Making it Happen: Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: THE BALLER by Vi Keeland

Friday, January 22, 2016

Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: THE BALLER by Vi Keeland

Meet Brody Easton in THE BALLER!

A standalone Contemporary Romance novel by

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Vi Keeland

NOW AVAILABLE

iBooks

Blurb

The first time I met Brody Easton was in the men’s locker room.

It was my first interview as a professional sportscaster.

The famed quarterback decided to bare all.

And by all, I don’t mean he told me any of his secrets.

No. The arrogant ass decided to drop his towel, just as I asked the first question. On camera.

The Super Bowl MVP quickly adopted a new hobby—screwing with me.

When I pushed back, he shifted from wanting to screw with me, to wanting to screw me.

But I don’t date players.

And it’s not because I’m one of the few women working in the world of professional football.

I’d date an athlete.

It’s the other kind of player I don’t date.

You know the type. Good looking, strong, cocky, always looking to get laid.

Brody Easton was the ultimate player.

Every woman wanted to be the one to change him.

But the truth was, all he needed was a girl worth changing for.

Turned out, I was that girl.

Simple right?

Let’s face it. It never is.

There’s a story between once upon a time and happily ever after…

And this one is ours.

Excerpt from

A new song had just started, and I was enjoying his company when a voice behind me said, “Can I cut in?”

My head whipped around, even though I had no doubt whom the gravelly voice belonged to.

Michael was gracious. “I hate to share. But I suppose I have been hogging the most beautiful woman at the event.” He let go of my hand and stepped back with a gentlemanly nod. “Thank you for the dance, Delilah.”

Again Brody Easton had caught me off guard. Before I knew it, I was dancing with the arrogant jerk. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled my body tight against his. Way tighter than Michael had held me.

“Good to see you again, Lois Lane.”

The man had balls; I had to give him that. I looked him straight in the eyes. “Nice to see you with clothes on, Easton.”

“Do you prefer me without?”

“I prefer you on the other side of the room.”

He chuckled. It was a hearty laugh. “That’s what happens sometimes when you decide you want to hang out in the men’s locker room.”

I tried to pull back, but he tightened his grip and held me in place. I craned my neck. “Let go of me.”

“No.”

“No?”

“That’s right. No.”

“I can scream at the top of my lungs.”

“I’d like to hear you scream.” His tone made it clear he meant he wanted me underneath him while I was doing the screaming.

“You’re an asshole. You know that?”

“I do. You asked me that yesterday. For a reporter, you should really try changing up your questions more frequently.”

My eyes bulged.

Easton shifted his hand down to the small of my back before twirling us around the dance floor. Figures the prick can dance.

“Are you seeing anyone?”

“You can’t be serious?”

He ignored my comment. “Would you like to have dinner tonight?”

“We just ate.”

“Dessert at my place, then?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Did you hit your head at the game yesterday?”

“On a diet, huh?”

“Yeah. That’s it. I don’t want to go to your place for dessert because I’m on a diet.”

“Well, that’s just a shame.”

My Review

Here's the important stuff you need to know...The Baller is pretty darn funny in so many places, but it's also pretty darn serious in others. For me, the best parts were the absolutely fantastic banter between the characters-Brody and Delilah, Brody and Marlene, Brody and Grouper, Delilah and Indie-these interactions are done so well and are quite witty, many of them making me laugh out loud.

The chemistry-not just between Brody and Delilah, but also with the rest of the characters-is amazing and it just draws you into the story so deep that before I realized it, I'd read the entire book in a single sitting. I just did not want to put it down. I also loved getting both Brody and Delilah's points of view since it brings so much more depth to the story.

That doesn't mean I was head over heels for the entire thing though. My one issue was with Willow, a young woman from Brody's past. I totally understand the drama, tension and angst her character is meant to bring...but what I was not at all fond of was the inclusion of her point of view in this story as well. Sometimes when other characters have their point of view included in a story, it serves to make the story even richer and deeper. But Willow's didn't do this for me at all, and just served to make me dislike her quite a bit.

But that aside, everything else about The Baller hit all of my book-love buttons. Brody was hands-down my favorite character with his smartass comments and teasing ways. And behind all of that is a character much deeper than you'd expect, which will make you fall for him even more. I've added him as a permanent fixture to my book boyfriends list.

The Baller is a heck of a lot of fun, balanced by a heavy dose of seriousness, peppered with some nice hot scenes and wrapped up in Brody's sexy...package. ;-) (oh yeah, no innuendo there at all...)

4.5 stars for The Baller (it's that Willow POV that lost that half star for me), and I'd highly recommend this to sports romance fans, romantic comedy fans, readers who love cocky alpha males...well, just about everyone! It's for the 18+ crowd due to adult language and sexual content.

About the Author:

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn't change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!