Two for the Show by Chris Paynter

Two for the Show
by Chris Paynter
Pages: 214
Date: September 15 2014 (Orig. April 2011)
Publisher: Companion Publications
Series: Playing for First (2nd in series)

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Read: June 7 to 8 2016

My second book by this author.

Unless I'm mistaken, and I could very well be, I see a pattern in this series. First book had 1 point of view, Lisa Collins. Second one, this book here, had two point of views - Lisa Collins and Amy Perry. Third one has three point of views. Lisa Collins, Amy Perry, and Kat Benson.

This is a rather enjoyable series, but this being the second and not the third in the series, I should focus on it and not on the whole series.

Book one focused on Lisa Collins and her personal and professional life and her connection to Amy Perry. Professionally, Collins, in that first book, followed Perry as she moved from a player on a professional female baseball team, to the MLB winter league, to minor league ball, and then a brief appearance in the majors. Personally, Collins, very quickly in that first book, developed a friendship and romantic relationship with Perry. By the second book (actually, during the first), the friendship part remained, but only the friendship art.

Book two focused more on Amy Perry and her time in the majors. Well, the book opened with her still in the minors, but very quickly she made it up to the majors in the second or third month of the season. Collins, though, remained one of the points of view in the book, and some of the focus remained on her professional and relationship life.

In the second book, having Perry’s point of view helped in one specific point (though initially I was vaguely disappointed that we suddenly had her view). The end of the first book had a ‘rushed’ meet and become a couple deal involving Perry and another woman. That other woman had been in the book previously, but barely at a level of being a background character. She, and now that she actually matters I’ll use her name – Stacey came into her own, became a deeper character once someone with a point of view actually cared about her on a friend and romantic level. But then, that’s somewhat of a pattern itself – Frankie seemed barely there until Collins affections switched to her. Then she rounded out into a fuller character.

These writing reviews long after I read a book are difficult. Heh. I’m not really saying much here, eh?

There were two main couples in this book. Frankie Dunkin (51, bar owner) & Lisa Collins (36, sports reporter); Amy Perry (28, baseball player) & Stacey McCrady (?, bartender/bar worker). Both couples, against the background of a baseball season, goes through the ups and downs of medical and family issues.

I enjoyed all three books in the series. In terms of ratings, I’d reverse them. As in, I liked the third best of all, then second (this book here), then the first. Which, does not really mean anything since all three are at or around 5 star books.

June 9 2016