4.75💫

Thank you to Harper 360 for the ARC via Netgalley, Let’s get into it!

I am so happy. This book was so good, so perfect. We are well and truly back in the swing of things in with the Big Shots series. Dream Girl Drama may have been a little shaky and I truly wasn’t expecting Robbie fricking Corrigan of all people, one of the godamn orgasm doners to bring it back but here we are. This book just felt well and truly Tessa. The concept was absolutely wild and I have absolutely no idea how she picks these things out of the depths of her mind but the situation that they found themselves in could not have been a better one for the couple in this book.

I’ll start with Robbie because we’ve known him a little longer. I for one have no problem with the whole player thing, especially in this sense. He’s respectful, he’s honest and he says what he means. Yes, he might be a little outlandish and unable to take himself seriously most of the time but it becomes apparent early on that he is very aware that there is a time and a place to put all jokes aside and there’s a night and day change to him on these occasions. I think his mental separation from Mailer throughout this book is a large piece of physical proof of this.

Then we have Skylar, We met Skylar briefly in Dream Girl Drama and outwardly he seems confident, brash and like she knows what she wants but as we get further into the book, We learn that this is only really her public persona, one that I don’t even think she is aware that she has. The way Skylar sees herself is completely different to how the rest of the world does. She seems quite stunted, stuck in at the same place she’s been for a long time unable to move forward, usure where to go, how to move.

We start the book at their initial meeting, the showdown of the bearcats vs the baseball players but this time we get to see more playout and through the previously mentioned wild plot, Robbie ends up spending the week with Skylar at her family’s house competing in with her overly achieving family at their annual competition the ‘page stakes’. The issue being that Skylar has made it obviously that she is in love with her brother’s best friend, Madden and that Robbie has convinced himself and begrudgingly attempted to convince all his friends that he’s doing this, not because he likes her but because he wants to be a good person. Cue the desperation.

The week plays out beautifully, for the reader that is. Both Skylar and Robbie seem to be in a constant state of distress. Robbie very quickly realising he has been lying to himself and that he would do nothing less than walk through fire to be by Skylar’s side and Skylar is a ball of confusion. She has been hung up on her Maden for so long, that I think it’s almost an obsession at this point. A childhood crush that never went away. She’s chastising herself for her feelings towards Robbie, yet those emotions feel very mature and genuine. She truly feels like she has betrayed Madden, even when his trued feelings and who they are directed at are obvious, she just doesn’t see it, the poor oblivious girl.

Overall, I just loved this book. I was giggling throughout. They were both just suck a kick. Robbie is so entertaining in general and their banter was hilarious, the two main characters just played off each other so well throughout every stage of their relationship. The best part of this story for me through was truly the parts where the characters were miserable. I’m not saying I liked Robbie getting a taste of his own medicine, okay I take that back I definitely did. Him laying his heart out in front of all his friends without a smattering of embarrassment, probably just a spattering of some marinara had me giddy. He was so desperate, he was so grovelly but at the same time he still managed to stand up for himself and get his point across. I could not have asked for better.

The epilogue was where I swayed a little, it was just so cheesy. It went past the level of level of mush I am able to deal with I’m being honest but that the anniversary surprise and the kite on the dogs is probably the only things I would change in this whole novel. I don’t know how I feel about Catch her if you Can yet. Madden is alluring to say the least, but that’s mainly because all we’ve really seen of him is a major sulk, a fireman’s carry and him punch a wall but I do think there’s a lot more going on in the lofts of his head that we’re yet to wonder into. My qualm is more with Eve, I get why she wasn’t around much in this book and that is totally understandable, what I don’t get is that if she is Skylar’s best friend, either she knew about her crush on Madden and decided to just not tell Skylar that she never had a chance with him for some unknown reason and let her dwell on the possibility for literal years or Skylar never felt like she could tell Eve, which is possibly not strictly Eve’s fault but it doesn’t raise some red flag’s about their friendship overall. We will see…

This is the perfect summer read! It's an enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, sports romance and is the fourth in the Big Shots series, which is a set of interconnected standalones. I really enjoy Tessa Bailey's work in general, and this didn't disappoint in terms of smut and witty banter.

