Review...Double Play by Jill Shalvis

First let me say that I am a HUGE Jill Shalvis fan, I buy up all her latest releases as soon as they hit the shelves and have pretty much devoured her back list. With this being said I am a little torn with the latest release which was Double Play. I completely adored the Pace Martin. I loved his anger, his frustration at himself and his vulnerability that was so raw. I did like the female lead Holly Hutchins but I didn't see, and I tried, I really did, to see something special about her. There was nothing in her personality that stuck out enough to write about. Which is a pity since I fell in love with Pace from the get go. Usually the opposite with me, but I just wanted everything to work out for the poor guy. The story begins with a story. Confused you yet? Well we start out with Holly being a reporter and doing a piece on the Santa Barbara Heat, a 3 year old expansion team out west that is hot right now and primed for the world series if they can just hold it together. One thing I did like as a non baseball fan, is that Ms. Shalvis really kept all the technical baseball mumbo jumbo to a minimum. So for those out there that aren't fans, you aren't smothered with baseball facts! So, Holly is great I like her, I do. I just thought she was mediocre. I want a female lead that I can root for, that my heart breaks a little for or who kicks some serious ass! I want to love her, to be her and not want to wring her neck by the end of the book. No whiners please! Although Holly was not a whiner she had no serious personality traits that stood out for me. But this book wasn't a total loss, not by far. Why? Because Jill created a lovable creature in Pace Martin. He has so many internal struggles and he just seemed real to me. Throughout the story you have his struggle with falling for Holly, is she the press leak the team is worried about? You have his injured shoulder and the complications of a possible career ending injury. You have his relationship with Red who has helped coach him since he started out in baseball. There is his complicated and almost non existent if not slightly mentally abusive relationship with his dad. And last the accusations that he has possibly been taking enhancement drugs. Throughout his challenges Pace really is all over the place, does he pick loyalty above truth. That is the deciding factor. Also throughout the book Holly and Pace's relationship (sexually) is rather slow, but I did love the buildup. Sometimes it's nice to not have the leads fall into bed right after they introduce themselves.

3 STARS- LIKE EATING ONE CHIP, LEAVES YOU LONGING FOR MORE, WOULD STILL RECOMMEND

SNIPPET: "He's a great pitcher...and a great catch.With the end of his career looming, the last thing ace pitcher Pace Martin needs is a distraction, even if it comes in the form of a tough, beautiful, tell-it-like-it-is writer who sees past his defenses. "