9780062457004
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Love of the Game audiobook

  • By: Lori Wilde
  • Narrator: C. J. Critt
  • Category: Fiction, General
  • Length: 10 hours 40 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Publish date: April 26, 2016
  • Language: English
  • (467 ratings)
(467 ratings)
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Love of the Game Audiobook Summary

A sexy sports superstar discovers his body isn’t the only thing that needs healing in this newest Stardust, Texas novel from New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde.

With major league good looks and talent, Dallas Gunslingers relief pitcher Axel Richmond was living the good life. Even if the roar of the crowd could never distract him from the loss of his young son. But now with an injured shoulder and his career on the line, Axel is stuck recuperating at a ranch in Stardust, Texas . . . striking out only with his gorgeous physical therapist.

Kasha Carlyle has one week to get Axel back in action or she can kiss her much-needed job with the Gunslingers goodbye. And any chance to seek custody of the orphaned half-sister she never knew existed. She quickly learns that Axel’s guarded heart also needs healing . . . requiring all kinds of sneaky plays and sexy moves in extra innings.

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Love of the Game Audiobook Narrator

C. J. Critt is the narrator of Love of the Game audiobook that was written by Lori Wilde

C.J. Critt is a much-admired audiobook performer who has appeared on and Off-Broadway, in stand-up comedy, solo performance, and poetry slams. She is a Cable Ace winner and staff writer for Radio Disney.

About the Author(s) of Love of the Game

Lori Wilde is the author of Love of the Game

Love of the Game Full Details

Narrator C. J. Critt
Length 10 hours 40 minutes
Author Lori Wilde
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date April 26, 2016
ISBN 9780062457004

Subjects

The publisher of the Love of the Game is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Fiction, General

Additional info

The publisher of the Love of the Game is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062457004.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Carole

April 25, 2016

This review was also posted at Carole's Random LifeI really liked this romantic story. This is the third book in the Stardust, Texas series but I think it would read perfectly fine as a stand alone novel. I did read and enjoy the first book in the series so I knew that I was in for a treat when I picked up this newest installment. I was not disappointed. The characters were interesting and the romance was really sweet with a lot of chemistry. It was a really nice romance to get lost in for a little while.Kasha was a really interesting character. She has had a troubled past until she joined the Carlyle family. She is very cautious about how she approaches things and has a strong need to always be in control of her emotions. She has just started working for the Gunslingers as a physical therapist and is trying to stay under the radar during her probationary period. Everything changes when she gives her honest opinion about Axel's recovery plan.Axel is the star pitcher for the Gunslingers. He is working really hard to get his shoulder healed so that he can start playing again. Axel is the type of player who pushes himself and he has a very hard time getting used to the idea that what his shoulder may actually need is a bit of rest. He is very goal focused with dreams of eventually playing for the Yankees in the World Series never far from his mind.I liked Axel and Kasha together. There is a lot of chemistry between the pair from the very beginning. They don't actually act on any of their feelings for a long time in the story and I think the build up made everything sweeter when things really started to happen. They were both so thoughtful of each other and really took each other's needs into consideration. They both have dealt with major issues in their past that have shaped their outlook in life. I thought that they were really good for each other.The only thing that drove me a bit crazy was the way that Kasha's sister, Emma, was constantly compared to a child. She is not a child. She is an adult with Down's Syndrome which is a very different thing. I spent a lot of years working individuals with developmental disabilities and this is one thing that always drives me crazy. Kasha does learn a lot about his sister during the story and by the end of the book she does adjust her thinking by the end of the story.I would recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance. This story doesn't really have a strong sports theme even though one of the main characters plays a sport. I have read and enjoyed several other books by Lori Wilde. I do plan to read more from this very talented author including other books from this series. I really want to know what else is in that hope chest!I received a review copy of this book from Harper Collins Publishers - Avon for the purpose of providing an honest review.Initial ThoughtsI liked this sweet romantic story. Axel and Kasha were both pretty awesome. It did bug me that Emma was treated like a child because of her developmental disability for much of the story. Part of Kasha's growth was to realize that an adult with a developmental disability is very different than a child.

Beth

April 18, 2016

A pro-baseball player, Axel, facing a risky surgery to repair his injured shoulder…with no guarantees of success.A physical therapist, Kasha, desperately needing a job on probation with the Dallas Gunslingers is faced with a decision that might break or make her career.Axel is being pressured by the Gunslingers to have a high risk experimental surgery. He asks Kasha for her opinion and she tells him and her colleges she believes therapy is Axel’s best option. Given the task to oversee and maintain Axel’s therapy choice, Kasha’s career and livelihood lay on her and Axel’s success. The chemistry explodes but professionalism is an utmost importance for both Axel and Kasha.This is a building romance where friendship and emotional connection play a major role in bond that develops. The couple is sweet with heartfelt emotions that leads to a very charming and entertaining read.I received this ARC copy of Love of the Game from Avon in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication April 26, 2016.My Rating: 4 stars

