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Running Home to You: A Novel
In this sweeping sapphic sports romance, two college softball stars compete for each other’s hearts—if only they can get past their fear of striking out—from the nationally bestselling author of Play You For It.
When Abby Cruz transfers to Insley University and joins the softball team, it seems the only thing she and Kate Hutchins have in common is their love of the game. Abby’s raw talent and reckless behavior threaten Kate’s carefully controlled world, especially when their coach assigns Kate the unwelcome task of tutoring her rival.
As they learn to work together, they discover their differences are exactly what they’ve been missing off the field. Kate provides Abby with a sense of home after loss and grief. Abby, meanwhile, helps Kate embrace a freedom she’s never known because of her strict religious upbringing. As they chase a national title, it’s not long before the same love they have for the game grows for each other.
But much like on the diamond, their relationship requires perfect timing. While they try and fail to get it right over the next decade, the game keeps bringing them back together—from Puerto Rico to Tokyo, through courtrooms, churches, and Las Vegas casinos—as they fight to shake the weight of generational curses. But when an alumni game returns them to their college field, they must decide if it’s really the love of the game calling them home, or the one in their hearts that they’ve never been able to let go of.
When Abby Cruz transfers to Insley University and joins the softball team, it seems the only thing she and Kate Hutchins have in common is their love of the game. Abby’s raw talent and reckless behavior threaten Kate’s carefully controlled world, especially when their coach assigns Kate the unwelcome task of tutoring her rival.
As they learn to work together, they discover their differences are exactly what they’ve been missing off the field. Kate provides Abby with a sense of home after loss and grief. Abby, meanwhile, helps Kate embrace a freedom she’s never known because of her strict religious upbringing. As they chase a national title, it’s not long before the same love they have for the game grows for each other.
But much like on the diamond, their relationship requires perfect timing. While they try and fail to get it right over the next decade, the game keeps bringing them back together—from Puerto Rico to Tokyo, through courtrooms, churches, and Las Vegas casinos—as they fight to shake the weight of generational curses. But when an alumni game returns them to their college field, they must decide if it’s really the love of the game calling them home, or the one in their hearts that they’ve never been able to let go of.
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Published May 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
August 31, 2025
These are happy tears coming out of my eyes, I swear.
Running Home To You was SUCH a rollercoaster, and I’m so upset it’s over. It’s so rare when a book instills so much emotion that I can physically feel it.
I’m happy there is POVs for both main characters, and really just made it all that much sweeter. No matter how much both characters upset me at times for their decisions, I couldn’t help but still want to give them a loving squeeze.
The story really showed the reality of our life choices, how things can affect us, how grief can control our lives. Abby and Kate had their fair share of mistakes and stupid moments, but they’re were realistic, not over exaggerated and I have an extreme appreciation for that.
My heart is so full now that I’m done, but I do wish there was more because I feel unsatisfied and want to know where Kate and Abby are, it was left so open-ended. This was such a great read, and I will definitely find myself reading the authors other books.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
Running Home To You was SUCH a rollercoaster, and I’m so upset it’s over. It’s so rare when a book instills so much emotion that I can physically feel it.
I’m happy there is POVs for both main characters, and really just made it all that much sweeter. No matter how much both characters upset me at times for their decisions, I couldn’t help but still want to give them a loving squeeze.
The story really showed the reality of our life choices, how things can affect us, how grief can control our lives. Abby and Kate had their fair share of mistakes and stupid moments, but they’re were realistic, not over exaggerated and I have an extreme appreciation for that.
My heart is so full now that I’m done, but I do wish there was more because I feel unsatisfied and want to know where Kate and Abby are, it was left so open-ended. This was such a great read, and I will definitely find myself reading the authors other books.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
May 22, 2026
”If faith is surrender, then I think playing softball is the closest I’ve ever been to God. It must not be a coincidence then that I found you there too.”
Oh my fucking god. This is what I’ve been waiting for my entire life. THE YEARNING. THE TENSION. THE ANGST. The concept of shifting your entire world worldview to accommodate this one person.
Running Home to You opens with Abby visiting her old college, haunted by memories unbeknownst to us. She is called out to by someone, we aren’t sure who, that freezes her in place. As we go back in time and begin Abby and Kate’s story, that opening chapter is a nagging thought in our minds. How did she get there? Who is calling out to her? What is about to happen?
This book is definitely not for people who hate when characters get in the way of their own happiness. Abby and Kate have a lot that they have to work through before they can truly be together. Every time we get close to their happiness, it’s ripped from our hands again. Kate had a perfect life, until Abby broke open everything she believed in. Abby had been lost and alone, until Kate let her finally lean on somebody. As Kate begins to struggle with her religious identity, Abby doesn’t want to be the one who causes Kate to lose everyone she loves. Especially knowing first hand how it destroys a person. The push and pull, self destruction, and cowardliness that spans the following years leaves their relationship ever changing. And boy does it hurt. But as we learn, it was truly necessary for them to fully heal before having their happy end.
One thing that makes or breaks a sports romance novel for me is how prevalent the sport is to the story. I want to see game play, team bonding, and the relationship our main character has with the sport in my sports romances. And this delivered tenfold. Seeing Abby’s deeply complex love/hate relationship with softball really brought the story to life. Softball isn’t just a vehicle for the romance, it’s an active participant in our character’s relationships. Abby falling back in love with softball because of how Kate plays the game. Kate being a symbol of what she wishes the sport was for her. It’s so beautiful.
This book will really take you on a rollercoaster of emotions but it’s so worth the ride!
September 18, 2025
I DEVOURED this book. The imagery was so visceral I could smell the softball field, which made me beyond nostalgic for my own softball days. Abby & Kate’s imperfections made them so easy to root for, even in dark times.
Initially, I was wary of the religion aspect playing a major role in the story (it was hitting pretty close to home). But by the end of the book, I came to appreciate the level of complexity it added to the characters’ relationships with others and themselves.
