Hometown Hero by Liza Kendall – a Review

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Description:
Andrew “Ace” Braddock is a player in every sense of the word. The center fielder for the Austin Lone Stars, he’s also been at the center of numerous sports scandals involving beer, bars, and baseball bunnies. But when he takes the fall for a teammate, Ace wakes up in the hospital, injured and in serious trouble. He’s sent to lie low and recover at his family ranch in Silverlake, Texas, where he’s saddled with his worst nightmare: his high school nemesis–a beautiful nurse who refuses to play doctor with him.

Mia Adams has no time to fool around. The daughter of Silverlake’s high school baseball coach has three jobs and a pile of debt left behind by her missing ex. The very last thing she wants is to spend her time indulging hometown hero Easy Ace Braddock. If she didn’t need the money, she’d have nothing to do with the guy from her past who stole her dad’s time, attention, and love away from her before leaving for the major leagues.

As Mia does her best to corral the irrepressible Ace, keep a sense of humor, and fight her unwelcome attraction to him, he charms, sidesteps, and outmaneuvers her. Will the onetime enemies find love at home base, right in the town where they grew up?

Review:

Hometown Hero by Liza Kendall is the 3^rd book in her sweet Silverlake Ranch series. Having enjoyed the first two books in this series, and I was looking forward to reading Hometown Hero, and am happy to say that I loved this one too. Liza Kendall continues to rise up on my list of must-read authors for fun pure romances.

Ace Braddock, our hero, is a famous pro baseball player, who breaks his ankle in a car crash.  Ace has not been home to Silverlake, Texas for a long time, with little contact with his brothers and sister.  But now he is ordered by his agent and team to go home and recuperate, as well as stay out of trouble.  Ace is a player in every sense of the word, either with women, drinking with his friends, or his ego.

Mia Adams, our heroine, is a nurse, who has other jobs to pay the many debts her ex left her.  She is offered a job by Declan Braddock (the team is going to pay for her services as a ‘sober companion’) to be keep a close eye on Ace, and make sure no drinking and staying out of trouble.  Mia makes it known she does not like Ace, especially since he is wild and a player; but most of all because her baseball coach father, always looked at Ace as a son, and sort of ignored her.

What follows heartwarming small-town romance bringing together an unlikely couple that was never in their destiny.  Ace and Mia were totally different, complete opposites; but the attraction between them was obvious, with both determined not to act on it.  In the beginning, I wasn’t crazy about Ace, as he had such an enormous ego, and thought he could do whatever he wanted, despite his family and Mia trying to tame the wild child, whom everyone else idolized.  Early on, Mia became very frustrated, as Ace did what he wanted, and even went to the bar to drink.  In a short time, Ace finds himself very interested in Mia, and why she is working so many jobs.  A friendship builds between them, as Ace learns more about how her ex took all her money and left her totally broke.  He decides to find a way to help her, especially now that he is starting to fall for her.  But as the norm for Ace, he screws things up, and causes Mia to be angry and walk away.  Can he convince her to give him a chance to change, and be the one for her?

It was fun watching Ace get himself into trouble with Mia, and his family so many times.  The bantering between him and Mia was fun too. I loved seeing the Braddock (Declan, Rhett, Jake, Lila, Charley, Jules) family again.  I got a kick out of the two dogs in the story, Declan’s dog Grouchy and Mia’s father’s dog, Stetson.  I did like towards the later part of the book, Declan and Ace slowly begin to bond, as they used to be when they were younger. 

Liza Kendall once again gives us another sweet emotional romance, with a small-town atmosphere, and another Braddock family member finding love.  Hometown Hero was a fun story, with fantastic characters.  If you enjoy pure romances, then look no further then Liza Kendall.  I suggest you read Hometown Hero.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher