In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde — The Owner, the Manager and One Long Baseball Season

Reese Remington has inherited a baseball team, and almost nobody thinks she should be running it. She is the youngest and only female owner in the novel's version of Major League Baseball, and the Windy City Warriors are losing money. To save the franchise, she has to make unpopular cuts. Standing in her way is Emmett "Monty" Montgomery, a former All-Star turned field manager, a single dad whose contract runs out at the end of the year and who cares more about his players than about the balance sheet. In Her Own League, published on 3 March 2026 by Entangled: Amara in the US and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, is the latest sports romance from Liz Tomforde, author of the Windy City series. It is a standalone spin-off from that series, set in the same Chicago world, and familiar faces from earlier books turn up along the way. A boss, a manager and a conflict of values The romance grows out of a real disagreement. Reese believes in numbers and hard decisions. Monty believes in people and loyalty. Both have a point, and both have something to prove: Reese to a sport that doesn't take her seriously, Monty to the club that may not keep him. And because she is, technically, his boss, every feeling they have for each other comes with professional risk. The story is told in alternating chapters from Reese and Monty, with roughly equal time for each. The Bookish Elf's review, which gave it 4 out of 5, found their voices distinct and their banter revealing. Why it works Kirkus called it "a smart, steamy romance", praising its clear stakes from the start and the way the season-long baseball story mirrors the leads' growth. The obstacles feel believable rather than invented. The Bookish Elf singled out the found-family feel of the team, Monty's life as a father and the book's thoughtful handling of a woman who is constantly doubted in a male-dominated world. The intimate scenes are steamy, but reviewers felt they were tied to character development rather than simply added on. Where it wobbles Kirkus noted some early info dumps, and the romance follows familiar genre beats. The Bookish Elf found the middle uneven, with some emotional moments repeated, and thought a subplot involving Reese's ex-husband, Jeremy, was underdeveloped and conveniently resolved. The ending also wraps up the professional fallout quickly. Who it's for If you've read Tomforde's Windy City books, you'll enjoy seeing returning characters in the background. If you're new to her, this works fine on its own. It's a good pick for fans of sports romance, workplace tension and grown-up leads with real responsibilities. Readers who prefer closed-door romance should know that this one is steamy. Our verdict In Her Own League is a confident, warm sports romance with a refreshing heroine and a hero who is easy to fall for. It doesn't reinvent the genre, but it plays the game well.