I’ve finally figured out C.D. Reiss’ superpower. It’s not her ability to create musical, haunting prose that begs you to whisper it like a prayer. It’s not the way that Los Angeles takes on a voice and character all its own. It’s not the way she seduces us with her characters. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Her superpower is taking a trope, turning it inside out and creating this utterly beautiful, unique moment. She’s done with the Billionaire Dom, the Mafia Don, the Box Office Heartthrob, and the Party Girl. (Admit it. Jonathan Drazen had you saying “Christian who?”) Well, you can add Hotshot Jock to the list. Hotshot Jock with one of the sexiest names to roll off your tongue. And speaking of tongues – his is gifted – in sooo many ways.
Here’s the thing about Dashiell Wallace.
He was physically perfect. Six two and a half. Proportioned by DaVinci and sculpted by Michelangelo. In the middle of summer, he rolled up his sleeves and the roped muscles of his tanned forearms twisted and tightened when he handled the ball. This perfection was apparent on the TV whether he was standing still of flying through the air. Nothing got past him. The space between second and third was his domain, and three Golden Gloves into his career, Dodger pitchers made it their business to make sure the batter pulled left, and the opposing batters tried to thread the first base line for all it was worth just to avoid him.
He was magical. And there he was. In uniform. Three feet away from me, looking at my face to shoulders to breasts to hips with sky-blue eyes and black hair even more perfect than the TV could contain.
Hard Ball, Christine Reiss’ latest release, takes us into the Dodger’s dugout and the world of Dash Wallace, their elusive, reclusive superstar shortstop. A media enigma, he crosses paths with Vivian Foster, a grade school librarian chaperoning her underprivileged students on a field trip.
A librarian in slacks and a bright yellow hoodie, wearing sensible black flats on the winter grass of a park field. No makeup. Glasses. Baseball clutched in unmanicured fingers.
Not my usual, to say the least. But I could see her body under the clothes, and the way she went off balance when she pulled a kid away from a collision with another one had a certain sexy grace. Her voice didn’t screech. Her laugh was like a purr. The first thing I imagined was pinning her under me, holding her hands over her head., immobilizing her while she came. My fingers tingled when I hands her back the ball. Weird.
One stolen mitt later, and Dash’s world is turned topsy-turvy which, for a ritual bound, superstitious ball player, is disastrous. Or is it?
At its essence, Hardball is the story of a good man – a kinky, sexy, dirty, poetry spouting one who is too smart for his own good, so much so he can’t see the forest for the trees (sometimes literally), and is burdened with an almost debilitating case of ADHD – and a soft but strong woman who helps him find a new way forward without sacrificing herself and the things she holds dear when his extremely orderly life slips towards chaos. Their courtship, and it is an epic courtship despite protestations to the contrary (and the dreaded EXPIRATION DATE), is full of fun, laughs, Shakespeare (!) and some down and dirty, highly imaginative sex – Dash’s bag of tricks is bottomless.
Dash and Viv are lighter and more flirtatious than most of Ms. Reiss’ other couples but don’t take that to mean they’re frivolous or two dimensional. I adored them. It was such a struggle not to strangle Dash as he continued to refuse to see that the solution to the chaos in his life came wrapped in a bright yellow hoodie. And Vivian – GAAH! I loved her soft, quiet strength. Her mix of innocence and worldliness is the perfect foil for Dash’s sometimes naïve bravado and kinky imagination. He’s a guy no woman would say no to – and Vivian did just that!!!
It’s a magical, uncontrived yet realistic story full of real life people who are messy, contradictory and complete with baggage. I couldn’t put it down and by the end, I had a perma- grin.
If you love your romance flirty, fun and with a slow burn, Hard Ball is for you. As always, the slow burning fires burn the hottest – and when Viv and Dash come together it’s no exception. Their first kiss sparked a white hot fire that never faltered. I absolutely adored this story because it never, ever loses its sense of joy and lightness – even when Viv and Dash are dealing with some pretty serious obstacles. It’s the perfect Spring Break beach read and a great escape from all that is serious, dark and sad in the world. Prepared to be wooed – right out of your panties. But don’t worry, Viv has a closet full she won’t be needing ;-)
It’s a grand slam plus one!
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Top reviews from other countries
Lori Webber
Baseball, Shakespeare, Sex and Superstitions.
Reviewed in Canada on March 31, 2016
Jo ReadsRomance
Easily one of my favourite books of the year. I loved It!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 16, 2016ChristinS
10++++++++++ stars for this baseball romance with that extra CD Reiss naughty touch and seriousness
Reviewed in Germany on March 31, 2016
Lover❤️All Books📚 Romance
CAN NEVER GET ENOUGH OF CD REISS & ANOTHER 5 STAR RELEASE
Reviewed in Australia on April 11, 2016Elle
Once again, CD’s lyrical and smart writing wove its magical fingers and wrapped itself around my brain
Reviewed in Canada on March 31, 2016