First off, to me this book was 🌶️ spicy! I loved the characters, the family, the friends, and the whole premise! Both leads are driven athletes with competitive spirits and really worked well together. The banter, the humor, and the emotional growth were all so interesting to read.

⭐️: 2/ 🌶️:2

I was hooked in the first few chapters—Tessa Bailey really knows how to open a story. Right away, the witty banter between Skylar Paige, an elite Division I softball pitcher, and Robbie Corrigan, a self-confident and charming rookie with the Boston Bearcats hockey team, pulled me in. The setup is fun: Robbie agrees to be Skylar’s “fake boyfriend” and her partner in her family’s annual wilderness competition, all so she can catch the attention of her brother’s best friend.

I was coming off the high of Dream Girl Drama when I started this, so I had high expectations for this installment. Since it picks up from a scene in that book, I anticipated the same spark and energy carrying through, but unfortunately Pitcher Perfect didn’t deliver for me. Beyond the strong opening, the story progression felt flat, and I struggled to stay engaged - took me months to finish this. Everything about the production of this felt rushed especially the romance—Robbie and Skylar spend only about a week together, yet it escalates into love in a way that didn’t quite feel believable. I understand this is fiction but at least give me something that is somewhat believable in a timeline for the story or fuel me the drama that can get me there.

The tropes are all here—enemies-to-lovers (though mostly one-sided), fake dating, forced proximity, and a touch of sports romance—but the execution just didn’t land for me this time.

Disclosure: Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another hit for Tessa! I love how she writes her MMCs, they always feel like real genuine men and this book was no exception. I loved the arc of the main characters, but the timeline did feel a little insane. We do love an obsessed man and he was hooked from the first instant!

I interrupt your scroll to let you know that Tessa’s upcoming release is a MUST READ! This book had me giddy and swooning over Robbie the flirting, the banter, and don’t even get me started on his “is this love?” moments. And Skylar? Her vulnerability with her family and her insecurities pulled at my heart so hardddd 🥹💖.

Long story short Skylar has a huge crush on her brother’s best friend. And what better way to get on his radar than by having a fake boyfriend for the upcoming family wilderness competition to make him jealous? AGHHH THE PLOT IS PERFECT OKAY!!

From the moment Skylar and Robbie meet, you just know it’s going to be a fun story. The attraction is THERE immediately, and the fake dating mixed with his whole “I’ll teach you” vibe?? Omg Tessa, stop making me melt into a puddle, thanks 🫠🔥 The scenes were SO good.

Robbie saw her and basically said, “I want her.” What he didn’t expect was for her not to be easy to win over and that only made him fall harder. The way he stands up for her and does little gestures to make her smile?? My heart couldn’t take it! 💓 Like remembering she likes her orange juice without pulp and buying it for her on his grocery run. STOP. 😭🍊

And then there’s Skylar, she’s focused on getting her best friend’s brother to notice her, but slowly she realizes she might actually like Robbie instead. Letting him into her world and showing him who she truly is only makes her more confused. (OBVIOUSLY TEAM ROBBIE, DUH! 😤)

I loved how this book not only gave me the swoons 💕 but also showed glimpses of both their current struggles and see how they want to grow from them. I really enjoyed the character development!

My 4 star rating is honestly just because it didn’t top Dream Girl Drama for me, but since I read it in 2 days… take my rating with a grain of salt lol 😅

You can read this book as a standalone, but I definitely suggest starting this series if you haven't. Each book is filled with spice, rom-com vibes and so much flirty vibes. I loved them!!!

tropes:
💙 sports romance
💙 fake dating
💙 enemies to lovers
💙 3rd person POV
💙 opposites attract
💙 hockey playboy mmc x softball badass fmc

Thank you Avon & Tessa Bailey for my eARC

A witty rom com with delightful characters! Skylar is everything you want in a heroine, smart, sassy and full of spunk. While the plot is slightly predictable, the steamy scenes are red hot and the relationship between the main characters grows in a wonderfully delicious way! Definitely one of my favorite reads this year!

