I enjoyed May's book club pick so much, I wanted to hit people with it so they'd read it. That's effective persuasion, right? Of course it is.
The May Sizzling Book Club pick is: The Long Shot, by Ellen Hartman. Here's the plot summary:
Deacon Fallon has made something of himself. Yeah, it wasn't easy becoming a successful—now retired—pro basketball player, but he did it. In the process, he made his brother's life better. That's always been Deacon's goal.
This latest effort to help, however, may push Deacon too far. He's been roped into coaching the high school girls' team! Worse, there's a little offside action brewing between him and his hot assistant coach, Julia Bradley. Definitely not in his plans, but he can't resist her. And for the first time, Deacon wants something that has nothing to do with his brother and everything to do with Julia!
Girls high school basketball! Coaching! Returning home! Seriously, this book made me start emailing people while I was reading it, telling them to go look it up. It's delicious how much emotion and story Hartman packs into this book. Please, go read and join us to discuss it!
As usual, if you use SBTBARE at checkout, you will get a 50% eBook Bucks Rebate at AllRomance.com, the official sponsor of the Sizzling Book Club. The 50% rebate at AllRomance will be valid from May 1-15, 2012. This book is available in print and digital format, and you can find a print copy at many places including Goodreads, Amazon, BN and HQN. The rebate price at ARe is ridiculously awesome – and please note, this is a rebate, which means Ebook Bucks will be available for your shopping pleasure if you purchase the book there. You can read more about the eBook Bucks at All Romance.
We've also scheduled the book club chat: it will be 30 May at 9:00 pm ET, and Ellen Hartman will join us at 10pm ET for a Q&A. Need a button? Here, have a button: 
PLUS, I have ten digital copies, and ten print copies to give away here! Just leave a comment and tell me the sport you'd most like to read about in a romance – curling! It has to be curling! – or your favorite sports romance, and you're entered to win.
Standard disclaimers apply: I am not being compensated for this giveaway, except that I got to read the book and it is terribly enjoyable. Void where prohibited. Winners must be over 18 and dribbling, either basketballs or diet Coke. Open to international residents, but not those on the space station. Is there anyone on the space station right now? Walk left, stand right. Do not taunt happy fun ball. We assume you have read and understand the disclaimer notice. Please acknowledge by nodding your head at the screen.
The giveaway will be open until 1:00 am ET, Friday 4 May.
I really hope you pick this book up and read it, as it's emotional and funny and smart – and I hope you join us at the book chat on the 30th!
My favorite sports romance is Edge of the World by Kathleen Korbel. It’s an old Silhouette Intimate Moments book and features an Olympic skier hero and an Academy Award winning film editor heroine.
I really wish Korbel or Harlequin would release her 80s/early 90s backlist in digital.
Holy cow, it’s “The White Shadow” as a romance novel. That’s awesome.
Table tennis is an Olympic competition, and therefore it is a sport, and I should like to see a romance novel using it as a central premise.
I haven’t read all that many sports themed romance books, but I do love Rachel Gibson and she often has Hockey players. That satisfies the Canadian half of me! 😀
Dance Sport! They have been lobbying for years to get it in the olympics – and it would improve it dramatically – more glitter and briefly garbed wiggling men! I’ve only come across ballroom dancing once in a mills & boon – a couple of decades ago I think.
And my favourite sports romance right now is Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally. Can anyone recommend any more romances like that?
I’ve never really been a sports afficianado, umm does go out looking for sea shells count as one hehe?
SEP’s Chicago Stars books are ones I go back to again and again.
Ice skating romance, please! 😀
I’m not really into sports but I’d go out of my way to read something about paralympics.
I’d love to read some romance novels about three day eventing. The real life stories are amazing – people are always having scandalous romances and so on! I know Fiona Walker has written a couple but there’s a vein of nastiness in her books that I just can’t like. I always feel vaguely repulsed after reading them, even with the supposed HEA.
