Title: Curveball
Author: Mariah Dietz
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 18, 2017
Blurb
Shakespeare believed there was always humor in tragedy and
tragedy in humor.
My life proved his theory as fact.
At eighteen I was a single parent moving to this small town
to be with the man I loved. The one who was supposed to love and cherish me in
return.
Finding out he had a wife was tragic.
Remaining in love with him in spite of her was more tragic.
My mom and best friend setting me up on a long string of
blind dates was an ongoing tragedy.
Nine years later, I’ve learned to see the humor in most
situations.
My mom and best friend setting me up on disastrous blind
dates.
My son’s jokes.
The fire alarm going off each time I cook.
My constant bright spot always adding to the humor was my
son, Hayden. But when Hayden had a life-threatening allergic reaction, the man
who came to help my little boy became my own savior. His laugh, his smile, and
the way his eyes lit up when he spoke to my son made him a beacon of light in
both our lives.
But I wasn’t the only one who noticed him.
When I began having feelings for the man my best and only
friend had fallen for, I knew following my heart would once again lead to a fresh
round of heartbreak.
Love led me to this town.
Lies kept me there.
Would history repeat itself?
Or had life just thrown me another Curveball?
Caroline's Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“When you give your heart away there’s no way to fully get it back. Pieces will be left behind, lies will drill holes, deceit will cause cracks, and the feeling of being unwanted will create a doubt your heart was ever whole.”
Ella is the town pariah. She’s the teenage homewrecker who came to town to steal her older lover from his wife, using her baby as the lure. Although she’s been in that town for years, rumours still abound about her. No one has ever given her the benefit of the doubt because her lover is the hometown hero firefighter. However, she soldiers on and puts up with the snubs and the snide remarks for the sake of her son, Hayden. He’s her world and she’d do anything for him. At least she has her best friend, Rachel, who lives in the same neighbourhood as her.
“There are moments in time that my soul feels like an inferno, flushed with smoke and scarred beyond recognition…her demeanor, her smile, her patience – they all keep the flames at bay as I bask in the bright blue zone that her eyes cast.”
Coen is a firefighter and the shift medic. The first time he meets Ella, he’s captivated by her. However, he has a rule: he doesn’t date anyone from his neighbourhood. So that includes Ella. Anyway, Ella has her own rule: she doesn’t date firefighters.
When Coen comes to Hayden’s rescue, it begins a tentative friendship between him and Ella. For the first time, in a very long time, Ella finds herself with a new friend. Someone who she can talk to, have fun with, who adores her son, who she can trust. Gradually, the lines of friendship become very blurry but Ella’s conscience pecks at her. When things start to spiral out of control, she needs to decide if what she has with Coen is worth fighting for.
“Each fire has a burning period: the time defined by when the fire spreads the fastest…looking at Ella, I know I’ll never be able to define the burning period when it comes to her.”
I really liked this novel. It was a fantastic story about friendship, trust, betrayal, moving on, and real love. Ella is a tough young woman who puts up with a hell of a lot. She lets her anxieties drive her to be the best – at work and as a mum. Her love for her son is all-encompassing, loyal and fierce. She is really to be admired for her tenacity and strength. Coen is a really nice guy and so gorgeous! He has a good heart, a great sense of humour, and a whole lot of integrity. I loved the friendship and trust they built up between them. He really saw Ella for who she really was, and I loved how much he adored Hayden.
I enjoyed how key things in the story were uncovered – it kept the book really interesting and intriguing. I really like this author’s writing style – her words were beautiful and lyrical in places. The emotions they evoked were piercing. Fab read!
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Excerpt
“I don’t watch TV at night…” Her voice drifts off, and I know it’s because she realizes I’m going to ask why.
And I do.
“You're going to laugh.”
“Probably.”
“It's because I can't hear things.”
“What kinds of things are you trying to hear?”
“I don't know. Strange noises and things…”
“Strange noises?”
“Do I need to spell it out for you?” She’s trying to sound annoyed, but I can hear the smile in her voice.
“Apparently, because I have no idea what you're talking about. What kinds of strange noises are you going to hear? I usually turn my TV up to block out all the strange sounds like the neighbor’s kids and the lady behind me that sounds like Fran fucking Drescher.”
“You know who Fran Drescher is?”
“My mother was a big fan of that stupid show she was in. Stop changing the subject. What are you listening for? Hayden won’t sneak out.”
“What if someone breaks in?”
“You're not serious.”
“Of course I'm serious!”
“What do you do all night?” I ask.
“Work,” she admits. “Well, usually I clean, and then I work.”
“I’m coming over.”
“You can’t.”
The panic in her voice doesn’t make her sound upset about the idea, but afraid.
Is it because she likes me?
“Why not?” I ask.
“It’s like nine o'clock.”
“Are you about to turn orange and sprout a stem?”
“That and I'm not wearing a bra, if you must know.”
“So put it back on.”
“You don't understand. That's like saying put your jeans back on.”
“I am in jeans,” I lie just to get a reaction out of her.
“What is wrong with you?” she cries.
“What's wrong with jeans?”
“They're stiff and uncomfortable. Wearing jeans all day is basically equivalent to walking on sandpaper. But at least you guys have pockets that will actually hold something larger than a thimble and don’t ride up your ass.”
And I do.
“You're going to laugh.”
“Probably.”
“It's because I can't hear things.”
“What kinds of things are you trying to hear?”
“I don't know. Strange noises and things…”
“Strange noises?”
“Do I need to spell it out for you?” She’s trying to sound annoyed, but I can hear the smile in her voice.
“Apparently, because I have no idea what you're talking about. What kinds of strange noises are you going to hear? I usually turn my TV up to block out all the strange sounds like the neighbor’s kids and the lady behind me that sounds like Fran fucking Drescher.”
“You know who Fran Drescher is?”
“My mother was a big fan of that stupid show she was in. Stop changing the subject. What are you listening for? Hayden won’t sneak out.”
“What if someone breaks in?”
“You're not serious.”
“Of course I'm serious!”
“What do you do all night?” I ask.
“Work,” she admits. “Well, usually I clean, and then I work.”
“I’m coming over.”
“You can’t.”
The panic in her voice doesn’t make her sound upset about the idea, but afraid.
Is it because she likes me?
“Why not?” I ask.
“It’s like nine o'clock.”
“Are you about to turn orange and sprout a stem?”
“That and I'm not wearing a bra, if you must know.”
“So put it back on.”
“You don't understand. That's like saying put your jeans back on.”
“I am in jeans,” I lie just to get a reaction out of her.
“What is wrong with you?” she cries.
“What's wrong with jeans?”
“They're stiff and uncomfortable. Wearing jeans all day is basically equivalent to walking on sandpaper. But at least you guys have pockets that will actually hold something larger than a thimble and don’t ride up your ass.”
“If your bra is riding up your ass, we have bigger fish to fry than being afraid of the boogey man.”
Author Bio
Mariah Dietz lives
with her husband, two sons, and two four-legged children who are the axis of
her crazy and wonderful world.
Mariah grew up in a tiny town outside of Portland, Oregon where she spent most of her time immersed in the pages of books that she both read and created.
She has a love for all things that include her family, good coffee, books, traveling, and dark chocolate. She’s also obsessed with Christmas ornaments and all things Disney.
Mariah grew up in a tiny town outside of Portland, Oregon where she spent most of her time immersed in the pages of books that she both read and created.
She has a love for all things that include her family, good coffee, books, traveling, and dark chocolate. She’s also obsessed with Christmas ornaments and all things Disney.
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