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Hit and Run #1
Switch-Hitter
Get a personal chef, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.
And then Thierry shows up and Pietro realizes his mistake. Because he knows Thierry. A little too well.
Thierry is the man who told his ex to leave him.
Thierry is the man who punched Pietro and ran.
Thierry... is his ex-boyfriend’s best friend.
But Pietro also knows the man needs a job. An injury destroyed his former career and Pietro is nothing if not a bleeding heart. Besides, he doesn’t have time to search for a new chef, not with the World Series looming and his team ready to go all the way.
Life gets more complicated, though, when he and Thierry cross a line one night after a lot of wine and several bad jokes. And while hooking up is one thing, Pietro knows the last thing in the world he needs is for his heart to get involved.
Too bad it tends to make decisions without him.
Switch-Hitter is the first book in a fictional MLB series featuring a lonely baseball player with a chip on his shoulder and hope in his heart, a team ready to win no matter what it takes, a grumpy French chef who will defend escargot to the death, and a few bottles of dry red wine leading to the sweetest happily ever after. Each book in the Hit and Run Series stands alone, contains no cheating, and has a happily ever after.
And then Thierry shows up and Pietro realizes his mistake. Because he knows Thierry. A little too well.
Thierry is the man who told his ex to leave him.
Thierry is the man who punched Pietro and ran.
Thierry... is his ex-boyfriend’s best friend.
But Pietro also knows the man needs a job. An injury destroyed his former career and Pietro is nothing if not a bleeding heart. Besides, he doesn’t have time to search for a new chef, not with the World Series looming and his team ready to go all the way.
Life gets more complicated, though, when he and Thierry cross a line one night after a lot of wine and several bad jokes. And while hooking up is one thing, Pietro knows the last thing in the world he needs is for his heart to get involved.
Too bad it tends to make decisions without him.
Switch-Hitter is the first book in a fictional MLB series featuring a lonely baseball player with a chip on his shoulder and hope in his heart, a team ready to win no matter what it takes, a grumpy French chef who will defend escargot to the death, and a few bottles of dry red wine leading to the sweetest happily ever after. Each book in the Hit and Run Series stands alone, contains no cheating, and has a happily ever after.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2022
254 people are currently reading
1018 people want to read
About the author
E.M. Lindsey
140 books1,352 followersE.M. Lindsey is the author of MM contemporary romance. She presently lives and works in the southeastern United States.
EM Lindsey also writes MM Paranormal Romance under the pseudonym Ariel Millar.
EM Lindsey also writes MM Paranormal Romance under the pseudonym Ariel Millar.
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March 9, 2022
RATING 4.5 STARS
Switch Hitter is book one in the brand new series, Hit and Run, by E.M. Lindsey. This is my very first book by this author and I enjoyed it so much!
Pietro (Petey) Bassani is a professional baseball player for the Colorado Vikings. It’s been a year and a half since Pietro has been in a relationship and it was a toxic one that ended very badly with Pietro getting several of his teeth knocked out by his ex’s bodyguard. Pietro’s life during baseball season is busy and this year is no exception with their team working towards the world series. Pietro can’t cook. At all! Not only does he not have time, he doesn’t have the least bit of ability. He lives on frozen dinners and take out. Finally his best friend has convinced him to get a personal chef but no one is answering his ad. When someone does and the applicant shows up, it’s the last person he wants to see. His ex’s former bodyguard and the man who punched him.
Thierry Bourget left his former boss who was also supposedly his friend when he was seriously injured. Now Thierry is in Colorado for physical therapy but he also needs a job. His passion has always been cooking and since he can no longer be a bodyguard, it’s his chance to finally pursue something that he loves. Never did he imagine the client he was going to interview with was the ex of his former boss.
These two need each other but in more ways than just employer/employee. Both are still suffering from the ghosts of their past history. And, they are both lonely. There had always been something there between them, a tiny spark, an attraction. But now they have to get past all of their anger to be able to move forward. It doesn’t take long for them to begin to see each other in a whole new way and for both of them to begin to feel hope for something they had both given up on.
I thought this author portrayed both Thierry and Pietro’s disabilities perfectly. It was obvious she took great care with the details. I loved both of these characters. They were both so proud. I loved Pietro’s heart. No matter what anger he might have been feeling, his heart was in the right place.
I have to also mention Pietro’s best friend and teammate, James. That guy is like a ninja or something. He’s the kind of guy who always “knows a guy” that can take care of a problem! He was so mysterious. But also such a good friend to Pietro.
Also, Pietro’s brother and his boyfriend, Ezra are secondary characters in this book. I now realize that their story has already been told in the book, Nothing Ordinary.
I enjoyed this book so much and getting to know Thierry and Pietro. I can’t wait to see who might be the focus of the next book! Perhaps it will be James! Hopefully we’ll find out soon!
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Switch Hitter is book one in the brand new series, Hit and Run, by E.M. Lindsey. This is my very first book by this author and I enjoyed it so much!
Pietro (Petey) Bassani is a professional baseball player for the Colorado Vikings. It’s been a year and a half since Pietro has been in a relationship and it was a toxic one that ended very badly with Pietro getting several of his teeth knocked out by his ex’s bodyguard. Pietro’s life during baseball season is busy and this year is no exception with their team working towards the world series. Pietro can’t cook. At all! Not only does he not have time, he doesn’t have the least bit of ability. He lives on frozen dinners and take out. Finally his best friend has convinced him to get a personal chef but no one is answering his ad. When someone does and the applicant shows up, it’s the last person he wants to see. His ex’s former bodyguard and the man who punched him.
Thierry Bourget left his former boss who was also supposedly his friend when he was seriously injured. Now Thierry is in Colorado for physical therapy but he also needs a job. His passion has always been cooking and since he can no longer be a bodyguard, it’s his chance to finally pursue something that he loves. Never did he imagine the client he was going to interview with was the ex of his former boss.
These two need each other but in more ways than just employer/employee. Both are still suffering from the ghosts of their past history. And, they are both lonely. There had always been something there between them, a tiny spark, an attraction. But now they have to get past all of their anger to be able to move forward. It doesn’t take long for them to begin to see each other in a whole new way and for both of them to begin to feel hope for something they had both given up on.
I thought this author portrayed both Thierry and Pietro’s disabilities perfectly. It was obvious she took great care with the details. I loved both of these characters. They were both so proud. I loved Pietro’s heart. No matter what anger he might have been feeling, his heart was in the right place.
I have to also mention Pietro’s best friend and teammate, James. That guy is like a ninja or something. He’s the kind of guy who always “knows a guy” that can take care of a problem! He was so mysterious. But also such a good friend to Pietro.
Also, Pietro’s brother and his boyfriend, Ezra are secondary characters in this book. I now realize that their story has already been told in the book, Nothing Ordinary.
I enjoyed this book so much and getting to know Thierry and Pietro. I can’t wait to see who might be the focus of the next book! Perhaps it will be James! Hopefully we’ll find out soon!
