ARC Review: Foul Ball (The Royals #0.5) by Mariah Jolie
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Series: The Royals #0.5
Author: Mariah Jolie
Published July 1st 2025
Goodreads Synopsis
A filthy-hot enemies-to-lovers sports romance where the only thing hotter than their hatred is what happens when the gloves come off.
Some people you want to kiss. Others you want to kill.
But when it comes to River Bryant? Eva Reed wants to do both.
Eva's sunshine optimism has never met a person it couldn't warm—until River.
The infuriatingly gorgeous journalist with his permanent scowl and an allergy to kindness.
River lives in emotional lockdown,
And Eva is the one person who can crack his carefully constructed walls.
With their boss retiring, and one hell of a promotion is on the line, they're forced to work together on one explosive story: investigating a baseball star's dark secrets.
But being trapped together following the New York Royals baseball team awakens a hunger neither can ignore.
She's chaos in heels, and he can't decide if he wants to throttle her...
...or drag her to the nearest bed.
As the danger escalates and bodies press close in hotel rooms, their hate-fueled banter turns into stolen kisses and scorching nights.
Eva's determined to crack River's walls, and River's discovering that protecting her is becoming more important than protecting his heart.
But when Eva's life hangs in the balance, River comes face to face with his greatest terror—losing someone he loves all over again.
Will love be enough to conquer his demons?
Or will the fear of loss consume him completely?
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via BookSirens. This in no way impacted on my view.
Journalists Eva and River have hated each other for as long as they’ve worked together at the same paper. When their editor-in-chief announces he will be retiring soon, and both are up for the position, they need to put aside their differences and work together to get the biggest scoop of all. Travelling together to Austin to follow the local baseball team, their target is hotshot player Harley, who has a string of allegations against him that are conveniently hidden as soon as they appear. What should be a simple assignment soon becomes anything but.
I don’t know about you, but I love the enemies to lovers trope, and this book did it extremely well. Eva and River had that perfect mix of chemistry and animosity which makes them perfect for the trope. Eva is sunshine and happiness, whereas River is the traditional grumpy, broody figure. They’ve both got difficult pasts, and have dealt with them differently, leaving River guarded and closed off to friendships or relationships. Though this was a quick book, it really explored their issues and showed their vulnerable sides where they could be ready for love. The epilogue was great, and it’s really whet my appetite for book 1.
Dates Read:
August 1, 2025
Rating
4 Stars
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