Out of His League by Caroline Richardson: Book Review

Caroline Richardson’s debut novel, Out of His League, is a sports romance released on April 5, 2022, by W by Wattpad. Released initially on Wattpad in December 2019, Out of His League is now available in print. Readers are introduced to Gretchen Harper as she first meets Joshua Malvern at the Toronto airport. A cup of coffee is bought, and a wild weekend in Las Vegas ensues.

I want to thank W by Wattpad and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Out of His League. All opinions presented here are solely mine.

Synopsis from Goodreads

Gretchen Harper has always been practical. Dependable, solid, predictable. She’s never taken risks, and she’s especially never bought coffee for gorgeous professional athletes in airports. That is until she meets her favorite baseball player on the worst day of his career.

Being sent to the minor league is just the first of Joshua Malvern’s many worries—he’s got an injury that won’t heal, and his entire career and future are on the line. When a beautiful woman offers him coffee, that simple kindness is exactly what he needs to lift him out of his funk. He asks her to join him in first class, not expecting to end up joining her in bed.

What starts as a one-night stand ends up holding the promise for so much more. And while stepping out of her comfort zone has never been Gretchen’s style, for a chance at true love, she’ll have to decide whether she’ll swing for the fences, even if it means striking out.

Positives

Gretchen’s career is not often in books. She is a sommelier, which I know very little about. Other than the fact she is a wine expert.

The descriptions of the settings are all amazingly written. When they are the diamond in Las Vegas, you can feel the dry heat evaporating as the day ends, and in Toronto, you can feel the crowds and the hustle and bustle.

Negatives

As a book with a sport at the center of the story, the author should make sure they understand the sport used, even in the most basic way. While I am an avid sports fan, these errors were ones that I feel even casual fans would pick up on. The author mentioned that the home team was up to bat first in one baseball game, and I am sad to say that is not how it works. The home team always bats at the bottom of the inning.

Out of His League is a very steamy romance. This isn’t a negative, but some of the steamy moments were unrealistic. Other than location choices not being practical, at one point, Gretchen removed her top, and then a few paragraphs later, Joshua removed her top. It was not a big deal if it wasn’t because the author mentioned his reaction to seeing her topless.

My Opinions

The sports setting was what drew me to the book. And for the most part, it did not let me down. However, I do question the author’s knowledge of the game.

Out of His League is a very steamy, open-door romance. I do not have a problem with the steaminess. But I have an issue with how some of those encounters were written. Some of the ideas felt like the author picked random scenarios from a hat and put them together, and others felt like they were unrealistic fantasies the author had.

If you want a fun, steamy read, give this one a try. But if you are a sports fan, especially baseball, you may want to skip Out of His League.

Looking for some more books to read? Check out my other book reviews and my monthly reading wrap-ups.