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
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April 1, 2022
MM Romance
Sports/Second Chances
2 stars
Ok, before I go on a rant with this review, if you are interested in reading this book, please pick up Nothing Ordinary because while it doesn't say anywhere that this book is necessary, there are so many references to it and the characters appear so often that I constantly felt like I was missing something. I wonder if I had read it if it would have helped me like this book more but I think this author and I are just incompatible. This is the first book by this author I haven't DNF'd or quit after reading the sample and I can't say I am going to give them another chance.
I have been trying all day to pinpoint exactly what my issue with this book is and I am having trouble coming up with reasons that make sense. I am going to explain what I liked about it and I think it will also explain why I didn't like it even though that makes absolutely no sense.
First, I really loved Pietro and Thierry as people. Pietro has had a hard couple years and that's why its imperative to read the book above because I felt like I only got half the story on why things were so bad for him. When the book started, it appeared to be the end of his relationship with a man named Herve but that's not quite it and while there are mentions of what the other reasons are, I needed more than this book gave. Then we have Thierry who was Herve's bodyguard for years until he is injured saving his client and his whole life changes. The struggles Thierry goes through hit a bit close to home for me because I've been in his shoes, not paralyzed, but I had an accident that changed life as I knew it and I have felt everything he goes through in this book over the past 12 years of mine. Pietro and Thierry know each other because of Herve and the last time they were around each other, it ended badly and this was intriguing in the beginning because it seemed to be setting it up for an enemies to lovers type story.
Secondly, the disability representation in this book is done really, really well. Like I said above, I could relate to it especially the pain factor. Thierry doesn't just have physical pain but emotional and psychological pain from the people who were in his life. Most of the people he knew prior to this event fucked off because they either didn't understand what he was going through or thought it would be better to stay away because they were uncomfortable. I don't have the same friends I had before my accident and while I have come to terms with it after many years, in the beginning, the loss was overwhelming. While reading Thierry's struggles, I felt teary eyed at times and it brought back a lot of memories of things I haven't thought of in years.
HOWEVER, both those things are the reasons why this book didn't work for me. And here's why.
First, Pietro and Thierry are essentially enemies after what went down the last time they were together and I thought this book would read as so but I didn't get that vibe while reading this. Yes, they had disdain for each other especially Pietro towards Thierry but they settled their differences quite quickly and Pietro had no issue hiring Thierry to be his chef which I thought strange under the circumstances.
Secondly, Herve. There was no point for Herve to be in this book except to cause unnecessary drama. I understood why he came to see Thierry in the beginning but the fact the author kept using him as a plot device when there was already so many other things going on made no sense and you could have taken him out completely and it wouldn't have changed a thing with the plot. At 91%, he's there stirring up trouble when that could have been the most romantic scene of the whole book considering the event they were at. I was so excited for that scene because of Thierry's newfound independence and the author ruined it for no reason. I hated the use of Herve and him in general.
Thirdly, while the disability representation was strong, it also took over the entire book. I wanted less of Thierry's issues with catheters and bed wetting and more on page time spent with Pietro. This is a super slow burn which I sometimes like but when its 56% in and more time has been spent on the above and Pietro's baseball career, my eyes start to glaze over. Luckily there was sexual tension between them but it felt secondary to the rest of the book and if you are going into this book looking for steam, this is NOT the book for you. I found the sex scenes very lackluster and not because of Thierry's issues in that area.
Fourthly, Pietro's issues when it came to his self esteem and life in general felt completely out of left field because I had no idea what happened with his brother, Gabriel, and how that changed his perspective on life. All I needed was a paragraph summarizing what happened and how he felt instead of mentions of it but with no real details. All I know is that a car accident happened that caused Gabriel to not be able to play baseball anymore. I don't know why he can't play, why the accident happened, what happened with Ezra, his brother’s boyfriend that keeps being mentioned in relation to Pietro etc. Also, in the book above, it appears that Pietro was diagnosed with ADHD and his mannerisms are mentioned in this book along with him needing medication etc and while it was relatable (I have ADD), I felt like it more telling than showing when it came up in the story. It came up a lot so I would have loved to have the information about it that was from the other book instead of feeling completely out of the loop all the time.
So, in summary, I wanted more of just Thierry and Pietro, not all the other characters especially Herve. I wanted more information about whatever went on in the book I didn't read because I didn't know I needed it. I wanted more of an enemies to lovers vibe since these two really didn't like each other but that kind of sizzled out fast. While I prefer more steam, I understood why there wasn't much in this book although the scene around 98% was the best one.
And finally, the book had an abrupt ending. It was a HFN I guess but it just added to my overall disdain of this book.
Also, Herve's name is French and supposed to have a 'L'accent Aigu' over the last e but because I am on my laptop, I can't insert it like on my phone. It will probably drive me nuts and I'll go in and edit this later but until then you get this nice disclaimer.
Sports/Second Chances
2 stars
Ok, before I go on a rant with this review, if you are interested in reading this book, please pick up Nothing Ordinary because while it doesn't say anywhere that this book is necessary, there are so many references to it and the characters appear so often that I constantly felt like I was missing something. I wonder if I had read it if it would have helped me like this book more but I think this author and I are just incompatible. This is the first book by this author I haven't DNF'd or quit after reading the sample and I can't say I am going to give them another chance.
I have been trying all day to pinpoint exactly what my issue with this book is and I am having trouble coming up with reasons that make sense. I am going to explain what I liked about it and I think it will also explain why I didn't like it even though that makes absolutely no sense.
First, I really loved Pietro and Thierry as people. Pietro has had a hard couple years and that's why its imperative to read the book above because I felt like I only got half the story on why things were so bad for him. When the book started, it appeared to be the end of his relationship with a man named Herve but that's not quite it and while there are mentions of what the other reasons are, I needed more than this book gave. Then we have Thierry who was Herve's bodyguard for years until he is injured saving his client and his whole life changes. The struggles Thierry goes through hit a bit close to home for me because I've been in his shoes, not paralyzed, but I had an accident that changed life as I knew it and I have felt everything he goes through in this book over the past 12 years of mine. Pietro and Thierry know each other because of Herve and the last time they were around each other, it ended badly and this was intriguing in the beginning because it seemed to be setting it up for an enemies to lovers type story.
Secondly, the disability representation in this book is done really, really well. Like I said above, I could relate to it especially the pain factor. Thierry doesn't just have physical pain but emotional and psychological pain from the people who were in his life. Most of the people he knew prior to this event fucked off because they either didn't understand what he was going through or thought it would be better to stay away because they were uncomfortable. I don't have the same friends I had before my accident and while I have come to terms with it after many years, in the beginning, the loss was overwhelming. While reading Thierry's struggles, I felt teary eyed at times and it brought back a lot of memories of things I haven't thought of in years.
HOWEVER, both those things are the reasons why this book didn't work for me. And here's why.
First, Pietro and Thierry are essentially enemies after what went down the last time they were together and I thought this book would read as so but I didn't get that vibe while reading this. Yes, they had disdain for each other especially Pietro towards Thierry but they settled their differences quite quickly and Pietro had no issue hiring Thierry to be his chef which I thought strange under the circumstances.
