“This is sports romance at its best! I was hooked from the first page! Cole & Christina’s romance is my new favorite.” – Claire Contreras, NYT Bestselling Author
“The Ninth Inning is a home run! The first book in the Boys of Baseball is classic Sterling- hot baseball players, college antics, lots of angst and a crazy-against-all-odds love!” – Jillian Dodd, USA Today Bestselling Author
… Bestselling Author
Cole Anders is in his last season at Fullton State. If he doesn’t get drafted this year, he’ll be forced to hang up his cleats for good. It’s not something he’s ready to do.
To prove he’s serious about his final season, he’s given up girls. No more casual hookups, dates or one-night stands. But there’s one girl who has always refused to give up on him. One girl who has been there since the start of Freshman year. One girl he stupidly assumed would always be waiting for him when he got off the field, no matter how long it took.
Christina’s had enough of Cole pushing her aside for baseball. She’s grown tired of waiting for him to see what she’s known since they were freshmen… that they are good together. She’s finally moved on- for good this time.
Cole has other ideas, but she refuses to cave. It’s not her problem if he wants her now. Too little too late.
There comes a point in your life when you have to stop the incessant merry-go-round and just get off the ride, right? Try telling that to Cole.
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This one felt like coming home! Sighs! Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Cole & Christina have been on and off for a few years.. never really official. They have a friendship that has gone to having sex a few times. So when Cole tells Christina that he wants her out of his life and swears off women. She is thrown for a loop. They do not see each other for 7 months, while at the same college.
When Christina shows up at a party and Cole sees her for the first time in many months. He is hit with so many feelings. It takes him a while to figure everything out. When he does you see a man that is whole & a relationship so beautiful it makes your heart melt and you feel lighter.
You also get a little of Jack Carter & his college aged son.
5 Home Run Stars!
Overall Rating:
Disclaimer: Prior to reading The Ninth Inning, I had not read J. Sterling’s The Perfect Game series. I wasn’t familiar with Jack’s story, but I knew there had to be some backstory to the characters of J. Sterling’s newest series, The Boys of Baseball. And I was right. However, with that being said, you do NOT need to read that series to invest yourself in Sterling’s newest series.
You have to know before we start that I LOVE a good sports romance. Growing up in a sports home (my brother played baseball) and marrying a sports nut has ingratiated me into this world. I grew up in the baseball world, so sports romance set in the world of baseball generally piques my interest immediately. Add to that my love for college baseball. I’m a college professor, and college baseball is THE sport on my campus. I’ve taught several of its athletes in my classes, and they are oftentimes some of my favorite students, partly for their personalities and partly for their sport.
What J. Sterling’s The Ninth Inning does well is capture this world beautifully. If you attend a school without football, and your baseball team is one of the best in the nation, your baseball players become celebrities. Add to that the dream of most college baseball players at a Division 1 school: to make it to the “big leagues.” Believe it or not, only a small percentage of these players actually make it. Even then, the chances of making it to the top are even more difficult. Therefore, college baseball players walk this fine line of instant celebrity for the school’s marquee sport balanced with the academic rigor of college against the want to play well enough to make your dreams come true. Sterling shows us the gravity of this celebrity in her hero, Cole Anders. Sterling’s ability to create a character as complete as Cole to illustrate the complexity of the college baseball world is the gift of her book. To be honest, for the first third or so of the story, you won’t really like Cole. He’s indecisive and almost cruel in his treatment of the heroine, Christina. He believes he cannot commit to her due to this sports dream, but he also doesn’t want Christina with anyone else. This causes him to be equal parts possessive and aloof. In moving between these two responses to her, he creates confusion for Christina that borders on cruelty. As such, I struggled with him initially. Thankfully, Sterling develops Cole’s psychology for her readers, so, at some point, you feel empathic for him. Yet, it takes some time to accept him as heroic.
