Can you pinpoint a time in your life where you realized you are completely and utterly screwed?
I can. I got the dreaded phone call, the one every baseball player hopes and prays never comes.
I was traded. Yeah, that phone call.
Traded from my long time team of over ten years. And not just to any team, but my childhood rivals; the Chicago Rebels.
Completely and utterly screwed, right? Wrong. … utterly screwed, right? Wrong. The trade was the least of my concerns.
I met a girl. Natalie. Man, she’s perfect.
I swore I would never get involved with anyone during the season. Too complicated. But can you believe I have zero restraint when it comes to this girl? I couldn’t get her out of my head and the more I talked to her, the more I realized I needed her in my life.
So what’s the problem? Why am I screwed? Because, Natalie, the girl I can’t stop crushing on, yeah . . . she’s married.
At least, that’s what I was told . . .
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Great sports romance with typical Meghan Quinn witt and sass!
I just love the world that Ms. Quinn has created with this series!
This is the story of baseball legend Cory Potter and Natalie Myers.
This story hit all sorts of soft spots for me, in a good way! This story gave me all the feels!
Natalie is a gal after my own heart. She is going through a bad time in her life and dealing with the after-effects of a craptacular divorce. Her world is shaken and her self-esteem has taken a huge blow. So when Cory Potter comes into her world, she doesn’t trust her feelings or her intuition when it comes to him.
Cory, oh my me! This hero is incredible! I love his vulnerability, his humbleness and the way that he embraces his feelings. He takes his protective instincts to almost dangerous levels and even though he puts up an amazing front, the stresses of his famousness is staggering.
I said it before and I will say it again, I love this world. The secondary characters (each of them with a story of their own) are phenomenal and the interaction of all the characters is full of heart and laughs.
The chemistry and smexy tension between Cory and Natalie are some of the steamiest and swoonest scenes I have ever read!! Absolutely brilliant, you are definitely going to need a fan and a cool beverage to calm down when you are reading this fabulous story by Meghan Quinn!
4.5 STARS!
The Trade by Meghan Quinn was just so wonderful. Meghan writes the best romcoms and this book is no different. In fact, this series has consumed my heart and soul, and I’m so ready for Walker Rockwell’s book next!
Corey Potter is such an enigmatic hero that you cannot help but swoon over while reading. He’s facing a monumental moment in his career. He’s being traded midseason to the team that rivals his beloved Bobbies, The Rebels. Its been such a hardship for him to become apart of the new team and the fans and media do not make it easy. It’s the first time ever you see a great player slowly start to lose the love of the game and it starts to take a toll on his health and well-being.
Natalie Orson has just gone through a divorce that’s left her devastated. Her ex-husband, Ansel, was her everything having been together since they were in middle school but his affair truly breaks her. Meeting Cory and falling for him made Natalie realize how much she was missing out on. Plus, she’s exactly what Cory needs too. She becomes his constant rock and being Jason’s sister, Cory’s teammate, she is well aware of the ins and outs of baseball. Obviously, these two have their ups and downs and the angst is truly felt. Not going to lie, I shed some tears for their pain. There is also an age-gape element between them which made them even sexier together in my opinion. But I got to say the miscommunication that led to their downfall there for a moment was the main reason I lowered the rating to 4.5 from 5.
Overall, I love these characters. I loved the chemistry and the moments between Natalie and Cory. It was sexy and sweet and utterly special. Cory Potter is everything!! Another book husband among many!
Meghan Quinn’s writing just does it for me—it hits on all the things I want in the romances I pick up to read. Brimming with Quinn’s quirky sense of humor, her stories also pack a serious emotional punch. Billowing with steam and an addictive romance, her engrossing plots fit her characters perfectly. She writes the stuff I want to read, and I’m always looking forward to what’s next from her.
The Trade is the fourth book in her Brentwood Baseball series, and I’ll just say right now that baseball isn’t my first love when it comes to sports romances. But between the endearing characters in this series and their hard-fought love stories, these ball players have completely won me over. Cory Potter takes his turn at bat in The Trade, and I fell for this guy over cupcakes at a charity event.
Heading into the twilight years of a career that will earn him a place in the Hall of Fame, Cory is suddenly and unexpectedly traded—mid-season—from the team where he’s spent his entire career and the city where he’s built a life to a team in his hometown of Chicago. The problem is that the team they’re sending him to are the notorious bad boys of baseball, and nothing about this team, from their rough-around-the-edges players and coaches to their rowdy, raucous fans, is his style. To say it’s not going well is a vast understatement, and for the first time in his otherwise stellar career, he’s struggling on and off the field. That is until he meets the woman of his dreams, his teammate’s sister, Natalie.
My heart positively broke for Cory and all that he was dealing with. I get that it comes with the territory as a professional athlete, but I honestly cannot imagine having to go through what he did, and Meghan did a fantastic job painting this painful picture and laying out all the ways it affected Cory’s professional and personal lives and decision-making processes. Then he met Natalie, and I felt the spark he did and then his overwhelming disappointment when he learned that she was married. Turns out she wasn’t, she’s freshly divorced, something Cory learns when he’s stuck sharing a room with her on a post-season trip to the Caribbean with his sister, her husband and their baseball friends and wives.
