This was a cute debut book for this author. I love sports romance and fake dating buuuut I’m not the biggest fan of instalove and miscommunication.

I enjoyed how the characters were not one dimensional both have a backstory that has trauma that they have to work through I was very curious when we would get the backstory about Maggie’s fiancée and it was so sad but I’m glad she finally got a resolution. I couldn’t stand the third act breakup because it was all based on assumption and of course she didn’t let him explain anything. Honestly she owed him such a big apology but his grand gesture was really cute. It is a closed door so if you like them spicy (me) just know there isn’t any if that here but still get the idea of their romance together.

Tropes
* He falls first
* Fake dating
* Athlete/photographer
* One bed - fade to black
* Grand gesture

Cute. An easy read that was a bit predictable, but I like that sort of thing! It was the perfect read during a week full of Opening Days. Would be a great beach read!

4 Stars, 2-3 chili peppers

Maggie is a beloved photographer for a baseball team, she's been single for four years and has no plans to change that. Tommy has just transferred to the Cougars after being dropped from his last team for partying too hard. One of the conditions of his new contract is no partying, no women, and no tabloid appearances. During a team practice, Tommy saves Maggie and her camera from a foul ball and the attraction is instant. So, when the team goes out to celebrate the pre-season, Maggie joins them, knowing full well that there's a no-fraternizing rule she's bound to. She decides to leave early and Tommy offers her a ride home. A paparazzi snaps their picture as they head out and lands them in a meeting with the team's PR department. The head of marketing offers an ultimatum: Tommy and Maggie present a fake, stable, serious relationship to the press or Tommy is dropped from the only team that was willing to give him a second chance. Maggie signs the contract to help him out, keep her job, and get a fat check from the team.

Will the two be able to stick to strictly business or will the forced proximity draw something real out of the fake dating situation?

This was a very enjoyable book, easy to read. It was a bit predictable, but I don't consider this a bad thing in fluffy romances. I did think it was setting up for an interconnected sequel, but the epilogue seems to have nixed that idea.

4.5 stars. I ate this book up! I read it in a days time, in part due to it being paced so well. I really enjoyed both main characters’ back stories and them working through things together. I also always appreciate where the actual sport is depicted in a sports romance. I look forward to future books in this series!

This was the first book from this author I read and I loved it so much. It had all the things you love in it, from banter to fake dating to real love and everything in between. It had the perfect amount of everything in it.

This was a cute romance book that I think tried to handle a few too many serious topics at once. I feel like I was getting whiplash between the steamy scenes and the romantic scenes and the heartwrenching scenes that oftentimes felt like they came out of nowhere. I think with a little more build-up or a little bit deeper dive into some of the characters, they would be slightly less jarring.

I found the characters to be very endearing and I was definitely rooting for them, I definitely enjoyed Maggie's POV a little more than Tommy's but I still enjoyed Tommy's backstory and hearing about how head over heels for Maggie he was. The book itself was very short so things happened quickly, sometimes a little bit too quickly.

Overall, I think this was a nice foundation; I'm looking forward to checking out Ally Wiegand's next books in this universe and seeing where she takes them.

3.5 ⭐️

This book was a fun and fast read! As an avid baseball fan, I was immediately drawn in by the first sentence of the book. I loved the backstories of both characters, and how they help each other grow throughout the book.
It was a bit cheesy at times, and seemed to rush through some aspects that I feel could have had more time spent on them, but all in all a very cute baseball romance read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Embla books for the ARc!

While there were some flaws in my opinion, I thought this was a nice intro to a new world with some possibility when looking ahead. With the book being under 300 pages, the plot happens pretty quickly. I liked the flaws of both characters and how they were addressed. One was the playboy of the MLB who is looking to reform. While our FMC is stuck in a pattern of grief and terrified to open herself up again in case of heartache. What starts as a PR nightmare swiftly becomes an opportunity for them both to get out of their comfort zone and test the waters with each other.

