I don't think I've read a Tessa Bailey book that I didn't like. This one is no exception. It was refreshing to see a dual sports romance with a badass woman in sports. None of the books in this series come close to the greatness that is Fangirl Down for me though, so it's down a star, but it's still really good. I think you can read this as a stand alone without having to read any of the previous books. If you do want more of Robbie's background, then read the Au Pair Affair and Dream Girl Drama first. At the very least, you may want to read Dream Girl Drama where you first meet both characters and see their origin, although that is fairly well covered in this book. His character isn't in Fangirl Down, so you don't need to read that one at all, but I still maintain that you don't need to read any of them to get into this book. This book reminded me a lot of Play Along by Liz Tomforde, so if you like that book, I think you'll like this one, too. They both have a fake relationship, perfectionist FMC, golden retriever MMC, reformed playboy, one bed, and spicy lessons. As with all Tessa books, it's well written, has a good plot, and has good spice.

I may just be out of my contemporary romance phase right now but this book just didn’t do it for me. It felt sooo trope heavy! I didn’t really buy the dynamic between skylar and robbie and everything felt pretty rushed and superficial. I also need to stop reading about manwhore hockey men MMCs. Again maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood for this one but overall it felt very lackluster.

When NHL player Robbie gets roped into his teammates' antics, he accidentally makes the world's worst first impression on D1 softball pitcher Skylar. But he also can't get the brunette beauty out of his head, so when she asks for his help in making her brother's BFF and long-time crush jealous, he jumps at the chance to spend more time with each other. Even if that means he's only for practice and enduring her family's annual camp games.

I've been--unfortunately--reading way too many "teach me how to flirt etc." romances lately and most of them started to blend together or even resulted in DNFs. But Tessa Bailey has a magic to her writing, and I absolutely loved this book. Robbie followed the perfect trajectory of annoying as heck man child to a big softie ready to ride for his woman and I was HERE for it. It brought the emotion and the spice, as Bailey does best. I hope this series never ends.

Thanks to Avon for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

Thank you Avon and Net Galley for this arc. I really enjoyed this book. Skyler is a college softball player and Robbie is a NHL rookie. When I first meet, Skyler hates Robbie, and then she needs him to fake date her so she can win her crush.

This book was a breeze and had some pretty spicy parts in it.

Tessa does it again and talk about spicy when it’s a he falls first, player on and off the field, teachable moment kind of book! They are the definition of polar opposites and who would have guessed the “orgasm donor” would be the one who would fall first, and hard! I love a female character giving huge “main character energy” and boy does Skylar give it! It was so good to be back in the big shots world and I’m so appreciate of netgallery and Avon for the eARC!

I received this ARC through Netgalley.

As a longtime fan of Tessa Bailey, I'm always excited to dive into her latest book (yes, I've read it all). But the story about Robbie (and I assume eventually his bestie Mailer) had me a lot more cautious when I started. Robbie had been set up earlier in the series as a very immature man, and one that not only I would be against dating, but someone I would warn my friends against, which made him a difficult choice for a romantic hero.

With that said, I very much enjoyed this book. While still keeping livewire Robbie as the impulsive, heart-on-his-sleeve character that he was in previous books of the series, Bailey managed to make him someone I rooted for. Accountability is always key, and the writer leaned into what a crappy chauvinist and using the romance to expose that in a way that didn't feel like he was being nagged or lectured. While I do wish his relationship with his grandfather was further expounded on for more delicate details, I respected this character journey.

As a person who is not an athlete, I'm not a huge sports romance person, but I appreciated and respected Skylar's drive to be the best and also be emotionally fulfilled, something that I think is incredibly relatable to everyone. Her parent's quiet neglect is also an interesting take on a competitive sports parent, as well as their games for their families in place of bonding.

Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone who likes sports romance, extroverted heroes, and dirty talk ;)

Is there a sport that Tessa Bailey can’t turn into the background for a hot, sizzling romance? I don’t think so. Pitcher Perfect was simply perfect. Robbie Corrigan, professional hockey player for the Boston Bearcat and known as one of the team’s “Orgasm Donors,” shows swoon-worthy depth of character: real love is having someone “who gets you.” Robbie is our guy. I couldn’t have loved Skylar “Rocket” any more than I did - a star in her own right as a womens softball pitcher for a D1 school. Their story is fun, flirty and high in sexual tension. And if you need another trip around the bases courtesy of Ms. Bailey, check out her “Fix her Up” and read that whole series, too. Thank you for NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. The love and opinions I have for this book are all my own.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC.

There were parts of this book I really enjoyed. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes. But overall the pacing is just OFF. In the span of two-ish weeks they go from meeting at a baseball game where Skylar overhears Robbie making gross remarks about hooking up with women, to being IN LOVE ready to propose and move in together? It just seemed so rushed almost to the point it was hard to believe. Robbie just did an absolute 180 overnight and it was very insta lovey. And I’m usually all about a down bad mmc.