The Trade was a sweet and tender love story full of emotion, humor and passion. I’ve been waiting for Cory’s story since we met him earlier in the season, and Meghan Quinn knocked it out of the park with this heart-tugging romance. I laughed, I swooned, I blushed and I bawled my way through this book, and I loved every single second of it. Five smooches from me for The Trade by Meghan Quinn!
~Danielle Palumbo, Red Cheeks Reads
Such an amazing listen. I love this group of friends so hard!
Cory was—for the most part—a decent guy. Considerate, kind, funny, charming, and caring.
I loved seeing more of Natalie. The similarities with Jason, her kindness, her vulnerability, her sense of humour. It was all fantastic.
Together, they were electric.
Completely awkward, seriously adorable, a whole lot of spark.
Considering the circumstances, it was a bit of a “slow burn to inferno” situation. I mean, the attraction was there from the beginning, they just needed to sort some stuff before they could get there.
I got really frustrated by all the media and fan issues— it seemed a bit over the top and my heart was breaking for Cory.
It was nice to get more face time with Knox, Emery, Carson, Milly, and Dottie But, the standing ovation, once again, goes to Jason Orson because… holy mother of god, that man is so extra sometimes – I just can’t handle it.
Super sexy sports romance with witty dialogue and characters you adore from page one. Cory Potter is charming and such the perfect book boyfriend. Lucky Natalie is the one he falls for, but not without a few stumbles along the way. Family, sports, sexual tension and top-shelf comedic writing make this a home run.
BUY or READ IN KU → mybook.to/THETRADE
Sports romance full of heart, humor, and tons of HEAT.
Sports? Check. Romance? Check. A couple you can’t wait to see get together? YES!
Cory Potter… What a genuine man, he is caring and hardworking. But he doesn’t feel that he should share any issues that weigh him down, which may be his only downfall.
Natalie is a woman whose been in a relationship since she was a teenager. Married her High School sweetheart and thought that would be it. And she was okay with that. Until that plan was non-existent, it’s a hard pill to swallow for her. But she has to get through it.
When these two meet, it’s entertaining, and you can tell that they have a connection from the start. I loved this story because it shows the reality of relationships. They may not always work out. But also you might get that happy ending. This isn’t a read where everything works out; there are bumps in the road. I loved Natalie’s friend Monica; she was hilarious, and Jason, as always, was fun.
Every book that Quinn writes I feel is just better and better. She’s grown as a writer and the way her stories make you feel. You feel it in your heart.
Overall, Five Boundless Stars
Prepare yourself as I fill your screen with every cheesy Baseball related metaphor I can.
He is the all-star off all my dreams!
Cory is beyond Dreamy. He is the quintessential nice guy. He has an amazing heart and when he cares he care deeply. He is also super respectful. I could go on and on with what a nice guy Cory is. But his nice guy persona could be to his detriment when it comes to love. He is too passive, too much of a nice guy. So many moments in this book I wanted to beam him with the ball or swing a bat at his head in hopes he would pay attention and stop being the nice guy.
I did have some trouble with Natalie’s character. And maybe this wouldn’t have been as much of a problem had I read Jason and Dottie’s story and had a few more glimpses of who Natalie is. Natalie’s self-doubt and lack off confidence felt like it came out of left field (see what I did there). I feel like we never got a whole picture of who she was before she connected with Cory. I felt like she took defeat and gave up kind of easily.
Overall, the story is good. I did feel the story was a little muddled in the middle. They danced around each other for a long while. I desperately WANTED them together making it a frustrating. Finally, they both came out swinging with all the hot stuff! The second half of the book is emotional, sexy, and totally worth it.
There is a competition for which was the better love story, Cory and Natalie or the bromance between Cory and Jason. I loved all the crazy side characters, but especially Jason and his ridiculous behavior. He is just so funny and quirky, every scene he is in he steals the show.
I read The Trade as a standalone, but rest easy my friends, because I will be going back and tagging all the bases and reading all the past books with these characters. For me this was a solid 3.75 almost a 4 out of 5 stars. I think the muddle in the middle and build up was a little more than I traditionally like. But it was great fun read and good enough I will go back and read the rest of Ms. Quinn’s catalogue of books.
Cory F*cking Potter…you rocked my world. What a sweet, strong, commanding type of man! I loved how he was the one who could take on any situation but this time it was a little more than he could handle. He had some lessons to learn…and so did Natalie. Natalie was also a sweet, lovely girl who was betrayed once before but looking for someone who appreciated all she had to offer. Such a perfect pair. But of course we have tons of angst. It wouldn’t be a Meghan Quinn romance without some issues to grow from. This book had be twisted up but hoping the next page would give my stud muffin some relief. So entertaining and swoonworthy and plain ol’ hot. Cory definitely was a role model for all baseball player book boyfriends. Yum.
