The Change Up (Arlington Aces #1)

Rachel Reed has always tried to be the son her workaholic father never had. When she learns he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s she is twice as determined to fulfill his last coherent wish: get his minor-league baseball team off the ground, and then sell it.  Only a couple of things stand in her way, however - a few acres of trees and the younger brother of an old boyfriend. Sam Sutter is all grown up and working for his father’s landscaping company, after a stint in the minors ended abruptly with his mother’s death. The last person he wants to deal with is the beautiful Rachel and her new baseball team. But, with the trees his mother loved on the chopping block, he vows to face his past and stop her plans. However, as Rachel and Sam battle, more than the trees may end up for grabs as both hearts and baseball are put on the line.

The first in the “Arlington Aces” series, this contemporary romance focuses on both Rachel and Sam’s internal struggles against family expectations. With a straightforward (if predictable) plot and a steady pace, the romance is mostly lust running crazy, with minimal conflict. Furthermore, some problems are left unresolved on Rachel's end which leaves the reader hanging, although as this is the first in a new series the second book might address the loose ends. Still, with lots of baseball and plenty of steam, romance lovers will find this a light and enjoyable read.

Sarah E. Bradley