This was a really cute story and I loved how Bailey used strong female characters and several different tropes. It was cute, thoughtful, and spicy without feeling overwhelmed by tropes. This was my favorite book of hers that I've read. I will recommend it to my friends and followers.

Oh I really enjoyed this one. It's my second favorite in the series, easily, next to Fangirl Down. I related to Skyler and her type A personality, and Robbie was an amazing reformed playboy. I liked how when she called him out on his misogyny and general ick about how he spoke about women, it made him reflect and want to be better, especially better for her. Robbie also helped Skyler so much with her self esteem and loving herself for who she is, and not what her family wants her to be.

The spice and dirty talk was on point, because this is Tessa Bailey, but there was so much heart and growth that really drew me in. I read it in a day!

When Pitcher Perfect was released as a Read Now option for 24 hours on Instagram, I immediately went to the site and downloaded it. Having just read Dream Girl Drama in February, I was ecstatic when Bailey announced the next novel weeks later that the release date was a mere months away. Being able to read it that much earlier is even better.

With three other previous installments, I had some trepidation about the quality of Pitcher Perfect. Fangirl Down was a typical romantic fiction novel, whereas I loathed Au Pair Affair because of its superficial writing style and constant smut. Dream Girl Drama, however, had heart, superb characterization, and a relatively compelling conflict with respect to the protagonists’ relationship. Thus, I was worried that Bailey’s inconsistency would befall Pitcher Perfect too. Indeed, for the first handful of chapters, Robbie’s dialogue is not very believable re: his emotions and the fake dating relationship between him and Skylar was written in a very trope-like/mediocre fan fiction manner (which is unfortunate, given I could feel the zing from the few seconds of their first interaction in Dream Girl Drama). However, as the plot unfolded and Skylar began to reconsider who Robbie was, it was as if a different author started writing and everything quickly fell into place.

There is a lot of soul in Pitcher Perfect. While some of the dialogue during the sex scenes is very cheesy and off-putting, the relationship that develops is probably one of the healthiest I’ve ever read in a novel. Therefore, everything else compensates for those brief moments of cheese (unlike with Burgess closer to 40 in Au Pair Affair, perhaps the lines Robbie says are more indicative of the kinds of statements his generation might make?). Pitcher Perfect’s plot is simple too— it’s almost as if Bailey realized characterization matters more and purposely chose to create a conflict based on the human psyche and condition, rather than an external stimulus.

All in all, I loved this novel and hope Bailey will follow it up with Madden’s story (fingers crossed for continuous flashbacks or dual timelines).

This was a bananas bonkers story. It went from zero to 1000 in just a few chapters and while completely unbelievable it wasn't a bad read.

Things I liked: I really enjoyed how much Robbie supported Skyler; it was easy to see that she needed someone unequivocally on her side and I loved that her family got the wake up call that they needed. I thought Robbie and Skyler had decent chemistry together and it was mostly clear why they were so into each other from the start.

Things I didn't like: The insta-love/lust was a bit over the top and the timeline was way too fast. <spoiler>Declaring they loved each other and moving in with each other all in about two weeks was just way too much. </spoiler> Additionally, while I absolutely think people can change and realize they want to better themselves, it felt entirely unrealistic that after one short conversation Robbie was all in on abandoning how he been previously living and acting. I can often happily suspend disbelief while reading this was a bit too over the top for me. Additionally, while it's clear that there's teasing about who the couple will be for the next book, it felt distracting and almost forced into the story.

All that said, this felt like a typical Tessa Bailey novel that was fun if ridiculous but unfortunately didn't quite hit for me. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for the eARC - all opinions are my own.

I just finished reading "Pitcher Perfect" and absolutely loved it! After a few thrillers, it was exactly the lighthearted romance I was looking for. While it was a bit predictable, that's often part of the charm of a good romance novel. Tessa Bailey is definitely my go-to author when I want a quick and engaging read.

The Big Shots series by Tessa Bailey never disappoints! It delivers hot sports romance, familiar tropes that feel fresh, plenty of spice, and witty banter. Pitcher Perfect—book 4 in the series—was the fastest read of the four for me. It brought all the fun with much less angst than the earlier books and made for an incredibly enjoyable 4-star read.