Secondly, Herve. There was no point for Herve to be in this book except to cause unnecessary drama. I understood why he came to see Thierry in the beginning but the fact the author kept using him as a plot device when there was already so many other things going on made no sense and you could have taken him out completely and it wouldn't have changed a thing with the plot. At 91%, he's there stirring up trouble when that could have been the most romantic scene of the whole book considering the event they were at. I was so excited for that scene because of Thierry's newfound independence and the author ruined it for no reason. I hated the use of Herve and him in general.
Thirdly, while the disability representation was strong, it also took over the entire book. I wanted less of Thierry's issues with catheters and bed wetting and more on page time spent with Pietro. This is a super slow burn which I sometimes like but when its 56% in and more time has been spent on the above and Pietro's baseball career, my eyes start to glaze over. Luckily there was sexual tension between them but it felt secondary to the rest of the book and if you are going into this book looking for steam, this is NOT the book for you. I found the sex scenes very lackluster and not because of Thierry's issues in that area.
Fourthly, Pietro's issues when it came to his self esteem and life in general felt completely out of left field because I had no idea what happened with his brother, Gabriel, and how that changed his perspective on life. All I needed was a paragraph summarizing what happened and how he felt instead of mentions of it but with no real details. All I know is that a car accident happened that caused Gabriel to not be able to play baseball anymore. I don't know why he can't play, why the accident happened, what happened with Ezra, his brother’s boyfriend that keeps being mentioned in relation to Pietro etc. Also, in the book above, it appears that Pietro was diagnosed with ADHD and his mannerisms are mentioned in this book along with him needing medication etc and while it was relatable (I have ADD), I felt like it more telling than showing when it came up in the story. It came up a lot so I would have loved to have the information about it that was from the other book instead of feeling completely out of the loop all the time.
So, in summary, I wanted more of just Thierry and Pietro, not all the other characters especially Herve. I wanted more information about whatever went on in the book I didn't read because I didn't know I needed it. I wanted more of an enemies to lovers vibe since these two really didn't like each other but that kind of sizzled out fast. While I prefer more steam, I understood why there wasn't much in this book although the scene around 98% was the best one.
And finally, the book had an abrupt ending. It was a HFN I guess but it just added to my overall disdain of this book.
Also, Herve's name is French and supposed to have a 'L'accent Aigu' over the last e but because I am on my laptop, I can't insert it like on my phone. It will probably drive me nuts and I'll go in and edit this later but until then you get this nice disclaimer.
February 25, 2022
As someone who was paralysed from the neck down for six months and has been left with neurological joint, tendon and muscle damage throughout my body, the disability rep in this book is astoundingly good.
Everything Thierry goes through is something I've experienced and E.M. nails not only the descriptions of the sensations you feel - or sometimes don't - but also the emotional effects it can have on someone.
I also felt Pietro's ADHD was an authentic depiction, I have no personal experience of this myself but have worked as a volunteer with a charity that helps people with this condition.
The romance itself is a sort of halfway point between a second chance and a "former bully" style with a lot of ground to cover before you, as the reader, could feel that it was possible and I think this aspect was also done exceptionally well.
I won't go into too much of the plot, but I loved the setting, the secondary characters like Thierry's friends who are also involved in his recovery and Pietro's teammate and best friend James aka Scooter, are wonderfully brought to life.
The baseball elements were just enough for me to not have my eyes glaze over because of my lack of knowledge about the sport and still keep me invested in everything Pietro and James were dealing with as athletes.
My one "complaint" as such would be to say I wished I'd known there was already a book for Pietro's brother Gabriel and his partner Ezra as I would have read that first, throughout this narrative I felt like I was missing bits each time they appeared.
So I would suggest people read Nothing Ordinary: A Hit And Run Novel before this one!
Other than that, my first read from this author and I'm very much impressed.
#ARC kindly received from the author via Foreward PR in return for an honest and unbiased review
Everything Thierry goes through is something I've experienced and E.M. nails not only the descriptions of the sensations you feel - or sometimes don't - but also the emotional effects it can have on someone.
I also felt Pietro's ADHD was an authentic depiction, I have no personal experience of this myself but have worked as a volunteer with a charity that helps people with this condition.
The romance itself is a sort of halfway point between a second chance and a "former bully" style with a lot of ground to cover before you, as the reader, could feel that it was possible and I think this aspect was also done exceptionally well.
I won't go into too much of the plot, but I loved the setting, the secondary characters like Thierry's friends who are also involved in his recovery and Pietro's teammate and best friend James aka Scooter, are wonderfully brought to life.
The baseball elements were just enough for me to not have my eyes glaze over because of my lack of knowledge about the sport and still keep me invested in everything Pietro and James were dealing with as athletes.
My one "complaint" as such would be to say I wished I'd known there was already a book for Pietro's brother Gabriel and his partner Ezra as I would have read that first, throughout this narrative I felt like I was missing bits each time they appeared.
So I would suggest people read Nothing Ordinary: A Hit And Run Novel before this one!
Other than that, my first read from this author and I'm very much impressed.
#ARC kindly received from the author via Foreward PR in return for an honest and unbiased review
April 4, 2022
Switch Hitter is a step up from his predecessor Nothing Ordinary, it wasn't perfect and I finally understood why this authors books never really get me, thanks to a review I read that I would like to quote but lost it.
Anyways here I go...
E.M. Lindsay as an author tackles disabilities and mental issues in all or their books and I respect the hell out of them for it, they do a work that needs to be done and do it wonderfully.
But, since disabilities and mental issues are not easy to describe and different for every person, in each book they take too much out of the romance to get the disability/mental health/health issue on point, hence the love part always suffers from this.
There are a few books that I have thought: this is it, this is the formula, if they just keep going like this they will shine. But they can't keep it up and I understand that.
So I enjoyed this, but it was lacking in the love and in the connection between the main characters. I will still keep reading their books, but yeah that's my take.
Amazing work. 🥰🥰
Anyways here I go...
E.M. Lindsay as an author tackles disabilities and mental issues in all or their books and I respect the hell out of them for it, they do a work that needs to be done and do it wonderfully.
But, since disabilities and mental issues are not easy to describe and different for every person, in each book they take too much out of the romance to get the disability/mental health/health issue on point, hence the love part always suffers from this.
There are a few books that I have thought: this is it, this is the formula, if they just keep going like this they will shine. But they can't keep it up and I understand that.
So I enjoyed this, but it was lacking in the love and in the connection between the main characters. I will still keep reading their books, but yeah that's my take.
Amazing work. 🥰🥰
March 1, 2022
4.5 ARC provided by Grey's Promotions upon my request.
This book was the epitome of the “I came out to have a good time” meme. I did not, in fact, expect to be attacked this way.
First things first. Baseball. I don’t know a single thing about it - thankfully, you don’t need to to enjoy this book. Switch-Hitter is the first book in a fictional MLB series where LGBTQ+ players are comfortably out, featuring a very lonely baseball player with a chip on his shoulder and a grumpy French chef who will defend escargot to the death.
