This has been my favorite of all the most recent Tessa books so far. It was fast paced, cute banter, and the best fake dating. Instant connection, and chemistry between Robbie and Skylar. Their nicknames are sooo cute! Obsessed with them!

Pitcher Perfect was a home run. This book was the perfect mix between heartfelt and hilarious. Tessa Bailey never disappoints when it comes to a romcom done right. The characters are loveable, the plot believable, and I absolutely adored the lack of a 3rd act break up. I think that Tessa proves yet again that your characters can be flawed or unconventional and still meet their happy ending. The family dynamics in this book were especially dear to my heart. The fourth book of the big shots series, this book isn't where I thought the series would go, but I am so happy it did.

Robbie is the playboy rookie NHL player who will backup his friends (and teammates) over anything. This gets him into his particular brand of trouble when he meets Skylar a DI softball player who is firmly not interested. Robbie knows that she's the girl for him and he will do anything to prove it, and that includes fake dating Skylar for her family's annual competition. As they navigate her complicated family dynamic, the man she is in love with, and his reputation, can they make it home safe together?

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Honestly no notes. This book was perfection and I loved every second of it. I was happy that we're finally seeing some softball player rep!!!

One of my favorite Tessa Bailey books! Definitely my favorite of the Hot Shot series. The only reason it didn’t get 5 stars is because I reserve those for the books that rearrange my soul, the ones I drift off and think about. This book was so sweet and had me kicking my feet giggling. Love a Golden Retriever MMC and spicy lessons. Great amount of spice to plot. I’d give it 3.5/5 on the spice scale. It was intriguing which can be difficult with romance books. They tend to fall into the same patterns and I find myself skipping chunks of writing because it’s so predictable, but I didn’t have that problem with this book.

First I'd like to thank the author, Tessa Bailey, and the publisher, Avon Books, for an advanced copy of this book. Then I would like to say.... HOLY FREAKING COW - I LOVED THIS BOOK! I have read every single one of the books in Tessa Bailey's Big Shots series... My favorite will always be Fangirl Down but now, now I can say with 100% certainty that Pitcher Perfect is my second favorite in this series. Like, legit this book is SO FREAKING GOOD.

First, this is a bad boy who realizes the error of his ways when he sees the FMC and falls in love, generally, at first sight. Add in fake dating and unrequited love and it has all the tropes. I generally found the feminist independence of the FMC to be so welcoming in a character and when MMC gets protective it is done in a way that doesn't stamp on that independence but supports it and shows love alongside it.

This book is an easy 5 stars and again, one of my top reads of the year. I cannot wait to add the physical copy to my Tessa Bailey collection!

I absolutely adored Pitcher Perfect! Tessa Bailey delivers a heartfelt and swoony romance that left me smiling long after I finished the last page. What truly stood out to me was the emotional growth of both main characters — watching them become better versions of themselves together was incredibly satisfying.

Robbie, in particular, stole my heart. Who wouldn't want someone like him in their life? He sees the best in people, truly listens, and always knows just how to lift you up when you need it most. His unwavering support made the love story feel even more meaningful.

And the romance? Perfection. The chemistry between the characters was electric, and there were more than a few moments that had me literally kicking my feet in the air with joy. The mix of steamy and sweet was just right.

Overall, Pitcher Perfect was everything I want in a romance — funny, tender, sexy, and full of heart.

Thank you to Tessa Bailey, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was my first completed book by Tessa Bailey. I had to dnf Wreck the Halls. This book was much better than Wreck the Halls. That said, there were still parts that felt forced and cheesy. Overall this book was just ok for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was intrigued by Pitcher Perfect because I have wanted to delve into Tessa Bailey's romances and what better than a sports-rom-com! Overall, this was a fun, quick read that is certainly LOL funny at times.

It features a likeable female main character, Skylar, who is very buttoned-up with something to prove. She links up with Robbie, an NHL rookie, to partake in a family competition because her typical partner--her best friend--is unable to attend. The result is a relationship that seems founded on instalove (especially from Robbie's side), rather than enemies-to-lovers as the book is marketed as. I generally don't have any issues with instalove, but I was expecting more of the advertised trope of enemies-to-lovers.

The two of them together offer some cute moments, but I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed that Skylar is able to overlook some of Robbie's sexist behavior. It seems to be at odds with her type-A personality. The other thing that bothered me is Skylar's preoccupation with another man for the first half of the book. This is quickly buried when Skylar and Robbie really get going, but this stuck with me until I finished the story.

Ultimately, I think this could be advertised differently, but it is definitely well marketed as a light, fun, sports-rom-com. I still enjoyed this however, and I will read more of the author's work.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this early!

4 stars! This banter kept things going for me and kept me hooked! Give me a good fake dating and forced proximity 🔥
It’s always fun to see the MMC (Robbie) fall faster and this book gave me exactly that.
Got me all giddy that Robbie fell head over heels for Skylar so fast and also that Skylar didn’t make things easy for Robbie. She kept challenging him and that to me made this loads of fun to read!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, I enjoyed this read so much!

Shew, I think this was the spiciest book Tessa has written. I'd give this book 3 stars, it was an easy read filled with banter and lots of spice. However, the book was just not my cup of tea, the insta-lust, the timing of the relationship, Robbie's eagerness to change his whole life, the attraction, the "lessons", and the conflict. The part that I absolutely loved was Robbie standing up for Skylar with her family. Way to go.

