BREAKING NEWS: The Bad Boy of Baseball, Maddox Paige, is totally and utterly whipped. Okay, that might not be the headlines in the newspaper this morning, but it’s the reality of my current situation. It all started a month ago when I received a call from my best friend, Kinsley. She got a new job in Chicago and needed a place to stay. I’ve known the girl since I was five, what harm would it be … harm would it be to have her stay at my place for a while?
Ha! Total disaster.
Now instead of going out every night with my teammates, I’m couch surfing and sketching endless photos of my best friend . . . but that’s the least of my concerns.
The disaster, you ask? I’m rapidly falling head over cleats in love with my best friend, my roommate, and my number one fan.
And she has no idea . . .
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I have loved this series from Meghan but this one is my favourite. Be still my swooning heart <3
Maddox is the bad boy of baseball and Kinsley is his best friend since his childhood. They are each others safe place, their rocks, the person they can always count on. She has always been off limits to him and completely in the friend zone until she moves into town for a new job and ends up staying with him. Now the lines are being blurred between friendship and the possibility of so much more.
Meghan has written this beautifully with a great flow and great characters that keep you completely hooked from beginning to end. Their banter and interactions are entertaining and beautiful to watch play out.
This can be read as a standalone but you will want to read the other stories as you will see past characters I have loved make appearances.
Can't wait to see what Meghan brings us next.
This story was something I have been waiting for and it did not disappoint. The love and heartbreak between these two best friends is amazing. They go through so much and thank goodness Maddox pulls his head out of his butt. I had so many feelings during this book of love and sadness and a little bit a dislike! Such a great story to read.
On the field, he is the Bad Boy of Baseball. A Rebel for life. He’s covered in tattoos and quick to brawl.
But with his childhood best friend, Kinsley, he is a totally different man. A snuggle on the couch with vegan banana bread and hot chocolate kind of man. And, a let her erase your carbon footprint and adopt a shelter dog kind of man.
And, can Kinsley, who has the biggest heart in the world and wears it on her sleeve, be the one woman who can tame Maddox Paige? She has sheltered, cheered for and loved Maddox since they were five years old. But can these best friends become something more?
Oh how I loved watching this couple fall in love! It’s sweet and unexpected and funny as can be as this couple who seems to be complete opposites go from being childhood besties to head over heels in love. Did I mention this book was crazy hot as well? There are a few scenes that are definitely not safe for work and will leave your jaw dropping!
Cory, Jason and Lincoln were also amazing in this book as they offer up advice to Maddox on how to both win and keep his girl. These guys are simply hilarious together and their banter is enough to make you laugh out loud. And, Herman is an absolute show stopper!
High on heat and emotions, this couple is so on until they are not (so grab your tissues) as Maddox has to decide the kind of man he will ultimately be in order to be worthy of the woman he loves. 5 stars!
Sports (baseball) | Friends to Lovers Romance
I never thought I would use this word in a review but WOWZER! This book is insanely hot!!! I think its Meghan’s sexiest book yet! Gosh, I felt like I was MELTING while reading it!!!! Ladies be prepared because Maddox is going to STEAL YOUR HEART. I am not even exaggerating in the slightest either. This man is pure ALPHA GOODNESS! He’s a broody bad boy who likes to fight, but also a caring bear of a man who just wants to love with all his heart! I wanted to cuddle him myself and found that I was a little jealous of Kinsley because she GOT my man! I’ll admit though, it is hard to stay mad at her though because she is the sweetest heroine I have come across in a long time. I love when characters have a heart of gold and oh man did she EVER! I saw a little of me in her too (not the vegan part though). She’s such a kind soul and loves animals just as much as I do. I don’t know if I could work in a shelter and not take every single animal home, but people like her are wonderful! We need more Kinsley’s in the world that’s for sure.
Anyway (I’m still fanning myself) this is a FANTASTIC friends to lover’s romance with enough spice to excite even the biggest prude. Maddox and Kinsley have a great friendship and turning that into something more was breathtaking to watch. Meghan does spin it a little towards the end with a jaw dropping fight that has the potential to cancel out all the good progress these two made, but the makeup and how it happens was MAGICAL. If you’re read Meghan’s books, you’ll know she has some pretty epic breakups and makeups, and this is one you won’t forget for a long time!