This packed a bigger emotional punch than I expected. Pietro’s experience with ADHD is so incredibly similar to my own, I have a dozen different quotes highlighted from his internal monologue that I keep revisiting. It made me feel so seen and so connected and invested in him from the very beginning.
Thierry gets handed shit hand after shit hand, which doesn’t negate his past mistakes at all, but his journey is one that I found myself rooting for early on. I, raged at every roadblock put in his path, clenched my teeth when he stumbled, cried when he was knocked down and cheered for every step he climbed.
These are two very flawed human beings trying to overcome their own failings and the shit life keeps dumping on them, and who, despite all odds, find solace and strength in each other.
I loved how reluctant and unwilling they were to fall for eachother, and the fact they were completely aware of what was happening and yet were absolutely helpless to stop it was just *chef’s kiss*
Switch-Hitter arrives on March 16th & is available for pre-order. Thank you to Gray’s Promotions for providing me with this ARC.
This was my first E.M. Lindsey book, and I’m jumping straight into Pietro’s brother
Gabriel’s story in Nothing Ordinary: A Hit And Run Novel, which you can think of as a prequel of sorts.
Content warning ahead. Please be aware they contain spoilers.
CW:
This book was the epitome of the “I came out to have a good time” meme. I did not, in fact, expect to be attacked this way.
First things first. Baseball. I don’t know a single thing about it - thankfully, you don’t need to to enjoy this book. Switch-Hitter is the first book in a fictional MLB series where LGBTQ+ players are comfortably out, featuring a very lonely baseball player with a chip on his shoulder and a grumpy French chef who will defend escargot to the death.
This packed a bigger emotional punch than I expected. Pietro’s experience with ADHD is so incredibly similar to my own, I have a dozen different quotes highlighted from his internal monologue that I keep revisiting. It made me feel so seen and so connected and invested in him from the very beginning.
Thierry gets handed shit hand after shit hand, which doesn’t negate his past mistakes at all, but his journey is one that I found myself rooting for early on. I, raged at every roadblock put in his path, clenched my teeth when he stumbled, cried when he was knocked down and cheered for every step he climbed.
These are two very flawed human beings trying to overcome their own failings and the shit life keeps dumping on them, and who, despite all odds, find solace and strength in each other.
I loved how reluctant and unwilling they were to fall for eachother, and the fact they were completely aware of what was happening and yet were absolutely helpless to stop it was just *chef’s kiss*
Switch-Hitter arrives on March 16th & is available for pre-order. Thank you to Gray’s Promotions for providing me with this ARC.
This was my first E.M. Lindsey book, and I’m jumping straight into Pietro’s brother
Gabriel’s story in Nothing Ordinary: A Hit And Run Novel, which you can think of as a prequel of sorts.
Content warning ahead. Please be aware they contain spoilers.
CW:
September 20, 2024
This is free on Amazon until 24 Sept! Free and baseball, what else do you need to know?!
Picked this up purely based on the baseball angle, but I really enjoyed all of it! The grumpy, cursing French chef and the distracted, nervous baseball player. It had a little angst, character growth, ADHD rep, partial paralysis rep, and solid side characters. It still managed to be steamy and cute. More baseball wouldn't have hurt, but for those less obsessed with sports, it probably struck the right balance. Loved the food descriptions.
Picked this up purely based on the baseball angle, but I really enjoyed all of it! The grumpy, cursing French chef and the distracted, nervous baseball player. It had a little angst, character growth, ADHD rep, partial paralysis rep, and solid side characters. It still managed to be steamy and cute. More baseball wouldn't have hurt, but for those less obsessed with sports, it probably struck the right balance. Loved the food descriptions.
March 21, 2022
2,5 stars rounding up because the story doesn't really deserve 2 but I can't say I didn't liked it either.
I’m going to be the party pooper here apparently. I said it in another review but I’ll say it here again E.M. Lindsey’s writing is solid. No question about that. The thing is though that the romance and the story of falling in love between the MCs in their books comes second and even third to everything else that is going on in their lives and well I'm here for the romance!
First, I got to say that Gabriel and Ezra, 2 characters that I don’t know but it felt like I should with the way Pietro kept referring to Gabriel’s accident and how much he changed after Ezra. I don’t know them! I don’t know what accident Gabriel had that changed his life! But the vague, NUMEROUS mentions of it were tiring. Would it have been such trouble to give us a quick rundown of it, for those of us that haven’t read the whole backlist of the published works? Frankly even if we had read the author’s backlist information about the accident should have been given especially because Pietro carries all that guilt for being able to play baseball when Gabriel had to retire. Not to mention that Pietro was an advocate of disable people being able to play.
Secondly, Hervé. Why for the love of everything had so much page time? His appearance just to bring a level of drama to the story was just unnecessary when both MCs could have advanced more in their relationship than circling around whether they wanted to hear his apology, how they got the epiphany that he didn’t matter anymore, they don’t care about him, how he was toxic and going round and round all that every time either MC admitted that Hervé contacted them. I would have understood the point of him appearing so much if the author wanted to redeem him in a future book but I think that story line got a tombstone over it after the scene in the fundraiser party.
Thirdly, Jason! His role was the most Deux ex Machina if I ever saw one! He appeared out of the blue with thin reasons where Thierry was to nudge him towards Pietro. He appeared and talked with Pietro when he needed his anxieties eased and push the story on. It was a tad fake the whole thing.
Finally, we spent more time with Pietro and Thierry trying to manage their lives with the changes in them, coming to terms with their disabilities, their guilt, their fears, their hopes than with Pietro and Thierry flirting, going on dates, getting to know one another, having sex etc, etc, etc. When they talked, they talked more about what Thierry did to Pietro, Hervé, skirting around Pietro’s feelings about Gabriel and baseball, baseball and Pietro’s season, Thierry’s injury, his feelings about it and Hervé, skirting around Thierry’s fears about his injury and the problems that might appear, his hopes. There was little talk of their attraction to one another, admittance to any feelings before they had to spend time apart because of Thierry’s injury flairing up and Pietro’s World Series (HA! World series! HA! Sorry to tell you US of A but you aren’t the “World” not even with the addition of Canada to that series! -which I learned that only Toronto has a team so not the entirety of Canada either-) games. For that I’m not sold on Pietro and Thierry’s relationship. Where the epilogue left us, even though I think that they were celebrating 1 year of being together, with no indicators mind you of how long it really has passed and if they live together or anything, I can see them STARTING as a couple. Maybe if something similar had happened earlier on I could believe in a HEA, as it is it was HFN and not really a strong one.
I’m going to be the party pooper here apparently. I said it in another review but I’ll say it here again E.M. Lindsey’s writing is solid. No question about that. The thing is though that the romance and the story of falling in love between the MCs in their books comes second and even third to everything else that is going on in their lives and well I'm here for the romance!
