“Quint and Annie sitting in a tree… K.I.S.S.I.N.G.”
Quint Lawson and Annie Weber heard that childhood song over and over and it never bothered them. Even though Quint was only five, Annie wasn’t just his neighbor. She would become his best friend and the love of his life. Annie wasn’t interested in dolls, or girly things when growing up. A tomboy at heart, having a boy as a best friend suited … friend suited her just fine. That same boy captured her heart.
Quint had two passions, his girl and baseball. From kindergarten to college, Quint tore up every baseball diamond he played on. His position was shortstop. His talent was undeniable. Professional ball was most definitely in his future, and he was ready for it. Annie would be right by his side.
When everything in life is perfect, it’s hard to imagine heartbreak in any form. Quint wasn’t immune to its power. This shortstop had no idea what any form of heartbreak could do to his perfect world. When it hit, there were many casualties left in its wake… the most important one was Annie.
Can a person be prepared for, understand, or even endure a misfortune if they’ve never experienced one before? In Quint Lawson’s case the answer is no.
The Shortstop is a contemporary romance stand alone novel meant for readers who are 18+ due to mature content.
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I absolutely loved The Shortstop! What do you get when you put a hot, sexy athlete together with a smart, beautiful and loving woman? The answer: The Shortstop.
Quint and Annie were childhood sweethearts. They’ve been in each other’s lives forever. Quint, a talented baseball player is about to have his dreams come true and Annie is right where she always is, where she’s meant to be….by his side.
Annie wouldn’t want to be anywhere else or more importantly, with anyone else. Q is her life. It isn’t easy being the girlfriend of a professional baseball player, which Annie comes to find out.
AM Madden hit this one out of the park! <---pun intended. This love story makes you think about dreams. Not the type when you're sleeping, but those you've had since you were little. If your dream were to come true and then could suddenly vanish, what would you do? Sometimes, when you're an outsider looking in, things seem easier than they actually are. Life throws Quint a curveball and he needs to decide whether he's going to catch it and make the right play or let the ball drop.
It’s still baseball season and I needed a book that was set in baseball, hence The Shortstop. Plus, AM Madden is an author that I pretty much know I’ll enjoy. She definitely delivers with The Shortstop.
Annie and Quint, or Q, have been best friends since the age of five when Annie commandeered Q’s Tonka trucks. Their friendship grew into love. They are each other’s first everything. It’s a sweet story of a once in a lifetime love that will stand the test of time and anything else thrown at it. Until it isn’t. Even the most solid of relationships face the ultimate test. For Q and Annie, it’s when Q suffers a life-altering injury. They are doing what they feel is the best for the other person. They don’t realize it’s not their decision to make.
The Shortstop is a roller coaster ride of emotions. The characters are engaging and endearing. The story is entertaining, emotional, and fast-paced. I started this one about 10PM, read until 1AM, went sleep than to work, and finished it by 10PM the following night. It’s not that you can’t put it down, it’s more that you won’t want to.
The pressure and the dedication to achieve greatness at the elite level in sport is all consuming, to the point where a lot of athletes define themselves by their sport and their achievements.
What happens when this is suddenly and painfully ripped away? When their identity is altered before they really have the opportunity to reap the benefits of all that hard work and sacrifice?
The Shortstop is that story.
A.M. Madden has done a good job of capturing that ride to the top and the trauma of it’s loss, whilst pairing it with a love story of childhood sweethearts who take the ride together but are truly tested when the unthinkable happens.
It’s also a somewhat of a story about men and their innate feelings of strength, invincibility and that sense of being the provider, so that when that image is changed and their strength challenged, it can impact on all that surround them.
I did feel it was a little slow moving, like I was waiting for the incident to occur as this couple were at times just too sweet. But the alternate option of alternating between the past and the present may have taken away from the impact on them.
At times I didn’t like the male lead. For an elite athlete Quint seemed to lack the maturity that usually goes hand in hand for those who compete at that level, and I can’t see there not having been earlier intervention psychologically for him as a contracted sportsman.
But in all this is an enjoyable read and if you like your sport this look at what happens when the best are truly tested will be right up your alley!
3.5 stars