To balance a disdain for the hero, Sterling crafts a heroine who you commiserate with. Honestly, Christina has impressive emotional maturity when it comes to Cole. There were several times when she vacillates over her boundary-setting, and I found myself yelling at her to hold firm. I am not a game player, and I don’t advocate for it in romances. It reads as beneath the author to do so. However, Christina shows her inner strength in her willingness to protect herself and set firm boundaries around her relationship with Cole. Even though he continually breaks her heart, she determines that she is more important than anything with him. Sterling illustrates emotional health through the construction of her heroine, Christina. There is only one area where we see Christina’s judgment falter, and that occurs with her perception of Logan, the villain of The Ninth Inning. Thankfully, Sterling doesn’t draw out Christina’s misjudgment of Logan’s character, but it’s enough that it creates plenty of tension for her story, something necessary for all romances. Since Cole makes it difficult for the readers to like him at first, Sterling gifts us a heroine who stands in her strength and embraces the challenge of protecting her heart.
J. Sterling’s The Ninth Inning is a sports romance that reminds us of the challenges of college baseball. It’s an admonishment to follow our hearts. Cole believes that Christina will endanger his goal of making it to the big leagues. Therefore, he only follows his dream, casting aside his love. In doing so, he potentially misses living an abundant life. This is J. Sterling suggesting that life involves gradations of purpose: the purpose to grow, the purpose to love, and the purpose to live your dreams. They don’t have to be mutually-exclusive because The Ninth Inning illustrates that we can have it all if we simply believe in it. If you are a fan of sports romances like me, then you should DEFINITELY read J. Sterling’s brand of sports romance.
5 GRAND SLAM STARS!! Holy moly….J. Sterling hit this one out of the park. I love baseball and Cole is a hot player with everything going for him. Christina is a pistol, I love how she held her own with Cole. These two are fun to watch through this story and they will become part of your family. If you love sports romance, you definitely need this book in your life.
This book is the perfect distraction from baseball season being postponed! It will make you feel like all is right in the world and the boys are still coming out to play! It’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster at times but overall its a super sweet and cute spring read to brighten your day!
Cole is hot and swoon-worthy but he is also super stubborn and hard-headed. It takes him a bit to realize what is right in front of him, but when he does he is all in! But Christina has sworn him off after their previous relationship and is ready to move on and forget about him. But even she isn’t sure she’s moved on. Can Cole convince her he’s ready for a relationship?
I truly enjoyed this read, but I finished it wanting so much more! I wish we would’ve seen more into Cole and Christina’s past together. There were so many emotions along their journey to getting back together and I would’ve loved seeing more into those emotions they had in the beginning. But with all that said, I still really enjoyed this book and am excited to read future books in this series!
Characters from The Perfect Game Series are also featured in this series and I think it might be helpful to read the previous books written in this world to understand more about the setting and couples featured in this book. I know I will absolutely be going back to see what’s up with all the people we met in this one and get more insight into the college history! This was my first read by J. Sterling and I’m ready to read more! You should definitely grab this one if you love baseball romances and are looking for something to take your mind off everything.
Like some baseball? Like some angst? This is your book. I really loved Christina and Cole’s story. I’m not going to lie….there is a lot of angst and wondering how this story is going to turn. My stomach was flip-flopping the entire time I was reading. There were times I wanted to yell at Christian. There were times I wanted to yell at Cole. I loved Lauren, Christina’s bestie. Her lack of baseball knowledge cracked me up. Speaking of baseball knowledge. J. Sterling is an author who knows her baseball. Sometimes when you read a sports-themed book the author has some lines that you wonder where they come from. But, this is not the case. And, we get a sneak peek at Chance. Oh, and of course readers of J. Sterling will get a cameo of Jack F***ing Carter. Dual point of view. No cliffhanger.
The Ninth Inning by J. Sterling had everything I love in a sports romance. A hot baseball player with issues. A sweet and adorable girl who will bring him to knees. And the tension and politics of game intertwined with the romance.
Cole and Christina has been friends with benefits and without benefits on and off for a long time in college life. Christina has true feelings for him. And Cole is denying and hiding all his emotions as he is afraid that a relationship will destroy his confidence and chance of being drafted at the end of senior year. So he pushed her away only to realise that she is essential for him. Will his grovelling work? What other troubles are waiting for them?