First, I got to say that Gabriel and Ezra, 2 characters that I don’t know but it felt like I should with the way Pietro kept referring to Gabriel’s accident and how much he changed after Ezra. I don’t know them! I don’t know what accident Gabriel had that changed his life! But the vague, NUMEROUS mentions of it were tiring. Would it have been such trouble to give us a quick rundown of it, for those of us that haven’t read the whole backlist of the published works? Frankly even if we had read the author’s backlist information about the accident should have been given especially because Pietro carries all that guilt for being able to play baseball when Gabriel had to retire. Not to mention that Pietro was an advocate of disable people being able to play.
Secondly, Hervé. Why for the love of everything had so much page time? His appearance just to bring a level of drama to the story was just unnecessary when both MCs could have advanced more in their relationship than circling around whether they wanted to hear his apology, how they got the epiphany that he didn’t matter anymore, they don’t care about him, how he was toxic and going round and round all that every time either MC admitted that Hervé contacted them. I would have understood the point of him appearing so much if the author wanted to redeem him in a future book but I think that story line got a tombstone over it after the scene in the fundraiser party.
Thirdly, Jason! His role was the most Deux ex Machina if I ever saw one! He appeared out of the blue with thin reasons where Thierry was to nudge him towards Pietro. He appeared and talked with Pietro when he needed his anxieties eased and push the story on. It was a tad fake the whole thing.
Finally, we spent more time with Pietro and Thierry trying to manage their lives with the changes in them, coming to terms with their disabilities, their guilt, their fears, their hopes than with Pietro and Thierry flirting, going on dates, getting to know one another, having sex etc, etc, etc. When they talked, they talked more about what Thierry did to Pietro, Hervé, skirting around Pietro’s feelings about Gabriel and baseball, baseball and Pietro’s season, Thierry’s injury, his feelings about it and Hervé, skirting around Thierry’s fears about his injury and the problems that might appear, his hopes. There was little talk of their attraction to one another, admittance to any feelings before they had to spend time apart because of Thierry’s injury flairing up and Pietro’s World Series (HA! World series! HA! Sorry to tell you US of A but you aren’t the “World” not even with the addition of Canada to that series! -which I learned that only Toronto has a team so not the entirety of Canada either-) games. For that I’m not sold on Pietro and Thierry’s relationship. Where the epilogue left us, even though I think that they were celebrating 1 year of being together, with no indicators mind you of how long it really has passed and if they live together or anything, I can see them STARTING as a couple. Maybe if something similar had happened earlier on I could believe in a HEA, as it is it was HFN and not really a strong one.
April 10, 2022
* 2.5 stars *
I never quite managed to get fully invested in the story, but I did finish the book because I don't like to quit ARCs.
The general idea of the story is that a baseball player hires a personal chef who happens to be his ex-boyfriend's ex-bodyguard. That bodyguard had punched him out of the blue the last time he saw him at the command of said ex. When they meet again, both have changed and calmed down, and Thierry has been through a life-altering injury.
I think the story takes place over a few months, but I'm not sure how long Thierry worked for Pietro by the end of it. Their shift from professional to personal was abrupt, and I didn't understand why Pietro accepted Thierry working for him in the first place.
They never really dealt with their connected past. They antagonized each other the first few times they met again and then just hid everything under the carpet and ignored the past.
They were good together, I can give them that, but I couldn't understand why they were so drawn to one another initially, considering what was between them. Why would Pietro accept the man who punched him to work for him? They had no other connection between them than Pietro's ex. They didn't know each other. They weren't old friends; they were barely acquaintances.
That brings me to my next point: Hervé. He was the bad guy for the entirety of the story. From start to finish, he was the bad guy who made appearances just to mess things up for the main couple, and then he disappeared again. Why did he keep popping up all of a sudden and after so long? What was his goal? Why did he keep showing up when it was clear that neither of them wanted him in their lives?
The main couple wasn't really a couple for most of the story. They spent most of their time apart just thinking about the other. Each had to deal with personal things and adjust to a new life. Pietro with his late diagnosed ADHD and Thierry with the limitations that his injury brought to his everyday life. Pietro was also going through a playoff season and the last games of the regular season for a big part of the book, so, understandably, most of his time and energy was dedicated to that. There were a lot of reasons that kept them apart, and they were all legitimate, but all these scenes with them apart made me feel even more confused about where their connection was coming from.
There's a prequel about Pietro's brother and his boyfriend, but I wasn't sure until I read the note about it at the end of the book. There were little tidbits of their past throughout the story, which clued me in that they're likely the main couple of a book, but they were told frustratingly, almost like half sentences, a bad kind of tease.
When they're revealed, I'll check out the blurbs for the following books, but I don't think I'll continue with this series. I'm very excited about the second book in another series by this author, though, The Carnal Tower.
~ Copy provided by Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn't a requirement. ~
I never quite managed to get fully invested in the story, but I did finish the book because I don't like to quit ARCs.
The general idea of the story is that a baseball player hires a personal chef who happens to be his ex-boyfriend's ex-bodyguard. That bodyguard had punched him out of the blue the last time he saw him at the command of said ex. When they meet again, both have changed and calmed down, and Thierry has been through a life-altering injury.
I think the story takes place over a few months, but I'm not sure how long Thierry worked for Pietro by the end of it. Their shift from professional to personal was abrupt, and I didn't understand why Pietro accepted Thierry working for him in the first place.
They never really dealt with their connected past. They antagonized each other the first few times they met again and then just hid everything under the carpet and ignored the past.
They were good together, I can give them that, but I couldn't understand why they were so drawn to one another initially, considering what was between them. Why would Pietro accept the man who punched him to work for him? They had no other connection between them than Pietro's ex. They didn't know each other. They weren't old friends; they were barely acquaintances.
That brings me to my next point: Hervé. He was the bad guy for the entirety of the story. From start to finish, he was the bad guy who made appearances just to mess things up for the main couple, and then he disappeared again. Why did he keep popping up all of a sudden and after so long? What was his goal? Why did he keep showing up when it was clear that neither of them wanted him in their lives?
The main couple wasn't really a couple for most of the story. They spent most of their time apart just thinking about the other. Each had to deal with personal things and adjust to a new life. Pietro with his late diagnosed ADHD and Thierry with the limitations that his injury brought to his everyday life. Pietro was also going through a playoff season and the last games of the regular season for a big part of the book, so, understandably, most of his time and energy was dedicated to that. There were a lot of reasons that kept them apart, and they were all legitimate, but all these scenes with them apart made me feel even more confused about where their connection was coming from.
There's a prequel about Pietro's brother and his boyfriend, but I wasn't sure until I read the note about it at the end of the book. There were little tidbits of their past throughout the story, which clued me in that they're likely the main couple of a book, but they were told frustratingly, almost like half sentences, a bad kind of tease.
When they're revealed, I'll check out the blurbs for the following books, but I don't think I'll continue with this series. I'm very excited about the second book in another series by this author, though, The Carnal Tower.
~ Copy provided by Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn't a requirement. ~
July 11, 2022
It was fine. I really have nothing more to say.
