If I could have read this in one sitting, I would have but adulthood held me back. I love Tessa Bailey books. She’s an auto-request and auto-buy author for me. She didn’t miss the mark on Pitcher Perfect. I loved that both of the characters were athletes. My heart broke for Skylar and her self-worth at the beginning of the book. Robbie was an ideal MMC. This was fantastic. Now I need a book about Mailer, another one about Skylar’s brother and ANOTHER one about Madden and Eve.
Thank you so so so much to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Tessa Bailey is an auto-buy author for me and this book will be no exception. (Can’t wait for my sprayed edges copy to arrive!) I was so excited to get this book as an ARC and I will definitely be recommending it. Skylar and Robbie first met in Dream Girl Drama (one of my favs) where they immediately had my attention. Finding out Pitcher Perfect was going to be about this couple, I knew we would be in for a ride. Robbie and Skylar have so much chemistry and the banter is top tier. The feelings and thoughts of the characters were believable and even thought I don’t love a miscommunication trope, this one was minimal and did not bother me. One thing to note is that this is an intensely character driven book, IMO. The characters truly go through visible growth which is hard to accomplish in one book, The plot was fun but it wasn’t really the main point and felt more like a background to the love story developing. That is not a negative, just a note to those who may prefer a more plot heavy book. As usual, Tessa Bailey has hit it out of the park (see what I did there?!). I can’t wait to see which characters in this series will get their own books! I have a couple ideas and hopefuls!

Thanks for NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to review this book in advance. All opinions are my own.

This was one of the cuter books I’ve read, and I love the puppy dog love Robbie shows. I’m not a huge fan of the insta-love trope though especially because this book took place in a matter of a week. Setting aside the unrealistic portions of the story, it was cute and sweet. I’m happy there wasn’t a wild twist with Madden in the end to ruin the vibes, it was tastefully done. I would give this a 3.5-4 star rating but leaning closer to 3.5 because of the cheesy portions of the story that make it a bit toooo unrealistic, but otherwise it was a fun read.

Uhm this was so cute! literally loved the banter between my girl and Robbie! Robbie is so cute and just seeing his character come to life was so good! I’ve never read a softball romance but I am literally so happy i did! it was awesome to read this book. And oh my god, Tessa Bailey did not play when it came to this!

Ok so I dont usually go for the Sports Romance books, they all seem the same to me so I never lean into them. I read this one as an ARC and im glad I did. it was a fast read, but satisfying. What set it apart for me was that I loved all the characters. They were so likeable and cheer-on-able. I rarely had to put the book down or take a break because I was invested. The love is adorable and the drama is not too much. I was like waiting for some big horrible plot twist that never came and I was glad for it. I needed this kind of book at this moment. Just a good fun cute read. Miss MMC was so oblivious at times though like Miss Maam we could not tell Madden was in L O V E. Come on girl.

Oh, it’s just me, wondering around my house, wishing there was more book to read.

Robbie and Skyler’s chemistry was gold from the start. The small blip of them at the end of Dream Girl Drama left me wanting more, and Tessa delivered!

Things I loved:
Fake dating trope
One bed
Banter
The competitive family
He’s a protector and she’s not used to being protected
They would do anything for each other
So, so many more things!


Things that confused me:
Eve. Should I know who she is? What’s her deal? I feel like I missed a chapter. There was very little context and background information.

I’m so thrilled that I got the opportunity to read Pitcher Perfect early. The Big Shots series has been some of my favorites from Tessa Bailey. And now I have a book hangover and I’ll probably just start back at the beginning and read them all again.

I thought this was a cute book. The characters are likable and had great banter. The insta love wasn’t my favorite though. It seemed like the mmc fell in love within days and completely changed his ways overnight. It was a little hard for me to want to keep reading. I prefer a little chase. Overall I enjoyed the book.

I am so lucky and grateful to have been an ARC reader for this book! This book is perfect for the over achiever perfectionist girlies who are secretly big old softies on the inside!!!!!

I love Tessa Bailey and the Big Shots series and this was just phenomenal. I LOVE a man who yearns and she just writes lover boys so so so well! The spice was just absolutely *chef kiss* and the fact that they had spot on physical chemistry and communicated so well and openly?! incredible. these two are truly soul mates and I love them so much. I cannot say enough good things about this book! It was sweet and spicy and funny and emotional and the love between them was truly palpable.

Can’t wait to talk about this on my bookstagram to everyone who will listen!!!!

I got an eARC from NetGalley for this book! So first off thanks NetGalley and Tessa Bailey plus team for early access to this book. The Big Shots series absolutely has my heart. I loved the snip of Robbie and Skylar we got in Dream Girl Drama and was craving this book. Also as a retired softball player it was nice to see a romance with a softball pitcher and hockey player *chefs kiss*.
The fake dating spectacular
The pining and slow burn also spectacular
10/10 recommend this book when it comes out in September.

Tessa Bailey is churning out these books. I like that she is leaning to sports romance but it's not stereotypical.

More in-depth review to come as I am enjoying this book

Competitive athletes. And fake dating. This is my first non hockey romance. This was a quick and fun read. I quite enjoyed it. The story flowed smoothly and kept you wanting to know more. Definitely recommend this one

Tessa Bailey knocked it out of the park with Pitcher Perfect, a steamy fake dating sports romance novel.

Skylar Paige, an All-American pitcher,is desperate to have her brother’s best friend notice her during her family’s annual wilderness competition. What better way to get his attention than to make him jealous? The opportunity falls in her lap when she meets NHL rookie and playboy Robbie Corrigan. Despite his crush on her, Robbie agrees to be Skylar’s romance tutor and fake boyfriend to help her win over her crush. Throughout the competition Skylar has to figure out if her crush is her brother’s best friend or if it’s actually Robbie.

