Emily Childs

Emily Childs works in contemporary romance and fantasy, often organizing her novels around connected families, teams, and recurring communities. The Fastball is the fourth Vegas Kings novel, following The Changeup, The Curveball, and The Dugout. Its central pair are Dax Sage, a professional first baseman recovering from a serious injury, and Blake, the coach’s daughter who manages public relations around that recovery. Their relationship develops through both workplace conflict and an online gaming friendship whose identities they do not initially recognize. Childs has also written the For Love and Rock and Debutante Rules series, alongside fantasy work. The Fastball uses the baseball setting to place pressure on career decisions, family obligations, and public scrutiny, while Dax’s responsibility for his younger sisters broadens the story beyond the couple. As the closing Vegas Kings installment, it returns to teammates and relationships established earlier while giving one previously supporting player a complete romantic arc.