4.5 stars rounded up

Playing for Keeps is Jennifer Dugan at her best.

Sure, the characters sound/act a bit too mature for their age, for a dual POV romance, their voices are similar, and their enemies to lovers arc was a bit rushed.

But there's depth to this swoony love story: Ivy and June's growth was meaningful both individually and as a couple, their romance was sweet and modeled good accountability, and the book's treatment of grief and all its aftershocks and ripples was poignant.

A must read for sensitive sports saphhics.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I often like Jennifer Dugan’s work, but I had mixed feelings about Playing for Keeps. I liked it for the most part, but it’s definitely not one of her better books.
I did enjoy the characters for the most part.. I liked the romantic dynamic between them, starting with a rivalry and developing into friends and more. Things escalated rather quickly, and the conflict was rather dramatic, but it makes sense from a teen’s perspective. And I really liked how they were ultimately able to connect over the common bond of reckoning with grief over losing a loved one to cancer. I am a little concerned at how increasingly common cancer subplots are, but here, it at least was a bonding point for the romance.
I did feel like their POVs and voices weren’t distinct enough, so I would often forget whose head I was meant to be in. The pacing also lagged at times, and I found my attention occasionally flagging throughout the book.
While this was a bit of a letdown, it has enjoyable moments. Provided the issues I mentioned aren’t issues for you (especially the cancer bit), I recommend giving this a chance.

Ivy and June are opposites of the same coin. One has dreams of being a professional game official, while the other has dreams of being on the field. They are destined to cross paths, and tension runs high as both are women absolutely dominating their respective fields (pun intended).

I loved the dual perspectives and getting to see the same interactions take place from a different angle. Playing for Keeps is a love letter to sports, women, and queerness. There were many times throughout the course of the book I was brought to tears as Ivy and June each process their grief and how it affects them day to day. Definitely started off as a light hearted, star crossed lovers, but ended as a story that tackled a bunch of tough topics.

My only hesitation with the book was with a side character and Ivy. It felt...odd, out of place, and not fully wrapped up. However, I'm willing to forgive that and move past it because of how I felt during every other scene in the book.

This book was a bit heavier than I expected. They are both dealing with so much pressure from their parents and they don't know how to handle it. I liked Ivy and June together, they just fit so well. They didn't fully know how to be together but as 18 year olds, that made sense. I liked the ending of the book and how they were both able to figure out what worked for them.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Ivy and June are girls on a mission - a mission to conquer male-dominated sports professions - it's just a shame that they are on opposite sides of the sports fence. Ivy wants to be a referee for the NFL and June is the star pitcher of the school's baseball team. Both are driven; both are talented; both realize that a relationship between a player and a referee is a huge breach of ethics, but can they keep it a secret?

This was an interesting twist on a romance for teens, because despite how Ivy and June feel about one another, their relationship grows quite toxic. To retain her partiality, Ivy begins trading games so she doesn't make calls for June's games, putting her own future at risk. June meanwhile, is so focused on playing through the pain that she doesn't even notice that Ivy is making all the concessions and threatens to walk away when Ivy tries to discuss things. I'm always glad to see books where teens advocate on their own behalf even if it causes them pain. I won't give away the ending - but this one is a roller-coaster of feels.

⭐️ 𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎 ⭐️
Playing for Keeps by Jennifer Dugan
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you for the advanced reader ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

sᥡᥒ᥆⍴sіs:
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 choose: follow their dreams . . . or follow their hearts?

mᥡ rᥱ᥎іᥱᥕ:
This was my first sports romance novel and I enjoyed it! The story was a little slow to start for me but by the end I was really invested in the characters. I was honestly rooting for Ivy and June the entire time, they just seemed to be a match made in heaven…or on the baseball field.

I read a lot of heavy plotted books so this was a perfect light read. I laughed and smiled throughout the entire thing, it was just what I needed!

DNF at 40%
i could not care less to know what happens to be honest. i have no idea what kind of personalities ANY of the characters have. their personal problems are a bigger plot than the actual romance. i also hate insta love and the characters get together 1/4 into the book.

Playing for Keeps by Jennifer Dugan is an adorable young adult queer romance. Two young women have dreams of breaking into predominantly male professions—Ivy dreams of being a professional referee and June dreams of pitching in the major leagues. Their first meeting on a baseball diamond goes about how you would expect from a pitcher and an umpire…they seem to HATE each other. But then a chance meeting in the changing room after the game leads to some conversation and obvious chemistry. The more they talk, the more they realize they actually really like each other and they have to keep their relationship a secret—because how would it look for a player to date an umpire? But this isn’t easy for either of them as they try to prove themselves to all the people around them, both on and off the field.

I loved the character development in this story. We learn a lot about both June and Ivy and how they came to the places that they are in. I enjoyed their cute banter and their discussions about how stressful it is to be 18 and trying to figure out your future. I also loved a queer romance mixed with baseball! A cute read but be prepared for some emotional chapters too, as both characters are dealing with the loss of loved ones.

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.

A really, really cute sports romance! Ivy (a selfless gal with a heart of gold and big dreams of being a professional sports ref) & June (a bad-ass with a heart of steel and one hell of a pitching arm) easily begin this story as enemies that you can’t help but root for!

