Playing for Keeps

Playing for Keeps

Jennifer Dugan

Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

From the author of Some Girls Do comes another heartfelt YA sapphic romance—starring a baseball pitcher and a student umpire who are definitely not supposed to fall for one another. June is the star pitcher of her elite club baseball team—with an ego to match—and she's a shoo-in to be recruited at the college level, like her parents have always envisioned. That is, if she can play through an overuse injury that has recently gone from bad to worse. Ivy isn't just reffing to pay off her athletic fees or make some extra cash on the side. She wants to someday officiate at the professional level, even if her parents would rather she go to college instead. The first time they cross paths, Ivy throws June out of a game for grandstanding. Still, they quickly grow from enemies to begrudging friends . . . and then something more. But the rules state that players and umpires are prohibited from dating. As June's shoulder worsens, and a rival discovers the girls' secret and threatens to expose them, everything the two have worked so hard for is at risk. Now both must follow their dreams . . . or follow their hearts?


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  • corycatelyn
    Mar 09, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

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  • sapphic.library
    Mar 25, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

    "playing for keeps" is a forbidden romance between a star player and a star umpire whose chemistry is undeniable from the start. june, a female baseball player, feels a lot of pressure to live up to everyone's expectations, and ivy, an aspiring sports official, is determined to join the ranks of the women officiating in men's professional sports. they get off to a rocky start, but soon realize they understand each other in a way few people seem to and begin a secret relationship. i absolutely loved both june and ivy as main characters and their love story was so special to me. they were both so well rounded and fleshed out, and their stories—both together and separate—were very heartfelt and relatable. i don't know much about baseball (or anything at all, really) but i was able to follow along easily enough, which is my benchmark for a great sports romance. overall, i would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes sapphic sports romances (which, don't we all?!?!). thanks to netgalley and penguin teen for the advanced copy. "playing for keeps" comes out april 30th!

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