Simply Love Book Reviews

April 27, 2016

Amanda's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book ReviewsLove of the Game is the latest story in the Stardust, Texas series and it is truly romantic. Right from the beginning you can feel the attraction and intense chemistry between the two main characters and you wonder how long they are going to fight it and go for it. Axel Richmond is a star pitcher for the Gunslingers and his injured shoulder isn’t recovering as fast as he would like. His new therapist Kasha Carlyle has one week to make some progress with his recuperation or else she’ll be out of a much needed job. She needs the income and benefits in order to gain custody to her half-sister she never knew existed. Emma has Down syndrome and Kasha knows that it will be a challenge to become her legal guardian.Kasha and Axel are two characters that are dealing with pasts that have greatly affected their lives. It is to the point that Kasha avoids love and passion. That is until Axel. Kasha started to feel things for Axel but she needed it to stay professional because he was her patient. She put up a good fight and it was fun watching her trying hard to put up resistance but in the end it was a fun beginning to their romance. Kasha trying to work Emma into her life was heartbreaking because you could see how things were going and how they weren’t really working out as Kasha hoped they would. Seeing her grow over the course of the story was one of the best things about this story because she had closed off so much of herself off to life and those who loved her.I would have to say that Axel was the best part of this story for me. He was truly focused on returning to baseball and would try anything to get closer to Kasha and avoid surgery if at all possible. Learning his backstory was heartbreaking but you understood his drive and motivation. He was very intuitive to Kasha and worked his way into her life first as her patient and then as her lover. He took care with her and pushed just enough to not spook her. What made me fall in love with him even more is the fact that he let go of a dream in order to be with Kasha. That is truly romantic in my eyes.If you’ve read her other books in the series you know there is a bit of magic involved in this series that happens to do with a hope chest. Kasha doesn’t believe in the magic of the hope chest but can’t fully explain how both she and Axel can taste the wine the same. I happen to love this element because it brings the sisters together and the hope that there is someone out there for each of them. I love Lori Wilde’s romance stories because she doesn’t rush things, bring more characters into the main storyline, and lets her characters develop and see how dreams can change over time. It can definitely be read as a stand-alone but it would be my recommendation to read the other stories as well. Lori Wilde has brought baseball and romance together, all in a small town setting, making these delightful romantic reads.Review copy provided for an honest review.

Sharlene

December 31, 2016

Axel was a major league pitcher with a shoulder injury. Kasha was a physical therapist who thought she could heal him with rest and massage, rather than surgery. This put them in close proximity, away from other people. They had chemistry from the start, but she fought it, on the surface because of her profession in a medical capacity. However, she really had a hard time letting go emotionally because of her past. Axel was all in from the beginning. I had a hard time relating to Kasha and was getting annoyed with her not being able to let go with this hunk of a guy, who was also a sweetheart. Things worked out in the end, but it did take until nearly the end of the book!

Aly

May 22, 2021

"People often feel threatened by things that are different. It reflects their ignorance, not your reality."Physical therapist Kasha Carlyle takes a gamble with the Dallas Gunslingers GM to heal their pitcher, Axel Richmond, before they try a risky operation on him. Staying professional is not the only reason stopping Kasha from surrendering to the mutual instant sexual attraction she feels for her client. She needs the new job opportunity, if she wins, to makes more money for getting custody of the 23 yrs old sister with down syndrome she just learned about a few weeks ago. But as professional she wants it to stay, she can't help feeling it getting more and more personal the more time she spend with Axel. No sexual healing but an emotional one😉. Both MC have their own demons. Her about her tragic childhood and him about the death of his son two years ago. But that's what I like about Lori Wilde's romance. She can talk about serious and very dramatic subjects but it never become too heavy for sensitive readers like me. And it's in how she makes me believe the MC were really made to be together, whether it's lust at first sight or dislike at first sight for them.

Margarita

April 30, 2016

I love Lori Wilde!!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVER HER BOOKS!!!

Dixie-Lee

April 30, 2016

A wonderful awesome storyline. Goosebumps. Highly recommend this book. Loved the all characters in the book. .... loved Kasha and Axel :-)

