“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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“I’d always known that I missed her, but I never realized just how much until I saw her. It was like a sledgehammer to the chest.”
Cole Anders thinks he can’t have baseball and the girl. Christina Travers is the girl who could be everything to him but there’s a yo-yo history between them. It’s his final year of college and he’s desperate to be drafted but he has lost his batting mojo. A light-bulb moment has him realising that he’s going about things all wrong and he’s determined to win Christina back. However, it won’t be as easy he thinks.
“His lips apologized, his kiss spilling all of his feelings and emotions into me, and I took them without hesitation.”
Christina’s heart was well and truly broken by Cole when he cut things off permanently with her. She shut him completely out of her life but that didn’t mean that he still didn’t own a piece of her heart. When he tells her that he wants her in his life properly, can she fully trust him again?
I must say that I struggled somewhat with this book. I found it a little bit slow going. When Cole decides to be the perfect boyfriend, he was pretty swoony but it was a complete 180 turn from where he was. It was like he’d been holding himself back so much before but, once he let himself go, it was like opening the floodgates and I felt he was almost overwhelming in his devotion. Christina was so weak where he was concerned. She’d let herself be played for three years and then gave him another chance so quickly after such a harsh breakup between them. Later in the book, something happens and I wasn’t too sure that I liked Cole’s reaction and how he dealt with it.
On the whole, I felt that the story was missing a certain zing and an element of excitement for the couple. I found it hard to empathise with them. Sorry, but this book wasn’t really for me.
The Boys of Baseball is a new series, a college sport romance and a new to me author. It’s emotional, with the right amount of angst and drama to keep you turning pages.
Cole and Christina had a story, a casual relationship. They became from being lovers to enemies. Christina wanted nothing to do with him, trying to get him out of her heart. She was determined but the feelings are there and the temptation arising when Cole does everything in his power to get her back.
Cole wanted to focus in the baseball career. Christina was a distraction that threatened his goal as a baseball player. Thinking that he couldn’t strike a balance between their relationship and the sport, he decided to break up with her. But when he realized that he could lose her permanently, he went after her with everything he had.
I enjoyed this romance. I connected more with Christina than Cole. His attitude was more like teenage than adult. I liked the storyline, the bit of humor, and Cole’s sweetness. I hope there are no loose ends in the next book.
A sweet college romance with a little more!!! Ashley @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Cole and Christina meet a freshman and have been the best of friends and never an official couple. Cole is a star baseball player and wants to make it big so he swears off women and tells his best friend he can’t see her…..fast forward 7 months and when he sees her things start to change!!! Will Christina give Cole a real chance? Will these two decide that they can be together? This story is a good with all the feels and everything you would think these two college loves will be!
4.5 Stars
I am really missing baseball right now, so The Ninth Inning was just what I needed. I am a huge fan of sports romances and this was perfect.
Cole lives for baseball and is not going to let anything distract him. It is his senior year and last chance to get noticed and make his dream come true, to play professional baseball.
Chrisitna and Cole seem to be drawn to each other. They have been on and off for a while and Cole decided to let her go and focus on baseball. He can’t stop thinking about her, but he thinks he can’t have the girl and baseball. When they see each other for the first time in a while the attraction and chemistry is still there. These two are drawn towards each other. Will Cole be able to go after his dream and get the girl of his dreams?
I couldn’t get enough of Cole and Chrisitna, they are perfect for each other. I love the fact we got to see Jack Carter! I sure have missed him and can’t wait for his son’s book.
Wow is how I will start this! Cole is in his senior year thinking he needs no distractions but that is hard when he keeps thinking of the one who he let go. Finally realizing he needs Christina he hopes he isn’t too late.
Christina is sure she is finally over Cole. Who was she kidding. Now these two need to figure it out!
So can’t wait for the next book!!
College athletes seem to get a bad rep when it comes to their extracurricular activities with the opposite sex, and while some, most definitely, fit the stereotypical manwhore persona, Cole Anders, the leading man in J. Sterling’s newest release, The Ninth Inning, is nothing like others view him to be, and I love that Sterling went that route with her new hero and works to prove that idea as Cole focuses, not only, on making it pro, but also finding a way to win the girl who’s always been his number one.
