Home Safe
by: Tracy Baack
@authortracybaack

••I give 5 stars!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚•Book Release Date: June 30, 2025!•📚

~Opposites may attract, but their differences could turn the relationship into a strikeout instead of a home run...

“Um, second thoughts are all I give. Second, third, tenth. Too many thoughts about everything all the time.”

⚾️📚-Home Safe, is a delightful opposites attract, single guardian baseball romance for fans of meaningful contemporary romance. It is a great fit for readers who want a closed-door sports romance with plenty of swoon but with no spice. This dear story is stitched with a wonderful blend of humor, depth and emotional warmth. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey this story took me on, with watching endearing characters work through trauma and finding healing and happiness. There is such gentleness, realism, and hope weaved throughout the pages, which led tearing up a few times. I recommend keeping a tissue near by. It was beautifully tender seeing how dear characters learn to let guards down and open themselves up to love again that hit a home run for me. The emphasis of finding someone to love and for them to be your safe place was beautifully weaved over and over again throughout. This is a dear uplifting story that left me more inspired and grateful! It is worth the home run read!🙌🏻📚⚾️

“I’m with you one hundred percent, forever.”

•Content: a child who is in process of being
adopted out of the foster care system.
mentions of parental toxic/dysfunctional neglect, drug use, death by overdose and incarceration-all kept minimal and vague; anxiety representation, kisses only.

“You don’t have to say yes... But don’t say no
Just because you are afraid.”

-I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

“Your love is no small thing.”

#homesafe
#authortracybaack
#allaboutthebestreads

Home Safe is cozy, heartfelt, no-spice romance that quietly pulls you in with its grounded characters, realistic relationship, and emotional depth. Tracy Baack offers a refreshing take on the sports romance genre by steering clear of over-the-top drama and instead focusing on the slower, more meaningful process of building trust and connection.

The story alternates perspectives between Danae, a book-loving teacher/librarian navigating single parenthood as she adopts a child in foster care, and a professional baseball player whose grounded nature and emotional maturity set him apart. The alternating perspectives give readers a deeper understanding of each character’s thoughts and allow the romance to unfold naturally and believably.

What I appreciated most was how Baack resisted the usual clichés—there’s no unnecessary angst, no wild misunderstandings—just two adults learning each other’s rhythms and showing up with honesty and care. The pacing is steady, allowing space for growth and reflection, especially as Danae balances her son’s needs with her own slowly reawakening heart. #homesafe #netgalley

📚 ARC REVIEW!
Overall Rating: ⭐️4.5x
Spicy rating: Close-door romance, just kisses!

〰️Opposites Attract
〰️Dual POV
〰️Golden Retriever MMC
〰️Strangers to Lovers
〰️Foster care representative
〰️Baseball Player MMC
〰️School Librarian FMC
〰️'He falls first and hard.’

Even before reading the description, I was already genuinely drawn to the book just by seeing the cover. So when I found out my request got accepted, I was beaming and just couldn't wait to read it. And honestly, the book went beyond what I expected, it really exceeded my expectations! 🙂‍↕️

I found the characters really funny and relatable, especially Danae. Danae is our FMC in the book. She works as an elementary school librarian, and she's just about to become a single foster mom to literally the sweetest little boy, Jason. This kid is literally the root cause of Danae's and MMC Griffin's story, but let's focus on Danae first. Danae's journey throughout the book was so impactful, it was moving to see how she faced her trauma and worked through everything she went through. The way she dealt with her anxiety made me feel so connected to her in such an intimate way. The overthinking, the painting your nails with clear polish just to pick at it later on, and the constant second-guessing your decisions you know were right. And through all of that, I loved seeing how she stepped up and grew, both emotionally and mentally. 
 
