the buildup of intimacy and the changes we see in both characters throughout the course of the book. It’s light and funny from start to finish, but there’s that underlying layer of depth that I love about Pippa’s books. All in all, a really great, fun read, and I cannot wait for more from this series. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC via Give Me Books (then purchased it for my collection), and am voluntarily leaving a review of this quirky romance.
The story follows Brooks, a baseball player who seems to have a curse. Every time he gets past second base with a woman, his game falls apart. For that reason… he’s never gotten any further than that with a woman. When Brooks was playing for a winning team, the sacrifice to his love life seemed worth it, but now that’s he’s been traded to the worst team in the league, well… he’s ready to make a few changes. Desperate to lose his v-card to any woman who will have him, Brooks turns into a bit of a horndog. The only problem? Super fan Mackenzie knows about the curse, and she is determined to stop him before he crosses that line. While Brooks might think Mackenzie is a special kind of crazy, it’s not long before the two shift from strangers with conflicting goals to something much deeper.
This might just be my favorite read from Grant, and that’s saying a lot. It’s quirky and kinda ridiculous but so, so funny. I loved both of these characters and their strange journey to happy ever after, which is actually surprising given how much OW drama there is at the start of this. Naturally, Brooks is trying to lose his v-card, so it’s not without its drama, but Grant handles everything so well that it was never really a problem for me. And the payoff… so, so worth it. I loved the buildup of intimacy and the changes we see in both characters throughout the course of the book. It’s light and funny from start to finish, but there’s that underlying layer of depth that I love about Pippa’s books. All in all, a really great, fun read, and I cannot wait for more from this series. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC via Give Me Books (then purchased it for my collection), and am voluntarily leaving a review of this quirky romance.
May 30, 2020
Super funny read from Pippa Grant!! Brooks might be the oldest virgin in all of baseball, but even though the premise might be a bit hard to believe (I mean, based on the description of Brooks and that cover....*fans myself*), what do you expect from a RomCom where the mascots are stolen, the cell phones are highjacked, and the dog collar barks out creative swear words? This is a classic Pippa book which will both delight you, have you rolling in laughter, then swooning and smiling, and finally wondering (shuddering?) what it must be like in Pippa's head....hmmm. lol Definitely read if you like to laugh and escape into a crazy fun world!
May 26, 2020
Amazing!
This was such a fun book to read! I'm kinda sad I didnt learn who won the mascot challenge but I am happy to see it's not the end of the fireball series! Also I kinda want to know what went down with the items used in the spring training course breaker! All in all this was a freak book to read! Now I need some more Cooper Rock in my life!
This was such a fun book to read! I'm kinda sad I didnt learn who won the mascot challenge but I am happy to see it's not the end of the fireball series! Also I kinda want to know what went down with the items used in the spring training course breaker! All in all this was a freak book to read! Now I need some more Cooper Rock in my life!
May 20, 2020
Sports romances are my absolute favorite. This was so cute and fun. I laughed and smiled from beginning to end.
July 15, 2020
3.5 stars
This was a hilarious, virgin hero sports romance! I fell in love with both these crazy characters who had more than a few screws loose but were so lovable and sexy together. I don't know anything about baseball but you can't help but get caught up on the love of the game when you read this. Saying Mackenzie is the ultimate fan is an understatement. Her superstitious beliefs were ridiculously comical and she would do anything to get her team to win. This included cock blocking the newest player of the Fireballs team, Brooks, because of course it's his virginity that's going to up his game and give the team the advantage. How I swooned over Brooks! I mean who wouldn't love a big, sexy baseball player who loves dogs and carries his puppy in a cross body sling. I love this type of crazy, outlandish, inappropriate humor and mix in the romance, it makes for such an enjoyable read. Also the wedding epilogue was absolutely epic!
3.5 stars
Contemporary Sports Romance
POV: Dual
Heat Level: Moderate
HEA: Yes
Follow me for your next comfort read!