Robbie made me laugh at times and I really appreciated how he was THERE for Skylar especially with her family. Feeling like the outsider in your family is definitely hard and I thought that part of the book was done better than others.

Skylar and Robbie start fake dating because she has a crush on her brother’s best friend and she wants him to see her as a woman. I wish we had gotten more of Madden and Skylar interacting maybe? He seemed BORING. It was kind of obvious he and Eve were being set up for a next book but Skylar and him never really talked ever besides more than a few sentences. She’s known him forever but doesn’t even feel comfortable having a conversation with him but she thinks she’s in love with him. And then they end up never really talking about her “feelings” for him.

Overall, it was cute but pretty corny.

I am not exaggerating when I say that everyone should pick up this book. As someone who isn’t huge into sports romance novels (seriously, look at what I read, it’s very rarely a sports romance), this book blew me away! I simply could not put it down. I literally binged the entire thing (aka started it at my day job during my down time and then stayed up until 2am, and proceeded to finish it at approximately 7am when drinking my Saturday morning coffee). I just, I cannot recommend this book enough.

I might be a little biased here, but I love a book set in New England. It almost feels a magical in its own right. Not to mention a rom-com based in Mass/Rhode Island? Sold. We all know how much I love a slow burn, forced proximity with tension so good that you get butterflies. That, my friends, is exactly what you get with this book. You get delicious, slow building tension with a fast plot and amazing banter. I mean, who doesn’t love a ladies man hockey player with a dirty mouth who falls fast and hard for someone who mouthed “f*** you” on their first encounter? Even with the fast pace, you still see the depths of these characters. You experience their emotions with them. You get suckered in with the trash talk and stay for the emotional baggage each of them carry.

Seriously, I don’t think I can find a single bad thing to say about this book. What I will say is while a lot of the characters were athletes, I wouldn’t say it was the entire plot. There wasn’t too much lingo so you don’t need to be a sports enthusiast to read it. It’s 100% for everyone! As my first Tessa Bailey book, it’s safe to say she might turn into one of my auto-buy authors!

Tropes:
Slow burn
Sports romance
Forced proximity
Golden retriever MMC
He falls first & hard
Softball pitcher x Hockey player
HEA

The way I have been WAITING for a softball romance. And then we get a Tessa Bailey one?! I mean… I can’t even tell you how happy I was to get this ARC.

happy sigh This was so good. 🥲I loved Robbie. I loved his character arc. The growth we got to witness was fantastic. Plus the way he was SO gone for our girl Skylar? Big yes from me.

Skylar, my girl. I rooted so hard for her. She deserves all the love and good things in life, and I’m so glad everyone around her realized that just cause she is a badass and “can take it” doesn’t mean she doesn’t crave validation and recognition, too (besides Robbie who OF COURSE already knew); that she deserves it.

I just adored this book. Maybe it’s the (former? forever?) softball player in me, but I had a blast. Definitely recommend!!

Thank you again for the ARC, Avon!

Tessa Bailey hits a home run with this one!

The MMC is a himbo with a heart of gold. Robbie is the kind of golden retriever man that I immediately fall for. He’s strong, loyal, a little oblivious—but endlessly sweet and unintentionally hilarious. Whether he's fumbling over his feelings or offering up his entire soul just to make the heroine smile, his energy is infectious.

What makes him especially endearing is the way his feelings never feel shallow. You’ll root for him, laugh at his adorable blunders, and probably want to take him home, especially once you get a hint of his dirty mouth.

This is a must-read for anyone who loves their leading men sweet, sexy, and just a little bit clueless.

Tessa’s voice is always so much fun and this one is no exception. I loved how down bad Robbie was for Skylar the whole time, and it’s delightful to see the couples from the previous (and future?.) books in this series.

Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey is an enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating softball meets hockey romance. Skylar has been in love with her brothers best friend for years, but he has always just seen her as a friend/kid sister. Robbie is the hot shot rookie playboy hockey player. They end up in a fake dating arrangement that leads to dating lessons and real feelings. This book was absolutely amazing and I could hardly put it down! I did not love Robbie's character in the previous books, but his character arc was fantastic. This book was funny, emotional, unexpected, and just delicious, I cannot wait for the next book in the series!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon & Harper Voyager, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series, they're automatic reads for me, and this one was just as fun and spicy as the others in this universe. It hit all my favorite tropes, fake dating, enemies (for like 10 minutes) to lovers, he fell first, they were all there for me.

The characters were a little bit flat but there was still enough heart there that it was easy enough to overlook. It was also a little bit unbelievable that a pro athlete days away from the championship would be willing or able to participate in a week long physical challenge, but again, willing to overlook because the premise was just that fun.

