Let me ask you a question: If someone is vying for your spot on a team and just so happens to injure you during practice, would you believe it was on purpose?Word around campus is . . . it was no accident. That injury has cost me everything; my starting position, my junior year—and the draft. Now, I’m a senior fresh off recovery, struggling to find my groove, until the day I run into a nervous, … day I run into a nervous, fidgety, girl with freckles, in the dining hall.
They call Milly Potter The Baseball Whisperer, The Diamond Wizard, and The Epitome of All Knowledge. She believes in baseball. She breathes it. She’s the queen of an infamous dynasty, but no one actually knows who she really is, and she plans to keep it that way.
One mishap in the panini line, one miscommunication in the weight room, and many failed attempts at an apology equal up to one solid truth — Milly Potter never wants to speak to me again — no matter how good my forearms look.
Little do we both know, she’s about to become more than just my fairy ballmother.
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I love a series! Carson is injured and angry. Milly is the tomboy with the solution. She sneaks into his heart by just being herself. Their love is a slow burn, friends to lovers. She helps Carson heal, but life sometimes has a way of making the best laid plans seem out of reach. Carson is his own worst enemy, but can Milly forgive and let love in? You will laugh out loud, You will swoon because Carson, and you will root for love.
Carson:
I saw our future tonight in the love between Milly’s parents. It was in the way they looked at each other, with deep respect, with frequent amusement, and with genuine, selfless love. It was in the way they listened to each other, that even after twenty-something years together, nothing was assumed. That’s what Milly’s known for her whole life, so that’s what she expects . . . and deserves. And I know, with all my f*cking heart, that I won’t rest until we have that.
This story is one that everyone should read. Between the comical moments, the real moments, and the raw, emotional moments, The Dugout had everything. I especially felt the name of the book was so perfect for Milly & Carson’s story. *sighs*
Milly is one smart cookie… even if those cookies are mysteriously…uhh misplaced 😉 Not only has Milly grown up with baseball, she’s basically lived and breathed it her entire life. Her three older brothers have learned much baseball knowledge from her and they are the sweetest brothers. They have her back through thick and thin. It’s utterly sweet to see. When Milly tells popular baseball star at Brentwood, Carson Stone, that he won’t hit a single ball with the way he’s currently moving, he’s not sure if he wants to take direction from another what he thinks is a “know it all”.
Of course Milly proves him wrong, and is able to help him correct his issues, but then they run into a bigger issue of their feelings for one another. I love how tentative and real Carson was. He went through some major stuff throughout the book, but he knew when to be humble and get down on his hypothetical knees and beg.
This book had the touch of MQ humor we all love, but like I said also felt real. I was emotionally connected to these characters. I can’t wait to see the rest of the books in the series. I know they’re going to be just as great… all these guys have a heart of gold… or maybe it’s just baseballs!
Oh man. This book.
I really wasn’t expecting this from Carson and Milly’s story. I laughed so hard but I cried just as much. It was amazing.
I had the opportunity to listen to The Dugout by Meghan Quinn and just loved it. Sebastian York and Samantha Peachwood were perfect as Carson Stone and Milly Porter and brought their journey to life for me. Carson has lost his mojo after losing his spot on the baseball team after an injury. This is his last chance and he knows it. Who would have thought the girl in the panini line, the girl he somehow insulted, would be the answer he needed.
I loved watching Carson and Milly interact and how he truly saw her when no one else did. Milly was smart and fierce, if a bit awkward at times. But when it comes to baseball, she knows her stuff and can take on any baseball player, including Carson Stone. Carson was always the likeable guy, but after his injury, he was a bit lost. Then this little spitfire comes into his life and changes everything. I loved their back and forth and watching them fall, but when tragedy strikes, will Carson lose it all? Such a fun and charming read that was a bit emotional and had all kinds of feels.
Listened and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy listening!
“I mean that, you were the greatest thing to ever happen to me…”
Every single book that has this kind of cover I’d advice to be read as a set if you truly want the whole experience, the series per se has no name but you can totally read them as the standalone sports romance, if you decide to read them all, you must read them as: The Locker Room, The Dugout, The Lineup, The Trade and finally the one that is coming out on June 11th; The Change Up…and I have to say I am overly excited to finally have a cover and a date for release!!!
Milly Potter is not your typical College girl, she speaks just one language and that’s baseball, her entire life is surrounded by the only thing she truly understands, the sport is her life; so looking pretty and girly is not exactly her thing, so it is obvious to her that when Carson, the one and only who has had it bad for the last season comes to her for help; she can only imagine she´ll be his Coach, nothing more…right?