Want to read
January 31, 2022
Foreword PR is elated to be working with E.M. Lindsey with her release for Switch Hitter! Switch Hitter is a sexy and fun, grumpy sunshine, M/M sports romance that arrives on March 16th and is the first standalone in the brand new Hit & Run Series. Visit here to find out how you can read early: Switch Hitter
March 22, 2022
“I’m falling for you,” […]
“You redesigned your kitchen for me, chéri. I had a feeling you might like me a little.”
Full review to come soon but I just really enjoyed this one. This book was exactly what I wanted to read at this moment in my life and it just really worked for me. Everything about this book was just clicked for me and really worked for me. Reading this book was just a very good time and I really appreciated every seconds I spent reading the book. This one is the case of reading the right book at the right time and damn did it work for me at this time.
If I had one thing to say it’s just that i’m not the biggest fan of stories involving side characters and I felt like those plot points overshadowed the romance a little, I just would have prefered to see more cute couple moments between the main characters instead.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
“You redesigned your kitchen for me, chéri. I had a feeling you might like me a little.”
Full review to come soon but I just really enjoyed this one. This book was exactly what I wanted to read at this moment in my life and it just really worked for me. Everything about this book was just clicked for me and really worked for me. Reading this book was just a very good time and I really appreciated every seconds I spent reading the book. This one is the case of reading the right book at the right time and damn did it work for me at this time.
If I had one thing to say it’s just that i’m not the biggest fan of stories involving side characters and I felt like those plot points overshadowed the romance a little, I just would have prefered to see more cute couple moments between the main characters instead.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
June 3, 2022
So I really Really wanted to like the book (audiobook) and I loved John Solo....as usual he can narrate a dictionary for me and I'd love it...then the French.......lordt help me🥰🥰🥰🥰.
The story was a little too.........I just had too much going on. Terri with his issues and Pedro with his.. just too cluttered up for me.
The story was a little too.........I just had too much going on. Terri with his issues and Pedro with his.. just too cluttered up for me.
March 26, 2022
Unsatisfying.
Too much left unexplained, and
not much steam or swoon.
Too much left unexplained, and
not much steam or swoon.
April 6, 2022
2.5-3 stars
September 19, 2022
nooooooo. seriously? ex's best friend. i was so looking forward to some forbidden shit. how does one manage to make that as un-forbidden as possible.
July 1, 2022
3.5
I really wanted to like this story but it felt off.
Herve had far too much of the book focused on him when really he was a minor part.
It also felt like the author knew Thierry and Pietro's relationship really well but kind of forgot to clue the reader in - like being on the outside of an inside joke.
It was just disjointed and clunky and the pacing was weird, not sure if it was because it was 3rd person but I just didn't feel the connection between the characters at all and their behaviour and non existent communication with each other just made it odd!
I really wanted to like this story but it felt off.
Herve had far too much of the book focused on him when really he was a minor part.
It also felt like the author knew Thierry and Pietro's relationship really well but kind of forgot to clue the reader in - like being on the outside of an inside joke.
It was just disjointed and clunky and the pacing was weird, not sure if it was because it was 3rd person but I just didn't feel the connection between the characters at all and their behaviour and non existent communication with each other just made it odd!
March 21, 2022
Good!
EM Lindsey continues to deliver strong books - one after the other. They do an amazing job of representing different disabilities in their writing and it shows with this newest release.
They do a great job introducing you to two characters who really don’t like each other, but learn to like each other and eventually fall for each other. This was a really good enemies to lovers book that touched on a variety of topics while bringing you some really strong emotions.
EM Lindsey continues to deliver strong books - one after the other. They do an amazing job of representing different disabilities in their writing and it shows with this newest release.
They do a great job introducing you to two characters who really don’t like each other, but learn to like each other and eventually fall for each other. This was a really good enemies to lovers book that touched on a variety of topics while bringing you some really strong emotions.
April 5, 2022
2.5* somewhat grudgingly rounded up.
For me 3 stars means I enjoyed it. And this didn’t quite get there. But I can’t entirely place my finger on why. There were some editing issues but not the worst Ive ever seen. I think it just wasn’t fleshed out very well. Came across as a draft not a polished final product.
For me 3 stars means I enjoyed it. And this didn’t quite get there. But I can’t entirely place my finger on why. There were some editing issues but not the worst Ive ever seen. I think it just wasn’t fleshed out very well. Came across as a draft not a polished final product.
October 22, 2025
So
I liked this book !!! Thierry and Pietro are so lovely and ☹️ i do think something is missing, not sure what exactly but i think this book has should have been longer especially since the storyline is plot heavy and i feel like there are loose ends and not a lot of time to build the relationship ☹️. i liked it, 4 stars for me !!!
I liked this book !!! Thierry and Pietro are so lovely and ☹️ i do think something is missing, not sure what exactly but i think this book has should have been longer especially since the storyline is plot heavy and i feel like there are loose ends and not a lot of time to build the relationship ☹️. i liked it, 4 stars for me !!!
June 6, 2022
I guess I didn’t understand why Herve kept showing back up. He didn’t progress the plot when they had plenty of things going on that could have taken center stage. I am annoyed that he ruined their big date at the charity function.
March 26, 2022
It is baseball season. Give me all the baseball romance.
That being said, this is actually pretty light in the baseball department. It wasn't until...65%? that we even see what position Pietro plays. Up until then he just bats a lot. And speaking of batting, there is no mention of Pietro being an actual switch hitter and there isn't any euphemistic switch hitting either so I have no idea where the title comes from.
So Pietro has ADHD.
Thierry a spinal injury that affects his ability to walk.
And they have a complicated past in which they both did shitty things.
The love component is pretty low-key. There's a good amount of focus on Pietro's ADHD and Thierry's therapy and complications from his injury. I wouldn't call it a slow burn because it doesn't really burn. It's more...working through past and present and coming to realize they're in love.
It does the "I'm hurt because I saw you dancing with your ex" thing BUT fortunately Thierry is an adult and after a moment of shock and hurt and panic calms down and they talk it out like adults. Still. This kind of scenario is maybe my least favorite thing ever in romance.
I enjoyed the book nonetheless and look forward to other books in the series.
That being said, this is actually pretty light in the baseball department. It wasn't until...65%? that we even see what position Pietro plays. Up until then he just bats a lot. And speaking of batting, there is no mention of Pietro being an actual switch hitter and there isn't any euphemistic switch hitting either so I have no idea where the title comes from.
So Pietro has ADHD.
Thierry a spinal injury that affects his ability to walk.
And they have a complicated past in which they both did shitty things.
The love component is pretty low-key. There's a good amount of focus on Pietro's ADHD and Thierry's therapy and complications from his injury. I wouldn't call it a slow burn because it doesn't really burn. It's more...working through past and present and coming to realize they're in love.
It does the "I'm hurt because I saw you dancing with your ex" thing BUT fortunately Thierry is an adult and after a moment of shock and hurt and panic calms down and they talk it out like adults. Still. This kind of scenario is maybe my least favorite thing ever in romance.
