I recently went to a Tampa Bay Rays game and I was in the mood for a sports romance. It was marketed as a graphic novel, so imagine my surprise when there were no pictures in the book. I have no issue reading full novels, but it was disheartening when I specifically requested due to the comic format. Poor classification aside, I did enjoy certain elements of For the Ring. Our couple had great chemistry and I enjoyed that they were older characters who knew what they wanted. They had a smoldering rapport that I was invested in despite them getting interrupted in the heat of the moment multiple times. It was also neat to be in a baseball mood after attending a game in person and returning back to the book. I still had the stadium vibes in my head, even if I did get sunburnt and it was an early Father's Day gift to my dad. For the Ring was a standard sports romance bound to get you hot under the collar and immediately cooled like an athlete's ice bath. I wished there was more to the story and even the comic format I was promised while browsing the catalog. I don't believe I'll read from this author again, but it was nice to be here in the right place at the right time.

First up thank you for the review copy. However... I choose to DNF it because:

1) I was expecting this one to be a graphic novel. I was just superduper hyped for a sports romance graphic novel and when I finally was approved after some months I was just hyped. Then I opened it and all I saw was text text and text. You can imagine my disappointment and how I suddenly wasn't that into the book. I mailed NetGalley and I am glad that they were able to get the publisher to remove the tag so that no one else will be disappointed if they request it.
2) Despite my disappointment I did want to give this one a shot despite currently not in the mood for a non-graphic novel romance (I am more in the mood for graphic novels/manga/children's books/horror). So I gave it three chapters. And while I did like the prologue and loved the romantic scene at the end, after that it was a chapter full of mostly baseball baseball and baseball oh and negotiations, so many negotiations. Yes, I know the book is about baseball, but I think I would have enjoyed things more if it was a graphic novel. I generally don't read non-graphic novel/manga sports stuff because sports stuff can get boring and with a graphic novel/manga you at least have pretty pictures and they have to be selective with their explanation or do it through pictures.
Oh, and who the heck stands on a field/does baseball-y things in heels and a pencil skirt? I can only imagine how uncomfortable that is. Given that we read that the female MC has painful feet... girl just wear sneakers. Who cares about length.
Also the chapters were just so long. I prefer them either short or medium.
Who names their kid Kaydence??
Plus, the guy's POV was just so much like every other guy's POV, talking about her ass, how he appreciate her curves, how her tongue sticks out, how he wants to tease her just a bit more, how he wants to tuck that stray hair behind her ears. There is a reason why I am just not that much into romance novels these days. Not to mention he was yet another gruff guy.

So yeah, this one was sadly not for me. If it had been a graphic novel I would have enjoyed it much more. And maybe if I was into romance novels a bit more at the moment I would have minded the disappointment of it not being a graphic novel less. Two stars, one for the cover and one for Francesca who was pretty awesome.

2.75

Brief overview:

Frankie gets the chance of a lifetime to be the interim manager of a baseball team after the manager has a heart attack. The only catch? She has to team up with grumpy retiree turned manager Charlie from her old team.

My thoughts:

To be honest, this didn't feel totally fleshed out to me. I think we could've used a little more storyline with the players they were recruiting, as that was the most interesting part to me. I didn't really find myself caring about this romance whatsoever.

It's a dual POV book but neither voice is really distinct enough to justify the dual POV, and at one point in Chapter 5 there was a random change in POV that I hope gets fixed in editing. In fact, there were a lot of errors throughout that took me out of the story, I'm hoping they all get caught and fixed before the release date. I also didn't particularly enjoy the ending, but that was more of a personal preference thing than a writing choice thing.

I chose to pick this up from Netgalley because it was listed as a graphic novel and I thought "wow, a sports romance as a graphic novel, how cool!" but I think they were a little confused on what "graphic novel" meant in this instance. There is no art, but it does get a little graphic.

