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    Love of the Game: A Stardust, Texas Novel
    Love of the Game: A Stardust, Texas Novel
    Love of the Game: A Stardust, Texas Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    Love of the Game: A Stardust, Texas Novel

    Written by Lori Wilde

    Narrated by C. J. Critt

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    A sexy sports superstar discovers his body isn’t the only thing that needs healing in this newest Stardust, Texas novel from New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde.

    With major league good looks and talent, Dallas Gunslingers relief pitcher Axel Richmond was living the good life. Even if the roar of the crowd could never distract him from the loss of his young son. But now with an injured shoulder and his career on the line, Axel is stuck recuperating at a ranch in Stardust, Texas . . . striking out only with his gorgeous physical therapist.

    Kasha Carlyle has one week to get Axel back in action or she can kiss her much-needed job with the Gunslingers goodbye. And any chance to seek custody of the orphaned half-sister she never knew existed. She quickly learns that Axel’s guarded heart also needs healing . . . requiring all kinds of sneaky plays and sexy moves in extra innings.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateApr 26, 2016
    ISBN9780062457004
    Author

    Lori Wilde

    Lori Wilde is the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers’ Weekly bestselling author of 87 works of romantic fiction. She’s a three-time Romance Writers’ of America RITA finalist and has four times been nominated for Romantic Times Readers’ Choice Award. She has won numerous other awards as well. Her books have been translated into 26 languages, with more than four million copies of her books sold worldwide. Her breakout novel, The First Love Cookie Club, has been optioned for a TV movie. Lori is a registered nurse with a BSN from Texas Christian University. She holds a certificate in forensics and is also a certified yoga instructor. A fifth-generation Texan, Lori lives with her husband, Bill, in the Cutting Horse Capital of the World; where they run Epiphany Orchards, a writing/creativity retreat for the care and enrichment of the artistic soul.

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    Reviews for Love of the Game

    3.5/5

    22 ratings4 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The third installment in Lori Wilde's Stardust, TX series, Love of the Game is an endearing romance between an injured baseball player and his physical therapist. With strong professional ethics, plenty of emotional baggage and conflicting priorities, there are numerous obstacles Axel Richmond and Kasha Carlyle must overcome on the road to happily ever after.

      Kasha has a lot riding on her new job with the Dallas Gunslingers so she works hard to ensure Axel recovers from a possible career ending shoulder injury. Having recently discovered she has an adult biological half-sister with Down Syndrome, she is doing everything possible to become Emma's legal guardian. Kasha was adopted as young child after a family tragedy and she is shocked by her strong emotional connection to her sister. Equally stunning is her intense and immediate attraction to Axel and even if her professional relationship with him precludes any type a personal relationship, her need for control would never allow her to give in to her passion for him. Having experienced firsthand the devastating effects of out of control passion, Kasha keeps a tight rein on her emotions and desires.

      Axel cannot imagine life without baseball so he is extremely focused on overcoming his injury. Although initially skeptical of Kasha's treatment plan, he wants to avoid surgery so he reluctantly follows her instructions. Axel is extremely driven and when finds himself at loose ends, he is forced to revisit the very painful memories of the devastating loss of his young son. He is taken off guard by his growing feelings for Kasha but he is willing to explore the possibility of a future with her but she is incredibly resistant to the idea. Having finally breached her formidable defenses, Axel is very conflicted when his long held dream is within reach.

      The romance element of the storyline is leisurely paced since Kasha has valid reasons to keep their interactions strictly on a professional level. Despite her efforts to maintain an emotional distance, she and Axel genuinely like and respect one another and friendship naturally grows between them throughout the course of Axel's treatment. Underlying all of their interactions is a simmering sexual tension that they both try to ignore, but once Kasha decides she has to alter some of her plans regarding Emma, they decide to act on their desire. Not too long after their relationship turns to romance, Axel is faced with a decision that makes Kasha rethink their future together. Will Kasha stop letting the events from her past prevent her from finding happiness?