*Fake dating
*Sports romance
*Insta lust

📖 Pitcher Perfect (Big Shots #4) by Tessa Bailey
✍️ September 9, 2025
📚 Adult | Romance | Contemporary | Sports Romance
⚠️ CW: Emotional manipulation, Misogyny, Sexual content

When NHL rookie Robbie agrees to fake-date fiery softball pitcher Skylar to help her win over her longtime crush, sparks fly and suddenly, the only thing he wants to win is her. Pitcher Perfect is a laugh-out-loud, fake-dating sports romcom filled with heart, heat, and home-run character growth.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pitcher Perfect is everything I love in a romcom: flirty banter, hilarious misunderstandings, and an unexpected emotional core that hits just right. Tessa Bailey knocks it out of the park with lovable leads, sizzling chemistry, and a story that blends self-discovery, redemption, and pure fun into one perfect pitch.

INFINITY STARS! This book reminds me why I love Tessa Bailey books! Funny, spicy, and sweet!
I also grew up playing softball the whole first half of my life so having it finally represented was special to me!

I really enjoyed this, but it took about halfway through for me to be fully invested.
The was fun because it didn't feel like the typical sports romance. I enjoyed that the FMC was also sporty, not a dainty, fragile girl, while the MMC was big and broody. Having both of them participating in sports made for a fun dynamic.
The romance itself was well-fleshed out, and I really bought into their chemistry. There was a cute ending, and it was a full-circle moment, which I really loved. It was one of my favorites by Tessa Bailey!

Robbie Corrigan is living the NHL rookie dream—parties, charm, and absolutely no shame. Skylar Paige is a D1 softball pitcher, laser-focused and immune to his player energy. When she ropes him into fake dating to catch the eye of her brother’s best friend during a wild family competition, Robbie surprisingly says yes. And he takes the job very seriously.
Their chemistry was immediate, the banter was snappy, and tons of tension. Robbie’s a golden retriever disguised as a cocky flirt, and I loved that he was all in for Skylar from the start. He’s goofy, charming, and unexpectedly soft—and the way he supported her when no one else did was so swoony. Skylar was strong, independent, and so easy to root for, especially with the pressure she carried as the “outsider” in her family. That dynamic added depth and gave her more of an edge than your typical romcom heroine.
The setting—an over-the-top family wilderness competition—was chaotic in the best way. It gave us forced proximity, teamwork, and a ton of laugh-out-loud moments.
Was everything realistic? Nope. Did I care? Not even a little. It was fun, flirty, fast-paced, and exactly what I wanted it to be, including the classic Tessa Bailey spice.
If you’re into fake dating, athletic heroines, and a cinnamon roll hero in a cocky disguise—this one’s for you.

᪥ Enemies To Lovers
᪥ Fake Dating
᪥ Hockey x Softball players
᪥ Cinnamon Roll MMC
᪥ 3rd Person Dual POV

I don't know what it was about this book, but everything just happened so fast! I usually like my romance books to be faster paced, but this was too fast even for me. I felt like we didn't get enough time to fall in love with these characters and watch them fall in love, and, as a result, this was kind of a tepid romance with a bunch of sex scenes thrown in.

On the surface, Skylar and Robbie should be interesting to watch. Skylar is very meticulous, has a planner, and has a few insecurity issues, and Robbie is a playboy who has breezed through life. I think that the contrast and clashing of these two different personalities and kinds of people would be so interesting to read about and to see develop into a romance, but I felt as if they became different people from what they were introduced as at first. I understand in particular with Robbie that Tessa Bailey wanted us to root for him and find him attractive so keeping in line with the misogynistic and gross comment he made in the beginning wasn't in the cards, but why even have him say it then? And I loathe the instant attraction and how it's presented as Skylar being "the one" that makes him less misogynistic. Because it's fine saying gross things about women until one you fall instantly in love with calls you out for it, right?

Skylar kind of gave me nothing (insert go girl, give us nothing meme here). I do think her problems with her family and her insecurity issues were good challenges and ways to develop her character and arc, but my problem with how it developed was that Robbie kind of acted as a bandaid. I really wanted to see her in at least one situation stand up for herself or, fine, gain confidence from Robbie and use that to bolster herself.

The third act miscommunication also wasn't doing Skylar and Robbie any favors. I wish authors would just retire it or come up with more understandable reasons for a couple to question their relationship.

Overall, Pitcher Perfect was a swing and a miss (yeah, I have no shame about using that pun here) with frustrating characters even though they had a promising beginning.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This uses the sports element perfectly with the romance element, I was hooked from the first page and thought worked overall. It uses the enemies to lovers concept that I was wanting and enjoyed how Robbie and Skylar were written in this. Tessa Bailey has a strong writing style and I was engaged from start to finish.

Absolutely smitten with this book. So many parts that’ll have you kicking your feet up from cuteness. Don’t get me wrong I’ve loved the other 3 books as well.

Character development is there but not overly deep. Spice is there but it flows into the story so it doesn’t feel overwhelming.

All in its super well balance unlike the week long competition 😂

Enemies to lovers
Teachable moments

I love Tessa Bailey, and this is probably my fave #fakedating book I've read. Skylar of THE baseball game last book is majorly crushing on her brother's BFF Robbie, and he agrees to go home with her to compete in their family's summer games tournament. Robbie was sweet, genuine, and respectful with her as they went through their "love coaching" and their chemistry was 🔥 Highly recommend 👌
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I had no idea I needed a Robbie book but here we are! He falls first and hard and BEGS for her to feel the same. Loved this guy. A sweet and spicy read.

This was so cute!! I really enjoyed Skylar and Robbie's story and the cameos from past books in this series. It was a little bit of a slow / unrealistic start for me but then it really picked up and I was sucked into the story and really loved it.