ARC Review: Whatever Life Throws at You

Goodreads summary: Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas's life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she's living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals' super-hot rookie pitcher.

But nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team. Annie has enough on her plate without taking their friendship to the next level. The last thing she should be doing is falling in love.

But baseball isn't just a game. It's life. And sometimes, it can break your heart.

I've got two words for you: Jason. Brody. Well, I have much more to say about this book, but we can start with him. I love Brody; he's such a lovable hero. He's a little too cocky at first, like a lot of YA heroes, but he's a sweetheart. A sweetheart with glorious abs. On top of that, he's a baseball player and fluent in Spanish. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOY IS SWOON-WORTHY. HE IS TOO MUCH.

Okay, enough about Brody for now. If I keep at this I could be squealing about him forever.

I like Annie, too. I love the relationship she has with her dad, as well as her passion for running. Her friend Lenny is a fun minor character, and I enjoyed what she brought to the story.

The writing is also A+. This is my first Julie Cross read, but it definitely won't be my last. She managed to create a perfect plot mixed in with lots of baseball talk that even I as a non-sportsfan found interesting. I love her writing style and contemporaries are my absolute favorite, so I will be checking out Letters To Nowhere very soon.

So let's recap: excellent writing, entertaining plot, great characters, and an incredibly attractive male love interest. YES PLEASE. I absolutely adore this book, and if contemporary romance is your thing, I think you will too! Check it out when it releases on October seventh!