      Love of the Game is an emotional, passion-filled addition to Lori Wilde's delightfully charming Stardust, TX series. Each of the characters is superbly developed with believable issues to overcome. The storyline is engaging with just a touch of whimsy that perfectly balances the novel's more serious undertones. It is a heartfelt and beautifully rendered love story that will appeal to old and fans of this wonderful series.
    • 4/5
      Good story about two people whose pasts affect their desire for relationships. Axel was focused on his baseball career, not only because it was his dream but also because it was his connection to his dead son. But a shoulder injury put his career in jeopardy and physical therapist Kasha Carlyle was his best chance to save that career. Kasha desperately needed the salary and benefits of her new job if she was going to have what she needed to get custody of her younger sister. Giving in to the attraction could be the death of that dream.I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Axel and Kasha. The chemistry was there from the moment they met. Kasha fought it hard for two reasons. First, Axel was her patient, and she refused to cross that line. Second, Axel stirred up feelings in her that she didn't want. Keeping her emotions under control was very important to her. The things that she experienced as a child watching the interactions of her volatile parents left her with a distrust of passion. Also, her focus has been on gaining custody of Emma. Axel's main focus remained on his healing and return to baseball and his goals. But he couldn't deny how drawn he was to Kasha. I enjoyed their early interactions as Kasha used every trick at her disposal to get Axel to cooperate with her treatment. It was great fun to see him realize that she knew what she was doing. The attraction between them continued to build. I admired how Kasha remained true to her ethics, even as it became harder to do so. I liked how Axel seemed to know just how hard he could push Kasha without scaring her away.I loved how both Axel and Kasha learned to grow and compromise as their relationship progressed. Their time together deepened their feelings, but neither could see how being together was possible. Axel saw his future with baseball creating a conflict between his traveling with the team and Kasha being rooted in Stardust. Kasha's focus on being what her sister needed left her feeling that there was no room for a relationship. I ached for both while they fought their battles with dreams, goals, and expectations. I loved the realism of their solution, as both of them found a way to make it work.I also liked Kasha's realistic struggle over custody of her sister. Her shock at discovering Emma's existence and challenges were believable. I admired her determination to be part of Emma's life and her love for Emma was clear. There were some very sweet scenes of the two sisters together. I also felt Kasha's frustration at the party as her dreams ran up against reality. I liked Axel's support and his intervention at one point was brilliantly handled. I ached for Kasha as she struggled with the right thing to do.Throughout the series, there has also been the presence of a magical hope chest. Kasha claimed that she didn't believe in the magic, but couldn't deny how two of her sisters found love. I enjoyed seeing her fight the truth of the special wine, especially once she discovered that Axel could taste it too. Now the only one left is Suki - where is her story?
    • 1/5
      I DNFd this one. I couldn't get into it. The chemistry felt too forced for me.
    • 4/5
      Sweet Romance down in Texas. Sexy, athletic, injured Axel has a lot to recover from. Sweet, charming, physical therapist Kasha has only a week to get this man in shape in more ways than one. There was a lot more on the line than just not having a job any longer. Axel was you all American athlete that does not know when its time to take a rest. he does not understand its more to life. Or do he? Loss of love has a way to make you not care about a lot of things. Including when you are injured and in need of time to heal. Kasha was strong, goal oriented, and real. She said things the way they were not sugarcoated. Self-control was one of her things. She had one very important goal and that was to attain guardianship of her half-sister, Emma. We have a contemporary romance that was built in Texas around an athlete and a physical therapist for an athletic team but this was not a sports romance. In this romance we find that burn of attraction that builds to a inferno as time goes on. The build of their relationship makes this that much sweeter to savor. Minding hearts, repairing souls, and fixing families can make a romance that much sweeter. Lori Wilde knows how to bring the romance with that special Texas flair. **This ARC was provided via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.**