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heavenlyi's review
4.0
“When you give your heart away there’s no way to fully get it back. Pieces will be left behind, lies will drill holes, deceit will cause cracks, and the feeling of being unwanted will create a doubt your heart was ever whole.”
Curveball is the story of a woman who has had her heart destroyed, but has found the strength to carry on for her son. Ella is a strong heroine, although a bit of a neurotic. She hasn’t had things easy up to this point, but she is determined to succeed, to the point of being obsessed. Coen is the sexy firefighter, who can’t help but be drawn to this woman and her son.
I loved the way Coen is with Ella and her son; he is definitely the type of protective hero we love to read about. I think Coen was my favorite part of the story. Ella was all about her son, and making a great life for him, despite the fact that it meant living in a town that hated her. I so admired her determination.
I’m not always a fan of the slow burn, but here it works well as the characters get to know each other and Ella works through her doubts. If you are expecting sexiness, look elsewhere. This is NOT that type of story. Not what I was expecting, but not bad either.
I really enjoyed this small town romance. It wasn’t quite the angst fest I expected from the blurb. Actually, there is very little angst at all. There is a small twist, and I guarantee you will want to strangle some of the side characters at some point. Ella and Coen, however, share a special connection that you can’t help but root for.
Curveball is the story of a woman who has had her heart destroyed, but has found the strength to carry on for her son. Ella is a strong heroine, although a bit of a neurotic. She hasn’t had things easy up to this point, but she is determined to succeed, to the point of being obsessed. Coen is the sexy firefighter, who can’t help but be drawn to this woman and her son.
I loved the way Coen is with Ella and her son; he is definitely the type of protective hero we love to read about. I think Coen was my favorite part of the story. Ella was all about her son, and making a great life for him, despite the fact that it meant living in a town that hated her. I so admired her determination.
I’m not always a fan of the slow burn, but here it works well as the characters get to know each other and Ella works through her doubts. If you are expecting sexiness, look elsewhere. This is NOT that type of story. Not what I was expecting, but not bad either.
I really enjoyed this small town romance. It wasn’t quite the angst fest I expected from the blurb. Actually, there is very little angst at all. There is a small twist, and I guarantee you will want to strangle some of the side characters at some point. Ella and Coen, however, share a special connection that you can’t help but root for.
scvallese1's review
5.0
4.5 Stars
I went into this really needing a sweet romance, where the hero was strong, caring, and loved hard. I needed a book where the female lead was flawed, yet independent, and fell hard. I was in the mood for a single parent trying to do it all and be all for their child/children. I got all of that with Curveball. I loved Coen (his family cracked me up and reminds me so much of my big, boisterous Italian family!). He was the perfect complement to Ella.
The writing was done well and I cared about the characters (well, not all of them, but I'm pretty sure that was the author's intention). I may have wish for a little more at the end- a little more closure- to feel complete.
Overall, I loved this! And I will be checking out other books by Mariah Dietz!
I went into this really needing a sweet romance, where the hero was strong, caring, and loved hard. I needed a book where the female lead was flawed, yet independent, and fell hard. I was in the mood for a single parent trying to do it all and be all for their child/children. I got all of that with Curveball. I loved Coen (his family cracked me up and reminds me so much of my big, boisterous Italian family!). He was the perfect complement to Ella.
The writing was done well and I cared about the characters (well, not all of them, but I'm pretty sure that was the author's intention). I may have wish for a little more at the end- a little more closure- to feel complete.
Overall, I loved this! And I will be checking out other books by Mariah Dietz!
vikcs's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
Then when I started to read it my excitement ebbed a little bit because it start out kind of slow and I wasn’t impressed with the writing style at the beginning. I felt detached, disconnected from the plot thanks to the way it was written and it took me for a while to get into it. Fortunately, as the story progressed this all cleared out and the writing became considerably smoother. And I started to enjoy myself immensely. The storyline is nothing extraordinary or over dramatized; it’s more down to earth and everyday life kind of story. Yet I really liked it and felt every bit of emotion and experience the characters did. It was really great, although the synopsis is a bit misleading. First of all some of the things don’t even get discussed that are mentioned in it and the things that come up are kinda do so quite late in the book. So it was strange knowing things about the main character when they don’t even mentioned until the second half of the book.