This was a hilarious, virgin hero sports romance! I fell in love with both these crazy characters who had more than a few screws loose but were so lovable and sexy together. I don't know anything about baseball but you can't help but get caught up on the love of the game when you read this. Saying Mackenzie is the ultimate fan is an understatement. Her superstitious beliefs were ridiculously comical and she would do anything to get her team to win. This included cock blocking the newest player of the Fireballs team, Brooks, because of course it's his virginity that's going to up his game and give the team the advantage. How I swooned over Brooks! I mean who wouldn't love a big, sexy baseball player who loves dogs and carries his puppy in a cross body sling. I love this type of crazy, outlandish, inappropriate humor and mix in the romance, it makes for such an enjoyable read. Also the wedding epilogue was absolutely epic!
3.5 stars
Contemporary Sports Romance
POV: Dual
Heat Level: Moderate
HEA: Yes
Follow me for your next comfort read!
September 17, 2020
📖📖 READ THROUGH KU. 📖📖
4.5 🌟’s
After reading my first Pippa book - Liar Lair, Hearts On Fire - I couldn’t wait to find out more from this baseball team, especially the new trade from the New York Yankees, he sounded very interesting indeed. And he was! He had a magic combination of hot and adorable that had me smiling the whole way through the book. He was a little lost leaving his old team but traditions and superstitions couldn’t stop him falling for MacKenzie. She was exactly what he needed to get out of his slump. And she was a hoot! She was a passionate, optimistic ray of sunshine that threw herself headfirst into everything she did. I loved her energy, her commitment but mostly her sense of humor. The best bit, that had me cackle out loud, was when she was humming “Take Me Out To The Ball Game”, hilarious! I am enjoying making my way through the Pippa Grant collection, if they are as good as this one, I’ll be as happy as Coco Puff getting his belly rubbed. 🐶
4.5 🌟’s
After reading my first Pippa book - Liar Lair, Hearts On Fire - I couldn’t wait to find out more from this baseball team, especially the new trade from the New York Yankees, he sounded very interesting indeed. And he was! He had a magic combination of hot and adorable that had me smiling the whole way through the book. He was a little lost leaving his old team but traditions and superstitions couldn’t stop him falling for MacKenzie. She was exactly what he needed to get out of his slump. And she was a hoot! She was a passionate, optimistic ray of sunshine that threw herself headfirst into everything she did. I loved her energy, her commitment but mostly her sense of humor. The best bit, that had me cackle out loud, was when she was humming “Take Me Out To The Ball Game”, hilarious! I am enjoying making my way through the Pippa Grant collection, if they are as good as this one, I’ll be as happy as Coco Puff getting his belly rubbed. 🐶
September 11, 2020
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Insta-love?
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What it is about?
POV?
HEA/HFN?
Funny parts?
Sad parts?
Love triangle?
Insta-love?
Cheating?
Super insecure character?
Trigger warning?
How realistic is it?
Who should read this
Who Shouldn’t read this
https://headoverbooks.home.blog/2020/...
My Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/headoverboo...
September 13, 2020
This had a really seller meet between the two character's and the inner contemplation of the H had all the humor and potential of good enjoyment annnnnd then it went downhill. First and foremost when the H's and h's extended family and friends started showing of their peculiarities and their significant others they have gotten in their own books it made it painfully clear this was a spin off book. It was just soooo much weirdness all in one place it made so hard to believe these bonified adults existed. Every scene and interaction became a clown car action for readers waiting to see which "cutsie, adorable and quirky" side characters is gonna pop up for a bit of side action laughs. *Eye roll* And just as fast my interest in these two diminished as I knew there will be just a lot of fillers of others interacting with the H or h while they were not together to show how FUNtastic lives these two are leading. After like 5 of those scenes I lost interest.
Note for the h: Jeeez that is a lot of weird. And I don't mean peculiarities of awkwardly quirky person, I genially cringed at some of the odd interaction h had with H and some of their conversations. I mean I get it now just how scary fans can be to their idols. The chick is just bonified out of her mind when it comes to some of the logical actions she considers as viable and what is worse the H indulges her cuz she is hot and he is totally into her. *eye roll*
Note for the H: stop saying "woo". You are a grown-ass-adult. Say seduce. You are not trying to "woo" her into matrimonial bliss, you are trying to SEDUCE her out of her pants and out of your virginity.
