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 . . .
more
5 Stars
Cory Effing Potter.
That’s all you need to know lol. I didn’t think she could top Jason’s story, but once again, she proved me wrong. Cory Potter is a baseball god. He’s played for the Baltimore Storm for ten years, but suddenly finds himself traded, mid-season, to the team he despises most. The Chicago Rebels. The team known for its rowdy and rude fans. Fans that have yet to take a liking to Cory no matter how good a game he’s playing.
Meghan Quinn once again delivers a solid story with a tall, sexy Alpha hero, who tries to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders and a smart, funny heroine who’s been hurt from a past relationship. These two were perfect for each other. I adored Natalie and her quirkiness and even though her self esteem had taken a major hit, she still (with encouragement from her bestie) put herself out there. Natalie and Cory had that instant chemistry and their banter was perfect. This one definitely had a slow burn and when they gave in, they ignited! I loved the appearances of all the beloved characters from this series. Jason and his man crush just made it that much more entertaining. Another great story with so much heart and a lot of humor.
Angela – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5 stars
Meghan Quinn has a knack for creating awesome perfect stories with heart and plenty of heart alongside the adorable humor! The Trade was amazing!
Cory Potter is a baseball god. He’s got the stats, the bat and boy, does he fill out those baseball pants! The last thing he ever expected was to be transferred midseason to his team’s arch rival but here he is, in the enemy’s dugout. Doing all he can to endear himself to some truly atrocious fans and ruin over his hostile new teammates is a full time job. The last thing he needs is a relationship but being around all his friends who’ve recently coupled up and especially his sister (the adorable Milly from The Lineup) makes his heart ache for someone to do life with. Now he’s met the woman of his dreams at the worst possible time; she’s married and he’s obsessed with her.
This book was amazing. Cory is well, everything. He’s sexy as hell, smart and sarcastic, and unbelievably earnest and sweet. Natalie was equally awesome with her quirky humor and sassy attitude. Together they were fire! I adore the characters Meghan Quinn writes and I can’t wait for more!
AnnMarie – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
I can see why my man Jason Orson has a huge crush on the Cory F**king Potter
After playing for his longterm baseball team in Baltimore Cory is traded to the Chicago Rebel’s a team where their players and fans are known for controversy and animosity when it comes to outsiders and especially lovers of their rival team The Chicago Bobcat’s who Cory grew up a fan of. Attending an event for his new team mate and friends charity event he runs into a gorgeous girl who he is instantly enamored with, only problem is she just so happens to be married or so Cory is told
Natalie who is the sister of Jason Orson helps run his charity The Lineup. Recently divorced and encouraged by friends and family to get back out there and have some fun. She finds herself running into her brothers new teammate the one and only Cory Potter who is everything she could see herself wanting and more only problem is she is way out of his league or so she thinks
This story was so freaking adorable, heart warming, frustrating at times, funny, slow burn and oh so satisfying. I loved Cory so much. He was sweet, kind, gentle, caring and extremely respectful and attentive. Natalie really is related to Jason, they both have a similar sense of humor and can be awkward at times but you just can’t help but fall in love with them
Cory and Natalie had amazing chemistry and their banter and ease of conversation and connection was a joy to experience. They both had their own insecurities, vulnerabilities and stress they were dealing with. They were not perfect and had their faults also but together they found a way to lean on each other and make things work though it was not always an easy road
I ABSOLUTELY loved all the scenes with the gang from the previous books especially every single time Jason was present. He is just as funny as ever and I’m still madly in love with him though now I’m also smitten with Cory who was the perfect swoon worthy hero in yet another enjoyable read from Meghan Quinn
“Holy f**king shit, what is Cory Potter doing here?” Jason shouts, as he comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my body, his hands cupping my chest. “ Christ, you smell good.” I feel him take a deep breath of my back . “Why do you smell so nice? Dottie, babe, smell him.”
Oh Jason you’re still my favourite
I have been DYING for Cory F****ing Potter’s book, and finally, it’s here! Cory Potter is everything I thought he’d be and then some. I’m telling ya, every girl needs a Cory. He’s sexy, witty, good looking, charming, sensitive, caring, romantic and oh so incredibly lovable. Meghan Quinn did something so magical with his story and I could not have loved this story more. She weaved this amazing tale that had me in my feelings. The Trade is a heartwarming, hilarious, a frustrating but wonderful slow burn that is SO worth the wait and is everything I love about Meghan Quinn’s books!
