Playing for Keeps Review — Is It Worth Reading?

Verdict: A cute, grief-tinged YA romance between a cocky pitcher and a determined student umpire, with a fun premise and two out, accepted leads. But many readers say the rivals-to-lovers setup collapses into instalove, the teens’ miscommunication grates, and the chemistry never quite catches.

Best for: Teen readers and adults who enjoy messy, emotional YA sports stories.

Heat level: Low (YA)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.1/5 — a 3.50 Goodreads average across 2,725 ratings, 3.45 on StoryGraph from 980 reviews, and 4.2 stars across 183 Amazon ratings)

Tropes: Forbidden love, rivals to lovers, athlete / official, secret relationship, grief, dual POV.

Playing for Keeps is Jennifer Dugan’s 2024 young adult sapphic romance from the author of Some Girls Do. June is the star pitcher of her elite club baseball team, with an ego to match and college recruiters circling — if she can play through a worsening overuse injury. Ivy is a student umpire who dreams of officiating professionally, even though her parents want her to go to college.

It holds a 3.50 average across 2,725 Goodreads ratings, with 48% of them four or five stars, 3.45 on StoryGraph from 980 reviews, and 4.2 stars across 183 Amazon ratings.

It is a YA read rather than part of our adult contemporary romance coverage.

What Is Playing for Keeps About?

The first time they meet, Ivy throws June out of a game for grandstanding. They go from enemies to begrudging friends to something more — but players and umpires aren’t allowed to date.

As June’s shoulder worsens and a rival threatens to expose them, both must choose between their dreams and their hearts.

What Works in This Book

The premise: Readers love the idea of a pitcher and an umpire, and Ivy’s internal monologue about refereeing.
Grief: Reviewers praise how Dugan handles loss — June’s mother, Ivy’s brother — and its effect on each family.
Accepting families: Both girls are out and accepted, which readers found refreshing.
Mia: One reader calls the best friend the MVP.

Book Synopsis

A star pitcher and the umpire who ejected her discover that the rules don’t stop them falling for each other.

With injury, family pressure and a blackmailing rival, they have to decide what they are playing for.

My Review

Dugan gives both girls real individual arcs and treats grief with care; readers who wanted something cute and emotional were satisfied.

The romance is the problem for many. Readers say the rivalry evaporates almost immediately, the relationship moves too fast, and the conflict could be solved with a conversation. Others found the characters annoying or immature, the plot underdeveloped, or the baseball swamped by teen drama.

My honest note: Better as a YA story about grief and ambition than as a rivals-to-lovers romance.

Element	In Playing for Keeps
Central relationship	June (pitcher) & Ivy (student umpire)
Core tropes	Forbidden love, rivals to lovers, secret relationship
Setting	Elite club and high school baseball
Heat level	Low (YA)
Length	320 pages (hardcover)
Point of view	Dual, first person
Content notes	Death of a parent, cancer, grief, injury, blackmail, panic attacks

How Spicy Is Playing for Keeps?

It’s YA; the romance stays on feelings and kisses.

StoryGraph users flag death of a parent, grief, injury detail and cancer; readers add underage drinking, blackmail, panic attacks and sexism.

Who Should Read This Book?

You’ll likely love it if: you liked Dugan’s other YA and want a sports angle. It is on our sapphic sports romance list.

You may want to skip it if: you want a slow-burn rivalry or lots of baseball.

In short: Great pitch, uneven delivery.

What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)

On Goodreads the split is 15% five stars, 33% four, 37% three, 11% two and 1% one. On StoryGraph, 79% tagged it emotional. Reviews range from “precious” to “an underdeveloped first draft”.

Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The premise first. Second, the grief storyline. Third, accepting families.

What readers argue about and complain about: Fake rivals-to-lovers, above everything. Second, instalove and miscommunication. Third, immature characters. Fourth, too little baseball.

The comparison worth making first: Some Girls Do, Dugan’s earlier YA sports romance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Playing for Keeps really rivals to lovers?

Not for many readers. Several say June and Ivy are into each other by their third interaction, so the rivalry fades fast.

What age is Playing for Keeps for?

It is YA, with Amazon listing a reading age of 12 and up. The leads are high school students.

What are the content warnings?

StoryGraph users most often flag death of a parent, grief, injury detail and cancer; readers also mention underage drinking, blackmail, panic attacks and sexism.

Is there much baseball?

Less than some expected — readers say teen drama often takes over, though June’s games do matter.

Is Playing for Keeps on Kindle Unlimited?

Not when we checked; the Kindle edition was listed at $8.99.

If You Loved Playing for Keeps, Read These Next

Try Some Girls Do, or for an adult player-and-official romance, Code of Conduct. For more, browse our sapphic sports romance list or the full Book Reviews archive.

The Bottom Line

Playing for Keeps sets out to pair a pitcher and an umpire against the rules, and its grief storyline lands. What holds it back is a rushed, frustrating romance. For YA fans. Check Playing for Keeps on Amazon →