sports analyst is something very personal and close to my heart. so i was really interested and extra excited to see how this book played out. i was coming at it wit my pro[er cirtic head on too. but i quickly put everything aside for just loving a great book. sports romances seems to be having their times at the oment. and each one ive come to are showing just why that is.
this book gives us our two enemy's(ha ha yeh right you just wait) Frankie and Charlie dont come to their job in the same way. Frankie has her data. Charlie has his belief and feelings. but they both need to work together for their team. and they also know they need to do a good job for their own sake. watching their banter made me do those kind of big grins. i loved watching them connect and felt all squiggly as things started to get more tender. Charlie was such a stunning man. he readily showed that patience and care. and it was also great how these two gave back to eachother. they showed the thought for each other and it never felt over done or even one sided.
thes books are done well when the sports does intimidate preach and just adds to it. and this was certainly does this with bells on.
i wanted their goals to work and their relationship even more so!
because dont be fooled that Frankie's heart cant be all the feels and dont be fooled that Charlie doesnt have the fiery grit to bring to this game too. they both come as equals. but dont start with liking each others methods at all. to win they need to work together and soon learn winning can be and mean so many things. and not just on the pitch.
for these two their relationship hit all the balls out the park. bravo Jennifer you got me good.

For the Ring follows Frankie Sullivan, a sports analyst, and Charles Avery, a former baseball star and the team’s new manager. Frankie is skilled at using data to predict games, but her recent divorce and losing the World Series has knocked her off her game. She’s looking for a fresh start and the New York Eagles is her new chapter. The only issue, their new manager is Avery - her biggest enemy. They always clashed at her last team, as he made decisions with his heart whereas she wanted him to use her data. It is, however, a fine line between love and hate - and they both want the Eagles at the top. Will her cool head and his fiery heart be the perfect mix for success on the field and in their hearts?

“Tell her she's the most beautiful woman in any room she walks into and I get a simple thank you. Tell her she's right about three minor leaguers' potential to break into the big leagues next season and her smile is brighter than the shine on any World Series ring.
It's confusing as hell.”

Frankie is such a strong FMC, exceptionally good at her job in a male dominated field and determined to achieve her goals. She was the stand out character for me! Her love for baseball was contagious and she made the book in my opinion.

I really liked their relationship - as they moved from ‘enemies’ to colleagues, then friends and beyond. They supported each other in a shared goal of bringing together a successful team. I especially loved that there was no unnecessary 3rd act breakup - I was invested in them because I believed their relationship would work!

I’m a sports romance girl, but I mainly ready F1 and Ice Hockey - this was my first Baseball romance. The author did such a good job with the baseball elements (like them selecting the players for the season, their game plans etc) that they’ve made me interested in baseball! You can tell the author knows their stuff.

Overall I’d really recommend this one - sports romance with enemies to lovers, plenty of spice and a team you’re going to be rooting for!

ARC copy provided by Headline & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Jennifer Hennessy writes sports romance for sports fans. The love she has for this world and this sport is evident in every single word on every single page. The chemistry between Frankie and Charlie is sizzling from the start, and when it finally burns, it does so in the hottest, most satisfying way. I will never NOT fall in love with a Jennifer Hennessy book!

I really wanted to love this book. Maybe I'm not the target audience? Maybe it's just a preference thing? The most I can say is 'it's ok'

Things I liked:
-Charlie and Frankie's initial banter. It gives enemies to lovers but still respect each other enough to not tear each other down.
-Frankie's feminine style mixed with her passion for a traditionally masculine sport and traditionally masculine profession. Though none of this was subtle, it's nice to see.
-The assumed knowledge of baseball. The author never talked the stats of the workings of the game down to an idiot level. I appreciate that. If I don't know something, I'll google it.
-The spice was decent. Not gratuitous but didn't shy away.
-A sports romance with older main characters! Thank you!

Things I didn't like:
-Can you catcher-squat in heels and a pencil skirt?
-Charlie's initial 'I am man, I am gruff, impulsive, and emotionally stunted...grrr...'. personality. I was really put off by him for most of the book. He had some redemption but it's hard to get past that initial assumption.
-Where's the actual baseball? I don't want off-season negotiations, I want play!
-How many times did the phrase 'for the ring' come up? Too many--even if it's the title. If I played take a shot every time they said, I'd be pretty tipsy.

I didn't hate this, but I didn't love it. It's not badly written, just perhaps not my preference.

Francesca “Frankie” Sullivan, una brillante y ambiciosa ejecutiva de béisbol, y Charlie Avery, un exjugador estrella de los Dodgers cuya carrera termina sin el ansiado anillo de campeonato.