I enjoyed the book nonetheless and look forward to other books in the series.
August 5, 2022
Switch-Hitter is a pretty good sports romance with very, very good representation: one main character has ADHD; the other is paraplegic. They have history together - Thierry is Pietro's ex-boyfriend's ex-best friend/body guard who punched out Pietro's front teeth and is now Pietro's personal chef (yeah, the plot is unnecessarily complicated). Most of the story is spent getting them together; we don't even see an "I love you" until the (frankly unnecessary) epilogue, and less than 10 pages before that their fate as a couple is precarious.
Some complaints: in a way, Thierry seems like a stereotype of a Frenchman, answering things "merci" and speaking in French at random... even though he grew up in England. Baseball hardly plays a role in the book, which is unfortunate for fans of the sport. We never really reach a satisfactory conclusion with one of the characters. A number of the characters have overly detailed, under-explained back stories, which doesn't really make sense in a book that is supposed to be the first in a series. And like I said before - the connection between Thierry and Pietro is unnecessarily complicated.
Nevertheless, this is a pretty good read and I really like the care and sensitivity that went into writing the two characters and their disabilities. Worth a read if you like complicated entanglements; awful ex-bfs (initials used deliberately); and baseball, but like, not too much.
Oh, and a quick trigger warning (applicable only to myself probably, because PTSD): one of the characters has surgery in the course of the book.
Some complaints: in a way, Thierry seems like a stereotype of a Frenchman, answering things "merci" and speaking in French at random... even though he grew up in England. Baseball hardly plays a role in the book, which is unfortunate for fans of the sport. We never really reach a satisfactory conclusion with one of the characters. A number of the characters have overly detailed, under-explained back stories, which doesn't really make sense in a book that is supposed to be the first in a series. And like I said before - the connection between Thierry and Pietro is unnecessarily complicated.
Nevertheless, this is a pretty good read and I really like the care and sensitivity that went into writing the two characters and their disabilities. Worth a read if you like complicated entanglements; awful ex-bfs (initials used deliberately); and baseball, but like, not too much.
Oh, and a quick trigger warning (applicable only to myself probably, because PTSD): one of the characters has surgery in the course of the book.
September 6, 2023
06/09/2023 - audio book re-read
This was surprisingly warm and hopeful read for something that dealt with topics like mental health and disability.
This was surprisingly warm and hopeful read for something that dealt with topics like mental health and disability.
March 19, 2022
I received a free copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
SWITCH-HITTER is the debut installment of the new series, HIT and RUN.
Just a heads up, the past shared between our MCs, Thierry & Pietro, features some darker elements. A toxic relationship and toxic friendship, the toxicity is their mutual friend. Thierry is disabled due to an on-the-job injury and Pietro suffers from ADHD.
Putting a toxic relationship behind him, dealing with the after effects of being sucker punched by his ex's bestie/bodyguard, Pietro is focused solely on his baseball career. Pietro is in the MLB, his ADHD a setback when it comes to cooking for himself. It's just not something Pietro can handle. Since he has to be on the top of his game, his teammates and brother getting on him about eating frozen meals, he decides it's time to hire a personal chef.
Thierry has always wanted to be a chef, wishing to own his own restaurant. After a lifetime of being in his friend's shadow, more bodyguard than friend, Thierry has paid the cost of that friendship. In Colorado from his beloved France, Thierry is in physical therapy to regain some of his independence.
Meet Cute? more like Meet Awkward...
Thierry applies for the job of a personal chef, discovering his client is none other than the man he punched out at the behest of his ex-friend.
The setup of the novel was angsty deliciousness, which kept the pages turning. However, SWITCH-HITTER was a much deeper novel than that, tackling some hard-hitting emotional and physical traumas, while exploring that friendships can be just as abusive as romantic relationships.
Pietro is battling his own demons, as is Thierry, both understanding they are no innocents even when cast in the shadow of a toxic narcissist. They have their faults. They're learning from their mistakes. But that doesn't mean they aren't worthy of companionship and love. Instead of allowing the existing wedge to fracture them apart, they find comfort and healing by exploring friendship with one another in this slow-building romance.
This novel isn't merely about baseball, not that a good sports romance isn't a lovely escape. Deep issues and traumas are explored, the limitations of disabilities are shown in a realistic light instead of romanticized, as if love heals all wounds- love makes life worth living but it doesn't erase your disabilities.
Read from cover to cover, I highly recommend to fans of the author and MM contemporary romance, not just the sports subgenre, as baseball was just a facet of the novel not the focus. I look forward to reading more in the future, as the side cast of characters were intriguing.
SWITCH-HITTER is the debut installment of the new series, HIT and RUN.
Just a heads up, the past shared between our MCs, Thierry & Pietro, features some darker elements. A toxic relationship and toxic friendship, the toxicity is their mutual friend. Thierry is disabled due to an on-the-job injury and Pietro suffers from ADHD.
Putting a toxic relationship behind him, dealing with the after effects of being sucker punched by his ex's bestie/bodyguard, Pietro is focused solely on his baseball career. Pietro is in the MLB, his ADHD a setback when it comes to cooking for himself. It's just not something Pietro can handle. Since he has to be on the top of his game, his teammates and brother getting on him about eating frozen meals, he decides it's time to hire a personal chef.
Thierry has always wanted to be a chef, wishing to own his own restaurant. After a lifetime of being in his friend's shadow, more bodyguard than friend, Thierry has paid the cost of that friendship. In Colorado from his beloved France, Thierry is in physical therapy to regain some of his independence.
Meet Cute? more like Meet Awkward...
Thierry applies for the job of a personal chef, discovering his client is none other than the man he punched out at the behest of his ex-friend.
The setup of the novel was angsty deliciousness, which kept the pages turning. However, SWITCH-HITTER was a much deeper novel than that, tackling some hard-hitting emotional and physical traumas, while exploring that friendships can be just as abusive as romantic relationships.
Pietro is battling his own demons, as is Thierry, both understanding they are no innocents even when cast in the shadow of a toxic narcissist. They have their faults. They're learning from their mistakes. But that doesn't mean they aren't worthy of companionship and love. Instead of allowing the existing wedge to fracture them apart, they find comfort and healing by exploring friendship with one another in this slow-building romance.
This novel isn't merely about baseball, not that a good sports romance isn't a lovely escape. Deep issues and traumas are explored, the limitations of disabilities are shown in a realistic light instead of romanticized, as if love heals all wounds- love makes life worth living but it doesn't erase your disabilities.
Read from cover to cover, I highly recommend to fans of the author and MM contemporary romance, not just the sports subgenre, as baseball was just a facet of the novel not the focus. I look forward to reading more in the future, as the side cast of characters were intriguing.
