ARC Review: Thrown By A Curve by Jaci Burton

She thinks she knows this player--but he has a few surprise moves.
For Alicia Riley, her job as a sports therapist for the St. Louis Rivers baseball team is a home run--until she becomes the primary therapist for star pitcher Garrett Scott. Out of the lineup with an injury, he's short-tempered, hard to handle, and every solid inch a man. 

Right now, the only demand he's making on Alicia is that she get him ready to pitch in time for opening day. Except the sexual chemistry between them is so charged, Alicia's tempted to oblige Garrett just about anything. But their careers are at stake--one bad move and it's game over for both of them. 

Garrett also feels the hot sparks between them, and the way he figures it, what better therapy is there than sex? Now all he has to do is convince the woman with the power to make the call.

I first started reading Jaci Burton's Play by Play series after I met her at RWA 2012. She was really kind and signed several book plates for me. Main thing that attracted me to her books is her covers. Nothing like a half naked man to draw attention from the eyes. :D Her covers have usually went with the main theme of a hot, half naked, faceless man and this book's cover is no different; not that I mind.

So far her books have circulated around the Rileys and their extended family. An athletic group hot, muscled man who play in baseball, football, and hockey. And them there are the females of the family as well. In this volume of the series, we focus on Alicia Riley, a sports therapist for the Rivers, sister to the Cole Riley (hero of book 4) and cousin to Gavin Riley (hero of book 2). She had just gotten her dream job with the Rivers and faces her first obstacle, Garrett Scott.

Garrett is the main pitcher for the Rivers and is currently in therapy for his arm. The only thing stopping him from a full recovery is his personality as bluntly said by Alicia when he calls her out in front of the therapy staff.

"You're argumentative, confrontational, and a general pain in the ass to deal with. Honestly, no one wants to work with you because you fight your recovery. Half of healing is mental, and your head is the biggest obstacle to getting you back on the mound."

Her honesty and confidence attract Garrett's attention and she is put in charge of her recovery. As much of a career booster as this is for Alicia, it also puts a lot of pressure on her. If she couldn't get Garrett back on the mound, it's her butt on the line. They are attracted to each other right off the bat and as they spend more time together, they realize that resisting is futile. 

I give this book a.....4 & a half rating.

I liked how Jaci expanded on the Rivers personnel and  the closeness of the Riley family. Alicia is like every other female in the Riley family. She's smart, strong-willed, kind, and won't hesitate to kick your butt. In the beginning I found Garrett to be the stereotypical athlete, but as the story progresses, he proved to be nice guy. The only reason Alicia and Garrett didn't get a full 5 was because I felt that Alicia and Garrett were beating around the bush about the extent of their relationship. Other than that, I loved all of the new characters that were introduced in this book, which in answered what most readers want to ask Jaci Burton, so what now? Since all of the Rileys, males and females, have all been paired up, I wondered what Jaci's game plan was. Judging by the next book's cover I'm going with racing. This book is an excellent addition to the Play by Play series and hopefully the next volume will be just as good.

I am giving away a copy of Thrown by a Curve and a book plate. Winner gets to pick which plate they want. Same giveaway rules apply. This book officially comes out tomorrow, so expect a Release Day Euphoria post tomorrow. Order your copies today or take your chances and enter to win. The giveaway ends the 12th of March. I also included links to sites that will sell the book. Click those if you can't wait for the giveaway to end.

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No copyright infringement intended. All rights belong to Jaci Burton.