When Caroline’s dad is injured, she reluctantly returns home to the Jersey shore….

To take his place on the softball team.

Her life is falling apart, but being back home helps her find herself again. And that is relatable 🙈

I did not like the main character. Caroline just seemed to have this attitude that everyone was out to get her and make her life miserable.

I didn’t really connect with these characters or the story even though I really wanted too

Thanks to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first read by this author. I wouldn’t call it a romance though there were romantic elements, but this hit more as women’s fiction or chick lit.

I wanted to like the premise, as I typically enjoy books where the MC is a trash fire who has to learn and grow but this dragged on. I didn’t hate Caroline and even though she came across as abrasive at times, I liked that she didn’t try to make herself smaller or try to pretend to be less.

I will say that this book could have used some editing to make the pace drag less and could have used more showing and less telling.

If you’re looking for a good read that uses humor to show the heroine’s evolution but also doesn’t shy away from serious topics like drug and alcohol use, this might be a good read for you to check out.

I enjoyed reading Welcome Home, Caroline Kline by Courtney Preiss. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest and personal review. Happy Reading!

This one was incredibly difficult for me to read for a lot of personal reasons that I won’t get into too deeply here. I’ve uprooted my life to care for a parent and there is a history of addiction issues that all run throughout my family as well. That said, whenever I read books that have these themes, it’s usually quite tough for me to take myself out of the story. While I didn’t mind the character of Caroline, and identified with some parts of her, she also wasn’t my favorite. I liked Crispin, but again, not my favorite. Ultimately, I had a hard time getting lost in this book for reasons that were purely my own. I encourage people to still read it as it was well written and paced.

Life doesn't always go as planned. Caroline ends up moving back home after everything she had planned falls apart. It's sometimes really hard to go home again. The book has a lot of humor as Caroline learns to navigate her hometown as an adult. The story has many laugh out loud moments but Caroline tugs at the heart. I was cheering her on with each step she took to reclaim herself. It was an enjoyable first novel. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Welcome Home, Caroline Kline was a bit uneven for me… I found the story much more compelling without the romance aspect than I did with it. I was much more interested in watching a grown daughter come home after her life falls apart and needs to face some hard truths than I was with seeing her reconnect with her childhood sweetheart (and I usually love a second-chance romance). I suspect this had a lot to do with the lack of chemistry between the pair - I felt more heat between Caroline and her reluctant teammates on her father’s softball team, or Caroline and her teenage nemesis than I did between her and her ex. The romance (or lack thereof) angle aside, it was rewarding to see Caroline’s personal growth from the beginning of the book to its conclusion.

This book both had a light, effervescent quality while also having a quite dark humor and some heavy topics. The plot was very random, a bit out there, but a really interesting backdrop to Caroline’s growth and development. There’s a rawness to the writing that translated well, a relatability even with having absolutely different lifestyles or life experiences. I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone looking to reading a women’s fiction with deep growth and personal development with a side of romance. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Caroline Kline needs a fresh start. After being dumped by her boyfriend who she was going to move across the country with, she is left without a job and a place to live in her beloved NYC. Luckily (or unluckily) her dad has a minor accident and asks her to come home in New Jersey to subsitute him on the town's baseball league.

I enjoyed reading about Caroline, I felt very identified with her story of rediscovering yourself after an unexpected change of plans. I think a lot of us get through similar situations where we are forced to start over one way or another, so it was reassuring to see Caroline get out of her own way to move on with her life. The writing was entertaining and funny, it really knows how to describe living in a small town and its drama. Perfect pick for spring/summer!

DNF at 62%

The only reason I’m giving this 2* instead of 1* is because it was readable, just not likeable. I got to 62% after putting it down numerous times, and I just didn’t want to spend anymore time with Caroline or baseball, for that matter. I found her character pathetic and unappealing, and I didn’t see that any second-chance romance with her teenage crush would end up being mature and sustainable. I honestly can’t recommend this story to anyone.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Caroline Kline’s life has recently been upended when her long time boyfriend broke up with her just as they were about to move cross country to start a new life together. Unfortunately, she had already quit her job for the move. When her father injures himself in a bad fall and asks her to be his replacement in his men’s softball league for the season, Carolina reluctantly agrees and moves back home to the Jersey Shore. Now she has to navigate being in an all men’s softball league as well as the joys of coming back home.

I think this book is really well written and has some great themes and messages in it. It felt, however, SUPER niche to me. If you are a Jersey/New York girl, jewish, or love baseball, this might be just the story for you. I couldn’t relate to Caroline and didn’t feel any real connection with her so I kept just getting frustrated with her. I thought, overall, it was a good story and it wrapped up nicely. I just don’t believe it was for me.

*This book talks about alcoholism and sobriety and it is a closed door romance.