Losing interest… and just wanting this book to be over. There is light-hearted humorous nod to a cutsie romance read and there is just plain bat shit crazy and the author seems to have set up some sort of competition with herself and her other books on just how much more crazy LOL stuff she can stuff in this book. Made it overkill, and dulled out any kind of edge the romantic interests are supposed to be developing for each-other so made it just bland. I'm done.
Wanted to DNF at 30% and persevered cuz I am a sucker for punishment. So not gonna go for the next one and CAREFULLY reconsider before picking up anything else from this author.
I struggled to sum up this book and pin point exactly what dropped my interest in it as soon as all those people and funny moments started showing up and finally it came to me, it's just too much.
You know that scene in Matilda when the kid eats a piece of cake from behind that nasty teacher's back and she punishes him by making him eat the whole damn thing in one sitting? Yeah well this book is that. The author has crammed every single quirky, jarring, mentally scaring thing in this book she could think of and it's making me want to explode as I have to mentally go through it all:
We have: baseball; big crazy family; virginity; puppy; dog-daddy like behavior; homesickness; feelings of misplacement and rejection from ones home team; gay parents; gay diva drag parents that own a drag bar; swearing; crazy fan; crazy fan with big brain; crazy fan with feelings of guilt that their crazy fan behavior is not enough; cock-blocking; mascots and all mascot related craziness; awkward h; awkward h overcoming her awkwardness; finding her inner strength and finding her dude; sexual tension; sexual tension prolonged cuz baseball gods would frown upon it; more cute (creepy) dog-daddy behavior and on and on and on and on and on and on it goes. Maybe it would have been better if it was developed better, but all these concepts are like abandoned puppies in the road, the author just tossed them in here and forgot they needed to be developed.
I guess this book is not just meant to be a spin-off of one series but multiple previous series by the author and having all those random characters drop in to add their own brand of crazy to the mix did not help this story any. It felt like being dropped in the middle of the big epic Greek mythology story (not that this story had the earned epickness of the Greek mythology, just the overloaded craziness) with the already established myriad of gods and deities locked into their various struggles and wars and you as a reader are there to figure out what the fu*k is going on based on current context alone. I did not enjoy that at all, and it did not tempt me read any of the author's other series. If anything it soured this book for me and any potential interest I might have for her other series. Good day.
Note for the h: Jeeez that is a lot of weird. And I don't mean peculiarities of awkwardly quirky person, I genially cringed at some of the odd interaction h had with H and some of their conversations. I mean I get it now just how scary fans can be to their idols. The chick is just bonified out of her mind when it comes to some of the logical actions she considers as viable and what is worse the H indulges her cuz she is hot and he is totally into her. *eye roll*
Note for the H: stop saying "woo". You are a grown-ass-adult. Say seduce. You are not trying to "woo" her into matrimonial bliss, you are trying to SEDUCE her out of her pants and out of your virginity.
Losing interest… and just wanting this book to be over. There is light-hearted humorous nod to a cutsie romance read and there is just plain bat shit crazy and the author seems to have set up some sort of competition with herself and her other books on just how much more crazy LOL stuff she can stuff in this book. Made it overkill, and dulled out any kind of edge the romantic interests are supposed to be developing for each-other so made it just bland. I'm done.
Wanted to DNF at 30% and persevered cuz I am a sucker for punishment. So not gonna go for the next one and CAREFULLY reconsider before picking up anything else from this author.
I struggled to sum up this book and pin point exactly what dropped my interest in it as soon as all those people and funny moments started showing up and finally it came to me, it's just too much.
