REVIEW: The Shutout by Dianna Roman

Review:

If you don’t need a box of tissues to get through this book then you’re heartless! (jk). You can feel the pain and sadness of both Max and Jack. For the death of their wife/best friend. But more so for Jack, the closeted baseball star who has developed feelings for his straight best friend/neighbour, Max. All he wants is love and a family, but when his truth comes out Max is a jerk, a sympathetic jerk, but still. It’s a slow burn romance with enough angst to empty the tissue box but with enough laughs and spicy love scenes to soothe the tears. It’s lovely and tender and fulfilling. And that ending….! It is on the long side but it never felt like it dragged, and the side characters were great, especially the daughter. All in all, I really enjoyed it. Stars: 5 Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3qrc5kW Synopsis: Sometimes love is where you least expect it, and sometimes it's right where you left it in this slow burn to steamy friends to lovers tale. Widower, Max Hartwell, is barely keeping it together, being a single-dad, managing his law firm, and navigating life's chaos. Life after loss is too difficult for surprises, which is why Max would be lost without his reliable best friend and neighbor, Jack. Best pitcher in the MLB, Jack Spears, is at the top of his game. He has it all, except for the one thing he wants most, which happens to be the one thing he can't have if he doesn't want his private life to overshadow his career: love. When an emotional evening reveals his biggest secret, he's faced with losing everything that matters most to him. Can Max see him for the man he truly is, or will Jack forever be doomed to live in the shadow of the image he created as America's favorite pitcher? Heartfelt and human, The Shutout is a story of friendship, loss, love, and the rough road to new beginnings.