Carson Stone had a huge setback in his planned future, when rupturing his Achilles tendon, he thought hell never see the major leagues, that is until one quirky girl that seems to know a lot, like everything about baseball offers her help. The more he spends time with her, he knows she’s a keeper, but just like his setback, you can plan but you may not get to see those plans materialize.
This book has so many great things, that only manages to keep me craving more and more about Meghan Quinn’s books. Surely this won’t be my last for a very long time!
I’ve listened/read all four Brentwood boys books (The Locker Room, The Dugout, The Lineup, and The Trade) and I’ve enjoyed them all. They’re all hilarious, heartwarming, and unputdownable. This though, by far, is my favorite, and it being narrated by one of my favorite narrators, Sebastian York, probably has something to do with it!
Sebastian York and Savannah Peachwood did a wonderful job narrating this book. I haven’t read the ebook version, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have found it as steamy had I read this book instead of listened; I probably wouldn’t have laughed my head off during the part with the cookie either!
This book comes after The Locker Room but part of it shares the same timeline. I want to “go back” and reread The Trade since we see Cory a lot in this book. It’s his sister’s story, after all.
The Dugout is a slow burn, friends-to-lovers contemporary sports romance written in dual first-person POV and recorded in dual narration. It’s a standalone that ends with a HEA. No cliffhanger, no cheating.
I received this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review.
For some reason when this book first came out, I didn’t join into the blog tour for it. So while home on quarantine, I ended up ordering my own paperback copy to read. Then a chance to listen to the audiobook came up, and it was right before my trip to Branson, so I signed up for that, and was able to listen to it on my drive down. But I brought my paperback with me, for when I wasn’t in the car and could read when I wasn’t listening. Either way, reading or listening, it was just as good as any other book in the series.
What I loved of course was visiting with characters that were from other books. Like Knox’s mom, or Mama G! And then all the boys we’ve met from the other books, especially my favorite Jason, and of course Millie’s brother Cory. But Millie was awesome. I mean, while I am in no way like her in her love and knowledge of all things having to do with baseball, so much of her behavior is me. Like when she compared herself to Baby in Dirty Dancing when she said “I carried a watermelon”, that is me. So many times I do that. Always when there are guys that are cute, or that I’m attracted to. But then, there was the cookie moment, oh my gosh! I was laughing so hard as I listened while I was driving. I’m sure anyone who was driving around me thought I was crazy.
Now, one thing that was different for me than with the other books in this series, the moment when the author usually takes and rips my heart out didn’t hit me quite as hard this time. It wasn’t as insurmountable for me for some reason. Not to say I didn’t have a few tears streaming down my face at times, but I wasn’t quite as devastated. And that’s not a bad thing really, because hey, how many times can Meghan Quinn rip my heart out and then me keep putting it back in at the end? Except, I’ll continue to let her do it, because I love her stories so much!
The narrators for this audiobook were good. Of course I always love Sebastian York, even if his voice is usually more of a serious, dark romance interest in my mind. And I hadn’t heard the other one before, or at least I don’t think I have? Samantha Peachwood, but she was good and fit perfectly for what I’d imagined Millie sounding like.
Meghan Quinn has hit another one out of the park!
*review for audible version*
My very first listen/read by Meghan Quinn and I was crying. Like legit ugly crying and I didn’t even see it coming. Everything was rolling along perfectly and then bam, a twist of events. Its totally worth the listen. There was funny banter, some very fanning myself steaminess, lovable characters, and complete tear jerker moments. I didn’t want to stop listening at all, I wanted to know how everything ended up so badly.
Carson is everything, just a complete dreamboat, even though sometimes I was completely frustrated with him. Milly is adorable and stunning, seriously, her personality is addicting. These two together are off the charts, just the perfect clash of chemistry in every way.
A definite must listen! The narrators are just phenomenal at bringing these characters to life!
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
I have a brand spanking new favorite sports romance.
As my first Meghan Quinn book I wasn’t sure what to expect. This was an amazing intro to her and I’m not going back!
It’s cute, swoony, hilarious and then bam so much emotion. I actually cried during this listen, but I’m so glad she was able to put my broken heart back together.
Such an amazing book. Will recommend always!
Loved Milly and Carsons story.
They are a well matched pair. Love these books and the camaraderie between all the players.
Brilliant storyline.
I have to admit. The summary of what this book is about didn’t sound very enticing to me at all.
That was until I opened the book and saw it was about Carson who was in The Locker Room with Knox. Definite fist pump to the air cuz in the previous book you get to know him well and start crushing on him.
What to keep in mind is this takes place at senior year in college so it isn’t starting at the end of The Locker Room for timeframe.
This was definitely a load of fun and hysterical laugh out loud moments and heartbreaking as well.
You keep falling more and more in love with all these characters where you don’t want it to end!
I highly recommend this series, it is a very enjoyable world to be sucked into.