Our MMC Griffin is the ‘darling’ of the Kansas City Crowns baseball team. He’s kind, caring, and would do everything and anything to make the people he cares about happy, he’s basically a golden retriever in human form. The only catch? He’s not that into reading. If I had to describe him in three words, they’d be
1. Very
2. Husband
3. Material

Now, about the chemistry between the MCs. Danae absolutely dislikes baseball, but when she crosses paths with Griffin during Jason’s baseball camp, her opinion of the sport just might slowly start to shift. 
Through the chapters, I really loved how they stayed mature and understanding throughout their moments together AND that even when a problem arose, they didn’t go at each other like cats and dogs. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a gentle, easy-to-read romantic novel without a lot of drama.

The book really did a great job writing and handling the emotions in this book! It was incredible to see such deep, complex feelings conveyed in a way that was so clear and easy to understand. I would also really love to mention that the author brought such seriousness and importance to the topic of becoming a foster parent and how to handle trauma and going to therapy. The author did a good job handling these topics without it feeling forced or brushed aside just for the book to go straight to the ending.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: none
Tropes:
* Opposites attract
* Baseball player & school librarian
* Warnings: foster care & adoption, past trauma for child
* Anxiety & dyslexia representation
* He falls first

Thank you to NetGalley, Tracy Baack, and Victory Editing Co-op for this eARC! I am a teacher, and after reading the summary I knew I had to get this book!

There are so many sweet moments between Griffin and Danae! Their romance and relationship builds so beautifully, and I really enjoyed their openness to each other, despite how different their interests and backgrounds are. They are so thoughtful of each other, quickly observant of certain subtle tells and how to help ease their worries or fears.

There are many moments that made me tear up, especially related to Jason. I have had students with their own family trauma, and the way the author handles this is done with realistic grace. It is clear the author took time to research and understand the very complicated feelings and reasonings behind emotional difficulties of children in the foster care system. I absolutely loved how devoted and determined Danae was to make sure he felt accepted, safe, and where he belonged. When you add how Griff interacts with Jason, my heart just kept melting each time he did or said something that shows how big of a heart he really has 🫠 Their happy ending was perfect, especially in the additional bonus scene!

I felt that this book mirrors how my husband and I are with each other and how much I appreciate that he helps me through my own anxieties and second guessing. It made me reflect on how amazing it can be to have someone who accepts you as your whole self. ❤️

I loved how real the characters felt in this story. The author handled some difficult topics with care and sensitivity. This added a lot of emotional depth to the book.
At first, I found it a little frustrating how the fmc kept saying that she didn’t like baseball, but as the story progressed, I understood her perspective more.
What really stood out was the emotional connection between the characters their bond felt genuine and heartfelt, and it made their relationship feel all the more real and genuine.
Thank you Netgalley for this eARC

I absolutely loved this book! Tracy has this way of capturing your attention on page 1 and holding it all the way through. I absolutely love how realistic the book is in the sense that you could picture the book happening in real life. I love Griffin and Danae and how they navigated their relationship with each other in the spotlight, with Jason, and with a hectic baseball fan. As someone who is indifferent about baseball, I really enjoyed this book and whether you are a fan of baseball or not, you will love this book. Thank you so much Tracy for the ARC!

4.25⭐️

Let me start out with, I love Tracy’s writing style, I truly don’t think I could hate anything she’s written because I just so thoroughly enjoy her writing. Along with that she is great at writing such open and real communication within her romances that I feel like can be lacking from a lot of romances.

I will say I wasn’t expecting the themes of foster care/adoption to just as central as the romance was to the whole story. I think if I had gone in with that expectation, I personally may of enjoyed it a bit quicker, cause it did take me a little bit to get into it, since the romance came in a bit slower.

I still really enjoyed this and would recommend it. Tracy does a great job at making you love the characters and their romance, along with writing and bringing light to tough and important subjects such as the foster care & anxiety in this book.

Content warnings: foster care, past trauma, anxiety.
No Spice, kisses only.

*Thank you to NetGalley & Tracy for sending me an arc of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinion!

A heart warming story that will give you all the feels!