La noche dE la Serie Mundial da un giro inesperado en su relación profesional y personal con un beso cargado de emociones que queda sin resolver durante dos años. Cuando sus caminos vuelven a cruzarse, ya no como jugadora y ejecutivo, sino como asistente de gerente general y candidato a manager de un equipo rival (los Brooklyn Eagles), la tensión entre ambos se reactiva de inmediato. Frankie, ahora con más poder, independencia y cicatrices emocionales, se enfrenta a un Charlie que intenta reinventarse después del retiro, cargando no solo con su rodilla dañada, sino también con el peso de lo que no logró. Su dinámica está marcada por choques de visión (ella, la analista estratégica y obsesiva de los datos; él, el hombre de instintos), pero también por una historia compartida que nunca terminó de resolverse.


__

Me encantó como Frankie era la mejor en su campo y le demostró a toda la bola de machitos que ella era la Jefa.

Lo que no me gusto fue como se trato el tema del ex infiel, esa rata y su amante debieron tener el final que se merecían, o sea sufrir y que todos se enteraran la clase de basuras que eran.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

This is a sweet and charming, slow burn, opposites attract baseball romance. I really enjoyed it, I was invested in the characters and their relationship and their banter was really fun

I got this as an ARC from NetGalley.

I so wanted to love this book. As a former softball/baseball player this seemed right up my alley. If I’m being honest, I think I love the sport too much to love this book too. As a romance book it was good, but didn’t blow me away. I found myself skipping the sex scenes to find out what was happening with the baseball plot.

Also, there were some things that I disliked. The main character was apparently so skinny the main male character could fit his hands entirely around her? Is she an actual Barbie doll? Where’s her organs at? She’s also constantly in her catchers squat in Louboutin heels and pencil skirts??? How? Shes supposed to be above average height for a woman (please ignore that most female catchers are stocky and short). Again, I just feel like I enjoy the sport too much to properly love this book.

Incredibly, I feel like it needed more baseball. For a baseball book it takes place entirely over the winter break!

A good book, not my favorite.

it’s a good day to talk about a lovely sport romance and it’s even better when our two main characters are opposites that attract each other that guess what? they will absolutely fall in love!

frankie,our sport analyst,and charlie,(the eagles new manager),banter was very entertaining and lovely especially because at the start well they weren’t exactly in good terms… and seeing how they started to connect was so satisfying!! from their attraction that gave a lot of good tension and…spicy scenes for the fans :) and also a lot of cute and intimate scenes because of how charlie for example was so understanding,caring and patient about frankie’s feelings and work situation while frankie understood charlie’s fears and struggles and sometimes it’s just so refreshing to read about certain aspects in a sport romance that presents a lot of different aspects!!

there aren’t a lot of baseball books that i have read but for the baseball fans and sport romance in general well this for the ring could be your next read because it’s a very very valid and lovely romcom perfect for a different escape :) just go and pick this one… the cover’s already serving the perfect vibes of the book in my opinion 😁!

a lot of thanks to netgalley and the headline team for sending me the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!!

Despite not being a sports fan, I came away with an appreciation for baseball and fans after zipping through this book. I just couldn't put it down with its world-building. Refreshingly, the story was set between seasons with the action focused on Frankie and Charlie trying to rebuild the team.

Frankie and Charlie had a spark and were so well suited to each other, but Frankie resists due to not wanting to be accused of sleeping her way to the top. I liked that they were open about their attraction and talked Frankie's resistance. Charlie was such a sweetheart, trying to re-orient himself after decades of his identity being a pro-baseball player, but also patient and understanding of why Frankie can't be with him. Frankie understood Charlie's struggle having to find new dreams after losing hers - from being told she had to switch from baseball to softball once she turned 12, to becoming the best university catcher but having her Olympic dreams dashed after softball was removed from the games.

However, at times the tension regarding the pitch to sign Kai Nakamura didn't build enough so the plot kinda felt like it was floundering with a bit too much push/pull, instead of building up the final pitch. I think it just needed to raise the stakes a bit more or explore in greater depth the misogyny women face. One of the strengths of this book for me was the detail regarding Frankie's pitch and the way she manages to wheel and deal at a high level.

Overall a charming, slow-burn sports romance with two characters that I became invested in.

Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the ARC.