You know that scene in Matilda when the kid eats a piece of cake from behind that nasty teacher's back and she punishes him by making him eat the whole damn thing in one sitting? Yeah well this book is that. The author has crammed every single quirky, jarring, mentally scaring thing in this book she could think of and it's making me want to explode as I have to mentally go through it all:
We have: baseball; big crazy family; virginity; puppy; dog-daddy like behavior; homesickness; feelings of misplacement and rejection from ones home team; gay parents; gay diva drag parents that own a drag bar; swearing; crazy fan; crazy fan with big brain; crazy fan with feelings of guilt that their crazy fan behavior is not enough; cock-blocking; mascots and all mascot related craziness; awkward h; awkward h overcoming her awkwardness; finding her inner strength and finding her dude; sexual tension; sexual tension prolonged cuz baseball gods would frown upon it; more cute (creepy) dog-daddy behavior and on and on and on and on and on and on it goes. Maybe it would have been better if it was developed better, but all these concepts are like abandoned puppies in the road, the author just tossed them in here and forgot they needed to be developed.
I guess this book is not just meant to be a spin-off of one series but multiple previous series by the author and having all those random characters drop in to add their own brand of crazy to the mix did not help this story any. It felt like being dropped in the middle of the big epic Greek mythology story (not that this story had the earned epickness of the Greek mythology, just the overloaded craziness) with the already established myriad of gods and deities locked into their various struggles and wars and you as a reader are there to figure out what the fu*k is going on based on current context alone. I did not enjoy that at all, and it did not tempt me read any of the author's other series. If anything it soured this book for me and any potential interest I might have for her other series. Good day.
May 8, 2020
Jock Blocked is a unicorn pinata jammed full of glittery happiness and fun!! I laughed, giggled, and snorted unlady like through the entire book and loved every minute of it!
Pippa's wacky characters are some of my absolute favorite and Jock Blocked is sprinkled with my all of my favorite ones which now include Mackenzie and Brooks. Interconnected with Pippa's other worlds Jock Blocked can be read as a complete standalone, but you may spit your coffee out while laughing at the references to her other books if you have read them, but that is my own opinion.
With the jokes, laughs, and ROTF guffaws aside, there is also a loving story tucked in between about one super fan who never gives up and one baseball player that has lost his shiny way as to why he still plays baseball.
Jock Blocked, no matter if you are a fan of baseball, any sport, or really just any passion, will make you a believer and give you hope. Mackenzie has this inner glow, hope, and dedication that is unlike any I've ever run across. I want to be around her so I can feel better about anything that has gone wrong. She just never gives up and I love that fighting spirit.
Brooks, and his family, is the perfect mix of sweet and crazy (which is totally my kryptonite). A man who loves every nuance of his woman who is also sweet and crazy is literally the best. It won't take much to fall in love with this baseball player, but more importantly, it won't take much to fall in love with Mackenzie and her mission to keep him scoring on the field.
While Mackenzie works hard to keep her home team in her hometown, along with bringing back the team mascot she now adds to her list keeping Brooks Elliott a virgin for the baseball season. She is nothing but a dedicated fan.
Brooks is ready to cash in his v-card when he gets traded to the Fireballs, but a fiesty fan is jock-blocking him at every turn. He decides to turn block her at her own game and take matters into his own hands.
Can Mackenzie resist the handsome player when he insists on spending so much time with her and can Brooks improve his game if he actually listens to the fanatic fan? Welcome to Copper Valley.
Pippa's wacky characters are some of my absolute favorite and Jock Blocked is sprinkled with my all of my favorite ones which now include Mackenzie and Brooks. Interconnected with Pippa's other worlds Jock Blocked can be read as a complete standalone, but you may spit your coffee out while laughing at the references to her other books if you have read them, but that is my own opinion.
With the jokes, laughs, and ROTF guffaws aside, there is also a loving story tucked in between about one super fan who never gives up and one baseball player that has lost his shiny way as to why he still plays baseball.
Jock Blocked, no matter if you are a fan of baseball, any sport, or really just any passion, will make you a believer and give you hope. Mackenzie has this inner glow, hope, and dedication that is unlike any I've ever run across. I want to be around her so I can feel better about anything that has gone wrong. She just never gives up and I love that fighting spirit.
Brooks, and his family, is the perfect mix of sweet and crazy (which is totally my kryptonite). A man who loves every nuance of his woman who is also sweet and crazy is literally the best. It won't take much to fall in love with this baseball player, but more importantly, it won't take much to fall in love with Mackenzie and her mission to keep him scoring on the field.