I received an ARC through Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

First off, thank you to NetGalley and Tracy Baack for this ARC of Home Safe.

Home Safe is the perfect romance book if you are looking for no spice and a sports romance. I loved reading this book and found myself constantly wanting to read and find out what happens.

Danae is a caring and thoughtful woman who decides to foster one of the students. She is an overthinker with anxiety, and it feels like a real representation of these traits. I love the fact that she hates baseball and has a foster son and boyfriend who love and play baseball.

Griffin is the dreamiest dream guy I have ever read. He is patient with Danae as she struggles with her anxiety. Also, he was raised in a family that adopted foster children, which gives him insight into Danae and Jason’s relationship. He’s one of those "something's wrong? How can I fix it?" and I love it. 

One thing I enjoyed about Home Safe and the MCs was that they were who they were and disliked what they disliked. They didn't try to change or pretend to like each other's passions. 

I loved all the characters, including Griff's sister, Sam. She was adopted into Griffin's family and helped Jason and Danae. She was always willing to hang out with Jason and quickly wormed her way into my heart.

Lastly, I found Jason's trauma response very enlightening. It was such a good choice by Tracy to add. This book tackles serious issues with foster care and how things can affect children. I liked that it wasn't that Danae adopted Jason and all his trauma went away.

Overall, this book is for anyone who loves sports romance but wants a book with a more realistic feel than just smut and high drama.

Home Safe is the third book I have read written by Tracy Baack, and she has become an instant read for me. This book will pull at your heartstrings and instantly fall in love with the characters. Cheering them on all the way.

The character development was fantastic. Danae is trying to figure out her life as a new single mom, while also dealing with her dysfunctional relationship with her parents. Jason is battling all kinds of emotions as he fights to find new ground in his new life with Danae and all the trauma he has gone through in his short life. Griffin is working to figure out who he is outside of baseball.

The setting was perfect. I didn’t know how I would feel about a sports trope as that is not my favorite thing. I thoroughly enjoyed the Baseball trope. Even though there were a lot of scenes on the Baseball field/stands, there were a lot of times where it was off the field. The balance was perfect.

The storyline- tugged at my heartstrings. There were many layers to this story. Danae is in the process of adopting Jason, while also meeting and falling in love with a famous baseball player, Griffon, each with their own issues. I loved that there was insight into dealing with trauma for kids and that they dealt with it in a real way, both for adults and kids.

This opposites-attract romance was a kisses-only story. It was clean and perfect.

Tracy Bacck sometimes includes faith in her books, this book does not. The only hint to it is that prayer is mentioned a few times, but other than that, there is nothing mentioned. It does not take away from my rating, though I did want to mention for those who purely like Christian fiction.

*I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

School librarian, Danae, is struggling with her new role as foster mom to one of her students named Jason. Working hard to build bonds and a secure loving home for Jason, Danae enrolls him in a baseball program for foster youth, given baseball is one of Jason's biggest passions. Danae may loathe the sport on a personal level but is willing to give it a try for Jason. In walks Griffin, local baseball hero and camp coach. Danae knows practically nothing about the sport but when Griffin shows interest in dating her and supporting Jason, Danae has to decide if Griffin is worth the risk.

The romance and baseball subplot were pretty slow-paced and didn't hold my interest much. I would've preferred more development in their relationship or more tension in the third act. It felt like another run-of-the-mill sports romance, cute but nothing special. Luckily, the foster to adopt plot with Danae and Jason brought the emotion into it and made the plot go to a deeper emotional level than the romance did.

*** I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ***

I loved everything about Home Safe. Tracy did a fantastic job writing each character. The research that went into writing this book is evident. I always appreciate when an author takes time to genuinely research the topics in their story. It was a joy to read about Danae, Griffin, Jason and Sam.

This story centres around Danae, Jason and Griffin. It’s a sports romance, opposites attract, that’s layered with some deeper themes, particularly issues related to foster care, adoption, and a child navigating emotional regulation. I thought the book did a great job balancing these heavier elements with moments of lightness, fun, and romance.

