Derek The sound of the gavel crashing down, Has my life flashing before my eyes. Learning to play ball. Falling in love, Marrying an incredible woman and starting a familyBecoming a starting pitcher for the Indianapolis Lightning. Everything I ever wanted… Until I struck out. The same success that gave me the life I dreamed of, Took it all away. I’d do anything for a second chance, Even throw … away.
I’d do anything for a second chance,
Even throw the perfect pitch.
Jillian
A signature on a piece of paper…
It binds you to someone, or it can tear them away.
It broke my heart to file the papers.
Gutted me to sign them.
But this isn’t the life I envisioned.
Tired of competing to be his number one priority,
I had to walk away from the man I loved.
I needed to be strong for our girls, for me.
Life goes on.
People can change.
Now he wants a second chance.
But can I forgive the man who threw it all away, and trust that he won’t do it again?
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“I love you. I know I didn’t show it enough these last few years, but I never stopped loving you.”
“Derek.”
“It’s true. I’ll prove it to you, and that’s a promise.”
Can people really change? Can trust be restored once broken? Can love remain even after a bond is broken? In the case of Derek and Jillian, the answer to all of these is a resounding YES!! This was a story of consequences, of heartbreak and pain, and of second chances. My heart broke for Derek and Jillian, and their daughters, but all the while I just knew it would all work out!
Derek had obviously messed up and Jillian had reached her breaking point. Divorce. But, as soon as that gavel dropped in the courtroom, Derek started his mission to win Jillian back and put his family back together. Sometimes a man has to reach rock bottom before he realizes what he’s lost.
Jillian loves Derek but despite her begging, he couldn’t be the husband and father she needed him to be. She had no choice. Now, he’s finally stepping up, but is it too late?
While I enjoyed the story, I would have liked to have had a bit more background on the couple to show us what lead them down the path of divorce. We really don’t get to see that part of the relationship and I think it would have helped feel more connected to the characters. In addition, Jillian was really quick to let Derek back in to her life as more than just the father of their children. If things were as bad as the story insinuated, I would think she’d have had more reservations and trust issues and would have kept Derek at arm’s length for a good long while.
That being said, this is a truly heartbreaking and heart-warming story. All couples should have a love as strong as Derek’s and Jillian’s. I think you’ll enjoy it!
“The Perfect Pitch” may start out on a sad note with the divorce of Derek and Jillian, but what is more important is the journey they took to get back together. Derek was devastated when the divorce was finalized, and he knew the minute the judge banged the gavel that he would move heaven and earth to win back Jillian’s heart. He felt like a failure because he let his family down with his immature behavior, and he needed to show her that he was the man she fell in love with in college. Derek hoped by admitting to Jillian that he was wrong, that she would forgive him and give him a second chance.
Family was very important to Jillian and she felt that Derek’s behavior was uncalled for and she didn’t want it affecting her daughters in a negative way. She realized that he needed tough love and the only way to start over, would be to have complete honesty in their relationship, so she could begin to trust him and put the past behind them.
I felt hopeful as I saw how hard Derek worked to show Jillian that he was serious about reuniting their family. Communication, trust and honesty are the basis of a lasting relationship. Derek and Jillian never stopped loving each other and their path to becoming a family again was uplifting, magical and one that everyone can learn from.
The Perfect Pitch is a second chance romance about Derek and Jillian once again finding their way back to one another. Jillian and Derek were broken, but their love proved to be stronger. These two were able to find their way back to one another and get a happy ending. This was an enjoyable read and a sweet story.
*Spoilers* This is the first book in the Indianapolis Lightning Series and let me tell you Samantha hit is out of the park with this second chance romance novel. We get a brief introduction to Derek in the Indianapolis Eagles hockey series books and I was excited to see him get his own book. Derek has the perfect family, life and career but that all comes crashing down in a blank of an eye when his partying ways catch up with him and his wife Jillian files for divorce. Jillian is tried of playing second fiddle to Derek’s baseball career and not being a priority in his life and she does what is best for her and there 2 daughters even if it means breaking his heart and hers in the process. Derek is wiling to do whatever it takes to get his family back and he is willing to prove that to Jillian and his 2 daughters. Derek starts to make small changes in his life and proving to Jillian that he can be the man that he was when the first got married. The chemistry between these two is off the charts and they can’t keep there hands off of each other. Will Jillian give Derek a second chance and will he be the man that she needs him to be?
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving my review.