Mini Review Monday: College Romance Edition

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Mini Review Monday: College Romance Edition

Welcoming the Spring Semester with Stealing Home by Grace Reilly

There’s something about the start of a new college semester that makes a college romance hit just a little harder. Fresh schedules, familiar campuses, and that quiet promise of possibility—Stealing Home is the kind of book that fits perfectly into that mood.
This is a reverse grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, college sports romance that leans into emotional tension just as much as it does swoon. Sebastian Miller-Callahan is laser-focused on his final baseball season and the MLB Draft, while Mia di Angelo is an astrophysics-driven academic with her future mapped far beyond campus life. Their goals don’t align… but their chemistry refuses to stay quiet.

When circumstances force them to become roommates, the lines between past feelings and present reality blur fast. What really stood out to me was how grounded both characters felt—ambition, fear, pride, and longing all wrapped up in a very real second-chance romance. The forced proximity isn’t just physical; it’s emotional, and that’s where the story shines.

💭 My Take

What really worked for me was how real this relationship felt. Both Sebastian and Mia are ambitious, stubborn, and trying to protect themselves from getting hurt again—and that emotional push and pull made their forced-roommate situation incredibly compelling. I loved that the romance didn’t overshadow their individual goals, and that neither character had to shrink themselves to make the relationship work.

The chemistry is strong, the spice is well-paced, and the angst never tips into frustrating territory. It’s one of those college romances that feels mature without losing the fun.

⭐ Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (4.5 stars)

Why it’s a perfect semester-start read:

  • College setting without feeling immature

  • Forced proximity done right

  • Sports romance with actual emotional stakes

  • Second chances + unresolved feelings = elite tension

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (balanced with real emotional payoff)
Tropes: Reverse grumpy/sunshine, roommates, second chance, college sports romance
Best read when: You want a book that feels motivating and indulgent

☕ Coffee pairing: A vanilla oat milk latte — comforting, familiar, and just sweet enough to soften the grumpiness.

If you’re starting the spring semester craving a romance that feels fitting for college life—ambition, pressure, attraction, and all—Stealing Home is a cozy but compelling way to ease back into routine.


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