Thank you so much to Netgalley, Courtney Preiss and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions in my review are honest, voluntary and my own.

3.25 stars

Goodbye job, boyfriend, and apartment in NYC. Hello to childhood bedroom, second chance love, and subbing for a parent on a local softball league! Classic boomerang generation story. Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this, especially as a baseball lover. It was a bit of a slow burn and I would have preferred a quicker pace but still really enjoyed it.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Courtney Preiss, and Putnam for this e-ARC.

Some Chick Lit books need to come with a warning: "Not Suitable for Anyone Over Forty Years of Age". As an old fart, I found the rehash of the life of the young and temporarily displaced tedious at best. The whole "I matter, and you must acknowledge that I matter." stick got old really quick. But there are some serious matters addressed here: aging parents, drug and alcohol abuse and how to reinvent yourself when your life goes off track.

When Caroline Kline ends up back home after a failed serious relationship, the loss of her dream job and her father having a rather serious accident, she feels like she is right back at the start, like adulting never happened at all. Her father demands she take his place on the men's softball team he has devoted decades too, but the rest of the team isn't very welcoming. I've got to say that this is what kept me reading this book. My whole family, all 14 of us, have played rec league ball. This was the most intriguing aspect of the whole book.

Caroline and Crispin Davis were childhood friends and first crushes. They lost each other growing up and now are thrown together in a drug and alcohol diversion program for first time drunk drivers that Caroline is mandated to take after drowning her sorrows with too many margaritas. But Crispin was on a journey that Caroline realized to late she should have taken more seriously.

As Caroline navigated her way through the serious issues of her life we are subjected to the minutia of her early life and, for me anyway, it wasn't pretty, enlightening or entertaining. I only got a very few of the pop culture references in the book and felt left out of the inside joke a lot. Note to Self: Stop reading this stuff.

3 1/2-Stars

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

No doubt about it, Caroline was full of sass and wit… and I loved her. The storyline was unique and fresh and Caroline’s character and inner monologue had me laughing throughout the book. But the best was the descriptions of Nana Mills 😂.
I appreciated the character development and Caroline’s introspection and growth from beginning to end. I also enjoyed the exploration of her relationship with her former friend and long lost teenage crush, Crispin. I’m not a huge sports fan, but I enjoyed the chapters about the games and following along with the hometown chaos and camaraderie. Overall, this was a great debut novel by Preiss! I am looking forward to more!

Overview: Caroline Kline finds herself jobless and unable to afford an apartment in NYC and freshly dumped by her boyfriend. When her father experiences a medical event that renders him physically impaired, Caroline reluctantly agrees to return to her hometown to take her father’s place as a player on his beloved local softball team while also piecing her life back together…

Thoughts: Overall I enjoyed the book and was impressed that this was a debut novel based on the writing. I couldn’t help but empathize with Caroline, who was simply (and understandably) a hot mess. The softball storyline was hilarious and I loved her burgeoning relationship with her teenage crush, Crispin. Maybe I’ve read too many books with “happily ever afters”, but my main complaint is that the resolutions in the book were not satisfying enough considering the trauma that Caroline experienced from being bullied and ghosted as a teen - the past seemed to be swept under the rug and somehow rationalized. Additionally, it didn’t quite feel realistic how Caroline’s family had way more conversations about softball rather than their own (very serious) life issues.

Take home message: This is an engaging debut novel perfect for baseball fans and those who love the concert scene. Although a (very) slow burn small-town second-chance romance is featured, the primary storyline focuses on Caroline’s journey of self-reflection amidst her personal struggles. Note: the book also features multiple characters coping with substance use disorders.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for this digital ARC!

Welcome Home, Caroline Kline by Courtney Preiss had several laugh-out-loud moments as well as some heartbreaking ones. Caroline’s life implodes when her boyfriend dumps her after planning to move cross-country together. She had already given up her job and apartment when he decided to tell her, and her life was no longer her own. Things can only go up from there, right?

Getting a call that she needed to come home to New Jersey due to a fall her dad had taken was not in her plans. She goes and never expects that her dad wants her to sub for him on his men’s softball team. Things do not bode well for her or the team after missteps, but she perseveres and finds her niche. However, she’s sometimes her own worst enemy. She meets up with people she knew growing up in their small town, and things don’t always work out well. She also steps up and helps her dad with his recovery since her stepmother is still working.

The story has a good flow, with multiple stories being told. There are unexpected twists and turns along with friends, family dynamics, memories and reminiscing, rivalries, lots of baseball games and strategies, bad news, illnesses and injuries, and even some romance with a past crush. There’s a lot of drinking, some drugs, and how to get your life back on track. There’s a second chance for Caroline to get things right in many areas when she clears her head, focuses on what she needs to, and doesn’t just feel sorry for herself. The epilogue gave closure and had an unexpected ending that felt right.

