Playing for Keeps

Dugan (The Last Girl Standing) emphasizes choosing one’s own path and the uneven grieving process in this charming queer romance. Ivy, 18, and June, 17, have a lot in common: they’re each pursuing a career in sports; they’ve lost their brother and mother, respectively, to cancer; and they’re slowly buckling under the weight of their families’ expectations. Ivy’s desire to dedicate her time to becoming a referee for the NFL puts her at odds with her mother, who insists that Ivy attend college as a backup; meanwhile, baseball pitcher June pushes herself to the point of injury while trying to make a name for herself amid the shadow of her former minor league baseball player father. When Ivy umps for one of June’s games, the two use their shared history as a jumping-off point for a relationship based on mutual understanding, but their parents’ opinions, the athletic code of ethics they live by, and the pressure they place on themselves soon have them questioning what they want, not only in love but in life. 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. Major characters cue as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Sara Crowe Literary. (Apr.)