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justinekorson's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW
This was a really cute story but a little short for my tastes. I think the actual final version is longer though. I really enjoyed the characters in this story. Ivy and June were really fun to get to know. one of my favorite parts was June making a joke about how they both have dead family members AND they're LGBTQIA+. I also enjoyed how Ivy didn't want to go to college and was actively fighting against it (though I'm a little mad that she actually agreed to go to community college in the end). Mia and Javonte were also really great characters and complemented the girls well.
Part of why the rating is a three though is because I'm not really a fan of insta-love which is kind of how this book felt. I'm not sure if that's just because the ARC was shorter than normal YA's or if it really was just insta-love. It felt like to me that it didn't take a lot for them to start dating. I really thought there'd be more conflict and more back and forth of will-they-won't-they? Instead, they seemed to agree pretty quickly that "yes we should date and hide it from everyone". WHICH IS TOTALLY FINE!!! I just thought that they'd have this whole conversation of "it's a terrible idea to date. let's be friends" and then over the course of the novel they're like "oh shit we're actually dating not just hanging out." I also couldn't get over the fact that Ivy ACTUALLY didn't do the showcase. I swore that at the last minute she'd be able to step-in but she didn't so that was disappointing. The fact that the "bad guy" was named Aiden didn't feel right either because my favorite author is Aiden Thomas and I love him (but this is just a me thing lol).
Graphic: Biphobia, Lesbophobia, Chronic illness, Grief, Sexism, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Cancer, Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Medical trauma
nerdybookqueen's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Coming from opposite sides of the the sports world, June, the player, and Ivy, a ref, find themselves falling for each other and in a forbidden relationship. While they navigate this new love, they each have to navigate the impact the death of a family member had on them and their parents, June, losing her softball-player mother, and Ivy, losing her brother.
Though the deaths are old, the pain is very fresh, and is what at first bonds them together. But, personalities, and a bit of ethics, clash, and girls find their relationship tested.
June is left facing possibly years worth of letters her mother left, for many milestones in her life, and coping with the weight of those expectations, while her father pushes her harder and harder, in spite of an injury. Ivy has to face her parents trying to form her into a mini version of her brother, to fulfill all his dreams, though all she wants to do is ref. Both girls, through each other and through work on themselves, have to find a way to stand up for themselves and grow.
I also have to say, it's a bit nice to have a forbidden sapphic romance that isn't centered around their queer identities. It was a nice change of pace that I was quite happy to have.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel, though at times I found myself very frustrated by decision making. But then again, they're women in love, hell if I'm not familiar with that feeling.
Graphic: Sexism, Death of parent, Cancer, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Child death
booksandlooksss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I have to say that this was way heavier than I was anticipating. While there were moments of queer joy in this sapphic story, I felt overwhelmingly sad and frustrated for these MCs the entire time. The plot did feel incredibly realistic as someone who grew up playing competitive sports; however, it felt overshadowed by the toxicity of the MCs parents and their respective grief.
When looking at reviews for this book, there were a lot of people saying that this is fun and lighthearted when that couldn't be further from the truth. A good amount of the story leans on June pushing through an extremely dangerous injury while also combating the unrealistic expectations that her father has on her professional career. Not to mention, both are dealing with the loss of a loved one from cancer. On the other hand, you have Ivy who is struggling with getting her mother to understand her true passion in her life while feeling like the secondary character. Their family is also grieving the loss of Ivy's brother from cancer as well, which causes her mother to become overbearing.
Grief isn't linear and we all grieve in different ways; however, it truly overshadowed the main plot and the relationship between Ivy and June.
I really think if Jennifer focused on Ivy and June's growing relationship rather than the grief, miscommunication, and unhealthy expectations from their respective parents, this would have been so much better.
Thank you Jennifer Dugan, Putnam and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Moderate: Cancer
livruther's review
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
i thought this was a pretty good book. i liked the start of their romance, and i was especially invested in the second half. i just did not like june as much as i wanted to. i found her to be really selfish, and while she did grow, i just didnt feel like she adequately apologized for or acknowledged the pain she caused. some of the references and phrases that were very modern weren’t my favorite either, because i think they will put too much of a timestamp on the book and make less accessible to readers years in the future.
cw: medical content, cancer, death of a parent, child death, injury/injury detail, grief
Graphic: Medical content, Death of parent, Grief, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer
fanboyriot's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Spice Level: n/a
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Cursing, and Sexism
Minor: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Death, and Cancer
peterparker's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Playing for keeps is a young adult baseball romance that follows two main characters. Ivy is set on her dreams of becoming a famous official referee. June dreams of becoming a professional baseball pitcher and she pushes herself to be the best even when it's hurting her. When they start crushing on each other it becomes an ethics nightmare as Ivy is the umpire for June's team. Will their relationship make it or will June leave Ivy striking out?
While this is not my favorite from Jennifer Dugan it still manages to be a cute little YA romance. The main issue I have is with how many fights the two characters have. I get it creates tension but there's already a lot going on in this book that I could've dealt with a bit more cute moments.
I absolutely loved the baseball references and how a woman playing for a baseball team would be treated. It's really encouraging as I never knew a single women baseball player growing up. I didn't even know there was a U.S women's national league! I also loved learning more about women officiates. I really don't pay much attention to referees, or umpires so this was a nice way to learn more about them.
Overall, this was a fun romance book that talked way more about cancer than I expected it to. Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Graphic: Child death, Cancer, and Death of parent
laketwentytwo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
3.75 ★
Playing for Keeps follows two ambitious and strong-willed MCs, Ivy & June, who are on paths to their own dreams that inevitably cross. Ivy is focused on becoming one of the few female umpires to officiate the major leagues & June is the star pitcher of her varsity baseball team, on track to become the first woman to play in the MLB. When Ivy officiates one of June’s games, tensions rise and love begins to blossom.
Dugan is a talented author with a plethora of YA and one adult novel under her belt; Playing for Keeps is the first time I’ve read her work and I am interested in exploring the rest of her catalogue.
With the characters being in high school and this book being YA, I had a bit of a difficult time dealing with their immaturity and commitment to miscommunication. I did have to keep reminding myself that they are kids and would eventually figure it out. The story is still enjoyable and I liked seeing their storylines play out; although I wish there was more of an enemies-to-lovers arc that Playing for Keeps appeared to start heading towards near the beginning of the novel.
A free copy of Playing for Keeps was received in exchange for my honest review.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Cancer, and Death