Welcome Home, Caroline Kline has a small town feel with lots of baseball terminology, strategies and games sprinkled throughout. Grab something cold to drink and draw up a chair to immerse yourself in a hot New Jersey summer.

The review has been posted on NovelsAlive.

This book tells the story of Caroline Kline, who grew up in New Jersey, and who lives in Manhattan. She's just trained her replacement and given up her apartment for her move to California when her boyfriend dumps her. After running through her reserves, she reluctantly returns to her parent's home. Her father was seriously injured in a fall and he may have more serious health issues. He's still very much into his men's softball league and he's gotten it to the point where he thinks the team is good enough to make it to the "world series." He convinces Caroline to take his spot. She encounters much resistance from the players and the officials.

She also connects with her high school crush. But she continues to make bad decisions and is drifting. This book was not a book that held by interest, but I did finish it.

Read if you like:
🥈 Second Chance Romances
🧑‍🧒 Father & Daughter Stories
⚾️ Baseball
👴🏼 Grumpy old men
💕 Falling in love

Honestly I just really enjoyed this story! It was so cute and I couldn’t have asked for more!

I love the way that family was blended in with Caroline coming home to care for her father even though he really didn’t want anyone fussing over him, and how he sends her off to play for him in his baseball league and how this ties into the whole story and gives us great supporting characters!

If you are looking for a sweet romance, I highly recommend checking this one out! Thank you Avon for my arc in exchange for my review!

4.5 rounded up!

This debut was a grand slam! Okay sorry, had to get that out of my system, but genuinely I had a great time reading this. I would consider it contemporary fiction with a romance subplot.

Caroline is a bisexual, Jewish 30-year-old living her big city dreams until her life in the city implodes. When her father gets injured, she has to return to the Jersey Shore suburb that she spent years denouncing. As someone who has spent time accepting that her current life looks very different than expected, this book was like a good therapy session for me.

Caroline is messy and I feel so deeply for her. I cheered for her, had choice words for some other characters, and I almost cried. And oh, how I adore when books invoke some feminine rage.

I know some people may be frustrated with Caroline making “bad decisions”, but isn’t that the way of life? Isn’t that what makes her real? Healing/learning/adjusting to major changes isn’t easy nor linear. I know that I’ve absolutely messed up and made bad decisions before when trying to improve. But Caroline knows when she messes up and keeps moving forward.

This book transported me straight back to the softball field. The smells, sounds, textures hit me right in the nostalgia. I was looking up batting cages nearby at 2am after finishing this book and I don’t remember the last time I picked up my bat. That being said, I am not the correct person to judge how easy the softball/baseball terminology is to follow. I would definitely advise looking at other reviews if that’s a concern for you!

Some big topics discussed: Taking care of aging parents, alcohol and drug abuse, harassment, chronic illness

Thanks to Putnam for an advanced copy of Welcome Home, Caroline Kline. I wanted to love this book as a Jersey girl but unfortunately this book wasn't for me.

Caroline Kline has to be one of the least likeable characters I've read in a long time. Plus, she's very immature and doesn't take responsibility for her actions. Plus as a Jersey girl who did move home for a little bit and lived in my high school bedroom (while teaching high school) it's not ideal but her disdain for NJ was too much for me.
There is a lot of baseball. I like baseball and the Yankees, but if you don't know baseball, that's a majority of the book.

There was very that was little likeable about this book.

This story follows Caroline whose life just exploded and her dad injured himself so she must go back to Jersey Shore where she had to replace him in the softball league. This wasn’t a bad story but this is another one of the books where it’s categorized as romance but it’s women’s fiction. I enjoyed the meaning behind the book and seeing Caroline develop her story. Priess had a good writing story. I loved how descriptive the details were and how she explained the baseball part of the story. Though I did wish the story went a lot smoother as some scenes were cute short or were too long. The pacing was fast and this book is written from Caroline’s pov.

Caroline is the FMC of this story and I really enjoyed her character. At her age, her life is chaotic and she wants to find a place for herself but can’t. I love seeing her discover that part of herself and just seeing her grow. There were many side characters in this book and I mainly enjoyed Caroline’s friend who was sweet. There were also the parents who were very involved with the story and were entertaining. I thought this book would be a bit romance-heavy but it was not. The romance is very light and not the main focus even though the book is categorized as romance.

The romance was well done and I loved the ending for Caroline. She developed so much and found a place for herself in New Jersey. I enjoyed this story though I was expecting it to be a romance book but it was still a great read. I loved seeing the self-development even though the family was not too supporting. I recommend checking this book out if you want to read a young woman joining the men’s softball league and doing well.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*