Tessa Bailey's Pitcher Perfect delivers a delightful blend of sports, romance, and humor in this fourth installment of the Big Shots series. The story centers on Skylar Paige, a disciplined Division I softball pitcher, and Robbie Corrigan, a charismatic rookie hockey player for the Boston Bearcats. Their paths cross when Skylar enlists Robbie to be her fake boyfriend for a family competition, aiming to impress her childhood crush. What begins as a strategic arrangement soon evolves into genuine affection as they navigate the challenges of their faux relationship.
Bailey excels in crafting a narrative filled with engaging banter, sizzling chemistry, and endearing characters. The enemies-to-lovers and fake dating tropes are executed with finesse, providing readers with a heartwarming and steamy romance. The setting of the family wilderness competition adds a unique backdrop, enhancing the story's charm.
While the pacing is brisk, some readers may find the rapid progression of the relationship a bit overwhelming. However, Bailey's signature humor and emotional depth shine through, making Pitcher Perfect a captivating read for fans of contemporary romance.

The character I least expected to get. his own book, ended up being my favorite one in the series so far! I was honestly a little surprised when I saw that the MMC was going to be Robbie. I was not sure there was going to be enough character development for me to get into the story, but boy was I wrong. Some of the dialogue and scenes were a little cringe, but overall the story was just so funny and honest that it just felt real.

4.5 stars

Classic Tessa Bailey, queen of RomCom vibes. I love a golden retriever boyfriend and the family competition is hilarious.

I’m not qualified to be anyone’s spokesperson, but I’ll tell you this. When I notice something making her sad, you can bet your a$$ I’m going to say something about it.
~
Listen, I know August and Wells have been sucking it out for my too Tessa book boyfriend, but Robbie Corrigan might’ve just blown them both out of the water. This book was everything I knew it would be since she teased the Pitcher Perfect title. I saw so much of myself in Skylar, from her insecurities and strength all the way down to her planner, lists, and sticky notes (seriously, my desk is COVERED in them). And Robbie? Robbie is both hilarious and the most sweet and tender men ever and I love all of him. And the tears! Did I expect the tears? Absolutely not but there I was with them suddenly streaming down my face. Not only was this adventure of Skylar and Robbie going from essentially hate to love fabulous and endearing, but seeing Sig and Burgess? Elton? Madden? Mailer?! All of them were just the icing on the cake. And the HSM references absolutely had my heart. I already know this is a book I’ll find myself going back to again and again because I felt that much joy reading it and my heart nearly burst at the love. Another hit, Tessa! Not that anything ever isn’t 😜

4⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early ARC of this book! I was waiting all summer for this one to come out and now was the perfect time to read it with summer ending. Transitioning from baseball season to hockey.

Skylar gets surprised by her brother Elton when she’s recruited to pitch in a baseball scrimmage versus the local professional hockey team. When she arrives, she’s disgusted hearing hockey player Robbie talk about last night’s sexual adventures. But then she takes Robbie up on his offer to “coach her” and get her crush Madden’s attention at their yearly family Page Stakes competition. As Skylar takes on flirting practice, she realizes she might actually like Robbie. But can she forget about her childhood crush Madden?

It was a cute story and I loved seeing the personal character growth from both Skylar and Robbie!

Thank you so much to Avon for the early copy!

I decided to read this book right after getting my heart ripped out by another book, I was hoping for a fun, smutty read and that's exactly what I got. I loved this book, it was funny, it was spicy, and it kept me invested the entire time. It's love at first sight for the hunky hockey playboy, Robbie and the way he devotes himself to Skylar is top notch. AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SPICY LESSONS! omg spicy lessons in books is easily one of my favorite things and Robbie is the perfectttt person to be teaching Skylar. The fake dating in this book was super fun and caused some hilarious and also tense moments. I can't wait to read the next book!

I am obsessed with Skylar and Robbie, they might be my new favorite couple in this series. This book was funny and emotional and I thought did a great job with character growth. Another home run for Tessa Bailey! Also as a fellow Long Island girlie I always love when she sneaks in Long Island!

“Pitcher Perfect” is chaotic good in the form of a Tessa Bailey brain-rot romance, and I mean that as the highest compliment. It’s like someone took the fake dating trope, shotgunned it with horny ambition, added a sprinkle of sports rivalry, and tossed it into the woods with a wilderness family competition and one bed. This book does not care about realism. It cares about vibes. And sometimes? That’s enough to make my whole serotonin system light up like it’s Christmas at a Bass Pro Shop.