Sterling does a great job in illustrating just how laser focused Cole is when it comes to his last baseball season at Fullton State while also contemplating what he can do to prove to Christina Travers that she can trust him to not break her heart a second time. But therein lies the problem, because in Cole’s mind, he can only have one or the other, but not both…or at least that’s what he thought until his hand was forced to take action on both accounts, finding a way to give 100% to both things he desperately wants.
Cole may own Christina’s heart, but she’s so over being second best, and with that frame of mind, readers see just how unwilling she is to get her heart broken again by the one guy she’s only ever wanted to fully be hers. What I find most intriguing about Christina is the backbone she’s created since freshman year and what she needs Cole to do to help her believe that what he says is true.
Sterling infuses her stories with a significant amount of angst, but what I love about how she writes it into her books is that it’s used to make her characters question their choices…to consider who will be affected by what they plan to do. She doesn’t fabricate the drama but portrays things realistically: the push and pull between her hero and heroine and the miscommunications that take place that further complicates things between them.
J. Sterling’s The Perfect Game series is one of the first sport romance collections that I read, so, in some ways, she was a major influence in my love for all books in this category and I’m so glad she brought her baseball boys back for her readers.
4 Poison Apples
Take me out to the ballgame
Take me out with the crowd
Buy me a baseball book by J Sterling
Because then I know it is SPRING….
J. Sterling is back with boys and baseball and the perfect time to read it! It’s supposed to be baseball season, so get cozy and dig in to the new series that will surely delight many baseball fans (and for fans of Jack F’n Carter).
We are back in college with characters that seemed like they knew what they wanted but had no idea how to get there. College is a time of self discovery, so this all made sense. We had the fun baseball team of Cole and his crew and even a rival on the same team to make the story a bit more entertaining. Then we had Christina and Lauren (I LOVED Lauren….can we get more from her??). Friendships, parties, drinking, baseball and discovering what these young adults want out of life and trying to figure out their places in the world. Can we say college in a nutshell?
Unfortunately, the plot and main characters all had a lot of potential, but the story fell flat for me. Could it be the timing in the world? Perhaps. But for me, it felt like much of the story was a bit juvenile. The actions and even the way Cole and Christina spoke to each other seemed a bit more high school. Throughout the story I felt as if I was being told what was happening as opposed to being shown. It just didn’t have that oomph. I wanted more WOW chemistry between Cole and Christina but I never felt it.
Overall, the story definitely had potential, but didn’t excite me in the way I expected. The supporting characters stood out more to me and I honestly can’t wait for their stories. I’ll definitely be back for more of The Boys of Baseball series. I hope Chance and Mac reel me back in, because I was already connecting with them. And bring back Lauren!! She is fun and her energetic personality shined! I need more of that.
**** 4.5 stars ****
I am still trying to comprehend the fact that it has been eight years since I met Jack F’n Carter while reading J. Sterling’s The Perfect Game. I remember how it felt to be wrapped up in his world of baseball and Cassie. I could not put that book down. For a person who has little to no intrest in the sport of baseball, like me, that is significant.
The thing about J. Sterling and her writing gift is that she makes the sport of baseball such an integral part of a story that it is impossible to be disinterested or disconnected to the passion it brings to her romance novels.
This story is about Cole Anders, a college baseball player who has lived and breathed the sport for as long as he has known it existed. It is one that enthralled me from the opening lines. I felt his desperation and his struggle to stay committed to his dream of becoming a professional athlete to the exclusion of all else, including the desire of his heart. I respected his dedication but not the way he went about it. I was eager to see how he resolved the conflict between the two things he was equally passionate about – baseball and love.
This story is also about Christina Travers, a driven, independent young woman who is focused on making a career for herself in the field of Social Media Management. She is instantly admirable and loveable. It is easy to see why Cole cannot leave her alone.
J. Sterling does what she is the master of by laying out their angst-filled love story for the Campus of Fullerton State University and us to witness. I laughed, hurt, and swooned for these two as they found their way to each other.
I loved seeing this new era of young people navigating Jack and Cassie Carter’s alma mata. Watching his interaction with the players he now coaches is an exhilarating experience. These young people face new obstacles but very similiar battles to those of earlier times.
