From the author of Some Girls Do comes another heartfelt YA sapphic romance—starring a baseball pitcher and a student umpire who are definitely not supposed to fall for one another.“Sapphic sports romance perfection. Swoony and romantic, but unafraid to tackle grief, family expectations, and fighting for your dreams, this is a home run of a book.” —Rachael Lippincott, coauthor of the #1 New York Times Bestsellers Five Feet Apart and She Gets the GirlJune 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?
On sale: April 30, 2024
Age: 12 and up
Grade: Grade 7 & Up
Page count: 320 Pages
ISBN: 9780593696866
Reading level: Lexile: 840L
Jennifer Dugan is a writer, a geek, and a romantic who writes the kinds of stories she wishes she’d had growing up. She’s the author of the graphic novel
Coven, as well as the young adult novels
Playing For Keeps,
The Last Girls Standing,
Melt With You,
Some Girls Do,
Verona Comics, and
Hot Dog Girl, which was called “a great, fizzy rom-com” by
Entertainment Weekly and “one of the best reads of the year, hands down” by
Paste magazine. She lives in upstate New York with her family, their dog, a strange kitten who enjoys wearing sweaters, and an evil cat who is no doubt planning to take over the world. You can visit Jennifer at JLDugan.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @JL_Dugan.
Praise for Playing for Keeps:
"This sweet romance is a home run." —
People magazine
"Charming . . . Without sacrificing the banter or sincerity that make up this winning romance, Dugan skillfully crafts parallel story lines in which the weight of loss and pressure to succeed haunt the protagonists throughout their everyday lives as they work toward their own futures." —
Publishers Weekly"A satisfying queer sports romance, deepened by the emotional complexity of bigger topics . . . Breathtakingly real." —
School Library Journal"[A] voice-driven, absorbing dual narrative . . . Ivy’s and June’s flawed coping strategies clash with their adorable budding romance, propelling them toward gut-wrenching heartbreak and terrifying, necessary, affirming new choices . . . A page-turner that handles heavy topics with wisdom." —
Kirkus Reviews"Baseball and forbidden love—what more could you want in a YA romance novel?" —
Brightly“Playing for Keeps is sapphic sports romance perfection. Swoony and romantic, but unafraid to tackle grief, family expectations, and fighting for your dreams, this is a home run of a book.” —Rachael Lippincott, coauthor of the #1
New York Times Bestsellers
Five Feet Apart and
She Gets the Girl
