ROMANCE

Take Me Out

by Elley Arden
& others. Crimson Romance: F+W Media. Nov. 2013. 114p. ebk. 9781440573781. $4.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE ANTHOLOGY.
COPY ISBN
In this anthology of four short stories, the intersection of baseball and romance is explored. In "Tradeoff," Arden spins a tale about Ben and Scarlett, trying to find new passions in life as work and home become less than enjoyable. "Slugger Gone South," by Alicia Hunter Pace, brings Yankee Marc to Alabama for a celebrity golf tournament and inadvertent run-in with his former fiancée, Bailey. Amanda is struggling to keep her family business afloat in Leslie P. Garcia's "Safe at Home" and turns to local sports hero Josh for a celebrity endorsement. Wrapping things up is "That Ol' Team Spirit," by Bea Moon, where high school sweethearts reunite to right a wrong from decades earlier.
VERDICT While all four stories intertwine both the national pastime and love—or former loves, in the case of three of the stories—the comparisons stop there. A varying amount of actual baseball is in each work, but never enough to turn away nonsports fans. Likewise, some of the stories put the passion behind closed doors, while one or two will make more than a few readers blush. The home run of this quartet, however, is "Slugger Gone South," with "Tradeoff" coming in with a triple. Both make the short story format work, with compelling characters and straightforward plot lines. While baseball-loving romance readers will gravitate toward this title, anyone who appreciates variety and quick tales will appreciate this set as well.
Reviewed by Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash , Nov 01, 2013
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