The story is told from Ella and Coen point of views alternately. I really liked them both. Ella is a young single mother who is completely devoted to her son, pretty hard working, smart and resourceful, a bit neurotic and has hard core OCD. But at the same time she intentionally arranged her life to be so busy so she doesn’t have to address some hard questions, issues regarding mainly her love life. On the surface she is calm and collected, also TRIES dating, moving on but later on in the story she realizes that she is clinging to fairy tales and hoping for something she doesn’t really want. Especially after Coen appears in her life and they start an effortless relationship with easy conversations, companionship and support. They just clicked but it took them for a while to notice it.
Coen could seem as bit of a man-child at the beginning. Yes he has his priorities straight, he is independent and hard working but despite his age he didn’t care for commitment and his free time is filled with video games, pool and he lives the ultimate bachelor lifestyle. But he is not afraid to admit when it all changes or to try new things. He simply after one meeting eases into Ella and Hayden life like it’s natural for him. I really like that he didn’t have the typical characteristics single men usually have in books like this. He was quite a realistic character.
I liked some of the supporting cast too, and even the ones whom are the proverbial bad guy are created really well. Hayden is cute, honest but since he is a people pleaser he is really hard on himself.
Emotions run high, secrets got revealed and people start to heal. This is a great story and there are a couple of surprises in it I didn’t expect some I figured out during reading. I enjoyed it more than I initially though I would and especially liked the little stories and scenes about Elle dates and her process to screening them. They were funny and light hearted. This book has a really beautiful plotline only thing I would change maybe heighten the dramatic factor a bit and I would have loved a more informative epilogue.
smutbook_cami's review
4.0
Curve ball is right
I've had this book for awhile. I liked how it was written. The story was better than I expected. I did see Rachel being the one who spread the rumors though. I didn't lime how Ella was such a pushover. I wished she stood up for herself more. Happy it had a HEA.
I've had this book for awhile. I liked how it was written. The story was better than I expected. I did see Rachel being the one who spread the rumors though. I didn't lime how Ella was such a pushover. I wished she stood up for herself more. Happy it had a HEA.
amandaj6's review
4.0
Not my usual
This kind of book (emotionally suspenseful?) isn't one I would typically read, but something in the blurb had me continuously thinking about it. I'm glad I decided to read it, it was really good.
This kind of book (emotionally suspenseful?) isn't one I would typically read, but something in the blurb had me continuously thinking about it. I'm glad I decided to read it, it was really good.
ladycivic's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this book!! I had to read it in one sitting-I HAD to know how it ended!! Poor Ella thought she found true love when she was young-found out she was, in fact, the other woman. She met Coen years later, and she definitely felt something for him, but she had definitely hardened her heart after being burned once, and badly. She now has Hayden, her son, as her priority. Plus, living in the same town as her ex, her reputation has already been tarnished. Coen, who has learned the hard way to NEVER date a neighbor, instead decides to befriend the young mother and her son. Throw in Ella's best friend, who wants to get to know Coen herself, Ms. Dietz has set us up for quite a ride!! Five angsty stars from me!
emilmoor's review
2.0
the story itself was fine (maybe i should give it a 3), but there were so many plot holes, it made me batty. why mention her mom several times and then never introduce her mom in the book? why is his photo in the news all of the time (because he's handsome? gag). why have him have this big, loving, supportive family and never bring his two worlds together? did the kid ever throw a curveball? did she get custody? did he have to go to his dads the next day? so dumb ....
sbauer16's review
3.0
I was looking forward to reading Curveball ever since I read Mariah's short story in the Drunk on Love Anthology. It was one of my favorites and first read by her and I wanted to read more from her DESPARTELY.
Curveball felt like the PERFECT read for me because of the forbidden romance and there being a single parent. I don't know if I had such high hopes or what, but I just couldn't read this book all the way through. I had to skim most of it after about 20% into it. Don't get me wrong, I loved Coen, Ella, and especially Hayden, but the other characters not so much. It felt the WHOLE town was out to get them and I hated them for it.
I REALLY loved the slow burn of Ella and Coen's relationship. Coen with Hayden made me swoon many MANY times. I really wish that Hayden was there at the very end and I was a little disappointed in that. There were times that made me laugh-out-loud or even cry.
