Tag: baseball romance

Book Review: I Wish He Would (Sweeter Than Fiction #4) by Amanda Schimmoeller

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Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 301 pages
Author: Amanda Schimmoeller
Publisher: ABS Publishing
Release Date: September 1st, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I hit it out of the park in the friend department. The dating department? Not so much.

After a series of horrible first dates, I’m convinced it’s time to give up on my search for love. But when my best friends convince me to try out a list of twenty questions to fall in love, I decide to give it a shot.

I go on a date and test out the questionnaire, but it seems the only answers I get are the ones leading me back to my friend, Austin Bradford, who also happens to be the star shortstop for the Louisville Mustangs.

Despite all my desperate attempts to convince my best friends otherwise, I’ve had feelings for Austin since we met three years ago. Which also happened to be the same night he friendzoned me.

When I have to attend my cousin’s destination wedding—who, might I add, is marrying my jerk of an ex-boyfriend—Austin insists on going with me. I tell myself it will be fine, just a friendly vacation. Maybe I can even bury all my feelings for him on the beach.

Except, the time I spend with Austin has me questioning if the heated looks he’s sending my way are real, or if the Caribbean sun is making me hallucinate.

I wish he would give me a clear sign, because I refuse to put my heart on the line and risk our friendship without knowing if our love story will be a grand slam or a strikeout.

I Wish He Would is a friends-to-lovers baseball romcom with sizzling chemistry but no explicit content. It’s the fourth book in the Sweeter Than Fiction series, following four best friends finding love.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

ADORED.

I think this is my new favorite of the series. I just had a blast reading it and flew right through it. I continue to enjoy this friend group and the way they show up for each other. It’s filled with kindness and saying the hard thing even when you don’t want to hear it.

I’m usually on a struggle bus when it comes to friends to lovers romances, and YAY, this was not the case here. I liked the realizations for Austin and Alyssa. It wasn’t riddled with miscommunication and focused on the intentional choices needed to see if their could be a romance relationship between them.

My small issue was some of the antagonists came off a little ridiculous in demeanor and such. But otherwise nothing major.

I loved that this had a dash of fake dating and baseball games mixed in with a destination wedding (+ a few of my favorite tropes popped up too!). I loved the baseball content!!! There were multiple swoony moments that had me gushing. The banter is fun and the whole lighter vibe of the book just feels right.

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: none that I remember

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Book Review: Home Safe by Tracy Baack

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 346 pages
Author: Tracy Baack
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: June 30th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Opposites may attract, but their differences could turn the relationship into a strikeout instead of a home run.

Danae Collins’ stable, quiet life as an elementary school librarian is upended when she becomes the guardian for one of her students in foster care. She carefully plans for every contingency on the road to permanent adoption—every contingency except crossing paths with a famous baseball player.

Griffin West is the star shortstop and “darling” of the Kansas City Crowns baseball team. Everything is on the line as he returns to the major leagues after a season-ending injury. When Danae brings her new son to Griffin’s baseball camp, the tug he feels toward her is a curveball he never saw coming.

On paper, their lives seem incompatible. But as they spend time together, the safety they find in each other only deepens. Will real obstacles ultimately break or bond them forever?

Home Safe is an opposites attract, single guardian baseball romance for fans of meaningful contemporary romance. This is perfect for readers who want a closed-door sports romance with plenty of swoon but no spice.

See Author’s Note for content considerations.

NOT TOO SHABBY.

I kind of wasn’t expecting to pick up another Tracy Baack book because I didn’t love her Christmas romance. But alas, the reviews of friends convinced me to take a shot with this one and as I have been on a baseball romance quest here we are!

It was very interesting to have the perspective of the FMC who hates baseball, and still doesn’t love it by the end. I was frustrated with her not being more understanding of Griffin’s schedule though. It was a consistent flair up and I don’t think Griffin had to continually grovel over it.

I loved how sweet Griffin was though. He’s a athletic teddy bear kind of character that shows up in small ways and big ways. I enjoyed his interactions with Danae and I liked them as a pair by the end. The foster parent content was also good and I liked those parts of the story.

What did bug me about the end though was something that I think is considered a spoiler. It felt like a short cut and I wish it had gone differently. All things end happy!! That is not the issue here.

