Sometimes, you get a romance that crosses your desk and it’s cute as a button and you want to shout it from the mountaintops. As I write this review, we’re within inches of starting World Series season, so why not take a look at a bat-swinging romance with a very cute central conceit and a whole lot of ballgame-related shenanigans. It did have a couple of weak points, but overall I really enjoyed this little look into the old ball game.

Carter Cook dreams about baseball stardom, but he’s going to have to start out with the Red Rock Fliers. He’s battling his way back from injuries incurred in an auto wreck, and is totally determined to prove to the world he can still play major league ball after two years of rehabilitation.

Single mom Jane Morris has one kid in college and one about to wrap up high school, and she’s coping with an ugly, messy divorce from a failed ballplayer named Chad. She’s trying to open a bakery in her hometown (called Batter Up! naturally), and has a contract with the Fliers to sell her treats there to publicise it.

Carter’s an old friend of hers, so when she wants to get her ex off of her back after he gets too forward with her, she lies that Carter is going to move into her spare room. It’s all supposed to be temporary because Carter wants a spot on a bigger team. But the heart, as always, wants what it wants.

This is a fun friends-to-lovers romance that’s as cool and breezy as a late summer afternoon. Batter Up! is tender and funny, and it’s very realistic about its characters and their choices. Both Carter and Jane are on their second chances, and it’s wonderful to see two characters cut loose and have fun after suffering so much. Also yay, an older woman romance! About darn time.

This is such a good, solid healthy relationship and I was so happy to watch it play out. And the details! I was incredibly charmed that our hero helped our heroine re-sterilize the surface of her work station after they did the do in her kitchen (how many times have heroes and heroines done the nasty among commercial kitchens without washing up?). They have such a nice connection and it’s always great to watch a friends-first romance bloom to life.

The conflict here is very realistic, and very mature. One doesn’t stop yearning or dreaming because the sex is good and the romance is wonderful, and he still wants back in the MLB and she still wants to be an independent person.

I loved spending time, too, with Carter’s teammates and Jane’s co-workers and family. Everything felt real, and everything left me smiling. I’ve known so many people like this, been to ballgames like these. Even the subplot about Jane’s youngest son’s attempt at getting into a pro team was emotionally compelling.

Carter’s story was as absorbing as Jane’s to me: they each have something to prove to the world, and there’s a hope that they’ll overcome and get their way at last. It’s a story about rebuilding your life, not just your romance, and they both get to grow up and face down a world that’s been more than a little bit difficult toward them.

What a fun romance, what a great story — and what a lovely time. Batter Up! is a true winner.

---

This guest review comes from Lisa! A longtime romance aficionado and frequent commenter to SBTB, Lisa is a queer Latine critic with a sharp tongue and lots of opinions. She frequently reviewed at All About Romance and Women Write About Comics, where she’s on staff, and you can catch her at @‌thatbouviergirl on Twitter. There, she shares good reviews, bracing industry opinions and thoughtful commentary when she’s not on her grind looking for the next good freelance job.