It is part of a series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone. As with the rest of Tessa Bailey’s work it is spice heavy. My jaw was on the floor and my face was beet red reading those scenes. Tessa Bailey is for spice, and she does it well. The romance was an incredibly fast insta love where he falls first. I would consider it a solid Kindle Unlimited quality romance. It felt kind of odd switching between their explicit adult activities and almost childish romance especially considering how their personalities switched whenever it got spicy. I hated everything past the conflict, especially the epilogue. It was reminiscent of Wattpad, just incredibly unrealistic.

Overall, I really liked the book. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read from Tessa Bailey and will continue to pick up her books. Pitcher Perfect isn’t going to be added to my favorites list, but I’d recommend it to anyone looking for something extra spicy without kinkiness or an emotionally draining plot.

Thank you to Tessa Bailey, Avon Books and HarperCollins for providing an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book so much! It was such a fun read. I literally couldn’t put it down. I loved the intertwining of characters from other books in the series. Tessa Bailey never disappoints! I loved the depth of all the characters and the happy ending.

Queen Tessa knocks my socks off again. How she manages to continuously come up with bangers I will never know. Being a Long Islander herself, I loved that she wrote about a character with LI roots and it made me cheer for home throughout the whole book. Damn straight Long Islander can win any swim challenge! I loved the perspective on Robbie because I often think I would write off men like him just like Skylar did. But I enjoyed that she showed how his in his youth he made mistakes but that he wanted to be a different man and he set out to change that. Love live women in sports, Skylar was so badass.

Pitcher Perfect might just be Tessa Bailey’s best in the series so far. Robbie and Skylar’s banter had me grinning from page one—they’re playful, sharp, and not afraid to call each other out, which made their chemistry feel so real and fun. But underneath all the sass and sarcasm, there’s a deep mutual respect that made their connection even more satisfying. Bailey nails that balance between flirty and heartfelt, and these two absolutely carried the story.

If I had one tiny critique, it’s that the romance felt a bit rushed—after all, the whole competition plays out over just a few days. But somehow, it still worked for me. Robbie’s character arc totally stole the show. Watching him do a complete 180 in his life just because he finally met someone who got him? That was gold. It felt earned, not just dramatic for drama’s sake. Overall, this book hit the sweet spot of laughs, swoons, and just the right amount of emotional depth.

I swear, every book I read in Tessa Bailey’s Big Shots series is my new favorite. They are all so good and this one is somehow even better!! HOW! I don’t know how she does it!!

I really couldn’t care less for the o-donors in the first two books they were featured in, but Tessa brought one of them around to realizing how dumb and pigheaded they were being so quickly. Within the first two chapters I was a believer that Robbie was a good one. And he turned out to be the best one!!

I loved Skylar. She was such a well rounded character who had well-founded insecurities, strengths, and desires.

And when the two of these characters finally collide!!! Oh my gosh. Seriously hot.


LOVED this book. Can’t wait to buy a special edition.

I LOVE this series and was so glad to get Skylar and Robbie's story! This book is classic Tessa Bailey with SPICE, humor and a fun love story. I love that there were cameos from the Big Shots series. This was so fun and I hope there are more to come.

ARC review
Publication date 09 Sep 25

“Pitcher Perfect” by Tessa Bailey is part of the "Big Shots" series of interconnected standalone romance books.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced digital copy of the book (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

I liked the other books in this series so I wanted to read this one too.
Robbie is a playboy hockey rookie but after he meets Skyler, a softball pitcher, he is only interested in her.
Unfortunately, she has been in love with her brother's best friend for a while.

I wanted to like this book, but there were just too many things I did not enjoy.
This is described as enemies to lovers, but they quickly get along and decide to fake date to make her crush jealous.
He is also helping her with "love lessons" and is her partner is a competition with her family.
I did not like that they fall in love very fast; they went from "enemies" to lovers in 2 weeks.
Also, the love for her brother's friend was gone too fast.

There were some parts that I enjoyed, mainly the fake dating part and the character cameos from the other books.
Also, there are some funny parts, like in all Tessa Bailey books.

The book hints on the couple from the next book and I'm curious enough to read it.

Notes about issues in book - not posted in review
In the beginning she “took a medium gulp of coffee” then proceeds to say she only drinks orange juice. In ch 5, “ Skylar studied Robbie’s face long and hard, probably double-checking that she wasn’t being had” is this a common phrase?
The yellow kite - his grandpa died, was it from trying to get it, inferred in ch 16? But does he ever tell her that? Especially with the ending?
Mentions Kitt Harrington and Game of Thrones as a 13 year old writing in her journal - show is definitely inappropriate for that age.

TYSM NetGalley for the arc!

I LOVED dream girl drama so I was excited for this one. I enjoyed Robbie and Skylar’s dynamic - enemies to lovers, fake dating, and both athletes.

Overall I enjoyed this story. I loved the snippets of Sig and Burgess helping Robbie. The break that happened made sense, and honestly wasn’t too frustrated with it. The relationship moves fast but it makes sense with these two honestly.

It was a quick read for me, and it was great for breaking up my fantasy read with some sports romance banter! These two were so funny and I was giggling and kicking my feet during some of these parts!

Hands down my favorite Tessa Bailey book. Possibly my favorite read of the year so far. Loved this book.

Robbie and Skylar are the perfect couple and I loved watching them learn to trust each other and be that support the other needs. Great banter and great spicy scenes. All hail Queen Tessa!