We’ve got Robbie Corrigan, a redheaded rookie hockey player who should be a total douchebag. He says things like “orgasm donor” and allegedly hangs out with men who think whipped cream bikinis are a personality. But oh no. Tessa Bailey said: what if this himbo was just emotionally starving for connection and fell in love with a softball pitcher who uses a planner like it’s her emotional security blanket? Enter Skylar Paige. Competitive, deeply guarded, probably able to throw a fastball straight through the emotional wall around her heart. I love her. She is a tightly wound grudge-holder with a crush on her brother’s best friend and exactly zero time for Robbie’s golden retriever energy.

And yet. When her annual "Hunger Games"-style family wilderness competition rolls around and she needs to make said crush jealous, who’s there? Our flirty, hockey-scented chaos agent, Robbie. Who volunteers himself to be her fake boyfriend with the energy of a golden retriever who just saw a squirrel made of commitment and personal growth. He is not chill about her. At all. And frankly, neither was I.

Fake dating? Check. Flirting lessons? Check. Slow transformation from “you are a walking red flag in skates” to “oh no, he supports me, sees me, and respects my planner”? Check, check, cry.

Now look. If you’re expecting tension so thick it could snap your spine or a slow burn so long you need oven mitts, this ain’t that. Robbie is down BAD from chapter two. The enemies part of “enemies-to-lovers” is more like slightly annoyed to hornily invested. But what it does deliver is an emotionally messy guy who realizes Skylar deserves to feel adored, and then proceeds to simp so hard I had to fan myself with my own Kindle.

And Skylar? She’s got this razor-sharp exterior, but underneath she’s breaking a little under the weight of family pressure and being “the one who didn’t go to Brown.” Watching her thaw, open up, and stop measuring her worth by her rejection letters and childhood crush? My cold little heart turned into a puddle of Gatorade and feelings. She’s not always likable, and that’s what I loved. She’s messy and prickly and needs to learn how to ask for love instead of just hoping it’ll read her planner.

Do I have complaints? Yes. “Redbeard” as a nickname? Ma’am. You’re dating a hockey player, not joining the cast of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Zambon” It pulled me out every time like my brain was yelling “ARRR, me hearties” during a steam scene. Speaking of which, the spice level is signature Bailey, so buckle up for explicit A+ extracurricular “lessons” that made me blush like I walked in on someone’s FaceTime date. And yet… earned. Robbie was out here making vulnerability hot.

Four stars because it’s fun, sexy, and had me cackling even while I wanted to throw Skylar’s planner at her head mid-freakout. Robbie is a reformed disaster man, and I love him for it. Skylar is a control freak with abandonment issues, and I love her for that too. Together, they’re hot, unhinged, and emotionally overdue for this relationship.

Huge thanks to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the ARC. I was just looking for a fake dating trope and somehow got tackled by feelings in the woods instead. Rude. Keep ‘em coming.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon, and Harper Voyager for providing an eARC of Tessa Bailey’s latest installment of the Big Shots series, Pitcher Perfect.

This is not an enemies-to-lovers story despite the claims from the publisher. There is fake-dating (loosely used term) in this sports “romance” about a playboy hockey rookie and a softball pitcher who is completely immune to his charms, well, at least for the first 30 minutes. This was packed with insta-lust and horniness; I wouldn't call this a romance. It was straight smut. Which some readers will greatly appreciate, I, however, am not one of those readers.

This is my first and sadly, my last Tessa Bailey novel. I have heard the criticisms of her work previously, but I wanted to check it out for myself. I love a good fake dating story and was hoping to love this one as well. The FMC is a softball star with little to no confidence or self-esteem off the field. She decides it is in her best interest to use the MMC to make her lifelong crush jealous, instead of just being an adult and explaining her feelings. She is in college, mind you. She also believes that to get ANY guy to like her, she needs to be better in the bedroom and asks the MMC, whom she believed was a misogynistic man-wh*re in the previous 10 pages of the book, to teach her. Honestly, there is more to the story, including having him pose as her boyfriend at a family weekend Olympics-type event… but I couldn’t be bothered to finish it.