We've met Robbie before in previous books, and I was so thrilled to get into his book. I really enjoyed his relationship with Skylar and absolutely devoured it in one sitting. Robbie redeemed himself in the end, and Skylar is an FMC you can root for who goes through such a journey throughout this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Another brilliant read from Tessa.
Her books never fail to brighten my day and put a smile on my face. They’re such good fun and Pitcher Perfect was too! I enjoyed the silly Page Stakes challenge to throw our pair together. I enjoyed seeing Robbie try to come to terms with how he’s been acting and how to change that - reformed playboy is always a great trope. And Skylar was great too, although I wasn’t quite as sold on her backstory / issues with her family. They were a little bit frivolous.

It’s not gonna change your life, but it definitely will make you smile! I’m loving this series and can’t wait for my next Tessa fix!

A combination of the very best tropes – fake dating, sport, he falls first and forced proximity. We definitely do not have enough baseball players in the sport/romance genre, but baseball AND hockey? Thank you, Tessa.

Skylar, a competitive baseball player, suffering from the inability to live up to family expectations, is struggling with a case of unrequited love with her brother’s best friend. And what better way to win him over than a little bit of fake dating? MY FAVOURITE TROPE. But I’m getting ahead of myself...

Because Robbie Corrigan, NHL rookie and stereo-typical hockey playing womaniser sets his sights Skylar when her brother brings her along to pitch against the Boston Bearcats during a testosterone filled game of men determined to prove that their sport is better.

However, bragging about his conquests to his teammates becomes a serious ick for Skylar, that she agrees to put aside for her own gain. Coming from a family with an annual competition, Skylar finds herself a partner down. But she does find herself with a golden retriever hockey player who is willing to help her gain experience, compete and win over her brother's friend.

Robbie will agree to just about anything to spend time with Skylar, even if that means helping her in her romantic quest for somebody else.

I loved both Skylar and Robbie, the Type A personality of Skylar and Robbie’s golden retriever energy was the best combination. Two very competitive strangers getting to know each other through forced proximity. A little better than planned.

“This wasn’t real, no matter how much he wanted it to be. She was there to learn from him, not to make an actual connection.”

This was such a fun and easy read. It had the perfect amount of character development. Enemies to lovers helping each other through a journey of self-discovery and confidence? Yes please.

“Just... boom.”

I’ve always loved Tessa’s writing but the tension and inability to ignore the growing feelings between the characters was so prominent throughout Pitcher Perfect, it had me screaming at every chapter.

“Finding your person was a miracle and once you did, keeping them close was pure necessity.”


If you’re looking for something steamy to get your feet kicking at the inevitable slow descent to all-encompassing love, this is the book for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper360 for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

📚 Book Review 📚

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I want to thank NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book. As soon as I saw my approval I jumped straight into this one.

Robbie and Skylar were amazing! The sarcasm, tension and humour had me grinning from ear to ear. Skylar's family are certifiably insane. The yearly competition they hold isn't for the faint hearted but if anyone can handle then it's Robbie.

If you're a fan of fake dating, he falls first, forced proximity then I highly recommend you read this. It's fun, sexy and highly entertaining.

I can't wait to see which couple is next in this series.

🌟🌟🌟🌟✨

I give this book one star, and honestly, I only made it to the end by sheer willpower. The premise is baffling—Skylar, despite having past sexual experiences, seems utterly clueless and relies on Robbie to "teach" her about relationships. It’s hard to take seriously. The story felt exaggerated and cringeworthy, lacking any real tension or chemistry between the characters. It seemed like the author randomly picked a few tropes and tried to weave a narrative around them, which just didn’t work for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Every time I read a new book in this series, I tell myself that there's no way the next one can beat it. Every time reader, I am wrong.