My advice, buckle up. While not having too many pages, this book covers the span of roughly 10 years. An absolute rollercoaster of a decade, I might add.
Initially, I was wary of the religion aspect playing a major role in the story (it was hitting pretty close to home). But by the end of the book, I came to appreciate the level of complexity it added to the characters’ relationships with others and themselves.
My advice, buckle up. While not having too many pages, this book covers the span of roughly 10 years. An absolute rollercoaster of a decade, I might add.
April 8, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy of this book.
Samantha Saldivar never fails to impress and amaze readers with how she authentically incorporates real life within the romance. Abby and Kate were faced with so much hardship and pain, and Saldivar has you feeling all of it with them as you simultaneously cheer them towards their happy ending. There’s something so powerful about how the novel showcases our human struggles and also shows real world experiences that are foremost a result of harmful stereotypes/narratives regarding our LGBT+ community. This book is such an important read, especially with the news and this administration being so harmful towards the community. While the romance is beautiful, I think the journey towards self acceptance and love that each character goes through is the real masterpiece of this novel. This book is a reminder that harmful words cause more damage than people give credit for, and that only kindness can heal us all.
Samantha Saldivar never fails to impress and amaze readers with how she authentically incorporates real life within the romance. Abby and Kate were faced with so much hardship and pain, and Saldivar has you feeling all of it with them as you simultaneously cheer them towards their happy ending. There’s something so powerful about how the novel showcases our human struggles and also shows real world experiences that are foremost a result of harmful stereotypes/narratives regarding our LGBT+ community. This book is such an important read, especially with the news and this administration being so harmful towards the community. While the romance is beautiful, I think the journey towards self acceptance and love that each character goes through is the real masterpiece of this novel. This book is a reminder that harmful words cause more damage than people give credit for, and that only kindness can heal us all.
October 5, 2025
I was really wanting something different from my typical read when I decided to pick this up. What a beautiful and tender story I received! The writing is exceptional and I think this is a huge win for sapphic readers looking for a realistic portrayal of love in a book.
The narrative is exceptionally well done and both characters have a strong presence throughout the entire storyline. It is written in both protagonists point of view and like the rest of the book the dual POVs are done well. This is a romance technically but it’s also about so many deeper topics and the characters journeys both to each other and themselves.
I really have nothing negative to say about this other than for me some of the sports related scenes felt a little long but this is a me thing more than the fault of the book or author—both are exactly what they claim to be!
Thanks so much for the ARC I was so pleasantly surprised with this one I can’t wait for more wlw to get their hands on a copy next year!
The narrative is exceptionally well done and both characters have a strong presence throughout the entire storyline. It is written in both protagonists point of view and like the rest of the book the dual POVs are done well. This is a romance technically but it’s also about so many deeper topics and the characters journeys both to each other and themselves.
I really have nothing negative to say about this other than for me some of the sports related scenes felt a little long but this is a me thing more than the fault of the book or author—both are exactly what they claim to be!
Thanks so much for the ARC I was so pleasantly surprised with this one I can’t wait for more wlw to get their hands on a copy next year!
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645808644i/7494844._UX200_CR0,6,200,200_.jpg)
July 24, 2026
Kate Hutchins is THE shortstop for the Insley Eages softball team, a small, plucky crew that have a shot at going to nationals for the first time ever maybe. Until Abby Cruz arrives—supremely talented, a D1 athlete slumming it in the D3s for some reasons, and out to take Kate's spot as shortstop. Sparks fly between them, settling into a deep friendship that has Kate questioning a whole lot of things with her conservative Christian background. Can the two figure out a way to make it work?
This was...way more religious that I was expecting.
It deals a lot with the trauma and internal conflict of growing up queer (closeted even to yourself, in many ways) in a conservative Christian household, and how even when moving out of that space and going back to the church, there can still be spaces that don't hold acceptance and love for everyone.
The book also deals with grief, addiction and self-destruction in ways that were really hard for me to read, but handled well.
There's also the theme of family trauma and forgiveness—or the ability to walk away. The big theme, though, is that a person has to change themselves for themselves. That forgiveness and space require work, and love. To use an airplane term: you have to put your own mask on before you can really, truly, help others. And to do that you have to find your mask.
I really liked it. It's about a team and the bonds forged between a group of young women figuring out their shit, and the deep bond formed between two people who are disasters (even if one masks it with perfectionism) but have to grow to be good to each other and meet each other again and again until they find the right time in space to be true to themselves.
Did I love it as much as Play You For It? No, but that's also because I really loved Jordan's stoicism. I liked Kate and Abby too, and I loved that they were given the space to be messy and figure things out.
It's a solid four stars for me.
This was...way more religious that I was expecting.
It deals a lot with the trauma and internal conflict of growing up queer (closeted even to yourself, in many ways) in a conservative Christian household, and how even when moving out of that space and going back to the church, there can still be spaces that don't hold acceptance and love for everyone.
The book also deals with grief, addiction and self-destruction in ways that were really hard for me to read, but handled well.
There's also the theme of family trauma and forgiveness—or the ability to walk away. The big theme, though, is that a person has to change themselves for themselves. That forgiveness and space require work, and love. To use an airplane term: you have to put your own mask on before you can really, truly, help others. And to do that you have to find your mask.
I really liked it. It's about a team and the bonds forged between a group of young women figuring out their shit, and the deep bond formed between two people who are disasters (even if one masks it with perfectionism) but have to grow to be good to each other and meet each other again and again until they find the right time in space to be true to themselves.
Did I love it as much as Play You For It? No, but that's also because I really loved Jordan's stoicism. I liked Kate and Abby too, and I loved that they were given the space to be messy and figure things out.
It's a solid four stars for me.
