I really enjoyed this book!! Thank you to netgalley for the ARC! Allison was a great character and I loved her grandfather as well. Connor was complex and not your average baseball player. This was a great comeback story plus a love story. My only gripe is a few editorial things. 4 stars.

The new General Manager of the Charleston Thrashers is a total ass. He's more concerned about focus groups and the bottom line than baseball. He tries to sack Allison Whyte, the head of PR, after a bad season (because obviously it's the PR that's to blame) and in a desperate attempt to save her job Allison volunteers to rehab the public image of former baseball legend Connor Whitman who has just been released from prison after serving two years for insider trading. She just won't tell Connor that the GM won't give him a place on the team no matter how good the PR.

Connor Whitman just wants to train and get back on the team. he doesn't want to see anyone or talk to anyone. But when the scary Allison puts her mind to something no man on earth can dissuade her.

First off, I love sports romances and the cover was super sexy with a slight Charlie Hunnam vibe so I jumped at the chance to get an ARC and I wasn't disappointed. But this wasn't just a cookie-cutter enemies to lovers sports romance, I really enjoyed the interactions between Allison and her grandfather, Biff, himself a former baseball player. I also enjoyed the camaraderie between Connor and his team mates, and the sparky interactions between Connor and Allison. The plot felt more grown-up, which is suited to Connor's more mature age (34), sure there's still the obligatory 'big scene' but it felt more realistic than many others I have read.

After I finished this I checked and I had also read the first book in the series, not only that, I made similar comments. Apparently Julianna Keyes is a lifelong baseball fan and it shows.

I'm fascinated to know who could be the next player to find romance ...

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

3.5 Stars
I loved this author's NA college based series so I was excited to get this ARC. For me this book just didn't live up to my expectations. It was fine. Easy, low angst, low steam reading. It didn't pack any punch though. I didn't love the characters, there wasn't a wow moment, the plot was predictable and I had no problem putting it down to fold laundry or make dinner. It wasn't bad, but I doubt I'll remember it next week.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋💋

Connor and Alison have been a dream to get to know.

The grumpy Ex-con and former Thrashers Star, and the high strung lady who fights the fires that the players start with their antics.

It’s been a journey and a half.
Highs , lows, laughs , tears , fights and makeup’s, but through it all these two have had that chemistry that lights up pages and encourages you to continue reading more.
Addictive stuff, I’m looking forward to reading more.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

A story that brings a smile and a laugh. I enjoyed the way Allison challenges Connor in order to get him to do things her way. The friendships that Connor has with his teammates s wonderful. The changes that come throughout this book are great. A really good read

Sometimes a book comes along and totally knocks you out, when you least expected it. That was Bench Player for me. I adored it. Connor is someone who had it all - but then messed it all up in spectacular fashion. He went to jail for 2 years for his white-collar crime. In going to jail, his team went from world-series contenders to a losing season. He's now been released from jail and has five objectives: train, train, train, train, make the team. The only problem is that the team owner has absolutely no intention of letting him come back.

Allison is a serious, extremely hard-working, career driven publicist and public relations director for Connor's old team. The new owner wants her fired (for basically the dumbest reasons - but then again he is pretty much an idiot). To save her job she offers up a plan to rehabilitate Connor's image and bring the team along with it. From that point on, she is driven to help Connor reintegrate into life and bring up his image.

I loved the journey for both Allison and Connor in this book. Connor has come out of prison very much changed from his life before. A friend tells him at one point that he found his heart in prison. And I think they were right. Life after prison has his seeing things from a new perspective.

Allison's journey really starts with almost losing her job and then finding out that focusing on another person instead of just the job opens up her heart a little too.

I loved all the side characters in this story - particularly Biff (Allison's grandfather). This story has some serious heart.

