At First Play by Renee Harless is AVAILABLE NOW
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.
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Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3.5 Stars
At First Play is the second-chance story of bookstore owner Bailey and pro football player Crew, who is back at home to recover after a major injury. Crew is the brother of Bailey’s best friend, and he and Bailey share a history: they were high school friends, bordering on more, until the day that Crew’s inactions humiliated her.
This story had a lot of charm, and I loved Bailey’s lighthouse home/bookstore. I really enjoyed seeing Crew reconnect with his family, and how he put in the work to regain Bailey’s trust. The banter between the two was flirty and entertaining, and I thought it was so sweet how Crew kept showing up to help Bailey fix things. Yet, while I enjoyed Bailey and Crew’s journey in getting to know one another again, but this slow-burning story was a little too slow at times.
Overall, this was an enjoyable second-chance romance, even if it dragged a bit at times before it got to the heart of the story. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Sunny Shelly Reads 