Review: Stealing Home by Becky Wallace

Seventeen-year-old Ryan Russell dreams of taking over the family business: owning the minor league baseball team, the Buckley Beavers, and making history as one of few female general managers in baseball. But when child-phenom Sawyer Campbell arrives at training, he threatens to throw a major curveball in her plans. 

Ryan’s parents are recently divorced and her mom is done with the team. She wants to sell her shares to a major firm— despite the fact that the family business is Ryan’s dream. To make matters worse, the team is suffering financially and the ballpark is in need of major renovations to draw in new investors. 

To keep her mom from selling her shares, Ryan decides to take matters into her own hands. Her plan: breath new life (and money) into the team. When Sawyer Campbell gets injured and is on the bench, they’re forced to spend way too much time together. But when Sawyer offers to help Ryan save the Buckley Beavers by drawing in new investors, she can’t turn him down…and neither can her heart. If only she didn’t have pesky rules against dating baseball players. If her true feelings for Sawyer found out, she’ll lose her job…and worse, her dream. 

With the start of baseball season, we couldn’t resist reading this adorable YA contemporary. You all know baseball is our favorite sport! And boy did this book not disappoint. It reminded us of a mix between Whatever Life Throws at You and Summer Constellations.

Ryan was a great MC and we were cheering for her from start to finish. Her family’s business means everything to her and we loved her determination. Many of the players, staff, and sponsors underestimate her for her age and gender. But she proves them wrong every time. Ryan was also witty and could look out for herself. But, we wished she would’ve abandoned her rules way earlier. I mean, who can resist a gorgeous baseball player?! 

This leads us to Sawyer Campbell. So gorgeous. So kind. So charming. Sawyer was more than just a pretty face. His character was well-rounded and he really was a genuinely nice guy who wanted to help Ryan out. Though they got off on the wrong foot, the chemistry between them was evident and we knew Ryan wouldn’t be able to resist him. We also loved that Sawyer never underestimated Ryan’s abilities or undermined her dreams for the sake of his own success. Plus, he cared so much about his family. He wanted to make it to the Texas Rangers to help support his family’s business.

The side characters were also excellent and added great depth. Mia, Ryan’s best friend, was fierce and unapologetically herself. Everyone needs a Mia in their life! Though Ryan’s mom was the worst at times, she made an effort in the end and we were glad the pair took steps toward mending their relationship. Ryan’s dad was a sweetheart. We’re both very close with our own dad’s (and we inherited their love of baseball!), so we appreciated their close bond! Great dads raise strong women.

Overall, Stealing Home is a super sweet summer romance! Definitely pick it up if you’re looking for a YA contemporary with a touch of baseball. Wallace has another book coming out on September 22nd, Far From Normal, that’s pitched as The Devil Meets Prada— but with soccer. It also may feature a hot Italian soccer player. Sign us up!

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5/⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️