The only regret I have about this books is that I read it so quickly. I could not stop reading once I started. It is a story that moves fast but is chock full of action and suspense. I literally did not want to put it down becuase I needed to see Cole and Christina get their happy ending. Then, I was sad because the book was finished and I am now left waiting to see what happens next at Fullerton State in the lives of Cole’s teammates.
This was a great start to this new series from J Sterling. It was well written and was sweet and fun. She brought us this page turner filled with angst and drama mixed with humour and love.
Cole is a sexy baseball player in his final year at Fullton State and is concentrating on graduating and being drafted. He is completely focused on baseball and doesn’t have time for relationships that he ends up losing the girl that was made for him, Christina.
The chemistry between Cole and Christina is off the charts hot It was lovely watching their feelings develop and grow, the speed bumps these two go over strengthens their bonds even if they don’t see it at the time.
I am looking forward to seeing what J Sterling brings us next with this series
NEW to me author & books. I have heard of this author & even promoted a lot about the books but haven’t had a chance to actually read & review one. Glad I got the chance on this one, I absolutely love Sports-Romance!
I will just come out and say it that, it was not my style of tone. The characters were in the early college days and the immaturity level that comes with that, is just not my style of tone to read. I can relate to the characters as well as at certain points enjoyed them, but I couldn’t fully get into it. That comes with not liking a certain style/tone, so for me not my style for someone else, could be their best read. This is a cute love story of a cat-and-mouse chase between the hero and heroine, friends always and even when the hero decided he want’s to be with the heroine, she doesn’t believe him…and he doesn’t really give her a strong argument TO believe it. Hero is handsome, young and a rising-star, someone a little indecisive and even though he chose baseball over the heroine, he can’t help but rethink his choice. After a little time, when they are back around one another, the story is reversed…and the hero will do anything to have her, to right his wrongs with her.
Rating: 4.5
Romance:
Steamy:
Type: Book #1 of Series
Recommended:
⇨ H A P P Y – R E A D I N G ⇦
4.5 Stars
Sports romances are some of my favorite genres, and The Ninth Inning was definitely a grand slam, and yeah I went there *wink* It gave me all the things I crave in a sports romance, and especially one of my fave sports, baseball. Cole and Christina’s story hooked me right from the start, I was consumed and I couldn’t read fast enough.
Cole without question stole my heart. He has one goal in life, and that’s to play baseball professionally. He’s convinced that girls are a distraction and that’s why he’s kept them at a distance and doesn’t get involved in relationships. He wasn’t a stereotypical player and what people made him out to be. There were layers to Cole, and once they were peeled back what was underneath was a loving and wonderful guy.
Christina was amazing. I admired her and her strong will. She’s been friends with Cole since freshmen year and sometimes a constant hookup, but never a girlfriend since he doesn’t do relationships. She’s trying her hardest and determined to learn from her mistakes and not allow to be hurt again. But it’s becoming hard to adhere to that since Cole, the one person who caused her pain wants her forgiveness and a second chance.
The chemistry between Cole and Christina is evident. You feel their attraction and it’s electrifying and inevitable. The progression of their feelings for one another was heartwarming and gave me all the feels. There are some bumps along the way, and they have to work to get that deserved happy ending in the end.
The Ninth Inning was a great start to this new series by J. Sterling. It’s full of sexual tension and brimming with passion. I loved Cole and Christina and very much enjoyed the secondary characters. I can’t wait for more of this series, and more of The Boys of Baseball.
Let me just start of by saying this book had potential. I really liked the blurb. This book could hav been amazing.
Here is why this book didn’t do it for me. STORY SPOILER AHEAD
Background story
Cole and Christiana had been seeing each other since freshmen year college, until the summer before senior year Cole breaks things off with Christina because apparently she never meant anything to him. Also let me clarify that they were NOT dating, just hooking up and having “deep conversations” with one another. Christina wanted things to become serious but Cole always pushed her away, because he just wanted to concentrate on Basketball. He basically didn’t want any distractions.
Anyway 7 months after their “break up” they meet again at the party and Cole realizes that he can’t let her go and decides to win her back. But now Christina is playing hard to get because she deserves more.
”If there were awards given out for resisting the one guy who held your heart in his hands, I would take home the gold.”
