Man casually started reading a book with girlfriend’s dad. Now, they’re in a two-man virtual book club

When we date someone, we always hope they’ll get along with our family, and Rachel McClusky is no different. But what she didn’t expect was her boyfriend and her father to start bonding over baseball — or that it would lead to their own weekly tradition. In a TikTok shared by Rachel, who posts under @rachelrecharged, she revealed how her dad, Jeff McClusky, invited her boyfriend, Ben, to start a two-person book club. "My dad asked my boyfriend if he wanted to do a book club with him (it’s just the two of them) and tonight was their first meeting," she wrote in the caption.

The idea came up while Ben was visiting Chicago and learned about the 1919 Black Sox scandal — a pivotal moment in sports history and the subject of Rachel’s favorite film, "Eight Men Out." Jeff, a longtime baseball fan, suggested they read the book version together. "Mr. McClusky gave me the rundown. He’s like, 'We should read the book,' and I agreed. And then we kind of started it that way, casually. Then it turned into a real book club," Ben told People. Jeff had previously led book clubs with coworkers, mostly centered on Chicago history, so that background made it easy to pitch the idea. "So we were both enthusiastic about it and said we could have a remote book club, like once a week," Jeff said. Since then, Jeff and Ben have met over FaceTime every Monday evening and go through the book chapter by chapter.

"It’s just us two," Ben said. Rachel, meanwhile, joked, "No girls allowed, unfortunately, for me." She also pointed out how unusual their format is. "They meet a lot for a book club. I feel like most book clubs meet at the end of the book, but they go through each chapter," she said. Over time, the book club has become something much deeper. Ben said, "I think it’s strengthened our relationship. It’s fun to have something to talk about that we both share an interest in." Jeff agreed, saying, "This has given us a chance to talk and laugh about something entirely different and enjoy each other’s comments because of that." Rachel, watching the connection unfold, expressed what it meant to her. "It just makes me feel lucky. To see the two most important men in my life form this kind of bond — it’s something I’ll always treasure," she said.

Rachel’s TikTok drew heartfelt reactions from viewers, many of whom shared how thoughtful the gesture was. @itskelseyjamison wrote, "You’ve won the lottery with your bf AND dad you’re so lucky, I hope you hold them close!!!!!" @tenacious.m444 commented, "Maybe one day, when my sons have girlfriends, I can have a girls night with them and read and laugh together. I always wanted to do this." @brigiddevries added, "This makes my heart so full. He is an absolute GEM, Rachel!!" @brittanycupcakes said, "He said my daughter got us a man. Dad just wants to be his bestie, and that’s so intentional and sweet." Many viewers were also eager to join the exclusive club, but the father and boyfriend are happy to keep it private for now. "I think we’ll finish the book, maybe catch a White Sox game, and take it from there. We’ve already got our next title picked out," Jeff said.

You can follow Rachel McClusky (@rachelrecharged) on TikTok for more vlog-style content.