Mighty Casey by Willa Okati

 The only thing extroverted Nate loves more than baseball is his quiet, reserved Casey. The feeling's mutual, thanks--but it isn't all fun and games. A wedding planner, Casey's booked solid during the summer months and thanks to a certain poem about the Mudville Nine, cringes at the thought of ball games. Fair's fair--with seven older sisters who redefined “wedding drama”, Nate freezes at the thought of tying the knot. Casey might wish things were different, but he wouldn't trade Nate, his big heart, or his skills between the sheets for a wedding worthy of a Rockefeller.

After losing a strip poker bet, Casey's promised forfeit is spending a full day at a softball tournament. He's sure there's more going on than a simple sports wager and wonders what Nate's up to, but he's curious enough to jump in and commit. And so, finally, is Nate, who's planning a surprise involving an engagement ring and a proposal from the pitcher's mound.

But things don't go quite according to scheme for the odd couple when Nate takes his lover out to the ball game. And who knows what might happen when Casey's called up to bat?

Let me start with saying that there were times while I was reading this book that I would get confused as to who said what and had to go back and re-read the passage. Typically, this would not give a book a 5-star rating. However, in the case of Mighty Casey I think my confusion had more to do with me getting caught up in the story and losing track of the “he” than it did with the author’s writing. To put it simply, this was such a fun read that I got so engrossed in the story and I confused myself.

The bulk of Mighty Casey takes place over the course of one day. We learn from the beginning that Casey and his boyfriend Nate have been together for several years despite major differences that would seem to make them not compatible. Casey is a wedding planner and Nate HATES weddings – not marriage, but the actual wedding – and as much as Casey is a romantic and has fantasies of his ideal wedding, he loves Nate more than a ceremony. On the other hand, Nate is a HUGE sports enthusiast and Casey HATES all sports to the point that he has brain-dumped any and all rules of the games he learned growing up. These two should not be compatible, they shouldn’t work as a couple, yet they do. They are absolutely endearing and sexy as all get out in their love for each other, especially in the shower … yummy! As much as Casey dislikes sports, he finds himself enjoying the day at the softball tournament and not just the sexy fun times he and Nate keep sneaking off to have during the breaks between games.

But I don’t know which part of the story I liked the best. When Casey went up to bat OR the proposal scene in which Nate actually managed to fool Casey OR the epilogue. Heck, who am I kidding? I loved it all. I spent most of the time reading with a grin on my face. Ms. Okati has written an entertaining read that I devoured in a matter of hours and I am so excited about reading the sequel, Home Run. I cannot wait to spend more time with Casey and Nate and certainly hope that Mimi makes an appearance too. 

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