“I needed to stop giving my body to a guy who refused to give me anything more than his. And I definitely needed to stop giving my heart to a guy who didn’t deserve it.”
And then Cole is like please forgive me, I made a mistake and Christina is like no you told me you didn’t want me and Cole kisses her and everything is forgiven.
”Part of me knew I should make him beg harder or grovel more, but nothing erased the fact that we deserved a chance at being together. It was the one thing I’d always wanted ever since I first met him during our freshman year. And I refused to throw away the opportunity because of my pride”
Christina I thought you were going to get the gold award for resisting? What happened to that?
Lmao anyway this time they are OFFICIALLY together and have cringy dates. Also let’s not forget about the whole female population in the university who are brainless bimbo’s who can clearly see Cole and Christina are dating but they can’t get it into their thick heads and flirt with the guy in front of his girlfriend because apparently she is irrelevant.
This is where I had enough and was so happy the book is
almost over.
But NOO we have another drama. Christina gets drunk and blacks out and apparently she sleeps with Cole’s nemesis. Christina being the honest girlfriend tells Cole and Cole begs her to tell him it’s a lie. That poor girl blacked out and doesn’t remember anything so how can she tell you that it’s a lie? what part of she doesn’t remember did he not understand.
Anyway what does our smart Cole do? He dumps her.
And if you are wondering if she did sleep with the nemesis? OF COURSE NOT. What a shocker. When Christina tells this to Cole, he is still upset because during their breakup she didn’t contact him even once. So his ego got hurt but then he realizes what a dickhead he is and goes back to her.
The end.
This story drew me and and kept me hooked until the very end! Cole and Christina had such powerful chemistry and even though Cole tried to deny how right they were for each other there was no denying the way they connected.
This book was full of drama and some moments that had me wanting to grab a hold of Cole and shake some sense into him. I was on the edge of my seat wondering how things were going to work out for them. A must read book for sure!
By Alisa
The Ninth Inning was my first book by J. Sterling. It’s a second chance romance that takes place in college.
The two main characters are Cole and Christina. Cole is the hot jock that likes to have fun with no strings attached. Christina and Cole had something going for a longer time and he was kinda stringing her along. Always doing and saying the right things, but never really ready to commit. He only did know commitment in the firm of baseball. Aspiring to be a pro player.
I really felt for Christina in this book. Because if we’re all honest we all had or have a Cole in our lives that we let us treat badly in hope for a change.
The author decided to give us a Christina that is finally done with Cole’s not committing ass and stands up for herself. Damn I loved that side of her!! She was so fierce and really put him in his place!
At one point Cole had an epiphany and wanted Christina for himself only, as her boyfriend. When he changed like that and really tried to make her see this side of him he also found a way into my heart.
While the writing was really good, I like a little bit more twists and turns in a book. It was a really sweet story – probably a bit too sweet for my liking!
Either way, this won’t be my last J. Sterling book
This one was a good read. In this one I was expecting a story with the vibes and feelings of Perfect Game and it didn’t disappoint. Cole is a sexy baseball player at Fullton State. He’s fully focused on baseball so that mean he has no time for Christina. After a bit he decides he want Christina. He just thinks he has to chose between her and baseball. Cole is a good characters and he has layers. Christina is a good character. She made Cole work a little bit but I thought she could have made him work a little more. This one was a sweet and angsty read.
This is the first book in the series and I’m already hooked. It’s hard for me to pass up a baseball book especially now when I’m missing it like crazy. I really liked Cole. He has many swoon worthy moments though he needs a little sense knocked into him in the beginning. Cole and Christina are adorable together. I also enjoyed Christina and Lauren’s friendship. That was highlight for me in this book too. I liked getting backstage view of a player getting ready to enter the draft. It’s an interesting view of it. The antagonist in this one is a one you instantly don’t like and lives up to that reputation. This book had a good mix of heat, heart, and humor. I can’t wait for more from this series.
I absolutely loved this book! This book was unbelievably sweet Christina has been in love with Cole for years and it took him possible losing her for good to realize how he truly feels for her. He has to prove that what he feels is real and not just because she may be out of his life forever.
“His head shook like I couldn’t be more wrong. “Everything’s changed. I’ve been living my life for one thing for so long that I didn’t know any other way to live.””