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: childhood trauma, toxic family relationships

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Book Review: The Setup Man (Catching Feelings #3) by Kate Watson

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 366 pages
Author: Kate Watson
Publisher: Little Blks Creative
Release Date: April 16th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’s fake dating the wrong guy. Enter Mr. Right.

Scottie

I’ve spent my whole life cleaning up after Jake Rodgers—the bad boy of Major League Baseball. So when his latest PR disaster threatens to send him to the minors, agreeing to fake date him feels noble. Temporary. Manageable.

Then hot young pitcher Lucas Fischer shows up—with coffee I didn’t ask for and a smile that doesn’t quit—and suddenly none of it feels manageable anymore. Especially when I’m assigned to be his handler.

Now I’m pretending to be in love with the guy I’ve never wanted while trying not to fall for the one I can’t have.

Lucas

I’ve been bringing Scottie Quinn coffee for ten months. I’ve never once guessed her order wrong–no small feat, considering the woman orders coffee based on vibes.

I’ve also never once told her that I know she’s fake dating Jake Rodgers, that she deserves better, or that I’m in love with her. I’m a patient guy. I can wait. What I can’t do is watch her disappear to make everyone else comfortable.

But Jake and I are on the same team now, and our GM has one ironclad rule: no clubhouse drama.

Easy enough. All I have to do is keep showing up until she stops pretending… without blowing up both our careers.

Yeah. Maybe I’m not that patient after all.

OKAY THE YEARNING?

I do consider this a soft five stars, but it did make me tear up in the last few chapters and that pretty much signals that I loved the book so here we are!! Easily my favorite book from Kate Watson. I honestly wasn’t sure this plot set up was going to work for me but I loved the way it was handled and the right kind of lines were kept so I’m a happy little soul soaking in this baseball romance.

The way my man Lucas YEARNED. And learned. He was tender hearted and flirty and genuine all while realizing he could be more firm in his decisions and taking the next step forward with strength rather than letting things happen to him. I loved watching his relationship with Scottie but I also loved watching his dynamic with Logan and Coop too.

Scottie was someone I could easily see myself in and that made her story frustrating to read, but also entirely relatable. I love a fierce sports girlie and Scottie is a pro. I could have jumped for joy when she started making decisions for herself and holding to what she wanted out of life and her relationships. And how everyone showed up for her??? CUE THE EMOTIONS.

It was just all around a great baseball romance. I ate this one right up and you must get on it to reading it too.

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: loss of a parent (recounted)

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Off Base by Haley Warren

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Rating: ★★★.75
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 324 pages
Author: Haley Warren
Publisher: Simon Maverick
Release Date: June 2nd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He’s trying to find a way out.

She’s trying to find herself.

Miller Colson-Burke has only ever been good at three things: flirting his way out of anything, being the best shortstop in the league, and playing baseball side by side with his best friend, Matt.

Until an accident takes Matt from him forever, leaving him haunted by a memorial banner and a sport he used to love. The only things he’s really interested in being good at now are avoiding the press and figuring out how to run away from a rumour he can’t seem to escape.

Ren Jacobs has spent the last four years building a new life and trying to remember all the reasons to love the person she used to be. But when someone from her past comes along and steals her dream job, she finds it hard to love anything about herself at all.

Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.

IT GREW ON ME?

I immediately had to have this book because *dinosaurs*. Little did I know there was almost too much dinosaur content? As if the author was trying to make sure I knew that Ren was paleontologist. DON’T WORRY. I got it. She loves dinosaurs. The museum content was good though and I loved how the musuem and baseball team were working together.

Matt, I adored. He was a man broken by grief trying to find pockets of joy. There’s a soft fake dating angle to this that kept sending Matt and Ren into each other’s orbit and I think that worked well. I did like that banter and converations between them too. They were definitely a match.

Buuuut. The third act made me cranky. Which wouldn’t surprise anyone that has read this too. Not to mention there was way too much ex related content. I hate when the ex takes up too much time and overshadows the main romance. Just go away.

This was my first book from Haley Warren and I would read another!

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports romance
  • Language: mild – moderate
  • Romance: 3ish open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: loss of a friend, grief depiction, absent parent, gaslighting ex

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