My review is clearly all full of excitement because of how much I LOVED this book! It’s going down into one of my all-time favorites of the author and HIGHLY recommend it to all romance readers! This is one of the BEST friends to lover’s romances I have ever read!!!!
Wow, what a great book that will have you laughing out loud, and swooning at the same time! 5 baseball stars for this one!
Maddox, bad boy of baseball, and his best friend Kinsley were always together when they were growing up, she knows all there is to know about him. So when she’s offered a job in Chicago, he doesn’t hesitate to offer his place for her to come and stay, after all she’s his best friend.
Read along and enjoy as these two best friends live together and try to navigate the new feelings that they are developing for each other are starting to surface! You will fall in love with these two characters, as Kinsley is quirky and Maddox is just hot and amazing! Grab this one asap!
Wow, what a great book that will have you laughing out loud, and swooning at the same time! 5 baseball stars for this one!
Maddox, bad boy of baseball, and his best friend Kinsley were always together when they were growing up, she knows all there is to know about him. So when she’s offered a job in Chicago, he doesn’t hesitate to offer his place for her to come and stay, after all she’s his best friend.
Read along and enjoy as these two best friends live together and try to navigate the new feelings that they are developing for each other are starting to surface! You will fall in love with these two characters, as Kinsley is quirky and Maddox is just hot and amazing! Grab this one asap!
Meghan Quinn’s “The Change Up” gave me all the feels, and I loved it! This opposites attract, slow burn, friends to lovers romance was incredibly fun and very steamy. Main characters Maddox and Kinsley were obviously made for each other and I found it very easy to cheer them on to their HEA.
“The Change Up” is set in Quinn’s Brentwood baseball world, but reads as a complete standalone. Male lead Maddox played a small but important role in an earlier book, “The Trade,” and I remember him as a bad boy who was sometimes tough to like. He was definitely still a bad boy here with his tattoos and piercings, roster of on-call hookups, and penchant for getting into fights, but thankfully, I found him much easier to like as I got to know him better. His behavior was so much more understandable after finding out about his difficult childhood and family situation. Seeing him have friendly interactions with characters from the earlier books, especially Jason and Cory, helped too.
Female lead Kinsley seemed like Maddox’s complete opposite at first with her sunny and upbeat personality, hatred of violence, and love for animals. She was so delightfully quirky, and I particularly loved her devotion to Clyde, the old and broken down cot. Despite their differences, Maddox and Kinsley were very sweet together, except for when they finally gave into their attraction and made it into the bedroom together. Then they were pure steam because of their matching adventurous natures and willingness to try new things.
As always with Meghan Quinn’s books, the secondary characters were phenomenal and added a tremendous amount of depth and humor to the story. Jason was his usual hilarious self and reminded me of all the reasons I still adore him. He made me smile every time he was in a scene. I really liked Maddox’s friend Lincoln, too, and hope that his story is coming up next. He seemed like a really good guy, and he was certainly a good friend to Maddox when he needed one. I’d love to know more about Lincoln and his mystery girl!
Overall, “The Change Up” was yet another excellent book from Meghan Quinn, and I can’t wait for her next one! I highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy.
*ARC provided by the author via Candi Kane PR. All opinions expressed are my own.
It was awesome to see broody, bad boy Maddox from the MLB Team, the Rebels, have his own story. You see him a bit in previous books that makes you wonder what his deal is.
Yes this can be read as a stand-alone however I highly recommend reading the full series to give this book that extra love as well as enjoy the amazing other characters you see here.
Maddox has a reputation of constantly getting into fights along with having his rotation of women in his bed. Of course seeing the man hidden behind the facade completely melts your heart in my opinion.
His lifelong best friend Kinsley needs a place to stay for a bit so she can accept her dream job at an animal shelter in his city.