Cole has to figure out if he can be in a relationship and still put everything he has into baseball. I loved reading this book and I can’t wait for the next one!
I have received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
Cole has one more season to prove that he is worth being drafted or he will have to hang up his cleats for good. Not wanting to do that, Cole decides that he needs to focus solely on baseball and go on a “girl strike” for the season. Too bad his mind has another plan when it comes to a certain girl who has been a constant in his world since freshman year and refused to give up on him until he pushed her far enough away. Christina had always cared about Cole and was tired of all of the games Cole was playing with her and keeping her in the dark for the past three years. So when he pushed her away, again, she was done for good. Cole finally realizes that Christina is the one that helps keep him centred both on and off the field but is it too late or will she forgive him?
I love a good sports romance and I especially love baseball so was excited to read my first baseball romance novel. This was a cat and mouse chase, college romance that I enjoyed at points but struggled with at others due to the immaturity of the characters. This was not my style of writing but for someone else, this could be their favourite read of the year. The Ninth Inning is an enemies to lovers, college baseball romance which is told from the first-person point of view and is the first novel in The Boys of Baseball series from J. Sterling.
*ARC was generously provided in exchange for my honest review*
“I could have baseball, and I would still be missing something if I didn’t have you by my side. I need you both in my life. But I need you more”
I really enjoyed this story like A LOT maybe more than I should’ve but I’m a mood reader and just before I started this book I was in the mood for an angsty, drama filled, new adult book and that’s exactly what I got.
Cole & Christina’s story was a second chance sports romance. They had been in an on again/off again relationship while in college until Cole decided he needed to focus more on Baseball and ended things for good. Now in their senior year of College Cole & Christina run into each other at a party and Cole is quick to realise he is not over her & wants her back except Christina is still upset about the way things ended and doesn’t want anything to do with him. Cole is also struggling with his Baseball and not playing as well as he used to as well as dealing with a highly competitive team mate who is vying for his position on the team.
This story had a bit of everything in it. It was sweet, funny, passionate, frustrating at times, emotional and packed with a lot of drama. As much as I enjoyed this story & loved Cole & Christina I also had a few issues I couldn’t ignore.
Even though both Main Characters are Seniors in College to me they read more like Seniors in High School. Both had moments where they felt immature and naive at times. The majority of the conflict and drama felt petty and some times over the top (but I secretly love pettty drama so this is why I loved this book )
There was one instance in particular where Christina is put in a vulnerable position and I do not like the way either of them dealt with the aftermath. (An incident where the heroine had no memories of the night before and may or may not have been taken advantage of) I felt bad for Christina but also felt she needed to take a more serious approach into finding out what really happened and making sure she was ok after the fact. Cole frustrated me so much during this part as I hated his reaction. I understand he was upset and hurt but by not being there for Christina and helping her figure it out broke my heart. He was also borderline victim blaming when he thought he wouldn’t be able to get over the situation. I did feel bad for him and the pain he was going through with the unresolved issues from his childhood but I lost a little bit of respect for him in the way he treated Christina.
With that being said I actually did love this story and it was everything I was craving and more but I just couldn’t ignore the faults. Their love was messy but in a good way and the ending was perfect. I can’t wait for book 2 in this series as I just know Chance’s story is going to be a good one.
The Ninth Inning by J. Sterling
Since her very first book, I have been a huge fan of J. Sterling. There is something about the way she writes and the feelings she elicits that keeps me coming back for more. She has written several different things but her books about baseball are my absolute favorite.
The Ninth Inning gave me The Perfect Game vibes. Probably because Jack f’ing Carter was a minor character or because Cole was just as cocky. BTW if you haven’t read about Jack f’ing Carter, you need to. Cole Anders is all about baseball, being drafted and working on improving his game. He’s found his “one” he just hasn’t realized it yet and he spent the better part of 3 years pushing her away. Christina Travers is the one Cole pushed away. He made her feel less than she deserved, and by the time he realized his mistake, she was done with him despite her feelings. I liked Christina, she put up with a lot from other girls and she never let it make her crazy.
I loved this story! There was the perfect mix of baseball, romance, angst. Seeing Jack f’ing Carter was a huge bonus, but I cannot wait to know more about Chance and Mac.