Love Bats Lasts by Pamela Aares

Today's review come from my To-be-read pile. Love Bats Last was originally published in 2013. I don't think I've had it that long, I think I picked it up as a freebie more recently.

In LOVE BATS LAST, (The Tavonesi Series, #1), the baseball diamond isn't the only field for all-star player Alex Tavonesi; he also runs his family's prestigious vineyard. What he can't seem to run is his love life. He's closing in on the perfect vintage and the perfect game, but so far the perfect woman has eluded him. Veterinarian Jackie Brandon is eluding her aristocratic past and memories of a soccer star who jilted her just before their wedding. She devotes herself to a marine mammal rescue center on the northern California coast, where hundreds of seals and sea lions are washing up dead. A chance meeting in a midnight storm brings Alex and Jackie together to rescue a stranded whale. Watching her work, he realizes she's the passionate, courageous woman he thought he'd never find—he just has to overcome her deep distrust of jocks. Jackie’s passion and courage lead her to discover what's killing the sea mammals. The culprits want to silence her, and Alex is the only one standing in their way. What will he sacrifice to save the woman he loves?

Elizabeth's Review

3.5 stars

A romance with a mystery and suspense throw in, Love Bats Last was a fun read. We meet Jackie (a vet for a seal rescue) and Alex (a baseball player and winery owner) when he helps Jackie out of a jam near his property.

These two are interesting to watch. Jackie is determined to not have a relationship and Alex is equally determined to get to know her. It was really nice to watch a guy like Alex (famous baseball player + wealthy land owner) actually have to work to get to know a woman. The fact that he has a natural interest in the work she is doing goes a long way too.

It was much easier to like Alex than it was to like Jackie, she was pretty snappy and stand-offish, but we learned why later on in the story. The mystery and suspense elements are well woven into the book so that both the romantic and suspense story lines move forward without one detracting from the other.

I enjoyed the timing for when Jackie and Alex finally got together. They had been building to it for a while and it was wonderful to see things come to fruition the way they did. I didn’t really understand the argument that led to Jackie stormy off, but it served the purpose of the story.

I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that I loved the ending. This is definitely a book I would suggest for a relaxing summer afternoon.

Where to find Love Bats Last:

Goodreads

Amazon (Still free as of 6/27/15)