sapphic_library 's review for:

Playing for Keeps by Jennifer Dugan

4.5

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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"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!