Summary (from the publisher): 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.
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
My Thoughts:
Courtney Preiss’s debut novel, Welcome Home, Caroline Kline, instantly caught my attention because it not only takes place in my home state, New Jersey, but also the area of the shore I’m from! Between the setting and synopsis, I knew I was in for a treat with this book following a woman whose’s forced to return to her hometown & gets a fresh start in return.
Welcome Home, Caroline Kline follows Caroline Kline, who quit her job to move across the country with her boyfriend…only for her boyfriend to break-up with her right before the move. Between these two losses, Caroline is already down when her stepmother calls her to come home after her father injures himself and needs help at home. The most important part of this role, at least according to her father? Caroline needs to take his place in his beloved men’s softball league.
Welcome Home, Caroline Kline is a love letter to home and family. I’ve read plenty of books where the heroine is forced to return home in similar circumstances, but the main character’s love, along with the author’s own, for her hometown in Jersey is some of the strongest I’ve read. I can take a guess which town the fictional Glen Brook is based on considering my own experiences in this specific area of Jersey AND the Bruce Springsteen references, but a lot of the story also takes place in the very real Asbury Park, including locations like the Stone Pony. There’s also a ton of love for baseball, specifically the Yankees, through Caroline’s dad and their relationship. I do admit though that the story has some elements I wasn’t expecting, specifically some of the aspects of the story involving alcohol and drug abuse and even some of the sexism Caroline experiences in the league. The book’s focus is very much on its character development, as Caroline feels very stuck in her life compared to her friends & family and even some of the people she grew up with in her town.
Overall, Welcome Home, Caroline Kline is definitely worth the reader if you love books focused on character growth AND if you want a visit to the Jersey shore.
Welcome Home, Caroline Kline comes out on April 16th.
I received an advance reader’s copy in exchange for review. By no means did receiving this review copy affect my thoughts and opinions.
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