I would like to read more from this author in the future. Just because this wasn't a home run for me doesn't mean her other books won't.
Curveball felt like the PERFECT read for me because of the forbidden romance and there being a single parent. I don't know if I had such high hopes or what, but I just couldn't read this book all the way through. I had to skim most of it after about 20% into it. Don't get me wrong, I loved Coen, Ella, and especially Hayden, but the other characters not so much. It felt the WHOLE town was out to get them and I hated them for it.
I REALLY loved the slow burn of Ella and Coen's relationship. Coen with Hayden made me swoon many MANY times. I really wish that Hayden was there at the very end and I was a little disappointed in that. There were times that made me laugh-out-loud or even cry.
I would like to read more from this author in the future. Just because this wasn't a home run for me doesn't mean her other books won't.
nessreads11's review
5.0
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*
5 Stars!!!
"When you give your heart away there’s no way to fully get it back. Pieces will be left behind, lies will drill holes, deceit will cause cracks, and the feeling of being unwanted will create a doubt your heart was ever whole."
Ella is a single mother, she didn't think she'd be raising her son alone, but circumstances she didn't see coming has changed everything. Ella fell for a man when she was a teenager which irrevocably changed the course of her life. With her being a single mother, plus her full-time job, doesn't leave Ella time to date. Her "blind dates" don't count to say the least. Bad date after bad date is testing Ella's patience, and she's starting to believe that it's just not for her.
An unexpected accident has Ella coming face-to-face with her best friend Rachel's new neighbor, Coen. She doesn't expect to form a connection with him. And he's everything she's sworn off, a firefighter, and also because her friend Rachel has interest in Coen. Ella didn't expect to form a friendship with Coen, but soon that friendship begins to develop into something more.
"I've been looking at you like you're mine since I first saw you."
Coen, Coen, Coen oh-my-word I couldn't get enough of Coen DeLuca. He was charming and endearing and thoughtful and oh so loving. I loved how he cared for Hayden, Ella's son just as much has he did for her. He was everything Ella needed, and the way he broke down the walls she had built around her heart was beautiful. Coen had me swooning constantly, what a man.
"I already knew my fate was sealed. Knew it the moment I stood in my driveway and she answered my silent pleas to look over."
'Curveball' wasn't what I expected, no, it was better! This book was unputdownable, it kept me turning the pages at full speed. I needed to know what was going to happen and oh, that bomb that was dropped towards the end, OH! MY! GOSH! Never saw that coming. One of my favorite reads this year. Definitely recommend this book!
5 Stars!!!
"When you give your heart away there’s no way to fully get it back. Pieces will be left behind, lies will drill holes, deceit will cause cracks, and the feeling of being unwanted will create a doubt your heart was ever whole."
Ella is a single mother, she didn't think she'd be raising her son alone, but circumstances she didn't see coming has changed everything. Ella fell for a man when she was a teenager which irrevocably changed the course of her life. With her being a single mother, plus her full-time job, doesn't leave Ella time to date. Her "blind dates" don't count to say the least. Bad date after bad date is testing Ella's patience, and she's starting to believe that it's just not for her.
An unexpected accident has Ella coming face-to-face with her best friend Rachel's new neighbor, Coen. She doesn't expect to form a connection with him. And he's everything she's sworn off, a firefighter, and also because her friend Rachel has interest in Coen. Ella didn't expect to form a friendship with Coen, but soon that friendship begins to develop into something more.
"I've been looking at you like you're mine since I first saw you."
Coen, Coen, Coen oh-my-word I couldn't get enough of Coen DeLuca. He was charming and endearing and thoughtful and oh so loving. I loved how he cared for Hayden, Ella's son just as much has he did for her. He was everything Ella needed, and the way he broke down the walls she had built around her heart was beautiful. Coen had me swooning constantly, what a man.
"I already knew my fate was sealed. Knew it the moment I stood in my driveway and she answered my silent pleas to look over."
'Curveball' wasn't what I expected, no, it was better! This book was unputdownable, it kept me turning the pages at full speed. I needed to know what was going to happen and oh, that bomb that was dropped towards the end, OH! MY! GOSH! Never saw that coming. One of my favorite reads this year. Definitely recommend this book!