Curve into Forever

Vancouver Tridents, Book 5

By: Julia Jarrett

Narrated by: Samantha Brentmoor, David Lee Huynh

Kai Yamaki, star pitcher of the Vancouver Tridents has a secret... But all will be revealed, and hearts will be on the line in the final Vancouver Tridents story.

©2025 Julia Jarrett (P)2025 Julia Jarrett

Brentmoor and Huynh are the closers…

Book 5 in Jarrett’s Vancouver Tridents was a solid closer to the series. Second chance romance is a favorite trope, and while common romance ground, like any tool the effectiveness is all about how it’s used. Readers need to understand why the MCs can’t be together and why they would want to try again after the separation. And while the effectiveness here felt inconsistent to me at the start, Jarrett stuck the landing with Kai and Isabelle. That is in large part due to the excellent performances of two stellar narrators.

The baseball of it all, with the team camaraderie was really well done. It was always a joy to see past MMCs interact with Kai. The relationships between the teammates has clearly grown from book to book. And it’s just really appealing to return to those connections between the guys. It’s in keeping with the building Jarret has done in previous books. So, on the sports romance side of things and the secondary character work, this one was definitely a winner.

Despite some unevenness in the beginning, Isabelle and Kai are two likable MCs made even more so by the work of Samantha Brentmoor and David’s Lee Huynh. Brentmoor was fabulous as always. While the FMC works on page, it was Brentmoor’s performance that made me more open to the arc Jarrett created for Isabelle. Every Brentmoor performance just further cements her GOAT status for me. Huynh is a new-to-me narrator,and I thought he was a great fit for Kai. I had a hard time with Kai when he and Isabella first reunite. The prologue is really sweet, but then the second impressions 8 years later were a little rough, especially Kai and the way his anger led in that moment. But Huynh was able to add layers to those emotions and soften that harsh impression. Both performers made it more believable that these MCs (especially Kai) would want to try to be friends let lone risk their hearts again.

Overall CiF is an enjoyable second chance baseball romance that I recommend for the Tridents team banter and standout narrator performances.

I’m grateful to have received an ALC copy of the audiobook via Home Cooked Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

Fitting end to the series

Hard to believe our time with the Tridents is coming to and end. It's been pretty fun.

We meet Yami and Iz..... Star Pitcher and the stepdaughter of their coach. Huh?
Yea so coach got married in a whirlwind romance of his own and got himself an adult step daughter.

Oh... and she's Yami's long lost love.

Seems in college, she went to Italy to visit the family she never knew. And stayed. And built a life. And never got over her college love.

They can't help but secretly get together while she's in town for the summer.. but knowing it will end WHAT WILL THEY DO??

The whole lost love, and rekindling, and regret and second chance here will pull at your heart.

I loved some of the banter in this book, both between Kai and Iz but also Iz at the restaurant - LOVED that. And I always got hungry in the restaurant scenes.

The narration was so well done. Samantha is a favorite, and David Lee Huynh is new to me but I really enjoyed his presentation.

You can read it as a stand alone but you'll have a great time if you treat yourself to the whole series! Every installment just hits.

Great ending to a great series!

I have been Loving this series! Curve into Forever is book 5 in the Vancouver Tridents series! It follows Isabelle and Kai. Oh I love a good second chance romance! These two first meet in college starting out as friends then becoming something more. Isabelle goes off to Italy to reconnect with her father and never comes back. They are reunited 8 years later and the feelings and chemistry are still there! You could feel the heartbreak they both endured and see how they both handled it. It was beautiful to watch them find their way back to each other. The heat and tension between them was everything! What a nice ending to a great series!

The audiobook was narrated by Samantha Brentmoor and David Lee Huynh. Samantha is one of my favorite narrators and she was perfecto for Isabelle. She is good at bringing the passion and fun! David is a new to me author and he did a good job playing Kai! He was a joy to listen to and I can’t wait to hear more from him!

What to expect:
Second Chance
Baseball Romance
Coach’s Daughter
Playboy Hero with a broken heart
Mid Sized Heroine
Interracial Couple
Forbidden Love

Fantastic finish to the series!

I’m a sucker for a good second chance story and this one delivered. Kai, the charismatic starting pitcher has been the perpetually single playboy throughout the series. However, we find out in this story that he just never got over his first love. Kai and Isabelle were college sweethearts when they bonded over being the only two Canadians at their school. When Isabelle goes to Italy to meet her father, they didn’t know she would stay for good. They are reunited eight years later when she’s home for a visit and attends family day for the Tridents. After the shock wears off, they decide to catch up as friends. Time apart has not lessened their attraction to each other and just friends turns into friends with benefits quickly, but now with an expiration date.

Narrated by David Lee Huynh and Samantha Brentmoor. David is new to me, and he was terrific. He delivered on Kai’s big personality and all the emotion when dealing with the possible separation from Isabelle again. Samantha Brentmoor just continues to nail it. Leaving was hard for Isabelle, and you felt all her struggles with leaving versus her love for Kai through Samantha’s performance.

I enjoyed watching these two discover each other and how much they’ve grown and changed over the years. At the core, they still love each other. Their story is a sweet, funny, low angst second chance story. There are plenty of interactions with the characters from the series and overall it was a fantastic way to wrap up this series.

A fantastic ending to an incredible series.

I’ve loved Julia Jarrett’s Vancouver Trident baseball world and this was the perfect way to wrap it all up. Isabelle and Kai’s story was emotional, heartfelt and so spicy. Their second-chance romance delivered all the ache and all the heat. Narration Notes: Samantha Brentmoor brought the perfect mix of sass and softness - she is always a favorite of mine and auto-buy narrator. David Lee Huynh was a new to me narrator and completely surprised me. His voice gave Kai depth, restraint and emotional weight. I’d absolutely listen to him again. Huge thanks to Julia Jarrett and Home Cooked Books for the ALC.