Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Cynthiana Davenport

Book: Homerun
Author: Ruth Roberts
Heroine: Cynthiana Davenport

This week, we have something a little different for you...we have the hero--Roberto--telling us what he sees in the heroine...strength and sexiness.

When I first met Cynthiana Davenport, I was captivated by her beauty. A fiery red head with flashing blue eyes and porcelain skin. But her appeal goes far beyond her sexy smile, or the way all eyes turn to her when she walks into a room. She is strong because she survived being raised by wealthy parents who neglected her, when they did show any interest in her it was to serve their own purposes. Affection and love were bad words in her home and any attempts to display them were harshly rejected. She was primed to take her place in the highest echelons of society, but getting there was less than fun. 

Because of her strength of character she triumphed and turned herself into a caring, giving person. Spending her time teaching children and planning charity events for underprivileged youths. I can't imagine what it was like when the two people who were supposed to nurture and love, instead did everything they could to crush her heart and spirit. I am so thankful they didn't succeed because the woman I love is like a flower after a rain storm, who despite the harsh beating from the rain still blooms bright.

Blurb: 

Cynthiana, beautiful, intelligent, and by all appearances, a spoiled socialite, finds herself as chair of the Inner City Youth League Charity Gala. Her Co-Chair, Roberto Luque, is Major League Baseball’s newest playboy from the Dominican Republic. Far from being in the league of men her parents expect her to choose from, which is just fine with her, since she has sworn off playboys. But, as they work together she discovers his devotion to the inner city children and wonders if there is more to him than his playboy reputation. Will she break her no playboy rule long enough to find out?

Roberto fought his way into the Majors. Now a successful pitcher for the Texas Rangers, he is living the life he always dreamed of--until he faces off with a bad-tempered, blue-eyed, redhead that is not his type. Why is he so drawn to her? The Charity Gala gives him a chance to find out. What he finds beneath that socialite veneer captivates him, heart and soul.

When her powerful father threatens to tear them apart, destroying not only their love, but also Roberto’s hard won career, will he be willing to give it all up for love?

Excerpt:

A determined Cynthiana strode up the front steps of her parents twenty-thousand square foot palatial home. She walked right in the front door, even though they had asked her countless times to ring the doorbell instead. She refused to act as a guest in her childhood home, where her parents still lived.

The shocked housekeeper entered the foyer and started sputtering when she saw her. “Oh miss, I didn’t hear the doorbell. I’m so sorry. If you’ll have a seat in the front parlor, I’ll let your parents know you are here.”

“No need, Molly. Is my father in his office?” she asked as she brushed by.

“Yes. But you can’t just go in—”

Cynthiana ignored her and approached the double mahogany doors to her father’s office, hurled them open, stepped inside and slammed them behind her.

Her father glanced up from what he was writing, then returned to his writing without saying a word. More furious than hurt by his dismissal, Cynthiana went to his desk and slammed her hands on top to get his attention. “Leave Roberto alone. That is not a request.”

He threw his pen on his desk and scooted his chair back, but remained seated. His glacial blue eyes meant he was angry—Cynthiana had seen that glare many times before.

“You do not give me orders, young lady. I will do whatever needs to be done to protect my family, and that includes you. Whether you like it or not, you are a Davenport.”

Cynthiana met his angry gaze with one that matched his in color and intensity. “Oh, please. All I’ve ever been to you and mother is an accessory that you could show off to your friends when needed, then pushed to the background once I had served my purpose. If it hadn’t been for the Howards, who took me in whenever the two of you abandoned me, I would have never known the true meaning of a family.”

“Spare me your theatrics. It wasn’t the Howards who clothed and fed you or who paid for the best education money can buy. While you were playing house with the Howard’s, your mother and I were busy making the money that you benefited from, that made you a Davenport of the Dallas Davenports. And now you are threatening to tarnish that good name? I won’t allow it Cynthiana.” Somewhere during his tirade he had stood and now towered over her.

