Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 Stars)
Title: The Perfect Catch
Author(s): Joanne Rock
Character(s):
― Josie Vance: Brunette, Blue Eyed
― Calvin Ramsey: Brunette, Green Eyed
Setting: Last Stand, Texas
Tag(s): Romance, Contemporary
Content Rating: R
POV: Third Person
Smexy Level: Warm
Favorite Quote(s):
― “Relationships 101―never chase a woman who doesn't want to be caught.”
Overall Opinion:
Returning back home to Last Stand, Texas after being released from his baseball contract, Calvin runs into an unexpected surprise when he find the beautiful caretaker Josie residing in his childhood home. Unbeknownst to the hometown sports hero, Josie moves to Last Stand to have a fresh start when she loses all her savings to a swindler ex-boyfriend and being fired from his job by her mother who threaten to report her to the authorities for violating state law when helping out her apartments tenants. After a one-sided flirtation from Cal's end which proves difficult to resist, he proposes a two week affair until his mother returns from overseas and the guarded brunette employment ends. Though she was reluctant at first due to not wanting to gather attention to her nor her past, it was hard to denied that mutual attraction and they spent an intimate night together. But when the public’s fascination with the baseball-playing Ramsey clan is at an all-time high, would the building relationship tarnish when her past is revealed?

Overall, I was impressed with this laid back and easy read. It wasn't generally what I was expecting when I picked up the book and I anticipated a somewhat of a cowboy romance but it was the complete opposite. The characters were realistic and struggled with real life issues such as dealing with estranged and broken relationships, work struggles, and relationships woes. The relationship between Josie and Calvin was very natural, mature and didn't seem force. They were immediately wary of each other despite the attraction and over time, a mutual understanding and romance was developed. Furthermore, in the span of 2-3 weeks the romance between the leads was formed rather quickly. If you haven't known this about me already, I am not a big fan of instant love and this series could have easily ended with an open-ended final in which the characters could have explored the natural of their romance naturally. When the "L" word dropped, I was like nooooo yet it didn't take away from the premise and was still a very enjoyable read. With "The Perfect Catch" being the first Joanne Rock novel I have read, I surely plan on keeping an eye out for any future series from the author.

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Josie Vance is working as a caretaker for a house while it's owner, the mother of the Ramsey clan that this whole series is about, is off in Ecuador. She's on the run having lost all her savings to a con artist and from potential criminal investigation after her mother more or less forced Josie to do unlicensed contract work on the apartment building that her mother owns. Josie's enjoying the solitude and peace when Cal Ramsey, the oldest baseball player son, shows up. He's suspicious of Josie and sure that she's got secrets, but Josie isn't revealing them. But he's not so suspicious that he doesn't try to put the moves on her, but she's reluctant. Fortunately for Cal, he does get to know Josie as they work together on some farm related stuff and he starts to fall for her (and she for him). But when Josie's past becomes public knowledge, will Call forgive her for keeping secrets from him?

On the whole, this was a decent little quick and easy read, but it suffered from being too short. I liked Cal and Josie, especially Josie, and thought they were a cute, fluffy couple. Josie doesn't jump straight into bed with Cal, since she's wary and Cal seems to respect that, but he tries to keep the connection in the hopes that she'll change her mind. But Cal never offers her more than a fling while she's in town...because it's expected that she'll leave and he'll return to his baseball career once he's over his injury. Josie finally agrees, they sleep together, and then her secrets come out. And Cal is pissed. He's pissed that she didn't tell him and that by not telling him he was seen out and about with her, affecting his reputation and possibly putting his career at risk. My issue with that is that he had no business being pissed. It's not like he declared his love and offered her a relationship - you don't have to tell your "fling" every detail of your past. If he'd offered her more, then yeah, I could see his anger. As it was, no. On top of that, what if she had been honest? Would he have just up and decided that he couldn't be with her because she was under criminal investigation (for something that's the moral equivalent of stealing food to feed a starving person)? Would he have refused to be seen with her? I just don't know. And even that wouldn't have bugged me if Josie had put him in his place instead of acting like a doormat and saying she was wrong not to have told him and that she's sorry he was hurt by it. Girl needed to get mad. But she rolls over and luckily he realizes his mistake before she leaves for good. But that was really disappointing how she just took the blame for all that. ( )

I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing in exchange for a review.

When Calvin Ramsey returns home to Texas, he expects to see his Mom, not some caretaker pointing a gun at him. Once they get past the whole gun pointing thing, Cal learns that is Mom is on a mission trip and Josie is keeping watch over the house. And his Grandfather has his own health problems. Suddenly Cal realizes just how out of touch with his family he has been.

Josie Vance has no reason to trust the handsome ex-baseball player. All she sees is a 'player' and she’s had enough of those to last her a lifetime. She has no interest in repeating past mistakes. Besides, Josie wants nothing else then to keep her head down and do her job. She is trying to get as much distance between herself and her Mother in Florida, and the problems her Mom might send her way.

Author Joanne Rock is like a skilled seamstress who takes a pile of cloth squares and puts them together to make a quilt. The characters in her books are the bits of fabric, and Joanne slowly pieces them together to create something beautiful, a story that will touch your heart and warm your soul. ( )

Loved this book! This was my first look at Last Stand Texas and I am hooked! This is the first in the series "Texas Playmakers." In this book Josie Vance has escaped her family drama with her mom and has taken a caretaker Job working for Clavin Ramseys mom on the familys fruit farm in Last Stand,Tx. Calvin was just droped from his major league baseball team has decided to take a much needed break and visit his mom and grandfather. Can you guess the surprise he gets when he walks into his mom's house in the middle of the night and finds Josie. Will they find love? ( )

Thank you to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for allowing me to review The Perfect Catch by Joanne Rock.

A caretaker job in peaceful Last Chance, Texas seems like the perfect escape to Josie Vance who wants to make a new start after being swindled by a con man and taken for granted by her unstable mother. She settles into her new role looking after the gardens and home of one of the wealthy Ramsey family members and finds contentment as she plans how to keep employed after the summer job is over. Life has promise and order until an unwanted house guest shows up - Cal Ramsey, the MLB star son of her employer. Just cut from his team, his career prospects bleak, Cal has more than enough time on his hands to discover what secrets the attractive caretaker is holding so dear. Determined to protect the family he’s neglected for his career from whatever Josie is hiding, Cal is also determined she’s affair-worthy material while he’s stuck in career limbo with nothing to do but watch the attractive caretaker’s every move.

This is the first book I have read by Joanne Rock and I would be happy to read more. Her dialogue is effortless, natural, effective, and keeps the story going. Lovable, believable characters that make the reader wonder what’s coming next. The Perfect Catch is a fun, page-turning flirtation with an eye-opening look into the life of professional baseball players. While the romantic relationship isn’t greatly developed, The Perfect Catch is still delightfully light and airy, good for an afternoon distraction from reality. The scenic details and minute actions of the characters transport the reader to the idyllic town of Last Chance and the Ramsey homestead. Fans of Diane Palmer will enjoy Joanne Rock and the foreshadowing of what’s to come for the Ramsey brothers in the Texas Playmakers series. ( )