Forget about rooting for the home team, I’m rooting for Danae & Griffin! Adorable clean romance with a single mom with a foster son and a down to earth baseball player. Thanks to NetGalley and Victory editing for an advanced copy for a honest review.

I just loved how much emotion is in this book, had me tearing up so many times! So relatable and so easy to connect with the characters.
I just loved the ending.. soo sweet!! 🥹
Although it wasnt really heavy it wasnt just a fun fluffy romance either because it was filled with so much depth. and the title is the perfect summary of this book and what it represents. I could relate in a lot of ways about feeling safe and who your home is. I definitely reccomend.
100% clean, no spice or language.
Thankyou to the author for this early copy!

This is a closed door baseball romance that tackles some surprisingly heavy topics—especially around foster care and adoption. It definitely wasn’t the light or fun romcom I half-expected going in, but instead something much more serious and emotional.

I found Danae very relatable, especially her tendency to overthink and mentally spiral into worst-case scenarios and her need to carefully process things before making major decisions. That inner process was portrayed in a way that felt both honest and very human.

That said, I struggled a bit with how quickly the romantic relationship escalated. The shift from uncertainty ("I don’t know if this is a good idea") to full-on commitment felt a bit too fast for me to fully buy into it. At the same time, I get why the story needed that kind of intensity—the serious nature of the themes wouldn’t have worked with a more casual relationship. But still, I wish the pacing of the romance had felt a little more natural.

As for the ending… I have to admit, I was a bit let down.

In the end, this was just an okay read for me. I appreciated the depth and the difficult topics it dealt with—but the rushed relationship and underwhelming ending kept it from being something I truly loved.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Tracy Baack for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: June 30th, 2025

Home safe

Ive never related to a main character more!!!✨

I have loved all of Tracy’s books, but this one is by far my favorite because I really found myself in the character of Danae.

She’s a reader, and a creative thoughtful soul who grew up with the weight of perfectionism leaving her struggling with constant anxiety.

Griffin is her opposite, and decidedly NOT what she was expecting! But giving in to his steady presence (even through all her second guessing, trauma & doubts) proves to be a greater gift than any “perfect story” or predictable plan.

I cried. I laughed. I paused & let the feelings hit deep. This is a romance that won’t just leave you with swoony butterflies, but might just give your tired soul wings to trust in love again.

Not storybook perfect love, but gritty, courageous, messy, vulnerable love full of Grace.

It releases this weeks & is “one hundred percent forever” my favorite baseball romance!

Spice: kisses only

Language: none

Considerations: parental death, descriptive child trauma responses, anxiety thought spirals

Positives: safe & secure love, opposites admire & respect their partners passions, coping with anxiety & trauma

⚾️ Home Safe by Tracy Baack ⚾️
Publishes: June 30th, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

Home Safe completely stole my heart. It’s a closed-door baseball romance with so much humor, depth and emotional warmth. The story follows a sweet, very anxious librarian who is in the middle of adopting a book-loving boy, and a swoony baseball star who hosts a summer camp for foster kids. Their meet-cute? Absolutely hilarious and unforgettable.

One of my favorite parts? They both hate each other’s passions—he doesn’t get her obsession with books, and she couldn’t care less about baseball. Oops! Watching them talk this through made their banter so much fun!

This book also has incredible anxiety representation. Danae’s use of pros and cons lists and inner self-talk felt so honest and relatable. And her connection with her son, especially their shared love of Harry Potter, was just the sweetest. The adoption storyline? Beautifully done. Her son, a cute red head is working through trauma, and the book handles it with such gentleness, realism, and hope. You will definitely shed tears reading this. 😭

The romance grows through real communication, respect, and vulnerability. This story is full of heart, healing and the kind of love that makes you believe in second chances.

If you love opposites attract, relatable single parenting, and love stories with depth and charm—Home Safe is your next favorite read.

This kisses-only baseball romance was tender, layered, and full of emotional depth. It’s a story about healing, unexpected connection, and learning how to move forward - together.

She’s an elementary school librarian who recently became the guardian of a student from her school, a sweet, nine-year-old boy carrying the weight of deep emotional trauma. Overnight, she’s navigating single parenthood, grief, and the overwhelming responsibility of helping him feel safe, all while still carrying wounds of her own. When a summer baseball camp leads her to cross paths with one of the sport’s biggest stars, everything starts to shift. He’s known to the world as the “Wizard” of baseball - famous, talented, and recovering from a serious injury, but to her, he becomes something else entirely. Their connection is fast, imperfect, and real.