Never one to back down, she fired at him, “You are not attempting to protect me, you are trying to maintain an image and if my happiness has to be sacrificed along the way, then so be it. Isn’t that right, Daddy? You want me to be a true Davenport? Fine, I will. I’m warning you now, if you hurt the man I love I will use all the weapons in the Davenport arsenal to bring you down.”

His face glared red with rage. “How dare you threaten me?”

“It’s a warning, Daddy. Stay out of my life. Leave Roberto alone.” She turned and walked away, out of his office and out of the house, ignoring his yells.

“Get back here, Cynthiana! We aren’t finished!”

She smiled in satisfaction—maybe she was more of a Davenport than she thought.

Are you an author with a strong heroine in your book? Want to see her featured? Find out how here.

Forward Pass by Lorna Schultz Nicholson

Big thumbs up to the author for tackling a very "sensitive" subject in the YA world...actually, two subjects: sexual abuse and sexuality.


Parmita is at a special sports-oriented school in Canada. Though months from graduating high school, she's already living away from her parents, with a family near the school, sort of like an exchange student program but there is no exchange.

By day she plays soccer and tries to avoid her very hands-on coach, by night she battles with the growing attraction to her best girl friend. Nobody knows she's a lesbian.

Long story short, the coach does some inappropriate things and lays it out like this: if Parm tells, the coach will make sure she doesn't go to Nationals (a big deal) and will say it was all mutual (it wasn't.)

Parm being a young girl who hasn't  yet "come out" of the closet yet is faced with some really tough choices. I fell this is an important story. Many young people face stuff like this and sadly, out of shame or fear, won't speak up. This enables people in positions of power to continue abusing others, something Parm realizes. But just when she decides to take action, someone else does it for her.

Again, I appreciated the lessons in this book and the fact it brings awareness to a serious problem, not only sexual abuse, but a teenager's fear of "coming out".
What I didn't like: 1. The story was real quick in the telling. It bypassed descriptions and emotions much of the time just to lay the story quickly on the page. Don't tell me Parmita sits there and cries, tell me what she is feeling deep inside, especially after the social network thing. WOW. I felt that warranted more emotions than we were given. 2. There was no dawning awareness of her sexuality. I'm not sure when that happened. I wanted to know when she realized she was a lesbian, what that realization was like. 3. There was a beautiful opportunity here to show the Christian community should practice "tolerance" of others. I don't like the outcome with her billet/exchange family. Perfect opp was there and passed over, to educate the family.

Still a very good read though and I def think young people should read it. Three bikes. I got this from netgalley.

Close Contact by Cassandra Carr, Cindy Carr, and Cristal Ryder

Blurb: Hard-hitting contact sports don't have the only sexy professional athletes. Does the strength and grace of golf, tennis and fencing instructors extend to lustier activities? Find out as they turn these classic sports into full-contact steamy sessions. Featuring stories by Cassandra Carr, Cristal Ryder and Cynthia Carr.

Service Ace by Cassandra Carr

Callum Giovanni's professional tennis career is over. He's trying not to be bitter about it, even though it means teaching women more interested in not messing up their hair and nails than a good service. Then Adriana Macy appears, claiming to be a novice, but Callum knows there's more to her than meets the eye. How far does she want to take their personal match? The ball's in her court. 

Up to the Hilt by Cynthia Carr
Olympic fencing wunderkind Sebastian Como is Rina Rogers’ last resort to find someone who can instruct her toward her own Olympic medal. All her other trainers have balked, saying she is too impulsive, too unmanageable, too everything. Sebastian recognizes her talent and tells her he'll take her all the way. But does that include his bed?

Playing Through by Cristal Ryder
A relationship is the last thing Lexie is looking for, especially one with a hot cowboy wanting golf lessons. It's all she can do to keep her focus on the game and off Jay’s hard muscled body and devilishly sexy face. But the more lessons they have, the farther his sexy drawl gets under her skin. 

Does he feel the attraction too? Mother Nature forces them to seek shelter as the power of nature lets loose around them. Will they go primal and unleash their attraction for one another amidst the rawness of the Rocky Mountains?