I loved Griffin as the leading man, his character was well written and showed his huge heart, I really appreciated how caring and selfless he was. He showed how you can overcome adversity and thrive in something you love doing. Danae, wasn’t my favorite heroine, but was still likable overall. Her devotion to Jason, her soon to be adopted son, was one of her strongest and most endearing qualities.

I found some elements of the story a little ‘lacking’ in areas, for example, Danae’s reasoning for hating baseball seemed very childish and very ‘surface level’. There isn’t any spice to this story so if that’s what you’re looking for, this isn’t the book for you.

Instead of getting the epilogue separately, it would have been nice to be part of the book. However, I did enjoy the story overall and found the mix of heart, romance, and real life challenges compelling.

5 ⭐️ read for Danae and Griff’s story!
Published on Goodreads and Amazon: 06/30/2025

Tracy Baack did amazing with this story from the overall writing style to the content that was included. Themes in this story included foster/adoption care, childhood trauma, neurodiversity (implied but not factually stated) and more. These themes can be difficult to accurately portray in a way that is both informative but not overly dramatized. Tracy Baack did amazing with both.

Griff and Danae’s story was incredibly sweet, highlighting the importance of communication, witty banter, and the importance of accepting differences in those we love. While Danae is an avid reader (and who doesn’t love that!), Griff is an MLB player who focused not only on his game but his outreach as well.

Their story focused on interactions and major character development rather than the spice that is found in some romances which overall contributed to the adorable nature this is Danae and Griff. While this was the first book I’ve read by Tracy Baack, it absolutely will not be the last!

4.5

While it started off a little slow, I devoured the last half of this book in one sitting. I was blown away by how deep and personal it got—not just a cute rom-com, but a story with heart. It offers honest glimpses into the realities of fostering and adoption, living with undiagnosed generalized anxiety, and—let’s be honest—how we could all benefit from a good therapist
And yes, there are swoon-worthy moments! Tracy somehow keeps everything PG while still bringing the chemistry—and I’m seriously impressed. Passion without the cringe or compromise? We love to see it.
Besides making me crave BBQ and seriously miss Kansas City, this sporty rom-com is the perfect mix of rich and lighthearted.

“I’m a Griffin West fan, one hundred percent.”

Opposites may attract, but their differences could turn the relationship into a strikeout instead of a home run.

Danae Collins’ stable, quiet life as an elementary school librarian is upended when she becomes the guardian for one of her students in foster care. She carefully plans for every contingency on the road to permanent adoption—every contingency exceptcrossing paths with a famous baseball player.

Griffin West is the star shortstop and “darling” of the Kansas City Crowns baseball team. Everything is on the line as he returns to the major leagues after a season-ending injury. When Danae brings her new son to Griffin’s baseball camp, the tug he feels toward her is a curveball he never saw coming.

On paper, their lives seem incompatible. But as they spend time together, the safety they find in each other only deepens. Will real obstacles ultimately break or bond them forever?

Tracy has done it again! The communication 👏🏽 the banter🤌🏽 the characters 😮‍💨 I loved the side characters almost as much as the main characters. As soon as I read the premise for this book, I knew I needed to read it. Then probably by Chapter 2, I was absolutely hooked. A baseball romance with Harry Potter references?! SIGN ME UP! Tracy was able to take difficult topics and weave them into a beautiful story. Do yourself a favor and read this book!
I read this at the College World Series, which was perfect until I had to start choosing between my two loves- baseball and reading.
*This book is a sweet romance, kisses only, with no cursing. However, the characters to get together earlier on, so there is more kissing opportunities.*