Some may find it difficult to like the vegan/earth loving Kinsley due to the major changes she implements as she plows into Maddox’s life. You may not like her or you may enjoy her crazy overbearing personality like I did. I feel she made it entertaining.
With Maddox and Kinsley, you enjoy the ride and every stop on the way to their destination.
I absolutely love their relationship, I think what they have created growing up together helped them become strong. That is until fear causes their heartbreak.
In my opinion this was the most emotional story in this series. I can’t believe how invested I became with their lives, how much my heart felt torn for them.
There was some similarities to “The Modern Gentleman” that stuck out at me and the ending felt a little rushed but we still got our HEA and it was extremely enjoyable. I am so in love with all of the characters, hoping each one gets their own happily ever after. I can’t wait to see if Lincoln gets his own story.
This series is a must read, recommend you pick them up now!
As I sit here preparing to write my review, I just can’t help but reflect on this beautiful story. So perfect. So right. And just what I needed. I just want to hold my heart and stay in this happy little cloud forever.
I’ve recently read about the other boys in this world and truly enjoyed them, so I was excited about getting the background and understanding of why Maddox Paige, bad boy of the Rebels, is the way he is. Between his past and the firecracker called Kinsley, we get the deeper understanding of this man, who is actually a big softie at heart. But shh, don’t tell his teammates, especially that Jason Orson!
Kinsley can be a lot to take in at first. And I struggled because she is very strong willed and a dominating character. But Maddox knows how to handle her and her albeit quirky ways. He rolls with the change-ups. I was able to grow to love her once I understood her.
As these two tread the careful water of going from best friends to lovers, you see the glimpses of their childhood growing up together… whether it be stories from their pasts, the verbal sparring they have with one another, or the adult situations that happened to them as kids, you fall for these characters. And boy did I fall hard.
Maddie is the perfect opposite to Kinny. They were like the two puzzle pieces you’ve been searching for to put together. He’s so sweet and she has him wrapped around her pinky. They balance each other out perfectly.
We see MQ’s traditional humor and how she gets us to feel right along with these characters. My heart was wrecked but put so beautifully back together. Everyone needs to read about Maddie and Kinny, it’ll make your heart soar.
I love the friends to lovers trope. I love the connection the characters usually have. I especially love when the main characters have been friends for years because when they finally make the realization of “Oh my god, I love my best friend”, it makes everything so much better. And this is the case with Maddox and Kinsley.
Friends since childhood, these two know everything there is to know about the other person. When Kinsley gets an amazing job offer and needs a place to stay, Maddox doesn’t hesitate to let her stay with him. They’re best friends, what could go wrong?
One of my favorite things that happen in romance books is the grovel. Not all grovels are equal. Some are better than others and I think the grovel in this book may be the one of the best grovels I have ever read. I won’t say who does the grovelling, but it was so ridiculously satisfying.
This was another great book from Meghan. I love the baseball boys and I look forward to these books because even though the book is about one of them, we get them all! Jason cracks me up with his idiotic ways and Cory is always the voice of reason and I just love them so much!
The Bad Boy of Baseball is amazing! Meghan Quinn has once again knocked it out of the park with The Change Up! Maddox Paige’s story was everything I wanted and more. He is a broken, lovable, mess.
Maddox and Kinsley were just pure perfection! They were absolutely made for each other, even if it took them sometime to catch up. Friends who became lovers, who fell in love, or maybe they were always in love. The Bad Boy Rebel who had his heart so caged up I’m not even sure he knew he had one. All it took was one phone all from Kinsley to turn his life upside down in the best of ways. Kinsley is exactly what Maddox needed in his life. Kinsley is the vegan, saving earth kind.
The push and pull that these two had going on was enough to drive me crazy. I wasn’t actually sure at one point if these two would actually get it together and be together. The Change Up was an anxiety friends to lovers romance filled with hilarious, steamy and emotional moments.
Meghan Quinn has delivered another grand slam baseball read! Maddox’s story was absolutely worth the wait. Quinn gave us another addicting, perfect book! The Change Up is a phenomenal read, that left me needing more.