While Mackenzie works hard to keep her home team in her hometown, along with bringing back the team mascot she now adds to her list keeping Brooks Elliott a virgin for the baseball season. She is nothing but a dedicated fan.
Brooks is ready to cash in his v-card when he gets traded to the Fireballs, but a fiesty fan is jock-blocking him at every turn. He decides to turn block her at her own game and take matters into his own hands.
Can Mackenzie resist the handsome player when he insists on spending so much time with her and can Brooks improve his game if he actually listens to the fanatic fan? Welcome to Copper Valley.
![Profile Image for Amy [Book Addict Reviews].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1572307419i/47676940._UY200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
May 20, 2020
I am a sucker for sports romance and make it a rom-com and I am living for this. Jock Blocked had me snort laughing from the very beginning. I kid you not I have not laughed so much while reading a book since I don’t even know when.
Mackenzie is, well there are no words to describe how much I love her. She is awkward, passionate, and hilarious. She loves the Fireballs. She is devoted to the team and will do anything to make sure they have a great season. Her love for them oozes out of the pages. You can feel her passion for the team. Brooks, the superstitious virgin. He has a reason to be superstitious and unfortunately for him the teams number one fan also knows his little secret.
I loved the banter between Mackenzie and Brooks. It was hilarious and adorable. They have amazing chemistry and I loved watching their relationship progress. The secondary characters in this book were also amazing and added so much to the story, plus A LOT of hilarious scenes, especially the group texts between Brooks and his siblings. The rest of the Fireball’s were also amazing. Pretty much there isn’t a character I didn’t love in this book.
Jock Blocked is a MUST READ, especially if rom-com sports romances are your jam! #FieryForever
Mackenzie is, well there are no words to describe how much I love her. She is awkward, passionate, and hilarious. She loves the Fireballs. She is devoted to the team and will do anything to make sure they have a great season. Her love for them oozes out of the pages. You can feel her passion for the team. Brooks, the superstitious virgin. He has a reason to be superstitious and unfortunately for him the teams number one fan also knows his little secret.
I loved the banter between Mackenzie and Brooks. It was hilarious and adorable. They have amazing chemistry and I loved watching their relationship progress. The secondary characters in this book were also amazing and added so much to the story, plus A LOT of hilarious scenes, especially the group texts between Brooks and his siblings. The rest of the Fireball’s were also amazing. Pretty much there isn’t a character I didn’t love in this book.
Jock Blocked is a MUST READ, especially if rom-com sports romances are your jam! #FieryForever
May 22, 2020
Oh Pippa!! Her humor... always crazy, but it works! Jock Blocked was the first book in her Copper Valley Fireballs Series but she nicely sprinkled all my favorite characters in!! It was a pee your pants funny, sweet, and sexy read!!
Mackenzie was the number one Fireballs fan, the president of the “bring back fiery” club, and superstitious enough to be the protector of Brooks’s v-card. How far would she go to protect it?
Brooks had been traded to the worst baseball team in the league. Would he be able to help turn the team around or would spending time with Mackenzie make it worse?
The meatball!!! If you need a break from everything going on in the world, don’t hesitate to pick this book up! With each new book, I think it won’t be funny as the last, but EVERY TIME, she outdoes herself!! What will she think of next??
Mackenzie was the number one Fireballs fan, the president of the “bring back fiery” club, and superstitious enough to be the protector of Brooks’s v-card. How far would she go to protect it?
Brooks had been traded to the worst baseball team in the league. Would he be able to help turn the team around or would spending time with Mackenzie make it worse?
The meatball!!! If you need a break from everything going on in the world, don’t hesitate to pick this book up! With each new book, I think it won’t be funny as the last, but EVERY TIME, she outdoes herself!! What will she think of next??
June 2, 2020
The heroine is OBSESSED with the hero staying a virgin because she thinks that his luck as a baseball star is tied to his virginity. Virginity is a construct and the whole concept of her trying to cock block him to stay a virgin seemed stupid as hell. That’s a DNF from me.
August 9, 2021
I am so happy I discovered Pippa Grant and her special brand of humor and romance! This series is so much fun, and it's all in KU.
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