I love any story written by Meghan Quinn and know that I’m in for a fantastic ride anytime I pick up one of her book. The Dugout was no exception. It was a beautiful, heartbreaking and awesome story. Milly and Carson are EVERYTHING!! The Brentwood Baseball boys are Meghan Quinn at her absolute best!!
P.S. I keep reading the Bobbies as the Boobies. 🙂 Anyone else do this?
This is one of these books that even if you don’t know much about baseball, you will still enjoy Milly and Carson’s story. Both characters you will easily love right off the bat and the supporting characters as well. I can honestly say I couldn’t find anything at all wrong about this book at all. It really brings out the love of baseball that both characters truly enjoy together and by themselves. I mean Milly is a girl you really want as a friend especially if you love baseball. She may be a bit tom boyish and tends to hang with the guys rather then girls but she has a heart of gold. She loves helping and improving the game. She sees someone with potential and helps them accomplish their goal. With 3 brothers, she has seen more then she probably wants to admit and knows all the stats, hits and misses with players. Sure her brother is a huge name in the major leagues but he still stays down to earth. He spoils her and offers an ear when she needs it. She may have had a crush on Carson but she sees someone who is struggling and offers to help. The friendship they form help make things a little easier when it comes to a relationship. So many cute and sweet moments in this book between the main characters and supporting ones as especially with the kids. I loved those scenes. What I love the most is that you get to see another side of Carson that most people don’t. I love how his friends, Milly and her brother were able to give him a family of his own and honor him with his baseball stats. My heart broke for Carson and felt so bad for Milly during this time cause she knew nothing and just thought he was being a jerk. His big grand gesture was sweet and totally worthy of Milly. Reading these books really get me excited for baseball season and the next baller that Meghan will write about.
Carson is coming back his senior year after a season ending injury his junior year. You bet he is bitter about that. And it is messing with his game which turns him into a jerkface. While waiting in line for a coveted panini sandwich his bad attitude is unleashed on Millie. Turns out Millie is the one person who can actually help Carson get his swing back and every time he runs into her his attitude digs him a deeper hole.
Millie and Carson are so freaking cute. I absolutely adored them together and so far this is my favorite of the Brentwood boys. Once Carson pulled his head out of his butt he was such a sweet and endearing and loving guy. I adored the way that he treasured Millie. I could feel how much he cared for her. And Millie, oh Millie. She was so adorably awkward. She had me in tears so many times . . . the cookie . . . oh man. I couldn’t take it. My husband thought I was crazy. But once she realized that Carson was real and wanted to be with her and not just as a coach it was perfection. I loved how perfect they were together. The only thing I didn’t like about this book is that it took them 3 years to get over their conflict. I hate this. It was 8 in the Locker Room and I hated that too. No more long term resolutions MQ, my heart can’t take it. Other than that this book was laugh out loud perfect.
I’m learning that Meghan Quinn has a knack for writing laugh out loud sports romantic comedies where the sport truly is integral to the plot. The Dugout is very entertaining and, although I don’t follow baseball, I imagine it must be a baseball fan’s wet dream.
There is nobody more passionate and knowledgeable about baseball than Milly, but she gets easily flustered whenever she’s around the college’s star baseball player. Her awkward run-ins with Carson are cringe-worthy and hilarious. I thoroughly enjoyed her coaching sessions with Carson as she helps him perfect his swing and coaxes him out of his slump. Carson is 100% endearing. He loves every facet of Milly, quirks included. The story takes some surprisingly emotional turns that provide nice depth to the characters.
I liked The Dugout a lot, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as The Locker Room. Carson and Milly spend so much time convincing themselves that the other person couldn’t possibly be romantically interested in them that even I doubted whether or not they were attracted to each other. When they finally get together, I was thrilled to see the chemistry is there, but then they immediately start talking about being together forever. It’s like going from zero to one hundred.
I loved the humor in this book and we do get to see more of Knox (my favorite!), so that’s an added bonus. All in all, this was a very satisfying read. I’m looking forward to reading Jason’s story.
Recommended for fans of:
Baseball
Nerdy heroines
Romantic comedy
Caramel M&Ms
With every Meghan Quinn book I read, I fall more and more in love. She has a way of perfecting the balance between emotional and funny to create the perfect story. I love sports romances and especially ones that start in college and span the time until an athlete succeeds and makes it big. In The Dugout, Quinn perfectly captures the struggle, the fun and the ultimate payoff while infusing it with sexiness, humor and emotion. Carson’s story is an emotional one and he is put through the wringer but in the end, he comes out on top and finds the true love he richly deserves.
