LOVE OF THE GAME

In this sweet installment of the Stardust, Texas series, a small-town belle forces a big-league player to take a seventh-inning stretch.

In the quaint town of Stardust, the Carlyle sisters—Breeane, Jodi, Suki, and Kasha—share the contents of a hope chest they found in the local antiques shop. Kasha’s item turns out to be a bottle of wine that tastes like vinegar to everyone but her, and if the family lore about the chest holds true, there will be someone else whose palate matches her flavor profile. That someone might be her new physical therapy client, Axel Richmond. After his son’s tragic death, all Axel dreams about is playing for the Yankees, and he’s considering a risky surgery when Kasha encourages him to slow down and rethink his priorities. But for Kasha to pursue the sexy professional baseball player while he’s still in her care would be about as unprofessional as it gets. She can’t afford to lose her job. After recently learning she has a disabled half sister, Emma, Kasha is rearranging her life to gain custody. But Kasha hides a troubled past, and the last thing she wants is to lose control of her senses, no matter what the wine bottle says. No amount of heart-to-heart talks, family barbecues, or hot therapy sessions in bathing suits and yoga pants can break her resolve. Delayed gratification is the name of the game here, and Axel’s patience is an even greater virtue than his rock-hard abs, especially after Kasha discovers that “it’s a romantic myth that sex is fantabulous the first time out of the gate.”

The romance unfolds at a leisurely pace, balancing intense emotions with heartwarming family moments.