Maggie has her dream job. She is responsible for photos for the Chicago baseball teams social media. She likes it because she can enjoy the sport she loves and look at the beautiful eye candy around her. Key word is look not touch. But that changes when the new player, Tommy, shows up. Tommy who has a reputation for bringing a different woman home every night. Tommy who seems so confident on the field and completely out of Maggie's league. After they find themselves in a compromising position, the PR team comes up with a plan for them to fake date. This is a win win- they can control the narrative and help build up Tommy's new image in a new city. The only problem is that Maggie is wondering why she is signing up for something like this. She hasn't put herself out there in 4 years since tragedy struck. But this is all fake so it doesn't mean anything...or does it?

Tommy is in a new city working on a new image when he finds himself transfixed by Maggie on the team's social media squad. Then he ends being thrown into a fake relationship with her. He realizes that he wishes that this would actually be real between them so decides to turn the tables and treat Maggie like he would a real girlfriend. He is hoping she feels for him what he feels for her. He is hoping she is picking up on the hints he is throwing her way. He finds himself declaring that he wants this to be real between them but will she believe him? Will she open up like she hasn't in so long?

The few challenges I had were how fast everything happened BUT I get it because again it wasn't a very long book. The third act was miscommunication which luckily didn't drag on for too long. Also the spice was a little meh to me BUT once again that is my opinion. I see that this is the start to a series and am curious who will be next??

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Enjoy!!

This is a wonderful debut romance! What drew me to this book was the baseball aspect of it, because I am a huge fan and love the sport. So, a romance centered around baseball? Sign me up! The book is about Maggie and Tommy Mikals. Maggie, a sports photographer for the Chicago Cougars baseball team, has steered clear of romantic relationships for four years. Tommy Mikals is the Cougars' new shortstop with a reputation for being a playboy. Joining the Cougars represents Tommy’s final shot in the league, and he is determined to prove himself as a dedicated baseball player to both himself and his family. Despite both of them not wanting a relationship, an accidental photograph of them together by the paparazzi leads the Cougars' PR team to present them with the only option: enter into a fake relationship. The book's trope is fake dating, but honestly, it didn't feel fake at all. Maggie and Tommy are seriously into each other, making the whole setup feel pretty real to me. It's clear how much both of them liked and cared for each other, and the fake dating evolves into something so much more between them.

Thank you to NetGalley, 8th Note Press, and Ally Wiegand for the eARC of this book.

What a great debut! I love baseball so I knew this would definitely be a fun sports romance. Maggie and Tommy’s romance started out as fake but soon turned into something more. I liked how both of them helped each other grow through their past traumas. Overall a great baseball romance that I definitely recommend!

I will like to say i loved this book, but with that being said here are things that i liked and disliked about this book.

Things i liked:
- Maggie and Tommy
- Baseball elements.
- Olivia, the friendship that we all need.
- Jamel is such a sweetie and i really hope we get his book soon.
honestly i could go on and on about what i liked about this book but a lot of them are spoilers so.

Things i Disliked:
- it ended.

🏟️🏟️🏟️🏟️🏟️🏟️🏟️🏟️🏟️🏟️
𝐴𝑅𝐶 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤
𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑒
𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑊𝑖𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑑
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

⚾️ 𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑏𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
⚾️ 𝐻𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡
⚾️ 𝐷𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑃𝑂𝑉
⚾️ 𝐹𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for a copy of First Base! It was a short, fun read that was a cute way to lighten the mood. Yay for a great debut 👏🏼

I enjoyed the plot, characters, and character relationships…but the writing felt robotic to me. Some of the events seemed super random and wrapped up too quickly for reality’s sake.

The fake dating trope is a fave and I especially loved the dynamic between baseball player Tommy and team photographer Maggie. I def wanted more steam though 😂

This was a lovely debut! I enjoyed Maggie and the rest of the gang as well as the fake dating aspect! Something felt like it was missing for me though, despite it delivering on many different fronts. Maybe I needed more pining before the fake dating happened? I’m unsure, but I look forward to reading more by this author in the future!

