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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You may have been waiting for Cory’s story, and let me tell you… he will break your heart. He is just an all round great guy. A great, kind man who happens to be struggling with both his baseball career and finding his forever girl. (Of course there’s a whole lot more it to than that, but that’s the cliff notes version.) His character has a vulnerability about him. He’s this big strong handsome man who basically falls to pieces when in the presence of a certain young woman. She’s a smart beautiful woman who happens to have some self-esteem issues. Together they can lift each other up.. if only the allow it. The romance is a bit of a slow burn. Sexy as all, but slow. There is humor sprinkled throughout. Much coming from the beloved Jason Orson. (The hero in The Line-Up.) Together, the two of them have a good time bantering even when they are trying to deny their feelings. While I like her character and feel she is a good match for Cory, the main focus of the book (for me anyways,) was Cory and his struggles. And him trying to overcome some emotional and mental distress. It really will break your heart. There is some sexual content that, while not overly done, may be a bit too much for the younger readers. This reads quickly and easily and alternates POVs.
Another homerun for Meghan Quinn! The Trade brings us the story of Cory Potter and Natalie (the fantastic Jason Orson’s sister). He was traded mid season and is not happy about it. Natalie is a divorcee who goes on some of the most hilarious dates ever before forced to spend time with Cory and love blooms from there. I also loved reading about the team dynamic and what happens when a player is dumped in their laps mid season. Fans are brutal! Their story made laugh (as Ms. Quinn always does!) and cry. A great addition to this series!
Meghan Quinn is the QUEEN of romcom and this book proves it! The Trade is a laugh out loud, wonderful journey that left me cheering for Natalie and Cory throughout the book! Cory and Natalie were pure FIRE with their amazing chemistry and that slow burn romance? YUM. Pair that with a freakin’ dirty talking hero that will melt your panties? This book has everything you need plus some of your other favorite baseball players 😉 The Trade is a must-read!!
4.5 stars
Cory Potter (Milly’s brother – she was featured in The Dugout) was a mid-season trade to his hometown rival baseball team. It’s hard for him to connect with his teammates and the fans. During the season break he meets Natalie (Jason’s sister – he was featured in The Lineup).
Natalie runs Jason’s charity The Lineup. When Cory meets her at The Lineup charity event he is completely smitten… but then he finds out she is married. He is bummed.
All of Cory’s friends take one last trip before pre-season starts and Natalie happened to tag along too. As everyone is paired off, that leaves Cory and Natalie paired up… and shes not married anymore.
I admit it… I was weepy with frustration and a broken heart towards the end of this book… Gah! So what happens between Natalie and Cory?? You will definitely need to one-click to find out.
You might think after reading her previous books, it might get boring and ordinary. But no! With Meghan Quinn you’re never going to get bored with her books!
I loved both Cory and Natalie! It was impossible not to see their connection and chemistry. He and Natalie are clearly made for each other. I was all in for them.
On a side note, Jason stole every scene he was in. You’ll laugh until you had tears in your eyes with his antics. His man crush on Cory is hilarious.
I cannot wait for whatever is next from this bunch!
I think I’ve said it before, but I’ll shout it again for the people in the back: Meghan Quinn is the queen of slow-burn torture! Also, I think I’ve found a new favorite MQ hero!
Cory freaking Potter is everything I could have hoped for. This man is easy-going, charming, sexy, and absolutely addictive. He’s a good man with a big heart and a dirty mouth, and that combination is going to be lethal to both your heart and your panties. He’s not without flaws but be patient with him. He’s in uncharted territory.
Natalie is instantly likable. She’s fun with a great personality, which should be expected from Jason’s sister (if you haven’t fallen in love with Jason yet, you need to). She doesn’t have it all easy though. She’s gone through her fair share of setbacks over the past few months and struggles with her confidence because of it. She’s an amazing woman, she just needs someone like Cory to make her believe it.
This has to be one of my favorite couples from MQ. Chemistry, witty banter, and sizzling heat are running themes through this entire book. But don’t go thinking their story is all perfection. They struggle, they make mistakes, they make you want to physically shake some sense into them at times.
This is a fantastic book, as are all the books in this series of interconnected standalones about this group of friends. I highly recommend all of them.
After been traded to a new team, Cory is feeling out of sorts. He’s struggling to find his place in his team, his team mates aren’t helping and the fans hate him with a passion which is honestly quite impressive, it doesn’t matter what he does the press and the fans aren’t been won over by him. The last thing he’s looking for right now is a relationship but one interaction with Natalie has him questioning what it is he really wants. What can I say about Cory?
Cory where have you been all my life? This guy is going to have you swooning so hard. He is the sweetest guy ever and it’s impossible not to fall under his spell.