I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series, I love that they don't just focus on one sport's world.

Tessa gets bonus points for [correctly] saying "on Long Island", as well.

Thank you, Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I always know what I'm getting with a Tessa Bailey book, honestly, and I appreciate that. Few things are more satisfying than a former player/ladies' man type realizing that he's just met the woman who is going to change everything for him, but I also really enjoyed the fact that Skylar is strong, confident, and self-assured in who she is — though not so confident that she doesn't appreciate Robbie recognizing those moments in which she doesn't have to be so strong. (Bonus points for a scene where Robbie tells off Skylar's family on her behalf, which will never not work for me.)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh hell yeah. Lately, Tessa has been hit or miss for me, but this was a hit. (Appropriate for the title, honestly.)
Now, at the start of this, I was like… please… stop. The MMC, Robbie, is insufferable in the opening scene. But his character development throughout this book is so good. I can’t believe one of the orgasm donors actually became a grown-up. The best way to describe this character development is not by comparing it to other contemporary rom-coms. It’s vintage HR “reformed rake,” with a silly, silly, sunshine MMC. Skyler is such a fun, sharp FMC, and as a fellow type-A girl, I enjoyed her a lot. The planner stickers!
The banter in this one is SO good, even on the Tessa scale. Were they REALLY fake-dating? Debatable. But fun. This steam in this one was good as well.
Now for the caveats. This is super insta-lovey and unbelievable – only a few weeks pass in this timeline. The plot outside of the two main leads is weak, and I would have loved more of the family dynamics in this. And obviously, this isn’t high-brow. (And if you're going into a book Tessa writes expecting high-brow lit fic, I'm sorry. But you set yourself up for this.)
But I had a lot of fun reading this, and it was far better than the last two books in this series. And unlike others in this series, I am not coming out of it thinking the next book’s premise has GOT to be better than this one. (Tessa sets up two potential options in here.)
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the digital arc!

I love Tessa Bailey--she really gets something core about romance for me: love means seeing the other person, fully. What makes this so fun is the ways that this unfolds through the narrative, both for the characters' individual journeys and their journey as a couple.

The only drawback for me was the plot and side plots, which feel a little bit forced, but the love story and emotional arcs were top-notch, as always.

A fun sports romance!

Tessa Bailey does it again!!! This is definitely top 3 books she has written!! Robbie is such a sweetheart and Skylar is such a great FMC. No notes absolutely 5 stars!!!

I loved this book! As a girl who played softball and strived for perfection, I related to Skylar so much. Thank you for bringing her to life Tessa!

I loved Skylar's planner, the way she was one of the boys growing up, and how she felt like she needed love lessons. I could also relate to not getting into the college that your whole family was supposed to go to and feeling like a huge disappointment. I am still waiting to find my Robbie-- someone who is just proud of me. Robbie was so cute, it made me sick! He is such a good boyfriend and knowing he immediately loved Skylar and I felt so nostalgic for young love.

Overall, this book was one of my favorite Tessa Bailey books and I am so happy that I got a chance to read it before September!

⭐️ 5/5 | 🌶️ 4/5
Third person POV | Dual narrative
Linear timeline
FMC: Skylar | MMC: Robbie
MF Open Door Romance
Tropes: Spicy sports romance, enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating, romantic comedy
Main setting: Rhode Island
Companion novel: Book 4 of Big Shots series

Spicy, sports themed, comedic, heartfelt, and with a satisfying HEA, Tessa Bailey does it again with the fourth stand-alone-within-a-series book set in the same universe as the first three Big Shots books but focuses on Skylar and Robbie’s story. If you read Dream Girl Drama, this book’s timeline overlaps with Sig & Chloe’s story.

Pitcher Perfect works perfectly well as a standalone as Tessa Bailey does an excellent job ensuring that appearances from past characters and series references enrich the story without ever confusing new readers. It’s a thoughtful, well-balanced approach that keeps the narrative self-contained while still offering something extra for fans of the series. With that being said, I personally think it’s more fun if you’ve read at least Dream Girl Drama first. Having that prior knowledge adds a little extra charm to the returning characters and makes their cameos feel like inside jokes you’re in on!

I also love the themes of brotherhood and strong friendships. It’s heartwarming to read teammates and friends genuinely helping one another with big life decisions and thoughts.

The spice level is high, with on-the-page explicit scenes, but it’s not just smut. The story includes plenty of sensual, passionate, emotionally charged moments that add depth and intensity beyond the physical connection.

Lastly, I love that Tessa builds up side characters! It left me thinking that there will be at least one more book added to this series, Mailer & Reese’s story, with the possibility of another (but I don’t want to say that couple because it could be a spoiler). I can’t wait!!

Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.