„I didn’t know you were something I even wanted until you walked into my life with a smile that lit me up inside.”
I can honestly say that The Trade was nothing I expected and at the same time it was everything I wanted. I had longed for Cory’s story since he appeared in The Dugout and I hoped that Meghan Quinn would find a wonderful woman for him. And as always, Meghan didn’t disappoint! This story was captivating and heartwarming. It made me laugh and blush and cry. But that’s the beauty of epic love stories- they will give you all the feels, just like Cory and Natalie’s romance.
Cory immediately stole my heart. Even though he didn’t want any serious relantionships earlier, he knew exactly when the woman was worth the exception. This guy is caring, sweet, charming and totally swoon-worthy. He’s a really good guy and as a reader I wanted all the best for him. Even when he was a little bit lost.
Natalie is a great woman. She was hurt and betrayed, and though it affected her confidence, she didn’t become bitter. She’s funny, loveable and smart. I loved how Cory was building up her self-esteem and how she bloomed with him by her side.
These two have a sizzling chemistry. I adored their banter, their sweet moments and their intimacy. And although there was a bit of angst in their beautiful love story, it was so worth every tear I shed. Natalie and Cory’s road to happily ever after was really wonderful.
This book gave me everything I’m looking for in romance- it was emotional, steamy and funny (thank you, Jason!). I was laughing out loud, fanning myself and wiping away tears. Meghan Quinn created brilliant story that will stay with me for a long time!
Not gonna lie, Meghan Quinn had me from the very first line…. I can’t believe I had never heard of Quinn until The Trade. Helloooo Jessi? Where the hell have you been?
We have baseball, an alpha male, a slightly quirky heroine, comedy, romance and serious angst. Why did I wait so long to read this book???
“Becoming’ by Michelle Obama. It’s really good.” “Wait . . .” I have chicken halfway to my mouth when I ask, “You’re reading Michelle Obama’s book?” “Uh-huh. Is there something wrong with that?”
When I saw that I had to read a sports romance for one of my reading challenges I was like UGH! I love sports and I love romance but the two to me in my mind wouldn’t mesh. Boy, was I wrong. Cory and Natalie are one of my favorite couples this year, maybe EVER!! This book was fairly long for what it was, I thought for sure it would end up being super boring and yet, it held my attention until the very last page.
There is no point for me to go into detail about the story. Read the blurb, dive in headfirst and ENJOY! You will be captivated by the writing, the strategically placed comedy and the sheer love these two characters have for each other. Totally going to be reading all of Quinn’s baseball novels because I feel like I just got a taste for all these deliciously hot baseball guys.
Cory Freaking Potter. What a dream boat. Even when you frustrated me, I still loved you. That goes for you to Natalie. I loved the glimpses we got of him in The Dugout. And we got lots of Jason in this story which I loved because he’s my number one.
This story had me laughing, swooning, sighing, yelling at Cory and Natalie for being so stubborn and then leaving me happy at the end. If you have it in you Meghan, I would love a mini novella about Dottie and Jason’s wedding. (Not a spoiler since they got engaged in their story and in this one too!)
The audiobook version of this was amazing. Kelsey Navarro and Connor Crais pulled me and gave an amazing performance! This book had heart, lots of feeling and lots of heat.
I am totally Loving this series. The books just keep getting better and better.
Standalone with no cliffhangers.
Sweet romance that started with Cory falling hard for a married Natalie and ending so differently.
Meghan is the master of emotional twists. This book started with one and ended with one too.
Great Job!
I listened to this book on Chirp.
Between the slow-burn romance and swoon-worthy sweet moments scattered throughout this book–there were SO MANY feels rolling off these pages. Natalie & Cory are . They will keep you on your toes and you won’t want their story to end. This was a beautifully written and heartwarming story until it wasn’t…and I wanted to scream at the author! Thankfully all works out in the end to give us that amazing HEA but DAMN!! We could have just skipped that little twist. Lol. Kelsey Navarro & Connor Crais do an amazing job portraying the characters, bringing them to life and humanizing them with their emotions, attitude and personality.
This one is my favorite by far! Such a great series.
I was so excited to read Cory f*cking Potter’s story! Let me tell you, he broke my heart. I was so sad. But then he put it back together in the best way and he might be my favorite from the towel brigade. Gah, he’s amazing!
I was excited to finally have Cory’s story and I really enjoyed it. I thought he was a really really sweet/good guy but the pressure of his team got the better of him! He did Natalie wrong!
I LOVE these boys but I swear, Jason still tops them all. Even in this book, he shined so bright! I love that teddy bear of a man.
An absolutely amazing read. Yes we know Lincoln and Indie are together from reading previous books in this series but now we have their entire story. From beginning to end. No every other chapter of memories but how it happened. Seeing how their friendship survived all these years. From friends to friends with benefits to lovers to forever. What a story. A beautiful story and one of my favorite reads yet.