3/5 ⭐️

Oouuuu this is such a great debut novel! This story follows Maggie, a photographer for the Chicago Cougars baseball team, and Tommy, a baseball player with a bit of a reputation that needs to be cleaned up. To improve his image, him and Maggie enter a fake relationship, which didn't feel too fake actually; their connection is undeniable from the start.

If you're in the mood for a fluffy, cute, and fun, sports romance then this will be the book for you! T
Thank you so much to NetGalley, 8th Note Press, and Ally Wiegand for accepting my request to read First Base!

this book was absolutely amazing. i was blown away!

i want to say thank you so much to net galley and ally wiegand for sending me an arc of this book! perfect debut novel. i have never read a baseball romance before but i will say that i will be reading more!

tommy is such an amazing character. from the beginning, he was so kind and caring towards maggie. he deserves the absolute world. i loved seeing behind the scenes with his family. the last chapter was AMAZING!

maggie, i love you. i loved how she was the photographer for the team honestly. i have never read something like this before. i also loved how it show mental health so well in this book. i wanted to give her a hug this whole entire book!

i will be continuing this series. i’m so excited!!

I wanted to love this one and I did like it a lot but I wanted more from it. I’m not sure what it was but I felt like something was missing. It just didn’t have everything I wanted or needed.

The book dives into the lives of Maggie and Tommy Mikals. Maggie, a sports photographer for the Chicago Cougars baseball team, has steered clear of romantic relationships for four years. Tommy Mikals is the Cougars' new shortstop with a reputation for being a playboy. Joining the Cougars represents Tommy’s final shot in the league, and he is determined to prove himself as a dedicated baseball player to both himself and his family. Despite their mutual disinterest in a relationship, an accidental capture of them together by the paparazzi leads the Cougars' PR team to present them with a single option: enter into a fake relationship.

The book's supposed to be about fake dating, but honestly, it didn't feel fake at all. From their points of view, Maggie and Tommy are seriously into each other, making the whole setup feel pretty real to me. I'm usually not into the whole "love at first sight" thing—I'm more about the slow burn—but despite the quick connection between Maggie and Tommy, their story still grabbed me.

All in all, it's a super cozy read. Quick, cute, and totally heartwarming. If you're in a bit of a reading slump or you're into sports romances, this one's a winner. Hats off to Ally Wiegand for a solid first book.

Big thanks to Netgalley and 8th Note Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book. THIS BOOK! it was a fantastic and sweet baseball romance! The fake dating between a player trying to recover his reputation and the teams photographer was exactly everything I wanted it to be. Tommy is a dream. I could not get over how fast he fell for Maggie and how much he cared for her. He has already gone through a lot of growth before the book starts but his growth throughout was really great. Maggie has gone through a lot in the past and seeing her process and learn to love again was devastating and beautiful. The way these two clicked was amazing, so was their chemistry. You want to scream at them to kiss constantly. I really adored this book and cannot wait for the rest of the series!

This book hooked me in from the first chapter. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

First Base is set in Chicago, focusing on the team's photographer and new "bad boy" star. On Opening Weekend, they have their first interaction which propels them into a fake relationship to keep his reputation above water. I love sports romance and am getting into more baseball centered stories. And I really liked this story! It was a great premise and Maggie and Tommy were really likable. I appreciated the growth they both had to make throughout the story. Maggie with her grief, and Tommy dealing with his past mistakes. That was the strongest part of this story. Understanding how grief can take over and control you is a slippery slope, and how Maggie works through that was beautiful.

I am not a big fan of the instant love that was going on though. It's just not realistic to me, and makes it harder for me to attach to the characters. The overall timeline felt off. There were some inconsistencies with the timing, like when she says Tommy becomes one of the most important people in her life, but we don't get to see any of that relationship being built. We go from them not talking a lot fast forward to them being best friends. It would've helped me connect to them so much more if we could see them building their relationship.

Overall, it was a cute and easy read and I recommend this for sports romance lovers!