Cory and Natalie. Ahhh, these two. I loved them! They were just wonderful together. Their amazing chemistry and their banter, the ease of their conversations, interactions and connection was a joy to experience. Both had their own insecurities, vulnerabilities and stresses they were dealing with. Neither were not perfect and had their own personal flaws but together they found a way to lean on each other and make things work, though the road it took to get there was not easy. l absolutely loved them together, everything about them just fits together perfectly.
With her signature and not to mention impeccable comedic skill, Meghan Quinn crafts another delightful and warm addition to this wonderful series. The Trade deserves all the love and all the stars. I am still smiling after reading Cory and Natalie’s story. Meghan once again proves why she’s on my list of Top 5 go to authors. I am forever in love with Meghan Quinn’s stories. Her words and storytelling never fail to entertain me and bring joy into my life. With every single book she writes, it just gets better and better. Thank you Meghan for another fantastic book. (And for bringing Cory Potter into our lives!)
Meghan Quinn just wowed me again! Her smooth and clever writing style always wins me over. I have loved every book in this series. They are all unique in their own way. This wickedly sexy story follows Cory Potter and Natalie Myers, two characters that are both so easy to like.
Cory’s life is perfect. At least, that’s what it looks like from the outside. He has everything going for him: good looks, a star player status and a great family. And yet, he feels defeated and out of control. He has been traded to a team known as the dirtiest in the league and doesn’t get along with the coaches and some of the players.
Natalie is his new teammate’s sister. She instantly catches Cory’s attention when they first meet. He is drawn to her and admires her strength of character, her generosity and dedication to her family. She is the embodiment of his ideal partner. Natalie is freshly divorced and is not looking for a relationship. She is unsure of herself and scared of jumping into a new relationship right after her failed marriage.
Natalie and Cory together are everything. Their chemistry is combustible and they have deep passionate feelings for each other. But neither one is willing to be honest about the way they feel. The emotion and frustration they suffer, you experience right along with them as you read it. The build up with their relationship takes a little while to get through and there are many moments when I wanted to scream at Cory for being ridiculous. However, once they are finally able to give in to all that pent up desire, they are explosive together.
But as much as I enjoyed Cory and Natalie’s journey, there was one issue that just didn’t work for me and it was that big final plot twist, or roadside bomb if you will, in their journey. It gets twisted and messed up. Meghan Quinn really knocked me down and put my heart through a shredder. Outside of that issue, I really enjoyed this book filled with hot moments but also sweet and fun moments as well. It would not have been the same without Cory and Natalie ‘s best friends and family. The secondary characters here, while not a huge part of the story, still impact Natalie and Cory’s relationship positively. I’m happy with where their story ended and look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
4 Cranky Stars
Cory f-ing Potter is a legend in baseball but he was also traded to a team known for its hardcore angry fans and fights on the field. You see Cory isn’t about that life he just wants to play a game he loves and being on the Rebels he realizes this is not how this is going to go down. He doesn’t have time for relationships of the romantic kind especially during the on season. When he spots Natalie across the room at a charity event he is hooked. He thinks surely, he doesn’t have a chance with this girl. When he finds himself invited to St. Croix with his friends who are most definitely not Rebel players with the exception of Jason he thinks why not he can use some downtime. It’s here he realizes he is rooming with Natalie and things start to heat up. Natalie is newly divorced and dealing with some insecurity issues. She feels like she failed at her marriage and that is was all on her. She tells herself that she is not in the same league as Cory and tries to remain his friend. Throughout their trip they are constantly paired up and feelings develop. Can they carry this into the real world with the pressure of the upcoming season knocking on the door?
This book had some laughs I mean with Jason being in the book and now on the team with Cory you can count on his antics. I liked Cory and even their age difference didn’t bother me. I liked that he learned that baseball isn’t all there is to life. Natalie was a real girl. She wasn’t a reed thin supermodel but a real woman with real problems and a real body. She loved fiercely. Once these two came together it was like fireworks. Like someone get me a fan!! All in all a great book full of love, humor and sexy times.
Oh Cory and Natalie! What a fun read. This book had ALL. THE. FEELS. Cory is dealing with a team trade and rumors and teammates not liking him so he jumps at the chance to get away with his friends and family but what he doesn’t expect is Natalie. Natalie is a private person and while her brother is not, she hasn’t let many people know about her life. When faced with being paired up with Cory while on vacation, she tries to make the most of it. The sexual tension between them was strong! I enjoyed the banter, the fight to give into temptations and the chemistry between Cory and Natalie. I liked the friends and family in their lives that gave them support and (good) grief! I was completely lost in this book and didn’t want to leave their world!