Did Not Finish
April 16, 2026The theme and general atmosphere of the book is heavy and being 30% in with no catharsis in sight, I'm going to have to drop this for now. I am currently in a pretty bad depressive episode and this isn't what I want to read at the moment. I'll definitely be coming back to it though, because I really like Abby and I want to see where her story goes. Thank you Netgalley and Dell for the arc!
July 2, 2026
perfect. no notes. more soon.
September 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Softball, soulmates, and found family feels
Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Running Home to You. I went in expecting sports and romance, and came out with a full heart, teary eyes, and a new set of fictional besties.
Abby and Kate completely pulled me in. Watching them grow, mess up, figure things out, and still hold onto that spark between them was everything. They knew their flaws, they knew what they needed to work on, and they actually did the work. Growth, baby.
One of the things that hit hardest was the theme of found family. The Fab 5 friend group was chaotic in the best way, and I could picture every one of them like they were in my living room, probably stealing snacks and roasting each other. But underneath the laughs was something deeper, how sometimes your chosen family shows up for you in ways your actual family never could. The book really captured that ache of not measuring up to your family’s expectations, and the heartbreak of realizing they might not measure up either.
Also, yes, it’s a sports book, but you don’t need to know a single thing about softball. You just need to know what it feels like to care deeply about something. That passion comes through loud and clear.
This book was heartfelt, funny, and full of characters I genuinely rooted for. Would totally read more from this author.
Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Running Home to You. I went in expecting sports and romance, and came out with a full heart, teary eyes, and a new set of fictional besties.
Abby and Kate completely pulled me in. Watching them grow, mess up, figure things out, and still hold onto that spark between them was everything. They knew their flaws, they knew what they needed to work on, and they actually did the work. Growth, baby.
One of the things that hit hardest was the theme of found family. The Fab 5 friend group was chaotic in the best way, and I could picture every one of them like they were in my living room, probably stealing snacks and roasting each other. But underneath the laughs was something deeper, how sometimes your chosen family shows up for you in ways your actual family never could. The book really captured that ache of not measuring up to your family’s expectations, and the heartbreak of realizing they might not measure up either.
Also, yes, it’s a sports book, but you don’t need to know a single thing about softball. You just need to know what it feels like to care deeply about something. That passion comes through loud and clear.
This book was heartfelt, funny, and full of characters I genuinely rooted for. Would totally read more from this author.
May 22, 2026
Edited to Add: This was my favorite book I read in 2025 and I'm so happy it's finally out so I can recommend it to people.
I read an e-arc of this (thanks NetGalley)! It's not out for quite a while yet so I don't want to give too much away. This isn't what I expected, but I loved it. It didn't necessarily feel like a romance at times, but it definitely felt like a love story. It had that ability to evoke deep emotion, let its main characters be messy and imperfect while still being sympathetic enough that I was rooting for them both. I don't think it's going to be a book for everyone, but at the end of the day for me it had that magic stark that had me feeling along with its characters and staying up too late to see how it would end.
I read an e-arc of this (thanks NetGalley)! It's not out for quite a while yet so I don't want to give too much away. This isn't what I expected, but I loved it. It didn't necessarily feel like a romance at times, but it definitely felt like a love story. It had that ability to evoke deep emotion, let its main characters be messy and imperfect while still being sympathetic enough that I was rooting for them both. I don't think it's going to be a book for everyone, but at the end of the day for me it had that magic stark that had me feeling along with its characters and staying up too late to see how it would end.
May 21, 2026
holyyyyyyy fuckinggggggg shittttttttt guys!!!!!!!!!!!!! what. a. book.
okay so i loved the authors debut a lot but this one just blows it out of the water. i had no clue what i was getting into when i picked it up, i expected smth like play you for it, which did veer more contemporary than most romcoms but this went above and beyond that.
this book takes place over a really long time (7 or more years, i lost track a little bit) and saldivar’s masterful writing makes it feel so immersive and much longer than 372 pages. in the best way. because of that amount of time and the brilliancy of her writing, the characters change and grow and regress sooooo much while still having 1) really strong central personal battles they are fighting throughout the book (which when distilled seem very simple and almost cliched: homophobic christian parents and alcoholic parents but in actuality are so complicated and take so many different shapes and are just brilliantly done) and 2) feeling like the same characters who i never stopped rooting for, both personally and to get together.
the long length of time also meant that it didn’t have as clear of a “we need to win *insert game*” stakes as some sports games BUT unlike some sports romances (like, famously heated rivalry) this didn’t mean the sports played no role in the conflict and stakes. (sorry ab that silly double negative there, whoopsies). the book covers two years of them in college, which is a decent amount of it, and that does have the classic “we wanna win championships” but past that, abby’s journey is still so intertwined with what the game means to her and how she wants to have it in her life. also there’s just a lot of different variations of how softball is shown, from practices to games to a little league game to an alumni reunion game. so it’s very much present on page and does a lot of work to show you who the main characters are, which is brilliantly shown in one passage where kate contemplates what her goals in life are as she begins her first big case at her firm. so yeah, softball is not an excuse for flirty sexy sportsy moments in this book but the backbone of the characters and gives some good stakes, but also doesn’t overstay it’s welcome on page. just. a brilliant balance of it. (also it’s v well written and i learned a lot!!! i really love the sport and i’d never read an actual text book (i’ve read graphic novels ab softball) so it was cool to see stuff from a player’s pov).
okay onto the characters. i am just obsessed with any book that can make it’s female characters messy as fuck, make them make terrible choices, hurt each other and others, make them just screw up over and over again and still have you like them. i say female characters, because i personally believe that both authors and readers give male characters more slack, which is why mlm is a more popular genre then wlw, amongst other things. but anyways, i digress, this book is a masterclass in messiness that doesn’t feel forced but really allows its characters to grow and change and fuck up and that makes the book all the better for it. there’s such a push for cozy, stakeless books rn and while i occasionally enjoy those, books like this make me go BUT LOOK. IT CAN BE SO GOOD TO HAVE BAD SHIT HAPPEN. so yeah, that was awesome.