I loved how the story explored honest communication, the complexity of trauma, and what it means to love after loss. She’s careful, a planner, someone who likes structure and pro/con lists and nothing about him fits into the life she imagined but somehow he’s exactly what she needs. He’s steady, kind, and sees both her and her son with a rare kind of gentleness. And she sees him - not the baseball celebrity, but the man behind it all.
This story beautifully captures how real love doesn’t always arrive in the way we expect. Sometimes love can’t fix everything. But when it becomes a safe place to land, it can be the beginning of something truly healing.

Home Safe was such a moving read. I found that the inclusion of a character with a trauma response and the surrounding emotions/feelings had a huge impact on me. It's a truly moving story wrapped up in a sweet baseball romance and I loved it. I feel like I highlighted a 3rd of the book!

I absolutely adored this book.

First of all, Jason is the star of the show. Basically one of the cutest, if not the cutest, child in any fiction book ever. I just wanted to reach through the screen and give him a hug throughout the entire book. Absolutely precious.

The themes of this book really struck a chord with me. I have several friends that have been adopted, and a couple of friends that HAVE adopted, and reading about Danae and Jason’s experiences resonated with me so much. You can tell that this subject means a lot to the author, and it was written with such warmth and care.

I loved that Danae was a librarian and that was how Jason came into her life. I had a very special relationship with my elementary school librarian, who gave me a safe place to spend lunchtimes when other kids were not very kind, which is another reason why this hit a very specific place of my heart.

I’ve also been a baseball lover my entire life so this book had a lot going for it before I even started reading. Loved the nod of Griffin playing for the Kansas City Crowns (when the real life KC team is the Royals), that made me smile every time I saw it. Also loved the very meta reference of the joke about picking a baseball romance for book club that features a player as the main character, that got a serious chuckle out of me. Sports romances are still having their moment but there are not nearly enough starring baseball players for my liking!

Danae and Griffin’s relationship was so incredibly sweet. The spice level for this one is very low, but there’s so much heart to it, you don’t miss it even a little bit. It’s also a dual POV, which is always a plus. This is my first book by Tracy Baack but it definitely will not be my last. Will definitely be recommending this one to people I know. Thank you for writing such a beautiful story!

I laughed, I cried, I got butterflies. The characters were so sweet while being realistic and down to earth. Tracy captures the sweetest romance using sweet yet imperfect characters making the book very relatable. I especially appreciated that she didn’t give in to the miscommunication trope. I finished this one and promptly sighed with contentment. The perfect amount of happy fluff mixed with the perfect amount of down to earth subject matter. There are so few closed door sports romances but Tracy is helping fill that void. You won’t regret this read!

TW - See author’s note
Spice - just kisses!
Langauge - None
Thank you Tracy and Netgalley for this ARC. All comments and opinions are my own.

Well, this was just be most wholesome book I’ve read in a long time. This is already clear to me, but books like this just make it so evident that spice is not needed for romance novels to have chemistry and heat and tenderness.

This book felt so much more mature than most romance novels I’ve read. I mean, it’s rare that the MCs actually go on dates and start dating in the novel and I loved that aspect of it. They got to navigate the challenges of his MLB career and her new life as a single mom through adoption together as a dating couple who wanted to fight for their relationship. There were so many tender and sweet moments that brought tears to my eyes.

Language - none
Spice - kisses only!
TWs- check author’s note

Thank you Netgalley, Victory Editing, and Tracy for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own

I was absolutely itching for a romance book with baseball in it and, for the most part, I enjoyed this one.

I loved how it explored love and portrayed family, Jason as a character, and how mature both main characters were. It did a great job at exploring a serious topic with lovable characters.

However, what took me out of my enjoyment was the dialogue. Most of it was unnecessarily long, clunky and didn’t read like real conversations. It was a hard hurdle to get over at first because the dialogue felt like awkward info dumps, but I stuck around for the characters.

All in all, it was great, but not entirely for me.

Thank you for the arc! All thoughts are my own.

✨ARC Review✨

Maybe Hockey isn’t the best sports romance? Baseball is looking very appealing after this read!

I think I feel in love with Griffin West. He only had one flaw… his LACK of flaws. This is literally the most unrealistic man I’ve ever read but I love him nonetheless. Griff was the most caring man to ever exist (I don’t care if he is fictional).

