Line Drive (Homeruns # 6) by Quinn Ward

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU 
Goodreads Link

Auctioned off to the highest bidder for charity, PJ was able to have one night where he wasn’t living a lie. Nate’s return is going to make it hard to lay low until he can get out of his contract with a toxic team.

PJ Nolan just has to get through this year. He’d been hoping for a trade to Milwaukee, where he wouldn’t have to hide the fact that he was gay, but that didn’t pan out. He’s close enough to achieving his goal that he can’t walk away, no matter how hostile the Miami clubhouse had become. That changes when he arrives for the first day of spring training and his teammates think it’s funny to mock the one night that made him feel alive. They didn’t know that it wasn’t a joke to him. Unfortunately, those pictures are all he has left of Nate Kendricks. 

Nate knows nothing about baseball, but agrees to a spring training road trip as a way to spend time with his twin brother and get away from their dad’s micromanagement for a while. He’s not thrilled about the prospect of seeing PJ Nolan, the man who’d haunted his dreams since the night of the charity auction, but figures PJ has probably already forgotten their chance encounter. Nate thought their chemistry was undeniable, but after that night, he never heard from PJ again.

Once they reunite, PJ’s certain of one thing: he’s not going to let Nate slip away again. With his priorities constantly changing, PJ needs to find a way to achieve his dreams, both on and off the field. As he gets closer to joining his dad in the record books, he feels Nate slipping away. What will he choose if forced to pick between new love and a lifelong dream?

Line Drive is the final book in the Homeruns series, originally published under the pen name Sloan Johnson.

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Line Drive is the sixth and final book in Quinn Ward's Homeruns series. If you haven't yet started reading this amazing sports romance series, be sure to go back and start with Wild Pitch. This book is easily read as a standalone, but this is a series not to be missed. 

PJ and Nate's relationship starts with a charity auction, an elevator, and some intense attraction. 

I loves these two together. They mesh so well and instantly connect. The relationship develops quickly, but it's never in doubt to me that the two are honest in their feelings. One can feel that they mean a lot to each other and that they have each other's backs. 

The obstacles in their way are well done. PJ's issues with his teammates are so damn realistic and tough to read. We all know that athletes face a ton of homophobia in the locker room. To see all PJ has to deal with is heartbreaking. We'd be stupid to believe that no athletes have ever retired to get away from the rampant homophobia. So this just adds to the emotions. 

As for the way others try to help PJ, I just love it. It's also realistic that others are trying to make sports more inclusive. It's an important topic and I love every aspect of how the author explores this. 

Line Drive is a great sports romance. I am so thrilled that Quinn Ward has re-released this series. Previously published under the pen name of Sloan Johnson, I am thrilled for new readers to find this fantastic baseball romance series.