This book showcases raw emotions – grief (of losing a parent or sibling), heartbreak, despair, and hope. (And love, OBVIOUSLY!)

A must-read for sports romances with a dash of miscommunication!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! Publication Date: April 30, 2024

I love Jennifer Dugan and as a lesbian reader, I will always feel so seen when i read her books. This book is no different. I have been destroying books that include sports once again -thanks all for the game reread. This delivered on that itch. easy to read, and truly enjoyable. there was slow moments but they were also enjoyable. Thank you for the chance to arc read for a un-bias review. 3.5/5 stars

I wanted to love this, but it just fell short in too many ways. There was so little time w/ the two characters actually "together" v. them each dealing w/ the relationship separately. I wish she was a softball player. I mean, this was a great chance to boost women's sports. But, I get it. Player and Ump forbidden love was cute. Locker room spice is never wrong. haha

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in April 2024. The book is set to release later this year; however, this honest review is being posted on 04/18/24. Formatting wise, the book seems

3.5/4: Jennifer Dugan's "Playing for Keeps" explores topics including family death/grieving, first love, and women's strife. This enemies to lovers romance is about an aspiring umpire, Ivy, and a female pitcher named June. Though they start off on the wrong foot, they bond over trauma and fall in (and out) of love.

Overall, I feel that Dugan always does a great job or writing realistic characters, which I found June and Ivy to be. This may bother some readers; however, I think Dugan's ability to craft these characters is an important writing tool, especially in the YA genre where kids most likely will not read a book if they cannot relate to the characters, storyline, etc. I think Dugan funadmentally understands her audience and continues to pump out novels with appeal. Again, others may criticize the characters and stop reading because some of their actions, but they are realistic above anything else. A lot of high school seniors act exactly how these two did, but will never receive criticism because they aren't characters in a book. If there is one thing Dugan can do, it's write characters that I grow to completely despise. In "Playing for Keeps," I found myself dislking both June and Ivy's parents, respectively. In some of Dugan's other novels, unlikeable characters have ruined the storyline for me, but the parents in this novel add to the storyline and drive it forward. June also got to an unlikable point for me, but has her redemption right after this feeling peaked. In the end, I did find myself rooting for the romance. If you like to be mildly annoyed by characters, but see them come around and realize/fix their mistakes, this one is for you.

While this is technically a sports romance, I don't think readers need to enjoy baseball, reffing, or soccer to enjoy this novel. There is enough of the game for those interested, but the sports-related scenes are more about the character's inner-monologues and feelings than they are about the sports themselves. I feel like this novel will be hit or miss for some. For me, it hit. If you start reading, I suggest seeing things through and not giving up in the middle of this one.

I am becoming such a big fan of Jennifer Dugans writing, and this book didn’t disappoint! Yes, it’s YA so go in expecting the pov’s form that lense. I think this tackled so many topics well, including grief. I thought it was a lovely story and I would recommend to any YA fan.

sports romance but make it sapphic?!?! IM IN!! i absolutely adored this story so much!! i am so excited to pick up my own copy when it releases!

This book was engaging from the start and tackles issues many teens will relate to. The LGBTQ+ issues are incidental, not the focus of the book. The focus is more on elite sports pressure, parental pressure as teens approach college decisions, deaths in the family and first relationships and the healthy balance of those romantic relationships. These are such important issues for teens to think about and, indeed, have spaces to talk about. IF I worked at the high school level, this would be a book I would use with our kids... and encourage for book club use.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review!

i really wanted to like this one. the introduction started off well, two girls trying to break the barriers of women’s sports. i loved that!

but as the story progressed, the characters and plot were very frustrating. i have not read a YA book recently, so i feel as though i’m very picky about them. the two main characters had moments that made them very unlikeable, blaming the other or one of them blaming their mother who passed away for their hardships. that left quite a bad taste in my mouth.

along with that, the characters honestly were a little too similar in their povs that i had a hard time keeping track of which pov i was reading. they were almost too alike. the miscommunication was quite insufferable as it was the focal point of the climax of the story. i think a lot of the issues could be easily solved.

the issues june was having with her shoulder and all of the adults continuing to push her honestly felt like child abuse. i was not a fan of that especially her father being the front runner forcing her to play despite knowing she was hurting.

i think a lot of this story needs to be fleshed out with character development and a stronger climax rather than solely miscommunication and angst.

DNF at 38%. I was honestly just bored. Both MCs annoyed me. And there was so much telling instead of showing. I feel like I can already predict the big drama / third act breakup, and I'm just not invested enough in the MCs to want to keep reading.

i really wanted to love this book but this missed the mark a little bit.

i just didn't believe they really liked each other all that much and if they did i didn't think they'd last at all </3 i also think that the only thing that kept them together was their trauma which was handled well but didn't give them the depth that it should. it was fun, but i don't think i'd pick this up again.

This book is so adorable. The way the romance is shown between the two main characters is so accurate for teenagers, and you find yourself rooting for them even as they make the silly mistakes you remember making in high school. The parents are also pretty accurate depictions of teenage-hood. My only complaint is that the book seemed to wrap up too quickly, the parents apologized and the characters got together so fast after the strife they went through. Overall, though, really cute. Really captivating.