Carson is the perfect hero. He’s humble, hard-working and a dedicated friend. His meet-cute with Millie is epic and I just loved how these two played off of one another. She’s smart, talented but shy and insecure. Carson brings out the best in her and watching her blossom was my favorite part. These two just “clicked”—they were perfect for one another in every way. But it’s not all sunshine and roses for these two. Some heavy stuff goes down and readers should prepare for the emotional rollercoaster towards the end of the book. I certainly shed a few tears and had a hard time getting rid of that lump in my throat! But Quinn does right by these two and they find their happily ever after eventually.
4.5/5.0 stars
How many baseball players does it take to take one pitcher out and doubt himself? ONE and that is because that person that took out Carson Stone is actually a klutz. Now that he is the dugout Carson is feeling like well not himself. He has no idea what is going on with him but he cannot pitch like he used to. Now this is where it gets tricky and boy does Meghan Quinn really test him. We have the baseball whisperer of champions, Ms. Milly Potter. I loved that Carson is well quite surprise by this little spitfire and boy does she up his game at every turn. Now readers don’t let Milly fool you for she fights tooth and nails to prove to Carson that she knows what she is talking about. These two may be all about baseball but boy they have so much in common that it surprises both of them in one strike. Meghan Quinn and her baseball players are definitely for every reader even those not into sports you will be converted *wink*. This is more than just baseball but we see men change with a good woman by their side and well men groveling to keep their love. Loved it and boy there is more coming up cannot wait.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
*First Time Reading Author
**KU read
For my first Meghan story, it was pretty good. Dugout is an unusual story since Carson is the one you want to hug and feel for. Milly is strong and goes to type. Milly breaths and sleeps baseball. She knows everything there is to know about it and Carson. When she gets the chance to work with him, both their lives are going to change forever.
I am so happy to have found Meghan. I am not a big reader of sports romance, but I would highly
I can always count on Meghan Quinn for an emotional yet fun ride! The woman knows how to get a laugh out of you, the quirky humor she fills her books with is one of a kind and can’t be found just anywhere! Laughing one minute and then she’ll hit you in the gut a few minutes later!
I haven’t read a single book of hers I didn’t love!
In The Dugout, Carson Stone is recovering from an injury and hasn’t gotten back into the groove as he should have. He takes a chance on a chick he meets who seems to know her baseball…including all about him! Milly Potter proved to be an amazing coach but he wants more! The two share this angsty dance; neither truly knowing or realizing how the other feels. Life throws a curve ball neither are expecting and has things changing drastically. Neither are prepare and suddenly they both have choices to make.
If you love angsty and emotional reads but a wild ride Meghan Quinn is your girl! Carson & Milly are EVERYTHING!
The Dugout is the second book in the Brentwood Baseball Series by Meghan Quinn.
This book was so dangerous for my heart. It had my heart beat beating so irregularly I was almost scared for my sanity. This book has me feeling all kinds of things. This was so, sooo good. It was amazing and fantastic.
“Milly’s interesting, different, and possibly dangerous to my heart. I can feel it deep down. She was brought into my life for a reason and not just to help my swing, but something so much more than that.”
This was such a perfect blend of sports romance and overall funniness. This was an emotional torture and maybe even psychological between these two was just too great together.
“I’m willing to admit it: I might be crushing on him. Just a little bit.”
Carson Stone is the hottest second basemen in college baseball currently. He was on the fast tract to being the number one draft pick for the Major League Baseball, but during his junior year, he injured his Achilles tendon that put his dreams of being drafted on hold. Carson is defeated and he can’t seem to figure out what was wrong with his swing and why he was missing the baseballs coming his way.
“I’m going to find my inner Knox and woo a girl. If he can do it, so can I.”
Milly Potter’s life literally involves around baseball due to her upbringing and her father and three older brothers playing baseball; one being in the Major League Baseball. She coaches a little league baseball team in her spare time because of her love of the sport. She has an eye for baseball and she studies Brentwood University’s baseball teams performance.
“Milly doesn’t like sweet pickles.”
“Boys, listen up. We have a new pickle opinion, and looks like there’s trouble in paradise because it doesn’t match the betrothed.”
“Jesus, f*ck,” Carson says, dragging his hand down his face.
Milly figures out exactly what Carson’s problem is and she is determined to show him even though is she unsure about showing up. Carson is impressed when Milly helps him improve his swing. Carson adores Milly but can’t figure out if she does the same for him. So they are stuck in the never-ending cycle of friend zone.
“It’s said the eyes are the gateway to a person’s soul, and I can fully believe that when it comes to Carson Stone.”
This was so flawless and I loved it so much. Meghan Quinn conquered this book and it showed. This was a perfect blend of romance and banter that was to die for. It was sweet and steamy together This was honestly one of her best.
“This is the man I want to go through life with, riding the ups and downs but never giving up on each other.”