***My two cents***

Three erotic romance stories in one, all involving sports in some way.

The first story is about a woman who has had her eye on a pro tennis player for sometime. A severe ankle injury has relegated him to being a coach. Hey, there's a silver lining behind every cloud, right? One of his students happens to have the hots for him and it's lust at first sight and a hot romp. The lust/sex was almost immediate, too immediate for my taste, but at least they used a rubber.

The second story was a golf instructor and her student. They get rained on and seek shelter together. The sex was hot, the writing good, though I felt a big over dramatic with all the sexual awareness.

The last story, Up to the Hilt, was my favorite. Well-written, engaging, and featuring a tough female who wants to be the best fencer she can be. "Fencing needs some fresh blood amongst the stodgy, good old boys network. I'm the one who's going to show them there's a youth movement out there. There are all kinds of moves you can make that no one has dared to perform in competition. I'm going to make them and shock everyone."

She was right up my alley, attitude problem and all. She engages her instructor in real battle, which leads to a battle of a different sort. I also liked  that this story was more STORY than sex. I'll be seeking other work from this author.

Out of the Blue by Victor Cruz & Peter Schrager

Victor Cruz did not just come from nowhere. He didn't just appear out of the blue. He came from what some would dub a broken home, streets rife with crime, and a little boy with big dreams became a legend. It wasn't an overnight thing. It came with struggles and stress attached. As Victor says at the end of this book, "You can't wait for your chance. You can't expect it. You have to earn it." Wise words. I think I'll post them somewhere I can see them and remind myself of this when I get frustrated over my writing career.

I learned a lot as I read this. Football players, the pros anyway, are not dumb jocks. They have to make good SAT scores to get into those colleges where recruiters find them. And after reading about the lockout, the financial stuff they go through, the injuries, the stress, the whole drafting process, I have a newfound respect for football players in general.
Cruz grew up in Paterson, NJ and turned to sports to stay off the streets and out of trouble. He was raised by a single mom and his abuela and papi. His dad was a firefighter who wasn't a part of his life till Cruz turned seven. He introduced his son to football. Cruz had a series of hard knocks: gangs beating on him and his friends, shootings, illness in the family, his father dying, bad grades, and just frustration when the NFL kept passing him by. Nothing was handed to this guy.

I absolutely loved how Cruz managed to talk about all his accomplishments without being arrogant. He even credits numerous other players for helping him, teaching him, praises Eli Manning. He talks about other football players' unique stories, not just himself. And when it got to the 2011 football season, I already knew the scores, had watched the games, but Cruz's POV showed me what was going on behind the scenes.

I appreciate Cruz writing this book, taking the time to tell his story. He gives the rest of us, whether you're from Paterson, NJ, or Tulsa, Oklahoma, a feeling of hope. Reading his story, reading about his persistence in the face of adversity, makes me want to overcome it in my own life. He did it. He made it. He dreamed big and accomplished it.

Five bikes. This book was a gift from my mother.

Yes She Can!: Women's Sports Pioneers by Glenn Stout

I could spend my review just gushing about this biographical book or I can do a really cool summary of it and hopefully get your interest.  It's a short read full of fascinating information about fascinating women in sports history. 

The first woman the book talks about is Trudy Ederle.

Trudy was the first woman to swim the English Channel, all 21 miles from France to the coast of England.  Only 5 men had accomplished this task by the time Trudy did it in fourteen hours and 31 minutes, nearly two hours faster than the male record holder's. 

Funny stuff:  Trudy and her sister invented the first bikini.  When Trudy first began swimming, she had a rope tied around her waist and instructors declared her "too wild."

Amazing thing:  Trudy was also partially deaf.  Thus, she helped not only the future of women's sports, but also deaf culture.

The second woman is Louise Stokes and I was unable to find a picture of her.  She was a runner and with Theodora Ann Pickett, one of the first African American woman to be on a U.S. Olympic team. 

