So cute! I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick easy read and a good story. I loved the characters, even though fake dating isn’t my favorite trope I still enjoyed it a lot!

I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was a super cute romance, I’m a huge sucker for fake dating. I really liked the way they MCs supported each other in overcoming their “flaws” from the bad boy with the image to fix to the photographer who has been guarded for to long, I think this is a great debut into a new world and can’t wait to see the continuation! I’ve been getting really into sports romances lately and this gives off heavy hallmark romance vibes, this book doesn’t really have any smut which I don’t think takes away from it at all but if that’s what you’re looking for just be mindful.

First Base was my first baseball romance book. Now I neeed many more! Good thing it’s the first book in the Chicago Heartbreaker series.
Maggie Redford is content and happy being the Chicago MLB’s team photographer. But Maggie is thrown a curveball when Tommy Mikals joins the team. Tommy was traded from his previous team because of his scandalous playboy reputation. How to make it better? They throw in a fake relationship.

This book has it all!
Fake Dating
Hot Baseball players(can’t wait for some of the other stories)
Heartache
Drama
Close proximity
Low spice

First Base was a very fast paced short book. I read it in one sitting. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and 8th Note Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I love the characters and I felt like the writing is really wonderful. The plot is very interesting and well thought out!

3.5/5 ⭐️
I am a sucker for a good sports romance. And dang did the author do a good job of pulling me in from the start! She describes the wonders of baseball perfectly - took all of my feelings about opening day and somehow put them into words. And let’s not forget a MMC with tattoos 😍 This was a short book and that being said some parts did feel kind of rushed. I wish we got to see more sweet moments between the main characters and really build up their love story. The conflict at the end felt a little forced and started taking me out of the story for a bit there. However, Maggie and Tommy both had good individual arcs and I enjoyed seeing their personal growth throughout the book. Overall, it was a really sweet and heartwarming story and I can’t wait to see what Ally Wiegand has in store for us next! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of First Base!

4.5 Stars, ROUNDING UP TO 5!

Thank you, NetGalley, Ally Wiegand, and the publisher for the opportunity to read First Base.

I have to say, I was never interested in watching baseball... That is, until First Base came along. The first chapter romanticizing the sport has me yearning to flip the TV to watch America's favorite past time!

Maggie does photography for the Chicago Cougars' social media and Tommy is the newest member to the baseball team. He used to play for San Diego, but he had a bad boy reputation and his actions caused him to be kicked off. The Chicago Cougars was the only team to give him another shot at his career.

They both attend a club with their team to celebrate the start of the season. Both of them didn't really want to be there (he was only there because he was new to the team and thought it would be good for team building. She was there because her best friend and fellow coworker, Olivia, talked her into going), so he offered to drive her home. The paparazzi was armed and ready to snap pictures as Maggie and Tommy were leaving the club.

She was worried that she was going to get in trouble as the company is very strict about dating coworkers. She gets called into a meeting with the head of PR and other higher ups to discuss a plan of action. Instead of firing Maggie and Tommy, they present a contract to them to enter a fake dating arrangement. They eventually both accept.

I was not expecting to feel so many emotions while reading this book - from happiness to sorrow to hope and everything in between. Maggie is recovering from a traumatic experience and Tommy is doing his best to shed his old image. Seeing both of them grow in their journey was so heartwarming and special to witness.

Ally Wiegand's debut novel hit the ball out of the park for me and I can't wait to read the next book coming out in October 2024. 💕

TROPES?

Fake Dating
Sports Romance
Forced Proximity
Instalove

SPICE?

.5

What would have given this a perfect 5 rating from me? I personally would have loved to see a little more spice. I also would have loved to read more chapters from Tommy's POV.

Maggie and Tommy get into a PR nightmare with an innocent picture snapped by the paparazzi and the team decides to roll with it and create a contract putting them into a fake relationship. Maggie is stuck in a loop of grief and guilt that’s prevented her from dating and Tommy has the image of a playboy and his reputation got him dropped from his previous MLB team. There is instant attraction and while I feel everything flowed nicely and the miscommunication at the end was cleared up quickly I feel if the book was a little bit longer or was stretched over a timeline it would have been even better- it felt to instalove but I loved their connection and how they both helped heal their demons. I loved the small glimpse of the side characters and I’m intrigued to see who the rest of the series follows.