i loved every step of their relationship, the yearning, the love, the hurt, the pain. i especially love that they both had to fix things within themselves before they could truly be together. that really made the book for me.
this book also just has some brilliant lines, like clutching my chest HOLY FUCKING SHIT lines and some, i cant stop grinning lines.
amazing secondary characters, lovely friendships, really complicated family dynamics, just brilliant character and relationship work all around. funny and sweet and heart wrenching and a little sexy and devastating and satisfying and just really fucking brilliant.
so yeah, i’m very very very into this book and i am so immensely excited to see what saldivar does next because holy shit what would it look like for her to write an even better book??????? i have no clue, she’s already hit a home run with this one ;)
okay so i loved the authors debut a lot but this one just blows it out of the water. i had no clue what i was getting into when i picked it up, i expected smth like play you for it, which did veer more contemporary than most romcoms but this went above and beyond that.
this book takes place over a really long time (7 or more years, i lost track a little bit) and saldivar’s masterful writing makes it feel so immersive and much longer than 372 pages. in the best way. because of that amount of time and the brilliancy of her writing, the characters change and grow and regress sooooo much while still having 1) really strong central personal battles they are fighting throughout the book (which when distilled seem very simple and almost cliched: homophobic christian parents and alcoholic parents but in actuality are so complicated and take so many different shapes and are just brilliantly done) and 2) feeling like the same characters who i never stopped rooting for, both personally and to get together.
the long length of time also meant that it didn’t have as clear of a “we need to win *insert game*” stakes as some sports games BUT unlike some sports romances (like, famously heated rivalry) this didn’t mean the sports played no role in the conflict and stakes. (sorry ab that silly double negative there, whoopsies). the book covers two years of them in college, which is a decent amount of it, and that does have the classic “we wanna win championships” but past that, abby’s journey is still so intertwined with what the game means to her and how she wants to have it in her life. also there’s just a lot of different variations of how softball is shown, from practices to games to a little league game to an alumni reunion game. so it’s very much present on page and does a lot of work to show you who the main characters are, which is brilliantly shown in one passage where kate contemplates what her goals in life are as she begins her first big case at her firm. so yeah, softball is not an excuse for flirty sexy sportsy moments in this book but the backbone of the characters and gives some good stakes, but also doesn’t overstay it’s welcome on page. just. a brilliant balance of it. (also it’s v well written and i learned a lot!!! i really love the sport and i’d never read an actual text book (i’ve read graphic novels ab softball) so it was cool to see stuff from a player’s pov).
okay onto the characters. i am just obsessed with any book that can make it’s female characters messy as fuck, make them make terrible choices, hurt each other and others, make them just screw up over and over again and still have you like them. i say female characters, because i personally believe that both authors and readers give male characters more slack, which is why mlm is a more popular genre then wlw, amongst other things. but anyways, i digress, this book is a masterclass in messiness that doesn’t feel forced but really allows its characters to grow and change and fuck up and that makes the book all the better for it. there’s such a push for cozy, stakeless books rn and while i occasionally enjoy those, books like this make me go BUT LOOK. IT CAN BE SO GOOD TO HAVE BAD SHIT HAPPEN. so yeah, that was awesome.
i loved every step of their relationship, the yearning, the love, the hurt, the pain. i especially love that they both had to fix things within themselves before they could truly be together. that really made the book for me.
this book also just has some brilliant lines, like clutching my chest HOLY FUCKING SHIT lines and some, i cant stop grinning lines.
amazing secondary characters, lovely friendships, really complicated family dynamics, just brilliant character and relationship work all around. funny and sweet and heart wrenching and a little sexy and devastating and satisfying and just really fucking brilliant.
so yeah, i’m very very very into this book and i am so immensely excited to see what saldivar does next because holy shit what would it look like for her to write an even better book??????? i have no clue, she’s already hit a home run with this one ;)
July 16, 2026
(4.5) two words: MESSY SAPPHICS!! i mean…wow. rarely do i feel so strongly about a book that i actually laugh or cry. but saldivar is just so good at using her gorgeous writing to bring these full, imperfect, complex characters to life, that i had to do both! there’s very few authors who handle their character’s arcs as thoughtfully and gently as saldivar. even if the extreme codependency and severe lack of communication drove me a little insane at times…
also! i love how abby and kate’s friendships shine just as much as their relationship. they’re all so family😭😭it allows me to envision building a future like this with my own friends, and that means more than i can say:)
the only reason i’m giving it a 4.5 because i had to rush (i finished with 20 minutes to spare), but i undoubtedly will read more of saldivar’s work in the future!
also! i love how abby and kate’s friendships shine just as much as their relationship. they’re all so family😭😭it allows me to envision building a future like this with my own friends, and that means more than i can say:)
the only reason i’m giving it a 4.5 because i had to rush (i finished with 20 minutes to spare), but i undoubtedly will read more of saldivar’s work in the future!
October 16, 2025
Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for letting me read this early :)
This was, and I don’t say this lightly, the best sapphic book I’ve read this year. I would even go as far as saying this is in my top 5 in all genres of the year.
This story follows Kate, a closeted religious woman who is an incredibly talented shortstop, and Abby, an out troubled woman who is dealing with a bucket of grief. Their story was a journey of firsts, of grief, of addiction, of love in all of its forms. The relationships between the teammates, between the families, and between themselves was something that will likely stick with me for the rest of my life.
I’m not normally a sports romance girl. It’s a trope I don’t particularly like because it often feels very shallow. The sport is supposed to be the driving plot, but with many of the ones I’ve read before this, the romance always takes center stage. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it is just something that I feel detracts from what could be. A sport is full of hard work and pain and tension, and there is a lot that can be brought into a story with that! When romance is the driving plot, it makes the sport feel like an afterthought, or something that is meant to push the romance forward, rather than the characters themselves (maybe I’m just reading the wrong sports romances). This is the first story that actually proved to me that this trope can be, and is, a winner when the sport is there FOR the character. I don’t even like softball or baseball, but this was SO good that I think I need to get into it…seriously.