Amazing thing:  In Massachusetts, girls were not allowed on the boys' running field.  Louise and her team mates had to run alongside rail road tracks due to a lack of a real track.

I mentioned Theodora Ann Pickett, aka Tidye.

Tidye was also an African American runner, daring to stretch her legs in a time when running was "dangerous to feminine nature."  Her and Louise were accepted on the 1932 and 1936 Olympic team.  Tidye is officially the first African American woman to compete in the Olympics.  Louise was unable to compete and there is sad story here, but you have to read the book to find out.

Another woman in the book is Julie Krone.

She was a female jockey in a time when the field was mostly dominated by men.  Come to think of it, the field is still mostly male.. She started as a hot walked and horse bather and in 1981 won her first race. 

Amazing thing:  In a race one day, a fellow jockey (male) whipped her face, cutting her ear.  This chick didn't cry about it.. She punched him in the nose!  There's more to that story too, but I don't want to be accused of spoilers..

The last woman is Danica Patrick.

The book talks about her Formula racing in England, her sponsors, her quick rise to fame, and having to prove herself in the Indy 500 and win.

Funny thing:  Danica wrecked her first go kart!

Amazing thing: She is only 5 feet tall and weights just over a hundred pounds.

I highly recommend this book, which I got from netgalley by the way.  The only reason it doesn't get a five star is because both Danica's and Julie's parts had a little too much "play by play" run down of their races; which car or horse was where at a given time...

Four stars.  And though this is aimed at the teen crowd, I think adults will love it just as much.



Curveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone by Martha Ackmann

Tho born as Marcenia Stone, by the time she was fourteen, this woman was known as Tomboy Stone. Why? She loved to run and play baseball. In the 1930s, this was unusual behavior for a girl. Her parents even frowned upon Tomboy's extracuricular activities. Tomboy was on the verge of running away from home when the local priest realized her potential and convinced her parents to allow her to play on the church baseball team. This was only the beginning...

As a young woman later in life, Tomboy armed herself with a 25 cent baseball glove from Goodwill and a pair of shoes that were a gift from Evard "Gabby" Street and after traveling for a while with a barnstorming team, she hit San Francisco and reinvented herself. Toni Stone was born. Toni Stone went from barnstorming teams to semi pro teams to the pro Negro League. She played on the SF Sea Lions, the New Orleans Creoles, and the Indianapolis Clowns and other teams. She propped open the door for other women to enter, women like Mamie Johnson and Connie Morgan.

Immersed with Toni's story is background information on what was going on in the Civil Rights movement at that time. It's important to remember that Toni Stone was not only in the fight for women's rights and equality, but also for African Amercian rights. During this time, lynching still occurred and hate ran rampant, especially in the "Jim Crow" south as they refer to it. And Toni's teams had to play ball in some of these places. Toni Stone had to straighten her shoulders, put her chin up, and while hitting, catching, and at one point even being knocked out by a ball, she had to face hateful white crowds and listen to insults hurled her way. Discrimination did not stop with racist or chauvinistic crowds tho. Toni also faced harassment from her own teammates and at one point, even had to take a baseball bat to fellow team member's head to stop his sexual remarks. This gal did not turn tail and head home to make her husband biscuits that's for sure.

Other African American baseball pioneers are honored in this book, including Jackie Robinson and Satchel Paige.

Toni with Joe Louis

This is a very good read and more entertaining than most biographies. There was too much detail about other people tho, and not just people involved in baseball. Example: Louis Armstrong and the Zulu parade. I couldn't care less. Also, the book focuses on other baseball players quite often. Whereas I wasn't interested in some of these players, I think baseball fanatics will be overjoyed with the details. There were simply some parts that are more for "lovers of the game." This reader has no real interest in baseball, just strong women in history.

Toni Stone was involved with baseball in some way until she turned 65. She was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. She passed away in 1996.

I received this book from the publisher. I am not being reimbursed for my review. I just received a book that I requested upon discovering it on Shelf Awareness. The subject matter intrigued me enough that I HAD TO READ IT. So, thank you, Lawrence Hill Books.