The Game Can’t Love You Back by Karole Cozzo

Unexpected romance heats up on the baseball field in The Game Can’t Love You Back by Karole Cozzo.

Eve is used to being the odd woman out. As the only girl on her school’s baseball team, she knows exactly how to put sweaty, macho baseball players in their place, and she’s focused on one thing and one thing only—being the best pitcher she can be.

But when a freak accident forces her high school to be absorbed by the neighboring town, Eve has to contend with a new group of guys who aren’t used to having a woman on their team. And the new team’s star pitcher, Jamie, has no interest in being ousted from his throne. He can’t afford to give up his starting slot to a new pitcher—even worse, to a girl.

As the competition between Jamie and Eve starts to heat up, so does their attraction to each other. Can they keep their heads in the game, or will they end up getting played?

This was a really fun spin on the enemies-to-lovers trope, and I loved seeing the banter between Jamie and Eve transition from antagonistic to flirty. The chemistry between these two makes this story shine, but the “only girl on the baseball team” spin really sets it apart from other YA romances.

I loved seeing inside Eve’s world; her struggles and challenges from being the only girl on the baseball team. Honestly, the one thing I felt like this book was missing was Jamie realizing just exactly what it is Eve goes through to play ball (he sees hints, but there were some aspects he never really grasped, and I was so hoping to see some of those scenes).

The ending also felt a little rushed, and I wanted a bit more out of the conclusion — but overall, I still really enjoyed this one. Despite a few shortcomings, the rest of the book made up for it with great characters, witty conversation, and sizzling chemistry. The Game Can’t Love You Back is in stores now.