Home Safe was the first baseball romance l've ever read, and I enjoyed it! I read it over one weekend and it was a great easy read. I think it can be read during any season, but it was a good one for summer.
The characters were likable, and I especially liked Griffin, the MMC. He was such a gentleman, he always listened to Danae and helped her process her overthinking and her emotions. And yet, he wasn't perfect either.
If you're unsure about a baseball romance-like I was, since I don't care for sports-give this a chance. It's worth it!
Kissing only, no swearing.
Content: fostercare, child neglect in the past, trauma responses in a child

My favorite thing about this book is the way these characters had meaningful conversations and had a self-awareness of others’ feelings. If only we all communicated in this way always! Griffin West, I have absolutely no complaints about this MMC. He is one of the most “normal” famous characters I’ve ever come across in reading. With our FMC, Danae, I had to make myself take a step back and look at things from her true point of view a few times to really understand her. She has some tendencies to overthink, and need make pro/con lists for nearly everything in her life. My initial reaction was to cringe at her thought processes, but understanding her deep commitment to Jason helped me empathize with her when making hard decisions. The feelings Danae had about Griffin’s career were unique. I’m not sure I’ve read a book where the FMC dislikes the MMC’s sport so fiercely. Once it was revealed, I felt the root of that dislike didn’t feel quite as intense as I expected it to be, but it was still understandable. I think it would be a challenge to be with someone who is a professional athlete and not really enjoy the sport, because it is such a driver of their time and focus. The writing in the book was wonderful. The representation of foster care and the lifelong impact it has was a beautiful thing to look at more closely. I have a deeper appreciation for those who welcome children into their homes, for a season or forever, and try to give them back the things they’ve lost along the way. Thank you to Tracy for an advanced copy of the book.

💙 This was the perfect romance to escape into this summer! After a streak of heavier reads and lots of historical fiction, I needed something light (without being too fluffy or shallow). Easily one of the most enjoyable opposites attract rom-coms I’ve read in a while!

⚾️ Danae and Griffin were such great characters. I appreciated their maturity and willingness to communicate openly. No drama, no game playing… just two adults navigating something genuine and tender!

💙 I also loved the foster and adoption representation. Tracy didn’t gloss over the challenges of adopting an older child with trauma, which felt very important!

⚾️ I want to commend Tracy for writing Danae’s struggle with anxiety on paper, too. We get a real look into her inner wrestlings and the real steps she takes towards healing through therapy and Griffin’s steady presence. (But it was never magically fixed by falling in love— I appreciated that!)

💙 Also, the MMC, Griffin? I’m always here for a man who knows what he wants, pursues it with intention, isn’t afraid of HARD and embraces both marriage and fatherhood with his whole heart.

Tracy, you knocked it out of the park! 👏
Releases June 30—be sure to toss it in your beach bag! 🏖️

Thank you to NetGalley and Tracy Baack for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

⚠️ Content: Closed-door, No language. Childhood trauma, toxic/dysfunctional parenting.

In Home Safe, Danae’s life is turned upside down when she agrees to foster and hopefully adopt a young student from the elementary school where she’s a librarian. Jason has stolen her heart, but she knows that this new chapter in both their lives will not come without its challenges. She takes him to a baseball camp for kids in foster care (even though she HATES baseball herself) and there they meet Griffin West, the shortstop for Kansas City’s Major League Baseball team. When Griffin asks Danae to dinner, there are countless reasons she should turn him down. Will their chemistry be enough to overcome all their differences?

This was such an emotional read! I knew as soon as we met Danae and Jason that their story would pull at my heartstrings. I loved how Jason was always Danae’s first priority, even through her whirlwind romance with Griffin. I thought Danae and Griffin’s communication and their respect towards each other was so special and it made me really believe in their relationship and chemistry. I loved how Griffin’s experience with foster care and his relationship with his own sister allowed him to support Danae and Jason in a way that most other people couldn’t. The family-centered storyline was my favorite part of this book!

Give Home Safe a read if you enjoy :
▫️Baseball romance
▫️Closed door romance
▫️Opposites attract
▫️Single mom / foster care representation
▫️Kansas City shout outs galore!