I loved Christina more than Cole. Honest truth. She compromised a lot and gave a lot of effort to the relationship. Even when Cole acted on anger and impulse for something she is no way responsible, she behaved in an understanding way and suffered from guilt. She forgave him way too many times. On the other hand, Cole was expressing his feeling and deepest emotions for her but often failed to see both side of stories. He is a great guy when he is accepting own faults and acknowledging how much he needs Christina. A great part of the story was the nitty gritty of a Baseball player’s life including performance anxiety, team politics, avoiding cleat chasers and balancing everything was brought to life brilliantly. This story also had moments of beautiful heartbreak and swoony romance. But I just felt something lacking in their connection as some really serious issues were dealt very casually.
You should definitely give The Ninth Inning by J. Sterling a chance if you love the adrenaline filled sexy feeling of a sports romance!
Received ARC for honest review
I love Sports Romances! I love them so much! There is something magical about strong athletic men. This is my first time venturing into one of Jenn Sterling’s worlds. The Ninth Inning takes us to the drama of Fulton State and cocky young baseball players. It includes everything I crave in a sports romance and it kept me up all night. I just couldn’t put it down; I was completely captivated by Cole and Christina’s story.
Cole character provides instant lust and affection for the reader. He’s a little bit of possessiveness and a whole lot of vulnerability. Cole is very driven. His goal in live is to play baseball professionally. He has complete tunnel vision on this. He is convinced that girls are a distraction and avoids them at all cost. This is his senior year, his last chance to be drafted into the majors and girls are not worth the risk. Cole is not your stereotypical ball player. There is so much more to him. And once you dig beneath his mask to what is underneath, you are totally in love. You find this wonderful and loving guy, who is totally swoon worthy.
Christina is such a headstrong heroine, who I connected with. She is very passionate about her work. Having been hurt before you guard her heart. But it is hard to protect your heart when the one person who caused her pain wants her forgiveness and a second chance.
The attraction between Cole and Christina is electric. You can just feel the electrifying chemistry whenever these two are together. Seeing the progression of their feelings for one another made the story for me. But you know it isn’t going to be easy for them to have their homerun.
J. Sterling has a fantastic writing style. She moves the pages and the story along very well. I loved the unexpected twists in this book and fabulous secondary characters who you instantly long for their stories. The Ninth Inning is a great sports romance at its best! It’s fast paced, full of sexual tension and passion. I am in love with Christina and Cole’s story and I can’t wait for more of The Boys of Baseball! This was a 4/5 read for me. I had a couple of issues with Cole. Since Baseball season has been delayed this is a great way to celebrate spring and opening day.
When I saw there’s a new baseball series coming by J Sterling I was excited as hell!!
And, of course, was not disappointed!!!
Cole thinks he needs to focus more on the ballgame and put every distraction to the side. Like Christina. His on and off hook up for the last years.
But after not having something – what he always had – he realizes it’s something he NEEDS.
But is Christina still waiting for him?!
Absolutely fantastic start into a new series. Loved how their story developed over the time. Great side characters / group of friends! Can’t wait to read more from this series
Baseball sport romance at the top best, I love Cole and Christina’s story was fantastic. This new series is now one I need to read it all, second chance romance kind of story, where you will fall in love with the characters, love the game and love the author. A home run with all bases covered, bravo!
J. Sterling, who brought us Jack Carter, is going back to baseball! In The Ninth Inning, the first book in her The Boys of Baseball series, we get Cole and Christina’s story. They have been that on again and off again couple, but she wants more. She knew there was always something there, but for Cole, baseball is his first priority. So, he lets her go. When they see each other again, he realizes the mistake he made, but is it too late?
Cole was determined and focused. He kept an eye on the prize and for him, that was always baseball. But what happens when he realizes letting her go was a mistake? Christina was strong and knows her own worth. The chemistry was there, but can she trust him again? Their journey was full of angst, drama and will keep you captivated. I am definitely excited to see more of this series.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!