Cory Freaking Potter. We meet and fall in love with Cory in the Dugout as Millie’s brother. The way he supported and routed for her was downright swoony. Now we get his story in The Trade. After playing for the Baltimore Storm for 10 years he was traded mid season to one of his hometown teams. Not the team he loved he and adored since he was a kid, no he was traded to the Rebels, the team where the players and fans are known for the horrible attitudes. To say Cory is devastated is an understatement. But at a charity function one of his teammates he sees Natalie from across the room and instantly knows he has to know her. After meeting her and talking with her for the night he wants to break all of his rules and get to know her better, he wants to be with her, have a girlfriend before retires . . . to bad she is married. Or so everyone thinks.
Cory is just as swoony if not more than we saw in the Dugout. How he struggled with his feelings for Natalie when he thought she was married and how he wouldn’t settle for being a sidepiece or a fling – ugh he just owned my heart. My heart hurt for him with all that he was going through because of the Trade. I just wanted to give him a big hug even if he handled it all wrong. And Natalie, bless her heart. Her awkwardness at the beginning was funny and endearing but man did I hate that she felt she wasn’t good enough for Cory. Her ex was a dumb dumb. Cory and Natalie’s banter was hilarious and their connection/chemistry was off the charts. I absolutely loved watching them build their relationship even if both were terrified of it.
Meghan Quinn has a way of making you laugh your butt off all while making you swoon and break your heart. Her books are always fun, always swoony, always heartbreaking but she will always put you back together again. She did not disappoint with the Trade. I highly recommend you pick up the Trade.
***4.5 Stars***
After meeting Cory in The Dugout, I was praying to every god/goddess etc I could think of that he’d get his own book, so the excitement was real that the praying worked and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It hit all the right buttons, a couple wrong one and then some surprising ones as well and had me wanting more when there were no more words to read.
Cory and Natalie. These two. I loved them, I did, but man did they put me through the wringer. Natalie is sweet, witty, a little snarky ~ which she has to be considering who her brother is ~ and has a sense of self that I admired, even when it was shaken a little, she pulled her shitkickers on and kept moving forward. Cory. This man. He’s charming, sweet and I loved how he looked at playing baseball. It was his passion, his life. But man, does he take a lot on his own shoulders and while it showed me a truly determined man, there were moments I wanted to Gibbs smack him.
Their journey to their HEA was an interesting and insightful one. I loved Natalie and Cory together. Even in their awkward moments, it was easy to see how well matched they were in personality, how passionate they were about their careers and family and I loved the flow that they had. What also helped was that Natalie had an understanding of what the life of a professional baseball player was and was supportive. But of course things couldn’t be all wine and roses and the issues that came up were…interesting. I’m in that 50/50 realm where both of them could have done better, but it’s always hard seeing both sides of the coin. In the end, though, I really liked how everything worked out for them.
This was a great addition to the series. I loved catching up with Millie, Carson, Knox and Emery and Dottie. What surprised me was how much I actually enjoyed Jason in this one. Don’t get me wrong, I ended up loving Jason in The Lineup, but he was a little too OTT for me at times. In this one, his OTT worked for me. I wouldn’t mind more of Marcus, but it’s Maddox who is the one I NEED more of, so toes crossed that he’ll be getting his own HEA soon!
~ Copy provided by the author & voluntarily reviewed ~
When this one hit my kindle, it wasn’t suppose to be my next read. Even though I had another book to read first, I decided to checked to see how long it was and I had this little panic because this one it is a long one. So I decided to read the prologue and Cory had me hooked and I couldn’t put it down. I loved loved this one. I’m a little behind on my reading list because I literally stop everything and read this one. Cory is so swoon worthy. He’s sweet and nice and puts his heart out there. He did disappoint me at a point but he redeems himself. Natalie is a great girl. She so deserves everything she wants in a relationship. There’s funny and romance and some angst all wrapped up nicely in this one.
Oh, Cory Potter! Where have you been? I don’t know how Meghan Quinn does it, but she consistently tops each previous book boyfriend with the next one!
So in The Trade we have Cory and Natalie, both of whom have appeared in previous books. Cory is the older brother and superstar baller of Milly from The Dugout, who has spent his entire pro career playing for Baltimore and then gets traded to (the horror!) The Rebels. While he’s back at home in Chicago with his family, he is now playing for the town’s least-favorite team. But Jason from The Lineup is his new teammate… and after meeting Jason’s sister at a charity event for The Lineup, Cory is absolutely smitten with Natalie.