Susan

February 25, 2019

Good story about two people whose pasts affect their desire for relationships. Axel was focused on his baseball career, not only because it was his dream but also because it was his connection to his dead son. But a shoulder injury put his career in jeopardy and physical therapist Kasha Carlyle was his best chance to save that career. Kasha desperately needed the salary and benefits of her new job if she was going to have what she needed to get custody of her younger sister. Giving in to the attraction could be the death of that dream.I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Axel and Kasha. The chemistry was there from the moment they met. Kasha fought it hard for two reasons. First, Axel was her patient, and she refused to cross that line. Second, Axel stirred up feelings in her that she didn't want. Keeping her emotions under control was very important to her. The things that she experienced as a child watching the interactions of her volatile parents left her with a distrust of passion. Also, her focus has been on gaining custody of Emma. Axel's main focus remained on his healing and return to baseball and his goals. But he couldn't deny how drawn he was to Kasha. I enjoyed their early interactions as Kasha used every trick at her disposal to get Axel to cooperate with her treatment. It was great fun to see him realize that she knew what she was doing. The attraction between them continued to build. I admired how Kasha remained true to her ethics, even as it became harder to do so. I liked how Axel seemed to know just how hard he could push Kasha without scaring her away.I loved how both Axel and Kasha learned to grow and compromise as their relationship progressed. Their time together deepened their feelings, but neither could see how being together was possible. Axel saw his future with baseball creating a conflict between his traveling with the team and Kasha being rooted in Stardust. Kasha's focus on being what her sister needed left her feeling that there was no room for a relationship. I ached for both while they fought their battles with dreams, goals, and expectations. I loved the realism of their solution, as both of them found a way to make it work.I also liked Kasha's realistic struggle over custody of her sister. Her shock at discovering Emma's existence and challenges were believable. I admired her determination to be part of Emma's life and her love for Emma was clear. There were some very sweet scenes of the two sisters together. I also felt Kasha's frustration at the party as her dreams ran up against reality. I liked Axel's support and his intervention at one point was brilliantly handled. I ached for Kasha as she struggled with the right thing to do.Throughout the series, there has also been the presence of a magical hope chest. Kasha claimed that she didn't believe in the magic, but couldn't deny how two of her sisters found love. I enjoyed seeing her fight the truth of the special wine, especially once she discovered that Axel could taste it too. Now the only one left is Suki - where is her story?

JoDeen

April 27, 2016

Love of the Game By Lori Wilde was fantastic. It held on to me and wouldn't let go until the very last page. It was an entertaining read.In this book we follow Axel and Kasha . I loved these two together seeing them work together was fantastic there are such opposites . Axel being the GO GO GO work hard never stop type of person and Kasha being that calm serene controlled type of person. You may not think this would be a great mach but when you but these together they are perfect for each other . When you hear about the bad life experience that Both Axel and Kasha have been through you really want to hug them , but what I loved is that they found a way to power through it and become stronger people .I loved romantic relationship between Axel and Kasha and was thrilled with were we left them at the end of this book. I loved Kasha Family !! I loved how supportive they were of Kasha every single member of this family helped to add some thing special to this story . I also found the magical trunk and how that played into the story so interesting. Between the Heart Warming Romance , The Beautiful settings , the fantastic cast of characters and The Plot Lori Wilde Has created one fantastic book.Love of the Game was Romantic , Sexy, Emotional and Heart warming story . I look forward to see what Lori Wilde writes next . If you love all of these things in your books I suggest you pick up this book up a copy of this book .

Nerdy Dirty & Flirty

May 13, 2016

A light easy sports read. Axel is a relief pitcher who is given the option of risky surgery or physical therapy on an injured shoulder. Kasha is assigned as Axel’s physical therapist given the task of getting him field ready again quickly or she could lose her job. Kasha and Axel has a very fast romance, they fall in love very quick, but the storyline doesn’t simply focus on their fall which is actually what kept my interest more so than the actual love story. Kasha is trying to gain custody of her half-sister who has down syndrome; that was what I was really intrigued by in this story. I wanted Kasha to take care of Emma. I didn’t feel a huge connection with the characters, while the storyline was very good and the book was well written, I felt the two main characters were ‘take them or leave them’ for me. I have not read the first two books in this series, which could be the reason behind my not having that strong connection. I gave it a 3.5 rating mainly based on my lack of emotional pull towards the characters, but I did end up overall enjoying the book. As I said, the writing was very well done and the storyline was intriguing.

Renee

May 19, 2016

4.5 starI was pulled right into this story. The story has laughs, secrets, suspense, and heartbreak. If you have not read the below I would recommend reading those books(s) firstBack in the Game (Stardust, Texas #1)Rules of the Game (Stardust, Texas #2)This is Kasha and Axel’s story. Kasha just started a new job that she needs in order to get custody of her sister. During a meeting Axel calls her out for her thoughts on his recovery and she tells him she could help him but he has to go with her plan. If she can get him better she can keep her job and get the benefits that she needs. Axel needs his shoulder to heal so he can finally make his dream come true. But dreams change. Axel finally starts living and is working on a relationship with Kasha only to have her push him into his dream. Can he go ahead with something he thought he wanted or does his heart send him on a different path?I loved these characters and also the side characters. I felt I was able to connect with the characters and the story was a great read. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next story from this author.

Save Your Money

April 27, 2016

Kasha desperately needs Axel to fully recover from his injury, and fast, especially since it was her recommendation that he try therapy instead of the risky shoulder surgery that the Gunslingers were pressuring him to try. If therapy doesn't work she can kiss her career goodbye, and her dreams of helping her newly discovered half-sister. Axel needs his career, it's all he has left that he cares about. The pair of them team up and sparks fly. I love the slow building passion masked as friendship. These two tried so hard to keep things professional, but sometimes fate has other plans. Wow! I loved this book so much it gets 5 STARS from this reader. Love of the Game has all the elements that make a contemporary romance magical, a sports star, a strong heroine, incredible chemistry, family values and a small town. This is Book #3 in Lori Wilde's Stardust, Texas series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone novel. It's the kind of book that you finish reading with a smile on your face and butterflies in your tummy.

Sheila

June 11, 2016

Loved it and I can't wait for her next book!

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