The description used in this book was vivid and gorgeous. I knew what everyone looked like, I felt all of the pain the characters felt, and I loved Abby and Kate like Kate and Abby would. I rooted for the characters, I cried for them. That is what I love in a book, and that is what makes this book so good. I’m honestly a little devastated that I don’t have a physical copy right now to annotate.
The religious guilt Kate felt in this story is something that I unknowingly dealt with for years, and I honestly got a little ptsd from the detail that went into it. I don’t know if the author herself went through that or if her research was done really well, but serious kudos to her. I was also impressed by the addiction plot closer to the end, because despite never dealing with that myself, it felt agonizing and raw and painful to read, and that is exactly what I imagine addiction feels like.
Anyway, this was a beautiful story. It was ultimately a story of when the right person in the wrong time finally becomes the right person in the right time, and Kate and Abby’s journey there was so incredibly beautiful. It felt well-earned. The ending was satisfying in a way I’m afraid no other story will ever reach, and I’m okay with that. I’ll always be able to come back to this one.
This was, and I don’t say this lightly, the best sapphic book I’ve read this year. I would even go as far as saying this is in my top 5 in all genres of the year.
This story follows Kate, a closeted religious woman who is an incredibly talented shortstop, and Abby, an out troubled woman who is dealing with a bucket of grief. Their story was a journey of firsts, of grief, of addiction, of love in all of its forms. The relationships between the teammates, between the families, and between themselves was something that will likely stick with me for the rest of my life.
I’m not normally a sports romance girl. It’s a trope I don’t particularly like because it often feels very shallow. The sport is supposed to be the driving plot, but with many of the ones I’ve read before this, the romance always takes center stage. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it is just something that I feel detracts from what could be. A sport is full of hard work and pain and tension, and there is a lot that can be brought into a story with that! When romance is the driving plot, it makes the sport feel like an afterthought, or something that is meant to push the romance forward, rather than the characters themselves (maybe I’m just reading the wrong sports romances). This is the first story that actually proved to me that this trope can be, and is, a winner when the sport is there FOR the character. I don’t even like softball or baseball, but this was SO good that I think I need to get into it…seriously.
The description used in this book was vivid and gorgeous. I knew what everyone looked like, I felt all of the pain the characters felt, and I loved Abby and Kate like Kate and Abby would. I rooted for the characters, I cried for them. That is what I love in a book, and that is what makes this book so good. I’m honestly a little devastated that I don’t have a physical copy right now to annotate.
The religious guilt Kate felt in this story is something that I unknowingly dealt with for years, and I honestly got a little ptsd from the detail that went into it. I don’t know if the author herself went through that or if her research was done really well, but serious kudos to her. I was also impressed by the addiction plot closer to the end, because despite never dealing with that myself, it felt agonizing and raw and painful to read, and that is exactly what I imagine addiction feels like.
Anyway, this was a beautiful story. It was ultimately a story of when the right person in the wrong time finally becomes the right person in the right time, and Kate and Abby’s journey there was so incredibly beautiful. It felt well-earned. The ending was satisfying in a way I’m afraid no other story will ever reach, and I’m okay with that. I’ll always be able to come back to this one.
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June 24, 2026Thank you to PRH Audio for a free copy of this audiobook.
Wow, what a rollercoaster! This book made me feel so many things. I loved the yearning, the storytelling, the found family, the tension, and the softball scenes. Simply put, I loved everything about this book.
These characters go through so much. While technically a second chance romance, you could also call this a third, fourth, or even a fifth chance romance. The timeline in this book spans about a decade, allowing both characters plenty of time to hit their fair share of highs and lows before coming out the other side. I loved both character’s growth, their change, and, most importantly, their healing.
I enjoyed the narration. I’m forever a huge fan of Natalie Naudus, and, knowing a little of her backstory, I thought she was the perfect person to voice these characters.
As a heads up, there’s some heavier topics explored. They include grief, su1cidal ideation, substance abuse, religious trauma/homophobia, and grappling with your faith and sexuality. As a lesbian with religious trauma, I particularly liked the way the latter was touched on.
Overall, I highly recommend you check this one out!
Wow, what a rollercoaster! This book made me feel so many things. I loved the yearning, the storytelling, the found family, the tension, and the softball scenes. Simply put, I loved everything about this book.
These characters go through so much. While technically a second chance romance, you could also call this a third, fourth, or even a fifth chance romance. The timeline in this book spans about a decade, allowing both characters plenty of time to hit their fair share of highs and lows before coming out the other side. I loved both character’s growth, their change, and, most importantly, their healing.
I enjoyed the narration. I’m forever a huge fan of Natalie Naudus, and, knowing a little of her backstory, I thought she was the perfect person to voice these characters.
As a heads up, there’s some heavier topics explored. They include grief, su1cidal ideation, substance abuse, religious trauma/homophobia, and grappling with your faith and sexuality. As a lesbian with religious trauma, I particularly liked the way the latter was touched on.
Overall, I highly recommend you check this one out!
June 23, 2026
There are so few books I read where, when I finish, I’m already looking forward to the inevitable re-read. I loved these characters- even the supporting ones. This book has so much heart.
I just wish we got to see Abby and Kate happy together for longer than we did (this is a slooow burn). They spend so much of the book fighting their own battles and working their way back to each other, I wish we could have existed in that ending for a bit longer.
I just wish we got to see Abby and Kate happy together for longer than we did (this is a slooow burn). They spend so much of the book fighting their own battles and working their way back to each other, I wish we could have existed in that ending for a bit longer.