I loved the cute, funny and sultry storyline that was told from both points of view. The humor is perfectly timed, the characters are endearing. The book is filled with witty banter and super sexy innuendo. The author nailed the perfect amount of fun, romantic times, and just enough angst and groveling to keep things interesting.
Kinsley and Maddox’s love story was not easy at times. They have been friends since early childhood. Maddox rarely lets others see his true self, but he is not the rebel bad boy the media paint him as. Maddox is a big-time baseball pitcher and he has lived most of his adult life in the public eye. But we get to see him being sweet, thoughtful, considerate and patient with Kinsley. He is an introvert with a need for privacy. He is deeper than he comes off and his effortless charm and appeal never fades. He is terrified of showing Kinsley his true feelings, neither one of them wants to jeopardize their friendship. Kinsley is a character that I instantly connected with. I found her quirky, passionate, honest and vibrant. Maddox sets rules, but Kinsley doesn’t care about stepping over them and he allows her to change his routine.
They both come to realize their feelings are stronger than just friendship. They love each other as more than friends. There were some things Kinsley and Maddox had to figure out during their transition from friends to lovers.
It was obvious that they would have to lower their walls and share their thoughts and feelings if they want their happy ending. It was so easy to get wrapped up in their story, this couple’s journey, their self doubts and their hidden feelings building in the background. Their chemistry is intense and explosive. In my opinion, though, the repetition of the sexy scenes overshadowed the emotional aspect of the story, their soulmate connection.
5 She’s His Everything Stars!!!
The moment I started this book I was captured by Ms. Quinn’s writing. For me Maddox has moved right into the top spot of favorite Meghan Quinn heroes!!! Add in one of her best heroines ever and I flew through this book. I laughed and cried and was consumed by Maddie and Kinny!
If you’ve read the previous books in these inter-connected standalones you know we’ve met Maddox before… he’s been this enigma in that he’s brash, callous, a womanizer and everything you can think of in between. There’s one thing though that we knew for certain…he’s a top pitcher not only for the Rebels but in the entire league… but in this book, we find out this man has a side to him that shows a vulnerability that made me fall in love with him.
I loved the Kinsley so much. She’s a young woman that cares about animals and the environment but she’s also the best friend of Maddox and they’ve been through so much together they’re each other’s safe place and when Kinsley has the opportunity of a lifetime in Chicago who better to help her out with a place to stay than her bestie, Maddox. And this is where everything starts to change for these two.
There’s a chemistry between them that can’t be denied and as they spend so much time together, their feelings start to change but they’re not sure what to do with them. And this where the men of this series throw in their two cents and let me tell you I was rolling!
Another thing that I LOVED about this book is the slow burn with a build up that is HAF!!! I mean there are moments that had my pulse kicked up so high I felt like I had just finished a hard core spin class…these two discover so many things about each other that surprised them both, but they were so very happy they made these discoveries…and I’ll leave it right there for you to use your imagination on!
This book is filled with moments and scenes that are some of the best Ms. Quinn has written. This story is entertaining, heart-felt and filled with characters both two and four legged that have taken a hold of my heart and won’t let go!
Just when I think Meghan Quinn couldn’t possibly outdo herself with another baseball romance, she knocks it out of the park with Maddox Paige in The Change Up!
Maddox is the bad boy of baseball. He’s a pitcher for the Chicago Rebels who’s known not only for his stellar pitching but also for hitting players and starting fights. Plus, his body full of tattoos helps to sell the image. Who knew that underneath that tough exterior is actually a vulnerable man who’s just looking to feel safe and loved. The one person who’s always been there for him, his person, is his best friend Kinsley. Kinsley who is this earth saving, animal loving free spirit that seems almost like a complete opposite to Maddox.
Friends since they were 5, Kinsley has always been his greatest supporter and cheerleader so when she calls saying she’s moving to Chicago for a new job and looking for a place to live, Maddox easily offers up his one bedroom apartment. He just didn’t realize that living with his best friend would flip the switch, letting new romantic feelings fly!