I really wanted to like this, and based on the description I thought I would. I love a fake dating sports romance, however the instalove was a bit much. There was so much potential but it just fell flat for me. Considering it is a debut novel I would be willing to give this author another chance in the future

First person, dual POV: Maggie & Tommy
Rating: 3⭐️
Spice: 1🌶️
Tropes: sports romance, baseball player x team photographer, workplace, fake dating

I had high hopes for this debut after learning about the tropes. It was billed as a he falls first, player bad boy that can’t commit getting the team photographer caught in a whirlwind viral photo during a wild team outing causing them to date to prove he is out of his bad boy ways.

Truthfully, this man is not a bad boy and he definitely had a long term girlfriend that screwed him over and he was apparently celibate for the year after that. But the author continued to remind us he’s a bad boy, so it must be true even if we aren’t seeing the reason for that label. And the wild team outing was drinks at a club that I don’t even think they made it to drinks before awkwardly leaving, thus sparking the rumor via paparazzi photo of them (the mommy couple name hurt me).

I’m a huge lover of a man obsessed, but this man… it was his first time meeting her, had barely said anything outside of “are you okay” and “nice to meet you”, and he was declaring how much he was enamored by her and her emerald eyes for pages at pages 17. There’s insta love then there’s that. This is also a slooooooow burn insta love in less than 300 pages.

The writing was incredibly wordy and heavy on the internal monologue that described everything the MC was thinking and seeing. I found myself skimming about a quarter of the way in after pages of long paragraphs. However, even with all the words, I was left feeling there wasn’t a connection between the characters. And the personalities of the MCs felt all over the place. Our MMC Tommy felt like he was 10 different types of men in one and I was confused how I was supposed to take him.

My favorite thing about this was the sports aspect. I’m a sports romance girl and I love when the author actually puts effort into portraying the sport. Baseball was my first love thanks for my grandfather and I couldn’t feel the love and appreciation for the sport from Maggie. I appreciated that very much.

Overall, was this a fine book? Yes. I do think the synopsis and the promo the author has been putting out could use a little TLC and evaluation. Maybe a little added emphasis on this being about two people growing up and learning how to be in their fields and live life after some personal events happen would be beneficial.



✨ARC review✨

3.75 stars, rounded to 4!

"How can you not be romantic about baseball?"

Thank you NetGalley and 8th Note Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was an incredible debut novel! It set the stage for the rest of the series, and really sucked you into the story. It was a perfect read for baseball lovers. I had a hard time putting it down! There's definitely room for improvement for some of the decriptive language and plot development, but I still enjoyed it immensely.

Tommy, reformed playboy, nearly ruined his baseball career with his less-than stellar reputation and is hoping for a fresh start on a new team. Maggie, the team photographer, is still dealing with the guilt of losing her fiance four years later. After being caught in a compromising position, the two of them enter a fake dating contract to save their jobs. As their feelings for one another grow, Tommy and Maggie (#mommy) help each other face their past demons, and just might give love a second chance.

This book touched on some really heavy topics, without making the book overly emotional. Both Tommy and Maggie overcame their struggles in really healthy and relatable ways. I loved them, I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Tropes:
- He falls first
- Reformed play boy
- Fake Dating
- Baseball Player X Team Photographer

Potential Triggers:
- Survivors guilt
- Death of a loved one (in the past)
- Anxiety
- Parental pressures

Thank you to 8th Note Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a lovely debut novel, and set the stage perfectly for the series to continue. Ally created an extremely likeable cast of characters, who I look forward to continuing to read about.

I love that Tommy fell for Maggie first, and I loved the way they each helped the other overcome obstacles from their past. There is a lot of healing that happens for them individually and as they start to fall for each other. I did feel like the relationship turned from fake to real pretty quickly, and I would have liked to see it have some more time to develop. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and a super sweet love story that had depth!

Tropes include:
-reformed bad boy
-baseball player and team photographer
-fake dating
-insta love
-he falls first and harder
-dual POV
-overcoming grief and trauma

I unfortunately could not get into this one at all, I really wanted to, I've been wanting to get into baseball romance but it just didn't work for me. I had to DNF.

I am kind of obsessed with sports romances. This one is baseball - a sport I actually understand - and I gotta say I was pretty interesting. Was this anything super special? Nah. But was it good? Yes, it was! I think that this something I would recommend to my friends but it's not anything to lose your shit over. I think that the fake dating trope is overplayed and it's not something I really enjoy anymore but it was done decently in this book.

Are you kidding me?! This was SO CUTE. What an incredible debut novel. This book was heartwarming, sweet, and emotional in all the best ways. I read First Base in one sitting because I was hooked on Maggie + Tommy’s story from the very beginning. These MC’s were both easy to connect with, and so lovable. I empathized with each of them. Having a front row seat as they healed themselves and found true happiness made my heart so happy.

