Defensive Indifference by M.J. Padgett: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

When life gives you fresh out of the oven donuts, it’s probably not a good idea to drop them on the swoony baseball player’s lap.

After a very public incident, all pro-baseball player Koa Keaton wants is to be left alone. But everywhere he goes, reporters flash cameras in his face, begging for a statement about his crumbling life. When Koa dips into a local donut shop to escape the entourage of stalkers, he doesn’t expect to find yet another groupie desperate for his attention.

Evalina Renn has enough on her plate with a young child, a struggling business, and a stack of never ending bills. The last thing she needs is to deal with a cocky baseball player who thinks he’s too special to sign a simple autograph, even if he is her son’s favorite Savannah Sharks player. Still, she doesn’t mean to accidentally dump a scalding hot stack of donuts onto his lap, leaving the star player covered in chocolate frosting.

Koa isn’t proud of his overreaction to the waitress, especially when it ends up on every local news outlet. To top it off, the woman refuses to accept his apology. His repeated attempts to make things right are met by slamming doors, frustrated groans, and utter humiliation. The worst part is he can’t stop thinking about her and what it might be like to kiss her until she smiles.

Defensive Indifference is a sweet, meet disaster, enemies to lovers romance with faith elements and a side of comedy!

The Author

M. J. Padgett is first and foremost a mom. Her free-spirited daughter has quite a vivid imagination, and her antics sometimes find their way into her mommy’s work. She is a lover of all things chocolate, a Grimm and Dickens addict, a self-proclaimed smarty-pants, and an introvert to the core.

Writing is her true passion (after raising her daughter, of course), and she writes as often as possible. One of her favorite things about writing is creating a world where people can escape reality for a little while, maybe even walk away feeling hopeful about the real world around them. When it comes to reading, she loves a book that can make her forget where she is no matter the genre. If she can get lost and feel like the characters are her real friends, she’s a happy reader.

Book Review

Talk about an unforgettable meet cute! Flying donuts and paparazzi? Yeah, that's one that'll stick with you. Let's just say, these Koa and Evalina don't get off to a great start... but once they get to know each other a little better, it doesn't take long for sparks to fly. There was such a great banter and chemistry between these two that I couldn't get enough of, but I think my favorite thing about their story was the relationship between Koa and Dustin (Evalina's son)... it was the sweetest thing how Dustin trusted him and how Koa showed up for him when he didn't have to. This is one of the things I really love to see in a single mom romance and this one was done so well. The elements of faith added a lot to the story too, and I just loved it all. If you like baseball romance with faith and humor, this is one not to be missed. 

Defensive Indifference is a faith-filled romance with kisses only and no language. It is the fourth book in the Southern Sports Romance series but could be enjoyed as a standalone as well. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4qvPnFU