Danae was a little sweetheart. I loved her too, although her character was much more relatable and realistic.

But important I want to mention Jason. I absolutely love this kid to pieces. My heart breaks for him but I’m also incredibly thankful he gets a positive story even if a little broken. Fireball deserves to be able to take on the world!!

This was an incredibly fast paced romance, with love at first sight. It’s important to consider some of these themes could trigger some people. But I believe Tracy did a beautiful job and capturing the struggles many children go through in the foster and adoption systems.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for giving me this amazing opportunity 🫶🏼

This is a 4.5 star read for me!

Home Safe is one of those quiet, emotional reads that sneaks up on you in the best way. It’s about healing, choosing love even when it’s hard, and finding safety in people who are willing to stay through the messy parts.

Danae is still carrying the weight of her anxiety and the scars of past hurt when she takes a huge step toward something better: adopting Jason. Their bond is one of the sweetest parts of this book, and watching her navigate that transition felt so raw and honest. The way Danae’s mind spirals and second-guesses itself was deeply relatable and respectfully handled. I really connected with her struggle and her desire to be enough for the people she loves.

Then there’s Griffin. He shows up not with a sweeping grand gesture, but with quiet support, patience, and a steady presence. Their romance builds gently, full of moments that feel real and earned. It’s not flashy. It’s safe, rooted in mutual care, and so worth rooting for.

Jason, the third central character, absolutely deserves a mention. He’s wise beyond his years, sometimes maybe too wise, but it’s hard not to love him. His relationship with Danae adds another layer of warmth and depth that gives this story so much heart.

This isn’t a high-drama romance. It’s grounded. Real. And soft in all the best ways. My only tiny critique is that Jason occasionally felt a bit too mature for his age, though that could absolutely be shaped by his difficult relationship with his father.

If you love closed-door romance that centers emotional connection, healing, and gentle love, Home Safe will speak straight to your heart. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Griffin West & Danae Collins
- Dual POV
- Baseball player MMC
- Elementary school librarian FMC
- Single foster mom going through adoption
- Opposites attract
- Strangers to lovers

✨ A few of my favorite things:
- Griffin’s patience with Danae’s thought factories
- Baseball teammates/best friends
- “Maximum” (*squeals and kicks feet*) 🫠🤭😍
- The village that rallies around Danae and Jason
- How Danae describes love to Jason 🥹😭
- The way Danae gives 110% to supporting Griffin despite loathing baseball 😂👏🏻 the color coded schedule 😭 are you kidding me?! Stop it.
- The terms of endearment 💕

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely could not put this book down. I was very very intrigued by both MCs especially when reading they both greatly dislike *cough* hate *cough* each other’s greatest passions. I really appreciated the way Tracy wrote these characters. They stayed true to who they were; they tried to enjoy each other’s passions; but ultimately did not come to LOVE reading or baseball. They still tried for one another and did the things to support each other. I really value that because in life just because you absolutely love something it doesn’t mean your spouse will automatically take to enjoying it too. Often times, our interests don’t drastically change but I absolutely love that they still sacrificed for one another, doing something they really didn’t like to show each other how much they loved one another.

Another aspect of the book I really appreciated was there was plenty of hard in the book (it’s not a depressing read, the hard isn’t like that). They have so many landmines they have to navigate around (crazy work schedules, media attention, adoption, childhood trauma, parenting a child with trauma, injuries, anxiety) and both Griffin and Danae give each other grace. They get short, close down, and make mistakes. But they still come to the conclusion to give one another grace and that sacrifices are worth it to be together. I think we need more of that today. We are promised trials and tribulations and people need to not throw in the towel the second something gets hard. I absolutely loved that Tracy had her characters constantly communicating, apologizing (when needed), and working towards resolutions together. Griffin and Danae truly embodied what it looks like to work as a team and to put each others needs (and Danae’s child’s needs) first.

Lastly, the village that whole heartedly shows up for the MCs and the child is truly inspiring. It encourages me to be a good friend and to keep loving on people well. Because we are made to be in community. God never intended for us to do life alone.

Everyone please go love on Tracy and congratulate her on all her hard work 💕 blessed to get to know you Tracy and read your work 💕👏🏻

This is a clean closed door romcom with nondescript making out that focuses on the emotions of the MCs or is brief.