⚾️ Baseball Romance
❤️ Fake Dating
🚪Closed Door
💕 Dual POV
✨ He Falls First

Thank you NetGalley and 8th Note Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

3.5 ⭐️s rounded to 4!

Thank you to Ally Wiegand & NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a sweet debut novel from Ally! It explores Tommy, a reformed playboy baseball star, who is new to the team, and Maggie, team photographer. A series of unfortunate events lands their faces all over the internet, resulting in a fake dating contract to save face.

Tommy and Maggie (#mommy) navigate the awkwardness of fake dating, their budding feelings for one another, and how to share their baggage in a way that doesn’t burden their partner. I particularly enjoyed the way the themes of this story were explored!

I feel like the writing became a little awkward in the last third, and I found myself wishing for a bit of a longer resolution though.

This book talks about:
⚾️ parental pressures
⚾️ grief
⚾️ survivors guilt
⚾️ anxiety & panic

Again, for a debut novel this was really good! I’ll be picking up the rest of the series as it comes out. I can’t wait to learn more about the rest of the team & watch Ally grow as a writer!!! 🫶🏼

I didn't love this book, but I also didn't hate it. There were certain aspects of the storyline and characters I enjoyed. I liked Maggie's character and her background story with her ex-fiance and her portrayal of grief she was going through. I wasn't necessarily drawn to the MMC, Tommy. I found him to be a bit boring at times and very stereotypical. He liked to party, drink, and go out with any girl who would approach him. His emotions felt very surface-level to me at times.

I wish we could've seen more of the friendship between Maggie and Olivia. I really enjoyed her as a side character, yet I was sad when she wasn't mentioned ... it was almost as if she was forgotten at times.

It has dual POV, but we do get majority of Maggie's POV. I wish we could have gotten more of Tommy's POV to exude more of emotions and explore the side that was falling for Maggie.

I also think the ending felt very rushed. There was a little blip in their relationship about 85% in and then all of a sudden it became happily ever after.

Overall, I enjoyed some of it but it sometimes dragged.

Thank you to NetGalley, 8th Note Press, and Ally Wiegand for the advanced copy of First Base!

This is officially my first baseball romance and I gotta say-- I love it.

The chemistry between Maggie and Tommy was wonderful. Both of the main characters had growing points that were worked on throughout the book and everything was written in a compelling way. I really liked the fake-out of forbidden romance in the beginning that switched to fake dating.

I wasn't really a fan of the resolution between Tommy and his father. Their relationship was written as very toxically masculine and nothing seemed to change necessarily after the resolution. Tommy and his father still dissected every play Tommy made during games after they made up, it just wasn't "bad" anymore, so I guess I was confused.

I would say this book is a "cracked door" romance, not fully explicit in the spice, but not closed-door either. I personally would rather either fully closed or fully open, as I felt like the in-between level of spice made it a bit icky for me.

4 stars! Thank you Netgallery and Ally Wiegand for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy for an honesty review.
What do you get when you take the great game of baseball, add fake dating, a dash of trauma and a sprinkle of miscommunication…”Frist Base” by Ally Wiegand. This book was such a cute read. The book follows Tommy a baseball “bad-boy” trying to clean up his act, and Maggie the team’s photographer who’s squeaky clean reputation is PR solution to cleaning up Tommy’s act. The book brings about many important topics such as, can one person have more then one true love in a lifetime, are we just the sum of our past trauma’s and mistakes, can to people who are damage be each others salvation? I loved the way the author wove so many different aspects into this book. Definitely a recommendation for any baseball lover or romcom lover!

This was my first baseball romance book and it was so cute and sweet! It gave me all the feelings and butterflies! I love the description of opening/game days, because it’s exactly how I feel when it comes to baseball. I really enjoyed how the FMC Maggie developed in the book and Tommy was the perfect MMC trying to fix his wrong doings. I wish there were more chapters with Tommy POV. Overall Ally Wiegand debut novel was a hit! I can’t wait for the Chicago Heartbreak series to continue.

Tommy is working on cleaning up his image when he meets one of the team photographers, Maggie and instantly feels something there between them. When an innocent ride home is caught by paparazzi, the team forces them to enter into a fake PR relationship. This book was such a nice surprise! I instantly fell in love with the characters and how relatable they were. Tommy and Maggie help each other overcome some of the biggest challenges in each others lives and overall this was such a touching story. Tommy was so genuine and the perfect book boyfriend. I do wish I got a few more chapters from his perspective! I feel myself entering a baseball romance era after this!!!

Such a sweet read & super quick! 4.25/5