I fell in love with Natalie the second I met her. And just like Cory did, the more I got to know her the harder I fell. She’s a fantastic character. She’s funny, she’s down to earth and she knows baseball and all it entails. Recently divorced and single for the first time in forever she’s not really sure what she wants.
I loved everything about this book. The characters, the chemistry, the slow burn, the banter, were done perfectly. This book had me laughing out loud for most of it but it also tugged on my heart strings. I can’t recommend this book enough.
Great read with and unexpected edge to give it more depth and make the story more compelling.
I loved this story.
Cory and Natalie’s story is funny, sexy and just enough angst to give it some edge.
Cory is such a hot good guy hero, and his quest to get Cory is a worthwhile read.
Cory was traded to the Rebels mid season , not a good feeling and the Rebels he wasn’t happy. He has one teammate that he know and goes to his fundraiser where he sees Natalie. Natalie and Cory keep getting thrown together because of their friends and siblings. They have feelings for each other but can one wrong decision end it. Great characters and storyline. Highly recommended. Love these stories.
I have been waiting to read Cory “Freaking” Potter’s story since he was introduced in The Dugout. Cory does not disappoint. These baseball romances are my jam!!
When Cory meets Natalie, he is instantly smitten with her, but he’s under the misapprehension that she is married. Natalie is actually recently divorced and she thinks Cory is out of her league. Watching these two become friends and get past all the misunderstandings was slow burn romance at its best.
Cory is a sweetheart. He’s charismatic and a leader. When he finally falls in love, he loves with everything in him. However, when the relentless pressure from trying to fit into a new team becomes too much for him, he lashes out at those he loves. This causes him to become a shell of himself and it’s heartbreaking to watch him fight to become the man he once was and fight for his relationship.
Natalie has a heart of gold and she’s a bit insecure after her husband cheated on her. Throughout the book, she becomes a stronger person who can stand up for herself. I loved watching her transformation.
This book had such highs and lows and I loved every minute of it. Jason Orson is still ridiculous and Knox and Carson are still pretty awesome. The Trade made me laugh and broke my heart and put it back together again. Natalie and Cory were perfection and I would recommend this and the entire baseball series to everyone!
Ever since we first met Cory Potter, I just knew that he needed his own story. And oh my goodness, was it fantastic! Cory is just one of those dreamy book boyfriends and I would gladly trade places with Natalie any day! He’s so sweet, sensitive and swoony – such a catch!! Both of them tried to fight their attraction, and Cory didn’t want to push things too quickly with Natalie after her divorce. He was being respectful, as she was possibly only looking for a fling – and he wants the opposite. But they just had this undeniable chemistry that couldn’t be ignored. I loved these two together so much, and when they were apart my heart hurt for them both. Lots of angst and heartbreak at the end, but I knew Meghan would put all the broken pieces back together.
While a lot of the moments with Cory and Natalie were more on the serious side (not all of them of course), I love the humor brought into the story with Natalie’s friend Monica (“Find someone who genuinely makes you smile and then, ask to see his penis.”) ….and of course from Jason Orson. Seriously, he just makes me laugh so much and will always be one of my favorite all-time Meghan Quinn characters (“Christ, you smell good. Why do you smell so nice? Dottie, babe, smell him.”).
The Trade is definitely another homerun from Meghan Quinn. Don’t miss out on this one!!
5 Being Traded Was the Best Thing EVER Stars!!
To finally have my hands on Cory Potter’s story brought a huge smile to my face. We met Cory in The Dugout and I immediately knew I needed his story because he’s not the typical major athlete…he’s caring and humble but also proud of what he’s accomplished and being traded to his arch-nemesis team he thought was going to be the end of his career…oh how wrong he was!!
I FREAKING LOVED this book. It’s full of Ms. Quinn’s witty humor and characters that are engaging, funny, heartfelt and oh so sexy. When Cory first meets Natalie there’s an immediate attraction, but due to some circumstances, he doesn’t pursue her. For Natalie, she’s out in the dating world once again and I swear Meghan Quinn has been on some of my blind dates because I was literally snort laughing through most of her dates because she wrote them spot on!!
Thanks to Natalie’s brother, she and Cory meet up again and this time it’s different. Their connection can’t be ignored, but their hearts are guarded. I loved their back and forth, Natalie keeps him on his toes. And Cory while trying to fit in with his new teammates, he’s trying to woo Natalie. Their romance was a true slow-burn too and totally appropriate for this story and our H/h.
I fell in love with how Cory was determined to make his bad situation, being on the Rebels, one that will hopefully lead to the ultimate prize in his sporting career. All the while, falling for this beautiful woman but can he have both that’s the question. Understandably, they’re both cautious and there’s some definite bumps and hills in their relationship.
