Travis “Two Bats” Ford is a player—both of baseball and of girls. But a serious injury leaves him unable to play baseball again, sending him back to his childhood home and into a depressive spiral. Being Travis’s best friend’s sister, Georgette Castle grew up around Travis and has crushed on him since she was little. Despite his reputation, Georgie has always liked him and looked up to him. When he comes home after his injury, he bonds with Georgie in a new more mature way than the “little sister” he used to know. And this being a romance book, of course we know that they hook up.
Georgie is a sweet, wonderful, caring, innocent girl who I really enjoyed reading about. On the other hand, I couldn’t get over Travis’s disgusting reputation and couldn’t understand how Georgie would ever like him; I’ve never understood why girls always fawn over the guys that only want sex and nothing else and don’t even care about them and treat them like garbage, but I digress.
I liked this simple plot of this story: Georgie and Travis decide to fake-date each other for public appearances so they will both be taken seriously for reasons I won’t list here, but of course fake dating turns into real dating before they know it. (These aren’t spoilers, it’s in the description.)
I liked that Georgie was able to show Travis he is a worthwhile person and be there for him when literally no one has before, but I didn’t like the way Travis talked to Georgie. He obviously liked her more than just for sex, which even he seemed shocked about, but he was also pretty controlling of her and I wasn’t into that. I wouldn’t go so far to say he was abusive, but he was definitely demanding and liked to act like he was in charge of her, especially in the bedroom, which wasn’t cool. I know some people like that, but that wasn’t for me. For example, during their first night together he thought, “I want to own her,” and also that he was “making his mark” on her, and when he was done “he shouted his victory.” And at another time he tells her, “You might be on top but I’m still in charge.” Those thoughts are absolutely not okay and not sexy.
So while I liked the cute plot of this novel and I liked Georgie’s character and her coming-of-self subplot to get her family to show her more respect as a real adult, I didn’t really care for Travis as a character because he’s not someone I would ever be attracted to or want to be with so I was just kind of turned off of him the whole time. I didn’t dislike him enough to put the book down, but he had me sneering and scowling at his actions instead of swooning. I’m also really not into the story of the cocky, super experienced guy who takes the virginity of the super innocent girl. Please just stop with that plot.
I read this book because I like to read cute rom-coms in the middle of dark, cold December, and this book fit that mood, but it’s definitely not one I’d ever reread. I much prefer the swoony romances with the good guys and less smut (and don’t let this innocent cover fool you, this book is so smutty).
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