Diamond Ring

Casey’s satisfying third Unwritten Rules romance (after Fire Season) revisits the fictional MLB team Oakland Elephants, as two rookies, catcher Alex Angelides and ace-in-the-making pitcher Jake Fischer, fall in love while competing in the World Series. Then a bad pitch costs the team the big game—and the men their relationship, which flames out in a fight over who is to blame. Worse, after Jake suffers an injury, his career in the majors is tabled. Ten years later, struggling with new heartbreak and some mental health problems, Jake finally returns to the Elephants, where Alex—once his partner, now his enemy—is finishing out his career. With the help of a mental skills coach, the stubborn teammates work to resolve their issues. Meanwhile, they unknowingly resume their flirtation through anonymous chats on a dating app. Will their second chance at both love and winning the pennant play out better than their first? Casey includes cameos from familiar characters, which series fans will appreciate, but she also mines similar plotlines from earlier books, making some of Alex and Jake’s training scenes, for example, feel like retreads. Still, the protagonists are strong enough to carry this. Readers will have no trouble rooting for their connection. Agent: Deidre Knight, Knight Agency. (Apr.)