This book kicks off from the infamous baseball game in Dreamgirl Drama, picking up with Robbie and Skyler who are infatuated with and hate eachother immediately (respectively). After an awkward "date" they agree that Robbie will fake date Skylar to make her brother's best friend (who she's been in love with for years) jealous and make him realise he wants her. We all know where this is going to end up!

I loved these two characters, Robbie was an excellent example of a character who has lost himself and is only now realising that there are serious consequences to his behaviour. Skylar is an odd duck in her family but despite being someone who will absolutely wail on her brother and tell a random guy (Robbie) "fuck you" the first time she sees him, she's still too scared to stand up for herself with her family. Both of these characters go through growth and change in a way that helps them to be the versions of themsevels they've always wanted to be without changing at their core and I love this for them.

As always, Tessa Bailey hits it out of the park (pun intended) and this had me on a total rollarcoaster of emotions.

Really enjoyed this one from Tessa. I would read her shopping lists to be honest. Pitcher Perfect had a lot to love and I read it all in one sitting. Definitely one to read if you like Tessa’s other work or if you enjoy Laurie Gilmore or Elsie Silver

Was grateful to receive this as an ARC read, having already enjoyed the other books in this series.

Having briefly met these characters in Dream Girl Drama, I knew that Tessa would make us fall in love with these characters, and she most certainly did. This story was so delightful - it was easy to read and flowed so well.

Loved how Robbie and Skylar interacted with each other, and how they looked out when things weren't going right for them, in particular when Robbie knew Skylar was in trouble and then potentially puts himself in harms way to rescue her, because he cares for her so much by that point.

Of course it was also lovely to come across the characters from previous books of this series throughout the story, and of course the banter between them as always was superb.

A great read as always.

Whilst I didn't adore this one quite as much as Fangirl Down, it was still a really fun read.
The Page Stakes - the annual competition Skylar's parents run each year, was a unique idea and made for an interesting plot.
I did cringe a little at some elements - mainly the "lessons" Robbie was giving Skylar, which was obviously a main part of the book, and their nicknames for each other 😬 and the insta love was maybe a little unbelievable.
I enjoyed seeing how couples from the previous books in the series were getting on - its not crucial that you read in order in my opinion, but there are fun little easter eggs along the way.
Fast paced and full of character development as well as Tessa's signature spice, a great addition to the Big Shots series.

2.5 stars for me. Honestly I love a Tessa Bailey book and while this was a fun read, the specific something was just missing. :( I definitely can see though that it will be a hit with the fake dating and everything around it. Plus Robbie is very 🤭

3.5 stars.

I prefer when Tessa Bailey writes her heroes as golden retrievers instead of arseholes disguised as 'alphas' (which have made me dislike a lot of her books). This book was a lot of fun, and while it's insta-lust (this is Tessa Bailey after all, all her books are) from Robbie's side, Skylar and Robbie were great together and I loved how he championed her sporting skill with her family. It was exactly the sort of fun escapist fiction that I needed after reading a few books that were a bit deeper.

So why my rating? Well pace-wise it to really drag a bit towards the end (to be honest I didn't need the Maddison/Eve side drama which is obviously a set up for the next book). Also, the character and plot development weren’t delved in as deep as should've been, though I'm glad Robbie immediately realised the misogynistic things he said in the beginning were wrong and hurtful. The big implausibility though was the lack of research on how NHL works. There's NO WAY in hell a NHL player would be allowed to participate in the Page Stakes before play offs. It was too much of a risk of injury.

I think what made me overlook all of this and still enjoy it was the vibes. Tessa Bailey really does it well with this book, and as such, I enjoyed it. However, I really wish romance writers would stop writing about professional sports incorrectly.

Thanks to Avon/Harper 360 and NetGalley for the ARC.

