REVIEW: The Player (The Player #1)

The Player (The Player #1), by K. Bromberg
Publish Date: April 17, 2017
Publisher: JKB Publishing, LLC
Format: paperback, purchased
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) Easton Wylder is baseball royalty. The game is his life. His passion. His everything.

So, when an injury threatens to end Easton’s season early, the team calls in the renowned physical therapist, Doc Dalton, to oversee his recovery. Except it’s not Doc who greets Easton for his first session, but rather his daughter, Scout. She may be feisty, athletic, defiant, and gorgeous, but Easton is left questioning whether she has what it takes to help him.

Scout Dalton’s out to prove a female can handle the pressure of running the physical therapy regimen of an MLB club. And that proof comes in the form of getting phenom Easton Wylder back on the field. But getting him healthy means being hands-on.

And with a man as irresistible as Easton, being hands-on can only lead to one thing, trouble. Because the more she touches him, the more she wants him, and she can’t want him. Not when it’s her job to side in the club’s best interest if he’s ready to play.

But when sparks fly and fine lines are crossed, can they withstand the heat or is one of them bound to get burned?

Sports romances are my jam. It seems that, out of all the different sports out there, that hockey is the one sport that I've seen the most of (and read the most of). But, without a doubt, baseball is my personal favorite sport, and the baseball books I've read have been great. But, The Player is absolutely the best of them all. 

The Player is perfection. Easton is everything I love in a sports hero. He's cocky and talented and a little bit tortured. He's the son of a legend, so he constantly feels the pressure of living in his father's shadow. Easton is a natural leader, and his teammates look up to him and respect him. The game is everything to Easton, at least until Scout pings his radar. 

Scout and Easton have something in common - she too is trying to live up to her famous father's expectations. Her father is the foremost physical therapist in baseball. The only club he hasn't held a contract for yet is Easton's Austin Aces, so when Easton is injured, it's time to fulfill that dream. Except, since he is ill, the responsibility to rehabilitate Easton and earn the contract falls to his daughter. 

Scout is supposed to remain detached and determined. Easton is supposed to remain focused and ambitious. But, from the very first moment they meet, there's this underlying sexual tension that muddies the waters and makes it difficult for both of them to stay completely focused on their end goals. 

However, I happen to believe that the connection they have and the relationship they develop make things better for both of them. Yes, their attention is split between their jobs and each other, but the support and love they get in return makes them better people. Easton has someone to talk to about the pressure he faces to get better and return to the game he loves. He also has someone to confide in about his mother and her illness. Scout can talk to Easton about how scared she is of losing her father and not measuring up to his expectations. And together they find something neither of them have had before. 

Scout and Easton are an incredible couple. They share this love of the sport, but from different aspects. They compliment each other so well. The pages where they got to know each other were so enjoyable, and I found myself dreading the ending. Not because of the cliffhanger (although there was a small one of those), but more because I was having such a good time reading their story, I didn't want it to end. 

I loved The Player so much. I've never read something by K. Bromberg that I didn't love, but The Player may be one of hers I have loved the most.