Except she’s married. Well, technically, Natalie is getting divorced. And the string of bad blind dates she goes on is hysterical. By the time Natalie and Cory get to the pre-season vacation that the rest of the couples are headed to, they both are seriously crushing on one another, hard. But Cory still thinks Natalie is married, and she can’t imagine that someone like Cory F’ing Potter would even look her way twice. The entire St. Croix trip is a wonderful build-up of sexual frustration as the two are forced to share a room. There is so much push and pull between them, which is magnified by Cory’s belief that post-divorce Natalie is only looking for a fling while she assumes she is out of Cory’s league.
Things between them really explode once they get back home, and MQ does a great job of writing the change in their relationship as they realize it’s something they both want to explore. How kind and considerate Cory is despite his celebrity, and how understanding Natalie is of his profession since she’s the sister of a pro player herself. (And can we just mention how crazy Jason goes when his idol starts dating his sister? I love it!)
I really didn’t think that there would be a major upheaval to this romance, since they were both so sympatico. But the turn that this book takes is a little darker than some of the others in this series. The bad press Cory’s been getting as a result of his trade is only magnified when he starts dating Natalie, and his trying to protect her from it all is their ultimate demise. And also the reason for some medical issues he begins to have. I loved that part of this book! It was so different than the others in this series.
Of course, there is a wonderful HEA for these two, and in the end, being traded ends up being the best thing that happens to Cory. I really hope that this isn’t the end of this series, because I would love to see what woman brings Maddox to his knees!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
We start out with Cory. What does he do for a living? What has happened? What ‘talk’ does he have with his sister at her husband’s game? I like Natalie a lot! She has some pretty witty comebacks! Oh my, this has to be the most intense book of the series so far. Holy Smokes! The Rebels fans had me hating them from the get-go! Why does Cory start getting called Boss by his teammates? I laughed for a while when I read that. Can Cory do anything to stop the fans from what they are doing? Read and see!
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT from Bookfunnel FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin’ With M. Brennan.
Gahhh!! Holy crap. Why am I just now reading a Meghan Quinn book? WHYYY?!?!
This story was so amazing and now I need to make a hole in my schedule for the rest of the series.
The characters were incredible. The banter had me almost crying I was laughing so hard and I had this goofy grin on the ENTIRE time I was reading.
These characters are so lovable! And not just Cory and Natalie. The entire crew is amazing.
Cory was probably one of my favorite men of the year. He is so incredibly sweet and thoughtful. He was so in tune with Natalie and her needs and wants.
I am definitely NOT jealous of a fictional character. Nope. No way. Not me. Ughh.. okay. I definitely am. Natalie has my dream man and I am incredibly jealous.
The chemistry between Natalie and Cory was insanely hot. INSANE. Like, I needed at least four cold showers while trying to finish this book. Cory is definitely a passionate lover. Still not jealous…. I really did love Natalie though. She doesn’t try to hide behind tight clothing or makeup. Her personality is 100% real and she stays true to herself.
The build-up of this story almost killed me. I think I was more crazed than Natalie.
I will most definitely be picking up EVERY SINGLE Meghan Quinn book from here on out because she made me fall in love.
This is by far the best book out of this “series” I loved Cory something fierce! the story was amazing and I felt what the characters were feeling! I can’t wait to see what comes next!
Meghan Quinn made me swoon hard and break harder in The Trade. This story is priceless. The emotions were perfect and hitting my heart in the right way every single time. It’s an amazing story that captures the essence of sports romance in it’s adrenaline fuelled glory. At the same time, the author poured heartaching, swoonworthy and breathtaking emotions in every page.
Cory Potter is a baseball legend. And he could not believe he was traded mid season from Bobbies to the rival team Rebel. He is a good guy with clean cut sportsmanship and Rebel’s dirty philosophy doesn’t suit him. He is struggling with mistrustful team mates and booing fans and negative press. And Natalie Orson is going to change his life. Freshly divorced from a complete undeserving man, she is looking to find herself again and try casual relationships. But Cory wants a long term one and she isn’t sure she is ready for something intense even if they shares an explosive and soul deep connection. Can they come to a compromise? Can Cory keep the best thing happened to him ever without breaking under stress?