March 5, 2024
Honestly I liked the concept and the characters and the disability rep was great (that's one thing I can always expect and appreciate about EM Lindsey's books), but I never really bought the romance. I don't feel like they spent any time getting to know each other, they didn't have any kind of chemistry, and I don't understand when or how Pietro went from seeing Thierry as the asshole that punched him to mooning over him when he's drunk. The pacing was completely off and focused more on details of Thierry's disability than actually setting up the romance, and the end didn't work for me either - the book just ended right after they have their first talk about feelings and then the epilogue isn't an epilogue so much as a bonus sex scene.
Also didn't like that this is the first book in a series but it constantly refers back to Gabriel and Ezra without giving them any kind of context. Like it would have been so easy to add a paragraph or two of context to Gabriel and Ezra's story into this one instead of just leaving it all open and you have to pick up clues to what happened with them as the story goes on, or abandon this book to go read their story first and then come back. It's honestly just lazy writing. I don't feel like I fully connected with Pietro as much as I did Thierry because half of Pietro's story isn't even in this book, it's all just vague suggestions of things that happened in a book I haven't even read - and I shouldn't have to have read that first because this is suppose to be a standalone story and the beginning of a new series.
Also didn't like that this is the first book in a series but it constantly refers back to Gabriel and Ezra without giving them any kind of context. Like it would have been so easy to add a paragraph or two of context to Gabriel and Ezra's story into this one instead of just leaving it all open and you have to pick up clues to what happened with them as the story goes on, or abandon this book to go read their story first and then come back. It's honestly just lazy writing. I don't feel like I fully connected with Pietro as much as I did Thierry because half of Pietro's story isn't even in this book, it's all just vague suggestions of things that happened in a book I haven't even read - and I shouldn't have to have read that first because this is suppose to be a standalone story and the beginning of a new series.
March 8, 2022
Switch-Hitter is the story of Pietro and Thierry, two imperfect characters with an intertwined past and their journey to find each other and love.
First things first, if you’re looking for a fluffy story, I don’t think this is really it. But if you don’t mind some heavier topics being discussed, this book is powerful and really good.
Kudos to the author for deciding to include health struggles in a romance novel, I think it’s so important to include a whole range of people in books. While I can’t attest personally for the representation, from what I’ve seen in reviews from the disabled community it seems like it was well done, so that makes me happy.
As someone struggling to come to terms with a chronic illness I really appreciate romance books with disability, chronic illness, neuro divergence, mental health, etc representation because, while I’m personally at that stage that seeing them suffer and struggle hits me really hard, I very much appreciate seeing someone that is more like me embrace their lives and be happy, that’s really powerful.
So a big yes to more diverse heroes in our books, you never know what a positive impact this will have on your readers!
I received a complimentary copy of this book and the thoughts are 100% my own.
First things first, if you’re looking for a fluffy story, I don’t think this is really it. But if you don’t mind some heavier topics being discussed, this book is powerful and really good.
Kudos to the author for deciding to include health struggles in a romance novel, I think it’s so important to include a whole range of people in books. While I can’t attest personally for the representation, from what I’ve seen in reviews from the disabled community it seems like it was well done, so that makes me happy.
As someone struggling to come to terms with a chronic illness I really appreciate romance books with disability, chronic illness, neuro divergence, mental health, etc representation because, while I’m personally at that stage that seeing them suffer and struggle hits me really hard, I very much appreciate seeing someone that is more like me embrace their lives and be happy, that’s really powerful.
So a big yes to more diverse heroes in our books, you never know what a positive impact this will have on your readers!
I received a complimentary copy of this book and the thoughts are 100% my own.
April 20, 2022
Audiobook review:
Pietro was such an adorable and hopeless mess. He is so down about himself and his worth despite being a major league baseball star, and he is the master of putting his foot in his mouth, that you can’t help but want to give him a hug. He needs someone who’s going to see the best in him.
Thierry is gruff and quiet, he’s been injured which has turned his life upside down and it’s given him time to rethink his past self. But just when he thinks things start to come together, life throws curveballs. He is protective (of himself, and his friends) and you will fall in love with his franglais (french/English mash-up), subtle humour, and calm presence.
Together they are endearing and bring out the best in each other and take care of each other fiercely.
They really did a great job at disability representation, balancing the often consuming nature of it, and the ability to be a whole person complete with a (very sexy) love life.
I haven’t listened to many romance audiobooks, but I really enjoyed this, John Solo has a wonderful voice and did a great job of it.
< audiobook provided by GRR and this is my honest review >
Pietro was such an adorable and hopeless mess. He is so down about himself and his worth despite being a major league baseball star, and he is the master of putting his foot in his mouth, that you can’t help but want to give him a hug. He needs someone who’s going to see the best in him.
Thierry is gruff and quiet, he’s been injured which has turned his life upside down and it’s given him time to rethink his past self. But just when he thinks things start to come together, life throws curveballs. He is protective (of himself, and his friends) and you will fall in love with his franglais (french/English mash-up), subtle humour, and calm presence.
Together they are endearing and bring out the best in each other and take care of each other fiercely.
They really did a great job at disability representation, balancing the often consuming nature of it, and the ability to be a whole person complete with a (very sexy) love life.
I haven’t listened to many romance audiobooks, but I really enjoyed this, John Solo has a wonderful voice and did a great job of it.
< audiobook provided by GRR and this is my honest review >
April 21, 2022
This was a good read. I really enjoyed both Thierry and Pietro. They were wonderful characters with a ton of depth. This is something I have come to love and enjoy about E.M.'s writing. This story was about overcoming your past and forging a strong future where you would have never thought it even a possibility. Thierry and Pietro both had obstacles they each had to overcome in order to make their lives better for themselves as well as each other. This was a story about forgiveness and when to know that forgiveness for others may be just that, for others. John Solo did a great job on the narration. I really enjoyed the side characters and look forward to reading about Gabriel and Ezra.
March 17, 2022
Good romance for Pietro😍
June 17, 2022
This was really bad, and it failed completely as a romance. By 80 % of the book the protagonists do not know if they are even friends, and by over 90 % they are not even sure if they are boyfriends. The author focused so much on the sensitive reading that they forgot about the sparks. There were no goddamn sparks. No chemistry, no butterflies, just boring monologues.
This books was practically the side characters telling the two protagonists how much they are liked by each other. It sucked, and I am mad because I was so excited about this book. I love to see diversity representation in my books, but it failed me as a romance. Do not waste your money or time in this one. I want to say that I would never read a book by this author again, but I know me, and I am weak when it comes to disability representation. Sigh.
By the way, there is so much French in this book that was NEVER translated, and that made me roll my eyes so much. I always felt like I was missing something because I was so uninterested in the story that I did not bother using Google translator.
This books was practically the side characters telling the two protagonists how much they are liked by each other. It sucked, and I am mad because I was so excited about this book. I love to see diversity representation in my books, but it failed me as a romance. Do not waste your money or time in this one. I want to say that I would never read a book by this author again, but I know me, and I am weak when it comes to disability representation. Sigh.
By the way, there is so much French in this book that was NEVER translated, and that made me roll my eyes so much. I always felt like I was missing something because I was so uninterested in the story that I did not bother using Google translator.
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