If you read Dream Girl Drama earlier in 2025, you might remember the baseball scene where the Boston Bearcats are challenged to a friendly game by supporting character Elton. Pitcher Perfect picks up from there, following Elton’s sister Skyler and her meet-cute with one of the “Orgasm Donors,” Robbie Corrigan. (IYKYK if you’ve read books 1–3—but if you haven’t, don’t worry; you can jump in here!) Robbie gets his redemption arc, while Skyler introduces us to her quirky family—and of course, Tessa Bailey brings her signature blend of fun and chaos.

Thank you, Tessa Bailey, for another puzzle piece in this delightful world. I really hope this isn’t the end of the Big Shots series—I’d love to stay in this world a bit longer!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this ARC of Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey.

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Thank you Netgalley and Avon for letting me read this book early, I was going to combust if I didn’t have a copy in my hands!!!

This book filled my heart up with yellow kites, like butterflies, all the way to bursting. I fall for all of Tessa’s mmc’s, but oh my gosh…the amount of highlights this book has. Talk about a red letter read, every THOUGHT this man had I was swooning over. There was just massive amounts of support, and consideration, and care shown on both sides throughout the story, and I wasn’t even worried at the last bit of the book, because I just knew these characters couldn’t live very long without each other. This book was perfect to me!!!!! 😭

I loved this enemies to lovers, fake relationship, he falls first romance! I think it takes my top spot in all Tessa’s books so far…

What can I say? Tessa Bailey’s books are pure fun. They have the perfect amount of spice. I read two of the other books in the series and this one was just as good. I definitely plan on reading book #2.

Skylar meets Robbie at a rival baseball game, hockey players against baseball players. Skylar over hears Robbie bragging about his sexcapades and hates him immediately. He hits on her and it starts a brawl. He nets her that if he gets on first base they have to go out for coffee. He proceeds to lean into the pitch and they go for coffee. She decides that fake dating him will help get her noticed by her childhood friend, who happens to be her brother’s best friend. She takes him home to compete in an annual competition her family holds. She sets out a plan for him to give her dating lessons.

I love a fake dating, forced proximity book. I was worried I wouldn’t like Robbie initially but that changes quickly. I loved Skylar’s obsession with planners as a fellow planner. I love that instead of flowers Robbie decides to give her gel pens to write in her planner. That made my heart happy! If you are looking for a fun, fluffy, sexy book this is it. I can’t wait to continue the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Tessa Bailey has done it again! Every book in her Big Shots series has been amazing and this one is one of her best yet! A perfect mix of swoon and spice, Tessa Bailey never misses!

This was such a fun read! I love the banter between Skylar and Robbie! Baseball players vs Bearcats (hockey) was just the beginning. So excited to have been able to snag an ARC for this but now I definitely need more of these characters. Elton, Madden, Eve, Sig, Chloe, etc. were all standout minor characters that not only help more the story along between the FMC and MMC but also have stories of their own that sound amazing.


Favorite quote; "Who could have guessed the girls whose first words to him were fuck you would end up becoming his everything?"

A very cute sports romance! I love fake dating so this was right up my alley. Robbie totally charmed me!! I look forward to seeing more from Tessa as this series continues.

I enjoyed getting to see Robbie's character develop in this book! I wish we got to know Robbie personally more, since we got so much of Skylar. Overall I enjoyed it.

My review is also posted on Goodreads

When I had an opportunity to read the ARC for Tessa Bailey’s newest, I was all over it. Skylar is a D1 All American softball pitcher with the hots for her brother’s best friend. Robbie is the rookie hockey player who is sleeping his way around Boston.

Enemies to lovers ✅
Fake dating ✅
Super spicy 🌶️ 🌶️🌶️

I forgot how spicy Bailey’s books could be but I was there for (most of) it. The set up was cute - Skylar’s crazy competitive family has an annual event and her longtime bff dropped out which is how Robbie was in as the fake boyfriend to try to help her make her brother’s friend jealous. I had not read the first three in this series but didn’t have to. If they crossed my path I might pick them up but I prob wouldn’t seek them out. 3 ⭐️

The ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Comes out Sept 2025

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TESSA BAILEY, THE AUTHOR THAT YOU ARE!!!

Just another 5-star review. When I got this ARC, I RAN to my Kindle to read it, and I have absolutely no regrets. I'm SOO glad the "Orgasm Donors", well, one of them, finally got their book because they were fire in the other books and I was hoping they'd have their own story. This one follows Robbi (MMC) and Skylar (FMC).

