Strike Zone

Newhouse University, Book 2

De: Ginger Walls

Narrado por: Heather Stonewell, Raphael DeRamiro

A laugh-out-loud, spicy, dislike-to-lovers, college baseball romance.

Wyatt

All my friends are under the impression I'm only at Newhouse to chase women and play baseball. Those are two of my favorite pastimes.

The truth is Newhouse is my chance to save my family's farm. If I don't get drafted, we'll lose everything we've been working hard to keep.

Then I hear her sing, and she's all I can think about. It's messing up my game and putting my future in jeopardy. I need to get her out of my system, but this girl is playing hard to get.

Her roommate, on the other hand, follows a strict schedule and is easy to track down. I can ask her to help me get the girl and silence the voice in my head.

Only one problem: she hates me.

Wren

Go to a good college. Get my business degree. Work for my dad. That's all I wanted for my life.

When the idea of marrying the son of my dad's business associate was brought up years ago, I didn't mind. Falling in love and getting married were never part of my life plan. Marrying a stranger to strengthen the family business is a sensible option.

What doesn't make sense is him—the starting pitcher for the Newhouse Knights who thinks he's a gift to all women. He is not. He's a nuisance. He follows me around school, invades my privacy, and texts me non-stop.

He's becoming impossible to ignore no matter how hard I try.

I have planned my entire life with precision. I never planned on him.

Strike Zone is book two of an interconnected standalone series. The Newhouse University series is best enjoyed in order but each book can be listened to on its own. For mature listeners.

©2024 Ginger Walls (P)2025 Podium Audio

Strike Zone

Original review written in August 2024. Updated in March 2025 for audiobook.

ARC review for Strike Zone by Ginger Walls

Thanks to Ginger and Luna Literary for the ARC opportunity!

Featured tropes: sports romance (kind of, like, it's not super sporty), reverse grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, dislike to begrudging friends to lovers

Triggers: not really any...financial issues/foreclosure, references to anxiety, blackmail but really, even those are a stretch

Review: 4.5/5

You guys. This is what I want a college sports romance to be. This book was so fun and refreshing after a recent string of underwhelming college sports romances. I ate this book up. Let's get into it.

Things I liked:
- The banter, the banter, the banter!! Seriously, Wyatt and Wren's verbal sparring gave me life. Wren's sarcastic way of slinging insults spoke so close to my heart because that is me. It's an insult, undoubtedly, but it's so laced in sarcasm, you can't tell if she's joking or not. She's my kind of woman. I would read about Wyatt and Wren arguing over butter vs. jam on toast, they're that delightful together.
- Wyatt and Wren are perfect for each other. They balance each other so wonderfully and going on the journey with them while they realized that was everything.
- The Rivers family. Wyatt's family is my new favorite book family. They give each other hell but love each other to no end. They're just *chef's kiss*!

Things I disliked or missed the mark:
- Really, nothing. I was happy, I was a little teary, I giggled, it was just all around a great book. It was well-written, pacing was great, length was perfect. No complaints here.

Seriously, do yourself a favor and read this book. I have an unquenchable need to read books in a series in order and I didn't here. This was an ARC, life popped up putting me a bit behind schedule and then I got sick for almost 10 days. While I planned to sneak in book one before this, all the aforementioned junk put me behind and I didn't have time. I absolutely felt like I didn't miss anything by not reading book one but I'll certainly be circling back to it while I wait for what I can only hope will be a Rivers family series because I need more of them in my life.

Updated Mar 2025: Strike Zone just came out in audio and since I love these two so much I instantly dropped an Audible credit on it. The book was narrated by the same two who narrated Easy Out, book one of the series. I generally feel like female narrators are easier to separate between characters they voice than male narrators and that rings true here. I could hear Heather as Wren without hearing Lauren (FMC of Easy Out) but it was hard to separate Raphael from Hart (MMC of Easy Out). It didn't stop me from listening to my favorite sassy couple though. Wyatt and Wren are forever my favorite bantering couple.

Fun, Flirty, Opposites Attract

I absolutely loved this audiobook! It was recorded in dual narration by Heather Stonewell and Raphael DeRamerio, their voices fit these characters perfectly.

This book is the perfect blend of college baseball and small town romance. I couldn’t get enough of Wyatt and Wren. Their banter is the best. They are so absolute opposites but oh man when they came together there is so much chemistry. They both try to deny it while Wyatt tries to have Wren help set him up with her roommate. But I loved getting to see them slowly have feelings for the other and slowly realize it then act on it. These two are explosive together. I love the evolution of this relationship from meeting each other and not liking the other to best friends to friends with benefits to finally realizing they are in a relationship.