Welcome Home, Caroline Kline by Courtney Preiss
Release Date: April 16, 2024
Publisher: Putnam
Genre: Adult Chick Lit
Pages: 368
Format Read: physical arc
Summary: A young woman’s reluctant return to her Jersey Shore hometown gives her the second chance she didn’t know she needed.
In New York City, newly single Caroline Kline is stumbling her way through the recent implosion of her life. After a surprise breakup leaves her with no job, no apartment, and no backup plan, she’s unsure what to do next. That is, until her father, Leo, injures himself in a bad fall and asks her to move home to the Jersey Shore suburb she was always desperate to escape. But Leo doesn’t want his daughter to be his caretaker; he needs her to replace him as third baseman in his local men’s softball league. This isn’t just any season, he claims. This is the year they have a real shot at the World Series, the pride and joy of Glen Brook, New Jersey.
Caroline agrees to move home, concerned that Leo is hiding a more serious health condition than he’s willing to admit. As the first female player in a league full of old-school men, she’s up against more than a few challenges. And when a night gone wrong lands her in the path of her hometown crush—and first love—Caroline struggles to reconcile the life she thought she’d have with the life she might actually want.
Review:
Rating: 3/5 stars
Spice: .5/5
Review: This story follows Caroline whose life just exploded and her dad injured himself so she must go back to Jersey Shore where she had to replace him in the softball league. This wasn’t a bad story but this is another one of the books where it’s categorized as romance but it’s women’s fiction. I enjoyed the meaning behind the book and seeing Caroline develop her story. Priess had a good writing story. I loved how descriptive the details were and how she explained the baseball part of the story. Though I did wish the story went a lot smoother as some scenes were cute short or were too long. The pacing was fast and this book is written from Caroline’s pov.
Caroline is the FMC of this story and I really enjoyed her character. At her age, her life is chaotic and she wants to find a place for herself but can’t. I love seeing her discover that part of herself and just seeing her grow. There were many side characters in this book and I mainly enjoyed Caroline’s friend who was sweet. There were also the parents who were very involved with the story and were entertaining. I thought this book would be a bit romance-heavy but it was not. The romance is very light and not the main focus even though the book is categorized as romance.
The romance was well done and I loved the ending for Caroline. She developed so much and found a place for herself in New Jersey. I enjoyed this story though I was expecting it to be a romance book but it was still a great read. I loved seeing the self-development even though the family was not too supporting. I recommend checking this book out if you want to read a young woman joining the men’s softball league and doing well.
*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*
Thindbooks Blog 