Ms. Quinn did such a wonderful job of writing a book that’s engaging, entertaining, laugh out loud funny, full of heart and heat. I wasn’t sure if I could love Cory Potter the way I’ve loved the rest of the guys in this series, but I’m happy to report, I’m full on in love with him and his and Natalie’s story!!
SEXY AND HILARIOUS! I have to say it turned out to be much more emotional then I expected but for Meghan Quinn die hard fans – plenty of her amazing sense of humor! It was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020 mainly because I already loved Cory as a character from the previous books. It goes beyond my understanding how Meghan can write several sport romances in a row and still make each male character undoubtedly unique and interesting. That’s exactly the case with Cory. He has been a professional athlete for a while, but his career is a bit turmoil at the moment and Cory has to learn how to cope with the new changes in his life. Then there is Natalie who is such a sweet woman! And exactly the right kind for Cory since her brother is a baseball player as well and therefore she understands the lifestyle. Together, they have a hot burning chemistry that really pulled me in from their first meeting!
This book has so many amazing conversations – not just between Cory and Natalie, but also with the other characters who we already know from previous books. The book is witty, full of great scenes and some quite epic moments. It really quickly became clear to me that this is going to be my favorite book in the series! The Trade is a standalone, but I would recommend having a look at previous books as well in order to grasp the characters a bit more!
Five stars!
Meghan Quinn knocked this one out of the park! She has a way of writing characters that you would love to hang out with and Jason and Natalie along with all of their friends make The Trade a truly enjoyable story to read.
This book had me laughing, smiling and swooning all the way through from Natalie’s crazy dating escapades to her sharing a room with Jason at the resort. Did someone say awkward? But they managed to not only make the best of it, they found a connection that started out as friendship, but became so much more. Jason is a perfect balance of sweet and sexy. He is not just out for a one time thing. He wants a relationship. He just has to show Natalie that they are a perfect match! Natalie has just gotten through a divorce and doesn’t have a huge amount of self confidence when it comes to relationships but she and Jason have such an easy banter between them and so much more. Will she take the chance?
Rate: 5/ 5 stars
Oh man I had been waiting for Cory’s book ever since Carson’s book. I fell in love with both men in The Dugout and up until now Carson had been my fav but Cory gave him a run for his money. He was just so bloody amazing and sweet and gosh my heart hurt so much for all the pain the trade caused and how hard it was for him afterwards to deal with everything.
Meghan Quinn never fails to give me exactly what I crave in a book… an amazing, sexy hero, all the fun times and a whole lot of angst. She can do no wrong with this series and I hope this wasn’t the end of it because I could keep reading about these baseball players and the women who bring them to their knees forever.
Cory was beyond anything I thought he would be. I absolutely loved his chemistry and banter with Natalie and the bromance with Jason omg, those two had me laughing out loud. Jason Orson is simply too much but that’s what makes him the best aha. I just adored this book and this story. It was very emotional for me, I felt so bad for Cory, I teared up many times. I was a total softy for him.
When we first got snippets of Cory in The Dugout, I wanted to know more and more about him and right off the bat I was so happy with this book. Firstly, I love this cover and “Cory’s” eyes! So hypnotising! I could stare at him forever, I think he is in a league of his own. As with the other editions in this series, there is the classic MQ humor that has you giggling in inappropriate times when reading it, but there is also more depth to these books with how the relationships play out. Cory and Natalie’s story is very complexed with issues that they both bring into it.
Cory has never had a relationship before, preferring to concentrate solely on his career. He has spent so much time on and off the field perfecting his game that its not easy for him to separate and segregate his work and personal life. Natalie has had some experience with a long term partner and she also knows what it is like to be around a major league player, being her brother Jason is on the same team as Cory. What they have to sort out, is how to balance it all without dropping the ball. Homeplate is always the objective in the game and life and of course MQ swings us around the bases until this couple get a home run.
I admired Cory for his work ethic and determination to be the best first baseman on any team. Being traded half way through a season would be the pits but he held his head high with dignity . I enjoyed reading about the way this couple started out and along with everyone else, I was gutted when things started to turn into a curve ball for them. Cory was so attentive and commutative with Nat, she and I both revelled in his dirty mouth! Nat held her own, and had little, skimpy even, tricks she could play too to tempt our heavy hitter!
I am not sure if there are any more books to come in this series, but I am hoping so big time! There is Maddox Paige I am wanting to hear about, as well as Walker Rockwell from The Lineup. Both these guys have an interesting piece to say I am sure.
My Review: ARC provided
Five Stars!
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Can I say Cory Fucking Potter, I mean can this man be topped!? When a book starts out with the prologue this one did you know you are in for a fabulous read.
I have nothing negative to say about this book. Meghan brought us some laugh out loud moments like she is so good at, but also some really sweet intense moments as well. The sexual tension and chemistry between Cory and Natalie were insanely hot. I couldn’t wait until one of them finally gave in.