Love and baseball is the perfect caption for this.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

The first book in this series was seriously good, so reading this was a no-brainer for me. It's light and sexy with a lot less angst than you'd expect from such a heavy storyline - baseball player recently released from prison and taking a good look at his life - with a relationship that feels real. I really enjoyed the first half, as these two opposites get to know each other in a new way. Personally, I felt like the second half was a little lackluster, the chemistry dulling and the amount of separation overtaking the story, but it turned itself around with a solid finish.

The story follows Connor, a pro baseball player whose career is in jeopardy. He's a great player, but he's not getting any younger, and after spending the last two years in prison (for a white collar crime he inadvertently committed), he's got a fight ahead of him if he wants back on the team. Enter Allison, the team's PR person, a workaholic whose own job is in question following a change in management. Allison's only hope of saving her job is to rehab Connor's career, so she's got to put up with the grumpy, grumbly guy for the foreseeable future. As they two longtime acquaintances spend time together, their relationship changes and they begin to appreciate each other, flaws and all.

Julianna Keyes' writing is great, with a storyline that's interesting and characters who have depth. It's definitely a more understated, serious read, which was a nice change of pace. While I liked these two as individuals, I did have a few problems with the relationship - they rush into the physical side of things, so the emotional build wasn't as strong as I would've liked. There was just something missing there for me; it didn't feel "romantic," I guess. That being said, I liked the book the whole way through and never had trouble staying connected. There's plenty of potential for stories about other players, and I'm looking forward to seeing what's next. I received an ARC via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review of this sexy sports romance.

Bench Player
By: Julianna Keyes
3 Stars ⭐️
Blurb: As Public Relations Manager for the Charleston Thrashers, I’m responsible for protecting the team’s reputation. But after our right fielder gets sent to prison and we lose the World Series, my own reputation takes a huge hit. There’s only one way I can save my job: by revamping Connor Whitman’s tarnished ex-con image. Keeping my eye on the ball isn’t a problem until I discover what’s underneath his unkempt exterior a man who’s unexpectedly vulnerable and distractingly sexy. Now, my professionalism is sailing far into foul territory.
I’ve served my time, and now I’m determined to reclaim my spot in the Thrashers’ outfield. Unfortunately, the new General Manager doesn’t want an aging ex-con on the roster, so I have no choice but to go along with Allison’s annoying scheme. Her bossiness drives me crazy but so do her legs and her hair and her all-too-rare smiles. I can’t afford to fall for anyone when my focus needs to be on baseball, but love is a game I’ve never played before, and for the first time ever, I’m out of my league.

- H likable? No, he is introverted and quiet. I did not find his physical description to be attractive. Connor’s character is not relatable.
- h likable? No, Allison is tough, lacking people skills, not relatable. Her character was one dimensional.
- h virgin? No
- First time they kiss: 32%
- First time they sleep together: 32%
- OW/OM drama? No
- H/h cheat? No
- Steamy? No, mild
- Did I skip pages? Yes
- Big secrets? No
- Did I cry? No
- Cliffhanger? No
- How it ends: HEA
- Recommend? Yes, though not my fav but decent read. I couldn’t connect with Allison and Connor and I was not vested in their story. I loved the first book in the series Team Player.
Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC.

Wow! I'm loving this book and series! This is a new author to me and I definitely recommend her! This is the second book in the Charleston thrashed series but can definitely be read as a standalone! This is Allison and Connor book, Allison is the public relations manager for the thrashers and Connor is working his way back on the team after just getting out of jail! Unfortunately he's getting older and is now an excon so it's not looking to good! Allison's job is being threatened so she hatches a plan to get Connor back on the team! This book was funny, the storyline was awesome, had some heartache just an all around great read! I highly recommend it! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me!

Wow, just wow. I did not expect this book to go this way at all. I thought for sure I was suppose to hate Connor until he deserves my forgiveness. No not at all. There are some that I hated with good reasons. Both Connor and Allison were handed a raw deal. It's how they handle it that makes, Bench Player, a truly great book.