Diary of a bookworm

The Locker Room – Meghan Quinn

Content Notes:

Published/Pages: 2019/320

POV: Dual – Hero & Heroine

Trope: Friends to Lovers, Time Separation

Goodreads Bookshelves: baseball romance, bookworm heroine, college romance, contemporary romance, favorites, friends to lovers, read, rom com, second chance, sports romance, steamy, time separation

HEA: Yes

Steam Level: Extra Steamy

Swearing: Adult

Trigger Warnings: Alcohol, Anxiety, Cheating (not w/ H&h)

My Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Book Description: Have you heard the rumor around campus about the locker room? If you haven’t, let me enlighten you: Legend has it if you bring a girl into the sacred after-game domain of the baseball locker room, it will end with a walk down the aisle. One rowdy and naked encounter against the lockers with the girl of your dreams will make her your wife. Translation: baseball players are stupidly superstitious and believe the locker room has magical powers. But not all baseball players are superstitious, me included. So when the girl I’ve fallen for brushes me off, I start to question if I need to switch my way of thinking. Maybe it’s time I finally hand out a coveted invitation to the locker room. The only question is, will she accept?

My Goodreads Review

My Review:

Knox & Emory 

I have a love-hate relationship with this book. 

Here’s the thing, it’s in my top 10 favorite books, but it has my least favorite romance trope: Time Separation. 

I loathe time separation tropes. I won’t go on the usual rant I go on when this topic gets brought up. Instead, you can read my discussion topic on it here. 

But time separation tropes make me so sad, especially ones with long separations. In this book they were separated for EIGHT years. Imagine being apart from the one you loved for that long. 

In the third book of the series, The Lineup (Jason & story), Knox’s best friend Jason even says; “I remember the day they split, because it was the day that a very different Knox was born. He was known for being one of the good guys, the man everyone wanted as their friend, the man who always had a kind word and a quick joke. But when he lost Emory, Knox became a complete bastard. No one wanted to be around him. Carson and I stood by him, but at times, it wasn’t easy.” I truly believe that being with your true love makes you the best version of yourself.  

“I don’t want to be your friend. I want to be your boyfriend, your goddamn forever.” His hands drive up my sides, holding my ribs, holding on to me tightly. “I want you forever, Em.” -Knox

Even though this book has my least favorite trope, Meghan Quinn’s writing, as usual, is just perfection. Knox is a perfect book boyfriend (which is why he’s in my top 5 fav book boyfriend’s). He’s so kind and patient and funny. Those are some of my favorite qualities in a man. 

Emory is a pretty good Heroine. I wouldn’t say she’d make my book girlfriend list. It isn’t that she has flaws, but some of the choices she makes. Even at the end, when Knox finally confronts her, she says she doesn’t regret her decision. Which is fine. But she could have brought them together sooner, but she chose to stay quiet. Let’s just say I understand Knox’s anger during this scene. 

What makes him even better is later, his willingness to let go of it all so he and her could have a future together. Ugh, such a good guy. 

I loved all the guys in this book and read their stories after this. This is my favorite of the series, with Change Up being a close second. 

If you’re looking for a great, steamy, baseball series, read the Brentwood Boys! 

This is book 1 out of 8 in the Brentwood Boys. It is however, a standalone.