Bailey Hart has mastered the art of staying small.
A lighthouse-bookstore, a quiet life in Coral Bell Cove, and enough romance novels to drown out the heartbreak she swore she’d never repeat. She’s sworn off big leaps, big risks, and especially the boy who once left her love note—and her heart—on full display.
Crew Wright was supposed to have it all.
The charming quarterback with a Southern smile and a future paved in stadium lights… until an injury sent everything crashing down. Now he’s back home to heal his shoulder, his pride, and the parts of himself he buried beneath fame. He’s not expecting Bailey—the girl who saw him before the world ever did.
What starts as borrowed tools, paint-splattered afternoons, and late-night confessions quickly turns into something neither of them can outrun.
Bailey wants to protect her heart.
Crew wants a second chance to prove he won’t break it.
But when old wounds reopen and the world comes calling for him again, they’ll have to decide if love is something you chase…
or something you stay for.
At First Play is a slow-burn, banter-filled, small-town romance about forgiveness, falling again, and finding the one person who feels like home—no matter how far you’ve run.
Bailey Hart meant everything so Crew can’t explain why he laughed along with everyone else, destroying his relationship with the most important person in his world. Life went on and though he’s now a star quarterback, he’s regretted that moment every day since it happened. Now he’s home recovering and rehabbing and determined to earn another chance with Bailey’s heart, if life will stop getting in his way.
Crew didn’t just break her heart, he destroyed it, so Bailey isn’t going to just forgive and forget. But she’s tired of avoiding him too because the truth is, she’s never stopped missing Crew or what they had back then. He’s determined to prove that he’s worth taking a chance on, that he’s now the man he only wishes he had been back then but his career and fame dictate his choices, so he’s got to find a way to be on the field or in the booth but still here for Bailey, if he can just figure out how to make that happen.
Bailey and Crew’s story is sweet and funny with plenty of spice and a whole lot of charm. I loved Bailey with her lighthouse bookstore and how the town supports her in every possible way. Crew’s dry humor and determination won me over right away and I couldn’t get enough of these two. I’d like to thank the author and The Author Agency for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