First of all, how does Meghan Quinn writes these super hot and uber possessive heroes who make me melt with terrifying emotions? I mean seriously..Cory is man with a golden heart and golden abs. He respects Natalie and does everything to make her feel cherished. But no one is perfect. And even the most perfect guy makes mistakes under extenuating circumstances. Like Cory did. But the beauty is I understand his pain and hurt through his bad decisions. I could feel his broken edges right inside and they made me bleed tears for sure. Natalie is a beautifully constructed character. She is sweet, smart, compassionate, witty and gorgeous. Her ex has broken her confidence but she still put herself out. And she cared for Cory and tried to support him through the darkness even when Cory pushed her and left her desolate. I am proud of her for standing her point and putting self respect before everything. They have an insane chemistry. Meghan Quinn excels in slow burn and she built up their relationship emotion by emotion. They shared some hilarious and awkward moments. They shared some incredibly romantic moments with scorching hot chemistry. And they also had heartbreaking, angsty and soul crushing moments. And these all came together right with the baseball season where I found myself cheering Cory and his team right with the stadium.
The Trade by Meghan Quinn sucked me right in the story and the emotions consumed me. The writing is flawless and had a powerful impact on my heart.
Received ARC for honest review
Where to begin and what to say that hasn’t already been said about The Trade which is Cory Potter’s story and boy does he have a tale to tell!!!
Cory grew up in Chicago and he is struggling to come to terms with being traded back to his home town, the trade to Chicago is ok it’s the team he has been traded to that is giving him grief after all the Chicago Rebels were his childhood rival team and he never thought he would be playing for them…
I fell head over heels for Cory and I think I have a new book boyfriend but I also loved Natalie because she was everything I would want in a best friend .the secondary characters play a big part in this book and I loved the interaction we got with them. The chemistry was scorching hot and as always we got the perfect mix of love, giggles and laugh out loud moments. Meghan Quinn is certainly up there with the queens of romantic comedy and The Trade is certainly going to be on my list of best reads of 2020.
If you are looking for a fun, romantic , entertaining read look no further that this gem.
*4 Stars*
ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.
I have been waiting for Corys book since we were first introduced to him. He’s a great character. This series of books has been really fun to read, and Cory and Natalie’s story was no different.
I really liked how they were both genuine people, and had a real connection. It takes a while for things to get going, which frustrated me, but its the way that the books in this series go, and the way the story is supposed to be told.
There are quite a few things going on this book, especially when you take in the secondary characters (our faves from the previous books). I love how they all get their stories and continuations in each book, as these characters are all so great.
This one takes you on a hell of ride, and is another great addition to this series. Enjoyed it and would recommend.
Natalie’s friends think she needs to start dating but she just went through a bad divorce. When she meets Cory, she definitely feels an attraction. Cory hasn’t been a big relationship guy but when he meets Natalie, will that change? Can they be what the other is looking for?
The Trade is a home-run in my book! If you’re looking for a good slow burn sports romance, this is the one for you. I’ve been counting down to finally getting Cory’s story ever since The Dugout, this book was everything I was hoping for and more. A great friends to lovers romance that will have you wanting to binge-read the entire series all over again. Meghan Quinn is the queen of sports romance and knows how to perfectly weave a story that will draw you in, falling for characters and rooting for their happy endings!
5 star review of The Trade by Meghan Quinn
The Trade is professional baseball player Cory Potter’s story and I do believe I may have a new book boyfriend.
After receiving the devastating news that after ten years he has been traded to his childhood rival team, the Chicago Rebels, the last thing Cory wants or needs is to fall for Natalie.
There were times that I laughed, I cried, I swooned and through it all I was cheering that Cory and Natalie would get the happily ever after that they both deserved.
I fell hard and fast for Cory, he was everything I wanted and so much more; such a charismatic hero that I couldn’t help but fall for him. Not only is he swoon worthy and hot, but he is caring and protective.
The Trade ticked all the boxes for me and is a great example of RomCom at it’s finest. Meghan Quinn has a way with words that quickly draws you in and keeps you captivated from the first to the last chapter.
The chemistry between Cory and Natalie was intense and hot. It wouldn’t be a Meghan Quinn novel without humour and laughter and this just added to my overall enjoyment of the book with numerous snort worthy laugh out loud moments.
There was nothing I didn’t like about The Trade, I just loved everything about the characters and the story.
I really enjoyed this book. Once I started I instantly lost in the story. I’m a huge fan of this series and love these baseball men. I know this is Cory’s story, but I have to just mention that Jason is my favorite and I loved he is in this one a lot. I love his sense of humor and his heart. Cory is going to need Jason in his life, good thing they’re teammates. Cory won me over for the way he treats Natalie. Can you say swoon! My heart goes out to Cory because he is put through the ringer with his new team. It broke my heart the impact it has on him physically and mentally. Cory’s support system is going to be essential for him in this book. It’s a book that is going to suck your right in with the characters. This book has plenty of heat, but it also brings the heart and feels.