I read this in one sitting, I was obsessed.
I love Tessa Bailey and I really enjoyed this series, Tallulah and Burgess were my favourite until this.
Robbie and Skylar deserved this romance and I’m so glad I got to experience this.
•
Tropes: enemies to lovers, fake dating, Sports romance, forced proximity, love lessons, reformed playboy, opposites attract, love triangle, slow burn, redhead
🌶️ Chapters: 15, 22, 24, 25, 26, 33

This has been a very easy read for me and a nice palate cleanser in between fantasy books. I have enjoyed following Skylar and Robbie. They have a very fun dynamic going on, and it has made me smile throughout the book. I adore the fake dating trope and one bed trope, so this book having both made me smirk something rotten, although it was very obvious what was going to happen in the book, as it is very predictable, I still enjoyed reading how it came to this conclusion. A lovely sports romance one, where he falls first, who knew fake dating would lead to actual feelings, right? Robbie was down bad for Skylar immediately, and she was so sweet, although I couldn't believe she didn't realise what a catch she was! The sexual tension between the two of them was electric, and I loved the twist of the family games competition bringing them together, too.

#BookReview #SportsRomance #FakeDating #OneBedTrope #RomanticTension #FeelGoodRead #BookRecommendations #ReadingCommunity #LoveStory #PredictableButEnjoyable

I loved this, Rocket and Redbeard - Skyler and Robbie, what a pair. From their first meeting sparks fly and the relationship just grows. He sees her for the woman she is and she sees he for the man he is becoming. It's perfect and it's fun. Read it, its absolutely worth it.

absolutely adored this book, as i knew i would!! corrigan was such a great side characters in the other novels so to see this deeper, more sentimental and romantic side to him was refreshing. skylar was such a wonderful character to read, and whilst she has her moments of hesitation with corrigan, i loved how she allowed herself to be with him and be herself. i knewwwww maddox was not the one as sooonnn as eve was mentioned but i liked the premise and how it pulled corrigan and skylar closer!! tens across the board!!

Unless it’s a specific trope I don’t get on with I’ll read any Tessa Bailey. She’s one of those rom com authors that write books I find hard to put down.

This was, for me, a bit too OTT in the insta-love, not as much from a book reading time frame, but an in world time frame. Honestly a bit comical the way the MMC goes feral so so quickly. But it did still have me giggling like all good romances do.

I enjoyed the FMC and I’m big fan of a sports romance where they both play.

I loved Fangirl Down, and didn’t fancy the previous two in the series (and seeing the interactions of those couples in this one I think I made the right call).

If you like her books you’ll like this one.

At the start I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this book but as I kept reading the more I loved the dynamic between Skylar and Robbie. The golden retriever and sort of black cat vibe. I love how despite Robbie starting to realise he’s having feelings for rocket, he continues to help her

In this enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating sports romance, Boston Bearcats rookie Robbie Corrigan is living the dream. He's made it to the NHL, his best friend and teammate is his roommate, and the women of Boston adore them both. That is, until he meets Skylar Paige, a Division 1 softball pitcher who is completely immune to his charms. Skylar sees Robbie as a typical player and wants nothing to do with him. However, when she reveals she's carrying a torch for her brother's best friend, Robbie can't help but get involved. He agrees to be her fake boyfriend and love coach at an upcoming family wilderness competition where her crush will be in attendance. As they navigate a series of contests that require trust, Robbie and Skylar grow closer, and their fake relationship starts to feel all too real.

Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey surprised me in the best way. I wasn’t completely sold on the writing style at first (it took a few chapters to really click with me) but once it did, I was hooked. The pacing is fast and addictive, I flew through the pages and found it hard to put down.
Robbie and Skylar were such a great couple. Robbie is down bad for her from the start, and I loved how deeply that devotion is portrayed. It’s not just physical attraction (although the spice is definitely there) but something more layered and emotional. Their chemistry is off the charts, but what really makes it work is the emotional depth and solid character development that unfolds as the story progresses.
I went into this unsure if it would be my vibe, but it totally won me over. If you’re in the mood for a steamy, fast-paced romance with an MMC who is absolutely smitten, Pitcher Perfect is definitely worth the read.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.