I was so excited to read this book and get to know Maddox better. You first meet this bad boy of baseball in The Trade but you can easily read this book as a standalone (but really, you need to read ALL of Meghan Quinn’s baseball books!). Told in dual POV, you not only come to know and understand Maddox but you see what motivates and drives Kinsley too.
The first part of this book is a fun start to this friends to lovers romance. Sharing a one bedroom apartment, it’s easy for the sparks between them to set aflame due to the close quarters. But they both struggle with the realization that when you’re falling in love with your best friend, your person, there’s a very real fear that the other person may not feel the same. Since they already had a relationship that involved a lot of touching, hugging and saying I love you, it was even more difficult for them to assess whether the other person’s feelings were changing too. Both Maddox and Kinsley wrestled with the fear of possibly ruining their friendship before finally admitting that they both wanted to be more than just friends.
I will say that Maddox was one amazing friend. I mean Kinsley is cute and all but she bulldozes her way into his life in so many ways and he just goes with it because he loves her so much. I’m not so sure I would have been as accommodating as he was to all of the changes she made. I mean, she didn’t even ASK him and it’s not like they were just little things like changing out his cleaning supplies. She also blatantly disregards some serious boundaries he put up but instead of being mad he’s thoughtful, understanding and compromising. He even does all he can to help her with her job. You are one lucky girl, Kinsley, let me just say!
Once their mutual feelings are outed, I was ready for them to get their freak on. But Kinsley wanted to initially take it slow. Given that demand I have to say that I was surprised by their first sexual encounter. It was so not what I was expecting if they were taking things slow but hey you go for it! Regardless, I loved them together.
Towards the latter part of the book, Quinn exposes us more to the inner demons of Maddox and really flushes out a character who has struggled with abuse and fear as a child. She gives us a picture of how that can play out as an adult in a realistic way and I appreciated how she didn’t just sweep those issues under the rug with a quick reconciliation. Kinsley’s earthy-crunchy ways were starting to get a bit annoying but I really respected how she stood up to Maddox and handled their separation.
When you’re five books into a “series” of books, you’d think it would be hard to write an original story or create a standout character but Quinn did both of those in The Change Up. I loved learning more about Maddox and thought this was a great friends to lovers story line. I also have to say that this book has one AMAZING cover. I don’t normally envision a cover model in my head for the character of the story while I’m reading, but this guy was Maddox all the way!
I of course also loved seeing characters from past books like Jason, Dottie, Cory and Natalie. Jason will always be my favorite and OMG, the scene with him and Dottie in the bowling alley was just priceless. And now I’m ready and waiting for Lincoln’s story!
Quinn’s baseball romances are the best of the best and The Change Up did not disappoint.
Check out this review and all my romance book reviews and romance book lists on my book blog, She Reads Romance Books: https://www.shereadsromancebooks.com/
Meghan Quinn did it again. She wrote a beautiful story that will melt your heart. I couldn’t put it down.
Maddox AKA Maddie is a sex god, when he sleeps with women, they are straightaway addicted to him and crave for more. He likes his life and is clearly happy with the minimum- he is a rich baseball player but live in a one-bedroom apartment. The two main things that he values in life are his privacy and his friendship with Kinny. He has a heart of gold! I LOVE HIM!
Kinsley finds the job of her dream and needs somewhere to stay in Chicago. Obviously, her best friend Maddox is there for her and is the knight in his shiny armour. He offered her to stay with him but he clearly did not think it through. The banter between Maddox, Lincoln and Cory is just on point.
“She’s like the Maddox whisperer. You’re always in a good mood when she’s around or after you talk to her.”
Meghan Quinn has wooed me with her words and her characters. I love the banter between them, I love their vulnerability, I love their connection and more importantly I love how they get each other.
As the story progresses, the sexual tension between the two “ room mates” reaches a peak. You could feel the connection between them. I love all the hugs and sweet kisses , it made me swoon! They know each other secrets and more importantly past- they have a bond that seems unbreakable but we all know how living with someone changes things…
Will their friendship survive it? Will Maddox still see his sexy vegan animal lover best friend just as a friend?
The Change Up was funny, sweet and sexy at the same time. Special mention to CLYDE!!!!!