I know that many people enjoy the author’s writing and will get a good laugh out of this book, but it rubbed me the wrong way from the start.

Ok, I can safely say I had fun reading this book. Skylar and Robbie’s chemistry had me kicking my feet. This one is my favorite of all.

The book follows Skylar and Robbie (a.k.a. the orgasm donor). If you read Dream Girl Drama, you get an introduction to how these two characters meet.

It’s fast-paced; he falls first and hard. There’s a certain evolution between the characters and their relationship. I loved the way Robbie’s character was so easy-going, always shooting back comments to Skylar. Skylar is more of a plan-everything type of girl and a bit insecure.

The book centers on fake dating to get the attention of Skylar’s childhood crush, who is her brother’s best friend. Skylar gets into a deal with Robbie to help her finally get her crush to notice her. What they never expected was the easy way they connected and the support they provided to each other, creating a whole new problem of falling for each other. With Robbie’s playboy past and Skylar’s insecurities, she keeps her defenses up, jeopardizing the potential relationship they can build.

Overall, cute book, has spicy scenes, has humor, and it shows the connection between both characters.

eArc provided by the Publisher Avon and Harper Voyager through NetGalley.

I love the Big Shots series so much! They all bring me so much joy, and this one was no exception. Tessa’s writing is just fantastic. I’m always giggling and saying “awwwww.” Ever since book 3, I was waiting for Robbie and Skylar’s story. Obviously, we have insta-love. Sure, their relationship timeline moves pretty quickly but aren’t we always hearing “when you know, you know.”? It’s pretty obvious to me these two were just going to work together. Skylar is fierce and completely balances “oragasm donor” Robbie. The spicy lessons and the time they spent together were fun to read. This was full of heart and ends with a HEA so I don’t think anyone can complain! I want a Boston U shirt now! Ha! I can’t wait for the next book!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️- releasing 9/9/25

While fake dating reigns supreme as the best romance plot, this one was not my favorite! I’m not the biggest fan of insta love, and this was definitely giving hardcore insta love. I do like a little bit of a fun silly premise for a couple to be fake dating, and attending a woman’s family wilderness competition is the right amount of fun and silly for me. The pacing and development seemed to be on hyper speed which I did not enjoy as much (as I’ve been saying, it’s all about yearning). Overall I thought it was fun, but definitely had some aspects that I don’t normally enjoy in a romance novel.

Thanks to @netgalley and @avonbooks for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

#books #bookreviewer #bookrecs #bookrecommendations #newrelease #advancedreadercopy # NetGalley

Tessa Bailey took a long hard look at historical romances readers and said I see your Reformed Rakes and raise you a Reformed Fuckboy. Pitcher Perfect is a short and sweet new adult romance between an All American softball pitcher and rookie hockey player. It actually reminded me a lot of the better books in Lyssa Kay Adams's Bromance Book Club series. The characters are all likable, the men are problematic but come around to letting go of some toxic masculinity, and it's full of Tessa's signature dirty talk. I can already tell which characters she is setting up for the next few books in the series and I'm excited to read them!

Pitcher Perfect was just that, Perfect! This book had me laughing out loud one moment and the next blushing like crazy. Fake dating? Crazy competitive family? Hot hockey player with no filter? Yes please!

I could not and would not put this book down. I felt like a giddy woman smiling throughout. If you are picturing someone rolling around on their bed with a cheesy smile on their face and kicking her feet, that’s me! Congratulations you pictured me because that’s how I felt.

Robbie has got to be one of my favorite MMC’s I have read. He’s funny, sexy, worked hard to win over Skylar and oh my, his mouth. Yeah, read the book if you want to know what I am talking about.

I’d like to give Tessa Bailey a standing ovations for the love that she gave to a redhead in this book. As someone who is also a redhead and was made fun of when I was growing up, I loved and appreciated that she wrote one into this story.

I truly loved everything about this book. Every page brought joy and delight to me, making it a memorable reading experience.

*Thank you Avon, Harper Voyager, and Tessa Bailey for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Finished this in just a few days…such a good book. Don’t really see many romance books where the MMC is a baseball player. The FMC is just fantastic. Would definitely recommend and read again.