September 24, 2025
“i think i miss you so much that i search for you in others”
abby cruz, a self-proclaimed second generation screw up, never expected her world to flip upside down when she transferred to insley, never could have expected someone like kate. kate, a devout christian, grew up with a very narrow viewpoint on love, that was until she met abby. kate and abby are juggling college softball, grief, new love, lost love, and all the emotions in between. when i tell you this book had me sobbing at 1 am, im talking the kind of crying that leaves you with swollen eyes, clogged nose and a headache. i am so grateful to have been given an arc for running home to you. samantha saldivar really hit it out the park with this one!
such an easy 5 star for me.
abby cruz, a self-proclaimed second generation screw up, never expected her world to flip upside down when she transferred to insley, never could have expected someone like kate. kate, a devout christian, grew up with a very narrow viewpoint on love, that was until she met abby. kate and abby are juggling college softball, grief, new love, lost love, and all the emotions in between. when i tell you this book had me sobbing at 1 am, im talking the kind of crying that leaves you with swollen eyes, clogged nose and a headache. i am so grateful to have been given an arc for running home to you. samantha saldivar really hit it out the park with this one!
such an easy 5 star for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My wife recommended this book to me because she said it reminded her of us...and did it ever?! I resonated with Kate's story so much of struggling with faith, being gay and knowing your parents won't accept you . My wife resonated with Abby in trying to understand all of it and help guide you through it. This book was written so perfect and I loved the ending. Thank you for letting me read it early :) it's going to be a book I think about for a long, long time. THANK YOU SAMANTHA SALDIVAR and thank you Netgalley for this arc!
July 14, 2026
one of the easiest five stars i have ever given, i am truly speechless. like with many other favorites, i have stumbled upon this book casually and without many expectations. i read it here and there (for a lack of time mostly) without fully getting into it. it did hook me from those first pages however and i hoped it would keep it up which, safe to say, it absolutely did. this is honestly everything i've ever wanted in a romance: yearning that shakes you to your core, moments so simple yet so intimate you feel like you need to look away from the page to give the characters privacy, an understanding between the two love interests that transcends everything. i could go on and on. i especially loved the choice of having the two povs because it balanced the internal conflicts and made you understand every character choice very well, it was an excellent call without which i don't think the book could've worked. i basically spent the entirety of the story with a pit in my stomach, both wanting to finish the book immediately and to know what happens, and also to spend the rest of the year just reading a word a day because i did not want to part with the characters. i initially was taken aback just by how many years the book seemed to explore (can you tell i didn't read the synopsis well) but it worked perfectly and made me root for the characters even more. the exploration of mental health, religious guilt, how hard it is to let go of the harmful things that still are fundamental parts of you, queerness; everything was given its proper time to develop and sit with, but without feeling like the story was dragging on. i would've loved to see abby and kate in their eighties at this point, i'm gonna be so honest. aside from how good the story was and how much i loved it, it also made for an excellent companion as i was trying to get through my last exam of this summer, and i've honestly really missed procrastinating by binging a book i was definitely not supposed to read at that time but it added to the experience. i already see myself going back to it over and over and i have been missing the story since the second i read that last page.
May 25, 2026
The word I keep coming back to with this book is "remarkable." Ridiculously ambitious, dense with Feelings and Ideas and beautiful prose. I'm an annoyingly picky romance reader and this left me in tatters. Cannot recommend it in strong enough terms.
(the joke version of this review: i never been "writing quasi platonic homoerotic love letters to your bestie about softball and philosophy and the nature of god" level horny goddamn)
(the joke version of this review: i never been "writing quasi platonic homoerotic love letters to your bestie about softball and philosophy and the nature of god" level horny goddamn)
May 19, 2026
An emotional, second chance, Sapphic sports romance that explores women's baseball, coming out, family trauma, addiction, sobriety and so much more. While I found this a touch long, it was great on audio narrated by my fav, Natalie Naudus and captured my heart from start to finish. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
November 26, 2025
i am never listening to "spring into summer" by lizzy mcalpine again WITHOUT THINKING OF THEM EVER AGAIN!!!!!!! abbykate you will always be in my heart.
June 24, 2026
saldivar has outdone herself. incredible book! i loved the characters sm. both abby and kate go through some tough stuff and their issues are treated with so much care and nuance. took me a bit to get into it but it was well worth the read
July 8, 2026
Samantha Saldivar, you are my new favourite author and I will follow your works anywhere.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to the publisher for this eARC! I’ll admit, a character with a heavy religious belief is typically one that is hard for me to get on with but the conflict of it in this is handled so well. And as a huge romantic baseball person, the game of this is so incredible. The use of turning two between our main characters at short stop and second base is GREAT. I really enjoyed this one.
July 24, 2026
Yeah… this was a six star read.
I loved this book so much. There was so much depth to this book in not only the romance but the relationships that Abby and Kate had with other characters as well. Both Abby and Kate grow so much in this book and go through two different struggles. I think what I like most is that it isn’t their romance that helps them work through their struggle but you see their full growth with each other and when they’re apart.
I loved this book so much. There was so much depth to this book in not only the romance but the relationships that Abby and Kate had with other characters as well. Both Abby and Kate grow so much in this book and go through two different struggles. I think what I like most is that it isn’t their romance that helps them work through their struggle but you see their full growth with each other and when they’re apart.
July 13, 2026
First and foremost thanks to netgalley, the publisher, and author for my advanced copy. While I had every intention of actually finishing this on time this one broke me and took longer.
If you’ve ever struggled with your identity sexually, with religious trauma, or just grief in general this is a 384 page novel that covers all of it and hits so hard. I saw myself so much in Kate and Abby. While their journeys aren’t the exact same for me boy do I understand where they’re coming from. The religious aspect was so hard to watch as I’ve asked some of the same questions Kate had and being an outsider looking in it’s so easy to have the answers. Abby’s recklessness is familiar as a kid of divorce and watching those around you have their life figured out and you feel behind.
