A Heartbeat Away From You
Author: Ann M. Miller
Genre: YA Sports Romance
Pages: 270
Release Date: August 16, 2022, by Sword and Silk Books
Formats: ebook and paperback
Summary:
Fearless Ali—implanted with a pacemaker—sets her sights on a return to the diamond, but her overprotective dad throws her a curveball when he enlists her childhood nemesis to keep her out of the game.
After a daredevil play on the baseball field leads to a four-minute long cardiac arrest, seventeen-year-old Ali Benton is lucky to be alive. Now she wants to make the most of her second chance—and she’s not going to let a pesky little pacemaker, or her helicopter dad, slow her down.
Between chairing multiple school clubs and working two jobs to help his single mother pay the bills, Max Delaney has got every second of every day planned. His childhood nemesis, Ali, doesn’t figure into any of them. But when her overprotective father offers him cash to keep an eye on her and steer her away from baseball, his plans change.
Ali can’t figure out why Max, the condescending know-it-all, is sticking to her side like Krazy Glue, and Max can barely tolerate headstrong Ali. But opposites attract, and before long, fighting turns to kissing. Even as sparks fly, the secrets they’ve been keeping threaten to tear them apart. When Max learns Ali’s been putting herself in harm’s way and playing ball in secret, he struggles with how to tell her father. If he tattles, he’ll lose her trust. If he doesn’t, he may lose her heart…in more ways than one.
Excerpt
Here’s an excerpt from the first page. If you need something shorter or a different length, just let me know! Many thanks!
Some people who’ve had a brush with death say they saw their lives flash before their eyes, but that’s not what happened to me. After I’d collapsed on the baseball field, I hadn’t seen or felt anything. No rush of memories. No montages of friends and family. Not one single image until I awoke hours later in the hospital to find my parents’ concerned faces hovering over me.
I hadn’t needed to see a replay of ‘The Ali Benton Story’ to appreciate the second chance I’d been given. From the moment the doctor explained what had happened, I’d been ready to make the most of that chance. I’d been itching to get my goals back on track and pursue new ones.
But when my parents decided I should live with Dad in Cartersvale, British Columbia, they’d seriously screwed up my plans.
I’d had to say goodbye to countless opportunities: a coaching role at Toronto’s Batter Up Baseball, a training program for girls; a position on the Ontario Women’s Baseball League; a spot on Northern Secondary School’s baseball team. Coaching and playing in Toronto had been my best shot at university athletic scholarships. Because of Mom’s job in Egypt, I had to leave that all behind. I understood she was getting the chance to follow her dreams, but what about my dreams?
As I slumped in my seat by the window, I couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had been taken from me.
The plane banked sharply to the right, preparing for landing. The landscape unfurled below me in a kaleidoscope of lush greens, deep blues, and sandy browns. Trees stood guard around lakes and ponds, and grassy meadows stretched out in all directions. As land gave way to buildings, I sat up straighter. I could make out Ridge High’s baseball diamond a little way in the distance. The sun drizzled golden light onto the checkerboard pattern mowed into the field.
A familiar ache filled my chest. It’d been six months since I’d been on a ball field, and I was more than ready to get back in the game. I might not have been able to remember every detail of my last inning, but I could remember what it felt like to play centerfield. The satisfying weight of the ball as it fell into my glove. The wind in my face as I dove for a grounder. The roar of the crowd when I jumped up on the fence to nab a ball. Robbing someone of a homerun? Pure exhilaration.
About the Author
Ann Miller writes young adult novels about first loves, family secrets, and magic. She grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada, where the local bookmobile fed her diet of Nancy Drew mysteries, Sweet Valley High books, and Stephen King horror. After graduating from the University of King’s College, she moved to Newfoundland, an island that makes up for its unforgiving climate with beautiful coastlines and majestic icebergs.
When she’s not reading or writing, Ann can be found spending time with her husband and son, or binge-watching Netflix while curled up with the two four-legged members of her family.
Captured in Paint is her first novel, and she has several more in the works. Take a look at Ann’s website.
Thank you for stopping by to check out A Heartbeat Away From You by Ann M. Miller. Looking for a young adult sports romance? Why not try this one. I will be reviewing this book next month.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
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