At thirty-five Cory has never had a relationship and never wanted one until now. Natalie, on the other hand, is just coming out of one and isn’t interested in another. The timing isn’t right but the chemistry sure is!
I really felt for both of these characters and their struggles, both having siblings that were involved in all of this too. No one wants to hurt anyone and there are a lot of misunderstandings. I loved how the misunderstandings were handled, instead of going back and forth between people they went to the source. It may have taken some time but it was done the right way. Also, I absolutely loved Jason so much, the way he was such a good big brother but also couldn’t tame it down around Cory his idol. It was so cute!
I could go on and on about this book, about the dating stories Natalie had, (Panera Bread Man) and all the funny things thrown in. I could go on and on how Cory was so strong until he broke, and it broke me, but I couldn’t do it justice. You need to read this book and this whole series for that matter! You will fall in love just like I did.
One more thing, there is a character that appeared a couple of times named Nicholas and I’m hoping Meghan may come up with a book for him one day. Once again Meghan left me a very happy reader!
I am so happy that it’s finally Cory’s turn. I really liked him throughout the series and I couldn’t wait to read all about him. Right off the bat (heh), he’s a man who knows what he wants and is not afraid to express it. I really liked the chemistry between the both of them. Jason is still my fave in the series and I could read about his love for Cory all day long, he just cracks me up. It was also great to get caught up with the other characters in the series, they’re all great people.
4.5 Stars
Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come – Meghan Quinn has graced the world with Cory Fucking Potter! And he was every bit as amazing as you’d expect him to be. If you read The Dugout then you’re already familiar with Corry Potter, older brother of Millie, and one of the hottest, most talented players in baseball. Well-liked on and off the field, he’s made quite a name for himself on his team in Baltimore. Then one day he learns he’s been traded, mid-season, to the most hated team in baseball the Chicago Rebels. His teammates aren’t exactly welcoming, the fans hate him, and the media is determined to drag his name through the mud for some unknown reason. Despite all this, when Cory meets his teammates’ sister, Natalie, he’s instantly smitten and suddenly his world doesn’t seem so bleak. Too bad she’s married… or at least that’s what Cory was lead to believe.
This book was so good! After reading The Lineup, I think I declared Jason Orson as my favorite of the guys so far but I don’t know, I think Cory may have taken the top spot now. What an amazing guy he was. He was kind and considerate, loved his family, and always tried to do the right thing. He was also a really hard worker, there was no one who put in more of an effort than he did in order to be the best at his sport. He was also so great with Natalie. I loved how he was totally taken by her from the very first moment he saw her smile, I truly felt the spark between them from that very first meeting. My heart just melted when he went to his sister afterward and spilled his feelings for her. I also loved how they were thrown together a little while later, which ultimately led to the relationship developing between them. This was a slow burn in terms of the romance but it was totally worth the wait. Natalie was just coming out of a bad relationship so her heart was a bit fragile but I absolutely loved seeing her get her groove back. She was a great character, down to earth and authentic and she was so strong. Cory was dealing with a lot and was inexperienced with relationships, so naturally, he makes a pretty monumental mistake, but I loved how Natalie handled herself and the situation. It was just the right amount of angst and felt believable to me.
The other aspect of the book, aside from the romance, that I enjoyed (even though it made me sad) was actually experiencing Cory dealing with his trade to the Rebels. This part of the story was actually pretty heartbreaking and I never expected that a homerun would make my tear up, but it totally did. As I mentioned earlier, Cory was such a standup guy and worked so hard to be the best player out there so to see him treated so poorly by many people associated with his new team was crushing. I will say, if Meghan Quinn is ever looking for a side-hustle I think she could make a real run at being a sportswriter because her play by play of the games in this book was pretty spot on! If you’re a baseball fan, you’re actually going to get a fair dose of the sport in this book along with a pretty great romance!
I don’t know if there are books planned for any other people from this world, but if there are, I say bring it on because each book is even better than the last!
Meghan Quinn has done it again!! She is an brilliant author who always brings us her trademark reads with her brilliant and witty sense of humour but also mixed with steam and lots of emotions.
This is the story of Baseball legend Cory Potter and Natalie Myers. The connection between them is everything!! the push/pull, the palpable chemistry the amazingly/frustrating slow burn is perfect.
Natalie is trying to deal with her divorce and her world has been tipped upside down and her confidence has tanked. This is why she struggles to believe the connection and her feelings when Cory comes into her world.
Cory Potter, oh I love him!! totally swoon-worthy! He is so open and honest which makes his vulnerability and the way he embraces his feelings so damn hot.
Well done Meghan on another brilliant read I was unable to put down!