I knew the author was going to wreck me after reading their first book. But at 25% where I was freely sobbing I knew this book was going to tear me apart and put me back together on the journey of he main characters. My sobbing didn’t stop throughout the book because I knew these characters wouldn’t have a simple story. Their trials and growth was slow and realistic because what person actually figured it out the first time the make a mistake? And what person truly gets over their trauma quickly? I found the push and pull and support of friends so refreshing and I loved that this story took place over almost a decade of time and gave us so many different stages of their lives.
I put this book down for a while because it hurt my heart to know that in the year 2026 we still have people who are raising the next Kate and Abby of the world and they’re just trying to survive in the real world and that is something that I am truly impressed with by this author. Sure I was impressed with how well the sports were written and everything else but it made me think and feel about reality in a way that doesn’t always happen with a novel.
I cannot stress it enough that this is a fabulous look at sports, queer relationships, trauma, love, and most of all forgiveness that I have read in a while. Give this book a shot and you won’t be disappointed.
If you’ve ever struggled with your identity sexually, with religious trauma, or just grief in general this is a 384 page novel that covers all of it and hits so hard. I saw myself so much in Kate and Abby. While their journeys aren’t the exact same for me boy do I understand where they’re coming from. The religious aspect was so hard to watch as I’ve asked some of the same questions Kate had and being an outsider looking in it’s so easy to have the answers. Abby’s recklessness is familiar as a kid of divorce and watching those around you have their life figured out and you feel behind.
I knew the author was going to wreck me after reading their first book. But at 25% where I was freely sobbing I knew this book was going to tear me apart and put me back together on the journey of he main characters. My sobbing didn’t stop throughout the book because I knew these characters wouldn’t have a simple story. Their trials and growth was slow and realistic because what person actually figured it out the first time the make a mistake? And what person truly gets over their trauma quickly? I found the push and pull and support of friends so refreshing and I loved that this story took place over almost a decade of time and gave us so many different stages of their lives.
I put this book down for a while because it hurt my heart to know that in the year 2026 we still have people who are raising the next Kate and Abby of the world and they’re just trying to survive in the real world and that is something that I am truly impressed with by this author. Sure I was impressed with how well the sports were written and everything else but it made me think and feel about reality in a way that doesn’t always happen with a novel.
I cannot stress it enough that this is a fabulous look at sports, queer relationships, trauma, love, and most of all forgiveness that I have read in a while. Give this book a shot and you won’t be disappointed.
May 7, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC.
I have never read a softball romance before and didn’t realize I needed that in my life. I loved the found family throughout the story as our characters grew up and stayed close to the softball members. Our two female main characters, Abby and Kate, both had their own trials and tribulations to go through in the story, and Samantha really brought them both to life with their personality traits, imperfections, and everything in between.
I think I loved Abby‘s character the most. Her character growth in the story really shined, and she is someone that I would love to have on my side. I liked Kate’s story with coming into her career (we love a female that pushes for her dream career even when men tell her it’s not important), however, I struggled with the religion aspect of the conflict. I felt that it was well written for the most part, but it’s hard for me to comprehend how long it took her to get out of that religious psychosis mindset. I understand that when you’re raised in that sort of lifestyle, it’s a lot to unlearn, but at the same time, I wanted to shake her and tell her that she needs to figure it out already. The religion aspect felt like it was just there to create conflict when nothing else would, especially in the first half of the book, whereas Abby struggles seemed more real and fit her character naturally.
All of the side characters I absolutely loved, and the writing was *chef’s kiss*. I would describe this novel more as a literary fiction than a romance, but it is heavy on the pining. Not a complaint, though, I love me some lit fic. If you’re looking to read a book with two people who are undeniably soulmates, then you found the perfect novel to pick up.
I have never read a softball romance before and didn’t realize I needed that in my life. I loved the found family throughout the story as our characters grew up and stayed close to the softball members. Our two female main characters, Abby and Kate, both had their own trials and tribulations to go through in the story, and Samantha really brought them both to life with their personality traits, imperfections, and everything in between.
I think I loved Abby‘s character the most. Her character growth in the story really shined, and she is someone that I would love to have on my side. I liked Kate’s story with coming into her career (we love a female that pushes for her dream career even when men tell her it’s not important), however, I struggled with the religion aspect of the conflict. I felt that it was well written for the most part, but it’s hard for me to comprehend how long it took her to get out of that religious psychosis mindset. I understand that when you’re raised in that sort of lifestyle, it’s a lot to unlearn, but at the same time, I wanted to shake her and tell her that she needs to figure it out already. The religion aspect felt like it was just there to create conflict when nothing else would, especially in the first half of the book, whereas Abby struggles seemed more real and fit her character naturally.
All of the side characters I absolutely loved, and the writing was *chef’s kiss*. I would describe this novel more as a literary fiction than a romance, but it is heavy on the pining. Not a complaint, though, I love me some lit fic. If you’re looking to read a book with two people who are undeniably soulmates, then you found the perfect novel to pick up.
July 24, 2026
Oh, this was such a wild emotional ride. This is probably up there as one of my favorite reads of the year. This was just so good.
Over many years, we get to see Abby and Kate’s story from the moment they meet. How, over time, they change each other and change FOR each other. They are both such real characters. They are messy, get in the way of their own happiness, and make BAD decisions sometimes.
This has everything that I love. Yearning, eyes meeting across the club, badass women in suits, found family, and a smidge of religious trauma.
Like how in some books the city is a character, softball is a character in this. This book has so much of not only my favorite queer tropes but also my favorite sports tropes. Not only do they both play, but the relationship they both have with the sport is just as important as the relationship they have with each other. Something about their sport almost being like a religion to the characters makes me FERAL. "If faith is surrender, then I think playing softball is the closest I’ve ever been to God. It must not be a coincidence then that I found you there too"
I love women's sports so much. One of the many problems these characters face is the fact that playing professionally is not an option for most of them post-college, and even if they do, they and their teammates are not getting paid a fraction of what their male counterparts are. Leagues form and get disbanded so fast, and women's categories in the Olympics are always getting cut. SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S SPORTS. In relation to this book, as of writing this, a US softball and baseball league is trying to take off, so if you love this sport, give them your love too.