I’d love to read about soccer – I actually know the rules! Yes, I am European, so football and baseball are not my games although I do love to read sports romances. I love Kate Angell’s baseball series.
You took my answer! Curling! A curling romance would be intense.
“Harder!”
“Come on!”
“Harder!”
“Woah!”
That’s what she said.
Cricket! Has there ever been a romance with a proper cricketer in it?
Argh! Another one that can’t be sold in UK.
And I’d like a show-jumping or three day eventing romance.
My favorite sports themed romances would have to be Rachel Gibson’s “Simply Irresistible” & “See Jane Score”. As for a suggestion, how about a dodgeball romance?
power walking
Baseball. Not enough good baseball romance out there.
I don’t watch sports in real life, except an occasional baseball game. (I consider myself a pretty intelligent person, but no matter how many times football is explained to me, I don’t understand it.) That said, I enjoy sports-themed romances. I love the Rachel Gibson romances mentioned above, and SEP’s Chicago Stars romances are at the top of my favorites list.
Fencing! “Advance! Thrust! Thrust!”
I want an ice skating romance. Ever since the movie The Cutting Edge, I’ve really wanted to read an ice skating romance. Oddly enough, the movie Blades of Glory only made me want it more!
SEP’s Chicago Stars Match Me If You Can is an all time fav. Rachel Gibson and Jaci Burton sports series are great as well.
How about pro tennis????
I enjoy SEP’s books about the Chicago Stars.
Judo: grip, throw, pin!
Ippon! For the win!
http://www.realjudo.net/JasonM…
Bonus:
Best. Mullet Evah.
Still a fangirl….
Volleyball. Or synchronized swimming. =D
Second the baseball romance. Never enough!!
I’d like to read about soccer.
Loved Out Of Bounds by TA Chase and would love books about soccer or volleyball…or rugby…
I would like to read about non-survival camping.
Swimming. You’ve watched the sport. It’s the only one where (shaved or waxed) bare (male) chests are de facto, at least a races. And where the muscles aren’t just for show. And the alpholery is a given. But oh, so sweet. Do you detect a slight addiction to the smell of chlorine here?
Am I eligible if I confess that I don’t read romances for the sport?
I mean, I don’t watch or follow any sport, so I don’t read books because they feature this or that sport—and often forget what sport is mentioned in them.
Have you read Summer’s End by Kathleen Gilles Seidel? The heroine is an ice skater.
Hey, I’m Canadian, eh! so no dissing our beloved Curling!! My parents had a love affair for over 40 years and were competitive curlers and won stuff, etc. So why not a romance around Curling. It could really work especially when they shout “Hurry, Hard” (which is actually what they yell when they’re sweeping). Tons of stuff to work with there, I would think LOL ;))
i’m glad someone said synchronized swimming – i second that, and also ballroom dancing.
I would totally read a curling romance. I’m not much of a sports reader, but I would also like to read about a player in the paralympics. I loved the movie “Murderball.” Really looking forward to Ellen’s book.
I think a fencing romance would be awesome!
Any sport I don’t know much about would be interesting so curling works. Or maybe fencing or steeplechase.
fencing!
Jill Shalvis’s baseball romances are very good.
Third the baseball. To paraphrase Brad Pitt as Billy Beane in Moneyball, “How can you not be romantic about baseball?” I would love to read a book that combines the romance of a love story with the romance of my favorite sport.
I so very much loved that show! Thanks for reminding me of it.
My favorite sports romance is See Jane Score. I’m not a hockey fan, but I love everything about that book.
It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips If you haven’t read what are you waiting for? Seriously I seem to be reading a lot about football lately by accident. also Eloisa James has her Duchess series which features chess. Chess is a sport, right?
What sports would I like to see in romance? Basketball particularly Women’s basketball. Maybe baseball. Curling might be nice. With so many Aussie/New Zealand authors one of them could feature competive sheep shearing. Also any canine sports like sheep hearding would be good! I heart dogs.