St. Martin's Press
Featuring: Eva Harlowe; Finn Castro
320 pages ISBN: 1250077214 EAN: 9781250077219 Kindle: B01BKMXKYO Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List
PLAYING FAST is Book 5 in Melanie Scott's New York
Saints series. I was able to read and enjoy
PLAYING FAST
without having read the previous books in this series.
Reformed baseball bad boy Finn Castro and savvy executive
Eva Harlowe are two complex characters, but happily
PLAYING FAST doesn't have any angst to bog down their
story. Finn is killing time in the minor leagues until he
gets the green light to return to the majors. Eva is
managing her team and her life with finesse and a precise
attention to detail. When Finn and Eva meet, there are
instant fireworks.
There are many reasons to love PLAYING FAST. I adore
sports-themed romances, but I prefer stories - like this
one by Melanie Scott - that are character-driven and have
a healthy amount of sexiness, romance, and fun. PLAYING
FAST is exactly the kind of contemporary romance that has
both sex appeal and substance. Melanie Scott does a great
job of building the main characters and drawing out the
sexual tension before things get physical. The chemistry
between Finn and Eva is amazing and I was rooting for
them through the entire book.
Finn Castro proves to be a revelation for Eva, as well as
for readers. Even though Finn got sent down to the minor
leagues after his behavior got a little out of control,
he approaches being a part of the Saratoga Springs
Preachers with a positive attitude. Finn uses this time-
out in his career to reflect and re-evaluate. He's in the
perfect frame of mind to meet a woman like Eva. I like
when an author has the hero be a little more self-aware
when it comes to his feelings than the heroine. Eva is a
woman who has put a big chunk of her life on hold to play
mother and sole support system for her younger sisters,
and needs a man like Finn who will pursue her and work to
woo her.
PLAYING FAST is a fun, character-driven romance that will
make readers cheer. Eva's friend Jenna and Finn's
teammate Connor make great sounding boards for the main
characters and help move the story along. I look forward
to reading the next book by Melanie Scott, and hope to
read more about characters like Eva's sister Audrey and
baseball veteran Connor West. PLAYING FAST is one of the
best baseball romances I've read and I wish I discovered
this series sooner.
THREE STRIKES AND HE’S OUT… When baseball bad-boy
Finn Castro raises one eyebrow too many, the Saints send him
down to the minors. He’ll have to earn back his major-league
dreams with the Sarasota Springs Preachers. Finn’s certainly
never claimed to be a man of the cloth, and cleaning up his
act isn’t going to be easy with stunning Eva Harlowe at the
heart of the team’s administration…
UNTIL SHE THROWS A CURVEBALL Eva knows having a
crush on Finn Castro is about as sensible as wishing for an
eighth day of the week, but seeing the gorgeously muscled
player in person melts her resolve. If she’s planning to
leave baseball at the end of the season, a hot fling could
be a fantasy home run. But when no-strings sex begins to
feel like a perfect partnership, will Finn and Eva choose
the love of the game or real life together?