This book had me hooked from the first page. I loved the banter between the two, and I loved that there was more than face value with Robbie. Skylar is trying to get the attention of her crush, and Robbie offers to help her just so he can spend more time with her. Tessa has this magical ability to write some of the funniest scenes and banter, and this book is no exception. This entire book felt like Robbie's "second chance" to get Sykalr to see he can be the man for her after their first failed attempt. I cannot recommend this book enough, and I feel like every time I read a new Tessa Bialey, it's my new favorite of hers.

Read if you like:
- Enemies to lovers
- Dual POV
- He falls first and harder
- Fake dating
- Teach me

*Pitcher Perfect* is a lively, feel-good sports romcom packed with humor, banter, and fake dating chaos. NHL rookie Robbie Corrigan is all charm, while D1 softball pitcher Skylar Paige is laser-focused and unimpressed by his flirtatious ways. When Skylar needs a pretend boyfriend to catch her crush’s attention during a wild family competition, Robbie jumps in—cue the sparks.

The novel delivers opposites-attract tension, forced proximity, and heartwarming character growth. Robbie, far from the typical arrogant male lead, is flirty yet sincere, showing unwavering support for Skylar. She’s a fierce, independent lead struggling with family expectations, and their dynamic is both sweet and steamy.

The playful summer competition setting adds to the charm. Overall, *Pitcher Perfect* is a breezy, entertaining read with plenty of chemistry and fun—perfect for fans of sports romance and flirty fake-dating tropes.

Robbie is a bit of a player. Actually, he’s a lot of a player, both on the ice as a rookie NHL player and off. He’s goofy and doesn’t take much seriously. Skylar is a Planner with a capital P. If she can schedule it, she will. As a current D1 softball pitcher who is constantly trying to live up to familial expectations, she is focused on achieving her goals to become a pitching coach. When Robbie and Skylar meet at a pickup baseball game, Robbie makes the worst first impression possible. He then spends the rest of the book trying to make up for it by offering to be her fake boyfriend and teammate in an annual competition her family hosts in order to make her longtime crush jealous. There is a good amount of banter between them as Robbie slowly (but also quickly, this book only takes place over the course of a week) wins Skylar over. Having both the main characters as competitive athletes who then team up to participate in Skylar’s intense family game week was an incredibly fun, and completely unrealistic given it’s a week before NHL playoff season, storyline to follow.

I am such a Tessa Bailey fan that I will read anything she writes and enjoy it, but I will admit to going into this book a bit skeptical of Robbie as an MMC since he is not exactly a likable character from what we see of him in the other books within this series. I really shouldn’t have worried, however, because Tessa Bailey loves to write an MMC who is down bad. He really redeemed himself by standing up for Skylar to her family, and I found myself rooting for their one week romance to end in “I Love Yous” even as I would find that sort of insta-love cringey in other books. This is now my second favorite in the series so far, and I’m beyond excited for the next book after the crumbs we were shown in this one!

This book was absolutely a gem to read. I’m so thankful to get an ARC. Will definitely be re reading it once it’s released. I need more Skylar and Robbie in my life. This is the best big shot book so far. And this is coming from a golf girlie. Their love story was so honest and pure and I loved seeing it unfold.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Admittedly, I had not read the other books in the series and I don’t know that it’s necessary to read this one. This book provided many opportunities for laughter. I think it’s safe to say that a MMC falling first and yearning after the FMC proves to be a definite page turner, and in that respect, this book definitely demonstrates those tropes. The added trope of forced proximity contributed to the plot as well.

I found the overall story to be lacking though. Robbie trying to prove that he wasn’t a womanizing party boy when literally the evidence was stacked against him and Skylar being a people pleasing daughter/sister didn’t really contribute to the story. I also think the premise was unrealistic.

Robbie made it to the NHL which means a good salary and a whole lot of puck bunnies. He’s living the dream. Until one day he discovered that there’s more to life than hockey and meaningless sex. Dating Skylar opened his eyes, what was supposed to be fake starts to feel like the realest thing he’s ever known.

This series is really good but I’m not sure I needed a book with Robbie as the main character. A man child and player turned totally marshmallow. It’s a tough sell.

I like the hockey x baseball player angle. And despite my initial skepticism about the characters their story really impacted me.

I’m thorn, some parts are amazing while others just aren’t.

Read this if you like
⚾️Sports romance
💙Fake dating
🫶🏼He falls first
✨Opposites attract