**Thank you so much to Tracy for letting me read this ARC. I received a complimentary copy. No positive review was required. All thoughts are my own.**

Songs:
”feels like home” by Drew Holcomb & Ellie Holcomb
“More like Jesus” by Micah Fletcher
“Big girls don’t cry” by Fergie
“The rest” by Avery Anna *
“Bad for me” by Teddy Swims & Meghan Trainer
“Simply the best” by Billianne
“Never met at all” by Aimee Carty
“It’s not your fault” by Max McNown
“Love me back” by Max McNown
“Catch my breath” by Alex Warren *

This book was my first read of Tracy’s but it will not be my last. Baseball and reading have both played a bit part in my life, so finding a book that combines them both was a win/win.

Tracy tackles the question - what do you do if the person you love has a passion you don’t care for? I love how Danae and Griffin try to learn about each other’s passion, but understand that those passions don’t have to be theirs as well.

The relationship between Danae and Jason is so sweet and blooms throughout the book. I applaud Danae’s willingness to upheaval her life to take care of Jason.

I appreciated how Tracy is upfront about trigger warnings at the beginning of the book. While the book is a sweet story, it does tackle some heavy topics at the same time. Be sure to read the author’s note at the end to learn more about Tracy’s process.

This book is more than a sports romance. It is a story of found family as well.

Thanks to @authortracybaack for the advanced reader copy.

4.5*
First book by this author and will definitely be reading more by her.

• Dual POVs
• Baseball player + Elementary school librarian
• Foster/kinship care
• Single mom
• Opposites attract
• Reading Harry Potter
• Great friendships
• Sibling banter

The depth of these characters is incredible. the storyline, the rollercoaster of emotions, the peek into adoption life; all left this book in high regards. I'll definitely be recommending people read this.

Quick takes
-Dual POV
-Low spice
-baseball player and a librarian
-Single parent with foster care
-No third act breakup

This is a very charming story with deep themes (foster care, childhood trauma). If you’re looking for lots of spice though, this isn’t it. This is a very clean romance.

It’s super cute and quick read.

I enjoyed this book a lot! This is a sweet and emotional sports romance with themes of foster care and adoption.

Elementary school librarian Danae has her life turned upside-down when she becomes a kinship foster placement for one of her students with the intention to adopt him. Elementary schooler Jason is a sweet kid who loves sharing facts about anything and everything; what he needs most is a consistent and loving environment, and Danae is prepared to go to great lengths to provide that. When Danae and Jason cross paths with professional baseball player Griffin West at Jason's baseball camp, Griffin and Danae share instant attraction. Danae worries that dating a public figure will add too much complication to her new life with Jason, but Griffin is determined to show that a relationship between him and Danae will work out.

I loved how all the adults in this book were very intentional and mature with their feelings, and how they considered Jason's feelings and wellbeing in every decision. Danae is careful to ensure that Jason knows she loves him and will always prioritize him, and she is an excellent representation of a foster and adoptive parent who puts in the work to be the best she can be for her child. Griffin is always clear and direct with his feelings and intentions towards Danae, which made me absolutely love and root for him!

This book depicts and discusses trauma and difficult home environments for children, as well as the foster care system. All of these topics are handled with care and sensitivity.

Read this book if you like:
- baseball/sports romance
- single mom romance
- emotionally mature communication

Thank you so much to Tracy Baack for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review!

*4.5 stars*

This book was so wholesome and lovely!

The characters and their struggles felt very realistic which made the whole story that much more impactful emotionally. The level of communication and vulnerability between Danae and Griffin made me so happy too. Miscommunication is one of my least favorite things in a book and I feel like it is so commonly used as a plot device, so this was a refreshing change of pace!

And the side characters were all awesome too! I LOVE JASON SO MUCH ❤️ He loves Legos, baseball, and reading?? And Harry Potter? ME TOO. The way that he interacted with Sam and Griffin throughout was so cute and I need more!

I know I am rambling on, but I am absolutely obsessed with the bonus epilogue too!!! That is all I will say to keep this spoiler free, but it was the sweetest most adorable thing ever!

The only slight issue I had was that sometimes the baseball “lingo” as they called it felt off or forced even if technically the correct terms were used. I played softball for many years, so the phrasing just stuck out to me a little more than it would to most readers. It happens all the time in other sports romances I have read so I am sort of used to it at this point.

Overall though, this was a super quick and wonderful read! I will definitely be going back and checking out all of Tracy’s other books!

**Final Note: Please make sure to read the author’s note at the beginning for some content considerations surrounding foster care and childhood trauma**