Ami's Hoard

3.75 stars rounded up

I started Melanie Scott's series about the owners of New York Saints baseball team last year -- and I was pretty excited when I heard that Scott got a contract for three more books, this time about the players. Playing Hard is the fourth book in the series, but the first featuring one of the Saint's players. And of course it MUST started with Oliver Shields!! Oliver has been around since the very first book, being a good friend of the heroine of that one, Maggie Jameson. So you could say that I've been waiting for his book for a while now.

I felt rather bad for Ollie, because in this book he didn't really have the chance to show his talent on the diamonds. Ollie was injured after involving in a car accident when he drove Finn Castro, one of the junior players home. So Ollie spent the whole book recuperating basically. However, it also gave him the time to meet and to begin a relationship with Amelia Graham, Finn's honorary sister.

I really loved both Ollie and Amelia. When they were together, clearly sparks flew all over the place. I mean, these two flirt using gummy bears and Words with Friends!! I loved Ollie's tenacity to pursue the chance of relationship with Amelia. I loved his love for baseball. I loved him period. I also loved Amelia ... I mean she was an economist! She was smart (she wore glasses -- I love women or men with glasses *laugh*)

The only weakness that Amelia had was when it came to the Castro family, including Finn and his sister, Em, who was also Amelia's best friend. Even though Amelia was able to stand up for herself in the end but it still frustrated the hell out of me.

You see, the Castro pretty much 'adopted' Amelia because her mother was busy working. Em was Amelia's best friend for over two decades. While Finn had done something that saved the life of Amelia's mother. So it was quite understandable that Amelia felt that she had to be loyal, had to support the Castro, especially Finn.

UNFORTUNATELY, FINN WAS A JACKASS!! He was really grating on my nerves!! He was rude and he practically trying to sabotage Amelia's early relationship with Oliver. He was trying to take Ollie's job, and he didn't have any respect of his seniors. I wanted to kick Finn over the cliff, no matter what he did for Amelia's mom. And Em ... his sister. My god, what kind of a friend was she?! There was one scene near the end where she hurt Amelia's feeling and I totally wanted to bitch slap her. Yes, what a bitch!!

Anyway, so yes, I loved the books for both Ollie and Amelia but the part with Finn and Em just drove me bonkers. Those Castro siblings tarnished this love story for me. Still, I look forward to reading the next book. Interestingly the next book is actually about Finn. So maybe he could redeem himself there? I would love his woman to give him a kick in the gonads first, of course.