I loved this book so much, I have been editing this review for days, and I could probably go on for days about it.
Over many years, we get to see Abby and Kate’s story from the moment they meet. How, over time, they change each other and change FOR each other. They are both such real characters. They are messy, get in the way of their own happiness, and make BAD decisions sometimes.
This has everything that I love. Yearning, eyes meeting across the club, badass women in suits, found family, and a smidge of religious trauma.
Like how in some books the city is a character, softball is a character in this. This book has so much of not only my favorite queer tropes but also my favorite sports tropes. Not only do they both play, but the relationship they both have with the sport is just as important as the relationship they have with each other. Something about their sport almost being like a religion to the characters makes me FERAL. "If faith is surrender, then I think playing softball is the closest I’ve ever been to God. It must not be a coincidence then that I found you there too"
I love women's sports so much. One of the many problems these characters face is the fact that playing professionally is not an option for most of them post-college, and even if they do, they and their teammates are not getting paid a fraction of what their male counterparts are. Leagues form and get disbanded so fast, and women's categories in the Olympics are always getting cut. SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S SPORTS. In relation to this book, as of writing this, a US softball and baseball league is trying to take off, so if you love this sport, give them your love too.
I loved this book so much, I have been editing this review for days, and I could probably go on for days about it.
September 17, 2025
After Abby Cruz transfers to Insley University, she joins the softball team and meets Kate Hutchins. And it seems like the only thing they have in common is their love for the sport. Where Abby is reckless yet talented, Kate is controlled and plays everything by the rules. However, after Kate is assigned to be Abby’s tutor, they might find out that opposites attract.
I love seeing more sports romances coming into the sapphic romance sphere, and this book was no exception. Saldivar managed to handle some deep topics with incredible grace and did not gloss over anything and that was more than refreshing to read. This book didn’t try to pretend that your issues just go away because you fall in love, but rather highlighted that those problems sitting in the back of your mind are still there and they still need to be dealt with.
I thought the softball scenes were very well-written. As someone who is not very versed in softball other than knowing it as slightly different than baseball, I didn’t feel confused and felt invested in their games and practices that were described. Softball wasn’t just a background to the romance; it was the setting and that was what made it an authentic sports romance.
My biggest gripe with this book was that I didn’t feel super invested in the romance after a certain point. The build up was phenomenal and the tension was palpable. After that though, I didn’t feel like there was a lot at stake and I started to feel like the book was starting to dawdle to the end. That being said, however, I still enjoyed the romance and did not dislike the relationship by any means. You could tell their connection was something special and I still cared about the characters.
Overall, Saldivar delivered exactly what she set out to do with this book and she did it well. The romance was good, the main plot was good, and all-in-all this was just a solid book and a good read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love seeing more sports romances coming into the sapphic romance sphere, and this book was no exception. Saldivar managed to handle some deep topics with incredible grace and did not gloss over anything and that was more than refreshing to read. This book didn’t try to pretend that your issues just go away because you fall in love, but rather highlighted that those problems sitting in the back of your mind are still there and they still need to be dealt with.
I thought the softball scenes were very well-written. As someone who is not very versed in softball other than knowing it as slightly different than baseball, I didn’t feel confused and felt invested in their games and practices that were described. Softball wasn’t just a background to the romance; it was the setting and that was what made it an authentic sports romance.
My biggest gripe with this book was that I didn’t feel super invested in the romance after a certain point. The build up was phenomenal and the tension was palpable. After that though, I didn’t feel like there was a lot at stake and I started to feel like the book was starting to dawdle to the end. That being said, however, I still enjoyed the romance and did not dislike the relationship by any means. You could tell their connection was something special and I still cared about the characters.
Overall, Saldivar delivered exactly what she set out to do with this book and she did it well. The romance was good, the main plot was good, and all-in-all this was just a solid book and a good read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 16, 2025
Big thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC. 4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this. Abby and Kate meet on their college softball team, and the book follows them through the next decade as they grow up, drift, reconnect, and try to figure out what they actually want from each other. They care about each other, but they’re young, carrying a lot, and not always ready at the same time.
The softball details were great (I will always notice when a sports book gets that wrong), and I liked how the game stayed in the background of their lives even as everything else shifted. But what really stood out was how the author handles the heavier topics that shape them: religious guilt and pressure, homophobia, alcoholism, addiction, abuse, and the different ways people try to outrun or hide from the things that hurt. None of it felt thrown in for shock value—it actually mattered to who they became.
Abby and Kate are both messy, stubborn, and trying their best, and watching them grow separately before they can really show up for each other made their relationship feel more grounded. It’s a slow burn in the sense that the emotional work takes time, and I appreciated that the book lets them take that time instead of forcing an easy fix.
Overall, a heartfelt and surprisingly layered read.
I really enjoyed this. Abby and Kate meet on their college softball team, and the book follows them through the next decade as they grow up, drift, reconnect, and try to figure out what they actually want from each other. They care about each other, but they’re young, carrying a lot, and not always ready at the same time.
The softball details were great (I will always notice when a sports book gets that wrong), and I liked how the game stayed in the background of their lives even as everything else shifted. But what really stood out was how the author handles the heavier topics that shape them: religious guilt and pressure, homophobia, alcoholism, addiction, abuse, and the different ways people try to outrun or hide from the things that hurt. None of it felt thrown in for shock value—it actually mattered to who they became.
Abby and Kate are both messy, stubborn, and trying their best, and watching them grow separately before they can really show up for each other made their relationship feel more grounded. It’s a slow burn in the sense that the emotional work takes time, and I appreciated that the book lets them take that time instead of forcing an easy fix.
Overall, a heartfelt and surprisingly layered read.
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