4.5 Stars
I just love Meghan’s baseball guys. I’ve been anticipating this one. Maddox doesn’t leave the greatest impression, but after reading this book I get a whole new perspective of him. There is so much than meets the eyes when it comes to Maddox. He just melts my heart the way he is with his best friend Kinsley. They have been best friends forever and seen each other through some of the toughest times. They seem like they wouldn’t fit, but they adorably do. Kinsley reminds me of my brother. Their love of animals and the work they do for them. I want to be friends with Kinsley, maybe not eat with her, but to hang out. There is a part I wanted to shake Maddox. I got really PO’ed with him. I couldn’t believe it, but he is good at groveling. This book had me laughing from start to finish. My man Jason pops up from time to time. I love that he is Maddox’s teammate. This is a hard book to put down. I just sucked right into the story. I just love the friendship and banter between Maddox and Kinsley.
This was another 5 star, enjoyable read from author Meghan Quinn. We’ve been introduced to Maddox through previous books, so it’s great to finally read his story and find out what has shaped him to be the way he is.
When Kinsley, his best friend since age 5, moves to Chicago and needs a place to stay, Maddox immediately offers for her to stay with him. Her passion for animals and saving the world immediately pushes him past his comfort zone, but as he falls deeper for Kinsley, how long can he keep his childhood demons at bay without them interfering with his relationship?
This author has such a gift at sucking us into a story and making us care about the characters to the point that what they’re feeling, you’re liable to feel as well as you go on this journey with them. No matter how big they screw up, they’re so relatably human, you can’t help but root for them and hope they overcome all obstacles to find happiness in the end.
The biggest themes sticking out to me again and again is the importance of giving others a second chance when they know they truly messed up, and to recognize when someone is truly working on themselves. In that, I find these characters to be so relevant to true life situations. It’s important to have empathy for others, to see that sometimes writing someone off permanently isn’t the answer, and that you can find true happiness in giving someone a second chance in your life. In that, I found this story truly beautiful.
Sure this story had humor and steamy scenes and all the fun moments many of this author’s other books have. It also has a heroine who is passionate about saving the earth and finding homes for animals whose humans have passed away from terminal illness. Without being preachy, I learned quite a bit about how much waste we produce, how we can minimize some of that waste easily, and it brought to my heart a charity I had never thought of previously. What happens to those animals who have been long loved, but whose owners have just been lost to terminal illness? And I didn’t miss the recurring theme about the fact that women still aren’t allowed in the sport of baseball. Author Meghan Quinn has a gift for subtly bringing these issues in flawlessly through characters in an entertaining way that makes you think, and in a way that makes you grow if you allow yourself to do so. In that way, I think she is making the world a better place, one book at a time.
New standalone release from Meghan Quinn that’s available now in KU. Baseball’s bad boy falls in love with his best friend…and total disaster ensues!
*5+ Stars*
I am a sucker for friends to lover’s romances and this one quickly became one of my all time favorites! Maddox and Kinsley’s friendship is strong and amazing so watching them fall for each other was everything. Their chemistry is off the charts and HOLY WOW were the steamy scenes SMOKING!
Their romance put my heart through the wringer but it was so dang worth it. I laughed, even got teary eyed, but knew I just had to wait a little while and everything would be okay. Maddox is so swoony and I couldn’t get enough of his sweetness.
Seeing all of the secondary characters in this series is so much fun. I have fallen in love with them all and I really enjoy catching up with them as the series continues.
Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.
I was always curious about Maddox, and I knew that there was more to him then meets the eye. Deep down, he has a huge heart that seems to be only apparent with Kinsley, his best friend.
Maddox, I feel, is this character that has so many layers to him. He likes to keep his life private. So when Kinsley gets an opportunity that she just can’t say no to. Maddox offers her a place to stay… You can only imagine what might happen.
This is a beautiful story. It’s been rough lately with my reading. But I can always count on Quinn to make me cry and make me laugh within a few sentences. Her characters just jump off the pages. All her books have that passion, those hilarious moments. You can’t help but love these characters.
Overall, I give this Five Boundless Stars.