Title: Curveball
Author: Mariah Dietz
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 18, 2017
Blurb
Shakespeare believed there was always humor in tragedy and tragedy in humor.
My life proved his theory as fact.
At eighteen I was a single parent moving to this small town to be with the man I loved. The one who was supposed to love and cherish me in return.
Finding out he had a wife was tragic.
Remaining in love with him in spite of her was more tragic.
My mom and best friend setting me up on a long string of blind dates was an ongoing tragedy.
Nine years later, I’ve learned to see the humor in most situations.
My mom and best friend setting me up on disastrous blind dates.
My son’s jokes.
The fire alarm going off each time I cook.
My constant bright spot always adding to the humor was my son, Hayden. But when Hayden had a life-threatening allergic reaction, the man who came to help my little boy became my own savior. His laugh, his smile, and the way his eyes lit up when he spoke to my son made him a beacon of light in both our lives.
But I wasn’t the only one who noticed him.
When I began having feelings for the man my best and only friend had fallen for, I knew following my heart would once again lead to a fresh round of heartbreak.
Love led me to this town.
Lies kept me there.
Would history repeat itself?
Or had life just thrown me another Curveball?
Stephanie’s 5 Star Beta Review:
I beta read this book for the author. This is my review.
I absolutely love how this author writes. When I was asked to beta review this book for her I was a bit over the moon. Curveball is different from her first set of books. This one borders on the line of women’s fiction than that of a love story. However there’s still an awesome love story.
We have Ella who is a single parent and pretty much the town’s social pariah. I was so mad when I found out her backstory – which is in the book – I wanted to scream at these towns people. Then I wanted to scream at Ella because she just took it. Her baby daddy is looked upon as a saint in this town when he’s far from it. It’s double standard #1, if you ask me.
Then we have Coen. Gosh. He’s such a lovable character. He’s almost too perfect. He does have some flaws. But compared to most he is the true saint in this book. He loves his family, his friends, and he seeks information first before he allows others to taint his opinion. If only more people would be like Coen.
So Ella has a son who’s deathly allergic to nuts and he plays baseball. There’s a lot of this story that centers around her son and their family dynamic. I thought Mariah did a great job showing how much concern Ella has for her son and how she’s providing for him. Like most mom’s she rarely takes time out for herself. She’s always focused on her son first and her work second. She’s not had time for a man. Nor has she been interested in any of the dates her mother and her best friend set her up with.
Let me just say that sometimes you don’t need to judge a book by it’s cover. There’s so much going on in this story. I enjoyed every part of it. Yes, there were parts of the story that needed to be tightened / fixed / added, just like every book but for the most part Mariah knocked Curveball out of the park!
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Excerpt
“I don’t watch TV at night…” Her voice drifts off, and I know it’s because she realizes I’m going to ask why.And I do.
“You’re going to laugh.”
“Probably.”
“It’s because I can’t hear things.”
“What kinds of things are you trying to hear?”
“I don’t know. Strange noises and things…”
“Strange noises?”
“Do I need to spell it out for you?” She’s trying to sound annoyed, but I can hear the smile in her voice.
“Apparently, because I have no idea what you’re talking about. What kinds of strange noises are you going to hear? I usually turn my TV up to block out all the strange sounds like the neighbor’s kids and the lady behind me that sounds like Fran fucking Drescher.”
“You know who Fran Drescher is?”
“My mother was a big fan of that stupid show she was in. Stop changing the subject. What are you listening for? Hayden won’t sneak out.”
“What if someone breaks in?”
“You’re not serious.”
“Of course I’m serious!”
“What do you do all night?” I ask.
“Work,” she admits. “Well, usually I clean, and then I work.”
“I’m coming over.”
“You can’t.”
The panic in her voice doesn’t make her sound upset about the idea, but afraid.
Is it because she likes me?
“Why not?” I ask.
“It’s like nine o’clock.”
“Are you about to turn orange and sprout a stem?”
“That and I’m not wearing a bra, if you must know.”
“So put it back on.”
“You don’t understand. That’s like saying put your jeans back on.”
“I am in jeans,” I lie just to get a reaction out of her.
“What is wrong with you?” she cries.
“What’s wrong with jeans?”
“They’re stiff and uncomfortable. Wearing jeans all day is basically equivalent to walking on sandpaper. But at least you guys have pockets that will actually hold something larger than a thimble and don’t ride up your ass.”
“If your bra is riding up your ass, we have bigger fish to fry than being afraid of the boogey man.”
Mariah Dietz lives with her husband, two sons, and two four-legged children who are the axis of her crazy and wonderful world. Mariah grew up in a tiny town outside of Portland, Oregon where she spent most of her time immersed
in the pages of books that she both read and created. She has a love for all things that include her family, good coffee, books, traveling, and dark chocolate. She’s also obsessed with Christmas ornaments and all things Disney.
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About Stephanie
I'm a wife, mom of two, volunteer, reader, blogger, and author pimp. Welcome to my website!
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